Joseph and Hyrum Smith, priesthood officers to this dispensation, were gentlemen. That was a major difference between them and their persecutors.

I learned something about the gentleman trait when touring a large Air Force base. The young men of our ward were invited to visit the air traffic control tower, where we had a magnificent view of the fighter planes as they took off and landed.

The commanding officer of the base had given a fascinating presentation, and then invited questions. We were rather quiet, absorbing all these new learnings, but at last I raised my hand. "I've heard about rapid ascents, where the fighter planes turn upward and take a vertical path into the sky. Do they ever do these maneuvers here?"

I noticed that all the staff in hearing range were suddenly paying attention. I gathered I had brought up a sensitive subject. Maybe they thought I was asking if we might see a demonstration. Maybe I was.

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