The Mormon Apocrypha

Wilford Woodruff was well known for always writing in a journal. He started his journaling in 1835, "Believing it to be beneficial to review our past life, and not only our privilege but duty to keep an accurate account of our proceedings." He kept a journal for the next 63 years, his last entry being on August 31,1898, two days before he died.  Journaling was not just something he believed he should do. He believed everyone should keep a record of their lives. Below is a sermon on the topic. Maybe after reading this, you could make one of your New Year's resolutions to write in a journal everyday. I said I fell to say a few words. We have had a good exertation from Brother Joseph Young. He said some had thought that we should have the privilege of coming to these rallies & setting down & resting but he thought that we had as much to do as ever. I think so to. I am thoroughly Converted to the faith that we shall never arrive at that period of existence when we sha...

As we end the year, I wanted to give one last post for Melvin J Ballard. On December 25, 1925, a hundred years ago today, Ballard dedicated the continent of South America for missionary work. The prayer given below is the prayer he used to dedicate South America.  Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. In the name of Jesus Christ, Thy well-beloved Son, we Thy servants approach Thee on this beautiful Christmas morning in this secluded spot in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America, in a land far distant from our mountain home but in a country which Thou has called a part of the land of Zion. We are very thankful for our safe arrival after a voyage of twenty-one days on the seas without a moment’s sickness. We do acknowledge that Thou didst temper the elements for our good and that Thy protecting care has been over us in our travels, both upon the land and the sea, and for health and strength to labor for Thee and Thy cause. We are grateful that we have been ...

Merry Christmas everyone, I hope you are having a great time today. As it is Christmas, I wanted to share a quick message from Elder Uchtdorf, about how need to change what we focus on Christmas. Isn’t this a wonderful time of the year! So many things fill our hearts with the spirit of Christmas: the melody of Christmas carols, the lights, the decorations, and the happy greetings of “Merry Christmas!” There are certain words that ring like bells in my soul and remind me of the beauty and meaning of Christmas—words such as “ And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus ” and, of course, “Joy to the World!” “Away in a Manger,” and “Silent Night.” There are other words, more cautionary, that are worthy of our consideration as well—words such as: Every Who Down in Who-ville Liked Christmas a lot … But the Grinch, Who lived just north of Who-ville, Did NOT! The Grinch, that memorable character from a classic children’s story by Dr. Seuss, had a he...

 I decided to post the Cedar City Temple Dedicatory Prayer for the last Temple Dedicatory Prayer of the year. It is a temple I been to a lot and I wanted to honor it in some way. Cedar City Temple Dedicatory Prayer Dedicated 10 December 2017 by Henry B. Eyring O God, our Eternal Father, we come unto Thee in the name of Thy Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. Our hearts are filled with gratitude on this historic day. We come unto Thee with thankfulness for Thy generous blessings. Father, we thank Thee for this remarkable time, when Thou hast parted the veil and revealed Thyself and Thy Son to open the dispensation of the fulness of times. We are grateful for the coming forth of the Book of Mormon as another witness of Thy Son. We thank Thee for the restoration of the holy priesthood, with authority, power, and keys that will be exercised in this holy house. We are grateful for Thy kindness and blessing in granting the sealing power to Joseph Smith, a power passed through succeeding prophets ...

To end the year, I wanted to do one more General Conference talk. This one was delivered by Joseph Fielding Smith in the April 1933 General Conference; the same Conference I got my first Conference talk from.  Elder Joseph Fielding Smith Of the Council of the Twelve Apostles I was very greatly pleased this morning in listening to the remarks by our President, and to have our attention called to matters which I consider to be of great importance. I think I have stated before from this stand that we are living in perilous times, times when the members of the Church should be thoughtful, diligent, persevering, and determined to keep the commandments of the Lord as they have been made known unto us by revelation. A Wonderful Advantage We have a wonderful advantage over the world in this, that we have the right and privilege of receiving instruction through inspiration and revelation. For one hundred years the Lord has spoken unto this people, giving us line upon line, precept upon prec...

Previously, I posted a talk by George Abert Smith. I felt that having just one talk on my blog before the end of the year, even if it was the first televised one, was not enough for this underrated president of the church. I found one from the 1950 October General Conference. It is not the most theologically dense sermon in the world. Instead, it is more casual, with Smith talking about Politics, Missionary experiences, and his friends. President George Albert Smith This is a beautiful picture this morning, to see the Lord's house filled with his children who have come here to worship. Since our last conference many things have occurred. While our Singing Mothers were singing, I thought of one of our brothers who went to the South Seas with me about thirteen years ago. When we arrived at British Samoa, the people were having a holiday. We had been persuaded to stay aboard the boat at night because it could not go around the reef, and we could not land in small boats in the dark. We...