George Albert Smith was the eighth president of the LDS Church. He suffered from
lupus erythematosus (an autoimmune disease) and was disabled for a period of about two years (bedridden from 1909 to 1912).
George Albert Smith was born on April 4, 1870, in
Salt Lake City. His father, John Henry Smith, and grandfather, George A.
Smith, had both been counselors to Church Presidents. While employed in
the Federal Land Office for Utah, he was called at the age of 33 to the
Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Despite fragile health and impaired
eyesight, he had a distinguished career as a Church leader. He became
President of the Church on May 21, 1945. He organized the Church's
massive welfare assistance to Europe following World War II. ...
President Smith lived that portion of his personal creed that declared,
"I would be a friend to the friendless and find joy in ministering to
the needs of the poor" (Improvement Era Mar. 1932, 295). After six years
as President, George Albert Smith died in Salt Lake City on his
eighty-first birthday, April 4, 1951.
That is the short summary of his
life. What this essay is about, however, is that he had significant
disability and what I think we can learn from that disability. You can
read more about his disabilities many places (such as
here and at page 120ff
here).
First, he had disability issues, severe ones, in
spite of being an exemplary man from an exemplary family. His
disability had nothing to do with his personal righteousness or that of
his family.
Second, when he tried to just "work through" things
(face his disability by just working harder) all he succeeded in doing
was working himself into the ground and making things worse. Disability
is not overcome by denial or by ignoring it.
Third, before his disability lifted, his father and
others had expected him to die before he was 40. The expectation that
they had was that regardless of faith or personal effort, many
disabilities were things that only death could be expected to free one
from (and, to be correct, he did die of lupus, albeit on his 81st
birthday instead of his 40th). We should not expect people who have
disabilities to be freed from them.
Fourth, he remained committed to caring and
ministering to others, in kindness. There is nothing about disability
that prevents people from being Christlike or following Christ. The
spirit of Charity welcomes everyone.
Fifth, in spite of disability, he had a loving and full life. There is value in all life, including the lives of those with disabilities.
I think that if we approached disability more with those five
points in mind, we would be more Christlike and more Christian. Which
is the lesson George Albert Smith would want us to draw from his life
and his disability.
