[Leonard Arrington]
Let me here record that I was told by an "insider" that Elder [Boyd K.] Packer, some time ago, had told Jon Huntsman, president of Monument Park Stake [Salt Lake City], that he must excommunicate a certain person. President Huntsman said he would not like to do it. They argued a little. Finally, insistent on having his way, Elder Packer told him, "Excommunicate that person or I will excommunicate you." President Huntsman held the trial and excommunicated him....
We had Mike Quinn for dinner at our house last evening and were assured that he will continue to work on his two books and on articles dealing with Mormon history. He did not seem to be upset particularly; he seemed to think it was inevitable. These excommunications are the worst examples of blaming the messenger for the message. What a perversion of apostasy, to regard as apostates individuals who are as loyal and believing as Mike, Lavina [Fielding Anderson], Paul [Toscano], and [Avraham] Gileadi. (I don't know [Lynne] Whitesides or Maxine Hanks enough to know what their beliefs are.) I feel like singing, "Oh Say What is Truth?"
[Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]
No comments:
Post a Comment