The experiences that President Howard W. Hunter has had since being called to the Council of the Twelve nearly 30 years ago "have been a refining influence" in his life.

"There just seems to be a great melting pot of experiences that continually buoy me up," he said, as he reflected on his ministry as an apostle.President Hunter was sustained to the Council of the Twelve at the October 1959 general conference; three weeks ago, on June 2, he was set apart as president of the quorum. He had been acting president since Nov. 10, 1985.

During an interview with the Church News, which covered a variety of subjects, President Hunter said of his years as a General Authority:

"The past 30 years has been an enjoyable time. There has been a lot of work. We expect that, however. But there is no sacrifice in connection with this work. It's all enjoyable."

Since being called to the Council of the Twelve, President Hunter has criss-crossed the earth many times, traveling "many hundreds of thousands of miles," he said.

"The work is being pushed forward all over the world," the new president of the Council of the Twelve emphasized. "We have more missionaries now than we have ever had in the history of the Church. Stakes and wards are being created in the world at a rate faster than ever before.

"It's an exciting time in Church history."

President Hunter said when he first came into the quorum "we were able to walk" to keep up with the work. "Today," he said, "walking isn't fast enough. We have to be on the run to keep up and move the work forward.

"I don't think," he continued, "there has ever been a time in the history of the Church when its officers and leaders have worked harder than right now. The enthusiasm of the leadership, of course, has been a great motivating force, but today there's also a special enthusiasm that's stimulated by the membership of the Church itself.

"We're all moving forward together. I think it's that unity that has brought about such great success," he declared.

He said when he spoke of success in the Church, he wasn't referring just to conversions and growth, but also to what is happening in the lives of people who embrace the gospel. "We look at the gospel as the hope of the world," he emphasized.

"We live in a world that seems to be torn and riddled, and yet we as a group of people are unified and work together and have faith and confidence."

President Hunter has had a lifetime of preparation for his new calling. In addition to serving more than a third of his life as an apostle, the 80-year-old former attorney served 6 1/2 years as a bishop and nearly 10 years as a stake president. It was while he was president of the Pasadena (Calif.) Stake that he was called to the Twelve.

In a 1974 interview with the Church News, President Hunter recalled that special day:

"President [David O.] McKay greeted me with a pleasant smile and a warm handshake and then said to me, `Sit down, Pres. Hunter, I want to talk to you. The Lord has spoken. You are called to be one of the special witnesses, and tomorrow you will be sustained as a member of the Council of the Twelve.' Tears came to my eyes and I could not speak."

Today, after spending much of his life in leadership positions, the soft-spoken president of the Council of the Twelve feels that his "text for leadership" lies in the scriptures.

The scriptures, he said, teach man how to live and what his relationship is with other people. "Within scripture, we gain an understanding of man's relationship to God and when we understand that, then we understand man's relationship to man."

President Hunter is particularly complimentary of the youth of the Church. "I don't think there's ever been a time when our young people had more faith or more devotion than today. They are strong in the Church, and I have such great confidence in them. They are the ones who are causing the great growth in the Church as they are willing to share what they have with others."

During President Hunter's nearly three decades as an apostle, he has been no stranger to adversity, particularly in the last several years.

On Oct. 9, 1983, his wife, Clara May, died after an illness that lingered for seven years. On Oct. 12, 1986, he had open heart surgery. In 1987, because of multiple surgeries and nerve damage to his feet, he lost the use of his legs.

He spoke of adversity at the October 1987 general conference, saying:

"Doors close regularly in our lives, and some of those closings cause genuine pain and heartache. But I do believe that where one such door closes, another opens (and perhaps more than one), with hope and blessings in other areas of our lives that we might not have discovered otherwise."

During the Church News interview, President Hunter said he had had a lot of correspondence and comment regarding that conference address from people "who appreciated the thoughts that were expressed."

"Adversity," he declared, "touches many, many lives. What makes the difference is how we accept it. It's important to know it's all within the purposes of the Lord, whatever they are for us. If we can submit ourselves to that, we can go forward in faith and understanding."

In speaking of the experiences he has had as an apostle, President Hunter softly said: "I've learned patience. I've learned to have confidence. I think I've learned something about the principle of faith. I've learned compassion.

"Those 30 years, as far as I'm personally concerned, have been a refining influence in my life."