The Bruce R. McConkie Fan Page
Bruce R. McConkie, a Seventy and later Apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, gets a bad rap from critics and members alike. In his writings and talks he sometimes comes across as arrogant or even downright rude. Like his father-in-law, Joseph Fielding Smith, he wrote and spoke with an authoritative tone even when he stating his own opinions, e.g. in his denunciations of organic evolution. His book Mormon Doctrine had such an authoritative tone even though its first edition, written of his own volition while still a Seventy, had over a thousand errors and was pulled from publication by the church hierarchy. He infamously rebuked faithful scholar Eugene England in a letter, writing "that 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... If I lead the Church astray, that is my responsibility, but the fact still remains that I am the one appointed with all the rest involved so to do."
I think it's obvious that he wasn't really a people person and that he made some significant errors in judgment, and for these reasons I haven't liked him very much either. However, we often hold a double standard for people in the spotlight whose flaws may not be more serious than ours but are more on display and have wider repercussions. I decided it was only fair to compile what I could find about the other side of his personality and present a more balanced picture. I've since left the church and now have no need to convince myself that he was a true representative of Jesus Christ, but I still need the reminder that (most) people are three-dimensional.
I think it's obvious that he wasn't really a people person and that he made some significant errors in judgment, and for these reasons I haven't liked him very much either. However, we often hold a double standard for people in the spotlight whose flaws may not be more serious than ours but are more on display and have wider repercussions. I decided it was only fair to compile what I could find about the other side of his personality and present a more balanced picture. I've since left the church and now have no need to convince myself that he was a true representative of Jesus Christ, but I still need the reminder that (most) people are three-dimensional.
Much of his legacy was behind the scenes and is often overlooked. Along with Elders Thomas S. Monson and Boyd K. Packer, he oversaw the committee responsible for producing the 1981 edition of the LDS standard works, personally writing the chapter headings that (apart from a few revisions) we still use today. Many entries in the Bible Dictionary were taken verbatim from Mormon Doctrine which, despite its errors and controversy, was in many regards still a valuable reference work just as he intended. And he wrote the poem "I Believe in Christ", which of course was later put to music and became one of the most beloved LDS hymns.
In His Own Words
McConkie was always willing to accept correction from the First Presidency when he overstepped his bounds or when events proved him wrong. And though he was usually serious and somber in public, sometimes he let his other side show through. He said in a 1976 interview, "I have a keen sense of humor, actually, but it doesn’t project over the pulpit and it’s not generally known. For instance, one of the Brethren who came into the Twelve said, 'The greatest shock of my life was to find out what Elder Bruce R. McConkie is really like.'"
After the revelation extending the priesthood and temple blessings to black members in 1978, McConkie said in a speech: "There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren which 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?' And all I can say to that 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 President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever 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. We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don't matter any more."
In his Seven Deadly Heresies speech at BYU in 1980, he denounced evolution in no uncertain terms; but in the printed version that came out later, he had softened his approach considerably: "Heresy two concerns itself with the relationship between organic evolution and revealed religion and asks the question whether they can be harmonized. There are those who believe that the theory of organic evolution runs counter to the plain and explicit principles set forth in the holy scriptures as these have been interpreted and taught by Joseph Smith and his associates. There are others who think that evolution is the system used by the Lord to form plant and animal life and to place man on earth. May I say that all truth is in agreement, that true religion and true science bear the same witness, and that in the true and full sense, true science is part of true religion. But may I also raise some questions of a serious nature... These are questions to which all of us should find answers. Every person must choose for himself what he will believe. I recommend that all of you study and ponder and pray and seek light and knowledge in these and in all fields."
In his letter to Eugene England, he revealed some insight into why his writing sometimes comes across as arrogant and rude: "The foregoing quotation is from the published version of the [Seven Deadly Heresies] talk. As it was actually given it included the following paragraph: 'Will [a progressing God] one day learn something that will destroy the plan of salvation and turn man and the universe into an uncreated nothingness? Will he discover a better plan of salvation than the one he has already given to men in worlds without number? I have been sorely tempted to say at this point that any who so suppose have the intellect of an ant and the understanding of a clod of miry clay in a primordial swamp - but of course I would never say a thing like that.' I deliberately deleted the last quoted sentence because it does not come out in print the way it was expressed by voice. It was said in such a tone as to draw laughter from the congregation and is of course, a normal use of hyperbole."
