[John Henry Smith] Joseph F. Smith and Brigham Young's allowance was fixed at five thousand per annum. H. J. Grant's was raised some. I was blest and set apart for my mission under the hands of all present. President Lorenzo Snow being Mouth, he gave me a good blessing. He gave me a good many promises. [Jean Bickmore White (editor), Church, State, and Politics: The Diaries of John Henry Smith, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1990, http://bit.ly/johnhenrysmith]
Today in Mormon History
Daily Snippets of what happened on this day in Mormon Church History.
190 years ago today - May 9, 1836
John Taylor and wife, Lenora, baptized near Toronto, Canada. [Hemidakaota, "Church Chronology from 1800-2000," http://lds.net/forums/topic/10668-church-chronology-from-1800-2000-part-1/]
55 years ago today - May 9, 1971
Mary Beth Rampton, wife of the Utah Governor Calvin Rampton, gives a talk on Mother's Day at the Federal Heights Ward in Salt Lake City: "To assist myself in [talking about motherhood], I have drawn two illustrative concepts from my study of prehistory. The first is the concept of the Mother Goddess. The Heavenly Father whom we today know and love and worship is a masculine God; but it is interesting to know that the oldest deity of whom archaeologists have found evidence is feminine Mother Goddess, whose little stone and clay figurines have been found in upper Paleolithic sites over most of the world. She was the goddess of the fruitfulness of the earth and its creatures, the source of the earth's abundant life, charged with nurture. . She became, as the centuries passed, Ninhursag, the mother-goddess of the Sumerians; the Minoan mother-goddess of ancient Crete; Demeter, the earth goddess among the older Greek gods." [On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com]
185 years ago today - May 9, 1841. Sunday.
[William Clayton] Joseph preached on his side on baptism for the dead ... Afterwards a number was baptized both for remission of sins and for the dead. I was baptized first for myself and then for my Grandfather Thomas and Grandmother Ellen Clayton, Grandmother Mary [Critchley] and Aunt Elizabeth Beurdwood. [George D. Smith, An Intimate Chronicle; The Journals of William Clayton, Signature Books in association with Smith Research Associates, Salt Lake City, 1995, http://bit.ly/WilliamClayton]
115 years ago today - May 9, 1911
The theory of uncreated, uncreatable, self-existent, conscious, immortal entities, having inherent agency, whose 'inherent nature makes them what they are,' is in conflict with direct revelation. ... The notion that the revelation that Christ and man, 'that which is spirit,' were 'in the beginning with God' proves the co-eternity,' of them with the Father, is self-contradictory. The very words 'in the beginning with God' signify a beginning, and the added avowal that Christ was the 'first born,' shows that His brethren had their beginning as individuals after His spirit-birth. We owe our very being to our Eternal Father, the intelligence derived from Him, our knowledge, our agency, and all our powers. This is affirmed in ancient and modern revelation and the teachings of our leaders. The assertion that 'intelligence proceeds from intelligencies' is a mistake. It proceeds from 'the presence of God' as the light of truth to the mind as well as the eyes of man. Doc. & Cov. 88: 12, 13, 49, 50. [Charles W. Penrose, 'Origin of Intelligent Beings,' ca. 1911, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]
30 years ago today - 9 May thru 11 Jul period
[Same-Sex Marriage] Jack Hoag, co-Chair of Hawaii's Future Today (LDS organized lobbying group), made several public statements stating that Hawaii's Future Today would be endorsing and backing political candidates. Hawaiis Future Today places political ads in Hawaiis two daily newspapers at a cost of over $1,000. Representative Terrance Thom, supported in these ads, wins his reelection by 54 votes. The Senate Judiciary Chair who opposed this groups political position and was opposed by the ad lost his re-election bid. [Crapo, Richley, Chronology Of Mormon / LDS Involvement In Same-Sex Marriage Politics http://www.mormonsocialscience.org/?q=node/59]
190 years ago today - May 9, 1836
[John Taylor] Baptized by Parley P. Pratt. [Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, Salt Lake City, Utah]
125 years ago today - May 8th, 1901
[Brigham Young Jr.] Salt Lake City, Wed. May 8th, 1901. Met at Temple. Pres. Snow said that every man who had wives ought to have a thousand dollars of income for each of them. On motion of H. J. Grant, Pres. Jos. F. S. was allowed that amount, and so was I, but when shall we get it. Pres. to be allowed from first of year. God is very good to me and now I can turn myself around and am well content. [Diary of Apostle Brigham Young Jr., http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]
90 years ago today - May 8, 1936
[David O. McKay] Attended to current duties including writing a reply to a committee of the Church of Christ, Independence, Missouri, inviting our church to join in building a temple in Jackson County. We courteously refused, unless all could unite in recognition of the proper authority. [David O. McKay Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]
145 years ago today - May 8, 1881
Patriarchal Blessing of George W. Johnson given by William McBride ... I say unto thee be then faithful to thy desires and the Lord will not leave thee comfortless He will give thee wives and children to suit thy circumstances ... [Patriarchal Blessings]
130 years ago today - May 8, 1896
