http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=128255

What would have a better effect, along a similar line, is to not wear white shirts and ties in inappropriate situations, like visiting disaster areas in the immediate aftermath.

Seeing photos of church leaders (whether GA’s or not) wearing white shirts and ties in Indonesia shortly after the tsunami seemed very out of place. As it did in some photos of the GA’s visiting Katrina refugees and survivors.

There are times when seeing a white shirt and tie is reassuring. But in dire circumstances, or their immediate aftermath, where people have escaped with nothing but the clothes they were wearing, it seems to put a distance between those wearing the shirt/tie and those who have nothing.

I’ve always heard just damns and hells attributed to this man. But a ‘shit’ or two would make a nice addition to the lore.

He seems honest about himself. While most other members try to fit in and become part of the crowd and act like the perfect sinless member Golden didn’t He was honest about his failings and humanity. I think if more GA’s let out a curse here and there the term “Suffed shirt” may not be synonomous with SLC.

Many of the insights above are right on the mark according to my family lore. Some additional insight. JGK and Heber J. Grant were close childhood friends. Both of their father’s were in the First Presidency of Brigham Young. They worked and played together as children and wrote to each other as young missionaries. As adults they continued to play off each other. J. Golden preached to the back row and Heber preached to the front row. HJG was strict and JGK was a trickster. When you realize this it adds another level of humor to the stories about their apparent conflict. They actually liked each other and preferred the company of each other to most everyone else. Heber getting on J.Golden for his coffee and his swearing. J.Golden getting on Heber for being too strict and stuffy.

The church of that time had to move beyond the pioneer era and the era of post manifesto polygamy into a time of more sophistication. Even moreso than today the bar was being lifted. Acceptable behavior had to be more than what passed for normal down on the farm. We idolize the pioneers and they were heroic in many ways but they had their faults and many changes were needed. Word of Wisdon comes to mind, along with many other examples. Some of the Saints made these adjustments easily and others with difficulty. JGK was there for the later group and it was important that they be brought along as well. He also acted as a balance to overzeal and excesses.

If you really think about some of his stories, they are both funny in a superficial way but they have another level where they are quite profound. For example; “They’ll never cut me off, I repent too damn fast.” Funny but so true. We need to repent quickly when we are wrong. JKG was rather intelligent in his eccentric way.

Another of my favorite stories. Heber had a nice singing voice and could sing from memory every song in the hymn book. Often he punctuated his sermons with a song. Heber pointed out that as a child he couldn’t recognize one note from another and his talent was due to hard work more than a gift from God. J. Golden got up once after this sermon and while waving a dollar bill around in the air said: “I bet that young Heber could have recognized one note from another if they’d of been bank notes.” Which was a direct slam on HJG business abilities and the church’s movement towards a corporate culture. Funny but a profound description of a trade-off our church has made and it is still with us today which is why we think it is funny.

As far as those who want to be so historically accurate and want to document exactly when and where he said what: J.Golden was once asked if most of the stories about him were true and whether he really had said all those things. He replied: “No , I didn’t say half of the things attributed to me, but I wished to hell I had.”

We need another J. Golden Kimball today. At least I do.

So he let in a hell or a damn every once in a while. *Yawn* No disrespect, Elder Kimball, but you’re not that intriguing. Comical, yes…intriguing, no.

And I would have said “damned intrigued”. The end.

I remember my Sunday School teacher once brought in a TV and cable hook up and we watched a Suns playoff game. He rationalized it by saying that Danny Ainge (then with the Suns) was a Mormon and the outcome of the game could affect his pay, and therefore affect his tithing. Quite a stretch, but it was ‘fun’. Upon being called as a Bishop in the ward he forgot all about this incident.