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Harold B. Lee: Man of Vision, Prophet of God
For the first time in many years, all of the biographies written about Church Presidents by Francis M. Gibbons from Joseph Smith through Ezra Taft Benson are in print and available in an economical paperback format. Elder Gibbons, who has personally known several Church Presidents, was a secretary to the First Presidency for sixteen years and also served in both the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy.
525 pages, Hardcover
First published August 19, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
January 18, 2017
I was disappointed in this book. I greatly admire President Harold B. Lee. I think he was one of the extraordinary men in the history of the LDS Church. I looked forward to a book filled with inspiring stories about this wonderful man. Instead, it contained page after page of the details of President Lee's calendar. He went to this city on this day; held meeting in these places on the way; held meetings after arriving with this person and this person. I kept wondering what great thing happened in the myriad of places he went and the plethora of meetings he held. It still is a good book but not what I expected and was wanting.
August 2, 2019
El libro es muy bueno en cuestión de material de lo que hizo el presidente Lee.
El problema radica en que parece una copia de la agenda del profeta con unas cuantas anotaciones Personales.
Hubiera sido mejor conocer más de su carácter, sus habilidades, su pensamiento y no simplemente su agenda.
El problema radica en que parece una copia de la agenda del profeta con unas cuantas anotaciones Personales.
Hubiera sido mejor conocer más de su carácter, sus habilidades, su pensamiento y no simplemente su agenda.
May 2, 2012
Sometimes Gibbons' resources were thin: I tired of reading Lee's travel log in the middle and end parts of this biography. I liked the first third best which described Lee's family of origin, growing up and his first years of work out of high school, in Idaho. Also, descriptions of his mission years were insightful. I did not grasp of Lee's adult personality from Gibbons' language--the proverbial pedestal was painfully high. A few more direct quotes of Lee's public speeches would have given me a flavor of Lee's way with words.
My mother heard Lee speak when she was in her later high school/early college years, before she met my dad. While listening to Lee speak, my mother, now 88, first recognized the spiritual witness of the Holy Ghost informing her in a clear, personal way that Jesus is God's son and presides over Lee's church. She was well informed of Jesus and LDS church for many years prior, but listening to Lee made this information come alive in her, a testimony of which she has nurtured and maintained for 6+ decades. Lee was instrumental in sculpting her faith; she enjoys speaking of him.
I think it was interesting that Gibbons entertained the notion that Lee's life was possibly cut short (he died unexpectedly at age of 73, having served less than 2 years as church president) for the fact that he ate the rich food served to him for 3 decades, touring congregations on a weekly basis, and failed to incorporate regular physical exercise, other than lawn and household maintenance, in his adult lifestyle. Lee was an athlete during his teen years; many Apostles routinely work out and compete athletically well into their senior years. I think there were substantively deeper issues than food and exercise: in Prince's "David O. McKay: The Rise of Modern Mormonism," Lee was among the majority of Apostles who, on several rounds of voting as a Quorum, during McKay's administration, voted against extending priesthood to all worthy male members. The only Apostle who did not vote this way (he abstained from voting), was Spencer Kimball, the church president who succeeded Lee and who did extend priesthood to all worthy male members. Gibbons showed me, in a limited way, how Lee was something of the product of his time. Kimball was cut from a different cloth than Lee. What vital contributions both Lee and Kimball made: Lee centralized internal church organization, correlating youth, children, Sunday school, men's and women's groups to each other. He also crafted welfare and social services outreach--huge contributions. But the comparisons here are mine: Gibbons' work is straightforwardly simple. I liked it, but was not deeply educated about Lee, who was, I think, more complicated and deep than Gibbons described.
My mother heard Lee speak when she was in her later high school/early college years, before she met my dad. While listening to Lee speak, my mother, now 88, first recognized the spiritual witness of the Holy Ghost informing her in a clear, personal way that Jesus is God's son and presides over Lee's church. She was well informed of Jesus and LDS church for many years prior, but listening to Lee made this information come alive in her, a testimony of which she has nurtured and maintained for 6+ decades. Lee was instrumental in sculpting her faith; she enjoys speaking of him.
I think it was interesting that Gibbons entertained the notion that Lee's life was possibly cut short (he died unexpectedly at age of 73, having served less than 2 years as church president) for the fact that he ate the rich food served to him for 3 decades, touring congregations on a weekly basis, and failed to incorporate regular physical exercise, other than lawn and household maintenance, in his adult lifestyle. Lee was an athlete during his teen years; many Apostles routinely work out and compete athletically well into their senior years. I think there were substantively deeper issues than food and exercise: in Prince's "David O. McKay: The Rise of Modern Mormonism," Lee was among the majority of Apostles who, on several rounds of voting as a Quorum, during McKay's administration, voted against extending priesthood to all worthy male members. The only Apostle who did not vote this way (he abstained from voting), was Spencer Kimball, the church president who succeeded Lee and who did extend priesthood to all worthy male members. Gibbons showed me, in a limited way, how Lee was something of the product of his time. Kimball was cut from a different cloth than Lee. What vital contributions both Lee and Kimball made: Lee centralized internal church organization, correlating youth, children, Sunday school, men's and women's groups to each other. He also crafted welfare and social services outreach--huge contributions. But the comparisons here are mine: Gibbons' work is straightforwardly simple. I liked it, but was not deeply educated about Lee, who was, I think, more complicated and deep than Gibbons described.
October 23, 2010
I loved learning more about President Lee's life, but I wish the writing had been a bit more lively and less stodgy. This book can't even compare with the wonderful biographies of other prophets, which I've also read.
June 1, 2008
As a boy growing up, I always thought of him as the executive (or business) president. I learned many great things that don't relate to his 'executive' nature. Great read.
November 12, 2008
This book rocks! Fun to read! He was destined for the church.
January 4, 2009
Another inspiring book about an inspiring man. I didn't want it to end.
May 17, 2011
Francis Gibbons you are one interesting writer... can't get through it
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews