[George Gibbs to Alma Merrill]
Please find enclosed recommends for second blessings endorsed by President [Joseph F.] Smith. The First Presidency direct me to call your attention to the printed form used by you in this instance recommending for second blessings, and would thank you to let them know if this particular form was prepared by yourself, or purchased by you of the printer already prepared? Their reason for eliciting this information is this, the form is unauthorized, and not in accordance with their mind in recommending for the second anointing. In other words the word "second" should not be in the recommend at all, and you are therefore requested to discard this particular form, and in fact to destroy it. Instructions have been given so many times in regard to this matter, that it has been taken for granted that every Stake President is fully informed in relation to it. The way to do it is to use the common form of temple recommend, and write a letter in connection with it explaining who the people are [who are] thus recommended, and giving, as near as you can, their ages and a brief account of their lives so that the presidency may by this means gather some idea of their suitableness and worthiness to receive the endorsement of the President. And it is taken for granted that you take pains to become personally acquainted with everybody recommended by you for second blessings, and you are of course at liberty to adopt every necessary means to acquire the information; and strict privacy should be enjoined by you and all so recommended by you.
[George F. Gibbs to Alma Merrill, Jan. 14, 1908, in Anderson, Devery; The Development of LDS Temple Worship, 1846-2000: A Documentary History, http://amzn.to/TempleWorship]
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