[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 11]
[Senate]
[Page 14753]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                   REMEMBERING ELDER RICHARD G. SCOTT

  Mr. HATCH. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the legacy of Elder 
Richard G. Scott, a man whose humble example and unwavering conviction 
had a deep and meaningful impact on my spiritual life. For nearly three 
decades, Elder Scott served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve 
Apostles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. On 
Tuesday, he passed away from causes incident to age. Although millions 
mourn his death, we find peace in the knowledge that he is reunited 
with his beloved wife, Jeanene.
  As a missionary, a father, and an apostle, Elder Scott worked 
tirelessly and served selflessly. Many of us were inspired by his 
counsel, and even more were blessed by his kindness. He was a man of 
great faith and unbending principle, who in his own quiet way spent 
decades sharing the light of Christ with people throughout the world.
  Elder Scott's beginnings were as humble as his demeanor. When he was 
just a boy, his father taught him the virtues of manual labor, 
instilling in him the desire to craft, toy, and tinker with anything he 
could get his hands on. It was evident from an early age that Elder 
Scott would be a talented engineer, and he pursued that field of study 
when he enrolled in The George Washington University. To support 
himself through school, Elder Scott took odd jobs that gave him the 
chance to work with his hands. He spent summers fishing on lobster 
boats, logging in the forests of Utah, and repairing railroads for 
Union Pacific.
  While in college, he met Jeanene Watkins, the woman who would win his 
love and forever change his life. Quickly and effortlessly, Elder Scott 
fell for Jeanene, but before he could ask for her hand in marriage, she 
challenged him to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of 
Latter-day Saints. Elder Scott's decision to embark on an LDS mission 
to Uruguay was the opening chapter in a long life of dedicated service. 
He returned from Uruguay with his faith refined and his testimony 
fortified.
  With this newfound conviction in Christ, Elder Scott married Jeanene 
in the Manti, UT, temple; and together they started a family. For Elder 
Scott, his family would be an anchor throughout a long and successful 
career as a nuclear engineer on the immediate staff of renowned U.S. 
Navy Admiral Hyman Rickover. For over a decade, Elder Scott served his 
Nation, but he was again called to serve God when he returned to South 
America as the President of the Argentina North Mission. As a 
missionary president, he directed all proselytizing and service efforts 
for hundreds of young volunteers.
  After returning from Argentina with his family, Elder Scott continued 
his ecclesiastical service, first, as a regional representative for the 
Church in both North and South America, and later, as a member of the 
First Quorum of the Seventy. In October 1988, he was ordained to be an 
apostle in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Elder Scott visited 
congregations of Latter-day Saints gathered throughout the world. He 
spoke fluent Portuguese and nearly impeccable Spanish. When possible, 
he took special care to address each congregation he visited in their 
native tongue. But there was always one language he spoke better than 
any other, the language of empathy.
  Elder Scott was no stranger to heartbreak. In fact, he came to know 
it very well. Two of his children preceded him in death, and his 
beloved wife, Jeanene, passed away in 1995. But amid tragedy, he found 
peace and healing through faith in Christ. Sadness sowed the seeds of 
compassion, and his capacity for empathy was boundless.
  When he spoke, he spoke as one who knew intimately well the sorrow 
that stems from suffering, but also the comfort that comes from 
healing. In all things, he communicated love. Whether through words of 
counsel or quiet acts of service, he radiated the goodness of God and 
shared it abundantly with others.
  Mr. President, I will be forever grateful for Elder Richard G. 
Scott--his life, his love, and his example. I will miss Elder Scott 
dearly, as will all those who knew him. I send my deepest condolences 
to his family. May God comfort them in this time of grief, and may his 
love be with them always.

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