January 2, 1969
Bruce Bracken
Logan, Utah 84321
Dear Brother Bracken:
We are very much concerned that some of our Church teachers seem to be obsessed of the idea of teaching doctrine which cannot be substantiated and making comments beyond what the Lord has actually said.
You asked about the Immaculate Conception of the birth of the Savior. Never have I talked about "sexual intercourse" between Deity and the mother of the Savior. If teachers were wise in speaking of this matter about which the Lord has said but very little, they would rest their discussion on this subject with merely the words which are recorded on this subject by Luke 1:34-35:
"Then said Mary unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God."
Remember that that being who brought about the Immaculate Conception was a divine personage. We need not question his method to accomplish his purposes. Perhaps we would do well to remember the words of Isaiah 55:8-9:
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For us the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
Let the Lord rest His case with this declaration and wait until he sees fit to tell us more.
Sincerely Yours
Harold B. Lee
Love the last line!
Sorry. (try again). I cited the 1966 edition of Mormon Doctrine. You’ve only explained McConkie's 1958 version of "Mormon Doctrine." Anything republished since then--with FULL APPROVAL OF THE FIRST PRESIDENCY--and anything that's remained in there in its last reprint--was done with full First Presidency & General Authority oversight.
McConkie “flying solo” applies only to 1958. Any critical assessments or putdowns of republished books of "Mormon Doctrine" since then is an outright slam against the entire First Presidency & General Authorities & the editors & publishers of the book. Many authors make as you reference it mistakes--but when a book is republished, those are fixed. I know many such "mistakes" in McConkie's '58 version were "fixed." But if mistakes continue in the 1966 & 1978 revisions--and you imply that you acknowledge that's the case--then it's not just a one-man doctrinal show.
According to Deseret Book Publishing, owned by the LDS Church, (see The Bruce R. McConkie Story: Reflections of a Son, a biography written by his son, Joseph Fielding McConkie (Deseret, 2003):
On July 5, 1966, President McKay invited Elder McConkie into his office and gave approval for the book to be reprinted if appropriate changes were made and approved. Elder [Spencer W.] Kimball [of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles] was assigned to be Elder McConkie’s mentor in making those changes....My father told me that President McKay had so directed him. In addition to that, I am in possession of handwritten papers by my father affirming that direction.<./b>
There ya have it. McConkie acted on his own with no review committee in the late 1950s.
Marion Romney, a member of the First Presidency, reviewed the initial work and reported on “errors” in the book. McConkie wanted to fix his 1958 errors and re-publish the book in the early 1960s. Members of The First Presidency told him “no.”
A future LDS “prophet” Spencer Kimball, was assigned as McConkie’s “mentor” leading up to the ’66 revision. McKay and the First Presidency changed their mind…otherwise, McConkie would have been told in the mid-1960s what he was told in the early 1960s, “No, you can’t republish.”