Scope and Contents

Typewritten and signed letters dated 20 June and 17 Aug. 1923. The items are addressed to Joseph W. Smith and are signed by the Mormon Church leaders, Melvin J. Ballard and John A. Widtsoe. The letters deal primarily with business matters.

Scope and Contents Typewritten statement dated April 13, 1945. Ririe writes that he was on a train in Canada with the Mormon apostle, John A. Widtsoe, in 1945. Widtsoe told Ririe that he was present when John Wickersham Woolley, a temple worker for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, admitted that he had not been given authority to perform polygamous marriages after that practice was discontinued by the Church. Also included is a typewritten letter from Widtsoe to Ririe dated November 19, 1945...

Scope and Contents

Typewritten and signed letter dated 31 March 1932 and addressed to Francis W. Kirkham, Mormon author and businessman. Widtsoe tells Kirkham how some statistics on the Mormon Church were compiled.

Scope and Contents Typewritten letters addressed to S. Norman Lee and dated 9 Oct. 1947 and 15 Nov. 1949. Widtsoe responds to Lee's questions on the doctrines of the Mormon Chuch. Witsoe writes that the Word of Wisdom prohibition of "hot drinks" means that coffee, tea, cola drinks, and the South American drink called "Mate" are unacceptable because they contain caffeine. He also writes that Blacks will eventually be given the priesthood in the Mormon Church. He further states that the second president of...