[President George Albert Smith Journal] "Wilford Wood Met Presidency to report on purchase of Jos Smith home at harmony (Sic) Penni." (1)
-- Sept 18, 1946
[President George Albert Smith Journal] "Met with Douglass Scalley about Sugar matters. Hyrum Smith and Harold Beecher came to consider Joseph Patriarch's position." (1)
-- Sept 27, 1946
[President George Albert Smith Journal] "Spent day at office far behind with correspondence. I wish I had a competent private secretary to keep track of my affairs and do a lot of detail work" (1)
-- Oct 3, 1946
President George Albert Smith writes in his journal that it had been decided "Joseph F. Smith Patriarch unable to carry on," and the Patriarch to the Church was released, "a sad happening." Joseph F. Smith II, Patriarch to the Church was discovered to have been engaging in homosexual behaviors. That same day David O. McKay reads a letter from Joseph F. Smith II in which he claims to be in poor health and that he is willing to be released. He is released and moves to Hawaii where he is not allowed to hold any church position. No disciplinary hearing is ever held. (2)
[President George Albert Smith Journal] "Spent 5 hours with Council in Temple. Joseph F. Smith Patriarch is unable to carry on." (1)
-- Oct 6, 1946
Public release of Joseph Fielding Smith (b. 1899) as Patriarch to Church due to "ill health" but actually due to discovery of his recent homosexual activity. Bruce R. McConkie is sustained to first Council of Seventy, first veteran of World War II to becaome genearl authority. (3)
[President George Albert Smith Journal] "Tabernacle & Assembly hall filled Jos F. Smith released. a sad happening." (1)
-- Oct 9,1946
[Utah] First Presidency and apostles decide to allow faithful African-American Mormons to receive patriarchal blessings, and Patriarch Elder G. Smith blesses black couple for the first time. (4)
-- Oct 10, 1946
Benjamin E. Roberts, son of B. H. Roberts, addresses the Timpanogos Club at the Hotel Utah, discussing his father's studies on the Book of Mormon. He presents a manuscript by B. H. Roberts titled "A Parallel" which lists 18 parallels between the Book of Mormon and Ethan Smith's "VIEW OF THE HEBREWS" which was published in New York in 1823 and again in an enlarged edition in 1825. One of B. H. Roberts striking "parallels" is a passage from Ethan Smith's book that gives a capsule outline of the Book of Mormon: "It is highly probable that the more civilized part of the tribes of Israel, after they settled in America, became wholly separated from the hunting and savage tribes of their brethren: that the latter lost the knowledge of their having descended from the same family with themselves; that the more civilized part continued for many centuries; that tremendous wars were frequent between them and their savage brethren, till the former became extinct." B. H. Roberts adds: "Let
it be remembered that the work from which this is quoted existed from five to seven years before the publication of the Book of Mormon. And the two editions of the work flooded the New England states and New York." (2)
-- Oct 24, 1946
[Blacks] Minutes of the Council of the Twelve and of the First Presidency: Letter read from June B. Sharp of the South African Mission regarding a letter that has been forwarded to him by the office of the First Presidency and the correspondence that President Sharp had had with O.J. Umordak of Afaha Ofiong, Mbiaso Post Office, Uyo District, Nigeria, in which Mr. Umordak pleads for missionaries to be sent to Nigeria and also asks for literature regarding the Church. These people are Africans of the black race. President Sharp asks if he should comply with [the] man's request to send literature to him.
After some discussion regarding our responsibility in proclaiming the Gospel to the world, Council decided to give the matter further consideration before making reply.
(Adam S. Bennion Papers) (5)
Footnotes:
1 - Journals of George Albert Smith
2 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com
3 - Advent Adam website (defunct) - based on http://amzn.to/extensionsofpower
4 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, Appendix 5, Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1848-1996, http://amzn.to/extensions-power
5 - 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
LDS History Chronology: George Albert Smith
Mormon History Timeline: The life of George Albert Smith
http://lds-church-history.blogspot.com/
