[President Heber J. Grant Diary] J. Golden Kimball called shortly after ten o'clock, and I had a long talk with him regarding his speech at Conference. I told him that under no circumstances would I consent to having his speech remodeled the way he had changed it, because it would be a direct reflection on anything I said, because there would be nothing there to criticize. I told him plainly that he must quit using the name of God, that I considered it absolute profanity when he said 'God, how I hate prejudice,' and when he referred to his conversation with Brother Lyman, in which he told Brother Lyman, in answer to his question as to whether he loved the brethren, that he loved some of them a damn sight better than others, that it was absolutely ridiculous to talk that way. I told him I wanted him to understand that I wouldn't and could not sustain him as one of the General Authorities of the church if he did not change. He said he would do his best to improve. He further said that if I did not want to publish his remarks it would be all right with him. I said 'I am going to publish your talk in full and mine too, unless you want me not to.' He said he would prefer not to have his talk published. I tore it up and threw it into the waste-basket. I was disappointed over my interview with him, from the fact that he did not come out frankly and fully and say 'Brother Grant, I apologize; I did wrong and I am sorry.' But we are all differently constituted, and I was glad to have a talk with him and to have him assure me he would endeavor to mend his ways. I read my talk to him word for word as it was delivered, in which I referred to my love of him, his testimony of the Gospel, etc., and there is practically no criticism whatever in it. I told him that if I had referred to his taking the name of God in vain and insulting his senior president, etc., there might have been some complaint, but I made it as mild as I know how. Golden is given to being very careless in his utterances, and I do hope and pray that he will change in the future. I always have liked him. He is fearless and has a strong testimony of the Gospel, but he is as careless in his talk as mortal man can be. He pledged his absolute loyalty to me, but I would think more of his pledge if he would be more careful in his talk.
[Source: Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
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