Oscar W. McConkie, Jr.

Oscar Walter McConkie, Jr. (born May 26, 1926) is an American politician and attorney in Utah and leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was the president of the Utah State Senate from 1965 to 1966, and is currently chairman of the law firm of Kirton and McConkie.^[1] He has authored several popular books on LDS subjects.

Biography

McConkie was born in Monticello, Utah to Oscar W. McConkie and Margaret Vivian Redd. He grew up primarily in Salt Lake City, although from when he was about one to two he did live in Ann Arbor where his father was completing a law degree at the University of Michigan. Oscar, Sr. became State District Court judge for many years and was the Democratic candidate for Governor of Utah in 1960.^[2] Oscar, Jr.'s older brother, Bruce R. McConkie, became a prominent general authority and author in the LDS Church.

Oscar, Jr. studied at the University of New Mexico from 1944 to 1946, where he also played football. He then went to the University of Utah where he received a bachelors degree in 1949 in political science and a Juris doctorate in 1952.

McConkie married Judith Stoddard in the Salt Lake Temple in 1951. They are the parents of eight children. Oscar's son Oscar W. McConkie III became an immigration lawyer with Kirton and McConkie, and served as president of the LDS Church's California San Jose Mission from 2005 to 2008. Like his father, Oscar III served as an attorney for the LDS Church.^[3] Oscar, Jr.'s niece, Kathleen McConkie Collinwood, was an unsuccessful Democratic candidate for Utah's 1st congressional district in 2000.^[2]

McConkie served in various callings for the LDS Church, including as a Bishop,^[4] a Stake President,^[5] a Mission President in Arizona,^[6] and a Regional Representative.^[1]

Law and politics

From 1952 to 1967 McConkie was an instructor in business law at Stevens-Henager College. He was the county attorney for Summit County, Utah from 1959 to 1963. Like his father, McConkie became a prominent Utah Democrat, and in 1960 he was the Utah point man for John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign.^[7]

From 1955 to 1957 McConkie was a member of the Utah House of Representatives. McConkie was elected president of the Utah State Senate during his first term in office. This was the first time a first term state senator was elected president of the senate since the first term of the Utah State Senate. In 1956 he ran against William A. Dawson for Utah's 2nd congressional district.^[8] He also served for very short times during 1965 and 1966 as acting governor^[9] when both the governor and secretary of state of Utah were not in the state.

McConkie was president of the Salt Lake City School Board^[9] and from 1982 to 1984 he was chair of the Utah State Board of Education. He was chair of the Governor's Committee on Education from 1983 to 1985.

McConkie was a senior law partner representing the LDS Church.^[10][11] McConkie argued the case that led to a broadening of the clergy-penitent privilege in Utah to include any information that was given by a parishioner to a cleric with the intent of getting spiritual advice. McConkie has been involved in international law, having drafted laws that were enacted in both Jamaica and Mauritius.

McConkie was named lawyer of the year by the Utah State Bar in 2007.^[12]

Publications

• McConkie, Oscar W., Jr. (1962). The Kingdom of God: A Study Course for Priests Under 21 and Bearers of the Aaronic Priesthood Over 21 Years Old in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 1963. [Prepared under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric]. Salt Lake City, Utah: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
• —— (1963). God and Man: A Study Course for Priests Under 21 and Bearers of the Aaronic Priesthood Over 21 years Old in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 1964. Salt Lake City, Utah: Presiding Bishopric of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
• —— (1964). The Priest in the Aaronic Priesthood: A Study Course for the Priests and Aaronic Priesthood-Adults in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 1965. Salt Lake City, Utah: Presiding Bishopric of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 
• —— (1975). Angels. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877475725. 
• —— (1977). Aaronic Priesthood. Salt Lake City, Utah: Deseret Book. ISBN 0877476314. 
• —— (1979). She Shall Be Called Woman. Salt Lake City, Utah: Bookcraft. ISBN 0884943801. 
• —— (1992). "Angels". In Daniel H. Ludlow. Encyclopedia of Mormonism. New York: Macmillan. pp. 40–42. ISBN 0875799248. http://eom.byu.edu/index.php/Angels. 
• —— (2007). "Living Up to Our Patriarchies". In Kent P. Jackson; Andrew C. Skinner. Witness for the Restoration: Essays in Honor of Robert J. Matthews. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University. pp. 281–305. ISBN 0842526765. http://rsc.byu.edu/pubOMcConkieLivingUp.php. 

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} De Groote, Michael (August 31, 2009). "Robert J. Matthews, key to LDS edition of Bible, dies". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/print/705327013/Robert-J-Matthews-key-to-LDS-edition-of-Bible-dies.html. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Spangler, Donna Kemp (November 2, 2000). "Energetic Collinwood: Demo likes to join forces to find solutions". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/791207/?pg=3. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
3. ^ Funk, Marianne (April 15, 1992). "Clergy discussions still protected, LDS members assured". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/221236/. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
4. ^ Walch, Victor L. (2005). "My Recollections of Elder Neal A. Maxwell" (PDF). The Religious Educator 6 (1): 139. http://www.byursc.org/TRE/TRE6_1.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
5. ^ "7 Stakes Are Reorganized". Church News (Deseret News). May 13, 1972. http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=wj4OAAAAIBAJ&sjid=QH8DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4865%2C3489921. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
6. ^ Young, S. Dilworth (January 1973). "Elder Bruce R. McConkie Of the Council of the Twelve". Ensign: 5. http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=658e438d9b76b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1. Retrieved 2009-09-06. 
7. ^ Walch, Tad (November 22, 2008). "JFK's Utah visits chronicled on Web". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705265076/JFKs-Utah-visits-chronicled-on-Web.html. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
8. ^ Powell, Allan Kent (1994). "Elections in the State of Utah". Utah History Encyclopedia. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press. ISBN 0874804256. http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/e/ELECTIONS.html. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
9. ^ ^{a b} Thomson, Linda (December 2, 1994). "Student brings fresh insight to school board". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/391243/. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
10. ^ Harris, Jenny Lynn McGee (April 2005) (PDF). The Silent Majority: Conservative Perception, Mobilization, and Rhetoric at the Utah State International Women's Year Conference. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University. p. 46. http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/ETD/image/etd703.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
11. ^ Funk, Marianne (March 8, 1994). "Conversations with clergy are privileged". Deseret News. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/340538/. Retrieved 2009-09-05. 
12. ^ Utah State bar announcement of 2007 award recipients

Sources

• Kirton and McConkie info on McConkie
• Abrams, Douglas M., Conflict, Competition or cooperation: Dilemas of state education policy making. p. 75
• McConkie, Joseph Fielding. The Bruce R. McConkie Story. (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2003) p. 61
• essay by McConkie in a collection of essays in honor of Robert J. Matthews.
• Lawyers.com listing for McConkie

Persondata
Name	McConkie, Oscar W., Jr.
Alternative names
Short description	Politician and lawyer
Date of birth	May 26, 1926
Place of birth	Monticello, Utah
Date of death
Place of death