He later served under Porter Rockwell in the Nauvoo Legion when it made efforts to prevent the entry of Johnston's Army into Utah Territory.

The following month he left with B. H. Roberts and George D. Pyper on a mission to the large cities of the eastern United States.

Grant was pondering whom to call as an apostle to replace the vacancy caused by the death of his predecessor, Joseph F. Smith, he decided to select his good friend Richard Whitehead Young, as many suspected he would.

As Grant met with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to announce his decision, he found himself saying that the Lord wanted Melvin J. Ballard to serve in the position.

As an apostle, Ballard opened up missionary work in South America in 1925 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.