100 years ago today - Sep 10, 1926

Heber J. Grant and his wife August act as proxies for the vicarious endowment of Warren G. Harding and his wife and for their proxy sealing. Although Apostle Wilford Woodruff was a proxy for the baptism of deceased U.S. presidents in 1877, Grant is apparently the first church president to act as a proxy for a deceased U.S. president. On 29 Sept. Grant and Apostle Reed Smoot are also proxies for the vicarious endowments of Ulysses S. Grant and Theodore Roosevelt.

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]

130 years ago today - Sep 10, 1896

President Cannon related some of the experiences of the brethren on their visit to California. He feared that the Elders were wasting valuable time in their efforts to reclaim members of the Church who had separated from the body of the Church, and had lost the spirit of the Gospel. ... Elder John Henry Smith suggested that the results of the labors of the missionaries now in the field should be known that it might be considered whether the results justified the expenditure of so much money and labor during the present time of stringency. President Cannon suggested that in the absence of President Lorenzo Snow, Elder F[ranklin]. D. Richards confer with the rest of the Apostles with a view of ascertaining what Brother Smith had suggested.

[Journal History, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]

135 years ago today - Sep 10, 1891

U.S. president Benjamin Harrison grants a pardon to fellow Republican and second counselor Joseph F. Smith for outstanding warrants for his arrest on polygamy.

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]

25 years ago today - Sep 9, 2001

Comedian, writer, and actor Steve (wild and crazy guy) Martin remarks at a Toronto Film Festival press conference concerning rumors that he is a Mormon: "I'm not a Mormon. That rumor dates back to Father of the Bride," explained Martin. "In one scene the shirt I was wearing was thin enough that you could see the undershirt. Apparently it looked like the garment some Mormon men wear under their clothes." Among Mormons rumors have circulated that Martin had been seen on the Tonight Show wearing a CTR ring, that he had been "secretly baptized," and that he had taught a class at BYU Education Week.

80 years ago today - Sep 9, 1946

[J. Reuben Clark]

Mark Peterson called about the Dream Mine situation; they have information that a Joseph Geertsten, of McKay Ward, in High Council of Wells Stake, is active in this. He wanted to tell Pres. Clark about it before proceeding. Pres. Clark suggested that they get as much information as they can before proceeding. They might then get in touch with the Securities Commission about their selling the stock. The Dream Miners have weekly meetings on Thursday and the News representative is attending them. The source of information was a woman whose brother-in-law is a dream miner and has been going to the meetings with Geersten. At the meetings they learned the mine was to produce on August 27th, but it didn't happen, and the word is now that they expect it to come through any time.

[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]

95 years ago today - Sep 9, 1931

Apostle (and trained scientist) John A. Widsoe writes from England that he thinks James E. Talmadge's speech "The Earth and Man" should be published by the Church as it is. The speech accepts geologist's determination of the age of the earth and that fossils are remnants of life that lived and died before Adam. A group of three apostles, including Joseph Fielding Smith, is adamantly against publication of the speech. After two months of meetings (one lasting seven hours) the speech is published and later issued as a pamphlet.

170 years ago today - Sep 8, 1856

[Brigham Young]

Br. Dimmock [Huntington] also stated the Indians occasionally had what they called a whore dance, which was lewd and wrong. President said he should drive away the boys that congregated, round the Indians, and whip the Indians that they might desist from these dances and practices. -- Salt Lake City

[Brigham Young Office Journals, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

175 years ago today - Sep 8, 1851

B[righam] Young said I will put the motion. Will the Sisters + vote to quit using tea & coffee? The Brethren have voted not to use tobaco.

I will speak of the Bishops. I spoke of them yesterday, & reproved them sharply. Some wanted me to offer an apology to them. I will not. I will see them in Hell before I will do it. If this people do not do Better than the Bishops have they will [go to hell] And if you do not do better than you have done you will go to Hell.......

