I think that the world, if it had an effect on the world, and I happened be traveling. I was at F. Wayne, Indiana and heard the news broadcast and there ^the announcer said^ that the president of the Mormon Church has received a revelation that all worthy members of the Church, including blacks, can now receive the priesthood. And that was about the sum of his announcement. He said the local leader of the Mormons, President Sauntem (the name I remember) is here with us and we'd like to have him say what he would, give us some input on his feelings and the Stake President went on to give a great one-minute discourse on the effect it would have and how revelation was received in the Church. I think generally the reaction in the world has been good. It made the headlines of The New York Times and a very straight and favorable article and this has been the general feeling.

But when we were all seated in the living room, Bruce began to tell us some of the events and the details about this revelation. We asked him if we could tell it to people that we cared about and could share these special things with and he said, "No, don't tell them." And one thing that he said, he cautioned us not to do, to make it more than it was even though I can't imagine a greater thing than this in this life. [At this point in the recording, Bro. Pope paused for six seconds while a faint voice in the background prompted him. He laughed in response to the prompting and said a second and a half after laughing:] ^He said, Yes^ you could tell it but not to embellish it but I shouldn't tell it, but [louder laughter] but you can be sure that many of the presidents of the Church, probably all of the presidents of the Church including the Prophet Joseph Smith have wrestled with this problem and with President Kimball the preliminaries for this started tow, at least two years ago. There were many, many discussions, return from time to time from the Quorum meetings in the Temple and there was much fasting and there was much praying and many prayers were offered pleading to the Lord for a resolution of this problem. During the last three or four months there have been extended discussions during the Quorum meetings regarding offering all of the blessings of the gospel to all the people on the earth.

Now, the various members of the Quorum were asked to express themselves briefly and did. There was one exception ^long discussion^ and at one point the Prophet asked the members of the Quorum to write in detail their feelings or their thoughts about the matter. And the Prophet had told the Quorum that this was a problem that he had been wrestling with many hours and he had spent many hours going to the Temple in the upper rooms of the Temple, wrestling with the Lord. He had not received a revelation but he wanted the revelation and that he wanted the Quorum to make this a matter of most serious consideration. During the last year there have been several discussions on this subject in the temple in the Thursday meetings when the Brethren meet.

Now, on June the 1st, the first Thursday of the month, this is a time when all the General Authorities are required to be at the Temple for a meeting and the schedules are made so that the Brethren can be there if at all possible. The secretary to the First Presidency who is a court recorder, takes down every word that is said. The Quorum schedule is to have a meeting in the room at the Temple after which there is a testimony meeting. The Brethren come to this meeting having fasted and after the testimony meeting. The Brethren come to this meeting having fasted and after the testimony meeting they go into a room for the special purpose of have a prayer circle. They have the sacrament and they have a prayer circle. Normally then they are dismissed. But this Thursday (this was on June 1st) President Kimball asked the members of the Quorum to stay, that he had some things that he wanted to discuss further. All of the members of the Quorum were there except Brother Peters^e^n who was traveling in Columbia Elder Petersen was traveling in the mission in Columbia and Elder Delbert Stapley who was ill in the hospital. President Kimball began by saying that they had a matter that had been discussed many times and he would like to discuss it again. He said, "We would like to get an answer to it. I would like to get a revelation one way or the other. If it is to remain as it is, I will defend it with my life. But if the Lord feels that the time is come to give the priesthood blessings to all worthy individuals, I want that revelation." And then he called another circle in which he asked the Lord to give them an answer. He said he wanted to hold another prayer circle and then [as] Bruce said [President Kimball] in his modest way, he asked the Brethren if it would be alright if he were mouth, that is, if he were the one who lead the prayer. And he said before the prayer, "Are there any questions that any of you would like to ask?" It was an informal meeting and in an informal meeting the Brethren do not have to follow seniority. Bruce raised his hand and for 10 minutes he discussed points that were known to the Prophet--that he had written in his memorandum to him--but they weren't necessarily known by the other members of the Quorum. Elder Packer then spoke and on new extensions of the discussion there were no duplications of ideas. Then the Brethren began to speak freely and there was a discussion and clarification of ideas and largely of the talk that were going forward. Then they had the prayer circle and the prayer given by the Prophet, Elder McConkie said, was, was the ^were the^ words of the Lord and it was given by the Spirit and all their feelings. He prayed perhaps five or ten minutes and he asked the Lord for an answer, to reveal to the Brethren in simple prayer, their desires. When he finished the Lord miraculously manifested His will to everyone present.

