Elder Hales Personal History

Elder Hales was born on August 24, 1932 to J. Rulon and Vera Marie Holbrook Hales. 

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He is currently eighty one years old. 

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He was born in New York City, New York and raised in Long Island, New York. 

►Elder Hales is a graduate of the University of Utah. 

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As a high school freshman, Bob Hales was the starting pitcher for the school’s baseball team. One time when he was in a pitching slump, he caused the team to lose three games in a row, each by a score of 1–0. The headline in the school paper read, “Hard-Luck Hales Loses Again.” He took his uniform and went to tell his coach he was going to quit. When he got to the coach’s office, his coach said, “Do you know why you’re losing? Your pitching arm is tired at the end of the game because before the game when you’re supposed to be warming up, you’re out there impressing everybody with your fastball and curveball. You probably pitch [the equivalent of] two or three innings doing that. [Stop] showing off and you won’t wear out your arm.” Robert listened, and the next game he pitched a shutout.

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►He holds a Master of Business Administration degree from Harvard. 

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He served in the United States Air Force as a jet fighter pilot and intelligence officer. 

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Prior to his call as a General Authority Elder Hales had a distinguished business career, serving in executive positions with several Fortune 500 companies, including Gillette, Papermate, Max Factor and Hughes. 

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►Robert D. Hales married Mary Elene Crandell on June 10, 1953 in the Salt Lake Temple.

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They celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary this year.

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They have 2 sons.  

§Steven born in 1955, served a mission to England. 

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David born 1958, served a mission to Germany.

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Elder Hales did not serve a full-time mission, but did serve in the United States Air Force as a fighter pilot and intelligence officer.  His unit’s motto was ‘Return with Honor.’ He says, “It was a constant reminder to us of our determination to return to our home base with honor after we had expended all of our efforts to successfully complete every aspect of our mission.” As each of his two sons went on their missions years later, he put his arms around them and whispered in each of their ears, “Return with honor.”

 

 

 

An Example From His Parents

►Elder Hales had a wonderful example of service shown to him by his parents.  He grew up seeing them serve in various callings in their ward and was raised in a home where the gospel was at the center of their lives.  As soon as he received his driver’s license he remembers helping his mother deliver food to the poor and needy. His father served in the bishopric, but always made the time to give his children personal attention. Elder Hales recalls, “When I was a deacon, my father took me to the Sacred Grove.  There we prayed together and dedicated our lives.  Then he talked to me of sacred things.  When we got back home, my father, who worked as an artist in New York City, painted a picture of the Sacred Grove for me.  I’ve always hung that picture in my office, and when I look at it, I remember my father and our talk that summer afternoon.”

History as an Apostle

► A very important decision began his life-time of dedicated service.  While he was in graduate school at Harvard, married with two small children, he was extended the call to serve as elder’s quorum president.  He says he was willing to accept, but also knew how hard it would be because of the intense program he was enrolled in.  His professors discouraged outside activities. He explained that he and his wife prayed about it and discussed it together.  He thought he very likely might fail in his educational pursuits.  His wife then said, “I’d rather have an active priesthood holder than a man who holds a master’s degree from Harvard.  We’ll do them both.”  When he returned from school the next day, his wife Mary had made a small office in their basement for him so he would have a place to go and study.  She had built it with two-by-fours and wallboard.  He says of that experience, “I put myself in the Lord’s hands when I made that decision.  That decision was much harder to make than when, years later, I accepted the call to serve as Assistant to the Twelve and left my business career behind.  Some people may have trouble understanding that, but I believe you really show the Lord who you are and what you are willing to become when you make those hard decisions as a young person.” 

 

►Elder Hales went on to serve in many other capacities in the Church.  He has moved often due to his business career, so has served in many different locations. He was a branch president in Albany, Georgia; Weston, Massachusetts, and Frankfurt Germany. He has served as a bishop in Weston, MA; the Wilmette Ward in the Chicago, IL Stake and also Frankfurt, Germany.  He has been an early morning seminary teacher in Downey, California.  He has served on the high council in the Boston and London stakes, and has served in the Boston stake presidency. Later on he served as a regional representative for the Minnesota and Louisiana regions.

 

In 1975, he was called by Marion G. Romney to serve as a mission president.  He got the assignment soon after to preside over the England London Mission, but just a short time later, President Spencer W. Kimball called him from Salt Lake City and asked him if he would mind going on a different mission.  This is how the conversation went…Elder Hales replied, “I don’t mind.  Send me wherever you want to send me, President.”  President Kimball then asked him, “Do you mind if we ask you to serve longer than three years?”  Elder Hales replied, “Okay.” Then President Kimball extended the lifetime calling as a General Authority. President Kimball knew he had wanted to go out on a mission as a mission president, and told him not to worry; he would have “many missions.”

  

► His first three years as a General Authority he served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He said that he loved to travel with President Kimball and the Apostles.  He said, “Watching prophets, seers, and revelators bearing witness of the truthfulness of the gospel to the Saints in city after city was absolutely wonderful.”  He helped plan twenty-seven area conferences for the First Presidency during this time.

  

►He was then finally called to serve as a mission president of the England London Mission. He and his wife loved the mission, England and the people there.  When this mission was complete in 1979, he moved his family to Europe and served as an area supervisor.  He worked with leaders of countries where the gospel was not established yet. He worked alongside Thomas S. Monson, who was also in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, in furthering the work and strengthening the Saints in Czechoslovakia, East Germany, Hungary, and Poland.  He helped work out the plans for the temple in East Germany.  When he was released from this calling, his family moved back to Salt Lake City and Elder Hales served as area president of the North American Southwest Area.  He was called to serve as the Presiding Bishop of the Church in 1985 and served in this calling until he was called to the Quorum of the Twelve.

  

►On April 2, 1994, at 61 years of age, Elder Hales was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. A few days later, on Thursday, April 7, 1994, in the Salt Lake Temple, the First Presidency, President Ezra Taft Benson and his counselors Gordon B. Hinckley and Thomas S. Monson, ordained and set apart Elder Hales as an Apostle.  The entire Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were with them there.  Elder Hales said of this day, “It was a magnificent experience.  It’s a great testimony and witness that President Benson is the Lord’s prophet.  When he places his hands on your head, you know he is a prophet.”

 

Hobbies

Elder Hales like to play the piano, golf and watch baseball or other sporting events.

 

Favorite Quote: By Stephanie Reske

"This is the call of Christ to every Christian today: "Feed my lambs...Feed my sheep" -share my gospel with young and old, lifting, blessing, comforting, encouraging, and building them, especially those who think and believe differently than we do."  Elder Hales, "Being a More Christian, Christian" October 2012 General Conference

**This quote is the one that means something to me.  I think it meant a lot because I do live out in the "mission field" and know how important our example can be to others.  I also work in the medical field and know that we are all Heavenly Father's children that need comforting and encouraging even if people believe differently than we do.

Favorite Talk & Fun Fact

Stand Strong in Holy Places, April 2013 Conference

**The Young Actor in the video shown is Brother Williams Nephew**

Favorite Quote: By Kari Cox

"Sometimes we become the lightning rod, and we must "take the heat" for holding fast to God's standards and doing His work.  I testify that we need not be afraid if we are grounded in His doctrine.  We may experience misunderstanding, criticism, and even false accusation, but we are never alone.  Our Savior was "despised and rejected of men."  It is our sacred privilege to stand with Him!"