In a devotional in 1966, McConkie showed a great deal of self-deprecating humor. Sadly, it was removed from the condensed printed version in the New Era a few years later (and again in 2007). The full unedited transcript is here. He said to the audience, "I am very happy to respond to this invitation - I think. Outside the back door of the chapel is a large poster on which is this question, 'Are the General Authorities Human?' and underneath it the words, 'Bruce R. McConkie,' which I assume means that he has been singled out as the horrible example. So, anything that I might say on this subject which could in any way be interpreted as being less than superlative of necessity has to apply to the indicated 'example' and anything that is the reverse to the rest of the Brethren.... Well, let me talk a little about this subject, 'Are the General Authorities Human,' and do it somewhat informally. They told me they would like to record this, and I said that was all right, provided nobody ever heard of it at 47 East South Temple, because I enjoyed my membership in the Church....
"Well, I would like to read you a couple of quotations. I know these are good quotations because I wrote them myself. The first one is under the heading 'General Authorities' in a book entitled, Mormon Doctrine, which is reputed to have said more than it ought to have said on some subjects and this may be one of them... Thus the opinions and views, even of a prophet, may contain error, unless those opinions and views were inspired by the Spirit.... Paul was one of the greatest theologian-prophets of all the ages, but he had some opinions that weren't in complete accord with the Lord's feelings and he wrote some of them down in his epistles, but being wise and discreet he labeled them as such. He said, 'This is what I think'; when he got through telling that he said, 'Now this is what the Lord thinks.' Paul's views, his private opinions, were not very good sometimes."
He once said, "Life surely isn't eternally a long-faced thing. I get a great deal of enjoyment out of life and associating with people. There's been a good many instances where some elaborate and extensive practical jokes have been pulled on me by Dilworth Young [of the Seventy] or someone else, that add a savor and an interest to what's going on."
After the revelation extending the priesthood and temple blessings to black members in 1978, McConkie said in a speech: "There are statements in our literature by the early Brethren which 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?' And all I can say to that 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 President George Q. Cannon or whomsoever 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. We get our truth and our light line upon line and precept upon precept. We have now had added a new flood of intelligence and light on this particular subject, and it erases all the darkness and all the views and all the thoughts of the past. They don't matter any more."
In his Seven Deadly Heresies speech at BYU in 1980, he denounced evolution in no uncertain terms; but in the printed version that came out later, he had softened his approach considerably: "Heresy two concerns itself with the relationship between organic evolution and revealed religion and asks the question whether they can be harmonized. There are those who believe that the theory of organic evolution runs counter to the plain and explicit principles set forth in the holy scriptures as these have been interpreted and taught by Joseph Smith and his associates. There are others who think that evolution is the system used by the Lord to form plant and animal life and to place man on earth. May I say that all truth is in agreement, that true religion and true science bear the same witness, and that in the true and full sense, true science is part of true religion. But may I also raise some questions of a serious nature... These are questions to which all of us should find answers. Every person must choose for himself what he will believe. I recommend that all of you study and ponder and pray and seek light and knowledge in these and in all fields."
In his letter to Eugene England, he revealed some insight into why his writing sometimes comes across as arrogant and rude: "The foregoing quotation is from the published version of the [Seven Deadly Heresies] talk. As it was actually given it included the following paragraph: 'Will [a progressing God] one day learn something that will destroy the plan of salvation and turn man and the universe into an uncreated nothingness? Will he discover a better plan of salvation than the one he has already given to men in worlds without number? I have been sorely tempted to say at this point that any who so suppose have the intellect of an ant and the understanding of a clod of miry clay in a primordial swamp - but of course I would never say a thing like that.' I deliberately deleted the last quoted sentence because it does not come out in print the way it was expressed by voice. It was said in such a tone as to draw laughter from the congregation and is of course, a normal use of hyperbole."
In a devotional in 1966, McConkie showed a great deal of self-deprecating humor. Sadly, it was removed from the condensed printed version in the New Era a few years later (and again in 2007). The full unedited transcript is here. He said to the audience, "I am very happy to respond to this invitation - I think. Outside the back door of the chapel is a large poster on which is this question, 'Are the General Authorities Human?' and underneath it the words, 'Bruce R. McConkie,' which I assume means that he has been singled out as the horrible example. So, anything that I might say on this subject which could in any way be interpreted as being less than superlative of necessity has to apply to the indicated 'example' and anything that is the reverse to the rest of the Brethren.... Well, let me talk a little about this subject, 'Are the General Authorities Human,' and do it somewhat informally. They told me they would like to record this, and I said that was all right, provided nobody ever heard of it at 47 East South Temple, because I enjoyed my membership in the Church....
