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f M e r l > -M A I ) r s ( ) x Avuo. ikmikx. UTAH Thursday evening August 5 , 194-8 Mj - e a r M r . M a r r i n e r : A week ago t o d a y P e t e r M Jensen came and s a i d he had two t r e e s l o a d e d w i t h a p r i c o t s , and f o r us t o come and g e t some. So w h i l e I was up o n t h e l a d d e r d r o p p i n g t h e c o t s down i n t o t h e b a s k e t o n t h e ground he s t o o d t h e r e t a l k i n g , w i t h h i s ear phones • Somehow we g o t o n t o t h e E c c l e s f a m i l y - and you* A b o u t t h e f i r s t t h i n g he s a i d w a s , " T h a t M a r r i n e r i s a v e r y shrewd young man? And t h e n he added, " I t s u r e t o o k a l o t o f s t a m i n a t o s t a y o n t h e Board a f t e r Truman p u t a n o t h e r man i n h i s p l a c e as P r e s i d e n t o f it 1 .' And he i s r i g h t , P e t e r M. W e l l , h e ' s p r o u d o f y o u , as any u n c l e s h o u l d b e . B u t I t h o t y o u f d l i k e t o h e a r t h i s f i r s t h a n d , word f o r word a l m o s t . So i n t e l l i n g K i t t y a b o u t i t ; t h a t ' s my g i r l t h a t ' s W i l l a r d ' s s e c r e t a r y a t t h e b a n k , she u r g e d me a g a i n t o d r o p you a l i n e and t e l l y o u o f my a t t i t u d e and w h a t I have s a i d o f y o u r marvelous achievements. I t i s s i m p l y t h i s , as I t o l d P e t e r M. t o o ; I am c o n v i n c e d t h a t i n 50 y e a r s o r s o , we as a p e o p l e w i l l l o o k back and p o i n t t o M a r r i n e r S t o d d a r d E c c l e s as t h e t o p p r o d u c t o f o u r day and g e n e r a t i o n i n The Church. I have s a i d t h i s f o r y e a r s , even t h o I ' v e o f t e n been c h a l l e n g e d . W e l l , I ' m not l o o k i n g f o r a job o r a loan or a t i p . These a r e m e r e l y my v i e w s , based upon n a r d c o l d r e a l i t i e s , and a l s o upon human t e n d e n c i e s . THEN - w e ' l l n o t be a s k i n g i f he goes t o h i s meetings, E t c . , (not said i n c r i t i c i s m - at a l l ) , but y o r # " l loom up as a g i a n t among men, e s p e c i a l l y i n y o u r y o u t h fu. jars. I n t h e b r o a d e s t sense, The Church i s an i n d u s t r y . I T ' s a p r o c e s s r a t h e r t h a n an i n s t i t u t i o n o r p h y l o s o p h y , and I T f s f o r us h e r e and now, and t h e m e e t i n g s a f t e r a l l a r e b u t I t i s n ' t f a i r f o r me t o a means t o an end; and t h i s i s i t . go t h i s f a r , b u t M r . M a r r i n e r , as a m a t t e r o f a c t u a l t r u t h , i t ' s a w f u l h a r d f o r some o f us t o r e c o g n i s e o u r own t e a c h i n g s in action. For example; I t b r o k e my h e a r t a t o u r l a s t G e n ' l Conference t h a t n o t a s i n g l e word o f commendation was s a i d o f t h e a c t i o n o f Congress, ( j u s t t h e week b e f o r e ) i n spending some s i x b i l l i o n s o f d o l l a r s f o r t h e r e l i e f o f t h e p e o p l e s o f the world i n d i s t r e s s . I n p r i n c i p l e , i t i s nothing short of t h e ^ s t o r o o f t h e good S a m a r i t a n a l l o v e r a g a i n . T h e r e ' s a w i d e d i f f e r e n c e ^ i n t h e s e t t i n g , and m o s t l y i n t h e method, b u t i f we is a man of gentle or refined manners; a well-bred man of fine feelings, raised above the vulgar by habits, especially education Q ^ Q N O T G O I L L G T O U S 6 one of good character; and social esteem.