The Church began sending supplies to the Saints in Europe. This continued for the next several years. (1)
-- Feb 21, 1946
Evening meeting of stake conferences to be held by the MIA-- Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah.
As of this date, the Sunday evening meetings of the stake conferences of the Church, which had been rotated among the various auxiliary organizations of the Church, are now to be held exclusively by the Young Men's and Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association. (2)
-- Feb 25, 1946
Annual drive of the American Red Cross-- Church Archives, Salt Lake City, Utah.
(The annual message of the American Red Cross, appealing for support funds, to be read in ward sacrament meetings on March 3, 1946.) (2)
-- Feb 26, 1946
[President George Albert Smith Journal] "Bro Browning called to report visit with Jos. F.S." (3)
-- Mar 10, 1946
[President George Albert Smith Journal] "[daughter] Emily had one of her groups at home in evening to hear [blank] talk on world condition. very interesting." (3)
-- Mar 20, 1946
Ward fast meeting not to be held on General Conference Sundays-- Salt Lake City, Utah.
Time for the monthly fast meetings in the wards of the Church to be adjusted so that they do not fall on the same Sunday as the General Conference of the Church. (2)
-- Mar 25, 1946
[Daughters of Utah Pioneers] Ground was broken for the Museum on March 25, 1946. (4)
-- Apr 6, 1946
Church Welfare Program-- The accomplishments of the Church Welfare Program, summarized in Part III of the Annual Financial Statement of the Church, as published in the Conference Report for April, 1946, pp. 10-14. Members of the Church urged to continue their "devotion to this great program." (2)
-- Apr 15, 1946
[President George Albert Smith Journal] "Le Grand Chandler of St. George come called to see me about Joseph F. Patriarch." (3)
-- Apr 19, 1946
Writers who use official Church records and sources expected to write objectively and fairly about the Church-- c. 1948, Introduction.
Joseph H. Weston was a professional journalist who came into contact with the Mormons for the first time in 1940 during a tour of military duty. He returned to Utah early in 1946 to write a book about the Mormons and applied to the First Presidency for access to official Church sources. The reply of the First Presidency states more than a simple reply to the request of one author.
April 19, 1946
Dear Mr. Weston:
We have your letter of April 9, in which you tell us of your project to write a book which shall deal at least in part with the Latter-day Saints, and in which you indicate you would like some assistance with access to sources which are available to us.
We should like to say to you that we shall be happy to give you such assistance as may be feasible and will be glad to designate someone to whom you may go to help you in connection with your work.
We hope that you will pardon our saying that some untoward experiences which we have had in the past with those who have written books, sometimes scurrilous and defamatory against us, lead us to make bold to set out the following observations, though the tone of your letter indicates that you do not fall within the class whose members have given us the unfortunate experiences in the past. We do hope you will allow us to say that while we do not expect people to come here to make studies and to write their accounts to be propagandists for us nor to violate their own convictions in order to be kind in their statements concerning us, we think we have a right to expect that they should be fair and honest and not distort the truth in order to provide sensation and thus increase the saleability of their product. We have had experiences in the past in going out of our way to be obliging and courteous to writers and to cite them to materials and we have had our confidence greatly ab
used by their after words, either to facilitate sales or to satisfy the demands of their employers, garbling facts in such a way as to give altogether false impressions.
We are returning herewith the following papers which accompanied your letter. (A long list of enclosures follows.)
(Signed) GEO. ALBERT SMITH, J. REUBEN CLARK, JR., DAVID O. MCKAY, First Presidency. {1946-April 19-Joseph H. Weston, These Amazing Mormons,} (2)
Footnotes:
1 - Church News: Historical Chronology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/58765/Historical-chronology-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints.html
2 - Clark, James R., Messages of the First Presidency (6 volumes)
3 - Journals of George Albert Smith
4 - Utah History Encyclopedia: Daughters of Utah Pioneers, http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/d/DAUGHTERSUTPIO.html
LDS History Chronology: George Albert Smith
Mormon History Timeline: The life of George Albert Smith
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
