1     
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION HONORING REVEREND BILLY

2     
GRAHAM

3     
2018 GENERAL SESSION

4     
STATE OF UTAH

5     
Chief Sponsor: Howard A. Stephenson

6     
House Sponsor: A. Cory Maloy

7     Cosponsors:
8     Wayne L. Niederhauser
Brian Zehnder


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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.