Truman G. Madsen - The Presidents of the Church: Insights Into Their Lives and Teachings

Preface

Someone has said history is biography. For me biography is most vivid and engaging when it is most intimate and concrete.

In this written version of my biographical lecture series, "The Presidents of the Church," I have sought to introduce the presidents in that way. The audio format enabled me to be conversational, intimate, preoccupied at each stage with the question, "What does all this have to do with me?" Something of that style remains in the book.

It is obvious that these chapters are only a slice, only a set of highlights, of what for each president should be a full-scale and comprehensive biography. The footnotes illustrate that a veritable feast of documents is available. Through them one may continue the conversation.

My hope is that these snapshot portraits will move readers to sink shafts deeper into the biographical mines, the better to regain and retain the jewels of a gleaming legacy.

One cannot miss in these life stories of men, and their truly remarkable wives, one powerful assurance: the future belongs to Christ. These leaders and their families endured some of the worst turbulence and trauma that the human soul can face. Having paid the sacrificial price of full discipleship, they emerged into life-transforming missions.

From such lives and teachingsand those who embrace them in common causeall the human family may find new hope, new faith, and new love.

Chronology

• 1801 Brigham Young is born in Whitingham, Vermont (June 1)
• 1805 Joseph Smith is born in Sharon, Vermont (Dec. 23)
• 1807 Wilford Woodruff is born in Farmington, Connecticut (Mar. 1)
• 1808 John Taylor is born in Milnthorpe, England (Nov. 1)
• 1814 Lorenzo Snow is born in Mantua, Ohio (Apr. 3)
• 1820 Joseph Smith receives the First Vision (spring)
• 1823 The Angel Moroni visits Joseph Smith (Sept. 2122)
• 1829 Joseph Smith receives the Aaronic Priesthood and is baptized (May 15)
  Joseph Smith receives the Melchizedek Priesthood (May or June)
• 1830 The Book of Mormon is published (Mar. 26)
  The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is organized (April 6)
• 1835 Joseph Smith organizes the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (Feb. 14); Brigham Young is included in the first quorum
• 1836 Joseph Smith dedicates the first temple in Kirtland, Ohio (Mar. 27)
• 1838 Joseph F. Smith is born in Far West, Missouri (Nov. 13)
  Joseph Smith is imprisoned in Liberty Jail (Dec. 1)
  John Taylor is ordained an apostle (Dec. 19)
• 183839 The Saints flee Missouri (winter)
• 1839 Wilford Woodruff is ordained an apostle (Apr. 26)
• 1842 Joseph Smith organizes the Nauvoo Female Relief Society (Mar. 17)
• 1844 Joseph Smith, with his brother Hyrum, martyred in Carthage, Illinois (June 27);
  John Taylor is present and receives multiple wounds
• 1846 The Saints begin their exodus from Nauvoo (Feb. 4)
• 1847 The first Saints enter the Salt Lake Valley (July 24)
  Brigham Young is sustained as President of the Church (Dec. 27)
• 1849 Lorenzo Snow is ordained an apostle (Feb. 12)
• 1853 Brigham Young breaks ground for the Salt Lake Temple (Feb. 14)
• 1856 Heber J. Grant is born in Salt Lake City (Nov. 22)
• 1866 Joseph F. Smith is ordained an apostle (July 1)
• 1870 George Albert Smith is born in Salt Lake City (Apr. 4)
• 1873 David O. McKay is born in Huntsville, Utah (Sept. 8)
• 1876 Joseph Fielding Smith is born in Salt Lake City (July 19)
• 1877 Brigham Young dies in Salt Lake City (Aug. 29)
• 1880 John Taylor is sustained as President of the Church (Oct. 10)
• 1882 Heber J. Grant is ordained an apostle (Oct. 16)
• 188687 Lorenzo Snow is imprisoned for plural marriage
• 1887 John Taylor dies in Kaysville, Utah (July 25)
• 1889 Wilford Woodruff is ordained President of the Church (Apr. 7)
• 1890 Wilford Woodruff issues the Manifesto discontinuing the practice of plural marriage (Sept. 24)
• 1893 Wilford Woodruff dedicates the Salt Lake Temple (Apr. 6)
• 1895 Spencer W. Kimball is born in Salt Lake City (Mar. 28)
• 1896 Utah becomes the forty-fifth state (Jan. 4)
• 1897 Church membership exceeds 250,000
• 1898 Wilford Woodruff dies in San Francisco, California (Sept. 2)
  Lorenzo Snow is ordained President of the Church (Sept. 13)
• 1899 Harold B. Lee is born in Clifton, Idaho (Mar. 28)
  Lorenzo Snow reemphasizes tithing (May 8)
  Ezra Taft Benson is born in Whitney, Idaho (Aug. 4)
• 1901 Lorenzo Snow dies in Salt Lake City (Oct. 10)
  Joseph F. Smith is ordained President of the Church (Oct. 17)
• 1903 George Albert Smith is ordained an apostle (Oct. 8)
• 1906 David O. McKay is ordained an apostle (Apr. 9)
• 1907 Howard W. Hunter is born in Boise, Idaho (Nov. 17)
• 1910 Joseph Fielding Smith is ordained an apostle (Apr. 7)
  Gordon B. Hinckley is born in Salt Lake City (June 23)
• 1918 Joseph F. Smith receives the revelation on the redemption of the dead (D&C 138) (Oct. 3)
  Joseph F. Smith dies in Salt Lake City (Nov. 19)
  Heber J. Grant is ordained President of the Church (Nov. 23)
• 1919 Church membership exceeds 500,000
• 1935 The first stake outside of North America is organized, in Hawaii (June 30)
• 1936 Heber J. Grant introduces the Church welfare program (Apr. 7);
  Harold B. Lee is named director of that program (Apr. 18)
• 1941 Harold B. Lee is ordained an apostle (Apr. 10)
• 1943 Spencer W. Kimball is ordained an apostle (Oct. 7); Ezra Taft Benson is ordained an apostle the same day
• 1945 Heber J. Grant dies in Salt Lake City (May 14)
  George Albert Smith is ordained President of the Church (May 21)
• 1947 Church membership exceeds 1,000,000
• 1951 George Albert Smith dies in Salt Lake City (Apr. 4)
  David O. McKay is sustained President of the Church (Apr. 9)
• 1953 Ezra Taft Benson is appointed U.S. secretary of agriculture (he serves until 1961)
• 1958 Gordon B. Hinckley is named an Assistant to the Twelve (Apr. 6)
• 1959 Howard W. Hunter is ordained an apostle (Oct. 15)
• 1961 Gordon B. Hinckley is ordained an apostle (Oct. 5)
  Harold B. Lee directs the development of the Church correlation program
• 1962 The first Spanish-speaking stake is created, in Mexico City (Dec. 3)
• 1970 David O. McKay dies in Salt Lake City (Jan. 18)
  Joseph Fielding Smith is ordained President of the Church (Jan. 23)
• 1972 Joseph Fielding Smith dies in Salt Lake City (July 2)
  Harold B. Lee is ordained President of the Church (July 7)
• 1973 Harold B. Lee dies in Salt Lake City (Dec. 26)
  Spencer W. Kimball is ordained President of the Church (Dec. 30)
• 1975 Spencer W. Kimball organizes the First Quorum of the Seventy (Oct. 3)
• 1978 Spencer W. Kimball receives the revelation on the priesthood (June 1)