70 years ago today - Jun 6, 1951

[J. Reuben Clark]

[Regarding the effort to obtain 177 acres for a This is the Place Monument Park:] Preston Richards called to say that Jerry Jones was going to fight the 177 acres with every [sic] he had, and that the secretary of the Clerk of the House just told him he prepared a map he is going to put on every desk in the Legislature; Preston requested Pres. Clark to call Jerry in and talk with him and ask him to help get this bill through; he has always said he would not oppose the Church; he is a good Republican; he thought if Pres. Clark called him as Chairman of the Commission and member of the First Presidency he could get him to help them out. ...

[Conversations with Jerry Jones] Pres. Clark: I am wondering if'from what Brother Richards tells me about your feeling of wanting to do what more or less seemed to be the wise thing, I wonder if you could not help us on this Park business up here. ... We never can get it as cheaply again, and I am morally persuaded that ultimately we will have to have it ... I told him over and over again that I was not telling him what to do, nor was I attempting to bring upon him any Church influence, that the Church was not telling him what to do, but I told him that, furthermore, I had lived long enough to know that I do not know what I would do if I were in the other man's place, but that I was very certain that I would think very seriously before I went against something which the President of the Church desired. ...

I repeatedly expressed the hope that he could go along and help us to get this thing through. He wanted to know whether he would go against the Church if he were to get up and explain his views in the matter. I said that is a question he would have to determine for himself, that the Church does not undertake to control men's consciences, they are always their own free agents ...

I made it perfectly clear time and again that I was not trying to bring Church influence to bear on him, or tell him what to do, but that if I were in his place I would consider very carefully before I went contrary to the wishes of a President of the Church.

He said at one stage in the conversation, that he probably would have to pray about it and decide. ...

[The Diaries of J. Reuben Clark, 1933-1961, Abridged, Digital Edition, Salt Lake City, Utah 2015]