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]

175 years ago today - Sep 8, 1851 (Afternoon, Conference)

President Young said, there would be traveling Bishops, to visit the Bishops in their respective wards, to see that they do their duty, and if they do not do it, they will be removed out of their place and others put in; when Nathaniel H. Felt, was nominated as one of the traveling Presiding Bishops, under Bishop Edward Hunter'"Carried. -- Salt Lake City

[The Latter-day Saints Millennial Star. Also Millennial Star Supplement, Manchester- Liverpool, England, 1840-1970. 14:34-35, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]

135 years ago today - Monday, Sep 7, 1891

[John Henry Smith]

Salt Lake City

It is announced from Cape May that Jos. F. Smith is amnestied by the President [of the United States].

[Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith]

145 years ago today - Sep 7, 1881

a game of chess by telephone was played between Salt Lake and Ogden on Sunday. Salt Lake won. This is probably the first instance of telephonic chess on record.

[History to Go, Statehood, http://historytogo.utah.gov/timeline/statehood.html]

180 years ago today - Sep 7, 1846

[Hosea Stout]

Monday September 7th 1846. Went to see President Young after breakfast and reported what [had] been done which he said was all right and perfectly satisfactory on his part but said for me to use utmost care to keep down any undue excitement from those who did not understand the Laws & ordinances of this kingdom [regarding whipping three boys for "night ramblings" with Wilford Woodruff's new teenage brides.]

I then went with the Marshall over to Hebers camp as we had understood that there was many who were hard against us over there. So we went & got G. W. Langley & W. J. Earl and went round the camp saluting every one friendly that we met & passed off and in an hour or so it was reported that we were after some four or five more to whip and so great was the excitement that some even went in their waggons & was prepared to shoot in case we came

By this means we, as we anticipated, learned who their accomplices in crime were. For of course no one was scared who was not guilty or aiding & abetting those who were and in fact some were in this way detected whom I little would have supposed to be any way engaged in such things. I still kept on the look out all day with some of the police to see that all was going right and saw A. Lyman, W. Richards, W. Woodruff in the mein time and reported to them how matters were going. Brown & Barnum [two of the punished boys] was acting very friendly and said they were going to do better.

[Diaries of Hosea Stout]

50 years ago today - 6 September 1976

[Leonard J. Arrington]

"It was in the early 1950s, when graduate research at BYU built up, that Brother Lund put the clamps on research by insisting that each library user clear his notes with him before he could have them. Most scholars worked out various devices for clearing this hurdle: keeping carbon copies of notes; carrying out notes in inside pockets, in their stockings and soles of their shoes, etc. Brother Lund's system was an obstacle, an irritant, but did not impede or prevent honest and comprehensive research."

[Leonard J Arrington Reminiscences, 6 September 1976. USU, Arrington Collection, Series 10]

180 years ago today - Sep 6, 1846

[Hosea Stout]

This morning a number of the Police and the Marshall went over into Heber camp and took Peletiah Brown another one of the young men who had been with young Barnum [who had been engaging in "night ramblings" with Wilford Woodruff's two new teenage brides] and took him into the woods and give him 18 stripes which brought blood in two places. He also protested that he was innocent. He was considerably excited when we came but after reasoning with him a short time he consented to go and in fact he & Barnum both acted manly after we took them[.] He requested go alone with me and let the others follow for he was ashamed to be taken off in a croud before the people

He took his whipping tolerable well but all the time protested he was innocent. When the Marshall had given him near what he was to have he loudly exclaimed "O Br Eldridge if you will only stop Ill never touch another girl again while hells afloat." He finished this sentence at the top of his voice. When we were through we all came homewe had now but one more case to attend to and that was A. J. Clothier or as he was more known by Jack Clothier. When I came home I was very unwell and the long walk had tired me down and I staid at home untill in the evening when George W. Langley and some more brought Jack Clothier here. He said that when he took Jack his mother and all the family railed on them and called them mobbers and every evil thing against them that they could think of and finally sent for Father Cutler to have him interfere but when he came he said he had nothing to do with it and advised him to go. His mother followed him here railing all the time which made no small stir among the people who did not know what to think of it.

