The Mormon Apocrypha

As today is Easter, I wanted to post today instead of Monday. I wanted to celebrate this day with a general conference talk given by Marion D. Hanks in April 1969, who Christ is wand what that means for us.  I have two commitments today that I should like to fulfill. One I undertook upon reading a letter yesterday from one of our choice chaplains serving a second tour of duty in Vietnam, once again moving among those engaged in the most serious of the fighting. His letter asks, "Will you ask the brethren specifically to mention the wives and the children of the servicemen over here from time to time. They have it harder than we do." I pledge, and ask you to join me, that I will remember and seek to put actively into effect my interest in the wives and children and parents of those who are far away, giving what has to be given to preserve the high ideals of this land, and thus to express to all mankind their own concern for the well-being of those who are not able to take care...

Of all the latter-day saints in history, perhaps not are as hilarious as J. Golden Kimball, the swearing apostle. He was born on June 26, 1853, to Heber C. Kimball. At the age of fifteen, his father died. TO make ends meet, he became a Mule driver, where he picked up his wearing habit. In 1881, he went to what is know BYU for two years, and after that went on a two-year mission to the American South. After that mission, he married Jennie Knowlton and in 1887 moved to Logan. They had six children, three boys and three girls. In 1892, Kimball was called to be the mission president of the American South mission. During that mission he was called to the seventy. Buring his years in the seventy, J. Golden became well known for his swearing habit, causing him to be one of the favorite general authorities in the church. Kimball died on the 2nd of September 1938 in a driving accident. In April 1909, J. Golden Kimball gave a talk about the importance of Honesty, discussing how God cannot help u...

  The belief that man can become God is one of the most unique doctrines in latter day saint Theology. Within the pages of the eighth volume of the Journal of Discourses is a sermon that goes in depth on this controversial belief. Created by John Taylor, it discusses how men are "as a God in embryo." I am always pleased to hear brother Joseph Young speak, because, as the Indian says, “he talks good talk;” and I always like to hear people talk good talk, and things that are calculated to make one feel pleasant and comfortable. A passage of Scripture which he quoted attracted my attention. It is one of the sayings of David— “ What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? ” In one point of view, man appears very poor, weak, and imbecile, and very insignificant: in another point of view, he appears wise, intelligent, strong, honorable, and exalted. It is just in the way that you look at a man that you are led to form your opinions concerni...

Elder Melvin J. Ballard has been a recurring character on this blog, so I wanted one of 2026's first general conference talks to be from him. In this one, he talks about the importance of the church. Elder Melvin J. Ballard Of the Qurom of the Twelve Apostles I desire, my brethren and sisters, to read two short extracts from a revelation of the Lord, given one hundred years ago to the Church. The first is from the eighty-sixth section: " Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your fathers — " For ye are lawful heirs, according to the flesh, and have been hid from the world with Christ in God — " Therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through you and your lineage until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the holy prophets since the world began. " Therefore, blessed are ye if ye continue in my goodness, a light unto the Gentiles, and through ...