70 years ago today - Aug 28, 1950

[Joseph Fielding Smith]

This morning with Elders Harold B. Lee, Marion G. Romney and Thomas Romney, I had an argument and some difficulty with Dr. Heber C. Snell. Dr. Sterling McMurrin was with him at my invitation. He has been an instructor at the Institute in Logan for several years, and he previously taught in Pocatello and other places in the Church school system. For many years I have felt that his teachings were antagonistic, or to say the least, out of harmony with the fundamental teachings of the Church. Some time ago he wrote a book the title being 'Ancient Israel, Its Story and Meaning.' In my opinion this book is filled with doctrinal and historical errors. I had an interview with him one other time when he was mild and reasonable to some degree. Today he was almost defiant and in the course of the conversation we learned that he is antagonistic to the teachings of the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price. He does not accept any revelation from the Prophet Joseph Smith that is in conflict with the opinions of the higher critic scholars. Our meeting was not a pleasant one.

[Joseph Fielding Smith Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1910-1951, Privately Published, Salt Lake City, Utah 2010]

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