Snow on Journals, Issues of Church and State (3 of 4)

Church members have been counseled to keep journals. Does that apply to general authorities as well? Elder Steven Snow will answer that question, and we’ll talk about issues of church and state.

Elder Snow: We haven’t spoken a lot about journals since President Kimball’s time. But it’s important to leave a record for your family to let them know about your faith and your challenges, your trials, your difficulties, what you did, what your faith meant to you.

GT: Now, we’ve heard that some of the general authorities have been told not to write journals, because of…

Elder Snow: President Packer was. We try to encourage the new brethren to keep a record. Now, as a general authority, your journal belongs to the church. So you sign an agreement, when you’re called that that’s the case, all your personal papers.

GT: Oh, really?

Elder Snow: All your personal papers that relate to your time as a general authority are technically Church property. That’s a legal agreement that you sign. Now, if you’re good enough to keep a journal and not make reference to any of your church service, you could do that. But that’s pretty hard to do.

I will also ask him about questions of church and state. Is it ok to be a democrat?

Elder Snow: I’ve been an active as a Democrat before my call as a General Authority.

GT: Wow, I think that’s a secret. I don’t think very many people know that.

Elder Snow: Well, I don’t think politics enters into too much in our calling as a General Authority.

GT: I believe. Elder Jensen before you was a Democrat as well.

Elder Snow: Yeah, we used to talk to each other about the results of the elections. He’s always been a good Democrat.

GT: Do you have any sense and I don’t want you to name names, especially if you don’t want to, but do you have any sense for how many of the Quorum of Seventy or apostles lean towards the Democratic positions?

What were his feelings about the policy excluding baptism for children of gay parents? He has some candid responses that you won’t want to miss. Check out our conversation….

church and state - Snow on Journals, Issues of Church and State (3 of 4) - Mormon History Podcast — Elder Snow talks about importance of personal histories. Did you know he was a Democrat?

Don’t miss our previous interviews with Elder Snow!

303: Elder Snow & Gospel Topics Essays

302: “I Just Love Church History!”

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