Pres. Kimball says revelation was clear

BY GERRY AVANT

Church News staff writer

The news that emanated from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City June 9, 1978, to circle the world within a matter of minutes represents one of the most significant events during the administration of any Church president in the 20th century.

Airwaves, wire services, telephones, and satellite transmissions heralded to the world the First Presidency's statement that the priesthood would be extended to all worthy male members of the Church.

More specifically, the announcement meant that the long-awaited day had come when worthy black men in the Church could hold the priesthood.

President Spencer W. Kimball, the mouthpiece through which the revelation was given to the world, said in a Church News interview that the matter of the priesthood being extended to all worthy male Church members had weighed on his mind for quite some time.

He said that while pondering on the subject, he often went to the temple where he spent some time alone. Day after day, and especially on Saturdays and Sundays when there were no organizations in the temple, I went there to be alone," he said.

"I was very humble. I was searching for this. I wanted to be sure."

After his many visits to the temple to meditate and pray about the matter, President Kimball called a special meeting for the members of the Council of the Twelve. The meeting was on a day when the Twelve regularly met in the temple. President Kimball asked them to remain there a little longer.

"We considered this very seriously and thoughtfully and prayerfully," he said. "Then I asked the Twelve not to go home when the time came--that is, after our first meeting.

"I said, 'Now, would you be willing to remain in the temple with us?" And they were. I offered the first prayer and I told the Lord if it wasn't right, if He didn't want this change to come in the Church, that I would be true to it all the rest of my life and I'd fight the world against it if that's what He wanted.

"We had this special prayer circle, then I knew that the time had come.

"I had a great deal to fight myself, largely, because I had grown up with the thought that Negroes could not have the priesthood and I was prepared to [unreadable] the rest of my life until my death and fight for it and defend it as it was.

"But this revelation and assurance came to me so clearly that there was no question about it. This matter had been on my mind all these years. We have always considered it.

"There are members of the Church who had brought to President David O. McKay their reasons why it should be changed. Others had gone to Joseph Fielding Smith and Harold B. Lee and to all the former presidents and it had not been accepted because the time had not come for it."

But by June 9, when the announcement was made to the world, the time had come. On that day the First Presidency released the following statement:

[First Presidency statement]

The statement was signed by the members of the First Presidency Spencer W. Kimball, N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney.

The revelation extending the priesthood and temple blessings to all worthy male members was accepted September 30, 1978, by the members of the Church during the 144th Semiannual General Conference of the Church. In presenting the revelation before the conference for a sustaining vote, President N. Eldon Tanner, first counselor in the First Presidency, said, "President Kimball has asked that I advise the conference that after he received this revelation, which came to him after extended meditation and prayer in the sacred rooms of the holy temple, he presented it to his counselor, who accepted and approved it.

"It was then presented to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who unanimously approved it, and was subsequently presented to all other General Authorities, who likewise approve it unanimously."

After reading the announcement which was released on June 9, President Tanner said, "Recognizing Spencer W. Kimball as the prophet, seer, and revelator and president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it is proposed that we, as a constituent assembly accept this revelation as the word and will of the Lord. All in favor, please signify by raising your hands."

Approval by the congregation in the Tabernacle was unanimous.