Laughter filled the room as Professor Lawrence R. Flake told humorous stories and jokes from church history and of General Authorities during his Education Week class Tuesday morning in the Hinckley Alumni Center.
“The living prophets I have known have all had… a sense of humor. Indeed the brethren are happy while they cope with serious and somber problems,” Flake said, quoting Elder Neal. A Maxwell.
Flake related a story told by President Boyd K. Packer. President Packer walked into a room and saw Elders David B. Haight and Maxwell, who were both sick and close to passing away in their old age. Instead of greeting each other with a handshake, they banged their canes together and had a mock duel. It was just a few weeks later that they both passed away.
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Flake told detailed stories of different General Authorities in the church, saying, “Their self-deprecating humor is so funny and appropriate.”
“Brigham Young had a very unusual sense of humor,” Flake said. “That was not universally appreciated, especially if you were the other end of his zings. He put people in their place when they needed it.”
Flake told of a woman who came to President Young. She said, “My husband just told me to go to hell. What should I do?”
Brigham Young responded. “Don’t go.”
Flake went on to tell more stories of President Young, who was able to comfort others because of his own happiness. Happy people generally have a good sense of humor, Flake said.
Flake related an account of a time when President Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith had a carriage race on their way home. “It’s fun to see leaders of the church so human and enjoying life,” he said.
President John Taylor was also touched on in the stories. The church looked down on fictional books during this time because of a feeling there were better things to do, Flake explained. One day President Taylor’s son came home with a fictional book, “Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.” President Taylor took the book away from his son, saying, “We don’t read fiction in this family.” The next day his son came down the stairs and saw his father turning the last page. President Taylor looked up at his son, handed him the book, and said, “This is a good book. You should read it, son.”
Another General Authority touched on was President David O. McKay. Lyndon B. Johnson, president of the United States, was fond of President McKay and decided to call him one day on his birthday. President Johnson told the secretary to not reveal who was calling and was patched through. “This is President Johnson, happy birthday,” he said.
President McKay thought of all the stake presidents and other presidents of the church, Flake continued, and then asked, “What is it that you’re president of?”
Flake related a personal account with President Spencer W. Kimball. Flake said he was not married until later in life and at this time was an older, single man. When President Kimball found out he wasn’t married he asked him why. Flake responded that he just hadn’t found the right one. President Kimball said there were 10,000 girls in the Church who would marry him. Flake responded, “Well, President Kimball, I only want one.”
“Well, he didn’t smile at all and lectured me,” Flake said, smiling. He said President Kimball offered to let him use his car to take girls out on dates. “I never did, but I think he was serious,” Flake said.
Flake also mentioned President Gordon B. Hinckley and his wife, Marjorie Hinckley. Flake told of someone approaching Sister Hinckley and complementing her on how well she looked for her age, and then expressing how her husband especially looked well for his age. Flake said she responded by saying, “Well, if I had 12 million people praying for me everyday I’d look better than he did.”
Flake said we should emulate the prophets’ lives. He spoke of how President Hinckley’s humor helped his family through hard times. He quoted Marjorie Hinckley, “Well, his sense of humor got us through all the crises of our lives. Because he never took himself too seriously, or anything else too seriously- except things that should be taken seriously, of course. But he was not a worrier.”
