Dan Barker's Blog, page 7

Having it Confirmed

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Future prophet of the church, Russell Marion Nelson, had it confirmed to him that who would one day become the Prophet of the Church?a.                  Himselfb.                  David O. McKayc.                   Thomas S. Monsond.                  Spencer W. KimballYesterday’s answer:C   That all of them would go on to become apostlesAs a boy, LeGrand Richards worked many hours cutting hay with his father, George F. Richards, on their dry farm in Tooele, Utah. Since there was no shade anywhere about, at noon they would drop the tines of their hay rake, cover them with hay and sit underneath this makeshift canopy to eat their lunch. One summer LeGrand’s cousin from Salt Lake City, Stephen L. Richards, visited the farm and joined LeGrand and his father in their labor. Later Elder LeGrand Richards made this observation: “It was rather unique that under that hay rake on that dry farm one summer were three future apostles of the Church, though no one of us knew at the time.” LeGrand also had the distinction of being the third in a direct line of apostles, for his grandfather, Franklin D. Richards, also served in the Quorum of the Twelve. Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 489.

It Seemed Unique to Him

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What seemed unique to LeGrand Richards while reminiscing later in life of working in the hay field with his father, George F. Richards and his cousin Stephen L. Richards?a.                  That their last names were the sameb.                  That they all served in the same missionc.                   That all of them would go on to be apostlesd.                  That all three of them were married on the same dateYesterday’s answer:A   John A. WidtsoeFrom the life of John A. Widtsoe:   In Logan, Utah, John entered Brigham Young College and graduated in 1891 at the age of nineteen. His mother had no qualms about undertaking what many of her associates thought was a rash and foolish venture for a poor widow—she sent him to Harvard, paying for this expensive privilege by long hours of sewing and by mortgaging all she had. John was one of a group of promising young Latter-day Saint men who were encouraged to attend Harvard by Dr. Joseph M. Tanner of Brigham Young College in Logan. This group of Mormon students enjoyed one another’s company and kept their expenses down by renting a house together in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was here at Harvard that John found deep and lasting conviction concerning the truthfulness of the gospel. He wrote: “At that time I was having my religious battles. Was Mormonism what it pretended to be? Did Joseph Smith tell the truth? I read, listened, compared, thought, prayed. It was a real search for truth. Out of it in time came the certain knowledge that the resorted gospel is true and that Joseph Smith was indeed a prophet, and the restorer of the simple true gospel of Jesus Christ. There has never been any doubt about it since that time of deep study and prayer.” He graduated in 1894, receiving the highest possible honors, including two awards that had never been presented to the same person before—one for demonstrating the greatest breadth of knowledge and the other for demonstrating the greatest depth of knowledge. Though he had many opportunities to go elsewhere at higher pay, John A. Widtsoe accepted a position at the Utah Agricultural College, where he could serve the people and kingdom he loved. Brother Widtsoe saw the forces of God at work in science. Once when doubts arose in his mind and he felt as if he might be losing his faith, he pled with the Lord for help. He expressed this earnest prayer by writing a beautiful hymn entitled “Father, Lead Me out of Darkness.” The Lord answered his prayer; his faith was strengthened and his testimony grew.Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 454-455.

He Did What no Other Achieved

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What Harvard graduate and future apostle did what no other student at Harvard achieved?a.            John A. Widtsoeb.            James E. Talmagec.             Stephen L. Richardsd.            Charles W. PenroseYesterday’s answer:C   Reed SmootFrom the life of Reed Smoot:   Brother Smoot’s thirty-year career in the Senate was outstanding. As a legislator he made particular contributions in the field of government finance, and in 1932 President Hoover told the citizens of Utah that Senator Smoot “knew more about the government than any other man.” Twice he was requested to fill the presidential nomination on the Republican ticket—if only he would denounce his religion. This Senator Smoot refused to do with a statement that will long inspire those who acquaint themselves with his life: “If I had to take my choice of being a deacon in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or being President of the United States, I would be a deacon.”Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 428-429.

He’d Rather be a Deacon

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Which General Authority stated that he rather be a deacon than the President of the United States?a.                  Spencer W. Kimballb.                  Reed Smootc.                   Daniel H. Wellsd.                  Ezra Taft BensonYesterday’s answer:C   Defending the Prophet Joseph Smith and Brigham Young after an anti Mormon speech on his missionFrom the life of Moses Thatcher:   Deprived of schooling and lacking confidence, Elder Thatcher found himself totally unable to speak or pray before a group. After several failures, his senior companion agreed not to call on him anymore. One day the timid missionary attended a Methodist service alone. The pastor devoted the sermon to attacking the characters of Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and the Mormon people. Filled with righteous wrath, Elder Thatcher obtained permission to reply. With the spirit of the Lord resting on him, he delivered an eloquent and powerful defense of this Prophet and people and a scathing rebuke of the minister. From that day forward his tongue was loosed and he eventually became one of the most effective orators in the Church. Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 400.

