Journal text selected by Dennis B. Horne
Much of Spencer W. Kimball’s Apostolic ministry was devoted to working with and counseling members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that had committed “moral” sins. This mostly meant adultery (or fornication) but especially what today would be called LGBT immorality (or homosexual sin—the initials were not known in his time). Often this behavior resulted in marital problems.
Selected by Dennis B. Horne
Editorial note: most of the below comes from either official
minutes or dairy narrations of formal Council meetings in the Temple. Follow
links to read all of the entries.
Journal, March 5, 1953. Thursday, Additional. Pres. McKay had asked Marion G. Romney and me to administer the Sacrament, it being our Testimony-Fast day. After we completed, Pres. McKay said something like this: “I am sure the Lord is pleased with our program. I believe that this TWELVE is approved by the Savior as much as any he has ever had.
Compiled by Dennis B. Horne
Elder
Kimball’s Apostolic calling had several main components: the “long-distance”
telephone call from Pres. J. Reuben Clark Jr. with the call itself; the
mountain-top experience in which Elder Kimball received, after much mental
anguish, spiritual confirmation and assurance; his visit with President McKay;
and his sustaining and ordination. The journal entries below, with a few other
items, describe these. I have underlined what seem to me critical and precious
portions—especially that received on the mountain above Boulder Colorado:
Autobiographical account, “My Call to the Apostleship”:
Pearls . . . gems . . . nuggets . .
. whatever you want to call them. Probably 98% of President Kimball’s diary
(thousands of pages) is tedious in the general sense of being notations about meeting
itinerary, travelogue, mission tours, ordination names, and weather reports.
But the remaining fraction is more precious than jewels to the spiritually
literate and appreciative, and to those that love the history of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Finding pearls made wading through the rest
of it worth it.
The below pages contain a date, then a brief description of a journal item, followed by a link to the page it is on. These often run into more than one page, sometimes many. So keep reading or clicking the right arrow until you are sure you have exhausted the subject. Sometimes this means clicking that right arrow to get past a letter, pictures, newspaper clippings, or other intervening items. Sometimes words, lines, paragraphs, and even entire pages are redacted (blacked out; this is material considered sacred, private, and confidential). I have had some links change on me, so I also included dates to find if the links don’t quite get you there.
(Submitted by Dennis B. Horne)
Editorial note: The below quotations are excerpts from letters written by President Joseph F. Smith answering doctrinal inquiries received by him. His answers largely speak for themselves:
(submitted by Dennis B. Horne)
Editorial Note: In the below article, President Smith defines the label “Mormonism” very much as President Russell M. Nelson has. These prophets are one in their views on this matter. President Smith also expounds in some detail on many facets of church practice and doctrine, including the future. Most of the material is as true and relevant today as it was a hundred and twenty years ago—there is great consistency in church teachings and practice. One effect of his message is to make one proud to be a faithful member of the Restored Church of Jesus Christ. The original article is titled, The “Mormonism” of Today:
(submitted by Dennis B. Horne)
Joseph F. Smith letter to Edith E. Smith, undated (but written later than 1901):
