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David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism

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"David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism" is the best history/biography of an LDS leader to be published in quite some time. It deserves to be ranked with the classic Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball. "McKay" is based on the David O. McKay papers at the Marriott Library of the University of Utah. These papers include the personal archive of Clare Middlemiss, Pres. McKay's long-time secretary, who was considered by many to be "the most powerful woman in the Mormon church" because of her influence with her boss. Wm. Robert Wright, a veteran fixture of Utah politics, is Middlemiss' nephew and participated in the writing of the book along with LDS history author Gergory A. Prince.

Pres. McKay turns out to be a very admirable man, with the faults and human foibles we all have. This volume gets as close to a life-like, three-dimensional portrait of a person as we can have between the covers of a book. But along with the biography we get a gripping account of the McKay years, when the LDS church moved from what some considered a small sect in the Rocky Mountains to a genuinely worldwide church. Mormonism grew explosively in size and power during those years (1951-1970.) Some of the topics that are covered in this book are Pres. McKay's personal spiritual experiences with prophecy and revelation; his stern anti-Communism, but opposition to Ezra Taft Benson and the extremist John Birch Society's attempts to co-opt the church; controversies with explosive, expensive building programs and so-called missionary "baseball baptisms"; the birth of church-wide doctrinal and publishing correlation with its advantages and problems; and struggles with growth and academic freedom at Brigham Young University.

Perhaps the feature of this book that has drawn the most attention in the press is the chapter on "Blacks, Civil Rights, and the Priesthood." The LDS church did ban black men from holding the priesthood until 1978, when President Spencer W. Kimball received a revelation from the Lord rescinding the ban. "McKay" shows how the groundwork was laid for the end of that policy. Pres. McKay was a forward-thinking and compassionate man and during his administration LDS thinking about blacks underwent an enormous evolution that prepared the way for serious change. To quote the authors: "(McKay) emphasized the paramount importance of free agency and individual expression, for he understood that improvement of the parts would inevitably improve the whole. 'Let them conform' was replaced by 'let them grow.' He willingly discarded institutional uniformity for the higher goal of individual excellence. He pitched a wide tent and then told members of all stripes that he welcomed them to join him and build the church within it." This is an outlook that should be remembered and cherished by Mormons and others, and this is a book that celebrates a great, memorable, profoundly meaningful life.

I feel it safe to opine that members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons) take far too much of their Church for granted; too many of us are like children of wealthy parents who simply weren't around or were too young to appreciate the building of the palatial home they inhabit and the fortune they stand to inherit. This book exhaustively details the many difficult decisions with which President McKay was confronted and gives a fascinating view of the various personalities with whom President McKay worked.

Reading this book is like trying to drink from a hose at high-pressure, one is acutely aware of the sheer volume of information being glossed over--not with intent to deemphasize but because there seems to be a wealth of information now available. Over the years, this reviewer has encountered many terse and artfully-phrased references to the events covered in this volume; however, this work lays everything on the table--everything. If there is any flaw in the book it is that the authors take their (and the reader's) knowledge of the present condition of the Church for granted and that they, thereby, lose the opportunity to show how inspired President McKay's decisions were.

The authors sometimes seem to forget that President McKay was not a CEO or political leader but a Prophet. Nevertheless the record speaks for itself--the book's greatest strength is in its exposition of President McKay's lifelong and flawless application of D&C 122:41-42: "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned."

Given the complexity of a life of greatness, any published bio could have been done differently -- so one could quibble with how this great man's life is presented. The authors have chosen a topical approach rather than a simple chronology. But this makes sense in light of the multi-tasked full agenda that McKay maintained for six decades of top-tier leadership.

The authors capture McKay's noble mentality as I remember it from two conversations I had with him; he was a magnificently inspiring leader, not simply a bureaucratic manager. The authors correctly and repeatly highlight the fact that McKay often led by overarching insight rather than politicized consensus; he inspired from the grassroots up, rather than finessing layers of management from the top down.

The authors also correctly highlight McKay's prime accomplishment among many: his transitioning the LDS Church from the original exclusivist millennial-gathering-place (in Utah) religion, to an international build-in-the-countries-where-you-live religion. The original teaching had been a command to gather to Utah in order to avoid the end-of-world calamitous destruction from God's "floods of anger upon Babylon." McKay, the authors explain, clearly saw he needed to cease, then reverse, that doctrinal teaching, because Utah couldn't absorb and employ all those arriving there from across the US and around the world; they would arrive, languish and stagnate, then fall away from the church and badmouth it to others. McKay perceived the key to be pouring money into chapel and temple building in many countries, encouraging new members to stay in their good jobs at home.

