An Important Announcement

THE DOOR OPENED WIDER

(From the book To The Rescue, the Biography of Thomas S. Monson by Heidi Swinton, pg 394)

“President Kimball led the group in prayer to receive the Lord’s confirmation.  They surrounded the altar in prayer and President Kimball ‘told the Lord at length that if extending the priesthood was not right, if the Lord did not want this change to come in the Church, he would fight the world’s opposition.’  Elder Monson would later note that had the revelation not come, President Kimball ‘would have defended the previous policy to his dying breath.’

Later that day, Elder Monson met with Bill Smart, editor of The Deseret News and quietly told him, ‘Reserve space for an important announcement tomorrow.’

Smart inquired what was coming.

‘I can’t say anything now; it is confidential.’

‘Can you tell me whether to put it on the front page or on B-1 (the front page of the local news section)?’

Elder Monson replied, ‘You will know when you see it.’

The next morning, June 9^th, the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve and all other General Authorities met again in a special session at 7AM.  ‘During the meeting, President Kimball reviewed with the Brethren the decision concerning the revelation that all worthy male members might receive the priesthood.  Every person in the room expressed himself individually and voluntarily as being in favor and sustaining the presentation by President Kimball as a revelation from the Lord.’

The announcement ran not only on the front page of The Deseret News but on the front pages of major newspapers across the country, including the New York Times and the Washington Post.  Both Time and Newsweek magazines stopped their press runs to insert the story in their upcoming weeklies.  Most commentary spoke favorably of what some called ‘a sudden move’ by the LDS Church…

The Lord’s direction that the holy priesthood should now go to all who were worthy, without exclusion of nationality or race, opened wider the door for the fulness of the gospel to be taken to every nation, kindred, tongue and people.”