"Well, I would like to read you a couple of quotations. I know these are good quotations because I wrote them myself. The first one is under the heading 'General Authorities' in a book entitled, Mormon Doctrine, which is reputed to have said more than it ought to have said on some subjects and this may be one of them... Thus the opinions and views, even of a prophet, may contain error, unless those opinions and views were inspired by the Spirit.... Paul was one of the greatest theologian-prophets of all the ages, but he had some opinions that weren't in complete accord with the Lord's feelings and he wrote some of them down in his epistles, but being wise and discreet he labeled them as such. He said, 'This is what I think'; when he got through telling that he said, 'Now this is what the Lord thinks.' Paul's views, his private opinions, were not very good sometimes."
He once said, "Life surely isn't eternally a long-faced thing. I get a great deal of enjoyment out of life and associating with people. There's been a good many instances where some elaborate and extensive practical jokes have been pulled on me by Dilworth Young [of the Seventy] or someone else, that add a savor and an interest to what's going on."
In the Words of Others
Others who have known or encountered Bruce R. McConkie outside the public square have seen more of his personality than the average member. (Because many of these are excerpts or comments from various blogs, real names or full names are not always available.)
Rebecca England, daughter of Eugene England: "When questioned by his family, colleagues, and students about his thoughts and feelings surrounding Elder McConkie, England was consistently and remarkably sympathetic and respectful of the apostle. His children have no recollections of their father expressing bitterness toward Elder McConkie, or any other apostle. Immediately following the broadcast of the April 1985 General Conference in which Elder McConkie gave what turned out to be his final talk before his death thirteen days later, England commented on how moving he found Elder McConkie’s personal testimony of the Savior."
Rubicon: "I sat in the hot tub at Canyon Road Towers with McConkie. My dad owned a couple condos at the Canyon Road Towers. McConkie lived there and one evening I was sitting in the hot tub and he came in the pool area, Swam a little and kicked back in the hot tub. I had a good conversation with him but nothing church related. I knew who he was but he was so laid back that night I didn't want to spoil it by bringing up the church."
M*Ben: "Of course, it's important to be careful, when you've only got 15 minutes to address several million people who will parse your language for every nuance of meaning. Most of the humorous moments I've had with apostles have come in smaller settings, such as BYU devotionals, or small groups on missions... My parents, by nature of serving in a Bishopric with his son-in-law, happened to know Elder Maxwell fairly well. He once told them regarding Elder McConkie (paraphrasing) 'It's a pity he was always so serious in public. He had the greatest sense of humor, and no one in the Church knows it.'"
Jared: "When I was a kid, Elder McConkie came to our stake conference. My Dad was suprised at how warm Elder McConkie was with the congregation. He stood at the door to the chapel and shook everyone’s hand beforehand, and was otherwise friendly. Dad expected the public image version. I've heard a story of Elder McConkie hiding under another GA's desk. When the GA came into his office, Elder McConkie tried to pop out, but his size made that difficult so instead the whole desk started to rise and move around. I don't know it it's true, but I have no reason to think otherwise."
New Era staff members: Back in the days when David O. McKay was president of the Church, it was Bruce R. McConkie’s habit to dash down the stairs of the G. A. building (South Temple Street) and, when he came to the last several stairs, to leap to the landing below, often by hoisting himself over the banister with his hands. One particular day, Bruce R. McConkie came running down the steps and dove over the banister, landing directly in front of President McKay, who was being wheeled down the hall. The two looked at each other in amazement for several seconds.
'Oh, it’s just you, Bruce,' President McKay said at last. 'For a minute there, I thought I was having a vision.'"
Thomas: "In 1981 my Dad was called to be a mission president. Elder McConkie came to our stake conference to release my Dad and to call a new person to be stake president. He stayed in our house. What an great and wonderful experience. I will share a few stories with you about that time. First, my parents didn't know where they were going on their mission. My Mom wanted to know where she was going, so she asked Elder McConkie if he knew where we were going. Without skipping a beat he said, 'Sister, you're going to TONGA! Not only do you have to learn one language, but three!' We all laughed.