The authors' honesty also shows in their open presentation of most LDS apostles' opposition to McKay in building the Polynesian Cultural Center in La'ie on O'ahu in Hawai'i. They persisted in predicting its financial drain and failure, and they were wrong; the PCC became, and still is, the number one tourist attraction in all Hawaii, with as much as 25% return on investment, in addition to providing employment to 1,000s of students at the neighboring Brigham Young University campus, plus lots of positive PR for Mormons.

McKay's inclusionist and expansionist mentality is illustrated in various examples, including his giving a large financial gift from the LDS church to the Presbyterian church in Salt Lake City.

Also included is a frank discussion of how McKay wrote in his diary that he had found the LDS temple ceremony unpleasant and counterproductive for many people in some of its procedures, so he studied it thoroughly and changed it.

In short, this biography, though decidedly pro-Mormon, doesn't shy away from difficult and potentially embarrassing subjects such as the repeated wrangling and politicking that regularly occurs among Mormonism's apostles, explaining that progress sometimes occurs through disputes as well as trial and error.

During all of this, the magnanimous and enlightened spirit of McKay as an ex-college teacher and administrator is revealed in numerous diary entries of his secretary, various university administrators and church leaders, and himself. This is a very highly recommendable book.

This volume ranks among the most insightful works on the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that I have encountered. Prince and Wright, the authors, are both active members of the LDS Church, but they subscribe to B. H. Roberts' belief that "the only way [to be historically exact and not to destroy faith] is to frankly state events as they occurred...being confident that in the sum of things justice will follow truth." They draw on thousands of pages of novel material: David O. McKay's diaries, extensive scrapbooks kept by his secretary, and hundreds of interviews. (I was surprised to encounter an extensive quote from my own grandfather, who worked with David O. McKay concerning LDS financial issues.)

This is not a biography of David O. McKay, but rather a history of the LDS Church during the time that McKay was involved in the leadership (mostly the 1940s, 50s, and 60s) with a focus on his role. As a result, we learn little about McKay's early life, except as it directly impacted his future leadership of the Church.

The authors begin with powerful spiritual tales from the time that McKay was President of the LDS Church. They go on to elucidate key episodes in LDS history: the preparation for extending priesthood privileges to black members of the Church; how the Church dealt with controversial internal voices (such as Fawn Brodie and Juanita Brooks); the internal and external controversy incited by Bruce McConkie's publication of Mormon Doctrine and Joseph Fielding Smith's publication of Man, His Origin and Destiny; and Ezra Taft Benson's strong public anti-communist stance and association with the John Birch Society.

Prince and Wright seek to honestly portray the dynamics within the Church leadership, and sometimes the picture is not a fairy tale: these are strong personalities with strong views. But an honest view of this leadership will let Church members appreciate their prophets and apostles as exactly what they are: mortals called to do divine work, not perfect people.

This book is endlessly fascinating and eminently easy to read. It won the Mormon History Association's Best Biography award for 2006. For a thoughtful and thorough review of this book, read Julie Smith's post at the Times and Seasons blog from 14 May 2005. Finally, another excellent book that yields similar insights into Church leadership during the same period is Hugh B. Brown's memoir, An Abundant Life (edited by Edwin Firmage).

Claire Middlemiss served as personal secretary to David O. McKay from 1935 until he died in 1970. Shortly after she started working for Elder McKay, she began keeping a diary of his daily activities that eventually ran some forty thousand typescript pages. These diaries form the basis of this book and provide both its greatest strength and its greatest weakness.

Elder McKay apparently did not keep a diary himself.

Its weakness is that David O. McKay is seen through the eyes of Middlemiss, whose vision, arguably, is not always 20/20. Her admiration for her subject is obvious, and her portrait is perhaps more flattering than one would expect from an objective chronicler. In addition to the Middlemiss records, the authors conducted interviews with many individuals who participated in the events recounted. Although they do a fine job in most cases, some interviews with some critical individuals are missing.

