Marlin K. Jensen

In January 2012, it was announced that, after a transition period, Steven E. Snow would replace Jensen as the Church Historian and Recorder later in the year.^[16] Snow succeeded Jensen on August 1, 2012.^[29] On October 6, 2012, Jensen was then released from the First Quorum of the Seventy and designated as an emeritus general authority at the LDS Church's semi-annual general conference. LDS Church practice is to release Seventies from service following their 70th birthdays, which Jensen had observed in May of that year.^[27][29]

Major statements

Jensen at times addressed the press or public as a church representative. He often acted as a peacemaker, attempting to bring understanding or empathy to divisive issues. While not always official church positions, his statements illustrated his candid views as a leader within the LDS Church.^[27]

Political parties

On April 22, 1998, Jensen was sent by the

Coming from a church official on assignment from the First Presidency, the comments surprised many prominent Utah politicians and Latter-day Saints.[27]^[31]

The Mormons (PBS)

Jensen featured prominently in the 2007

• Doubt: Jensen described questioning his religion while in philosophy classes where he had to "test [his] belief against ... other theories." This led him to reinforce his faith through deeper study.
• Correlation: "We are really trying to take account of cultural differences and to not feel that this Utah influence or even the American influence has to be worldwide."
• Folklore of the priesthood ban: Jensen recalled his attempts to have the church repudiate the rationale some use to explain the priesthood ban.^[33]
• Historical truth claims: "I think we take it very literally. We don't deconstruct and feel that what we have is the figment of language or our imagination, or that there is some middle ground. I know that is very polarizing. In a sense, I think the hardest public relations sell we have to make is that this is the only true church."
• Homosexuality: Jensen said the gospel allows either heterosexuality or celibacy. He empathized with celibate gay members, since the church cannot offer them hope of eventually finding love in this life as it can with single heterosexuals.
• Faith-promoting history: Jensen questioned whether the
  Church Historian
  should only focus on reinforcing faith, or if he should also focus on "objective" histories.
• Excommunicable doctrines: Jensen mentioned that members may receive disciplinary action in supporting
  gay marriage or opposing Book of Mormon
  divinity, if they are "openly vocal" and "malign the leadership in the church for not adopting that position."

At the invitation of Utah State University professor Philip Barlow, Jensen held a "Q&A" with a Mormon Studies student group on November 11, 2011. Jensen was asked if church leaders were aware that members were discovering problems with LDS Church history through the internet, and what is to be done for those who may be affected or "who are already leaving in droves". Jensen responded that top church leaders "realize that, maybe, since Kirtland we've never had a period of, I'll call it apostasy, like we're having right now, largely over these issues." He said a new church initiative would give answers to troubling questions, and such issues should be discussed more openly with the new internet-savvy generation. These remarks were recorded by a student and circulated online, and were picked up in a Reuters "Special Report". Jensen later clarified that critics were overstating his remarks, saying "To say we are experiencing some Titanic-like wave of apostasy is inaccurate."^{[40][41][42][43]}

Personal life

Jensen married Kathleen Bushnell on June 9, 1967 in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of eight children.^[4]

Publications

Articles

• Jensen, Marlin K.; Sandra Stallings Jenkins (June 1990). "Friend to Friend". The Friend: 6.
• —— (November 18, 1990). "Follow the Gospel Plan". (Fireside address). Provo, Utah: J. Reuben Clark Law School, Brigham Young University. {{cite book}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
• —— (1993). "Loving with the Spirit and with the Understanding". Devotional and Fireside Speeches, 1992-93. pp. 91–99. Archived from the original on 2006-09-01.
• —— (October 1994). "A Union of Love and Understanding". Ensign: 46–51.
• —— (1996). "Living After the Manner of Happiness". Speeches (Brigham Young University) 1995-96. pp. 29–37. Archived from the original on 2006-09-01.
• —— (1997). "Martin Harris". Heroes of the Restoration. Salt Lake City:
  ISBN 1-57008-291-X
  .
• —— (Fall 1997). "Where Art Thou?: Answering God's Interrogatories" (PDF). Clark Memorandum. Provo, Utah: J. Reuben Clark Law Society: 2–7.
• —— (1998). "Gospel Doctrines—Anchors to Our Souls". BYU Women's Conference.
• —— (1999). "Upon These We Bestow More Abundant Honor". In
  Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History
  . pp. 3–26.
• —— (August 1999). "How to Be Happy". New Era: 4–7.
• —— (2000). "May the Kingdom of God Go Forth". 29th Sperry Symposium: Out of Obscurity. Salt Lake City:
  Deseret Book
  . pp. 1–15.
• —— (June 2001). "Making a Mighty Change". New Era: 4–7.
• ——; Melvin Leavitt (June 2006). "Friend to Friend: My Brother Gary". The Friend: 8–9.
• —— (Spring 2008). "Church History: Past, Present and Future".
  Journal of Mormon History. 34 (2). Mormon History Association
  : 20–42.
• —— (October 2008). "Gospel Doctrines: Anchors to Our Souls". Ensign: 58–61.
• —— (July 2009). "The Joseph Smith Papers: The Manuscript Revelation Books". Ensign: 46–51.
• —— (2009). "Those Who Are Different".
  Religious Educator. 10 (2). Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University
  : 15–18.
• —— (2010). "Making a Case for Church History". In Steven C. Harper; Richard E. Turley, Jr. (eds.). Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints. Provo:
  BYU
  . pp. 1–18.
• —— (Fall 2011). "The Rest of the Story: Latter-day Saint Relations with Utah's Native Americans" (PDF).
  Mormon Historical Studies
  . 12 (2): 17–25.
• —— (Spring 2013). "Minding the House of Church History: Reflections of a Church Historian at the End of His Time".
  S2CID 254479653
  .

• Jensen, Marlin K. (May 1993). "A Conversation on Preparing Ourselves for the Temple". Ensign.
• ——; John K. Carmack (June 1997). "Conversation: Church Museum Strengthens Members and Visitors". Ensign: 77–78.
• ——; Harrie, Dan (August 1998). "'To Have a Robust, Multi-Party System': Transcript of Salt Lake Tribune Interview with Elder Marlin K. Jensen" (PDF).
  Sunstone
  . 21 (3): 82–87.
• ——; Christensen, Tom (August 13, 2005). "Historian from Huntsville".
  Ogden Standard-Examiner
  : 4E–5E.
• ——;
  Religious Educator. 8 (3). Religious Studies Center
  : 1–13.
• —— (December 2007). "There Shall Be a Record Kept among You". Ensign: 28–33.
• ——;
  Mormon Channel
  .

Notes