"Second, I believe it was Saturday night and we were sharing supper with him. He had a bowl of bread and milk. During that supper, we talked to him and asked him questions. My Dad wanted me to ask him about his controversial statement in his first edition of Mormon Doctrine that the blacks would never receive the Priesthood. I declined my Dad's challenge. I think we had a neighbor come and invite himself. He brought the question up. Elder McConkie responded, 'I was wrong.' End of the story. Third experience. My Mom was cooking breakfast. I think she cooked up scrambled eggs. Someone said, 'Hey, I don't want that many eggs,' so they switched their plate with someone else. Another person said, 'I don't want that many eggs either,' and they switched their plate. Elder McConkie said, 'I don't want that many eggs either,' and he swapped plates too. We all laughed.
"My limited but personal experience with him showed that he was a humble man of God. I will never forget these experiences that I had rubbing shoulders with such a great man."
Douglas: "Elder McConkie holds a special regard not only due to his uniquely self-assured style, but there he was a big man with a bigger heart. When I'd been a member about six months or so I had the temerity to write him a letter about something in Church history. Naturally I'd pick the one GA who'd have the temerity to answer back, calling it as he saw it! He set me straight on where my focus should be as a new member of the Church, particularly one preparing to serve a mission, and even included a few pointers. He told me that his reply was in fact an exception, that he rarely could answer letters even though he would have like to (this in the pre-blogosphere days, of course!). He did ask me to notify him when I got my mission call. So, months later when ready to go to the great Missione D'Italia di Roma, I did send a photocopy of both my original letter and my mission call letter. I also included a note that my parents were pissed at my leaving school (was studying Engineering at Fresno State) and wouldn't talk to me.
"Once there at the MTC, who should appear to talk but Elder McConkie himself, and right before the program begins, I get a message that Pres. Christensen (who was MTC Prez at the time) wanted to see me right after the program. When I get to the MP's office, there’s Joe J AND Elder McConkie... how my garments weren't soiled at the moment, I don't know. McConkie greeted me warmly and asked if I wrote my folks every week. I told him that I did, but they wouldn't acknowledge my letters. The man gave me a big bear hug and told me that as far as he was concerned, Heavenly Father was happy with me and he predicted that my 'earthly' Dad would someday be proud that I'd served an honorable mission.
"So please remember before you carp and criticize some GA's work, that he's a dude with feelings, opinions, and passions just like you, and most will confess that they still don't feel that they've got it all together. And do also remember that most have left something either lucrative or personally rewarding to sign up for a long-term hitch (it used to be lifetime, but now many get just a five-year hitch). When you've sacrificed similarly, then feel entitled to criticize."
Preston McConkie, on a website sharing negative stories: "This was a very interesting section to read, which I was directed to by invitation from the moderator of the web site, after I made a comment in an unrelated section. I was particularly happy to read the copy of the letter to Eugene England. The opening story about Elder McConkie (whom I never met; he died when I was 16 and I'm a comparatively distant relative) was also an interesting read. I had no difficulty believing that things happened roughly the way the anonymous author described. I can certainly envision Elder McConkie throwing a missionary out of the temple for bringing up a contentious question. Certainly the author of the question was not looking for enlightenment, he was being disruptive, and that obviously has no place in the temple (at least, not to anyone who takes the temple seriously as a place to commune with God).
"Naturally, since it's clear the author doesn't have a testimony of the restoration now - and that his testimony was, at best, weak at the time the event he describes occurred - he would look at serious questions by others who had made a point of studying Elder McConkie's writings, as fawning and shallow. From the perspective of an unbeliever, anything but a disruptive question is not a substantive question. Doubtless, too, there really were fawning questions, and people hoping to curry favor. But that doesn't mean their questions weren't worth answering. If an apostle is asked to elaborate, he can elaborate to the enlightenment of all. Now, if I had been there, I for one would have been plenty pleased to have anyone raising disruptive questions shut down. Elder McConkie obviously recognized the anti-Mormon source of the question; that thing about the similarity between Hamlet and a passage in 2 Nephi is one of the more mundane but perennial chestnuts trotted out by anti-Mormons.
"And naturally, our anonymous author exaggerates the similarity between Shakespeare and Nephi. 17 of 19 words the same? Not at all. The pertinent part of Hamlet reads,
'To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?'
"Then we have 2 Nephi 1:14: 'Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.' In short, the parts that bear a resemblance are simply, 'no traveller returns' and 'no traveler can return.'