Loosening his Tongue

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When Moses Thatcher first entered the mission field he was painfully shy and experienced great difficulty speaking in front of people. What was the incident that cause him to become one of the Church’s greatest orators? a.                  Taking public speaking courses at the Brigham Young Academyb.                  Joining the debate club at the University of Deseretc.                   Defending the Prophet Joseph Smith and Brigham Young after an anti Mormon speech on his missiond.                  After receiving a blessing under the hands of his mission presidentYesterday’s answer:D   The Deseret AlphabetFrom the life of Orson Pratt:   In addition to his lifetime of service to the Church, Elder Pratt distinguished himself as a scientist. He published several works on the subjects of astronomy and mathematics, winning the respect of prominent men in these fields. He was active in the Utah territorial legislature and was also an accomplished linguist, becoming adept in the Hebrew language and an expert in the phonetic alphabets that were very popular at that time. When his brother Parley and others developed a language system known as the Deseret Alphabet, which was used to a limited extent in the early days of Utah, Orson transcribed and published the Book of Mormon in these phonetic characters. It was also Brother Pratt who undertook the enormous task of dividing both the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants into chapters and verses, and of supplying the extensive cross references.Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 372-373.

A Book of Mormon Translation for Utah Use Only

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Into what alphabet was the Book of Mormon translated for use in Utah only?a.                  The Danish alphabetb.                  The Welsh alphabetc.                   The Hebrew alphabetd.                  The Deseret alphabetYesterday’s answer:B   Joseph Sr. had dreams that pointed him to the ChurchFrom the life of Joseph Smith Sr.:  Four years later, when Joseph Jr. began having the visions and revelations that led to the restoration of the gospel, his father believed him immediately and devoted himself to the new kingdom. A descendant of Father Smith characterized this relationship in these words: “Father Smith never sought prominence over the Prophet. Rather, he humbly followed the Prophet’s lead in all things pertaining to the kingdom of God. . . . Thiers was a father-son relationship in which the son was greater than the father, yet the father was, in every sense, a worthy sire to such a noble son.” A man of deep spirituality, Joseph Smith Sr. had earlier received dreams and inspirations, which he later recognized as being fulfilled in the work of his son. Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 308.

Believing his Son

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Joseph Smith Sr. never had an issue believing his son, Joseph Jr,. prior to the organization of the Church. Why was this?a.                  Joseph Jr. was honest to a faultb.                  Joseph Sr. had dreams that pointed him to the Churchc.                   Joseph Sr. read the Book of Mormond.                  Joseph Jr. admitted he cut down the cherry tree so he could be trusted in everything elseYesterday’s answer:A   Rudger ClawsonIn 1898 Elder Clawson was called to the Quorum of the Twelve and three years later was chosen as second counselor in the First Presidency to Lorenzo Snow, with whom he had been imprisoned. Elder Clawson was never set apart for this position because President Snow passed away just four days after general conference. Returning to the Quorum, he served a total of forty-five years as an apostle, including twenty-two years as president of the Twelve.Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 262.

Never Set Apart in the First Presidency

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Along with Joseph F. Smith, what other General Authority was never set apart when called to serve in the First Presidency?a.                  Rudger Clawsonb.                  Willard Richardsc.                   George Q. Cannond.                  Joseph Smith IIIYesterday’s answer:C   Bandits stopped and robbed the trainNathan William and Edna Brown Tanner were expecting their first child. Their home at the time consisted of a crude dugout in the Mormon colonies of southern Alberta, Canada. Sister Tanner decided to travel the long distance by wagon and train to Salt Lake City to have her baby at the home of her parents. When their newborn son, Nathan Eldon Tanner, was only six weeks old, his mother returned with him to Canada. A frightening experience occurred on this journey homeward—a band of robbers held up the train. Fortunately Sister Tanner and her newborn son were unharmed. “The robbers took all the valuables except my baby,” she told her husband. Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 223-224.

Excitement on the Train

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When Edna Brown Tanner was riding the train back to Canada after giving birth to Nathan Eldon Tanner in Salt Lake City, her and the passengers experienced more excitement than what they bargained for. What happened?a.                  The Missouri mob robbed the trainb.                  The Natives stopped and robbed the trainc.                   Bandits stopped and robbed the traind.                  The train hit a buffalo, derailing the car she was riding inYesterday’s answer:B   MexicoBefore being sustained as president of the Church in April conference, 1972, President Lee was sustained in a conference of fifteen thousand Saints convened in Mexico City. Early in his short presidency, he made an extensive tour of Europe and the Middle East. While there, he discussed with officials in Jerusalem the possibility of that city building a commemorative Orson Hyde Garden on the Mount of Olives. During his presidency the new twenty-eight-story Church Office Building was completed and occupied, and renovations were begun on the old office building. In keeping with his initiative to begin building “stake-center sized” temples, the first temple in South America in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was approved.Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 110-111.

It Didn’t Happen in the Tabernacle First

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When President Harold B. Lee was first sustained as the new President of the Church, it didn’t happen in the Tabernacle on Temple Square. If the event didn’t take place here, then where did it happen?a.            Canadab.            Mexicoc.             Englandd.            AustraliaYesterday’s answer:B   Joseph F. SmithFrom the life of Joseph Fielding Smith:   First counselor to President Lorenzo Snow (sustained but not set apart): 6 October 1901 to 10 October 1901.President of the Church: 17 October 1901 (age 62).Flake, Lawrence R., Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation, (Provo, Utah: Religious Study Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 57.