In speaking of Geneology & History Presidet Young Said I Care so litle about it in my feelings & spirit that as far as I am Concerned that I should not make more than one page of History. Still I like to see such things got up. Joseph would tell more in one hour about Geneology than the world Can in a year. He was particular about such things much more so than I am but I expet He will be with us. I expect if I live to be 80 years old I am in hopes to have some of the wisdom that Moses Had. He spoke of a remark that He made in the 13 ward about Harris being sent here as Governor. He also said to Brother Kimball I took the liberty to Curse those who will still sustain our Enemies. [Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
Today In Mormon History-fb
Several curious tidbits that happened on this day in Mormon History
60 years ago today - Apr 29, 1966
[Notes from a talk with Bruce R. McConkie concerning Brother McConkie's feelings about Luke 3:38] ... He said that it was a true doctrine, that God the Father, Eloheim, a divine resurrected being, came down to this earth after its creation with a wife and produced, in a natural way of sexual intercourse, a child who grew up and became known as Adam. They did the same and brought forth a girl, who grew up and became Eve. They had bodies of flesh and bone, but were not mortal; not till they fell. They (Adam and Eve) were not resurrected and were not translated beings. God really did create their bodies on this earth. They were not transported here; only their spirits. He then said that his father-in-law told him that was a true doctrine, and that it had been taught a great deal by President Joseph F. Smith. He also added that President Joseph Fielding Smith said it was too deep now for most saints and that's the reason for saying about the creation of Adam and Even in the temple, 'it's only figurative.' [Phone call to Reed C. Durham, in Quotations Dealing with the Relationship of Our First Earthly Parents to Our Heavenly Parents (1830-1978)]
110 years ago today - Apr 29, 1916
In a letter to Walter P. Monson, president of the church's Eastern States Mission in New York, Joseph F. Smith's First Presidency orders that Gisbert L. Bossard not be rebaptized, explaining: "[T]he treachery and greed which prompted this desecration of the House of the Lord is entirely another thing, something which cannot be so easily disposed of." Five years previously Bossard had secretly entered the Salt Lake Temple and taken photographs. He had tried to sell the photographs to the Church but later sold them to gentiles. Bossard had admitted regret and sought re-entrance into the church. He was unsuccessful in regaining his membership during his lifetime. He was rebaptized by proxy in 1985, over ten years after his death. [On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com]
140 years ago today - Apr 29, 1886 (Thursday)
The case of Lorenzo Snow was argued in the U.S. Supreme Court. [Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]
160 years ago today - Apr 29, 1866
You have heard what Elder Charles S. Kimball has said this afternoon relative to the general belief of the people in the old countries,'"That Brigham Young reads all letters before they leave this county, and if any are not written to suit him, they are destroyed by his order! In this way they account for so few letters reaching the members of the Church in distant lands from their friends here in Utah. I will now make a public request that the Saints hereafter cease to bring their letters to me, if there are any that have ever done such a thing; and I also request the postmasters throughout the Territory to stop sending all foreign letters to me for my inspection previous to mailing for abroad; that is, if they have ever done such a thing; and for this simple reason, that I have so much to do that I cannot possibly pay attention to such an extensive amount of reading. [Journal of Discourses. Liverpool, England, 1853-86. 11:212-216, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
110 years ago today - Apr 26, 1916
Joseph F. Smith rules that the Salt Lake temple have daily limits for proxy ordinances: 240 endowments and 1,200 baptisms for the dead. As an example of changes in that policy, the Salt Lake temple performs 4,718 endowments on 21 May 1967. [The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
185 years ago today - Apr 28, 1841
