Les Goates Master of Ceremonies 1964 Deseret Book 1st Ed DJ LDS Mormon Talks
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Les Goates as Master of Ceremonies
by Les Goates
Published by Deseret Book Co (1964)
FIRST EDITION / FIRST PRINTING HARDCOVER w/ RARE DUST JACKET!
Condition:
Excellent 1st Edition / 1st Printing Hardcover Book with Dust Jacket! NO MARKS! The binding is tight and all 54 pages within are bright white with NO WRITING, UNDERLINING, HIGH-LIGHTING, RIPS, TEARS, BENDS OR FOLDS. The covers look perfect! The dust jacket is in excellent condition but does have some wear, as can be seen in my photos. The dust jacket is now inside of a Mylar cover to keep this beautiful gem in awesome condition for generations to come. You will be happy with this one! Always handled and packaged with care! Buy with confidence from a seller who takes the time to show you the details and not use just stock photos. Please check out all my pictures and email with any questions! Thanks for looking!
About the Book:
Les Goates as Master of Ceremonies represents a distinctive artifact from mid-century Latter-day Saints publishing, issued by Deseret Book Company in 1964 during the publisher's golden era of regional authorship and community-focused titles. This first edition, first printing with the increasingly rare original dust jacket captures beloved Utah journalist Les Goates at the height of his influence, translating four decades of public speaking experience into practical guidance infused with warmth and accessible humor.
The book's cultural significance extends beyond its ostensible purpose as a speech-making manual. Goates embodied Mormon community life during the post-war expansion period—his perspective reflects the organizational culture of a church experiencing rapid growth while maintaining tight-knit local congregations requiring countless volunteer speakers, toastmasters, and program presenters. His collected quips, stories, and directional wisdom served generations of LDS members navigating callings that demanded public speaking skills often developed through necessity rather than training.
The Deseret Book imprint carries particular resonance for collectors of Mormon Americana. The company's 1964 catalog emphasized practical titles serving active church members—books intended for daily use rather than archival preservation. Consequently, first editions with intact dust jackets have become genuinely scarce, as most copies circulated through ward libraries, suffered heavy handling, or lost their fragile jackets decades ago.
Goates' journalistic celebrity—his "Les Go by Les Goates" column enjoyed national syndication—ensured contemporary popularity, yet the book's regional focus and specific cultural context limited distribution beyond Mormon communities. For collectors building comprehensive LDS cultural history libraries, this represents authentic documentation of mid-century church social life: the innumerable ward dinners, stake conferences, and community celebrations requiring skilled masters of ceremonies.
The combination of first edition status, rare surviving dust jacket, and Goates' stature as Utah's most recognized LDS journalist makes this an exceptional acquisition for serious collectors of Mormon publishing history.
About author, Les Goates:
Les Goates (1894-1975) achieved legendary status in Utah journalism through his forty-four-year tenure at the Deseret News, where his voice shaped regional sports coverage and editorial commentary for multiple generations. A Lehi native educated at the University of Utah Normal School, Goates began his career teaching English before World War I service as a psychological examiner redirected his path toward journalism.
His sports editorship (1926-1955) coincided with Utah's athletic coming-of-age, as he chronicled the development of university programs and professional sports culture with distinctive wit and literary polish. The transition to columnist and editorial writer showcased his versatility—his 1955 Freedom's Foundation Award at Valley Forge recognized the year's best patriotic editorial, cementing his reputation beyond regional boundaries.
Goates' "Les Go by Les Goates" column achieved rare crossover success, garnering national syndication while maintaining intensely local flavor. His writing embodied accessible intelligence: literate without pretension, humorous without cheapness, morally grounded without sanctimony.
His LDS service paralleled his professional achievements—bishop, stake high councilman, and decades-long Sunday School superintendent and teacher. This dual prominence positioned him uniquely to address church members' practical needs through works like Master of Ceremonies, blending professional communication expertise with understanding of Mormon organizational culture. Goates represented the ideal of the engaged Latter-day Saint intellectual: contributing meaningfully to both secular community and religious fellowship.
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