Fifth in a series about the top stories of the 20th Century.
It was "quick as a flash," said I.E. Mecham. As a ward clerk serving in 1954, Brother Mecham of the Val Verda Ward, South Davis (Utah) Stake, was preparing a list of young men, ages 12 to 25, for the ward Mutual officers.
Machine cards prepared by Brother Mecham detailing information about members of the ward were run through what he called an "accounting machine." Within several minutes, the list was compiled and ready for distribution.
One "could scarcely believe it," he said in a Sept. 25, 1954, Church News article, expressing his delight of the results. The article detailed how Brother Mecham made arrangements with his employment to use the machine, which saved several hours of labor pouring over membership records.
Curiously, continued the Church News article, "When the list was completed, it totaled 71 names [of young men], 40 more than the officers knew of. The officers are now seeking the 40 lost boys."
With the ability to "do the work of 80 typists," this accounting machine was something of a precursor to modern technology. With its bulky size and long keys similar to a typewriter, the machine is now a historical artifact that has given way to computerized recording-keeping. By the early 1970s, records of members in the United States and Canada were computerized and by the early 1990s, a mammoth effort to computerize international memberships was completed.
Church membership records are probably without an equal anywhere in the world, say leaders in the Church's Member and Statistical Records Division. With computers, bishops are saved endless hours in reviewing paper membership records to determine individual needs.
"The role of technology in this work has been accelerated by the Lord Himself, who has had a guiding hand in its development and will continue to do so," said President Howard W. Hunter during the centennial celebration of the Genealogical Society of Utah in 1994.
"However," he continued, "we stand only on the threshold of what we can do with these [technological] tools. I feel our most enthusiastic projections capture only a tiny glimpse of how these tools can help us and of the eternal consequences of these efforts."
Innovations in the fields of mass communication, travel and record-keeping are among the distinguishing characteristics of the 20th Century. Since the early 1900s have come a rapid succession of discoveries, innovations and technologies that are becoming a part of the everyday fabric of life in the Church.
The Church has long recognized the value of new technologies as an aid to fulfilling its divine mandate and "was quick to take advantage of developments in technology during the 20th Century," explains the Deseret News 1999-2000 Church Almanac, p. 123.
Some of the major uses of technology in communication during the 20th Century include:
May 6, 1922 — The creation of the first radio station in Utah where President Heber J. Grant delivered the first Church message on the air waves.
1924 — First radio broadcast of general conference.
1925 — First radio broadcast of the Tabernacle Choir, with weekly programing beginning in 1929.
March 3, 1935 — First efforts to carry gospel messages through mass media with a series of six national broadcasts over CBS titled: "Church of the Air."
October 1949 — First television broadcast of general conference.
April 5, 1952 — First general priesthood meeting carried by direct wire to two adjacent overflow Church buildings.
1957 — First use of videotape to record and rebroadcast conference.
July 23, 1962 — First satellite telecast ever, which included a 15-minute goodwill performance by the Tabernacle Choir from Mount Rushmore in South Dakota on the famous Telestar satellite.
April 1980 — First simultaneous satellite telecast of general conference. During the Church's sesquicentennial year, part of the April general conference originated from the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City and part from Fayette, N.Y., the birthplace of the Church.
"King Benjamin, that humble, but mighty servant of the Lord," said President Spencer W. Kimball during a Regional Representative Seminar in 1974, "called together all the people in the land of Zarahemla and the multitude was so great that King Benjamin 'caused a tower to be erected, that thereby his people might hear the words which he should speak unto them.'
"Our Father in Heaven," continued President Kimball, "has now provided us mighty towers, radio and television towers with possibilities beyond comprehension, to help fulfill the words of the Lord that 'the sound must go forth from this place unto all the world.'
"With the Lord providing these miracles of communication, and with the increased efforts and devotion of our missionaries and all of us, and all others who are 'sent' surely the divine injunction [to preach the gospel unto every creature] will come to pass. . . ." The first radio towers were raised in 1907 when broadcasting began. By 1920, radio was being heard regularly in states east of the Mississippi River, and by 1922, it had become popular with the American public.
Early efforts of the Church came on Nov. 2, 1920, when the Deseret News began furnishing a nightly broadcast of news items by telegraph. These newscasts were limited to those connected to the telegraph wire and were able to understand code.
Two years later, in 1922, with the popularity of radio growing in the East, it was determined that a "radio phone," as it was then called, should be installed so all listeners, regardless of knowledge of codes, could participate.
The Deseret News then commenced the construction and installation of the first radio station in Utah.
On May 6, 1922, "A flash of electrical fireworks, followed by a dull hum of generating energy and 'mysterious messages' took flight for 1,000 miles in every direction from the top of the Deseret News building, promptly at 3 o'clock this afternoon," reported an article in the Deseret News describing the first broadcast of the Deseret News radio station, KZN Radio, later to become KSL Radio. "High above the drone of Salt Lake street traffic, The News radio operator, H. Carter Wilson, set his wonderful scientific radio apparatus in operation."