[Wilford Woodruff] When we arose in the morning we still found strong head winds which soon increased to a great Storm & tempest which scenery I have not language to describe. The Sails were close reefed or taken in as soon as possible. It took 16 men to Close reef the main top sail. The tempest was now raging with all power the sea piling up into mountains, the Ship mountain the waves & billows & pitching into the valleys & rocking tremendiously & shiping seas occasionly. In the midst of this seenery the cry of help was herd in our Cabin. I rushed to the seene & found the ropes giving way & breaking which held the whole mass of baggage which was piled up between decks, consisting of heavy trunks, chests, Boxes & barrels which if once liberated from their Confinement would with one surge be hurled with all their force into the births of the men, women, & Children which would endanger the lives of all. On seeing the foundation of this mass give way Elder W. Richards & myself Sprang to this place of danger & braced ourselves against the barrels & held them for a few moments untill it was a little secured. I then went on deck to the captain & informed him of the situation of things below & he sent the Sailors with some ropes & secured the pile which was endangering the lives of many. After this was done I again repaired to the Aft quarter deck to behold the raging of the tempest & the wonders of the deep & the movements of the ship which was the greatest seenery I ever beheld upon the water. Elders Young, Kimball, Richard's & Smith was with me on deck for a time but all had now gone below except Elder Richards & myself & the officers & crew. We were Shiping heavy seas. It was now about sun set. I stood in the middle of the aft quarter deck holding the captains Speaking trumpet in one hand & holding to a fast bench with the other when we Shipped a tremendious Sea on the windward side of us which passed clear over the quarter deck on which I stood. On seeing that we Could not escape it Elder Richards flung himself close under the Bulwarks & the body of the wave went clear over him without wetting him but little. But as I Could not take the same advantage I flung myself upon the deck & held upon the fast seat whare I remained untill the sea passed over me & left me drenched in the Surge. I now thought it time for me to leave my seat of observation for the day & go below as I was thoroughly wet with salt water. I went to bed but did not sleep but little for the ship rocked at a dredful rate. Boxes, barrels, & tines were tumbling from one end of the Cabin to the other. And in the steerage about 15 Births were flung down 9 at one surge with all the men women & Children flung into a pile in the midst of the berths but no lives lost or bones broken. This is the 8th day in succession that we have had strong headwind. [Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
145 years ago today - Apr 28, 1881
[Wilford Woodruff] The forepart of this blessing of Orson Pratt ... And we further say unto you that the last official act that you performed in the flesh that of washing of feet which you performed in Connexion with your Brethren the Apostles in token of your testimony and work which you have borne and alone among this Generation are recorded among the sanctified ones among the Heavenly Hosts and we your Brethren by virtue of the Apostleship which we hold seal you up unto Eternal life and Confirm upon you all the Blessings pertaining to the Apostleship which has been Confirmed upon you. ... We commit you into the Hands of God and we fell to say his will be done and all will be right. ... I spent the fore Part of the day in Copying into this Journal The Blessing of Elder Orson Pratt which I sealed upon his head On Sunday morning Feb 20, 1881 now recorded in this Journal. [Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
180 years ago today - Apr 27, 1846
Voted that the Temple be sold both at Nauvoo & Kirtland to ease our burden considering that the Lord designed that the Saints should enjoy it when it was his good will & pleasure now it appears that we cannot possess it without the other buildings of the Saints & when we can possess our dwelling houses then the Temple will be redeemed & the saints will then enjoy it Bishop Whitney with reluctance assented not however until after Pres Young said that if the Bishop did not vote he would take the responsibility of voting for him & risk the blessing or cursing Pres Young related a dream that he had the previous night which was in substance as follows I saw my self employed in the services of an aged man that was a Lord' superintending the whole affairs of his dominion'among which I instructed some responsible things to be done which I considered actually necessary to be done notwithstanding the Lord had not ordered me to do'by & by the Lord came smiling his hair was as the pure wool I appraised him of what I had done and asked him if I had done right at first he was Silent but Smiled turning to me said you have done well & I intend to buy a large store of all kinds of commodities all of which shall be under your guidance & control you understand the affairs of my government [John D. Lee, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
30 years ago today - Apr 28, 1996
American Mothers, Inc. names Carolyn M. Shumway, wife of BYU—Hawaii president Eric Shumway, the National Mother of the Year.
