“As soon as the [rival] publishing
company, Bookcraft, Inc., learned that a book of Brother Cowley’s talks was
being published by the Deseret Book Company, they approached me and asked if I
would help them get another book out by October conference. They wanted this
one to be a biography—a story of his life. I agreed to do it. I began to gather
together some of the things I thought would be of interest. However, by this
time in my life, I was the manager of Welfare Square and I still had a private
business selling baby chicks. I was also the bishop of the ward and had several
children still at home. I found myself unable to concentrate long enough to
write the book. I prevailed upon Bookcraft to hire a professional writer with
whom I might work to get the book out. This was agreed upon, and they hired
Henry Smith. Henry came to my office regularly for a couple of months. I gave
him materials, told him stories, and directed him to people to interview. He
finally took a three-week vacation and went up into the mountains where he
wrote the entire book. He did an excellent job. Bookcraft had it printed and on
the bookshelves by October. This was a great achievement also. This second
book, known as Matthew Cowley, Man of
Faith, was also a big seller. For twenty-five years Matthew Cowley Speaks and Matthew
Cowley, Man of Faith were reprinted several times. In April of 1986
Bookcraft again reprinted Matthew Cowley,
Man of Faith and it was sold out by April of 1988. I bought the last
fourteen books of that printing, the same as I had done with the last fifty
books of the first printing.
“Royalties
from this book were also given to Sister Cowley and, with the royalties from Matthew Cowley Speaks, enabled her to
live comfortably” (Glen L. Rudd, Treasured
Experiences of Glen L. Rudd, 114-15).
Henry Smith, the author, wrote:
“Like many thousands of others I had learned to appreciate this man for his
friendliness and for his genuineness. He had completely won me as one of his
friends. I delighted in every association I had with him. Because of this
admiration I deeply appreciated the invitation which came to me several months
ago from his friends to prepare this biography. I had no hesitancy in accepting,
for I had already recognized in Matthew Cowley, a most unusual individual and
felt that his was a story which should be told and perpetuated for generations
to come. But it was not until I had delved deeply into his life, read his
letters and sermons, talked to those who knew him best, and studied some of his
diaries that I really discovered how unusual he was” (Matthew Cowley—Man of Faith, ix).
The biography is actually fairly
brief, comprising only 180 pages of a 300 page book, and was rounded out with
talk transcripts. Glen L. Rudd, who served as a member of the First and Second
Quorums of the Seventy, was the real moving force behind the existence of the
two books by or about Elder Cowley, and in addition, spent a considerable amount
of time during his life preserving the memory of his mentor Elder Matthew
Cowley by speaking to many congregations about his remarkable life. There is
also a chapter written by Elder Rudd in the book Faith to Heal and be Healed, by this
blogger/author (published by Cedar Fort Inc.), containing information about the
experiences of Elder Cowley not found in the main published books.
Great stuff, Dennis! Thanks.
ReplyDelete