"Anyone who shows up at a temple meeting with references to exact lines in the BoM and Shakespeare is obviously someone who's come prepared to bash, particularly if they only get one shot and somehow think that's the most important insight they could have into the Book of Mormon. The anonymous author posits some ideas about what could account for the similarity, though it's so small that it doesn't need to be accounted for at all. 'No traveller returns' vs. 'no traveler can return.' Wow. It's just not possible that two people in the history of Earth could ever use the word 'traveler' to refer to someone journeying through mortality, or point out that there is no return to mortality from the grave. Anyone who thinks this is a mystery worth breaking our heads over is, in my opinion, not particularly well-read, or is certainly straining to manufacture 'issues.' When it's dead-on obvious that Joseph Smith borrowed liberally from the phrases he was familiar with to express the thoughts he was translating, I don't even know what kind of issue that's supposed to be.
"Anyway, the idea is that Elder McConkie should have treated the question seriously. But another apostle, Paul, advised in Rom. 14:1: 'Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.' In short, shutting down the 'doubtful disputations' was precisely what an apostle should have done in that situation. And as for the colorful bits thrown in by the first and one later author, about Elder McConkie supposedly shouting and in another case even going red in the face, I've lived long enough to know that in retelling personal experiences, people almost always describe the event in words designed to make the reader or listener feel what they felt. And when the mundane facts don't carry the proper impact, they instinctively exaggerate, in order to carry what they feel was the honest impact of the event. And there is no doubt, Elder McConkie could rebuke powerfully! But the idea of him losing his temper, in the sense of getting red in the face and hollering, is simply beyond my ability to imagine.
"To whomever was on the receiving end, I'm sure his booming voice and his words of reproof felt like lashes, and sounded as loud as cannons. For someone who isn't humble and can't bear rebuke, I'm sure such an experience would rankle terribly. Interestingly, Elder McConkie set a grand example for the rest of us, in how to accept rebuke. When he was told not to republish Mormon Doctrine, he submitted. When he was asked to republish it but to take out the Catholic-bashing parts and other PR embarrassments, he submitted. And when the voice of the Lord pronounced that blacks were eligible for the priesthood, he did indeed stand up immediately afterward and tell people to disregard whatever he had said on the subject in the past. He held himself to the same standard that he held others to. If people didn't like being held to that standard, they at least should have the grace to recognize that it worked both ways with him."
Gerry Avant: "Entering its sesquicentennial year in 1980, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced a physical fitness awards program that encouraged members to engage in physical activities. I knew Elder McConkie walked to his office from his home in the foothills above Utah’s Capitol and walked the return trip home several days each week, and that he enjoyed running. I figured if we could show a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles engaged in some physical activity, that might encourage the general membership of the Church to find time for exercise. Elder McConkie agreed to be photographed for my report. He wore a T-shirt that one of his sons gave him. Lettering on the back of the shirt read, 'Lengthening my stride,' an adaptation of President Spencer W. Kimball’s admonition, 'Lengthen your stride.' Elder McConkie put the shirt on backwards so that the motto would be seen in the photo.
"John Hart, one of my Church News colleagues, was the photographer. We met up with Elder McConkie outside his home. John suggested Elder McConkie run in a wide circle so he could a get variety of shots. Elder McConkie happily complied and kept up a conversation as he ran the laps. I remember a particularly humorous quip that he took several laps to complete: 'When you go home tonight - you can write in your journal - that you had a member of the Twelve - running around in circles today.'"
Anonymous: "Fortunately for us and several other families, we lived as neighbors to Bruce and Amelia McConkie. Our children grew up together, played together, and enjoyed each others’ company for many years. At the same time the parents formed a close association and many parties, activities, and vacations were planned among us. One time, more than 110 of us went to Colter Bay near Yellowstone. We also went several other places on our annual vacations. It was a great privilege to be with the McConkies. Bruce was a fun-loving, happy, easygoing individual. He longed to have a change of pace and it was wonderful to have him show up on a summer evening saying, 'Let's do something.'
"Amelia was a great cook and, like Bruce, loved to 'do something.' Bruce had an unusual idea of banging on neighbors' doors at 5:00 a.m. and saying, 'Let's go to Finn and Sara's for breakfast. Of course Finn and Sara Paulson didn't know we were coming, but when eight or ten people woke them up before six and said, 'We're here for breakfast,' it started a great day. Bruce loved to have fun and this was just one of his fun ideas. He made himself at home when he was at his neighbors... During those years there were ten families who got together regularly. On December 26, 1970, we had a neighborhood dinner and party at the McConkie house. After a lovely meal, Bruce showed pictures and we talked. On that occasion he wrote a special poem which I have had printed in calligraphy and framed for all of our children and for me. This poem was written spontaneously...
