August 8th

Aug 8 1839 - Wilford Woodruff writes: "I laid my hands upon my wife and children, blessed them, committed them into the hands of God, and started upon my English mission, leaving my family sick, and with not more than four days' provisions."

Aug 8, 1842 - Joseph Smith is arrested as an accessory to the attempted murder of ex-Governor Liburn Boggs. Nauvoo's municipal court claims jurisdiction over Smith and discharges him.
The earliest reference to the special undergarment worn by the Holy Order of the endowment reads for this date: "they have oil poured on them, and then a mark or hole cut in the breast of their shirts . . . to keep the Destroying Angel from them and their families." From the eighteenth century to the 1840's, "shirt" referred to an undergarment which was often worn with a separate, tight-fitting underpant reaching to the knees.

Aug 8, 1844 - A special Nauvoo conference sustains the Twelve as the acting church presidency. Some years later report witnessing a transfiguration of Brigham Young into the image of Joseph Smith. Brigham Young writes of this day: " Sidney Rigdon took his position in a wagon, about two rods in front of the stand, and harangued the saints for about one and a half hours" Council of Fifty member and Presiding Bishop George Miller writes that Brigham Young's performance was a "long and loud harangue."

Aug 8, 1845 - Brigham Young performs plural marriage ceremony marrying fourteen-year-old "miss Rice" to thirty-four-year-old William Smith.

Aug 8, 1869 - Brigham Young preaches: "There is another item in relation to fashions to which I wish to call the attention of the sisters, being satisfied that ladies, of naturally good taste, need only to have their attention directed to anything showing a want of it, to discontinue it. I refer now to the trails or trains that it is fashionable for ladies to wear at the bottom of their dresses. You know it is the custom of some here to have a long trail of cloth dragging after them through the dirt; others, again, will have their dresses so short that one must shut his eyes, or he cannot help seeing their garters. Excuse me for the expression; but this is true, and it is not right."

Aug 8, 1900 - First of two plural marriages in Mexico that second counselor Joseph F. Smith secretly authorizes without knowledge of President Lorenzo Snow, who prohibits polygamous ordinances. Counselor Smith instructs senior Seventy's president Seymour B. Young to perform the polygamous marriages.

Aug 8, 1921 - To rescue church's Utah-Idaho Sugar Company, Heber J. Grant agrees to mortgage Social Hall, Vermont, and Deseret News buldings. However, Counselor Anthony W. Ivins persuades Grant not to morgtage Church Office Building. This is undoubtedly origin of rumor that Grant mortgages Salt Lake Temple Square, including temple.

Aug 8, 1942 - CHURCH SECTION emphasizes use of handkerchiefs to heal people at great distances, with photograph of "the silk handkerchief blessed and sent by President Lorenzo Snow to Elder [Jacob Charles] Jensen" to heal him in 1899.

Aug 8, 1978 - TIME magazine reports a ninety-minute interview with President Spencer Kimball. The article reports that President Kimball's version of the process leading to the change [allowing Blacks to hold the priesthood] was much more "matter of fact" than the sensational speculations circulating in Salt Lake City: "I spent a good deal of time in the temple alone, praying for guidance, and there was a gradual and general development of the whole program, in connection with the Apostles." The article says that President Kimball "says flatly that Mormonism no longer holds to . . . a theory" that blacks had been denied the priesthood "because they somehow failed God during their pre-existence."

Aug 8, 1989 - Church offers its assistance to government of USSR to build emergency housing.

Aug 8, 1992 - Salt Lake Tribune reports that First Presidency's spokesman has acknowledged existence of special "Strengthening the Members Committee" that keeps secret files on church members regarded as disloyal. Due to publicity on this matter, including NEW YORK TIMES, Presidency issues statement on 13 Aug. defending organization of this apostle-directed committee as consistent with God's commandment to Joseph Smith to gather documentation about non-Mormons who mob and persecute LDS Church. Presidency lists Apostles James E. Faust and Russell M. Nelson as leading the Strengthening the Members Committee. Faust becomes counselor in First Presidency in 1995.

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