If the reader is looking for a conventional biography of President McKay, he or she is in for a disappointment.

Very little is revealed about his personal life and his relationship with members of his family. Instead, the authors have chosen a topical approach with sixteen chapters focused on such topics as free agency and tolerance; blacks, civil rights, and the priesthood; correlation and church administration; the education system; temple building; and politics and the church.

Some may find this approach cumbersome and would have preferred a more chronological format. However, addressing major areas of focus seems to work well overall.

The prophet comes across as a very complex individual who was prepared to address complex issues. For instance, he was upset when Elder Joseph Fielding Smith published Man: His Origin and Destiny and when Bruce R. McConkie published Mormon Doctrine. His concern with the former was that, among other things, the book was not preapproved and that it presented a view on evolution beyond what the Lord had revealed. He also felt that people would have difficulty separating Joseph Fielding Smith, senior apostle, from Joseph Fielding Smith, the author of the book. Elder McConkie's book raised similar concerns, as well as a fundamental question regarding the book's title, President McKay's position being that only the president of the church can declare doctrine.

Prince also discusses the priesthood being withheld from blacks. The prophet's position was that the ban was a matter of policy rather than doctrine, but that the practice was so set that a revelation would be required to change it, and no revelation came to him during his administration.

President McKay's secretary assumed the role of chief of staff, particularly during the latter years, and effectively controlled who had access to the prophet and who did not. Those who did not would often make end runs around Middlemiss through one of the president's sons. It all makes for a most intriguing story.

The book itself is very well crafted and nicely bound. The color plates are beautiful and include seldom seen portraits of David O. McKay, Stephen L Richards, and J. Reuben Clark Jr. by Arnold Friberg.

Reportedly, the authors declined royalties if the University of Utah Press would produce a quality book selling at a reasonable price. Both objectives are met quite nicely.

David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism is not a biography of David O. McKay. Rather it is a modern history of the church that he led as prophet and chief executive from 1951 to 1970. As such, the book is remarkable for its scope, honesty, even-handedness, and accessibility. It comprehensively explains the complete range of organization, societal, and doctrinal issues addressed by the church during the middle years of the twentieth century.

The book is based primarily on an exhaustive documentary archive maintained by Claire Middlemiss, who was President McKay's personal secretary from 1935 until 1970. The book's authors, Robert Wright and Gregory Prince, have augmented that record with other unique historical documents and candid interviews from contemporaneous church leaders. The result is an exceptionally satisfying and intimate description of the church and its leadership that is at once true to the prophet's vision and faithful to the ideals of historical truth.

The book provided me with many insights into events and persons that I recall from childhood. The authors carefully let the personalities of the prophet and his associates speak for themselves, their weaknesses as well as their remarkable strengths and virtues.

My only (very minor) criticism is that the authors make the common mistake of uncritically assuming that the Mormon church somehow promoted Republican dominance of Utah. From my experience as a Utah Democrat, it is clear that starting in the 60's that party simply abandoned the Inter-mountain West.

Prince and Wright have done a masterful job of writing a topical history of the presidency of David O. McKay. While there may be little interest in this book by those who do not study the workings and history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for those of us who do, it is a totally fascinating book.

The research in this volume is very thorough. It is very balanced and easy to read. I enjoyed the topical organization of the book although sometimes a person was introduced several times. Since some will read only a few chapters, there would be no way to avoid that.

I did weary of the continual insights into personal conflicts that existed between church leaders. While I am certain that the authors could have included much more, I would have preferred a statement that there was a strong disagreement between two individuals rather than delving into hurt feelings and personality conflicts. If I were to give this book 4 stars instead of 5, that would be the reason. It is a philosophical difference I have with the authors. I am certain that they struggled over that issue. Those who are critical of the church will certainly drool over these things. While I appreciate a truthful, honest history, I would have drawn the line in a different place than the authors. This would be my preference with a history any great person.

President McKay certainly emerges from this volume as man, not a superman, but as a prophet who changed the face of the church forever. His struggles and triumphs give light to our struggles and triumphs. This is an excellent read.

Like Rough Stone Rolling, I found this book to be thoroughly captivating, scholarly and inspiring. It is well documented from first hand sources. It is refreshing to read LDS church history where punches are not pulled in an effort to make church leaders seem perfect. Rather getting caricatures, you get to see great men with their flaws and their mistakes. Because of this you appreciate them all the more and come away with a better understanding of who David O. McKay (and the men that served with him) was. These were great men and this is a great read.

