55 years ago today - Aug 1, 1970

(August) First Presidency's instruction: "A female Church member married to a nonmember is not permitted to receive a temple recommend for her endowment blessing. The same applies to a female member married to a Church member who has not received his endowment, even though the husband is willing to give his consent in writing for his wife to receive her endowment." On 27 Jan. 1972, the First Presidency complained that "from time to time recommends are issued to sisters in accordance with the old provision in the handbook but contrary to and in apparent ignorance of the new instruction contained in the Aug. 1970 'Priesthood Bulletin.'" Since 1845 the temple endowment had been available for women to bless their non-LDS husbands. The First Presidency repeats this instruction on 25 July 1979 because of "an increasing number of instances in which local leaders issue temple recommends contrary to the express limitations of the General Handbook."

[The Mormon Hierarchy - Extensions of Power by D. Michael Quinn, [New Mormon History database ( http://bit.ly/NMHdatabase )]]