Elder Richard G. Scott: the Real Power Comes from the Lord

Over the years, as Richard G. Scott has worked on Elder Richard G. Scott: the cutting edge of technology, his faith in the Lord has “The Real Power Comes from the grown ever stronger. He comes to the Quorum of the Twelve with an unshakable love for his “perfect friend— Lord” our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus the Christ,” and for another “precious friend”—the Book of Mormon. (Ibid.) Elder Richard G. Scott was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve on 1 October 1988, one month shy of his sixtieth By Marvin K. birthday. Gardner Assistant Managing Born on 7 November 1928 in Pocatello, Idaho, and Editor reared in Washington, D.C., Richard developed an early interest in science. His parents, Kenneth Leroy and Mary Eliza Whittle Scott, encouraged him and his brothers to explore—to tinker with mechanical things, discover how Ensign, Jan 1989, 7 they worked, build them, repair them. They even trusted the boys to fix the family car. He smiles: “One time, as a joke, we put a caboose whistle on the exhaust pipe!”

The news was His father was not a member of the Church, and heartbreaking. his mother was not active. But they were people of Doctors informed the principle, with high standards of integrity. Richard was an family that their outgoing young man; he was a class president in high father had cancer and would live only a few more months school, played clarinet in the band, and was drum major for at best. Medical science could do no more. the marching band.

