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David O. Mckay and His Administration

David O. McKay holds the distinction of having lived more years than has any other President of the Church. His mortal lifetime extended from the days of Brigham Young to the space age. The gold spike completing the first transcontinental railroad was driven only four years before David O. McKay was born, and yet he lived to see the first men land on the moon. The two decades in which he presided over the Church were an era of unprecedented growth and expansion.

David O. Mckay's Earlier Life

David O. McKay was born on September 8, 1873, in Huntsville, a small agricultural community in northern Utah. His father and mother were converts who had immigrated from Scotland and Wales, respectively. The wholesome home environment they created was one of the profound influences in young David's life, and he frequently referred to their worthy example in later sermons.

"My home life from babyhood to the present time has been the greatest factor in giving me moral and spiritual standards and in shaping the course of my life. Sincerity, courtesy, consistency in word and deed exemplified in the lives of my parents and others... have proved a safeguard and guidance." 1

David was only seven years old when his father was called to return as a missionary to Great Britain. The two oldest girls in the family had recently died from serious illnesses, and the mother was now expecting another child. Under these trying circumstances David's father felt that he shouldn't leave his wife, and considered asking for a postponement. "Of course you must accept," David's mother insisted; "you need not worry about me. David O. [who was the eldest son] and I will manage things nicely!" 2 During his father's absence, young David learned how to assume responsibility and how to work. As "man of the house," he rapidly matured beyond his years.