Nelson ghostwrote forward to biography attr. to SWK

[CuriousThinker]

Found this on reddit. Is this common practice?
https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comment ... rd_to_his/

[endlessQuestions]

Yes, it’s common.

In Babylon.

When I read that foreword several months ago, I documented how weird it felt.

Now I know why.

Russell M. Nelson has very little time to set things straight.

I hope he makes the right choices.

For all our sakes.

[tribrac]

Kind of humorous, too bad we don't know what Kimball wrote versus what Nelson wrote, versus what was published.

But more importantly... The church released SWK journals?

I was not paying attention when Kimball was president but I have read and listened to his stuff later in my life. I like him, and feel a closeness to him.

His journals could be very interesting. And we are all dying to find out what he thought of Beverly.

[endlessQuestions]

Kind of humorous, too bad we don't know what Kimball wrote versus what Nelson wrote, versus what was published.

But more importantly... The church released SWK journals?

I was not paying attention when Kimball was president but I have read and listened to his stuff later in my life. I like him, and feel a closeness to him.

His journals could be very interesting. And we are all dying to find out what he thought of Beverly.

The available journals appear to end in 1981.

I’m shocked.

[Ebenezer]

I am not surprised. Nelson has proven to be in love with Nelson. On the bright side, TIL that Nelson wrote a book about Nelson in 1979.

[endlessQuestions]

Good to see the Church redacting things like the government does. Wonder what Kimball and Kennedy were talking about (Kennedy was both a predecessor and contemporary of Beverly Campbell):

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 0?lang=eng

[BeNotDeceived]

Work for hire is the work of the employer.

[endlessQuestions]

The July 1976 journal shows President Kimball's trip to NY and D.C.

He stayed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in NY.

Had dinner with the President and Officers of CBS

Went on to D.C. and met with President Ford

And watched a choir concert - which Beverly was at, and her son was a part of.

Unfortunately, the journal entries for that time aren't in the collection - so we only have the itinerary.

It is interesting to see how often he is meeting with David M. Kennedy... I chose not to focus too much on him because there was so much meat on the Campbell story, but it's clear looking at these journals that Kennedy was in there influencing Kimball for years before Beverly came on the scene.

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 2?lang=eng

[endlessQuestions]

Didn't realize Kimball was part of the infamous Cannon-Hinckley study group:

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 9?lang=eng

[endlessQuestions]

The Howard Hughes will gets a mention:

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 0?lang=eng

[endlessQuestions]

Kimball's former secretary went to work for the CIA?

You don't say.

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 3?lang=eng

[endlessQuestions]

November 5, 1976, President Kimball meets with the President of...

Union Pacific

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 9?lang=eng

[endlessQuestions]

Kimball meets with Bernstein, and explicitly mentions Bernstein's role in removing Nixon from office.

For unknown reasons, he asks Gordon B. Hinckley and Wendell J. Ashton to join him for this meeting.

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 0?lang=eng

The next day he meets with James Reston, a NY Times reporter.

[tribrac]

Good to see the Church redacting things like the government does. Wonder what Kimball and Kennedy were talking about (Kennedy was both a predecessor and contemporary of Beverly Campbell):

https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org ... 0?lang=eng

Yep, major disappointment to see the big black bars covering parts.

Feelings of disbelief, disappointment, why treat me like a child? Spencer knew others would read it, why redact what he chose to include?

[Wolfwoman]

Found this on reddit. Is this common practice?
https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comment ... rd_to_his/

Oh my, that was icky.

So Nelson thought his book was perfect. But now it’s hidden from view and hard to find.

[Trucker]

Found this on reddit. Is this common practice?
https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comment ... rd_to_his/

Wait, wait, wait. Nelson wrote a glowing, praising foreword to his own book he wrote about himself, and then attributed it to Spencer Kimball after getting his permission? Do I understand that right? All this stuff about being a wonderful man, leader, doctor....he wrote himself? Please tell me I am misunderstanding this.

[blitzinstripes]

Therefore, my life was placed in the hands of this young doctor, in whom we noted a sweet Spirituality. Because of his skill as a surgeon—one who trusts in the power of the priesthood and relies on the Spirit of the Lord—my life was spared, even though the risks were very great for a man of my seventy-seven years.

We became close as I recovered from the open-heart surgery that he performed perfectly. Whenever I became discouraged, there was always his sweet, understanding spirit to buoy me up.

Then President Lee died in December 1973. We never thought it could happen, for he was younger than I and seemingly in good health; therefore, we were all taken by surprise. Brother Nelson, of his own accord, came to my side immediately in case he should be needed. I appreciated his thoughtfulness very much...

It pleases me very much to note that he has done a superb work in assembling the information to bring this book into existence...It seems to me that it has been done beautifully and without flaw. Long will his children and their posterity honor this great man, and long will they remember that he followed the precepts of his Lord through his prophets...

Salt Lake City, Utah March 1979

Wow. I am really struggling to understand what kind of a person could write something like this about themselves. This is a level of pride and self righteousness that I don't think I have ever encountered before.

[TheDuke]

I was working in the BYU Press in 1974, part time. Cleaning at 4-7 am. I remember one day, I was ordered to throw all the books away. They were printing copies of J Golden Kimball's sermons. He was the swearing prophet. I took one copy home with me. SWK called and ordered the destroyed. I felt bad and destroyed my copy. A few months later the reprinted, but had rewritten his talks to remove the swearing. I was a bit confused about SWK at this point as that didn't seem proper, even to an 18 yo. Wish I still had the copy.