One of the grief-stricken sons was a nuclear Still, he felt something lacking in his life. engineer, an expert on what man can do through the Encouraged by bishops and home teachers to attend church miracles of technology. But in this situation, technology meetings and activities, he went, “although at times was helpless. reluctantly.” For some reason, he sometimes felt as though he were on the sidelines looking in. The same was true at school: although he excelled academically and was well In a spirit of fasting and prayer, Richard Scott and liked, he lacked confidence socially and athletically and his four brothers gathered in a circle and gave their father a often felt alone. priesthood blessing in which he was promised a full recovery. The blessing was fulfilled. It wasn’t until he was a missionary that he discovered what could have eliminated those feelings. “The Elder Richard G. Scott, former nuclear engineer expanded understanding of the gospel that came from an and now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, urgent desire to share the gospel with others filled all the has witnessed great power—man’s and God’s. He respects voids of loneliness,” he says. “I began to recognize that both. But man’s power is finite; God’s is infinite. those feelings need not have been part of my life if I had really understood the gospel.” “I cannot comprehend [the Lord’s] power, his majesty, his perfections,” he told the Church in his first Ezra Taft Benson, then a member of the Quorum address as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. “But I of the Twelve and U.S. secretary of agriculture, was the do understand something of his love, his compassion, his Scott family’s stake president in Washington, D.C. mercy. Richard’s father worked for him as assistant secretary of agriculture. President Benson’s example—“his integrity, “There is no burden he cannot lift. his devotion, his great ability to defend principle—very deeply touched my father,” says Elder Scott. “As that “There is no heart he cannot purify and fill with relationship grew, President Benson had a significant joy. influence in Dad’s conversion.” When Richard’s father was baptized, he invited President Benson to confirm him. He “There is no life he cannot cleanse and restore and his wife subsequently served for more than ten years in when one is obedient to his teachings.” (Ensign, Nov. the Washington Temple, where he was a sealer. 1988, p. 77.) As a teenager, Richard was determined to earn his mission, but with that motivation, he prayed harder than own money for college, and he showed a remarkable spirit ever before and ended up talking to the bishop about it. of adventure in going about it. One summer he worked on Soon after graduation, he left for a mission to Uruguay. an oyster boat off the coast of Long Island. Another Jeanene graduated the following June in sociology and left summer he cut down trees in Utah for the forest service; he the next day for a mission to the northwestern states. Two also repaired railroad cars. weeks after he returned, they were married in the Manti Temple. During a later summer, his application to work for the Utah park service was denied because all the jobs were During his mission, he immersed himself in the taken. He tucked away the rejection letter without telling Book of Mormon, and the foundation of his testimony anyone about it and left for Utah. By the time he had made became more sure. He discovered that the more he forgot the trip across the United States, he had only three cents himself and served others, the stronger his faith became. left in his pocket. On one occasion, a family invited Richard and his “Didn’t you receive our letter?” asked the man companion to their home to explain what the Church taught when he showed up. —with an agreement not to try to convert them. When they arrived they found another visitor: the head of another “Yes,” Richard replied, “but I would like to work church for all of South America. “He challenged and anyway. Is there a position as desk clerk?” The man contradicted everything we said. I was torn between trying laughed incredulously. Lowering his expectations, Richard to defend my beliefs with my meager knowledge, and asked, “How about bellboy?” He got hardly more than a keeping the commitment we’d made not to try to convert laugh. Swallowing hard, Richard pulled out all the stops: them. I settled on doing the latter. But when it was over, I “All right,” he said, “I’ll wash dishes!” went home feeling terrible. I felt I had defended the Church poorly; I knew my knowledge of the gospel wasn’t what it “Forget it,” the man said. “We don’t have any had to be. I did a lot of praying that night.” openings.” The next day, the family invited the missionaries Fingering the three pennies in his pocket, Richard back. They were embarrassed by what had occurred and was desperate. “I’ll wash dishes for two weeks,” he said, were impressed that the elders had kept their promise, even “and if you don’t like my work, you don’t have to pay me.” though the other person hadn’t. Now they wanted to be At least that way he’d have a place to stay and eat, he taught. They were eventually baptized. figured. The man relented. Before Richard had left for his mission, a professor Richard washed dishes—but he also went into the had tried to dissuade him from going; he would be kitchen to see if he could help. By summer’s end, he was throwing away a promising career, the man said. A few the number two cook. weeks after returning from Uruguay, Richard was invited to be interviewed by Captain (later Admiral) Hyman G. These experiences did more than pad his college Rickover for a job on a top-secret military project savings account; they also helped him grow spiritually. involving nuclear energy. During spare minutes he read and pondered the Book of Mormon and experienced a powerful spiritual awakening. The interview seemed to go miserably. In response to one question, Richard mentioned his mission. “What Back home, he attended George Washington mission?” Captain Rickover demanded. “And what do I University, studying mechanical engineering and playing care about your mission?” clarinet and saxophone in a jazz band. As he neared graduation, all of his career plans seemed to be on Richard reacted to that, because his mission had schedule. But then “the Lord placed a bombshell in my been such a precious time in his life. “Everything I really little world: Jeanene Watkins.” A vivacious young woman, appreciate began to mature in the mission field,” he says. Jeanene was the daughter of Utah’s Senator Arthur V. “So I decided to respond vigorously to every question.” Watkins. Then the captain asked, “What was the last book Their budding relationship presented a problem for you read?” Richard’s carefully laid career plans. One night Jeanene said to him, “When I marry, it will be in the temple to a “The Book of Mormon,” he responded. And so it returned missionary.” He had not thought much about a went through the rest of the interview. With all hopes extinguished, Richard got up to invited many friends and associates to their home in leave. “Just a minute,” said the captain. “I’ve been testing preparation for the temple open house. One office you to see if you could stand up for what you believe. This companion and his family were baptized, as was a neighbor is not going to be an easy project. We need people who can family. work with confidence.” Richard got the job working on the design of the nuclear reactor for the Nautilus, the first Then in 1977, eight years after being released as nuclear-powered submarine. mission president, Richard G. Scott was called to be a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy. For a year he Later, while checking personnel records, he served as Managing Director of the Priesthood Department, discovered the name of the professor who had urged him then as Executive Administrator in Mexico and Central not to go on a mission; the man was now working under America. He and his family lived in Mexico City for three Richard’s direction, about three levels down. of his six years in that assignment.