"If only the people of the Church could have seen the other side of Bruce McConkie they would have realized what a balanced, magnificent individual he became in his journey through life."
Rebecca England, daughter of Eugene England: "When questioned by his family, colleagues, and students about his thoughts and feelings surrounding Elder McConkie, England was consistently and remarkably sympathetic and respectful of the apostle. His children have no recollections of their father expressing bitterness toward Elder McConkie, or any other apostle. Immediately following the broadcast of the April 1985 General Conference in which Elder McConkie gave what turned out to be his final talk before his death thirteen days later, England commented on how moving he found Elder McConkie’s personal testimony of the Savior."
Rubicon: "I sat in the hot tub at Canyon Road Towers with McConkie. My dad owned a couple condos at the Canyon Road Towers. McConkie lived there and one evening I was sitting in the hot tub and he came in the pool area, Swam a little and kicked back in the hot tub. I had a good conversation with him but nothing church related. I knew who he was but he was so laid back that night I didn't want to spoil it by bringing up the church."
M*Ben: "Of course, it's important to be careful, when you've only got 15 minutes to address several million people who will parse your language for every nuance of meaning. Most of the humorous moments I've had with apostles have come in smaller settings, such as BYU devotionals, or small groups on missions... My parents, by nature of serving in a Bishopric with his son-in-law, happened to know Elder Maxwell fairly well. He once told them regarding Elder McConkie (paraphrasing) 'It's a pity he was always so serious in public. He had the greatest sense of humor, and no one in the Church knows it.'"
Jared: "When I was a kid, Elder McConkie came to our stake conference. My Dad was suprised at how warm Elder McConkie was with the congregation. He stood at the door to the chapel and shook everyone’s hand beforehand, and was otherwise friendly. Dad expected the public image version. I've heard a story of Elder McConkie hiding under another GA's desk. When the GA came into his office, Elder McConkie tried to pop out, but his size made that difficult so instead the whole desk started to rise and move around. I don't know it it's true, but I have no reason to think otherwise."
New Era staff members: Back in the days when David O. McKay was president of the Church, it was Bruce R. McConkie’s habit to dash down the stairs of the G. A. building (South Temple Street) and, when he came to the last several stairs, to leap to the landing below, often by hoisting himself over the banister with his hands. One particular day, Bruce R. McConkie came running down the steps and dove over the banister, landing directly in front of President McKay, who was being wheeled down the hall. The two looked at each other in amazement for several seconds.
'Oh, it’s just you, Bruce,' President McKay said at last. 'For a minute there, I thought I was having a vision.'"
Thomas: "In 1981 my Dad was called to be a mission president. Elder McConkie came to our stake conference to release my Dad and to call a new person to be stake president. He stayed in our house. What an great and wonderful experience. I will share a few stories with you about that time. First, my parents didn't know where they were going on their mission. My Mom wanted to know where she was going, so she asked Elder McConkie if he knew where we were going. Without skipping a beat he said, 'Sister, you're going to TONGA! Not only do you have to learn one language, but three!' We all laughed.
"Second, I believe it was Saturday night and we were sharing supper with him. He had a bowl of bread and milk. During that supper, we talked to him and asked him questions. My Dad wanted me to ask him about his controversial statement in his first edition of Mormon Doctrine that the blacks would never receive the Priesthood. I declined my Dad's challenge. I think we had a neighbor come and invite himself. He brought the question up. Elder McConkie responded, 'I was wrong.' End of the story. Third experience. My Mom was cooking breakfast. I think she cooked up scrambled eggs. Someone said, 'Hey, I don't want that many eggs,' so they switched their plate with someone else. Another person said, 'I don't want that many eggs either,' and they switched their plate. Elder McConkie said, 'I don't want that many eggs either,' and he swapped plates too. We all laughed.
"My limited but personal experience with him showed that he was a humble man of God. I will never forget these experiences that I had rubbing shoulders with such a great man."
