Evans first became a church general authority in 1938 when he was called as a member of the First Council of the Seventy. Evans was ordained an apostle on October 8, 1953, following the death of Albert E. Bowen. Evans was the last LDS Church apostle to have facial hair while in office, wearing a neatly trimmed mustache until the mid-1960s. Evans died at age 65 on November 1, 1971. The vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from his death was filled by Marvin J. Ashton. Evans was buried at Salt Lake City Cemetery. Known for his ability to reach across religious differences, the Richard L. Evans Chair of Religious Understanding at Brigham Young University was created in his honor on November 1, 1972 Published works Notes References 1906 births 1971 deaths American Latter Day Saint writers Apostles (LDS Church) Writers from Salt Lake City Presidents of the Seventy (LDS Church) University of Utah alumni Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery American general authorities (LDS Church) Rotary International leaders American broadcasters 20th-century American writers People from Salt Lake City Latter Day Saints from Utah Tabernacle Choir