One thing that continually impresses me is the ability of the early Latter-day Saints to reinterpret their persecutions as positive events in their lives. Although they also complained a lot concerning the the treatment they received at the hands of the Missourians and Illinoisans, early Mormons were also adept in reversing their losses and turning them into triumphs. For Parley P. Pratt and other Latter-day Saints, being called to suffer and even die for the truth was (more…)

In the late fall of 1875, Frank M. Derby sent a note to Brigham Young’s office inquiring about Young’s interest in purchasing the latest masterwork of Derby’s client, Hubert H. Bancroft. Young’s reply, sent out over the signature of his secretary, George Reynolds is pithy but telling. (more…)

The following is an excerpt from Jeffrey R. Holland’s October 2006 General Conference address, “Prophets in the Land Again.”  I was present in the Conference Center that afternoon and count the feeling felt in that room during Elder Holland’s comments, President Hinckley’s short remarks following, and the singing of “We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet” immediately after his words among the most spiritual experiences of my life.  I wept that afternoon, and I we (more…)

As many, if not most, have heard by now, President Hinckley died today. I have vague memories of Presidents Kimball, Benson, and Hunter, but the prophet of my youth will be President Hinckley. I remember vividly him coming to Houston in 1998, just prior to my mission. I distinctly recall watching as he left the Summit on his cart, as we sang We Thank Thee of God for a Prophet, and he turned to wave to the audience. I felt tremendous love for that man at that moment and an incredibly poignant feeling of gratitude for such a warm leader. I recall desiring him to stay with us, as did the Nephites with Christ in 3 Nephi 17:4-6, but alas it was his time to go. That memory comes powerfully to me now, as I internalize this death, and I desire President Hinckley to tarry with us a little longer, but alas it is his time to go. The prophet is dead. Long live the prophet. May our prayers be with the Hinckley family. (more…)

While doing genealogy work some years ago, I came across an epitaph in a New England cemetery where several of my ancestors are buried. I remember I was somewhat shocked to read:

As you are now, so once was I
As I am now so you will be
Prepare for Death to follow me. ^[1] (more…)

Although it is customary to have someone be a guestblogger first and then issue the invitation to be a permablogger, in this case we’re pleased to announce that SC Taysom will be bypassing that formality and be joining us directly. SC actually did his guest-blogger training at BCC over the summer, but has held out for a better offer ;).

Here’s some background on SC:

SC Taysom earned a BA degree in History from BYU and an MA and Ph.D. in the History of Religion with a specialty in American Religious History and Ritual Studies from Indiana University, Bloomington.  A manuscript based on his dissertation, a compa (more…)

What woman would not want to have earned the title “Elect Lady?”  This evocative term was used to describe Emma Hale Smith in a revelation given by the Lord in July 1830.  “Thy sins are forgiven thee,” Emma was told, “and thou art an elect lady whom I have called.”  The appellation is an interesting one, and may possess shades of meaning beyond simply that Emma was an extraordinary and revered woman.  How do the words “elect lady” fit in with her being “called?”  Does this phrase have any connection with the ordination promised to her in verse 7?  Following are several interpretations which can be made of the words “elect lady:” (more…)

For readers that are “old hands” to the ‘nacle, the name Bored in Vernal is not new. BiV has her own blog and contributes to a few other sites around the ‘nacle. We’ve recently discovered that she has a bit of a taste for historical posts, and we’ve therefore invited her to do a guest stint here. Here’s what she has to say about herself (in third person, of course):

BiV is a woman of a certain age with years of church experience under her belt.  She has been fascinated with issues of church history since her days at BYU in the Leonard Arrington years.  Many years as an early-morning Seminary teacher have given her a familiarity with the scriptures–but she especially loves the unusual and obscure.  BiV has done her time as a barefoot SAHM [for those uninitiated in feminist speech, like me, that means “stay at home mom,” I think] eagerly populating the earth.  A move to Vernal, Utah coincided with her discovery of blogging and the birth of “Bored in Vernal.”  BiV now teaches at an all-female university in Saudi Arabia.

 Let’s welcome BiV as our latest guestblogger!

