J. Reuben Clark

J. Reuben Clark
Full name	Joshua Reuben Clark, Jr.
Born	September 1, 1871(1871-09-01)
Place of birth	Grantsville, Utah Territory
Died	October 6, 1961 (aged 90)
Place of death	Salt Lake City, Utah
LDS Church Apostle
Called by	Heber J. Grant
Ordained	October 11, 1934 (aged 63)
Ordination reason	Heber J. Grant's discretion[1]
End of term	October 6, 1961 (aged 90)
End reason	Death
Reorganization at end of term	No additional apostles ordained[2]

Joshua Reuben Clark, Jr. (1871-09-01 – 1961-10-06) was an American attorney, civil servant, and a prominent leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Born in Grantsville, Utah Territory, Clark was a prominent attorney in the Department of State, and Under Secretary of State for U.S. president Calvin Coolidge. In 1930 Clark was appointed U.S. Ambassador to Mexico.

He received his BS from the University of Utah where he was valedictorian and student-body president. He received his law degree from Columbia University where he also became a member of Phi Delta Phi, a prominent international legal fraternity in which Clark remained active throughout his life. He later became an associate professor at George Washington University. Both the J. Reuben Clark Law Society and the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University were named in his honor.

Government Service

Clark began his government service in 1906, when he was appointed assistant solicitor to the state department. During World War I, Clark worked in the Attorney General's office. He also participated in creating the regulations for the Selective Service.

In 1928, as Under Secretary of State to President Calvin Coolidge, Clark wrote the "Clark Memorandum on the Monroe Doctrine", which repudiated the idea that the United States could arbitrarily use military force in Latin America.

Clark served as U.S. ambassador to Mexico from 1930–1933. Regarding his service, President Hoover said, "Never have our relations been lifted to such a high point of confidence and cooperation."

Church service

In April 1933, Clark was called to serve in the LDS Church as the Second Counselor in the First Presidency to President Heber J. Grant. He replaced Charles W. Nibley, who had died in December 1931. This call was unusual, not only for the delay between Nibley's death and Clark's call, but also because counselors were generally selected from within the general authorities of the church. (Clark had also never been a stake president or bishop in the church. He wasn't even very active in the church at that point, due to his duties as ambassador.) In September 1934, Grant's First Counselor Anthony W. Ivins died. In October 1934, Clark was ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for purposes of seniority. Immediately thereafter, he was set apart as Grant's First Counselor, with David O. McKay as the Second Counselor.

After Grant's death, Clark and McKay were also First and Second Counselors, respectively, to George Albert Smith. However, when Smith died and McKay became President of the Church, he surprised some by choosing Clark as his Second Counselor, with Stephen L. Richards as First Counselor, citing Richards' longer tenure as an apostle as his only reason for doing so. It was after this that Clark famously remarked that "In the service of the Lord, it is not where you serve but how. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one takes the place to which one is duly called, which place one neither seeks nor declines."^[3] Clark was returned to the position of First Counselor after Richards' death in 1959 and continued to serve in that capacity until his own death on October 6, 1961.

Published works

• Clark, J. Reuben (1991). Behold the Lamb of God. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-536-6. 
• --- (1947). "Gratitude for our heritage": Address before the Salt Lake Rotary Club. The Rotary Club. ISBN B0007HE99Y. 
• --- (1968). Immortality and eternal life (Vol. 1). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ISBN B0007G3A2C. 
• --- (1969). Immortality and eternal life (Vol. 2). The Church of J esus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ISBN B0007G3A2C. 
• --- (1987). J. Reuben Clark: Selected Papers on Americanism and National Affairs. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-109-3. 
• --- (1930). Memorandum on the Monroe doctrine. U.S. G.P.O. ISBN B0006D9U6Q. 
• --- (1949). On the way to immortality and eternal life: A series of radio talks. Deseret Book Company. ISBN B0007EJWAS. 
• --- (1954). Our Bible: Address at General Conference, The Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, April 4, 1954. Bookcraft. ISBN B0007H2ZL8. 
• --- (1974). Our Lord of the Gospels. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-191-6. 
• --- (1978). Stand fast by our Constitution. Deseret Book Company. ISBN B0006WZ8SG. 
• --- (1998). To Them of the Last Wagon. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87579-975-2. 
• --- (1979). Why the King James version. Deseret Book Company. ISBN 0-87747-773-6. 
• --- (1947). Wist Ye Not That I Must Be About My Father’s Business. General Board. ISBN ?. 

Notes

References

• Fox, Frank W. (1980). J. Reuben Clark, The Public Years. Brigham Young University Press, Provo, Utah. ISBN 0-8425-1832-0. 
• Quinn, D. Michael (1983). J. Reuben Clark, The Church Years. Brigham Young University Press, Provo, Utah. ISBN 0-8425-2137-2. 
• Yarn, David H. Jr., editor. “J. Reuben Clark: Selected Papers on Religion, Education and Youth (Volume 3).” 1984, Brigham Young University Press, Provo, Utah.
• Quinn, D. Michael. Elder Statesman: A Biography of J. Reuben Clark. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2002.

See also

Kimball-Snow-Woolley Family

External resources

• Brigham Young University/Selected Clark references
• Grampa Bill's General Authority Pages
• Biography on the J. Reuben Clark Law Society website

Grave marker of J. Reuben Clark. See also back view, headstone:

v • d • e United States Under Secretaries of State Polk • Davis • Fletcher • Phillips • Grew • Olds • Clark • Cotton • Castle • Phillips • Welles • Stettinius • Grew • Acheson • Lovett • Webb • Bruce • Smith • Hoover • Herter • Dillon • Bowles • Ball • Katzenbach • Richardson • Irwin