He was my mission president. I'm really sad to hear he suffered for 10 years with cancer. This man defended Joseph Smith and lived Mormonism with such ferver...if there was one person on this planet that was truly Mormon...and should have had all the "blessings" of the WoW, and every other world blessing for being Mormon....it should have been him. However, that just didn't turn out that way for him. I'm almost wishing to be a fly on the wall in the Hereafter to hear him give JS a verbal lashing for wasting his life defending the indefensible.

I was in a class he taught at BYU. I'm sorry for his family and sorry that he suffered for so long, but he was probably the most arrogant and condescending person I've ever encountered.

Well, I guess he couldn't help that, his old man was a real doozey. I've never seen anybody so full of himself as Bruce R.

Men like that, men like Boyd Packard, are the worst of the church and humanity.

They are the antithesis of Christ's teachings. They are the worst part of the church and they are everywhere in the local stakes and wards.

How comical. A college professor actually teaching the Book of Mormon for a six figure salary.

Too much.

Wow, this is one bitter blog....
I will say one thing about Joseph Fielding McConkie: He had quite a sense of humor, even self-deprecating (non-self-justifying) enough to laugh at some of the things being said herein about him, because he believed, not only in God, but in the goodness of us imperfect people and that most men will eventually grow up more and be happy, as I personally knew him to desire and hope for all men, even his enemies.
P.S. I also heard him in class say exactly the same thing about his dad being wrong, only it brought a big laugh, the heartiest from himself.

I took a class from him because of a reccomendation from someone I trust. I tried to like him, and I gave him every benefit of doubt for as long as I could, but he was just so full of himself. I quickly learned (by observing others) that you dared not question anything he said, or express a differing view. He never got defensive or angry, he just smirked and brushed comments aside as if he were dealing with a bunch of pre-schoolers.

As bad as he was in class, he was much worse in one-on-one situations. He seemed to delight in making people feel small and stupid.

until this name came up. It's interesting how his memory has been put to pasture so quickly. Pretty soon all the McConkies will be forgotten in church memory.

Particularly with the rate at which DB and Church Co is flushing all of BRM and JFS's writings down the ol' memory hole. Probably a good thing for TBMs of the future though...

Bruce R. McKonkie was the inspired choice for General Authority and his book "Mormon Doctrine" was advertised as one of the "basic" GA books every good Mormon should have next to the scriptures.

Pretty hard to claim he spoke as a man with that kind of provenance.

The new Mormon Holding Company (a corporation of corporations, joint ventures, llc's) is eliminating the embarrassing former managers the same way any corporation rewrites its history.


Kathleen Waters

CrispingPin - I also had him for a class at BYU - in this case for New Testament.

He was arrogant and could be dismissive of questions.

Favorite memory was during a class discussion and he stated his point of view. A class member noted that his father, BRM, had stated otherwise. JFM then stated, "Yes, I know. Dad is wrong." You could have heard a very small pin drop. But it also pointed out that most "church doctrine" is in fact made up of opinions.

He was one of my bishops at BYU. 'Nuff said.

TG

He had one heck of a churchy name, didn't he. Boxed in from birth.

McConkie was an institute director at the U of Washington and taught a class in the medical center once a week. I challenged him on a scripture citation. We wagered who was right.

He was really really pissed about giving up that nickel.

One of his daughters married into the Osmond family.

If he died of cancer he must have been seriously lacking in faith.

Apparently I have more faith than he does. I'm here, and he's not.

(Things I was told when I had cancer)

--My Blood is Better Than Your Blood: Out-Prophet-Blooding McConkie's Critics==

I first heard the following story about Joseph Fielding McConkie from a good friend and source who related it to me from memory, as it had been told to him. It was later confirmed by the following narrative of events centering on which bloodline prophetically possessed the gospel truth when it came to declaring official LDS doctrine to Mormonism's mutt-masses. Ultimately, the McConkie wing of Mormonism's wing-nut warriors played their ace, as described by the lesser-heritage-endowed crowd on the competing end:

"On 13 September 1979, [BYU] Professor [Eugene] England was scheduled to speak to BYU honors students [in a entitled] . . . 'The Lord’s University?' . . .

"The evening before the scheduled lecture, England received a phone call at home from Joseph Fielding McConkie, a BYU religion professor. Professor McConkie had read an earlier version of 'The Lord’s University?' and told England he thought his father, Elder Bruce R. McConkie, would strongly disapprove of its content.

"After a lengthy conversation, England invited Professor McConkie to the lecture so he could share with the audience what he felt his father’s objections might be. After hanging up the phone, England discussed the conversation with his wife, Charlotte, who expressed her concern that the interaction could become negative and advised against inviting McConkie to participate. England, however, thought it would be beneficial for students to see the respectful exchange by faculty members of differing opinions.

"After giving his lecture, England invited Joseph McConkie to respond. In his response, McConkie stated that his father, Elder McConkie, and grandfather Joseph Fielding Smith, taught of a god that is not progressing and whose perfection is absolute. 'Though I accord a man the privilege of worshipping what he may, there is a line--a boundary--a point at which he and his views are no longer welcome.'

