In an October 1977 conference address, Elder William Grant Bangerter of the First Quorum of the Seventy looked back on those difficult days. He described an uncomfortable period among the Saints as they mourned the loss of President Lee and struggled to accept the new prophet: “We knew, of course, that he would manage somehow, until the next great leader arose, but it would not be easy for him, and things would not be the same. ‘O Lord,’ we prayed, ‘please bless President Kimball. He needs all the help you can give him.'” According to Elder Bangerter, all of that charged miraculously on 4 April 1984, when “a new awareness” fell on the General Authorities and 1974, when “a new awareness” fell on the General Authorities and Regional Representatives as they listened to an address by President Kimball. Speaking with great force on that occasion, President Kimball outlined his conception of an expanded missionary program. President Kimball’s tenure saw the fruition of his challenge.
