Harry S. Truman and the Latter-Day Saints

If you travel to Jackson County Missouri you can stop at the Jackson County Courthouse, also known as the Truman Courthouse for Harry S. Truman the 33rd President of the United States. He served as President of the United States from 1945 to 1953. In the court house you are able see the offices President Truman used while he was a county judge in 1933.

At one point during his presidency, September 1948, Harry S. Truman visited Salt Lake City Utah and made a speech in the Tabernacle.

Here is a snippet from his speech:

“Governor Maw, President Smith(President George Albert Smith), distinguished guests, citizens of Utah:

It is a pleasure to me to be here this evening. You don't know what a great pleasure it is to see this magnificent auditorium, one of the historic ones in the world, and all these thousands and thousands of people who have taken the trouble to come out to listen to me and to weigh what I have to say.

My train trip coming out here across the country has been a tremendous experience.

I have always had a special admiration for this region of America. It has a quality all its own. In a few generations the people here built a civilization out of the desert.

There is no story in our history more typical of the free American spirit than that of the Mormon settlers who founded this great city. I have a close personal interest in the history of this great city. My grandfather, who lived in Jackson County, Mo., was a freighter across the plains, in the early days, and on occasion he brought an ox trainload of goods and merchandise here to Salt Lake City. My grandfather, whose name was Young, went to see Brigham Young, and told him his troubles, and Brigham Young gave him advice and told him to rent space down on the main street here in Salt Lake City, place his goods on display, and he would guarantee that my grandfather would lose no money. And he didn't.

Today, I am most cordially received by the President of the Mormon Church, the successor of Brigham Young. I wish my old grandfather could see me now!

Those pioneers had faith, and they had energy. They took the resources that Nature offered them, and used them wisely. Their courage and fighting spirit made them secure against enemies.

They have left you a great heritage. You now have the responsibility for the wise use of the resources of this region. You now have the duty to protect your rights and your welfare against enemies who threaten them.

And these enemies do exist. Whether you know it or not, you are in battle against powerful forces that threaten your resources, and your families, and your hopes of the future. Tonight I am going to name these forces, so that you will all know whom we are fighting.”

You can read the whole speech at:

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/address-the-mormon-tabernacle-salt-lake-city