2
3
4
5
6
7 Cosponsors:
8 Wayne L. Niederhauser
Brian Zehnder
9
10 LONG TITLE
11 General Description:
12 This concurrent resolution of the Legislature and the Governor honors the life of
13 Reverend Billy Graham.
14 Highlighted Provisions:
15 This resolution:
16 ▸ recognizes the life and ministry of Reverend Billy Graham; and
17 ▸ expresses sympathy for his loss.
18 Special Clauses:
19 None
20
21 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
22 WHEREAS, William "Billy" Franklin Graham, Jr., was born on November 7, 1918, to
23 William Franklin Graham and Morrow Coffey Graham, and was reared on a dairy farm in
24 Charlotte, North Carolina;
25 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham attended the Florida Bible Institute from 1937 to 1940,
26 graduating in 1940, and was ordained to the ministry in 1939;
27 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham attended Wheaton College from September of 1940,
28 graduating in June of 1943, and two months later married Ruth Bell on August 13, 1943;
29 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham served as pastor of The Village Church in Western
30 Springs, Illinois, from 1943 to 1945;
31 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham served as a member of Youth for Christ International,
32 where he ministered to young people and military personnel from 1945 to 1950;
33 WHEREAS, from 1947 to 1952, Reverend Graham was president of Northwestern
34 Bible College, now known as the University of Northwestern, a liberal arts college, Bible
35 school, and theological seminary;
36 WHEREAS, after World War II, Reverend Graham preached throughout the United
37 States and Europe and attained international prominence as an evangelist through a series of
38 crusades that began in 1947;
39 WHEREAS, since 1950, Reverend Graham has conducted his ministry through the
40 Billy Graham Evangelistic Association, reaching multitudes of people across the globe by
41 means of evangelistic crusades, which were broadcast in Utah on KSL Television;
42 WHEREAS, over the years, Reverend Graham has preached to live audiences of nearly
43 215 million people in more than 185 countries and territories through various meetings,
44 including Mission World and Global Mission;
45 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham was a renowned humanitarian and philanthropist,
46 providing financial assistance to victims of disasters;
47 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham counseled 12 presidents and participated in nine
48 presidential inaugurations;
49 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham counseled world leaders, participated in many historic
50 occasions, and was called upon as the "Nation's Pastor" during times of national crisis;
51 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham spoke at the National Cathedral service in Washington,
52 D.C., three days after the 9/11 attack in 2001, as the nation and world watched and listened,
53 with five presidents in attendance, including George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H. W.
54 Bush, Jimmy Carter, and Gerald Ford and their wives;
55 WHEREAS, in 2017, Reverend Graham was ranked fourth on the "Ten Most Admired
56 Men in the World List" for the 61st time since being first selected in 1955;
57 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham, affectionately known as "America's Pastor," passed
58 away at his North Carolina home on February 21, 2018, at the age of 99;
59 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham received a rare recognition for a civilian: his body lay
60 in honor in the United States Capitol for two days, the first time a private citizen has been
61 given this honor since civil rights hero Rosa Parks passed away in 2005;
62 WHEREAS, Reverend Graham was buried at the Billy Graham Library, near the
63 worldwide headquarters of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association in Charlotte, North
64 Carolina, next to his wife, Ruth, in a plywood coffin made by prisoners at the Louisiana State
65 Penitentiary in Angola, Louisiana, a choice that reflects his long-standing support of prison
66 ministries; and
67 WHEREAS, admired and beloved by Christians and non-Christians alike, Reverend
68 Graham inspired the world with his message of God's love for sinners and the grace of Jesus
69 Christ to save people from their sins:
70 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
71 Governor concurring therein, recognizes the lifelong ministry of Reverend Billy Graham.
72 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislature and the Governor express deep
73 sympathy for his loss and gratitude for Reverend Graham's life and service to others.