I need humor. It happens to be a Godly quality. Consider these Mormon leaders with the Godly Gift of Humor:
James E. Faust Humor
President Faust used to bless his children and grandchildren with a sense of humor — “I do this,” President Faust said, “with the hope that it will help guard them against being too rigid, that they will have balance in their lives, and that situations and problems and difficulties will not be overdrawn.”
In 1996, at the funeral of Rex E. Lee, the 10th President of BYU, James E. Faust shared a short humorous story to break the somber feeling of the funeral. He told a story of how some people were complaining to Lee that the admission standards to get into BYU’s J. Reuben Clark Law School were too stringent. One person said, “I don’t think Abraham Lincoln could get into BYU Law School.” Faust recalled Lee’s reply: “Oh, he came by and applied, but he had a beard.” (BYU has a dress code — no beards, unless medically needed, then you have to carry a special beard card.)
Thomas S. Monson Humor
President Thomas S. Monson has been known to hunt geese — someone asked him about this, since a previous prophet, President Spencer Kimball told members not to shoot little birds. “I think I’m OK on that,” President Monson replied. “The birds I shoot are big — I don’t shoot the little ones.”
Brigham Young Humor
A woman went to President Brigham Young and complained that her husband had told her to go to Hell.
“What should I do?” she asked.
“Don’t go,” Brigham, replied.
J. Golden Kimball Humor
Elder J. Golden Kimball was known for having a rather colorful vocabulary. Someone advised him not to use such words, because President Heber J. Grant would never use them.
“Yes he would,” said Elder Kimball. “I heard him one time. He and I were down in Southern Utah and it was a terrible drought. I said, ‘President, this is a damn shame.’
“He said, ‘Yes it is.’”
Life is messy and brings trials to all of us, but it is nice to remember that it’s good and Godly to have humor.
(stories from BYU professor of church history and doctrine: Lawrence R. Flake)
