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Thread: Did Spencer W. Kimball resign?

  1. #1

    Did Spencer W. Kimball resign?

    Doug Gibson from the Ogden Standard-Examiner makes the argument that he did.

    When Kimball ascended to the presidency in 1973, he had already suffered serious health setbacks, including throat cancer, but was relatively vigorous. However, in 1979, the Mormon leader began to have subdural hematomas that required draining, and the process left him disoriented.

    "Spencer’s personality after this surgery underwent a temporary change," Gibson writes, quoting from a biography by Edward Kimball, the president’s son. "Everyone became an enemy. He said hurtful things to (his wife) Camilla. He castigated the doctor for letting him go on a trip to Australia when no preparations had been made (they were in the U.S.). Camilla retreated to cry alone. … "

    In the summer of 1981, Kimball’s mental "fog" lifted briefly, during which time he tapped Hinckley to help carry the leaders’ load. (Kimball’s two counselors, N. Eldon Tanner and Marion G. Romney, also were too old and infirm to run the ever-expanding church.)

    After Hinckley was in place, Kimball "seemed to revert at once to his former condition and general ill health," Edward Kimball wrote, and "the fog descended again."
    Someone who is older than I am should contrast this with what happened with ETB (that's the Batman/Hit Girl signal for LA Ute). Sometimes I hear the idea tossed around of an emeritus status for the President of the church, but maybe what is described above is how things have been handled since.

    http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/blogsfa...ckley.html.csp

  2. #2
    I am not older than you but I will still attempt a feeble answer. Since the Lion of the Lord took over as the prophet the first presidency has run the church (there a few minor exemptions). So when the prophet has become infirm the counselors act as defacto president. This would preclude the necessity of resignation (a la pope benedict).

    So I don't believe what Kimball did was a resignation, as Benson would have taken over as president. But he may have simply picked the person he felt best able to run the church as the de facto president for the time being.

    Just my 2 cents.

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  3. #3
    I read a book about Woodrow Wilson some years ago -- Mr. Wilson's War by John Dos Passos, which was excellent -- and this this thread reminded me of what happened late in Wilson's second term. On October 2, 1919, he suffered a serious stroke that almost totally incapacitated him; he was then confined to bed for weeks, sequestered from nearly everyone except his wife and his physician. With few exceptions, Wilson was kept out of the presence of Vice President Thomas R. Marshall, his cabinet, and members of Congress for the remainder of his term. His wife served as his steward, selecting issues for his attention and delegating other issues to his cabinet heads. Edith Wilson effectively became the president.

  4. #4
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    It's always been my impression that from the time SWK brought GBH into the First Presidency until GBH's own passing, he was running the church on a de facto basis, at least intermittently. That never really bothered me.

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

  5. #5
    Quote Originally Posted by LA Ute View Post
    It's always been my impression that from the time SWK brought GBH into the First Presidency until GBH's own passing, he was running the church on a de facto basis, at least intermittently. That never really bothered me.
    I hadn't thought of it that way but you are right. He was in charge for a long time. Since President of the church is mostly an administrative job (not meaning that in a snarky way) I don't see why the administrative parts couldn't be delegated. The prophet, seer, revelator part has not been utilized much in the last 100 years (my opinion) but I would assume from a faithful perspective that if any of that urgently needed doing that God would not be slowed down by an infirm leader.

  6. #6
    That would make sense. I read the summary of the articles of incorporation of the Corporation Sole after Daymon Smith talked about them on the MoSto podcast with John Dehlin. IIRC they seem to state that the PS&R is the sole owner of the 'Corp of the President', and thus 'owns' the intellectual and real property of the church (Intellectual Reserve, etc). But I do not recall it stating anything regarding who actually 'runs' the operations of the church. Frankly I don't care, and wouldn't expect the person at the top to get bogged down in the minutae when he should remain focused on the spiritual well being of the church members.

  7. #7
    Malleus Cougarorum Solon's Avatar
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    I heard he re-signed, but only so that he could be shipped to the Vatican in a sign-and-trade deal that netted the Mormons two bishops, a protected draft pick, and cash.

  8. #8
    Quote Originally Posted by NorthwestUteFan View Post
    That would make sense. I read the summary of the articles of incorporation of the Corporation Sole after Daymon Smith talked about them on the MoSto podcast with John Dehlin. IIRC they seem to state that the PS&R is the sole owner of the 'Corp of the President', and thus 'owns' the intellectual and real property of the church (Intellectual Reserve, etc). But I do not recall it stating anything regarding who actually 'runs' the operations of the church. Frankly I don't care, and wouldn't expect the person at the top to get bogged down in the minutae when he should remain focused on the spiritual well being of the church members.
    The actually day to day operations of the administrative functions of the church fall largely under the Presiding Bishopric. This includes Property Reserve, Intellectual Reserve, Deseret Management, Bonneville International, etc. Policy is overseen by the QOT and the First Presidency. Ecclesiastic matters are managed by the QOT under direction of the First Presidency. Implementation of Ecclesiastic functions is performed by the Seventies quorums and Area Presidencies.

  9. #9
    Quote Originally Posted by GUBA View Post
    The actually day to day operations of the administrative functions of the church fall largely under the Presiding Bishopric. This includes Property Reserve, Intellectual Reserve, Deseret Management, Bonneville International, etc. Policy is overseen by the QOT and the First Presidency. Ecclesiastic matters are managed by the QOT under direction of the First Presidency. Implementation of Ecclesiastic functions is performed by the Seventies quorums and Area Presidencies.
    I tend to forget the influence and responsiblility that falls on the presiding bishop. So in other words, Bishop Stevenson is the CEO, the Q12 are the board of trustees, and the First Presidency/Prophet is the chairman of the board.

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  10. #10
    Sam the Sheepdog LA Ute's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sullyute View Post
    I tend to forget the influence and responsiblility that falls on the presiding bishop. So in other words, Bishop Stevenson is the CEO, the Q12 are the board of trustees, and the First Presidency/Prophet is the chairman of the board.

    Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
    Well said.

    "It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye."
    --Antoine de Saint-Exupery

    "Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold."
    --Yeats

    “True, we [lawyers] build no bridges. We raise no towers. We construct no engines. We paint no pictures - unless as amateurs for our own principal amusement. There is little of all that we do which the eye of man can see. But we smooth out difficulties; we relieve stress; we correct mistakes; we take up other men's burdens and by our efforts we make possible the peaceful life of men in a peaceful state.”

    --John W. Davis, founder of Davis Polk & Wardwell

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