CAMPUS MEMORANDUM * * * * * BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY

From James R. Clark To James R. Clark Date July, 1964 & September 1964

Room No 112 Smith 112 Smith

Memorandum on trip to Salt Lake to see President Joseph Fielding Smith Re: Messages of the First Presidency as per letter of Clyde Sandgren of June 29, 1964.

Following the receipt of President Sandgren's letter of June 29, 1964 I went to Salt Lake as per the suggestion in his letter to consult Brother Joseph Fielding Smith. President Smith was in Idaho but his secretary after reading my copy of President Sandgren's letter suggested that I consult with Brother Spencer W. Kimball. I called at his office but Brother Kimball was also out of town. His secretary also informed me when she learned the purpose of my visit that Brother Kimball was no longer a member of the Church Reading Commitee [sic] because of his increased duties with other programs. She suggested that I see Brother Harold B. Lee who was now a member of the Reading Commitee. I called at Brother Lee's office and he received me very graciously. He said, however, that he was participating in the opening of the Church Pavilion at the World's Fair in New York the week that the meeting of the Executive Commitee referred to in Brother Sangren's [sic] letter was held so that he was not familiar with the matter and suggested that I wait to see President Smith when he returned from vacation. I followed Brother Lee 's counsel and contacted President Smith when he returned. Sister Clark accompanied me. President Smith gave us a brief business-like audience after reading President Sandgren's letter and then stated that this was a decision that would have to be made by the President of the Church since the messages were those of the First Presidency. He referred me to President David O McKay for a decision. He said, however, that it was his opinion that we should be careful about publishing some of the messages that were issued during controversial periods in Church History since they would probably be misunderstood today. I asked him if those issued during the late 1880's were some of the ones he might have in mind, those dealing with the "underground" days and polygamy and he said yes. He said some messages perhaps should be deleted for this reason or explanations made of the reasons for their issuance.

Following our auidence [sic] with President Smith I attempted to contact President McKay through Marvin Wallin and President Hugh B. Brown, but this was at the time of President McKay's illness and heart attack and President Brown indicated that with the limited strength of President McKay, this matter could not be presented to him.

Marvin Wallin or Bookcraft, my publisher, then contacted Brother Bruce McConkie of the First Council of Seventy for his suggestions as to what further steps he thought advisable. He also placed volume one of the manuscript in Brother McConkies [sic] hands. Following this I received the following letter from Marvin Wallin giving us Brother McConkie's counsel.

James R. Clark