Description

This Work is More Important

Marriner Wood Merrill was serving as a bishop in Richmond, Utah when he was called as the first president of the Logan Temple. The voice of the Lord had whispered to President John Taylor that Bishop Merrill was to preside over the temple. He was called and set apart in 1884.

President Merrill was then called to serve in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in October 1889. In addition to being a successful farmer and businessman, Elder Merrill was active in community service and a devoted family. He had eight wives and 46 children.

He was a busy man with great responsibility and depended on his children very much. His oldest son, Marriner Jr. who managed much of his father’s business interests became ill in December 1889. For two weeks he declined until December 31, 1889, he passed away. He was forty-two years old.

Understandably, the affected his father very deeply and he reportedly complained bitterly to the Lord why the son he needed most was taken from him. Until one day when Marriner W. Merrill Jr manifested himself to his father in his apartment in the Logan Temple. The young man seemed to be in the room with him though not seen. He said to his father,

“Pa, I am where the Lord wants me to be. I have been called home to preach the gospel to the people you are doing the temple work for. This work is more important than anything I could be doing on earth, and it is not pleasing to the Lord for you to grieve as you are doing over my death.” President Merrill had never given thought to preaching the gospel to the dead, and when he knew where his son was and what he was doing, he never grieved nor complained again in his life. it was a testimony to him that the Lord knew what he needed to be doing and selected the best man to do it.”

Source: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWCY-584

https://rsc.byu.edu/prophets-apostles-last-dispensation/marriner-wood-merrill