85 years ago today - Apr 28, 1941
[J. Reuben Clark] D[avid] O M[cKay] Talked with him about Hugh Brown'Agreed with Pres Grant and D O M to make his pay $35000 per month, he to furnish his own house ... Suggested also that we denominate Bishoprics of Wards and their Ward Teachers as Home Defenders and maybe parade them next July 24th he agreed might be something an idea. [The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]
165 years ago today - Apr 28, 1861 (Afternoon)
Prest. Young attended the 13th Ward meeting, in the course of his remarks about the officers of [the] U.S. coming here he said he hoped if Harris did come, the boys and dogs would piss on him; he asked forgiveness of the congregation for condescending to describe the punishment Harris had earned ... [Historians Office Journal, quoted in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
165 years ago today - Apr 28, 1861 (Afternoon)
Bro. Brigham spoke of the things in the East. Said he hoped they would both gain the victory. Said he had as much sympathy for them as the Gods and angels had for the Devils in Hell. ... said that those [Mormons] who sell their provisions to feed our enemies either man or woman should be cursed, and said he, I curse them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and the congregation shouted, Amen.... Showed the advantage we had over spirits that are evil, seeing that we have a tabernacle. -- SLC Tabernacle [Diary of Charles Lowell Walker. Andrew Karl Larson, ed. Logan: Utah State University Press, 1980. 178, quoted in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
170 years ago today - Apr 28, 1856
[Wilford Woodruff] I have been a marked victem as an attack for the power of the destroyer from my infancy up to the present day. I have faced Accident, misfortune, & apparently death so many times & in so many shapes & forms from my childhood through life thus far that it has become a proverb with me to say that there has seemed to be two powers constantly watching me & at work with me one to kill & the other to save me. ... I have never untill now been called upon to war with poison & mortification in my system untill now. But I am satisfyed to day that I have this enemy to meet & that to in the worst form. ... Several have died this spring by skining Cattle who have died. ... This morning the affected spot upon my wrist had grown about the size of a dime had risen above the arm & main [-] about half an inch & turned black as ink. My arm began to swell & pain me & I felt its workings through my system. I Called upon President Young & Showed him [my] Arm and asked his advice. He counciled me to go to immediately & clense my stomach & bowels & poultice my Arm with Onions, Earth, or any thing that would draw it from my system. He also advised me to show it to Dr Sprague. I did so & he in addition to what President Young had recommended dug me up sum dock Elecompane & Blazing Star roots & advised me to make a tea of it & drink it also to make a poultice of it & put it on my Arm. I went immediately home & began to put these things into execution for I saw that I had a strong warfare in order to save my life. [Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
35 years ago today - Apr 27, 1991
Fifty years after the Church began keeping individual membership records, it completed computerizing membership records worldwide. [Correlation Timeline, Compiled by Lisle Brown]
40 years ago today - Apr 27, 1986.