We took him out of camp and gave him 23 stripes putting on five for his mean conduct while in our hands. We then gave him a long lecture on the law in the matter before us as we did the others. He did not act honorably as did the others but manifested a mean low, and grovelling spirit all the time

We then sent him home & after having a long conversation among ourselves about what was wisdom for us to do in future & the course to pursue in order to meet the excitement we came home It was now in the night.

[Diaries of Hosea Stout]

195 years ago today - Sep 6, 1831

In the Ravenna Courier, Symonds Ryder publishes the first printed attack on Mormonism by a former member.

[Mark Lyman Staker, Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations: A Selective Chronology of Significant Events in Ohio's LDS History]

45 years ago today - Sep 5, 1981

William Appleman Williams, writing in THE NATION, Calls the LDS First Presidency's statement on the MX missile system a "truly radical action," which has "received far less attention than it deserves. He encourages radicals committed to social change to learn from the Mormons. Williams asserts "the left has created nothing to compare with the concentrated force of the Mormon opposition to the MX and to the American acceleration of the arms race." Williams, who teaches history at Oregon State University and is president of the Organization of American Historians, acknowledges that "the Mormons display a very, shrewd understanding of the kind of national power that can grow out of organizing a relatively small number of people in a specific region."

85 years ago today - Sep 5, 1941

[J. Reuben Clark]

Told Bro McKay about Pres Grant's and my insistence that U-I [sugar company] borrow some of its funds from us, say $1,000,000.

[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]

140 years ago today - Sep 5, 1886

[Abraham H. Cannon]

Uncle Angus [M. Cannon]. . . said he felt [his son] John Q. ought to get up before the public congregation in the Big Tabernacle this afternoon and confess his sin and Uncle Angus should then propose and put it to vote that he be cut off from the Church. ... I therefore carried the latter's advice to John and he manfully agreed to follow it.... I reached meeting just in time to hear Uncle Angus put the motion to vote that John be cut off. It was unanimously sustained. Uncle Angus immediately left the meeting to again go in hiding. The affair created a great sensation because no idea was had by any, except two or three, of John's guilt and the fact that Uncle Angus came out of his hiding to put the matter before the people that it might be a warning made a profound impression. ... I drove to the farm after meeting and heard Father tell the folks what had occurred. He began in this way: "John Q. Cannon has committed adultery and was today cut off the Church." The sadness of the scene which followed beggars description. All wept and felt their spirits wounded. I went over for John Q. in the evening and after giving solicitation, he went over and met Father and the folks. He seemed to feel very penitent and humble, and will, I hope, try to live his religion hereafter. The blow has been a terrible one to us all as we all placed so much faith in John Q. He said he suffered a thousand deaths in telling Annie, Louie, and Sister Wells this afternoon of his fall from the Church.

[Abraham H. Cannon Journal Excerpts, http://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Record-Journals-Abraham-1889-1896/dp/B000MFD1K4]

180 years ago today - Sep 4, 1846

[Hosea Stout]

I saw Br Wilford Woodruff who informed me of the conduct of some young men towards some young women [Woodruff's two new teenage brides]. President Young had also previously given me charge to keep a sharp look out for them and that they had undertakin to get hold of them and some one informed them what was up.

Elder Woodruff said that they and the girls had been out for fifteen nights in succession untill after two oclock and that it was his wish & the wish of the President that I should take the matter in hand and see that they had a just punishment by whipping them and for me to take my own course and use my own judgement in executing the same[.] I told him that I would see to it[.] This was I believe the first step taken since we were in the wilderness to enforce obedience to the Law of God or to punish a transgressor for a breach of the same. The crimes of these men were adultery or having carnal communication with the girls which was well known to many and the legal punishment was death

[Diaries of Hosea Stout]

185 years ago today - Sep 4, 1841

Apostle Orson Pratt is the first general authority to receive an honorary college degree (M.A. from the University of the City of Nauvoo).

[Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power]

190 years ago today - Sep 4, 1836

[Wilford Woodruff]

Elder Grooves & Boydstun heal'd by the laying on of hands.

[Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]