Douglas: "Elder McConkie holds a special regard not only due to his uniquely self-assured style, but there he was a big man with a bigger heart. When I'd been a member about six months or so I had the temerity to write him a letter about something in Church history. Naturally I'd pick the one GA who'd have the temerity to answer back, calling it as he saw it! He set me straight on where my focus should be as a new member of the Church, particularly one preparing to serve a mission, and even included a few pointers. He told me that his reply was in fact an exception, that he rarely could answer letters even though he would have like to (this in the pre-blogosphere days, of course!). He did ask me to notify him when I got my mission call. So, months later when ready to go to the great Missione D'Italia di Roma, I did send a photocopy of both my original letter and my mission call letter. I also included a note that my parents were pissed at my leaving school (was studying Engineering at Fresno State) and wouldn't talk to me.
"Once there at the MTC, who should appear to talk but Elder McConkie himself, and right before the program begins, I get a message that Pres. Christensen (who was MTC Prez at the time) wanted to see me right after the program. When I get to the MP's office, there’s Joe J AND Elder McConkie... how my garments weren't soiled at the moment, I don't know. McConkie greeted me warmly and asked if I wrote my folks every week. I told him that I did, but they wouldn't acknowledge my letters. The man gave me a big bear hug and told me that as far as he was concerned, Heavenly Father was happy with me and he predicted that my 'earthly' Dad would someday be proud that I'd served an honorable mission.
"So please remember before you carp and criticize some GA's work, that he's a dude with feelings, opinions, and passions just like you, and most will confess that they still don't feel that they've got it all together. And do also remember that most have left something either lucrative or personally rewarding to sign up for a long-term hitch (it used to be lifetime, but now many get just a five-year hitch). When you've sacrificed similarly, then feel entitled to criticize."
Preston McConkie, on a website sharing negative stories: "This was a very interesting section to read, which I was directed to by invitation from the moderator of the web site, after I made a comment in an unrelated section. I was particularly happy to read the copy of the letter to Eugene England. The opening story about Elder McConkie (whom I never met; he died when I was 16 and I'm a comparatively distant relative) was also an interesting read. I had no difficulty believing that things happened roughly the way the anonymous author described. I can certainly envision Elder McConkie throwing a missionary out of the temple for bringing up a contentious question. Certainly the author of the question was not looking for enlightenment, he was being disruptive, and that obviously has no place in the temple (at least, not to anyone who takes the temple seriously as a place to commune with God).
"Naturally, since it's clear the author doesn't have a testimony of the restoration now - and that his testimony was, at best, weak at the time the event he describes occurred - he would look at serious questions by others who had made a point of studying Elder McConkie's writings, as fawning and shallow. From the perspective of an unbeliever, anything but a disruptive question is not a substantive question. Doubtless, too, there really were fawning questions, and people hoping to curry favor. But that doesn't mean their questions weren't worth answering. If an apostle is asked to elaborate, he can elaborate to the enlightenment of all. Now, if I had been there, I for one would have been plenty pleased to have anyone raising disruptive questions shut down. Elder McConkie obviously recognized the anti-Mormon source of the question; that thing about the similarity between Hamlet and a passage in 2 Nephi is one of the more mundane but perennial chestnuts trotted out by anti-Mormons.
"And naturally, our anonymous author exaggerates the similarity between Shakespeare and Nephi. 17 of 19 words the same? Not at all. The pertinent part of Hamlet reads,
'To grunt and sweat under a weary life,
But that the dread of something after death,
The undiscover'd country from whose bourn
No traveller returns, puzzles the will
And makes us rather bear those ills we have
Than fly to others that we know not of?'
"Then we have 2 Nephi 1:14: 'Awake! and arise from the dust, and hear the words of a trembling parent, whose limbs ye must soon lay down in the cold and silent grave, from whence no traveler can return; a few more days and I go the way of all the earth.' In short, the parts that bear a resemblance are simply, 'no traveller returns' and 'no traveler can return.'
"Anyone who shows up at a temple meeting with references to exact lines in the BoM and Shakespeare is obviously someone who's come prepared to bash, particularly if they only get one shot and somehow think that's the most important insight they could have into the Book of Mormon. The anonymous author posits some ideas about what could account for the similarity, though it's so small that it doesn't need to be accounted for at all. 'No traveller returns' vs. 'no traveler can return.' Wow. It's just not possible that two people in the history of Earth could ever use the word 'traveler' to refer to someone journeying through mortality, or point out that there is no return to mortality from the grave. Anyone who thinks this is a mystery worth breaking our heads over is, in my opinion, not particularly well-read, or is certainly straining to manufacture 'issues.' When it's dead-on obvious that Joseph Smith borrowed liberally from the phrases he was familiar with to express the thoughts he was translating, I don't even know what kind of issue that's supposed to be.