—Webster . T H I S F O R righteOUSneSS , what a r e we t o u s e . ( T h a t f s o f f t h e c u f f , b u t i n a way, i t a p p l i e s t o y o u . ) B u t h o n e s t l y , ever s i n c e t h a t change was made i n p u t t i n g a n o t h e r man i n y o ^ - ^ p l a c e as Chairman o f The Board o f ^ " e r n o r s o f The F e d e r a l Reserve System o f Our Gove a n t i n Washi n g t o n , my h e a r t has gonex* o u t i n a d m i r a t i o n f o r y o u ; and i f i t ' s f a i r t o say s o , f o r The System t h a t produced us a l s o , f o r needless t o a d m i t t h a t I f i n d m y s e l f i n t e r p r e t i n g most e v e r y t h i n g i n l i f e i n t e r m o f The Church, p r e t t y much. And maybe you do t o o * more o r l e s s , I honor y o u . I wanted you t o " s t a y w i t h t h e s h i p ? l i k e you d i d . I f m g l a d you d i d not f l a r e up and q u i t , l i k e a p i n h e a d . T h a t made y o u a Digger man, n o t o n l y i n t h e eyes o f a l l o f u s , b u t i n r e a l i t y and i n essense. I l i k e d i t , and I f v e used you as an example i n many o f my t a l k s i n t h e Wards, f o r t o me, t h a t v i t a l l e s s o n was l e a r n e d i n some l i t t l e Quorum o f The P r i e s t h o o d i n Cache v a l l e y and i n t h e m i s s i o n f i e l d * f o r t h a t v e r y t h i n g i s most common among u s . One day w e f r e a t t h e t o p , l i k e Sam Dye, and t h e n e x t day w e f r e t a k i n g o r d e r s . That t a k e s a b i g man. B u t t h a t f s what The Church does f o r us - i n t h e p r o c e s s . J u s t imagine J Edgar Hoover, head o f t h e F . B . I , i n t h a t s e t t i n g - i f you c a n , o r C o r d e l l B u l l . B e s i d e s , t h a t n o b l e course shows t h a t y o u a r e w o r k i n g - f o r A m e r i c a , and f o r t h e American p e o p l e , and t h a t M a r r i n e r E c c l e s i s second t o h i s t a s k and h i s d u t y . P e r s o n a l l y - I am s a t i s f i e d t h a t t h e l a s t c h a p t e r i n t h e s t o r y has n o t y e t been w r i t t e n ; n o t by a l o n g ways, and n o t even i n The Church; b u t even t h o y o u q u i t tomorrow o r a r e l e t o u t , t h e t h i n g has been done, and i t f s a p a r t o f A m e r i c a , and i t f s a p a r t o f u s , and no one can ever undo t i e r e c o r d o f t h e p a s t t w e l v e momentous y e a r s . Much l i k e Seward s a i d o f L i n c o l n , MNow jue belongs t o t h e ageS1.1 Some day w e 1 1 1 ALT* a p p r e c i a t e y o u r f a i t h f u l n e s s . I want you t o do t h e b e s t y o u can - as An E l d e r i n I s r a e l , under t h e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , ray dear Mr. M a r r i n e r $ and t h e L o r d w i l l b l e s s and s u s t a i n you. And n o t because I say so e i t h e r . These t h i n g s j u s t come. L i k e A m e r i c a ; I t says any n a t i o n t h a t possesses t h i s l a n d s h a l l s e r v t h e God o f t h e l a n d o r be d e s t r o y e d . W e l l , i f we a r e n o t d e s t r o y e d , b u t p r o s p e r i n s t e a d , does t h a t mean we a r e s e r v i n g t h e God o f t h e l a n d . What e l s e ? What e l s e , I beg o f y o u , my dear f e l l o w . And t h e same a p p l i e s t o you and t o me and a l l o f u s . These a r e b u t t h e ABCs o f good common sense o r o f s i m p l e a r i t h m e t i c o r l o g i c , o r w h a t e v e r y o u want t o c a l l i t # P l e a s e f a v o r me and n o t answer t h i s l e t t e r . Pardon me f o r w r i t i n g and f o r u s i n g t h i s personal s t a t i o n a r y . I f v e used i t f o r more t h a n t w e n t y y e a r s . Y o u r ^ ' a O c M ^ ^ August 11, 1948. Dear M r . Bell: I t was v e r y k i n d a n d - t h o u g h t f u l o f you t o w r i t e as you d i d on August 5* I t i s always g r a t i f y i n g t o r e c e i v e e n c o u r a g i n g words f r o m t h o s e who approve o f my e f f o r t s t o be h e l p f u l t o o u r c o u n t r y . I am j u s t c a r r y i n g on my r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s as I see them, and, o f course^ I am l u c k y t o have a - f i n e h e r i t a g e . Sincerely yours, M r . A l b e r t W. B e l l , 2236 Madison Avenue, Ogden, U t a h . MSE VE
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