President James E. Faust, in talking about the approach of the 85th anniversary of his birth on July 31, made a statement that tells a great deal about the kind of man he is and the life he has lived:
"I've had a wonderful, fulfilling life. I've been blessed far beyond my just desserts. If I had to live my life over again, I would want to live it substantially the way that I have. There isn't a lot that I would change. Oh, I'd like to do better, serve more."
President Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, inherited a legacy of faith. Among his paternal ancestors were Edward Partridge, who was called as the first bishop of the Church and of whom the Lord said, " . . . his heart is pure before me, for he is like unto Nathanael of old, in whom there is no guile" (Doctrine and Covenants 41:11); and Amasa M. Lyman, who had been a counselor to the Prophet Joseph Smith and, as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, was among the Pioneers who accompanied President Brigham Young to the Salt Lake Valley in 1847. Henry Jacob Faust, one of President Faust's grandfathers, was a convert from Prussia who was called by Brigham Young to serve as the first bishop in Corinne, Utah.
Not resting on the laurels of his ancestors' faith, President Faust has earned his own place among the stalwarts of the Church. Members and General Authority colleagues speak of him with love, admiration and respect. Without doubt, he will be quoted by future generations of members who will look to his life and teachings with much the same respect that members today look to the example set by his ancestors.
Born in 1920, in Delta, Utah, to George A. and Amy Finlinson Faust, President Faust has a long history of service in the Church. From 1939-42, he served as a missionary in Brazil at a time when there were few members there and missionary work was slow. He said that in one year, only three people were baptized in all of Brazil. He has been a bishop's counselor, bishop, a high councilor, a stake president's counselor, stake president and regional representative. He was sustained on Oct. 6, 1972, as an Assistant to the Twelve and on Oct. 1, 1976, to the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy. At age 58, he was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve, on Sept. 30, 1978. He has served as second counselor to President Gordon B. Hinckley since March 12, 1995.
President Hinckley said: "As a member of the Twelve, Brother Faust was a man of strong opinions and had the courage to state them. I never found a time when he wasn't right on track, and that's why I asked him to serve as my second counselor — because I appreciated that among his many other virtues. He has an excellent mind and is a very thoughtful man. He thinks before he speaks. He doesn't just shoot from the hip. He thinks things through, or he asks questions to get the facts so the facts don't get him. He's absolutely reliable in every respect. You don't have to worry about Brother Faust.
"He is a man of balance. He doesn't ride hobby horses. He gets the big picture and sees the whole Church. He has good experience and background. He comes through a line of ancestry in the Church who have been true blue through the years. He honors and respects his progenitors and lives up to what they might expect of him. He is a man of conviviality. He's nice to be around. He has a strong sense of humor that is never out of place. He is quiet and reserved for the most part, but very able. I don't find anything lacking that I could wish for in Brother Faust. He has been a wonderful counselor and one whom I very greatly appreciate" (James P. Bell, In the Strength of the Lord — the Life and Teachings of James E. Faust, Deseret Book Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, 1999, p. 230).
President Thomas S. Monson, first counselor in the First Presidency, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in the 1960s when he visited the Cottonwood Stake over which President Faust presided in the Salt Lake Valley. President Monson recalled the impression that the stake president made on him: "I found an administrator who had everything in order. I also like to have things orderly, so we got along very well right from the start. And his wife is a fabulous cook" (Bell, pp. 78-79).
Almost any discussion about President Faust at some point includes mention of his wife, Ruth Wright Faust. While they attended the same high school, they did not begin dating until after he returned home from his mission, having been re-introduced by his uncle in whose office she worked. After he was inducted into the Army Air Corps, they were married in the Salt Lake Temple on April 21, 1943. They are parents of five children and have 25 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren.
"I've had a wonderful wife and companion," President Faust said in a Church News interview. "I got down on my knees on our 62nd wedding anniversary and said, 'Ruth, will you marry me?' She said yes.
"Our children and their companions, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are a comfort and blessing to us."
Asked what her life with President Faust has been like, Sister Faust said, "It couldn't have been better. I found a good one, and he's a keeper. The smartest thing I ever did in my life was to marry him."
She described President Faust as "the cutest great-grandfather you'll ever see. He loves children." She described how he always liked to get down on the floor and play with children, beginning with their own and then their grandchildren. "They would laugh and giggle and have the best time," she said.
President and Sister Faust have always made time in their schedules to include their family. Even now, they enjoy visits by the family. In the room he uses as a study, President Faust pointed out what appeared to be a floor-to-ceiling cabinet. "That's a Murphy bed," he noted. "We like to have the grandchildren spend the night with us from time to time."
Sister Faust commented on how considerate her husband is toward her. "He is a gentleman," she said, noting how he has treated her not just during their courtship and early years of marriage but also throughout their life together. "He's a delightful person to be with."
As she reflected on his 85th birthday, she exclaimed, "I'm sure glad he was born, and that I met him. It's a great joy to know that we're married for eternity, if I live worthy of him."
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve described President Faust as unfailingly gracious and kind, very loving. "You see that in how he treats Sister Faust when they're out, how he treats the priesthood leaders who are hosting him. He puts everybody at ease. He lets them know that he's one of them and he's one with them, and he loves them. He does all that he can to reach out to the people.
"I said once in another setting that I thought maybe President Faust was at least one of the men for whom the word 'gentleman' was created. He's considerate of everybody's feelings. He does not rush to judgment and is thoughtful."
President Monson said that he and his wife, Frances, extend heartiest congratulations to President Faust on his 85th birthday anniversary. "He and I have worked together throughout many years and in many positions of responsibility, culminating in our service together in the First Presidency," President Monson said. "He is a devoted servant of the Lord and is mindful of the downtrodden and those who need a helping hand. He is a beloved leader."
"I can't believe that I'm 85," President Faust said. "I don't feel like I'm 85. I feel about 65. I'm prepared to go ahead and do whatever is necessary to be done."
President Faust had back surgery last year. Asked about his health, he rose from the chair and walked around his office. Saying that he has recovered well, he declared he is ready to "go anywhere in the kingdom that I can be of service."
His ancestors, certainly, must be pleased to see him walking in their footsteps.
E-mail to: gerry@desnews.com
