[President Heber J. Grant Diary] George Albert Smith called at my office. He is going down to Las Vegas to have an interview with Owen Woodruff to try to get him to quit going with the woman he is running with and stop trying to get a divorce from his wife. I had a long talk with him. We shall look forward to George's return. (1)
-- May 19, 1942
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] Fred Ballif called and I had a long talk with him regarding Owen Woodruff. President David O. McKay and George Albert Smith were with me during the interview. We all felt that Evelyn Ballif Woodruff should get a divorce and that Owen should be cut off the Church. We decided that there was nothing for Fred's sister who married Owen to do but get a divorce and to be sure and get it under the laws of California instead of Nevada. Brother Judd will write a letter for me to sign to Owen's wife. (1)
-- Jun 20, 1942
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] George Albert Smith called on me at the office this morning and read a long letter from Owen Woodruff. Owen has got married at last to the girl with whom he associated without being married. I learned from a letter from the President of Moapa Stake that she is liable to have a baby in three of (sic) four months. He wants one of his young children sent to him. I never felt more outraged in my life than that a man who is really an adulterer should think we would be foolish enough to send a child to him to take care of. I wrote a letter to the President of the stake which I have not yet sent and I do not know just when I will sned (sic) it as I want to cool off a little before I do so. (1)
-- Oct 1, 1942
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] [After Geroge Albert Smith returned to Salt Lake City on September 29 from "a trip east":] At 9 o'clock met George Albert Smith at his home. George was sick abed, he has developed quite a bad cold and was unable to attend our Council meeting. I had a chat with him and he heartily approved of Joseph F. Smith, Hyrum M. Smith's son as Patriarch to the Church. That makes the unanimous vote of all of the Apostles for this young man, for which I am grateful. (1)
-- Oct 8, 1942 - 6 October 1946
[Change in Presiding Church Patriarch Office] Joseph Fielding Smith
Great-grandson of Hyrum Smith; not a descendant of previous Presiding Patriarch Hyrum G. Smith; released by President George Albert Smith amid reports of homosexual activity. Restored to "priesthood status" in 1957. (2)
-- Dec 5, 1942
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] At 1 o'clock had dinner at home. Evelyn Woodruff and three of her children were our guests. I feel very sorry of course for the terrible way Owen has treated his wife, and I rejoice that she has a comfortable home and has her divorce. He should be cut off the Church immediately because he lived with a woman before he got the divorce and it was only a few months after his marriage to her that she had a baby. I hear that the first month after his divorce he sent $50.00 to Evelyn. He never did much for her while she was his wife. He certainly has no right to be in the Church. I honestly feel from a letter he has written to George Albert Smith that he gave me the privilege of reading, that his mind is affected. To my mind no man with a sound mind would write a letter as he did telling of his marriage, etc., convicting himself in his letter. (1)
-- Jan 29, 1943
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] George Albert Smith called and I found no action had been taken on the Owen Woodruff case and I felt very much annoyed. He should have been cut of the Church long ago. George Albert said he would bring me a letter. (1)
-- Mar 1-Mar 4, 1943
[Apostle George Albert Smith Journal] he is in Mexican settlements (3)
-- Jun 21, 1943
[Quorum of Twelve] Rudger Clawson dies. George Albert Smith becomes President of the Quorum. (4)
-- July 8, 1943
[George Albert Smith] He served as President of the Quorum of the Twelve from July 8, 1943 to May 21, 1945. (5)
Footnotes:
1 - Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
2 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Presiding Patriarchs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Presiding_Patriarch#Chronology_of_the_Presiding_Patriarchs_of_The_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints
3 - Journals of George Albert Smith
4 - Wikipedia, Chronology of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (LDS Church), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronology_of_the_Quorum_of_the_Twelve_Apostles_(LDS_Church)
5 - LDSIndex.com
LDS History Chronology: George Albert Smith
Mormon History Timeline: The life of George Albert Smith
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