Now^,^ let me just tell you that Bruce said that he had often wondered what Paul [sic] had meant in the Book of Acts by cloven tongues of fire, and these were the words that Paul [sic] used because he had no other words to describe it. But he said since this experience in the Temple, when the Lord revealed to ^the^ 10 members of the Quorum ^and^ the First Presidency, His will concerning the giving the priesthood to all worthy male men, to all worthy males, he now understands what Paul [sic] meant, because he experienced it. But even having it, he can't put it into words what happened except to say that he now understands what Paul [sic] meant when he said cloven tongues of fire fell upon each, fell upon the congregation, and he said it did upon each of the men present. Now, we took notes and Margaret stayed up until 2 o'clock to transcribe the notes so that I would have something coherent to tell you and that I wouldn't leave out details. She went to finish typing these notes. She was so filled with the Spirit that she couldn't sleep and she went for a walk. But I decided I'd like to have you know that.

But this was, as if cloven tongues of fire had fallen upon them. Someone asked Bruce, "Was it like the day of Pen^t^ecost in the Restored Church when there were, some saw angels, some aw others and so forth?" And he said, "It was like that." They tried to get him to say who present. He said, and he was very careful to say it was like that day and would not go into detail.

But President Kimball embraced each member of the Quorum ^[and]^ of the First Presidency, the windows of heaven were opened, the magnitude of the issue at hand and the cause of the reversal of the doctrine that had so long awaited the Lord, was to get this revelation was an experience never to be forgotten by any of them. I hope that I can impress it upon your souls that you know we are in a Church that has a living Prophet and we have living revelation. We have contact with the living God and there is not other church upon earth so constituted to bring the salvation of mankind.

Now, Bruce says that this was the most spiritual experience that he had ever had. And that, if you will remember back to his Conference Address when he was called to be an apostle, he indicated that he had talked with the Lord prior to his being called. That he had direct communication with the Lord, and the Lord let know that he was approved, and what was in store for him. And yet, inspire of all that, he said that this was the greatest spiritual experience that he had ^ever had^ and the President said that same thing. President Kimball said it was the greatest spiritual experience that he has ever had.

And then it was a matter of how to announce to the world. On June the eighth,--now there was ^no^ discussion of it--they finally decided how they were going to make the announcement--and on June the eighth, the official document was read to the General Authorities for their approval. This was after this letter was, of which I read part, the whole letter was read to the Brethren [viz. the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve] and they approved it. Some though, some--they discussed how it should be announced to the world, and some thought it could be announced in the next Regional Conference, or the next Mission President's seminar. [some garbled words] Then the suggestion that was adopted, that it be announced immediately and Elder Petersen was phoned in South America and it was read ^to him^ and he approved it. It was taken to Brother Stapley in the hospital and he read it and approved it, and then the Brethren had the same reaffirmation on the 8th, the same, but with less intensity, the same reaffirmation as this, that this was truly a revelation from God. On June the 9th all the General Authorities, who were in Salt Lake, were called together. All of the General Authorities--some are in missions, some are supervising missionaries, and some are traveling to conferences. President Kimball asked for instructions from them, and Bruce recited in detail, as he can do, the events of June the first and this pent^e^costal experience. This meeting was held in the Quorum room in the Temple, the large room, and folding chairs were brought in for the General Authorities other than the Quorum. Now, at this meeting the secretary said, "President, would you like to have an affirmative vote?" And he said, "That would be nice." ^And they did.^ Then the announcement was given to Heber ^Wolsey^, of the Church communication. I guess he's the head of external communications, and I know he was a professor here at B.YU., and Heber is not inclined to [garbled two words]. He is a great gentleman and he's not inclined to be weak and boyish. But he, I felt like he was about ready to faint as he read that. But he got through and read the letter in detail. But now, just think of this brothers and sisters, after 6,000 years of waiting, the black, our black brethren, who are worthy, may receive the priesthood. Now we knew this had to come because the gospel would be preached and the blessings of the gospel are to go to every nation and kindred, tongue and people. But we're lucky, we are fortunate--maybe not lucky--but we are fortunate and we are, it is a great thing to be in this dispensation in this period of time, I think that the time is nearer now to the millennium than it was. We don't know when it will be, and it doesn't really matter to us if we live each day so that we are ready. Many of us have thought that it would be wonderful to live in Joseph Smith's time, when the revelations were being received for the organization of the Church. But brothers and sisters, you are here now in a great time when the revelations are being received, and this is history that is bringing to you. This is new revelation.

Now, my brother-in-law Oscar McConkie was at the temple the day of the revelation---on June the 1st--he was taking one of his daughters there to be endowed for her preparation for her sealing and her marriage. And he said, "There I was in the Temple, and I didn't even know it was going on." He felt quite badly about that [loud laughter].

There have been some miraculous tales already from one of the, Elder Robert Hales told Bruce this story. Brother Low, a ward clerk in his mission, also a negro, a black man, had a dream that he was going to get the Priesthood. And he related this experience to his Bishop, and the Bishop told him he couldn't give him the priesthood and Brother Low knew that and said, "Bishop all I want is......