Writings of commentators are not doctrine. Now I am sure it was quite a surprise to you when
I indicated that the writings of all the good members of the Church were not
scripture and could not necessarily be depended upon, and that their writings,
numerous of which there are, were their own concepts. I did not want to
depreciate their splendid efforts, for on the whole the commentaries written by
many people are excellent, but the student of the gospel must be able to cull
the material and to take that which fits into the total big program, and to
discard anything else which appears to be speculative on the part of the writer
of the commentary. (Spencer W. Kimball, “Intellectual vs. spiritual approach to
learning,” letter dated November 2, 1962, in The Teachings of Spencer W.
Kimball, ed. Edward L. Kimball [Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1982], 136])
