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In the mission I served, among my fellow sojourners, Maxwell was the GA du jour. McConkie was the undisputed authority on Mormon doctrine, the law, but viewed as rigid whereas Maxwell seemed on the mercy side of the equation and his writings were more ethereal and inspiring.

The up-and-comers then were Poelman and Goasland.

Those that visited us all seemed fairly aloof, corporate, except perhaps Featherstone (though a bit corporate in his own congenial way). Ballard took the cake of exuding self-importance, and that was at a time when he had not yet taken McConkie's spot in the 12.

I met up with Paul Liar Dunn because he was over the British Isles during my sentence which I served in London. Also, Mark E. Peterson came around to make his usual rants.

Paul O

sock puppet wrote:

.. Ballard took the cake of exuding self-importance, and that was at a time when he had not yet taken McConkie's spot in the 12.

Ha ha! I had to go in for a GA interview before being cleared for a mission. I got Ballard because he was in our stake, and my Bishop said he was helpful when he had to send in hopefuls from the Stake. This was a long time before they raised the bar, of course.

What a jerk. Tried to make me feel like a piece of crap. He failed on that score.

But, the Bishop got the ok later that evening. And off I went shortly thereafter.

Oh, McConkie and Dunn were the stars at that time.

Shulem wrote:I met up with Paul Liar Dunn because he was over the British Isles during my sentence which I served in London. Also, Mark E. Peterson came around to make his usual rants.

Paul O

I met Paul H. Dunn in the UK.
He was revered as a fantastic speaker.
'Fantastic' was exacty the right description, but at the time, who knew...?

Richard G Scott and L Tom Perry. Oh, and Neal Maxwell, whom I admired.

gramps wrote:Tried to make me feel like a piece of s***. He failed on that score.

I'm glad to know that some were able to hold their ground.

Elder McConkie, without a doubt. Rumors abounded about his scriptural knowledge (such as if you quoted any scripture in the standard works, he could quote the scripture immediately before and after), and I somehow managed to read through all three volumes of his New Testament Commentary on my mission, though he never visited in person (Japan 1979-81).

President Kimball came by for an area conference in which he referred to young black men as "boys" which caused me and my companion to exchange worried glances, but President Kimball immediately thereafter referred to young white men as "boys," too, so that sort of took the shock value down a notch.

President Kimball came by later for the dedication of the Tokyo Temple in October of 1980. I got to shake his hand in a crowd of thronging missionaries. He turned his head to somebody else when I got to him so I am pretty sure he didn't even see my face. Sort of a let down.

Elder Mark E. Peterson was also present and gave a talk on the subject of courtesy in the auditorium where we were holding the dedication session for the temple.

Another missionary (Elder Plant) and I happened to run into him outside afterward and we were falling all over ourselves shaking his hand and saying how good his talk was, addressing him as "President Peterson." Elder Peterson didn't correct either of us, but he had no sooner walked away when Elder Plant and I looked at each other, palm slapped out foreheads and moaned, "President Peterson?"

Then there was the time Elder Marion Hanks came to talk to us boys at the mission home. Right before the meeting, I was in the bathroom and had just washed up, but was hurrying so didn't take much time to dry my hands off. Coming out of the bathroom, Elder Hanks was going in, and I said a surprised, "Hello, Elder Hanks!" and extended my hand, which he readily took. His face registered pretty much what you would expect upon grabbing a wet hand from a 20-year old missionary coming out of a bathroom.

All the Best!

--Consiglieri

static wrote:If I remember correctly, the "rock star" GAs on my mission were the Tolistboboii, Tectosages, and Trocmi.

How do YOU offically spell the name of the LDS church?

I'm testing you.

Paul O

Drifting wrote:

Shulem wrote:I met up with Paul Liar Dunn because he was over the British Isles during my sentence which I served in London. Also, Mark E. Peterson came around to make his usual rants.

Paul O

I met Paul H. Dunn in the UK.
He was revered as a fantastic speaker.
'Fantastic' was exacty the right description, but at the time, who knew...?

Paul Dunn – I can still remember all of those P-days where we would sit around writing letters back home and listening to Paul Dunn. Robert Wells was our GA so I got to meet Sharlene Wells once. That was before she was Miss America. I am sure I left an indelible mark on her heart….OK probably not.