40 years ago today - Jul 5, 1978-Wednesday

[Leonard Arrington]
This afternoon Paul Anderson came into the office to talk some other business and said he would be glad to share with me what he and [wife] Lavina had heard about the revelation of June 9. Lavina had heard it from Jay Todd. Jay Todd had heard it from Joseph Fielding McConkie and Oscar McConkie, both of whom had talked with Jay by telephone shortly after they had heard Bruce McConkie tell about it at a family reunion. ...

For several months the Twelve and the First Presidency have discussed the problems created by the denial of the Priesthood to blacks. Three persons were appointed to prepare memoranda on the subject: Bruce McConkie, Boyd Packer, and Thomas Monson. They had discussed these matters as a quorum and in smaller committee groups. And President Kimball and the First Presidency had prayed earnestly about this matter-for several months. He (they) had received no direction on the matter. On June 1, President K. had asked the Twelve to remain in the temple with the First Presidency. President K. then told them that, while he had not received direction on the matter, he felt impressed that they must pray this day and that the answer would come this day. Whereupon President Kimball led them in prayer.

President Kimball asked for a manifestation of the Lord's will on this matter. During the prayer, the Brethren felt the spirit of Pentecost. There was felt (by some at least) the rushing of winds and the burning of fire. The Prophet Joseph Smith appeared. He showed them what must come to pass. He gave them a vision of events to come, of problems and their solutions and consequences. The giving of the Priesthood to the blacks was only one aspect of the understanding they were given. There were other personages present, but whether they were recognized was not mentioned by Elder McConkie. At least they played no important role in the communication which took place.

... In one of the meetings at which the giving of the priesthood to the blacks was discussed by the Quorum of the Twelve in a preliminary way, Elder McConkie felt impressed to intervene in the discussion and speak, out of turn. In this he was inspired to discuss the last days, to review the scriptures which told of the Second Coming, and to say that the priesthood must be granted to the Negro before the Second Coming. He said it must be done in preparation.

Two other members of the Twelve arose, out of turn, to give their own feeling about the necessity of giving the Priesthood to the Negro at this time. Elder McConkie, finally, is the person telling of the pentecostal spirit on June 1. Is it possible that only he felt the rushing of wind and the fire? Is it possible that only he saw the Prophet Joseph Smith? Is it possible that only he saw the vision which was presented by the Prophet? Elder McConkie, Elder Packer, and President [Marion G.] Romney have been appointed to discuss the revelation in October conference, this fall. The story, as it was told to me, has one other aspect, and this may arise from confusion or it may be based on fact. This is that when the First Presidency were earnestly praying, one day prior to June 1, they were visited, in turn, by each of the previous presidents as witnesses that they approved the measures about to be taken. The trouble with this story is that it suggests that the decision was tentative before June 1-a fact that all stories deny. Second, it may confuse the visitations of June 1. Third, it may be based on the fact that researchers had been going over carefully the statements of previous prophets and that this labor may have involved "visiting" with them, and embellished by tellers. ...

Max Caldwell was a professor in the Institute of Religion at Logan teaching courtship and marriage, classes in marriage counseling, and so on. He also served as a counselor to President Charles Hyde of North Cache stake. He made a talk at a stake conference session and said that as he came into the building that day he had a personal revelation that he should tell the people that it was completely wrong to use any form of birth control except abstinence. Even in case of rape, even in case of the probability of a malformed child. These spirits needed those bodies even if they were incorrectly formed. There should be no sexual intercourse except with birth as the intention and end result. ...

Many couples in the stake were upset since this represented something different than the teachings of President [Spencer W.] Kimball and in particular of President [David O.] McKay. ...

[Source: Confessions of a Mormon historian : the diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1997, Gary James Bergera, editor, Signature Books, 2018]