Training

[3] discussion of the operating rules for gaining knowledge by science and revelation. 10-14 Second temple session, much smoother than the first; shopped and packed most of the afternoon. Last two lessons presented. George Cannon taught us how to beat time. Program followed, composed of entertainment numbers by the missionaries. Over long, and rather too frivolous for my taste. 10-15 Sunday morning President Richards conducted a sacrament meeting and then attended the Tabernacle broadcast. Their version of “Praise to the Lord” was terrific. Instruction was concluded with a five hour discussion-memorization period. Came out and met Valerie in the lounge; arms-length rule suspended for thirty-four hours. Went to Assembly Hall at 5 p.m for three hour testimony meeting in which the testimony of my friend Elder Thomas stood out very strongly. For myself, I said that the Thirteen Articles of Faith can be condensed into three: First we believe in God as He is, second, in man as he may become, third we believe whether man makes it [unclear what I meant to say here].

It’s also unclear why I left out of my journal one of the really impressive events of this week: the funeral* of President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. Maybe I wrote it up in the letter and then neglected to include it in the journal part.

In any case, President Clark had been the first General Authority of the Church to catch my young attention, and it was very moving to sit at the front of the Tabernacle, next to his flower-covered casket, as Alexander Schreiner (my Cambridge friend John’s dad) played Wagner’s “Siegfried’s funeral music” on the Tabernacle Organ, and several future presidents of the Church joined the parade of speakers expressing appreciation to and for the deceased. *One of my all-time favorite stories (I love famous last words) came out of that gathering. Harold B. Lee, then of the Twelve, later to serve too briefly as President, recalled that he had been at President Clark’s side as he approached his last hour. Perceiving some restlessness, he asked, “What do you want, Reuben?” The response: “Just to endure to the end, thank you, Harold.”

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