The ten-month speaking ban on Linda Newell and Val Avery is lifted. The story is carried by UPI and AP, and published in the Tribune and other major newspapers in the state with the exception of the Deseret News. Linda summarizes the experience: "If you're excommunicated or disfellowshipped, you know what the repentance process is and you get on with your life. But what do you do when you've been punished by people who are handing down decisions they didn't make? I thought a lot about the damage the whole incident had done to me, to the church, my friends, to my family, untold people who were distraught by it, and those who sat in judgement. I went back to my stake president and asked him to talk to Elders Oaks and Maxwell again about reconsidering the ban. I would be participating in a KSL's `Talkabout' program discussing the upcoming Mormon History Association in England, and I knew, with audience participation, that someone would ask me about the ban. I hadn't been in a public setting for the whole ten months when people hadn't discussed it. I pointed out to my stake president the advantages to everyone of being able to say that the situation had been resolved. He said he'd see what he could do. The night before I was to tape the program, he called and said that I was no longer under any restrictions." [Anderson, Lavina Fielding, "The LDS Intellectual Community and Church Leadership: A Contemporary Chronology," Dialogue, Vol.26, No.1]
65 years ago today - Apr 27, 1961
First counselor J. Reuben Clark tells the apostles: "I think it is terrible for any man in the Church to begin to use his Church position, particularly in finances, to his own advantage... So far as I know there are none of you who are trying to use the Church to your own self-advantage. That cannot be said for all our Church members." [The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database (http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase)]]
95 years ago today - Apr 27, 1931
[Minutes of the Seventies] My dear President [Heber J.] Grant: ... you gave to the apparent incongruity of the First Council of the Seventy being unable to participate with members of the Twelve when out in conferences, when ordaining High Priests and bishop's counselors when occasion should arise. The answer to all this has been that the Presidency of the Seventies, not being High Priests were barred from these functions; also in regard to performing marriage ceremonies, etc. Perhaps you will remember that I said I thought the decisions that had led to this policy of excluding the Seven Presidents from such functions was too tightly drawn and that if it were considered that these brethren have an APOSTOLIC CALLING, that calling would warrant them to do along these lines whatsoever might be necessary in the course of their ministry (as stated in Doctrine and Covenants) ... I trust you will not think me over persistent in the matter, but I did think that since this information had come into my hands and also is in strict harmony with the interpretation I gave with the Seventies holding an APOSTOLIC CALLING, it would authorize the First Council to do whatever the Apostles do when necessary, and when appointed to do it, should be made known to you and your counselors and to the present quorum of the Twelve; and in this spirit I submit it to your consideration. Very truly yours, [Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015, Appendix 1: Minutes of the Seventies, 1837-1933, Excerpts]
170 years ago today - Apr 27, 1856
[Brigham Young] "some of the bishops don't know right from wrong, truth from error, nor a sheep from a jackass and men would give boot to be a home. Children must be made to know their Father and they must be corrected. Wives must submit themselves unto their husbands as unto the Lord - Men if you don't know enough, hold your tongue, but don't let your wives know they know most or they will leave you - there never was a circumstance when women were the head of the men. treat your wives kindly but if they step out of their place put them right and quick. There is not a man who magnifies his calling but can rule any woman in the kingdom. I just know that the people pray for me for I feel it every hour and I pray for you always. Martha S. Heywood Journal. I prayed my Heavenly Father that I may receive it [President Young's words] in honesty, especially the principle that a woman, be she ever so smart, she cannot know more than her husband if he magnifies his priesthood. That God never in any, any age of the world endowed woman with knowledge above the man. -- Salt Lake City " [Thomas Bullock Minutes, 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 - Apr 26, 1851
Wilford Woodruff records: "President Young while speaking of the Resurrection said that we should Receive the same Bodies that we lay down if our dust was Blown to the four winds of Heaven." [On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com]
180 years ago today - Apr 26, 1846
[Nauvoo Temple] Brigham Young received a letter from Orson Hyde, who wrote that a wealthy Catholic benefactor had offered to buy the Temple for $200,000. Hyde offered to lease the Temple to him instead, but he refused and the offer fell through. Hyde asked if it might not be better to sell the Church's two temples at Kirtland and Nauvoo, and use the money to help the poor move west. [Brown, Lisle (compiler), Chronology of the Construction, Destruction and Reconstruction of the Nauvoo Temple]