The following letter prepared by President Geo[rge]. Q. Cannon to carry into effect the action of the Council of the First Presidency and Apostles... We do not know upon what authority this form of administering baptism has been adopted but we think it improper. There have been times in the Church when the First Presidency have felt it necessary to call upon all the members of the Church to renew their covenants, and at such times it was suggested that the words 'for the renewal of your covenant' be used in the ceremony; but it does not follow that at other times, and in individual cases, that form should be used. We think it improper, speaking generally, for the words 'for the remission of sins' or 'for the renewal of your covenant,' to be used in administering the ordinance of baptism. Where it may be necessary to baptize a person who is already a member of the Church, the form of ceremony which the Lord revealed to the Nephites, and which has also been revealed to us in our day, is sufficient. ... In cases where people are baptized for their health, we see no impropriety in using the words 'for the restoration of your health' in the ceremony. ... If they have faith and believe, when they have some ailment, that the administration of baptism in that form will be beneficial to them, the privilege is granted to them. ... Signed by the First Presidency. [Journal History, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]
165 years ago today - May 8, 1861
Brigham Young's office journal notes: "Pres[ident Daniel H.] Wells in a conversation he had with Pres. Joseph Young noticed that Jefferson Davis & Secretary Floyd, were traitors to the general government, as they had been acting treacherously to the Government for the last four years, and favoring the Southern Confederacy. Pres[ident] Joseph Young remarked that if such treacherous men should have their blood shed it might lighten the penalty of their crimes when they were brought to judgment." [On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com]
165 years ago today - May 8, 1861
The President [Brigham Young] observed their [U.S] feelings are increasing in violence, and shortly it will be a scene of mobbing. Br[other] Geo. A. Smith mentioned that the firing of some of the Oil wells that had been recently discovered, was a remarkable fulfillment of a remark of Pres. B. Young's made by him a few evenings ago namely that these oil wells might form a volcano for the people to stand upon'- -- Salt Lake City [Brigham Young Office Journals, in The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young, Ed. Richard S. Van Wagoner, Smith-Pettit Foundation, Salt Lake City (2009), http://bit.ly/BY-discourses]
180 years ago today - May 8, 1846
[Nauvoo Temple] During a Sabbath service, Orson Hyde explained why the Saints were compelled to finish the Temple, "It we move forward and finished this house we should be received and accepted as a church with our dead, but if not we should be rejected with our dead. These things have inspired and stimulated us to action in the finishing of it which through the blessing of god we have been enabled to accomplish and prepare it for dedication." Wilford Woodruff concluded the meeting, "The Saints had labored faithfully and finished the temple and were now received as a Church with our dead. This is glory enough for building the temple and thousands of the Saints have received their endowment in it. And the light will not go out." [Brown, Lisle (compiler), Chronology of the Construction, Destruction and Reconstruction of the Nauvoo Temple]
180 years ago today - May 8, 1846
The mail came in to day from Nauvoo bringing news that Br O. P. Rockwell had been taken prisoner in Nauvoo and taken to Carthage but have not learned the particulars[.] I suspect that there has been some treachery used by some or he could not have been taken as it seems to me. [Diaries of Hosea Stout]
115 years ago today - May 7, 1911
[Thomas A. Clawson] Went to the Temple Fast Meeting at 10 AM and we had a most splendid time. Pres[iden]t Jos[eph] F. Smith in speaking expressed his love for Pres[iden]t Brigham Young and his successors and also their children and that whatever action had been taken against any of their children by the Church [over the estate of Brigham Young] was done and brought on by their own actions and the Church had to be protected against them. He deplored very much what had to be done and it caused him as much grief and sorrow as if it were his own son. [Thomas A. Clawson, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015]
195 years ago today - May 7, 1831
D&C 49 (Kirtland): Sidney, Parley, Leman Copley mission to Shakers; marriage ordained of God (one wife); abstinence from meat not required; temporal inequality a sin; Jesus will not come as a woman; disasters precede his coming; first Indians will blossom as a rose, Zion upon the mountains. [The text of the revelation seems to assume a trinitarian godhead: "Thus saith the Lord [Jesus Christ]; for I am God, and have sent mine Only Begotten Son into the world ..."] [Kenney, Scott, Saints Without Halos, "Mormon History 1830-1844," http://web.archive.org/web/20120805163534/saintswithouthalos.com/dirs/d_c.phtml]
130 years ago today - May 7, 1896
At a Relief Society meeting in Woodruff, Arizona, Hannah Savage "received the gift of tongues and the interpretation. . . . Medora Gardner testifyed that it was the tongue of Adam that had been given." [Hannah Adeline [Hatch] Savage, Journal, May 1896; Dan Vogel and Scott C. Dunn, '"The Tongue of Angels": Glossolalia among Mormonism's Founders,' Journal of Mormon History Vol. 19, No. 2, 1993]
135 years ago today - May 4, 1891
[Heber J. Grant] "... (GQ) Cannon said that he was willing that we should sell one half of the Herald to the gentile Democrats and allow them a majority of the Directors. I think the chances are that it will finally be approved to sell a majority of the stock." [The Diaries of Heber J. Grant, 1880-1945, Abridged, Digital Edition Salt Lake City, Utah, 2015]
140 years ago today - May 6th, 1886
[Abraham H. Cannon] [From the Penitentiary serving time for polygamy] "Last night proved to be a very unpleasant one for several of the brethren, the bed bugs being as ravenous as to prevent their sleeping more than a very little but it seems as though all efforts to over come the bugs are futile. They get in between the planks of which the sides of the building are formed and there remain until night induces them to commence their depradations. I, for one, have thus far escaped annoyance by them." [Abraham H. Cannon Journal Excerpts, http://www.amazon.com/Apostles-Record-Journals-Abraham-1889-1896/dp/B000MFD1K4]