This regular Cornucopia column features incidents from and glimpses into the life and ministry of Elder James E. Talmage as compiled by James P. Harris, who is currently working on a full-length biography of this fascinating Mormon apostle. The column title is adopted from the statement inscribed on Elder Talmage’s tombstone: “Within the Gospel of Jesus Christ there is room and place for every truth thus far learned by man or yet to be made known.”
To whom or what do we owe our highest allegiance? When desires and duties conflict, how do we decide what to do? Elder Talmage faced dilemmas such as these many times during his ministry. He describes one particularly poignant incident in his 9 May 1921 journal entry:
Immediately after arrival [in Salt Lake City] I learned of the death of my Aunt Bessie—Mrs. Elizabeth Rawlinson—which occurred at San Francisco at 9:30 p.m., Pacific time, Saturday last, May 7th. She is the last of my Father’s generation; and I had particular reason for desiring to be present at the funeral services. Indeed, it was Aunt Bessie’s oft-repeated request that I should be present when she was laid away. I laid the matter before the Counselors in the First Presidency, President Grant being absent, and it was decided that owing to pressing duties resting upon brethren of the Twelve, few of whom are at home, I could not be given permission to make the trip to San Francisco. I confess this proved very disappointing to me; but my obligation is obvious. Hurried arrangements were made, and Wife Maia left by the noon Overland Limited for San Francisco. She was to be joined at Ogden by Cousin May Scoville, Aunt Bessie’s daughter.
Elder Talmage had been ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve on 8 December 1911. As part of the “apostolic charge” he was given by President Francis M. Lyman, then President of the Quorum, Elder Talmage was told “it would become his duty to hold himself in readiness to go and come at call, and that his duties as Apostle should take precedence over all others whether of a public, private, or domestic nature; to all of which he assented.”
The incident above is reminiscent of Matthew 8:22–23, which says, “And another of his disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.” (See also Luke 9:59–60.)
In heeding the counsel of the Brethren to not take the trip to bury Aunt Bessie, Talmage was living in accord with his own conclusions laid out in his commentary on this scriptural passage in Jesus the Christ, which Talmage had completed six years earlier. There Talmage stated:
Some readers have felt this injunction was harsh, though such an inference is unjustified. While it would be manifestly unfilial for a son to absent himself from his father’s funeral under ordinary conditions, nevertheless if that son had been set apart to service of importance transcending all personal or family obligations, his ministerial duty would of right take precedence. Moreover, the requirement expressed by Jesus was no greater than that made of every priest during his term of active service, nor was it more afflicting than the obligation of the Nazarite vow, under which many voluntarily placed themselves. The duties of ministry in the kingdom pertained to spiritual life; one dedicated thereto might well allow those who were negligent of spiritual things, and figuratively speaking, spiritually dead, to bury their dead.” (Jesus the Christ, 306)