180 years ago today - Sunday, Apr 26, 1846
President Young said the spirit of the Lord and keys of the priesthood holds power and dominion over all animated beings. When Father Adam transgressed the law, he did not fall all at once from the presence of the Lord, but spake face to face with him for a long time afterwards. The rising generation continued to sin and degenerate from generation to generation until they have got so far from the Lord that a veil of darkness sprung up between them, so that they could not any longer speak with the Lord save it was through a prophet. During this time the earth and all creation groaned in sin and continued to degenerate, and enmity increased and the lives of man and beast began to shorten, and the earth continued downwards to the present time. For this cause the Son of God descended below all things that he might reach the case of every man that he might return to the Father and possess all things. In this dispensation the keys that were committed to Father Adam will be restored. And we are to commence retracting, and to approximate back again into the favor and presence of the Lord by taking up the ordinances of the gospel and following them back to the starting point. [Willard Richards Journal]
80 years ago today - Apr 25, 1946
[Marion G. Romney] I had a meeting with President Clark early this morning, at which it was determined to ship immediately two carloads of food and a carload of clothing to Munich and Austria in the German Mission. [The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015, Appendix 2, The Diaries of Marion G. Romney, 1941-1961, Abridged]
60 years ago today - Apr 25, 1966
A "standing-room-only audience" listened as David O. McKay's nephew referred to the recent Birch Society president - Robert Welch banquet as a "gathering of the clan," and referred to the "Dear Brethren" letter promoting it as "a deceitful device." Alluding to the controversies of the previous month, Quinn McKay observed: "What do we do when General Authorities do not see eye to eye on political issues? Which do we follow? If each of the General Authorities were to speak on `The Contributions of the John Birch Society' you would no doubt hear some rather contrasting views. Then which apostle would one quote?" McKay's nephew then referred to the Reed Benson letter which had ignited the race hysteria preceding the October 1965 conference. [Quinn G. McKay, statements in Davies, Political Extremism Under the Spotlight, 12, 19,20-21. The "standing-room-only" reference is from the description of the meeting on the inside front cover. From D. Michael Quinn, Ezra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought 26:2 (Summer 1992), also in Quinn, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power Salt Lake City (Signature Books, 1994), Chapter 3.]
185 years ago today - Apr 25, 1841
A Mormon "Secret Service in detecting thiefs &c." is founded. The thieves are former Danites. [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]
105 years ago today - 1921. April 25
(Emmeline B. Wells) : Died at the age of eighty-four in her home at 1354 South 900 East in Salt Lake City; buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery near her husband Daniel. [Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
175 years ago today - Apr 25, 1851
[Wilford Woodruff] ....[I] found Walker the Utah Chief with His band. I Here saw him for the first time. He is an ugly cunning chief. [Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
45 years ago today - Apr 24, 1981
Apostle David B. Haight gives the keynote address at Annual Meeting of the Utah Association of Women. He states that Many of today's problems can be traced to the music of the Beatles in the early 1960s. "I witnessed the early developing of protests on college campuses, protests against the Vietnam War, with protestors using Beatle-type music to express their feelings against our government, against our military, and against authority in general."
90 years ago today - Apr 24, 1936
[J. Reuben Clark] [During a meeting with Will Seegmiller and Harold Morgan on April 23, 1936:] I said that I was tremendously interested in victory this Fall, and that I was trying to do what I could to further that possibility. Mr. Seegmiller said that he also is most anxious for that, and that he was sure he knew a very great deal more about Utah's politics than I knew. I reiterated two or three times that I had no personal feeling in this matter at all. He said that people were saying that I, as a member of the First Presidency, was trying to dictate politics. I told him that there was no excuse for that, that I had made my position perfectly clear at the luncheons. He replied that some people had said I could not divest from myself my Church position in the matter of politics, to which I replied that those people would have to learn that it could be done. I stated I had explained to the luncheons my position with reference to myself himself, and felt that in the interest of harmony he should do as I suggested. He said that that was a matter of opinion, and his opinion differed from mine. I replied to the effect that it was a question of opinion, but I felt very clear about my own. ... [The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]
140 years ago today - Apr 24, 1886 (Saturday)
The Supreme Court of Utah rendered a decision which practically endorsed lewd and lascivious conduct... [Jenson, Andrew, Church Chronology]