For a "substantial" contribution to a campaign to eradicate five diseases in the world, the Church was honored Sept. 22 by Rotary International.

The award was accepted by President Gordon B. Hinckley, first counselor in the First Presidency, at a zone convention session in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. At the session, the Rotarians paid tribute to Elder Richard L. Evans, a member of the Council of the Twelve, who died in 1971. Some 4,000 members of the service organization attended, and heard a concert given by the Tabernacle Choir.Other Church leaders attending the session were President Thomas S. Monson, second counselor in the First Presidency; Elder L. Tom Perry of the Council of the Twelve; and Elder Marion D. Hanks of the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Hanks, a past district governor of Rotary International, spoke about Elder Evans, who was president of the international organization in 1966-67.

On behalf of the Church, President Hinckley accepted the award from Rotary International Director Richard D. King, a member of the Fremont California South Stake. The award - an engraved plate - recognized a "substantial" contribution by the Church to the service organization's Polio Plus Campaign, aimed at providing enough vaccine and medical assistance to wipe out five diseases in the world, including polio. Plates were also provided for President Ezra Taft Benson, President Monson and Elder Hanks.

"It's beautiful as a plate," President Hinckley said. "It's more beautiful in the significance of what it stands for. May I express my own gratitude and that of President Benson, President Monson and President Hanks. Thank you very much for this generous expression."

In his remarks, Elder Hanks said of Elder Evans: "He knew how to begin, how to labor, how to perfect and how to perform."

Elder Hanks said he once took from Elder Evans' wastebasket a yellow, legal-sized sheet of paper on which was typewritten one of his weekly "Spoken Word" sermonettes. Over a week, it had been edited and annotated until scarcely a word was left unchanged, Elder Hanks recalled.

In other tributes, Michael G. Pedrick, past director of Rotary International, said Elder Evans was above all a family man, and he would have been excited to be in the Tabernacle that evening and see the gathering of members of his "four families": the Church, Rotary International, the Tabernacle Choir, and his own wife and children.

Hugh M. Archer, president of Rotary International, said Elder Evans was his teacher. Archer said that as a scientist, he has occasionally been viewed as irreligious, but in reality, he has turned to his Creator many times for help. He said he had learned the importance of love and faith from Elder Evans.

Alice Evans, Elder Evans' widow, accepted a plaque honoring her husband.

J. Spencer Kinard, who succeeded Elder Evans as choir announcer, presented a "Spoken Word" type sermonette about Elder Evans.

Under the direction of Jerold D. Ottley, the choir presented several numbers, including "Hallelujah" by Ludwig van Beethoven, "The Lord's Prayer" by LeRoy Robertson, and "Seventy Six Trombones" by Meredith Wilson. Responding to a standing ovation from the Rotarians, the choir performed as encore numbers "Sunrise, Sunset," "Battle Hymn of the Republic" and "God Be With You."