"Anyway, the idea is that Elder McConkie should have treated the question seriously. But another apostle, Paul, advised in Rom. 14:1: 'Him that is weak in the faith receive ye, but not to doubtful disputations.' In short, shutting down the 'doubtful disputations' was precisely what an apostle should have done in that situation. And as for the colorful bits thrown in by the first and one later author, about Elder McConkie supposedly shouting and in another case even going red in the face, I've lived long enough to know that in retelling personal experiences, people almost always describe the event in words designed to make the reader or listener feel what they felt. And when the mundane facts don't carry the proper impact, they instinctively exaggerate, in order to carry what they feel was the honest impact of the event. And there is no doubt, Elder McConkie could rebuke powerfully! But the idea of him losing his temper, in the sense of getting red in the face and hollering, is simply beyond my ability to imagine.
"To whomever was on the receiving end, I'm sure his booming voice and his words of reproof felt like lashes, and sounded as loud as cannons. For someone who isn't humble and can't bear rebuke, I'm sure such an experience would rankle terribly. Interestingly, Elder McConkie set a grand example for the rest of us, in how to accept rebuke. When he was told not to republish Mormon Doctrine, he submitted. When he was asked to republish it but to take out the Catholic-bashing parts and other PR embarrassments, he submitted. And when the voice of the Lord pronounced that blacks were eligible for the priesthood, he did indeed stand up immediately afterward and tell people to disregard whatever he had said on the subject in the past. He held himself to the same standard that he held others to. If people didn't like being held to that standard, they at least should have the grace to recognize that it worked both ways with him."
Gerry Avant: "Entering its sesquicentennial year in 1980, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints introduced a physical fitness awards program that encouraged members to engage in physical activities. I knew Elder McConkie walked to his office from his home in the foothills above Utah’s Capitol and walked the return trip home several days each week, and that he enjoyed running. I figured if we could show a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles engaged in some physical activity, that might encourage the general membership of the Church to find time for exercise. Elder McConkie agreed to be photographed for my report. He wore a T-shirt that one of his sons gave him. Lettering on the back of the shirt read, 'Lengthening my stride,' an adaptation of President Spencer W. Kimball’s admonition, 'Lengthen your stride.' Elder McConkie put the shirt on backwards so that the motto would be seen in the photo.
"John Hart, one of my Church News colleagues, was the photographer. We met up with Elder McConkie outside his home. John suggested Elder McConkie run in a wide circle so he could a get variety of shots. Elder McConkie happily complied and kept up a conversation as he ran the laps. I remember a particularly humorous quip that he took several laps to complete: 'When you go home tonight - you can write in your journal - that you had a member of the Twelve - running around in circles today.'"
Anonymous: "Fortunately for us and several other families, we lived as neighbors to Bruce and Amelia McConkie. Our children grew up together, played together, and enjoyed each others’ company for many years. At the same time the parents formed a close association and many parties, activities, and vacations were planned among us. One time, more than 110 of us went to Colter Bay near Yellowstone. We also went several other places on our annual vacations. It was a great privilege to be with the McConkies. Bruce was a fun-loving, happy, easygoing individual. He longed to have a change of pace and it was wonderful to have him show up on a summer evening saying, 'Let's do something.'
"Amelia was a great cook and, like Bruce, loved to 'do something.' Bruce had an unusual idea of banging on neighbors' doors at 5:00 a.m. and saying, 'Let's go to Finn and Sara's for breakfast. Of course Finn and Sara Paulson didn't know we were coming, but when eight or ten people woke them up before six and said, 'We're here for breakfast,' it started a great day. Bruce loved to have fun and this was just one of his fun ideas. He made himself at home when he was at his neighbors... During those years there were ten families who got together regularly. On December 26, 1970, we had a neighborhood dinner and party at the McConkie house. After a lovely meal, Bruce showed pictures and we talked. On that occasion he wrote a special poem which I have had printed in calligraphy and framed for all of our children and for me. This poem was written spontaneously...
"If only the people of the Church could have seen the other side of Bruce McConkie they would have realized what a balanced, magnificent individual he became in his journey through life."
In His Own Words Again
I can think of no better way to conclude than by sharing Bruce R. McConkie's final public testimony of the Savior, given in General Conference less than two weeks before his death from cancer. Whatever his shortcomings, he strove to be a man of God.