Comments on: 20th Century March Mormon Madness – Round 1, Part 1

By: Norris Finlayson, age 76

Norris Finlayson, age 76 — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:03:57 +0000

Margaret Young (hello): I hope that in twenty years when this poll is resurrected… I will be, too, and will vote for Elder Talmage, …..or for Elder Jensen. I love them both.

By: Ogan

Ogan — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 01:35:05 +0000

I think Heber J. Grants influence is more closely tied to the 20th Century.

By: Margaret Young

Margaret Young — Sat, 22 Mar 2008 01:03:51 +0000

Amen to Tracy M. It’s very hard to vote between a dead guy and a living one. I have a strong sense (I didn’t say “an impression”) that Elder Jensen is on the cusp of remarkable things. I had to vote for Talmage TODAY because of _Jesus the Christ_, but I hope that in twenty years, when this poll is resurrected, I will vote for Elder Jensen.

By: sister blah 2

sister blah 2 — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 23:31:09 +0000

I’m not sure about most influential, but Jensen hands-down wins my favorite recent conference talk: “Friendship: A Gospel Principle”

By: Tracy M

Tracy M — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:25:04 +0000

I hope Jensen’s influence is only just beginning.

By: Jennifer in GA

Jennifer in GA — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:16:59 +0000

I had to vote for Martins, too. His son was a missionary in my ward in FL when I was a teenager. (This was the early 90′s.) His son was kind of an arrogant jerk, but as the first black missionary the mission ever had he really reached out to blacks in the community and showed them that the church wasn’t just for “white” people. And the son wouldn’t have been there if not for the father.

By: Kevinf

Kevinf — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:12:05 +0000

Stapley, Jensen was born in the 20th century, and became a GA then. Still, the creepiness persists.

By: Steve Evans

Steve Evans — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:02:03 +0000

J., aren’t you mis-stating the question?

By: jupiterschild

jupiterschild — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 22:00:11 +0000

I thought Laurel Thatcher Ulrich was a great inclusion, even though I couldn’t vote for her because I’m not sure what her effect on Mormonism is/will be. I think she’s a great model of a Mormon academic (and just a plain great historian). If we could churn out thousands of her, she would have had my vote. But I just don’t see people discussing her views on the church the way they do those of Michael Quinn. Bummer, and sorry, LTU.

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 21:55:34 +0000

Kevinf, but Jensen is primarily a 21st century figure. What did he do in the 20th Century that effected the 21st?

The top three in this competition are JFS, Talmage and Grant. Period.