[blitzinstripes]

JGK was a bit of an unpolished stone, but I've always enjoyed the stories and sermons. I'm a bit of an unpolished stone myself.

[TheDuke]

JGK was a bit of an unpolished stone, but I've always enjoyed the stories and sermons. I'm a bit of an unpolished stone myself.

At least we know he didn't go to hell! He said he repented too damned much!

[Redpilled Mormon]

Therefore, my life was placed in the hands of this young doctor, in whom we noted a sweet Spirituality. Because of his skill as a surgeon—one who trusts in the power of the priesthood and relies on the Spirit of the Lord—my life was spared, even though the risks were very great for a man of my seventy-seven years.

We became close as I recovered from the open-heart surgery that he performed perfectly. Whenever I became discouraged, there was always his sweet, understanding spirit to buoy me up.

Then President Lee died in December 1973. We never thought it could happen, for he was younger than I and seemingly in good health; therefore, we were all taken by surprise. Brother Nelson, of his own accord, came to my side immediately in case he should be needed. I appreciated his thoughtfulness very much...

It pleases me very much to note that he has done a superb work in assembling the information to bring this book into existence...It seems to me that it has been done beautifully and without flaw. Long will his children and their posterity honor this great man, and long will they remember that he followed the precepts of his Lord through his prophets...

Salt Lake City, Utah March 1979

Wow. I am really struggling to understand what kind of a person could write something like this about themselves. This is a level of pride and self righteousness that I don't think I have ever encountered before.

It might be even worse, since I've heard lots of anecdotal evidence that Nelson 'facilitated' the deaths of both Hunter and Benson, maybe Kimball was another in a string of targets Nelson nixed to work his way up the totem pole. And now Nelson could be abusing his former victim even more, by putting words into his mouth...

It would be fun to see what Kimball actually would have written for Nelson. "The most odious man (and I mean that both literally and metaphorically) that I have ever had the displeasure of being forced to associate with..."

[Atrasado]

Found this on reddit. Is this common practice?
https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comment ... rd_to_his/

That comment of Pres. Kimball is comedy gold, "a fulsome forward for a man to write about himself!!" (fulsome: complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree)

Do you think that Pres. Kimball really called a man he thought so arrogant to be an apostle? There was only one witness I'd heard of, GBH.

[blitzinstripes]

Therefore, my life was placed in the hands of this young doctor, in whom we noted a sweet Spirituality. Because of his skill as a surgeon—one who trusts in the power of the priesthood and relies on the Spirit of the Lord—my life was spared, even though the risks were very great for a man of my seventy-seven years.

We became close as I recovered from the open-heart surgery that he performed perfectly. Whenever I became discouraged, there was always his sweet, understanding spirit to buoy me up.

Then President Lee died in December 1973. We never thought it could happen, for he was younger than I and seemingly in good health; therefore, we were all taken by surprise. Brother Nelson, of his own accord, came to my side immediately in case he should be needed. I appreciated his thoughtfulness very much...

It pleases me very much to note that he has done a superb work in assembling the information to bring this book into existence...It seems to me that it has been done beautifully and without flaw. Long will his children and their posterity honor this great man, and long will they remember that he followed the precepts of his Lord through his prophets...

Salt Lake City, Utah March 1979

Wow. I am really struggling to understand what kind of a person could write something like this about themselves. This is a level of pride and self righteousness that I don't think I have ever encountered before.

It might be even worse, since I've heard lots of anecdotal evidence that Nelson 'facilitated' the deaths of both Hunter and Benson, maybe Kimball was another in a string of targets Nelson nixed to work his way up the totem pole. And now Nelson could be abusing his former victim even more, by putting words into his mouth...

It would be fun to see what Kimball actually would have written for Nelson. "The most odious man (and I mean that both literally and metaphorically) that I have ever had the displeasure of being forced to associate with..."

Wow. This whole saga would make a great episode of Dateline.

[endlessQuestions]

Found this on reddit. Is this common practice?
https://www.reddit.com/r/mormon/comment ... rd_to_his/

That comment of Pres. Kimball is comedy gold, "a fulsome forward for a man to write about himself!!" (fulsome: complimentary or flattering to an excessive degree)

Do you think that Pres. Kimball really called a man he thought so arrogant to be an apostle? There was only one witness I'd heard of, GBH.

I’ve still found zero evidence that Kimball saw Nelson as anything other than a doctor.

Of course, he did agree to let Nelson use what he (Nelson) had written.

The question is: why?

[abijah]

Yes, it’s common.

In Babylon.

this is true. there's an entire industrial complex around ghostwritten books with big names attached, there's a good amount of money to be made and relatively easily. most of the time it's basically a racket that ends up in a bunch of institutions and libraries buying a bunch of copies no one will ever read, but in the case of the lds church I think there's a good amount of members who will still buy and read these types of books anyway.

i always just nod and smile when i have family members gushing to me about how great the dallin h oaks biography or russell m nelson biography are. i don't relate to it at all. the information doesn't strike me as halfway useful, and i don't personally find them or their lives that particularly interesting. to each their own i guess.