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Bruce Redd McConkie (July 29, 1915 – April 19, 1985) was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian Christian church that considers itself to be the restoration of the original church founded by Jesus Christ. The ch ...
(LDS Church) from 1972 until his death. McConkie was a member of the First Council of the Seventy of the LDS Church from 1946 until his calling to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. During his service as a general authority, McConkie published several doctrinal books and articles and wrote the chapter headings of the LDS Church's 1979–81 editions of the
standard works The standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church, the largest in the Latter Day Saint movement) are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon. The four books of the standard works are: * ...
.. McConkie received a
Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...
and Juris Doctor from the
University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
. He spent his childhood between
Monticello, Utah Monticello ( ) is a city located in San Juan County, Utah, United States and is the county seat. It is the second most populous city in San Juan County, with a population of 1,972 at the 2010 census. The Monticello area was settled in July 1887 ...
;
Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
; and Ann Arbor, Michigan. In 1937, he married Amelia Smith (1916–2005), a daughter of
Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. (July 19, 1876 – July 2, 1972) was an American religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1970 until his death in 1972. He was t ...
, who would later become LDS Church president.


Early years

McConkie was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to Oscar Walter McConkie and Margaret Vivian Redd. Before he was a year old, his family moved to
Monticello, Utah Monticello ( ) is a city located in San Juan County, Utah, United States and is the county seat. It is the second most populous city in San Juan County, with a population of 1,972 at the 2010 census. The Monticello area was settled in July 1887 ...
. In 1925, his family moved back to Ann Arbor, where his father continued studying law and in 1926 they moved to
Salt Lake City, Utah Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
. McConkie attended Bryant Junior High School and LDS High School, where he graduated at 15. He attended three years of college at the University of Utah before he served a church
mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
. McConkie followed his father's preaching style and doctrinal views but differed from his father politically, as McConkie was a
Republican Republican can refer to: Political ideology * An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law. ** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, and his father was a Democrat.


Eastern States Mission

On September 6, 1934, McConkie received a call to serve in the Eastern States
Mission Mission (from Latin ''missio'' "the act of sending out") may refer to: Organised activities Religion *Christian mission, an organized effort to spread Christianity *Mission (LDS Church), an administrative area of The Church of Jesus Christ of ...
, with Don B. Colton as his
mission president Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). A mission president presides over a geographic area known as a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission. Depending o ...
. His first assignment was in
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...
. From May 1 to July 24, 1935, he served in the Cumorah
District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...
in Palmyra, New York, as part of an intensive missionary campaign tied to the dedication of a monument to Moroni on the
Hill Cumorah Cumorah (; also known as Mormon Hill,A. P. Kesler"Mormon Hill" ''Young Woman's Journal'', 9:73 (February 1898)."Thomas Cook History, 1930", in Dan Vogel ed. (2000). ''Early Mormon Documents'', vol. 3 (Salt Lake City: Signature Books ) pp. 243– ...
. McConkie then served in the Seneca District and later presided over it. In 1936, McConkie participated in the first Hill Cumorah Pageant, which was attended by his future father-in-law, Joseph Fielding Smith. At the end of his second year of missionary service, McConkie "extended his mission for six weeks to travel, without a companion, from town to town throughout the mission, teaching investigators and missionaries," at the request of his mission president.


Education, marriage, and family

McConkie met Amelia Smith, daughter of Joseph Fielding Smith, before his mission while he was attending the University of Utah. He and Amelia graduated there in June 1937, he with a Bachelor of Arts degree and she with a bachelor's degree in
bacteriology Bacteriology is the branch and specialty of biology that studies the morphology, ecology, genetics and biochemistry of bacteria as well as many other aspects related to them. This subdivision of microbiology involves the identification, classificat ...
and
pathology Pathology is the study of the causes and effects of disease or injury. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in ...
. They were married in the
Salt Lake Temple The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth templ ...
by Amelia's father on October 13, 1937. Together, they had nine children: Bruce (1938-1938), Vivian (1940),
Joseph Joseph is a common male given name, derived from the Hebrew Yosef (יוֹסֵף). "Joseph" is used, along with "Josef", mostly in English, French and partially German languages. This spelling is also found as a variant in the languages of the mo ...
(1941-2013), Stanford (1944), Mary (1946-2021), Mark (1948-2018), Rebecca (1950), Stephen (1951), and Sara (1957). Their oldest child, Bruce, lived less than two months. McConkie graduated with a
bachelor of laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...
degree in 1939 and was third out of seventy-five on the Utah bar exam. His degree was automatically changed to juris doctor in June 1967. Following his graduation, McConkie worked as assistant city attorney in Salt Lake City.