Later that night, as President Heber J. Grant and others assembled to dedicate the radio station, "there was a feeling of tense expectancy among the people assembled on the roof of the Deseret News building [located on the southwest corner of Main Street and South Temple]. They had to be reminded to be quiet so as not to mar the broadcast, for it was easy to forget that the microphone would pick up the slightest sound," noted an article detailing the development of Utah's first radio station in the 1964 spring issue of Utah Historical Quarterly.
"Promptly at 8 p.m., President [Heber J]. Grant spoke into the microphone of KZN, and with his ringing, resonant voice [delivered the Church's first message over the airways].
"A humorous incident has gone down in the history of this first broadcast," continued the report, "for President Grant was heard by his listeners from far and near to say during his speech, 'Turn off the heat.'
"Many letters came to KZN from people who had heard those words and wondered about them. The explanation was that it was cool this May evening on the roof. . . and somebody had connected an electric heater to provide some warmth right behind President Grant."
The value of communicating with the general membership over the airways was readily apparent by the favorable comments that were received. By 1924, the first radio broadcast of general conference was made. In 1925, the singing of the Tabernacle Choir was broadcast for the first time. A weekly program of inspirational music and spoken word, begun in 1929, is now the longest continuing radio broadcast.
During the next decade, as technologies advanced and expertise improved, the range of radio broadcasts was expanded by the Church until two continents were united by a Sunday morning general conference broadcast on April 5, 1936.
"The throngs who crowded the Tabernacle and Temple Square at the third session of the One Hundred and Sixteenth Annual Conference," stated an article in the May 1936 issue of the Improvement Era, "were witnesses of an American-European [radio] broadcast during which for the first time in its history, and in one of the most significant events in its whole life, the Church spoke to the world as a Church in a General Conference."
Members of the First Presidency had appeared individually on nationwide networks on numerous occasions, the article noted, and Church features had been released previously on international networks, "but this was the first testimony of the Presidency speaking for the Church in general conference on a nationwide American network broadcast or on an American-European broadcast."
Another milestone in technology history was reached in October 1949 when the six sessions of general conference were televised for the first time. "Another history-making tradition was inaugurated in carrying the words of the General Authorities to the Church," stated an article in the October 1949 Church News.
"Not only were the words of inspiration to a weary and troubled world of President George Albert Smith heard by thousands, but also the image of the prophet was before their very eyes.
"Television can never hope to echo and reflect more than that."
Broadcasting conference made it possible for Church members to receive messages from Church leaders immediately. By the late 1970s, general conference was broadcast to the world via a complex system of more than 200 television and 55 radio stations, and to more than 1,200 meetinghouse locations over telephone lines.
Since 1979 when the first nine stakes received satellite transmissions, conference messages have been beamed from an earth station in Salt Lake City to a satellite circling above the earth.
Today, more than 3,500 meetinghouses throughout the United States, Canada, the Caribbean and Europe have been equipped with earth stations, or satellite receivers, while another 1,200 cable television systems receive the satellite feed.
In an effort to use every resource and medium available to spread the gospel, the Church has also developed state-of-the-art printing facilities that publish high-quality Church magazines, scriptures and other visual material.
Likewise, the Church has developed a highly successful public service campaign called Homefront, where, for the past 27 years, radio and television broadcasters have aired short sketches promoting family values. Other public service efforts include the "Faith in Families Report," produced by the Church Public Affairs Department. The 14-part program includes counsel and direction from various religious leaders concerning major topics of the day.
The Public Affairs Department also produces a 15-minute program titled "News of the Church" which airs weekly on 170 stations around the country.
Advances in technology have, likewise, been essential in the growth of family history work where index cards, once created by typewriter, are now sorted and organized by computer.
Microfilming technology has proven to be a great medium for capturing information and then making it accessible to others, said Richard E. Turley, Jr., managing director of the Church Family History and the Church Historical departments. Personal computers and the recent release of a suite of family history computer products have aided research. (The expansion of family history work will be featured in the June 26 Church News.)
"In years past, much of the effort to research family histories and record family information was devoted to the mechanics of record keeping. Now, we are using technology to connect users with information," said Brother Turley.
With that same interest in harnessing the power of technology as past years, the Church continues to carefully and thoughtfully implement new technologies. Frontiers of the future include the Internet, with its ability to instantaneously connect information and users around the world, and new devices such as DVDs with its ability to store audio and visual material.
The Church currently has a graphic and visually appealing Web site, started Dec. 9, 1996, that offers an explanation of basic beliefs, family history resources, member resources and media information.
In addition, President Gordon B. Hinckley launched the FamilySearch Web site May 24. This is a second Web site organized by the Church. It is aimed specifically at providing family history information to researchers around the world. The site contains 400 million names. On the day it was launched, more than 500 hits per second to access information were recorded.
"The Lord has inspired skilled men and women in developing new technologies which we can use to our great advantage in moving forward this sacred work," said President Hinckley.
