Individual Interest

I was very greatly impressed when President George Albert Smith became president of this Church. One of his early responsibilities as president was to attend a welfare meeting of the general committee on Friday evening. His conduct there was indicative of the life that he had lived, the service that he had rendered his people, the knowledge that he had of the individual members of this Church. That morning a case came before us for his consideration. It was the application for assistance of a humble Saint. He had come from a country in Europe, had labored as missionaries in that same country. In the presentation of his case we were just a little impersonal and had not particularly emphasized his name. The mere mention of it caused President Smith to ask if that was not a former resident of Berlin. And when we told him he was, he said, "How can we refrain from giving consideration to his case? His generosity in the Church deserves our help. It was my privilege to eat at that man's table." We found out that he and his family had saved of their earning for a week and had little or nothing to eat for that week, practically fasted in order that they might have the means with which to spread what they thought was an appropriate dinner before a servant of God who had been sent into their midst, one of the Quorum of the Twelve, George Albert Smith. I tell you, his interest in the people of this Church individually can hardly be excelled. He was interested in the smallest details.

Henry D. Moyle, "A Tribute to President Smith,' The Improvement Era, June 951. p. 453.