Dallin H. Oaks may not have seemed like the likeliest choice to become a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. His life path had been anything but conventional. He was only seven when his father died, leaving his mother to raise three small children on her own. Because of the Korean War, he was unable to serve a full-time mission, instead joining the National Guard and marrying his sweetheart, June Dixon, when they were both nineteen years old. But all along the path, the Lord was preparing him for the call that would eventually come.

This engaging biography by historian and author, Richard E. Turley Jr., a longtime associate of President Oaks, takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the life of an extraordinary leader. It is filled with rich details, brought to life by photographs throughout, about his boyhood independence; his family life with his wife June and their six children - and later, after June's passing, his courtship of and marriage to Kristen McMain; his education and military experiences; his service as president of Brigham Young university; and his distinguished law career, culminating in his appointment to the Utah Supreme Court. 

Most important, we witness his willingness to set aside that career in favor of a higher responsibility. In 1984, when President Gordon B. Hinckley extended the call to the apostleship, Dallin H. Oaks replied, "My life is in the hands of the Lord, and my career is in the hands of His servants." His lifetime of dedication to the Lord's work gives truth to his words and offers inspiration and faith to all who read his story.
Hard copy