It is difficult to add further information about this book, given the in-depth reviews by others. But perhaps there are a couple points not yet made.

McKay was a man with great personal magnetism and probably the most charismatic LDS leader since Joseph Smith. McKay's personal magnetism is evidenced by his relationship with Lyndon Johnson, who was the President of the United States during McKay's tenure. Johnson sought McKay's advice and comfort more than once during difficult times. Other great men viewed McKay as a personal friend: He left people with a desire for more interaction. Faithful LDS believe that the Holy Spirit accompanies their leaders and this book shows that McKay was full to overflowing with that spirit.

Prince and Wright offer clues to the source of McKay's personal magnetism. McKay was an optimist, especially when it came to human nature. He reflected and amplified the best charcteristics of everyone with whom he dealt. Importantly, McKay viewed his calling as a personal ministry rather than a fiduciary obligation.

Most readers will gain an appreciation of McKay's genious for leadership. It is not heretical to LDS doctrine to state that the Prophets and Apolstles are not infallible. Therefore it should not be surprising that these individuals and Quoroms are not always unified, and that there is sometimes great (but very civil) controversy. McKay yoked the top Quorums of the church together, and the result was explosive growth in church membership. These were not easy men to yoke. Think of Ezra Taft Benson and Bruce R. McKonkie, for example. The disagreements are chronicled, as is the gentle and effective leadership of David O. McKay.

One reviewer commented on the "gossipy" tone of this book. The diary of Claire Middlemiss, McKay's long-time executive assistant, is the source for most of the detailed information in these pages. Her diary is an invaluable (and new) resource. If this means the book has a gossipy tone, so be it -- we should have more such "gossipy" information about Great Men and their times!

This book is extraordinarily enlightening, especially for Mormons. Many of the stories and issues presented in this book are vaguely familiar to church members, but full and accurate information is not readily available. (Often, this is because the full history of these issues--i.e. correlation, missionary expansion, the priesthood ban, opposition to communism, etc.--bring a lot of the *human* struggles and weaknesses of church leaders to light.) This book gives us the information in a flood. It draws on the extremely valuable and hitherto untapped resource of the 130,000 pages (!) of biographical documents on McKay assembled by his long-time personal secretary, Clare Middlemass. A book like this simply could not be written about any other Mormon prophet, because none has had such a meticulous record maintained about his life.

This book does give us a lot of insight into the human--and often less than harmonious--inner workings of the Mormon hierarchy. Nevertheless, it is a far cry from being a critical portrait. Prince and Wright clearly admire David O. McKay immensely, and it is almost impossible for the reader to disagree. He was simply remarkable, especially when considered from the perspective of his own day. Without question, McKay was instrumental in creating a global religion and changing the image of the church.

I felt that the "prize" chapters in the book were the one on blacks & the priesthood, and the one on the reaction to communism (i.e. the Ezra Taft Benson chapter). In some ways the most disturbing chapters, they also gave the most complete historical pictures. The best compliment I can offer Prince as a historian is that he helps us get past our own facile prejudices when viewing church leaders as they struggle with touchy issues like civil rights and the priesthood ban. Were the church leaders of the mid 20th century racist? In many cases, yes--which is hardly exceptional. But somehow the "racism" of today is not the "racism" of the 1950s (especially in all-white Salt Lake City). I think it is simply absurd to lump the Mormon leaders under the same heading as the Ku Klux Klan. The real problem wasn't racial animosity, but rather the dry matter of scriptural exegesis. Based on certain scriptural passages (really just one passage) and a vague tradition inherited from the 19th century, many church leaders felt the curse of Cain prohibited blacks from holding the priesthood. They did not want to disregard scripture for merely political reasons. Many leaders and members were very uncomfortable with this, however, and almost none more than McKay. (Hugh B. Brown was the most progressive.) Moral expediency gradually took the upper hand and paved the way for President Kimball's 1978 revelation lifting the priesthood ban. McKay's biographers give us an insider's view of this religious drama, and help us to sympathize at least as much as we criticize.

Next to Bushman's and Brodie's Joseph Smith biographies, I think this is the most meaningful and informative book on Mormon history that I have encountered. I highly recommend it.