It’s President Henry B. Eyring’s birthday on May 31. This year marks 40 years of full-time Church service for the veteran Church leader, who was sustained to the Presiding Bishopric in April 1985.
Since then he has served as a General Authority Seventy, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and as a counselor in the First Presidency for three Church presidents. President Russell M. Nelson called him as a counselor in the current First Presidency on Jan. 14, 2018.
Henry Bennion Eyring was born in Princeton, New Jersey, on May 31, 1933, the second of three sons of Henry Eyring and Mildred Bennion Eyring. He married Kathleen Johnson in July 1962. At the time of Sister Eyring’s death on Oct. 15, 2023, the two had six children — four sons and two daughters — 24 grandchildren and 31 great-grandchildren.
In honor of his 92nd birthday, here are nine of his quotes from this past year.
1. ‘A sacred trust’
“You were called of God by revelation to your missionary service. I also believe that your missionaries are called to serve with you.”
Treat each missionary “as a sacred trust for whom you were personally prepared.”
— 2024 Seminar for New Mission Leaders, June 21, 2024
2. Teach simple doctrine
“The Holy Ghost will reveal the spirit of truth only as we are cautious and careful not to go beyond teaching true doctrine. One of the surest ways to avoid even getting near false doctrine is to choose to be simple in our teaching.”
— October 2024 general conference, “Simple Is the Doctrine of Jesus Christ”
3. The promise of personal peace
“[The Savior] gave this wonderful promise to His disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid’ (John 14:27). …
“I felt that peace when I reached out to touch, softly, the beautiful wooden cover on the casket of my wife. A photo of my face at that moment shows me smiling. It was a smile of joy. I felt at that moment that I could see her smile as she was meeting the Savior — and that He was smiling at her.”
— Facebook post, Dec. 8, 2024
4. New Year encouragement
“The test a loving God has set before us is not to see if we can endure difficulty. It is to see if we can endure it well.”
— Social media post, Jan. 3, 2025
5. Jesus broke the bands of death
“Because Jesus Christ broke the bands of death, every one of Heavenly Father’s children will rise again in a perfected, resurrected body that will never die. This sure promise can turn the sorrow of losing a loved one into hope, filling our hearts with peace and a joyful anticipation of reunion.”
— Social media post, March 9, 2025
6. ‘Remembering saved them’
In moment of crisis, Enos, Alma the Younger and sons of Mosiah “remembered the words of their parents — words of the doctrine of Jesus Christ. Remembering saved them. Your teaching of that sacred doctrine will be remembered by those you love and teach.”
— “The Word of God’s Powerful Effect on the Mind,” video, March 30, 2025
7. Draw closer to Christ
“Jesus Christ loves each of us. He offers the opportunity to draw closer to Him. As would a loving friend, you will do it in much the same way by communicating through prayer to Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, listening for cherished guidance from the Holy Ghost and serving others for the Savior cheerfully. Soon you would feel that blessing of drawing nearer to Him.”
— April 2025 general conference, “Draw Near Unto Me”
8. ‘He was a builder’
Speaking of his father, world-renowned chemist Henry Eyring: “He was a builder. He lifted people in their capacities. ... He was a worker like you could not imagine, and he cared more about other people than he cared about himself. I hope you remember that I described a man who loved people and loved God and loved chemistry.”
— Unveiling of a new statue at the University of Utah honoring his father, April 12, 2025
9. ‘Charity never faileth’
“While I do not fully know all the Lord’s purposes in giving the primary responsibility for nurturing to faithful sisters, I believe it is because of their divine capacity to love. To love in such a way that the needs of others are felt more deeply than their own — that is charity. That is the pure love of Christ.”
— Social media post, May 9, 2025
