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baura
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Date: January 08, 2015 01:47AM
Jan 7, 1805 - Book of Mormon witness David Whitmer is born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. David is the brother of fellow Book of Mormon witnesses Peter Whitmer, Jacob Whimer, John Whitmer, and Christian Whitmer. His sister Catherine married Book of Mormon Witness Hiram Page, and another sister, Elizabeth, married Oliver Cowdery. This makes him a relative of all Book of Mormon witnesses except Martin Harris and Joseph Smith's father and two brothers Samuel and Hyrum.
Jan 7, 1832 - Joseph B. Brackenbury is the first Mormon to die on a proselytizing mission and the first martyr (poisoned by anti-Mormons). Mormons also make an unsuccessful effort to raise Brackenbury from the dead. Church historian and apostle George A. Smith later calls this an "attempted resurrection."
Jan 7, 1840 - At the beginning of a proselytizing meeting in Massachusetts "three sons of sectarian deacons" throw sulpher on a hot stove. After opening doors and windows to air out the building Brigham Young and George A. Smith continue their meeting.
Jan 7, 1843 - While riding from Springfield to Nauvoo after the end of Joseph Smith's extradition trial William Law sings a song he has written for the occasion: "And are you sure the news is true?/And are you sure he's free?/Then let us join with one accord,/And have a Jubilee/We'll have a Jubilee, My Friend/We'll have a Jubilee/With heart and voice we'll all rejoice/In that our Prophet's free." The song has 14 verses.
Jan 7, 1844 - Members of the Quorum of the Anointed vote one-by-one to expel William Law. Women vote on equal basis.
Jan 7, 1846 - William Clayton writes in his Journal: "This morning there was an immense crowd at the reception room waiting for admission into the washing and anointing rooms. The brethren as they came along bearing Baskets, Pails and other vessels filled with all kinds of provisions, for the use of those who are attending on the ordinances of the Lord's House."
Jan 7, 1882 - Apostle Francis M Lyman's diary begins recording month-long nervous breakdown of Heber J Grant, his successor as Tooele Stake President. Physician diagnoses Grant's condition as "nervous convulsions" and warns that condition could lead to "softening of the brain," if Grant continues his stressful pace of activity. Grant becomes apostle ten months later and is first LDS leader with diagnosed history of emotional illness.
Jan 7, 1885 - Apostle and recently releases European Mission President John Henry Smith visits the ruins of Pompei and writes that he "felt satisfied that God's Judgment was meated out to the people."
Jan 7, 1886 - U.S. Supreme Court sustains Utah judges' definition of "cohabitation" as not requiring proof of sexual intercourse but rather of marital relationship. Justices Miller and Field dissent on grounds that Congress intended law to prohibit "unlawful habitual sexual intercourse" with more than one woman. Justice Field is on secret payroll of First Presidency.
Jan 7, 1888 - Heber J. Grant writes in his journal: "Meeting at 2 pm in President's Office Wilford Woodruff, Franklin D. Richards, George Q. Cannon, Jos[eph] F. Smith, John W. Taylor, myself and 12 or 15 members of the next Legislature present. Quite an amount of talk indulged in of needed legislation. The officers for the House and Council talked over . . ."
Jan 7, 1892 - The Apostles and First Presidency decide: "when the coffin is closed containing the body of a sister who has been through the temple, her veil should be placed so as to hide her face, so that when her husband meets her on the other side he may lift the same from her countenance."
Jan 7, 1898 - First Presidency and Twelve meet in the Salt Lake Temple. They formally vote to forgive "each other for Harsh words spoken" and that "the presidency and Twelve that they shall act together upon all questions of great moment to the church." The vote is unanimous.
Jan 7, 1899 - Future Utah governor J. Bracken Lee is born in Price, Utah. His grandfather, Edwin C. Lee, came to Utah as a Mormon convert from England in 1855, and all of Edwin's sons were active in the Church except Arthur, J. Bracken Lee's father. Lee's maternal ancestors were also Mormon converts who arrived in Utah in 1849. When Lee's great-grandmother rejected her husband's plural marriage, she was kept in Utah by the personal intervention of (according to Lee) Brigham Young. She accordingly raised Lee's grandmother outside the Church. Lee's grandmother told him that her "own father patted her on the head at the age of ten and asked her whose little girl she was." She naturally raised Lee's mother outside the Church.
J. Bracken Lee never joined the Church, although he married a Mormon. When his daughter, Jon, a "devout Mormon," tried very hard to convert him. Lee told her, "Now you believe your religion but you leave me alone!" which ended her attempts. J Bracken Lee was one of the few political mavericks in American history. Lee as governor of Utah became known nationally and was the most colorful and controversial politician with probably a greater impact on the state and the nation than any Utah figure since Brigham Young.
Jan 7, 1904 - Church president instructs twelve apostles to walk through doorways in order of seniority. Protocol follows technology as church buildings and temples install elevators.
Jan 7, 1909 - Joseph F. Smith, son of Hyrum Smith who led similar effort in 1842-43, instructs Twelve to investigate and suppress new plural marriages.