Military service

McConkie enrolled in
Army An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
ROTC while at the University of Utah. With the advent of
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, he was called to active duty service on March 5, 1942. He served in military intelligence at
Fort Douglas Camp Douglas was established in October 1862, during the American Civil War, as a small military garrison about three miles east of Salt Lake City, Utah, to protect the overland mail route and telegraph lines along the Central Overland Route. I ...
for the duration of the war and received the
American Campaign Medal The American Campaign Medal is a military award of the United States Armed Forces which was first created on November 6, 1942, by issued by President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The medal was intended to recognize those military members who had perfo ...
and the
World War II Victory Medal The World War II Victory Medal is a service medal of the United States military which was established by an Act of Congress on 6 July 1945 (Public Law 135, 79th Congress) and promulgated by Section V, War Department Bulletin 12, 1945. The Wo ...
. He held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel at his discharge on February 26, 1946. He had been one of the youngest in Army Intelligence to hold that rank.


Call to the Seventy

McConkie worked for a time as a reporter for the '' Deseret News''. While covering the proceedings of
LDS general conference General Conference is a gathering of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), held biannually every April and October at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. During each conference, church members gather ...
on October 6, 1946, McConkie was interviewed by
apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
David O. McKay to fill a vacancy in the First Council of the Seventy created by the death of John H. Taylor. McConkie's name was presented for a sustaining vote by the membership of the church that same day, and on October 10, he was ordained and set apart by George Albert Smith. He served as a member of the First Council of the Seventy for 26 years. On June 11, 1961, McConkie was ordained a high priest by Henry D. Moyle of the church's
First Presidency Among many churches in the Latter Day Saint movement, the First Presidency (also known as the Quorum of the Presidency of the Church) is the highest presiding or governing body. Present-day denominations of the movement led by a First Presidency ...
. This was necessary because of a new policy requiring the First Seven Presidents of Seventy to assist the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in setting apart stake presidents, stake high councilors, and bishops.


''Mormon Doctrine''

In 1958, McConkie published a book, '' Mormon Doctrine: A Compendium of the Gospel'', which he described as "the first major attempt to digest, explain, and analyze all of the important doctrines of the kingdom" and "the first extensive compendium of the whole gospel—the first attempt to publish an encyclopedic commentary covering the whole field of revealed religion." He included a disclaimer that he alone was responsible for the doctrinal and scriptural interpretations, a practice then unusual.. In writing the book, McConkie relied heavily upon the church's standard works and recognized doctrinal authorities. Church leaders were surprised by its publication since he had not asked permission and was not asked to develop such a work, and they responded that while they applauded the attempt of the book to fill a need, it used a harsh tone. Apostle
Mark E. Petersen Mark Edward Petersen (November 7, 1900 – January 11, 1984) was an American news editor and religious leader who served as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1944 un ...
called it "full of errors and misstatements, and it is most unfortunate that it has received such wide circulation." Church president David O. McKay asked McConkie not to reprint it, but later, McConkie was asked to revise it with the editorial help of Spencer W. Kimball. The 1966 second edition incorporated many changes, such as a softening of the tone. While almost all of the '' Bible Dictionary'' included with the LDS Church's publication of the Bible in 1979 borrows from the
Cambridge University Press Cambridge University Press is the university press of the University of Cambridge. Granted letters patent by King Henry VIII in 1534, it is the oldest university press in the world. It is also the King's Printer. Cambridge University Pre ...
bible dictionary,
Lavina Fielding Anderson Lavina Fielding Anderson (born 13 April 1944 in Shelley, Idaho) is a Latter-day Saint scholar, writer, editor, and feminist. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington. Her editing credits include ''Sisters in Spirit: Mo ...

