This week in Church history
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50 years ago
President David O. McKay spoke in commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the birth of the Prophet Joseph Smith during his CBS Church of the Air broadcast Sunday, Dec. 18, 1955. The text of his address was published in the Dec. 24, 1955, Church News.
After relating the account of the First Vision, the restoration of the priesthood and the organization of the Church, President McKay said, according to the article, "I refer to these incidents not only to emphasize the true source of Joseph Smith's greatness, but also to point out the divine origin of the Church."
He later added, "No one, un-biased in his judgment, can study the life of this religious leader without being impressed with the fact that he possessed in a rich degree the qualities of true greatness, the source of which is found in a desire to know God's will, and in a determination, when found, to follow it."
President McKay recounted some of the Prophet's achievements in his 38 1/2 years of life, such as bringing forth scripture and serving as mayor of Nauvoo when it was the largest city in Illinois.
President McKay concluded, "The Prophet's life, and the Church which under God he restored, stand as new evidence of Christ as the Son of God: 'This is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!' " (Doctrine and Covenants 76:22).