Brother Scott worked for Admiral Rickover for Elder Scott’s great love for Latin-American people twelve years. In 1955 he completed the equivalent of a deepened even further as he served with them again. And doctorate in nuclear engineering at the Oak Ridge School that love was reciprocated. The people saw in him not only of Reactor Technology in Tennessee. (Because of the a leader, but also a friend. classified nature of the work, a university degree couldn’t be given.) He also helped in the development of the first One Sunday in Mexico City, Elder Scott sat commercial land-based nuclear power plant. listening to a priesthood lesson. The teacher was unschooled, his presentation was not polished. But it was During those years, Brother Scott served as obvious that he loved the Lord and his brethren and had a president of a seventies quorum and as stake clerk. And humble desire to share the gospel with them. A sacred then in 1965, when he was thirty-seven years old, he was feeling enveloped the room. called to be mission president in Argentina. Again he had to make a decision between a mission and his career—and As he listened, Elder Scott received a spiritual he was vigorously encouraged not to accept the mission confirmation of the man’s message and also some call. But again there was no question in his mind, even impressions for his personal benefit. He wrote them down though it appeared that he was putting his career on the and “found that I had been given precious truths I greatly altar. needed to be a more effective servant of the Lord.” Through the morning, he continued writing the impressions As mission president, he again found the Book of that poured into his mind and heart. That experience has Mormon to be a constant source of inspiration, and he used been repeated. it extensively in zone meetings and in counseling with the missionaries. He was an efficient, compassionate mission “I don’t think my experience receiving promptings president. One of his missionaries, Wayne L. Gardner, is different from others’,” he says. “But I believe we often remembers serving in an outlying area and receiving the leave precious personal direction of the Spirit unheard assignment to make arrangements for a conference. because we do not record and respond to the first “Everything went wrong,” he says. “I had scheduled a promptings that come to us when we are in need or when building for us to meet in, but at the last minute it was impressions come in response to urgent prayer.” cancelled. By the time I got to the airport to get the president, I was late and he had been waiting. I forgot to When he returned to Church headquarters, he was ask the taxi driver to wait for us, and there weren’t any called as Managing Director of the Genealogy (now Family others in sight. We were stranded. History) Department. A year later, in 1983, he was called to the Presidency of the First Quorum of the Seventy and in “Even though I could see frustration in the 1984 became Executive Director of the Family History president’s eyes, he put his arm around me and told me he Department. loved me. He was so patient and understanding. I hope I never forget that lesson.” Over the next four years, Elder Scott oversaw some major shifts in the department. Not surprisingly, When the Scotts returned to Washington, D.C., many of them involved applying technology to the Brother Scott joined other Rickover colleagues who had a challenges of family history research. private consulting firm specializing in nuclear engineering. He served as counselor in a stake presidency and later as a A clear signal of that trend was the change of the regional representative. During that time the Washington name from Genealogy to Family History. Other changes Temple was completed, and President and Sister Scott involved simplifying the steps necessary to identify ancestors; moving away from trying to train people to be “A gift Jeanene has is to take things that I don’t do genealogists and focusing more on helping them identify well, and because she has great capacity in them, she ancestors; increasing the rate of microfilming records makes me think I’m good at them,” says Elder Scott. “Take around the world; internationalizing family history centers; dancing, for example. I can’t dance worth anything, but she and decentralizing key functions away from headquarters. dances beautifully. And she makes it look like I know what I’m doing. One time at a large stake activity we won a The man who spent much of his life involved in waltz contest! Highly improbable, since it was the first technology gets especially excited when he talks about waltz we had ever done together!” computer-assisted family history work. So does his wife. “Since Rich’s father was a convert,” she says, “all his Since their dating days, they’ve shared an interest ancestors needed to be identified, and the temple work in jazz music. Now they also collect and listen to South needed to be done for them. We worked with his parents to American folk music. They both also love to paint, a hobby gather genealogy on his line. And now it’s exciting to see they’ve developed since they were married. He what we can do with computers; the kinds of little facts watercolors; she uses pastels. But neither finds much time that I used to spend ten years gleaning here and there just for it any more. pour in!” Elder Scott occasionally Elder Scott refuses to assume any personal credit paints with for the changes in the Family History Department. “They watercolors. were made in accordance with inspired long-range goals “This has been established by the First Presidency and the Quorum of the his way to relax Twelve,” he says. “And I was fortunate to come to that through the position after a great foundation had been laid by my years,” says predecessors—and to have the help of experienced Sister Scott. Managing Directors and a devoted management staff. I Hiking and have worked with outstanding individuals before. But I birding—as a couple and as a family—have captured their have never been blessed to serve with a more dedicated, interest in the last few years. “Last summer we had some capable, devoted group of men and women, nor more wonderful hikes in the mountains, just the two of us,” says consistently felt the guiding influence of the Spirit than Sister Scott. “Wildflowers were everywhere! We hiked during this singular experience in the Family History farther and higher than we ever thought we would.” Department.” There’s a bird feeder in the back yard, and when the family eats out on the patio, there’s always at least one pair of It’s no surprise to see Sister Scott immersed so binoculars at the table. completely in an area where her husband is heavily involved. “When I think of Dad,” says a daughter, “I think True to his mechanical inclinations, Elder Scott is of Mother too. I see my parents functioning as a team.” the family fix-it man, taking care of the plumbing, the electricity, the cars, and anything else that needs work. He Elder Boyd K. Packer commented on Sister Scott’s built a deck onto their current home, and designed and built strength when he welcomed her husband to the Quorum of an additional living room, master bedroom, and bathroom the Twelve during general conference: “He is sustained by onto the previous one. his lovely wife, Jeanene, who is not one whit less a spiritual power.” (Ensign, Nov. 1988, p. 18.) The Scotts have five living children: Mary Lee served a mission in Spain and is now completing her The quality Elder Scott loves most about Jeanene doctorate in applied linguistics at UCLA; Kenneth served a is “her love of the Lord and her spirituality. And she is a mission in Texas and lives in Salt Lake City; Linda lives in devoted, hardworking, and capable wife who has made the Houston, Texas, with her husband, Monte Mickle, and their family the center of her life. Besides,” he adds, “we have three children; David lives in Salt Lake City; and Michael an awful lot of fun together!” is studying in Israel and looking forward to a mission.

