For many Latter-day Saints, President David O. McKay is remembered as a grandfatherly, charismatic prophet who presided over an era of mid-century stability, but behind his affable charm and love of fine automobiles was a pragmatic, visionary leader who fundamentally altered the trajectory of the Church. Long before the era of global correlation, McKay was crisscrossing the globe, wrestling with complex geopolitical realities, and laying the administrative groundwork for a more international faith. A new interview over at the Latter-day Saint history blog, From the Desk, features historian Brian Q. Cannon (author of Building a Global Zion), who unpacks how McKay’s early missionary experiences, his unprecedented 1920–21 world tour, and his willingness to adapt rigid policies to local needs transformed the Church from a North American institution into a worldwide religion.

How Did David O. McKay Transform the Church Into a Global Faith?

A Broader Vision and an “Embellished” Dream

One of the key themes Cannon highlights is how deeply McKay’s extensive travels contrast with the experiences of his peers. When he circumnavigated the globe with Hugh J. Cannon in 1920–21, he was the first apostle to visit many of those lands. Before his time, the focus of apostles had been on North America, Europe, and (to a lesser degree) Asia. This firsthand exposure gave him “a much broader vision than his colleagues possessed” and led him to trust the judgment of mature international converts over young American missionaries.

The interview also provides a fascinating “insider” detail regarding one of McKay’s most famous spiritual experiences: his vision of the Savior leading a multitude in white, which occurred while he was resting in Apia, Samoa. Cannon reveals a surprising textual history behind the popular narrative:

An embellished and more detailed account of the vision was published by David O. McKay’s secretary, Clare Middlemiss, in a collection of McKay’s experiences…

When it was first published, Middlemiss claimed it was taken from McKay’s diary, but she removed that claim before publishing it in a second collection in McKay’s voice.

The account is beautiful and was featured heavily in Truman Madsen’s discussion of David O. McKay, but it remains unclear the extent to which it is Middlemiss’s creation or an accurate representation of McKay’s experience.

Navigating the Priesthood Ban Abroad

Perhaps the most historically significant portion of the interview details how McKay grappled with the Church’s priesthood and temple ban as he tried to expand globally. Cannon explains that McKay actively adjusted policies to facilitate international growth. In South Africa, for example, the requirement for white men to trace their genealogy outside of Africa to prove a lack of African ancestry was crippling the local branches. McKay boldly changed the policy.

McKay acknowledged this altered policy would result in the ordination of at least some men with black African ancestry, but he reasoned, “I would much rather make a mistake in one case and if it is found out afterward suspend his activity in the priesthood than to deprive ten worthy men of the priesthood.”

The interview also recounts a heartbreaking “near-miss” in West Africa. McKay enthusiastically planned to open a mission in Nigeria and send a temporary mission president. However, pushback from the Quorum of the Twelve—who feared it would jeopardize the Church in South Africa and lead to interracial marriages—forced McKay to acquiesce and recall the mission president, delaying missionary work in West Africa for another 13 years.

The Innovation of the Overseas Temple

Finally, McKay realized that for the Church to truly take root abroad, converts needed to stay in their homelands rather than emigrating to Utah. To incentivize this, he revolutionized temple architecture and administration.

David O. McKay envisioned small temples in Europe that could be built for roughly the same price as a stake center in the United States. The temple endowment would be presented in multiple languages using technology.

By dedicating the Swiss, London, and New Zealand temples in the 1950s, McKay pioneered the localized, film-based temple model that makes today’s massive global temple expansion possible.

For more on David O. McKay’s global experiences, such as his formative mission to Scotland, his specific efforts to aid Armenian refugees in Turkey, and his collaboration with Frederick S. Williams in South America, head on over to the Latter-day Saint history blog, From the Desk, to read the full interview with Brian Q. Cannon.

While you’re there, check out the new Spencer W. Kimball Quotes page!