"Church Publishes First LDS Edition of the Bible"
''
Ensign An ensign is the national flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality. The ensign is the largest flag, generally flown at the stern (rear) of the ship while in port. The naval ensign (also known as war ensign), used on warships, may be diffe ...
'', October 1979, p. 9.
modifications were made to some entries to reflect Mormon beliefs better, and ''Mormon Doctrine'' heavily influenced those changes. ''Mormon Doctrine'' remained in print until 2010, when
Deseret Book Deseret Book () is an American publishing company headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, that also operates a chain of bookstores throughout the western United States. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Deseret Management Corporation (DMC), the ...
ceased publication, citing poor sales.


Mission to Australia

On February 9, 1961, McConkie was called to serve as
president President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...
of the Southern Australian Mission, which encompassed all of western and southern Australia. Their daughter, Vivian, was married and son, Joseph, was serving a mission in Scotland, so six of their children accompanied them to Australia. In October 1962, McConkie reported "an all-time high mark in mission converts and willingness of members to build new chapels.... There has been no difficulty getting six building missionaries to work on each chapel under the supervision of supervisors called from the states." Under McConkie, the mission decided upon a motto of "Seek the Spirit", and McConkie focused on teaching the missionaries humility and listening for the whisperings of the
Holy Ghost For the majority of Christian denominations, the Holy Spirit, or Holy Ghost, is believed to be the third person of the Trinity, a Triune God manifested as God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, each entity itself being God.Gru ...
. McConkie resumed his duties as a President of the Seventy after returning to Utah in 1964.


Memorial Estates Security Corporation

In August 1960 McConkie, along with several other businessmen (including J. Thomas Fyans), formed the Memorial Estates Security Corporation (MESC), with a stated purpose of constructing memorial parks for deceased "loved ones". McConkie became its Vice President. By September 1964, the company was failing, and in November, MESC filed for bankruptcy. McConkie, along with fourteen other MESC officials were sued by 270 stockholders and bondholders of the company, accusing the company of prominently displaying LDS Church affiliation to imply endorsement in initial sales pitches. The suit also accused the company of failing to register as an investment company with the
U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) is an independent agency of the United States federal government, created in the aftermath of the Wall Street Crash of 1929. The primary purpose of the SEC is to enforce the law against market ...
as required by law. In a questionnaire sent to all investors, it was found that two thirds of all investors were elderly (ages 60-75), who had invested fifteen times as much as persons thirty years and under and four times as much as those in middle age. When asked why they contributed to the company, close to half mentioned trust in McConkie or other LDS Church leaders specifically. Further investigation showed that the company had failed to pay dividends long before its collapse, and failed to inform investors of its insolvency. The case was settled out of court on April 25, 1969, three days before going before a jury trial.Shupe, A. D. (1991). "The darker side of virtue: Corruption, scandal, and the Mormon empire." Buffalo, NY: Prometheus Books. pp. 57-61


Call to the Twelve

Joseph Fielding Smith, McConkie's father-in-law, who had been serving as church president, died on July 2, 1972. The First Presidency was subsequently reorganized with Harold B. Lee as president, leaving a vacancy in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In October 1972, McConkie was invited to Lee's office "where President Lee put his arms around him by way of greeting and said, 'The Lord and the Brethren have just called you to fill the vacancy in the Council of the Twelve.' Bruce responded, 'I know. This is no surprise to me. I have known it for some time.'" McConkie served in the capacity of an
apostle An apostle (), in its literal sense, is an emissary, from Ancient Greek ἀπόστολος (''apóstolos''), literally "one who is sent off", from the verb ἀποστέλλειν (''apostéllein''), "to send off". The purpose of such sending ...
until he died of cancer at 69.


Poetry

McConkie wrote several poems, a few of which he read in various general conference addresses. He wrote the poem "I Believe in Christ," which he delivered in a 1972 general conference address, "The Testimony of Jesus." It was later set to music and was published in the LDS Hymnal as hymn number 134. McConkie also wrote the fourth verse to "Come, Listen to a Prophet's Voice" which is hymn #21 in the church's 1985 hymnal.


