— The Announcement! — June 1978 —
I have been blessed with wonderful spiritual experiences throughout my life, not necessarily because I was worthy of them, but rather because the Lord knew I needed them at a particular time. On Saturday, April 29, 1978, having just returned from a Priesthood Leadership meeting, I recorded the following in my journal: “Elder Rex Pinegar, our visiting authority, spoke with the power of God and was truly motivational. I am so grateful for this Church. I love it with all my heart. I desire to live my life in such a way that the Lord can use me in whatever capacity He may want or need to use me. Thank heavens for inspired leaders to guide us along righteous paths. Life truly is beautiful as long as the light of the Gospel of Christ is lighting the path.”
Another truly spiritual and momentous event for me came on June 9, 1978 when President Kimball announced that all worthy males were now eligible to hold the priesthood, regardless of color or race. I recorded the following in my journal that week: “What an historic day this was for the Church. How many thousands and tens of thousands of prayers must have been offered over the preceding years, imploring the Lord for this great blessing? What a tremendous blessing this will be in the lives of our African-American brothers and their families. I now look forward to the time when we will have men of color serving as bishops, stake presidents, and general authorities. I know that President Kimball is a prophet and that this change is God’s will. We thank Thee, O God, for a prophet!”
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