Apostle George Albert Smith, historian Andrew Jenson, Wilford C. Wood and John D. Giles of the Utah Trails and Landmark Association visited Nauvoo and inspected the Nauvoo Temple site, apparently with intention of investigating the purchase of the property. . (1)
-- Oct 29, 1936
[Blacks] Minutes of the Council of the Twelve and of the First Presidency: Letter read from President W. Francis Bailey of the Hawaiian Mission, stating that Brother William Pakale, a priest, and Brother John L. Pea, who have recently been discovered to be one-eighth negro, have heretofore officiated in performing some baptisms and other ordinances. President Bailey asks for a ruling as to what should be done in such cases.
After some discussion of the matter, Elder Stephen L. Richards moved that the matter be referred to Elder George Albert Smith, who will attend the approaching Oahu Stake Conference, with instructions that in the event he should find that a considerable number of people are involved, we assuming the authority was given to those brethren to officiate in these ordinances, that ratification of their acts be authorized. In the event he should discover that there are only one or two affected, and that the matter can be readily taken care of, it may be advisable to have re-baptism performed.
Motion seconded by Brother [Melvin J.] Ballard and unanimously approved.
(Adam S. Bennion Papers) (2)
-- Nov 2, 1936
[Apostle George Albert Smith Journal] he departs SLC for the Hawaiian Islands, South Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Australia, returning to SLC on July 15. (3)
-- Feb 8, 1937
Apostle George F. Richards and Seventy's president Antoine R. Ivins begin seven days of meetings with disaffected LDS Mexicans who demand ethnic Mexican mission president. These nationalist Mexican Mormons hold first meeting of their "Third Convention" on Apr 26, 1936. After failure of this general authority effort at reconciliation, church leaders on May 6 begin excommunicating dissidents. Third Conventionists foster successful schismatic movement until 1946, when visit of LDS president George Albert Smith to Mexico begins process of reconciliation. Third Convention is first schismatic LDS movement based primarily on ethnic and national pride. (4)
-- During 1937
(George Albert Smith) At twelve, George attended the Brigham Young Academy for a year under Karl G. Maeser, returning home when his father left on a mission to England. At eighteen, he attended the University of Utah, but left after a year to work as a sales clerk at ZCMI.
In 1892 he married Lucy Emily Woodruff, a grand-daughter of Wilford Woodruff; they had three children. She died in 1937. He never remarried. (5)
-- Jan 8, 1938
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] This evening at 6:30 I was at the Lion House at a banquet given in honor of George Albert Smith. ... I made brief remarks and told the joke about the two drunkards at the time George Albert Smith was sustained an apostle, one drunkard asked the other if he would like to know his opinion of the new apostle, and he said Yes, and the answer was "There are too d----d many Smiths." The other said "Do you want my opinion of your opinion: Well, it is my opinion of your opinion that the Lord doesn't give a damn for your opinion." (6)
-- Jan 22, 1939
Elder George Albert Smith ordains and sets apart Moroni Timbimboo, the first Native American Indian to serve as a bishop in the Church, as the presiding officer of the Washakie Ward, in Box Elder County, Utah. (7)
-- Oct 13, 1939
[President Heber J. Grant Diary] We then visited the grand-daughter, or daughter-in-law (I have forgotten which) of Patriarch John Smith, the great grandfather of George Albert Smith, and at one time Acting Patriarch. She has a cane which it is claimed was presented to her grandfather by Colonel Kane.'-at St. George, Utah (6)
-- Mar 29, 1940
[Quorum of Twelve] First Presidency asks Apostle Joseph Fielding Smith to chair "Literature Censorship Committee authorized by Quorum of the Twelve last Thursday." Results of a poll conducted in BYU theology classes is published in the "Y NEWS." It finds, that, despite frequent warnings by the Honor Tradition Committee, at least 20 percent of the student body continued to cheat on graded homework. (8)
Footnotes:
1 - Brown, Lisle (compiler), Chronology of the Construction, Destruction and Reconstruction of the Nauvoo Temple
2 - Marquardt, H. Michael, Mormon Central: Excerpts From Minutes of the Council of the Twelve and of the First Presidency, 1879-1947 http://www.xmission.com/~research/central/chorg2.htm
3 - Journals of George Albert Smith
4 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/originsofpower
5 - Van Wagoner, Richard and Walker, Steven C., A Book of Mormons, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
6 - Diary of Heber J. Grant, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
7 - The Woodland Institute 'On This Day Historical Database,' http://www.woodlandinstitute.com
8 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
LDS History Chronology: George Albert Smith
Mormon History Timeline: The life of George Albert Smith
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
