August 12th

Aug 12, 1840 - Wilford Woodruff reports in his journal: "On Sunday five men members of the Church saw TWO MEN ride across the Missisippi River from Montrose to Nauvoo. One man was on a white horse & the other on a bay or red horse. The waters parted under their feet & fire flew when their tails moved & they observed the clothing of the men. A few month previous to this a man was seen walking across the river by several believers & others. The Unbeleivers said Probably a mormon was going across to steal sumthing."

Aug 12, 1844 - The Quorum of Twelve appoints Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Willard Richards to have general direction of church affairs in North America.

Aug 12, 1866 - Brigham Young preaches: "Why does not our government make a law to say how many children a man shall have? They might as well do so as to make a law to say how many wives a man shall have."

Aug 12, 1870 - A debate, in Salt Lake City, between Orson Pratt and Dr. J P. Newman, chaplain of the U. S. Senate. Question. "Does the Bible sanction polygamy?"

Aug 12, 1887 - Twelve authorizes First Presidency to complete its arrangements for pro-Mormon coverage from "the leading papers in New York, & other cities" by paying various newspaper editors $75,000 cash in advance, plus added $70,000 after Utah gains statehood.
They also debate whether or not to rebaptize excommunicated former apostle Albert Carrington. John W. Taylor and George Q. Cannon quote different sections of the D&C to support opposing positions.

Aug 12, 1893 - In an effort to rescue the Church's financial situation President Wilford Woodruff authorizes the borrowing of money by the Church from members at 10 percent interest.

Aug 12, 1900 - While in Mormon colonies of Mexico, Joseph F. Smith instructs men of Brigham Young Academy's expedition to Latin America that theirs is a "scientific not a Church mission." Some return to Utah, but most of original volunteers continue their quest to locate BOOK OF MORMON sites. This expedition returns to provo in February 1902.

Aug 12, 1913 - Thugs openly attack an I.W.W. street meeting in Salt Lake City and the police do nothing. James G. Morgan, an I.W.W. leader, and not armed mobster, Alex Steele, who attacked him, is arrested.

Aug 12, 1961 - U.S. President John F. Kennedy appoints Eshter W. Eggertsen Peterson as assistant secretary of U.S. Labor Department, first Mormon woman in sub-Cabinet position.

Aug 12, 1984 - Harmon Killebrew is inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame. His career record of 573 home-runs is exceeded only by Hank Aaron,Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, and Frank Robinson. Larry H. Miller enters National Softball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Aug 12, 1991 - Associated Press Story: "Mormon Church officials lied when they said they had no way of 'finally verifying' whether a former church official's accounts of his war and baseball experiences were accurate, a reporter claimed Saturday. Lynn Packer, whose research into Paul H. Dunn's stories showed several had been fabricated, said members of the faith's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were well aware the stories were false when Dunn was abruptly retired from the church's hierarchy in 1989 for reasons of 'health and age.' Packer told an audience at the Sunstone Symposium that church leaders had conducted at least two internal inquiries into the veracity of Dunn's stories and whether he had falsified copies of tax documents. The second investigation was headed by a church attorney, Harry Pugsley, with whom Packer, a Mormon, said he cooperated. 'His report, confirming the allegations, was delivered to the Quorum of the Twelve just couple of weeks before Paul Dunn was given emeritus status,' Packer said."

No comments: