Recommend For A Dollar

President (John) Taylor was standing by the east pulpit on the morning of (the Logan Temple) dedication, watching the hundreds of people filing into the assembly hall through the four doorways in the corners of the building.  He turned to President Charles O. Card and said:  "See that woman coming through the doorway.  Don't let her come into the assembly.  She is not worthy."

Brother Card was greatly surprised and said:  "Why not?  She had to have a recommend, and she had to present it at the door.  Surely she is all right."

President Taylor answered:  "I know not, but the Spirit of God tells me she is not worthy."

Brother Card found the woman and asked to see her recommend, which she had.  She raised no opposition when he found she was not a Mormon and asked her to leave the room.  She also gave him her name and address.  Brother Card later visited her at her home and asked how she had obtained her recommend.  The bishop of the ward had issued a recommend to one of his inactive couples, thinking they would be so happy that they would renew their religious duties in the ward.  This man met the woman on the street and asked how she would like to go to the dedication services.  She said she would like to but could not get a recommend.  He said:  "I have a recommend and will give it to you for one dollar."  She had a dollar and exchanged it for the recommend.  It almost worked until the Lord spotted her and sent her out.

President Taylor did not know the woman, and had never seen her before, but he listened to the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and his spirit of discernment picked the one person in 2,000 who should not have been there.

(Logan Temple, the First 100 Years by Nolan P. Olsen, pgs. 152-153.)