Jan 7, 1931 - B. H. Roberts defends his position which favors the theory of evolution and the existence of "preadamites" before a council of the Twelve Apostles. In a letter to Church President Heber J. Grant Roberts had previously criticized a dogmatic anti-evolution pronouncement by Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith: "If Elder Smith is merely putting forth his own position I call in question his competency to utter such dogmatism either as scholar or as an apostle. I am sure he is not competent to speak in such a manner from general learning or special research work on the subject; nor as an Apostle as in that case he would be in conflict with the plain implication of the scriptures, both ancient and modern and with the teaching of a more experienced and learned and earlier apostle [Orson Hyde], and a contemporary of the prophet Joseph Smith--whose public discourse on the subject appears in the Journal of Discourses and was publicly endorsed by president Brigham Young, all of which would have more weight in setting forth doctrine than this last dictum of Elder Smith."
Two weeks later Joseph Fielding Smith presents his view, a defense of scriptural literalism: "The doctrine of organic evolution which pervades the modern day sciences proclaiming the edict that man has evolved from the lower forms of life through the Java skull, the Heidelberg jaw, the Piltdown man, the Neanderthal skull and last but not least the Peiping man who lived millions of years ago is as false as their author who lives in hell." The Apostles referred the matter back to the First Presidency noting only Roberts' language is "very offensive . . . failing to show the deference due from one brother to another brother of higher rank in the priesthood.” The First Presidency decides that "Neither side of the controversy has been accepted as a doctrine at all" but cautions that general authorities should be more careful when speaking publicly on controversial topics.
Jan 7, 1937 - N. Eldon Tanner is first active Mormon to serve non-U.S. government in position equivalent to U.S. Cabinet. He serves as Minister of Lands and Mines in government of Canada’s Premier until 1952. Next Mormons of ministerial rank are Manuera Benjamin Riwai-Couch of New Zealand (for Maori relations and also Postmaster General) in 1978 and Baitika Tuom of Kiribati in 1983.
Jan 7, 1950 - At funeral of a man who died six weeks after his appointment as stake president, Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith tells Apostle Harold B. Lee: "If you have called a man to a position in this church and he dies the next day, that position will have a bearing on what he will be called to do when he leaves this earth." Lee will eventually serve barely seventeen months as LDS president.
Jan 7, 1969 - First Presidency secretary Joseph Anderson answers letter about "the Church's stand pertaining to birth control," with the concluding statement: "After all, however, the brethren recognize that this is a personal matter involving the individuals concerned, and concerning which they must make their own decision." First Presidency's official statement on April 14, 1969 omits any reference to their own feelings about birth control as "a personal matter," and states: "We believe that those who practice birth control will reap disappointment by and by," and repeating earlier letter's emphasis on "self control [as] dominant factor" marriage.
Jan 7, 1974 - Swen Nielsen, head of BYU’s security department, is police chief of Provo, Utah. His replacement at BYU, Robert W. Kelshaw, has been assistant police chief since 1966.
Jan 7, 1978 - Church News article that Paul Freebairn, returned LDS missionary, is vice-president of American Surfing Association. Seventeen-year-old Peter Avery becomes U.S. National Body Boarding Champion in 1993.
Jan 7, 1987 - Forger and murderer Mark Hofmann agrees to plead guilty to two counts of second-degree murder—a first-degree felony—in the "knowing and intentional murders" of Steven F. Christensen and Kathleen W. Sheets, and to a second-degree theft-by-deception count in the sale of the salamander letter to Christensen. His guilty plea to a second-degree fraud in obtaining money from Alvin Rust for the non-existent McLellin collection completed the guilty pleas. In return, Hofmann is promised the following: that the State of Utah would dismiss the twenty-six remaining felony counts against him; that the U.S. Attorney would dismiss the federal machine gun charges; and that the State of New York would not prosecute him.
Jan 7-8,1960 - First Presidency decides that Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine "must not be re-published, as it is full of errors and misstatements, and it is most unfortunate that it has received such wide circulation." They are exasperated that McConkie and his publisher released the book without pre-publication publicity or notifying First Presidency. Even his father-in-law, senior apostle, Joseph Fielding Smith, "did not know anything about it until it was published." This is McConkie's way to avoid repetition of Presidency's stopping his pre-announced Sound Doctrine three years earlier.
Committee of two apostles (Mark E Petersen and Marion G Romney) reports that McConkie's Mormon Doctrine contains 1,067 doctrinal errors. For example, page 493 said: "Those who falsely and erroneously suppose that God is progressing in knowledge and gaining new truths cannot exercise sufficient faith in him to gain salvation until they divest themselves of their false beliefs." However, McConkie is affirming doctrine of omniscience officially condemned by previous First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1865. In announcing their decision to the Twelve on 28 Jan 1960, First Presidency says there should be no revised edition of Mormon Doctrine. Presidency reverses initial decision on 7 Jan. "that the book should be officially repudiated."
By 28 Jan Presidency decides against requiring McConkie to make public apology because "it might lessen his influence" as general authority.
In 1966 year after his father-in-law becomes assistant counselor to First Presidency, McConkie publishes second edition of Mormon Doctrine. It corrects only a few of first edition "errors" cited by First Presidency and apostles in 1960. Book becomes best seller among Latter-day Saints. McConkie becomes member of Quorum of Twelve Apostles to fill vacancy which his father-in-law's death creates in 1972.