Bruce R. McConkie

Bruce R. McConkie was an apostle from 1972 until his death in 1985, known as one of the most influential and controversial LDS theologians of the 20th century. The son-in-law of President Joseph Fielding Smith, McConkie authored “Mormon Doctrine” (1958), an encyclopedic reference work that shaped LDS thinking for decades.

“Mormon Doctrine” was published without First Presidency approval and contained statements that church leaders found problematic, including harsh characterizations of the Catholic Church and rigid doctrinal positions. McConkie was required to make revisions for subsequent editions, though the book remained influential.

McConkie was a strong defender of the priesthood and temple ban on Black members until 1978. After the revelation lifting the ban, he famously instructed members to “forget everything” he and other leaders had said about Black people and the priesthood—a remarkable admission of past error.

His final general conference talk, given while dying of cancer in April 1985, was a powerful personal testimony of Christ that moved many listeners regardless of their views on his theological positions. McConkie died two weeks after delivering it.

He remains a complex figure: revered by some for his doctrinal certainty, criticized by others for his rigidity and past statements on race.