“We really do!” she smiles. “He’s my best friend.” Mary Lee remembers lots of father-daughter talks. That bond is immediately obvious. Humor and laughter are “I could talk to him about anything and know that he friendly companions in their marriage. “We know when to would be understanding and loving, and yet frank.” For be serious and when to have fun,” he says. They tease one several summers she worked at the White House, just a few another, but it’s a gentle teasing. Their affection for each blocks from her dad’s office, and they would commute to other and their sensitivity to one another’s needs are lasting work together, listening to conference tapes or just visiting. memories for their children. “I would rattle on about what I had been doing that day,” she says. “He and my mother have always been my closest friends.”

She also remembers many priesthood blessings her father has given her over the years and the letters he sent her on her mission. “They are like scripture to me.”

Early in their marriage the Scotts lost two children. A daughter died just before birth, and six weeks later their two-year-old son died in heart surgery. Hard as it was, “it was a real testimony-strengthening time for us,” says Sister Scott. “We just knew it was the will of the Lord. As I look back on it now, I wonder how we were so strong about it. But there are many blessings that come from these sadnesses.”

Elder Scott’s own experiences in life—the happy as well as the painful—are “perhaps the reason I feel so intensely about having other people gain an appreciation of the Savior,” he says. “How much he would help us if we would but live his teachings! How the suffering and the loneliness could be taken care of if we were to come unto him!”

On 29 September 1988, President Ezra Taft Benson—“with tenderness and love and great understanding that I will never forget”—extended to Elder Richard G. Scott a call to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Scott was sustained two days later, on October 1.

“Sister Scott and I have prayed a great deal since the call came,” he says. “I know the call is from the Lord. I know that there is a great gap between what I am and what I am expected to do. That recognition is very humbling. No one would undertake to serve in this assignment without the assurance of the support and direction of a loving God. The real power comes from the Lord.”