Today in Mormon History - May 16

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On this day in Mormon History
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-- 190 years ago today - May 16, 1836 --

A Mormon diarist records seeing "extraordinary lights" in the Kirtland Temple at night. Apostles Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball would later reminisce that they also saw angels passing back and forth in front of the windows of the otherwise darkened temple. (1)
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-- 185 years ago today - May 16, 1841 (Sunday Morning) --

Remarks by Joseph, May 16th, 1841.

There are three independent principles—the spirit of God, the spirit of man, and the spirit of the devil. All men have power to resist the devil. They who have tabernacles have power over those who have not. The doctrine of eternal judgment Acts 2-41 Peter preached repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, &c but in Acts 3-19 he says "Repent and be converted that you sins may be blotted out when the time of redemption shall come and he shall send Jesus," &c. Remission of sins by baptism was not to be preached to murderers. All the priests in christendom might pray for a murderer on the scaffold forever, but could not avail so much as a gnat towards their forgiveness. There is no forgiveness for murderers. They will have to wait until the time of redemption shall come and that in hell. Peter had the keys of eternal judgment and he saw David in hell and knew for what reason, and that David would have to remain there until the resurrection
at the

coming of Christ. Romans 9—all election that can be found in the scripture is according to the flesh and pertaining to the priesthood. (2)
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-- 175 years ago today - May 16, 1851 --

In speaking of the Indians He [Brigham Young] Said these Indians [near Parowan] were the descendants of the old Gadianton Robers who infested these Mountains for more than a thousand years. (3)
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-- 130 years ago today - May 16, 1896 --
[J. Golden Kimball]
[W]ent to General Office of the 1st Council of Seventy and there met Elder B. H. Roberts. We conversed until 8 P.M. all about his past experience, political matters and late events. Roberts manifested a good spirit and fully sustained the Brethren of the Authorities. ... He also told me that Pres[ident]. Wilford Woodruff and Geo[rge]. Q. Cannon said that it was an injustice to Apostle Moses Thatcher to convey the idea that he was suspended because he was not in harmony with the Presidency and Twelve Apostles at any time previous to the 66th Annual conference, or because of former troubles that may have existed. The cause of suspension was because he refused to sign the address, presented before the conference on the 6th of April. Although Apostle [Lorenzo] Snow, Brigham Young [Jr.], and John Henry Smith had told me differently. (4)
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-- 125 years ago today - May 16, 1901; Thursday --
[Heber J. Grant]
In chatting with the brethren of the Apostles before Pres[iden]ts [Loreonzo] Snow and [Joseph F.] Smith joined us and telling of the cancellation of the balance of my debt endorsed by the Trustee in Trust, Brother [George] Teasdale referred to the fact of his visiting my home some three years ago, just after I had been operated upon for appendicitis and when I was so sick with pneumonia. He referred to how he was inspired of the Lord in blessing me in not only promising me health, but that I should live to pay all my financial obligations. In hearing me tell oif my present financial condition he sad, he felt to praise the Lord for His goodness to me.

Brother John W. Taylor also referred to his visit to my home with Matthias F. Cowley about the same time as Brother Teasdale called and how they had administered to me and that after doing so as they went away he said to Brother Cowley that he did not feel that they had blessed me with any great power. Some days later he was impressed to come back and bless me again. He started to walk from his home in Mill Creek to the city and he met Brother Cowley in a buggy and they drove together to my house and they had great liberty in blessing me. Brother Taylor prophesying that I should live and should not only have vigor and strength of body but that I should live to be freed from all my financial obligations. I remembered this promise of Brother Taylor's very well indeed and how my whole being was thrilled by the Holy Spirit at the time of his making the promise and I felt that it was given under the inspiration of the Lord and would be fulfilled.

I am very thankful to feel that today I have sufficient property to pay all my obligations and that the Lord has fulfilled this prediction. (5)
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-- 90 years ago today - May 16, 1936 --

Dr. Max Haenle, a German non-Mormon, who visited Utah in the late twenties and became a friend of Anthony W. Ivins, speaks to a District Conference in Dresden on "Utah, Land of the Mormons." DER STERN reportes Haenle made "comparisons ... throughout the whole lecture between the Mormon state founded 86 years ago by Brigham Young in Utah and Adolf Hitler's Third Reich. . . . In its political productivity, its organization forms, and its unswerving successes in the various areas of governmental, social, and communal life," Haenle proclaimed, "Utah bears a really striking similarity to our Germany of today. Here as well as there, the unshakable faith in and willingness to die for their Fuhrer [respective leaders] is the foundation and prerequisite for all further development." (6)
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-- 75 years ago today - May 16, 1951 --

LaVern Watts Parmley is called as the fifth general president of the Primary, with Arta Matthews Hale and Florence Holbrook Richards as counselors.
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1 - Quinn, D. Michael, The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, Appendix 7: Selected Chronology of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1830-47, http://amzn.to/origins-power
2 - Extracts from William Clayton's Private Book -Words of Joseph Smith, 74
3 - Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies
4 - J. Golden Kimball, Diary, as quoted in Minutes of the Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1835-1951, Electronic Edition, 2015
5 - Heber J. Grant, Diary
6 - On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com