"Joseph [McClinkie] concluded: 'I do not see the salvation of BYU in the abandonment of absolutes, and with the prophets whose blood flows in my veins, I refuse to worship at the shrine of an ignorant God.' As audience members sat stunned at the combative and superior tone of Professor McConkie’s remarks, England attempted to ease the tension in the crowded lecture hall and restore collegiality by expressing his appreciation for Brother McConkie’s response and acknowledging the educational value for students to hear such an open and honest exchange of ideas.

"This Eugene England and Joseph McConkie exchange might have remained a much-discussed disagreement between BYU professors that would fade with memory. However, nine months later, on 1 June 1980, Elder Bruce R. McConkie delivered at a BYU Devotional, a lecture entitled 'The Seven Deadly Heresies.' The primary 'heresy' Elder McConkie warned against was the belief that 'God is progressing in knowledge and is learning new truth. This is false, utterly, totally, and completely.' He further stated that we cannot be saved unless we believe that the 'truth as revealed to and taught by the Prophet Joseph Smith is that God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent.' McConkie belittled those who think otherwise as having 'the intellect of an ant and the understanding of a clod of miry clay in a primordial swamp.'"

("A Professor and Apostle Correspond: Eugene England and Bruce R. McConkie on the Nature of God." by Rebecca England [daughter of Eugene England], at: http://www.eugeneengland.org/a-professor-and-apostle-correspond-eugene-england-and-bruce-r-mcconkie-on-the-nature-of-god)
_____


Bloodline, Shmudline. It's offensively over the line.

And, hey, that goes for you McConkies, too (even thpugh one my relatives is married to one of you).

:)

That duly noted, R.I.P.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 11/12/2013 11:30AM by steve benson.

He sounds to have been a very nice tolerant man indeed.

To paraphrase Twain,

"I could not feel more satisfied and at rest if the entire McConkie family had testified."

"The primary 'heresy' Elder McConkie warned against was the belief that 'God is progressing in knowledge and is learning new truth"

How did he explain the new revelations then? E.g. how did he account for God's changing views on blacks, as taught in official church doctrine?

Scion of terrible genes and given a hopeless, stridently churchy name. One could almost feel sorry for him. Almost.

around Joe Smith when I was a missionary to really talk to JFM and ask him how on earth he could believe in a man who slept with minor girls and was a convicted con artist.

I have such mixed feelings about JFM now. How could he defend the horrid behavior or JS?? How?

The above quotes and his actions support a love and resoect for priesthood authority over principles.

He admires bloodlines!

When it came to naming his child, it's clear that Bruce R. McConkie was sucking up BIG TIME to his father-in-law, Joseph Fielding Smith.

Joseph...Fielding...McConkie? Really?

But it got Bruce an apostleship, didn't it.

Did I mention that Joseph...F...Smith was also a Mormon Church
president once?

Nepotism seems to run in the family!

It must be 100x worse to be born an elite Mormon than a low ranking average Mormon - so much harder to escape the cult.

Yes, but there is so much more money in it.

I disagree. Easier to see the fraud without the Internet. Moral choice, perpetuate the fraud and pass it on through your bloodline or act on principle and take the hit.

Whether easier for a bloodline TBM or not, the same choice and consequences are there.

Authentic life or perpetuate the fraud.

He was my MP too. I liked him. His bold teaching of the restoration ultimately made it easier to leave the church. Either JS was a prophet or he wasn't. There were no other possibilities.

Here is a quote from his book "Sustaining and Defending the Faith." "The truths of salvation are absolute and eternal. They vary not. What is true in one age is true in every age. Were it not so, we could not seek God with confidence."

Once I learned that JS was a conman and a sexual predator and that the stories of the restoration evolved, I had to leave!

I too love these bold leaders. They make is so easy to see through the bullshit of TSCC.

He was my husband's mission President. I also knew the man and found him to be an arrogant bastard.His head was so far up his rear end that he wouldn't have been able to see the truth that was right in front of his face his whole life.

I thought this event might of just happened but then realized it was old news.

Here is an obit link: http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/deseretnews/obituary.aspx?pid=167487817

That name could only be made more obnoxious by the addition of the name Packer.

My MP (in France) was Joseph Fielding Nelson.

Another blueblood. He truly lived up to his family legacy as a very strict & stern MP. But less so than most GAs.

But after our missions, I met him and he was a nicer guy. I think it might have had something to do with the fact that two of his sons are gay. (or so I've been told.)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/08/2014 03:00PM by PapaKen.

Joseph Fielding McConkie was a clone of his father Bruce. Both were self-righteous holier-than-thou sanctimonious windbags. However, at east they were HONEST...which is more I can say for many Church leaders.

Honest? They taught that the BOM was revelation from God and that Joseph Smith was good man and prophet. I don't think they were intellectually honest at all. Damn them both to hell. They were bigotted scumbags.