Final testimony

McConkie gave many general conference addresses. His last conference address was in April 1985: "The Purifying Power of Gethsemane." McConkie died at Salt Lake City less than two weeks later. He was buried at
Salt Lake City Cemetery The Salt Lake City Cemetery is a cemetery in northeastern Salt Lake City, Utah, United States, that is one of the largest city-operated cemeteries in the United States. Description The cemetery is located above 4th Avenue and east of N Street in ...
.


Critique

McConkie's works in general are characterized by their authoritative tone. McConkie once wrote to a Mormon scholar in 1980, "It is my province to teach to the Church what the doctrine is. It is your province to echo what I say or to remain silent." In his bestselling ''Doctrinal New Testament Commentaries'' and ''Messiah'' series, the sources most frequently cited as authority are other works authored by himself. He explained, "I would never quote another man unless I could first square what he said with the scriptures and unless he said what was involved better than I could." McConkie comments about Jews in his book ''The Millennial Messiah'': "Let this fact be engraved in the eternal records with a pen of steel: the Jews were cursed, and smitten, and cursed anew, because they rejected the gospel, cast out their Messiah, and crucified their King."McConkie, Bruce R. (1982), ''The Millennial Messiah'', Deseret Book, , pp. 224–25. McConkie states that the Jews' rejection of Jesus is the cause of historical persecution of the Jews: "Let the spiritually illiterate suppose what they may, it was the Jewish denial and rejection of the Holy One of Israel, whom their fathers worshiped in the beauty of holiness, that has made them a hiss and a byword in all nations and that has taken millions of their fair sons and daughters to untimely graves." One of the most controversial topics that McConkie defended in his writings was the church's policy of denying the priesthood to men of African descent until 1978. This policy was known informally as the "Negro doctrine." His basis for this defense was that in his view, those of black African descent had been less valiant in the premortal life, which the LDS Church teaches was a precursor to life on earth. In 1958, McConkie wrote:
In the pre-existent eternity various degrees of valiance and devotion to the truth were exhibited by different groups of our Father's spirit offspring. One-third of the spirit hosts of heaven came out in open rebellion and were cast out without bodies, becoming the devil and his angels. The other two-thirds stood affirmatively for Christ: there were no neutrals. To stand neutral in the midst of war is a philosophical impossibility. Of the two-thirds who followed Christ, however, some were more valiant than others. Those who were less valiant in pre-existence and who thereby had certain spiritual restrictions imposed upon them during mortality are known to us as the negroes. Negroes in this life are denied the priesthood; under no circumstances can they hold this delegation of authority from the Almighty. The present status of the negro rests purely and simply on the foundation of pre-existence. Along with all races and peoples he is receiving here what he merits as a result of the long pre-mortal probation in the presence of the Lord. The principle is the same as will apply when all men are judged according to their mortal works and are awarded varying statuses in the life hereafter.
McConkie extended the analysis to conclude that God had established a caste system that proscribed intermarriage of other races with the "negro race," which McConkie believed to be descended from Cain, the murderer of Abel: "In a broad general sense, caste systems have their root and origin in the gospel itself, and when they operate according to the divine decree, the resultant restrictions and segregation are right and proper and have the approval of the Lord. To illustrate: Cain, Ham, and the whole negro race have been cursed with a black skin, the mark of Cain, so they can be identified as a caste apart, a people with whom the other descendants of Adam should not intermarry.” On June 1, 1978, McConkie was present in the
Salt Lake Temple The Salt Lake Temple is a temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. At , it is the largest Latter-day Saint temple by floor area. Dedicated in 1893, it is the sixth templ ...
when a
revelation In religion and theology, revelation is the revealing or disclosing of some form of truth or knowledge through communication with a deity or other supernatural entity or entities. Background Inspiration – such as that bestowed by God on the ...
was received by the First Presidency and the Twelve "that the time had now come to extend the gospel and all its blessings and all its obligations, including the priesthood and the blessings of the house of the Lord, to those of every nation, culture and race, including the black race." This revelation was announced on June 8, 1978. McConkie's earlier statements on the topic, like those of other church leaders, implied or stated that the priesthood restriction would never be lifted. McConkie addressed that by stating that his earlier statements should not be relied upon and that those who asked about them needed to "forget" what he had said:
There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren that we have interpreted to mean that the Negroes would not receive the priesthood in mortality. I have said the same things, and people write me letters and say, "You said such and such, and how is it now that we do such and such?" All I can say is that it is time disbelieving people repented and got in line and believed in a living, modern prophet. Forget everything that I have said, or what President Brigham Young or George Q. Cannon or whoever has said in days past that is contrary to the present revelation. We spoke with a limited understanding and without the light and knowledge that now has come into the world.
It doesn't make a particle of difference what anybody ever said about the Negro matter before the first day of June 1978. It is a new day and a new arrangement, and the Lord has now given the revelation that sheds light out into the world on this subject. As to any slivers of light or any particles of darkness of the past, we forget about them. We now do what meridian Israel did when the Lord said the gospel should go to the Gentiles. We forget all the statements that limited the gospel to the house of Israel, and we start going to the Gentiles.


Published works

*''Doctrines of Salvation'', by
Joseph Fielding Smith Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. (July 19, 1876 – July 2, 1972) was an American religious leader and writer who served as the tenth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1970 until his death in 1972. He was t ...
, compiled by Bruce R McConkie: ''Volume 1'', 1954; ''Volume 2'', 1955; ''Volume 3'', 1956. *''Mormon Doctrine, A Compendium of the Gospel'', 1958. *''Mormon Doctrine'', Second Edition, 1966. *''Doctrinal New Testament Commentary: Volume 1, The Gospels'', 1965. ''Volume 2, Acts–Philippians'', 1970. ''Volume 3, Colossians–Revelation'', 1972. *'' The Messiah Series'', six-volume set that includes the following three ''Messiah'' titles **''The Promised Messiah'', 1978. **''The Mortal Messiah'', four volumes, 1979–81. **''The Millennial Messiah'', 1982. *''A New Witness for the Articles of Faith'', 1985 *McConkie also wrote numerous articles for the ''
Church News The ''Church News'' (or ''LDS Church News'') is a weekly tabloid-sized supplement to the ''Deseret News'' and the ''MormonTimes'', a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is t ...
'' and church magazines, handbooks, pamphlets, and manuals. In 1981, he re-wrote the chapter headings for the LDS Church's publication of the Book of Mormon. Peggy Fletcher Stack
"Church removes racial references in Book of Mormon headings"
''
Salt Lake Tribune ''The Salt Lake Tribune'' is a newspaper published in the city of Salt Lake City, Utah. The ''Tribune'' is owned by The Salt Lake Tribune, Inc., a non-profit corporation. The newspaper's motto is "Utah's Independent Voice Since 1871." History A ...
'' 2010-12-16.
He also wrote the chapter headings for the rest of the church-published
standard works The standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church, the largest in the Latter Day Saint movement) are the four books that currently constitute its open scriptural canon. The four books of the standard works are: * ...
and contributed to the '' Bible Dictionary''.


See also

* George W. Pace


Notes


References

* * * * * * *


External links


The Seven Deadly Heresies
(This fireside address was given at Brigham Young University on 1 June 1980)
MP3

"The Bible, a Sealed Book"
by Bruce R. McConkie - BYU, 1984 {{DEFAULTSORT:McConkie, Bruce R. 1915 births 1985 deaths 20th-century Mormon missionaries Deaths from cancer in Utah American general authorities (LDS Church) American Latter Day Saint hymnwriters American Latter Day Saint writers American lyricists American Mormon missionaries in Australia American Mormon missionaries in the United States Apostles (LDS Church) Burials at Salt Lake City Cemetery McConkie family Mission presidents (LDS Church) People from Ann Arbor, Michigan Lawyers from Salt Lake City Presidents of the Seventy (LDS Church) Smith family (Latter Day Saints) University of Utah alumni Utah lawyers Utah Republicans 20th-century American lawyers 20th-century American writers Military personnel from Salt Lake City Latter Day Saints from Utah Latter Day Saints from Michigan People from Monticello, Utah Critics of the Catholic Church American military personnel of World War II