In his 1993 Tanner Lecture delivered to the Mormon History Association, historian Richard Hughes suggested that “romanticism quickly emerged as the defining intellectual influence [of the Mormon Church] … and this was the difference that made all the difference.”[1] In a similar vein, Jacksonian scholar and Joseph Smith biographer Robert Remini concluded that ”Joseph was a romantic to his innermost fiber.”[2] The connection between romanticism and early Mormonism is a fascinating one that deserves further attention. (more…)

In 1834-35, Oliver Cowdery wrote eight letters to W.W. Phelps describing the events of the restoration.  These letters were published in the Latter Day Saints Messenger and Advocate and constitute the first published history of the Mormon Church.  These letters were reprinted throughout the nineteenth century by various Latter Day Saint groups.  In 1854, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) published them in pamphlet form, complete with a preface by James J. Strang.  Strang also authored an appendix, elaborating on his views of the Book of Mormon.  A selection from that appendix is posted below.  (more…)

One of the seminal texts in Western American history is Patricia Nelson Limerick’s Legacy of Conquest: The Unbroken Past of the American West. Limerick’s genius can be found in her defining the West’s importance in terms of convergence of peoples, rather than simply the westward movement of white American males. Unlike many (more…)

I unfortunately dropped the ball and missed the debut of “Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons” today at the Utah Film Festival (I thought it was yesterday). However, I did email Margaret Young to ask how it was received, and she responded that “We got a prolonged standing ovation. It was extremely gratifying.” Now I wish that I had been there even more. The documentary next heads to the San Diego Black Film Festival. I agree with Margaret that “It’ll be interesting to see how an African American, non-LDS crowd responds.”

Margaret also indicated that they do plan to show the film one or two more times in Utah, but no dates are set. I’ll be sure not to miss the next one. I believe that this is an important project, and I therefore encourage all JI readers to donate something to support the film. I’m a poor graduate student, and if I can donate, anyone can. 

In the fall and winter of 1843, Parley P. Pratt wrote a small pamphlet entitled “The Angel of the Prairies,” a work that was similar to his “One Hundred Years Hence. 1945.”“The Angel of the Prairies” purports to be based on a dream in which Pratt is transported one hundred years into the future, where an angel shows him that the U.S. government was destroyed from corruption within (shades of Book of Mormon stories of Gadianton Robbers), and the “sons of noble sires” had erected an empire of liberty in the American West. The angel also showed Pratt a thin volume entitled “A true and perfect system of Civil (more…)

In a post a few weeks ago, I suggested that Joseph Smith’s First Vision might be better understood in the context of evangelical (especially Methodist) conversion narratives of early 19th century America.  As a follow-up to that post, I want to now turn the attention to the aftermath of the vision.  That Joseph expressed great surprise that the Methodist minister he related the vision to reacted with “great contempt, saying it was all of the Devil” [1] is commonly recited today, and generally explained by alluding to Smith’s youthful naivety and the arrogance of the learned Methodist minister dismissing all such notions. Joseph’s surprise, however, was more likely a result of his vision being dismissed as “of the Devil” while hundreds of other evangelicals of the day recounted visions and dreams accompanying their conversion experiences without any “great contempt” from ministers and co-religionists.  (more…)

So I saw the movie Enchanted at the theater the other night. I know I am going to be subjected to merciless mockery by Chris and David for admitting that here, since I discount National Treasureras something quite below a farcical joke and yet will go with my wife to a children’s movie/chic-flic and actually kind of enjoy it…but alas, ’tis the truth. But what has this got to do with Mormon studies? Well, part way through the movie my wife leaned over and told me she had heard that the leading actress, Amy Adams, was Mormon. That piqued my interest. (more…)

Writing, it was once said, is an instrument of power. Abolitionists used novels to combat slavery, as did anti-polygamy crusaders. Writers have tremendous power to shape images, whether of perceived dangers, or of past wrongs that need to be made right. As Yale theologian Miroslav Volf argues, “to remember a wrongdoing is to struggle against it.”[1] For the Latter-day Saints after the expulsion of 1838 writing was one of the few ways that they could fight back against the Missouri vigilantes and government officials that had expelled the Saints from the state.[2] Parley P. Pratt was keenly aware of the power of writing to shape how the American public understood what had happened in Missouri. While in prison (more…)

After having been chased from Kirtland, Joseph Smith made his way to Missouri, arriving about March 13, 1838.  He dictated to to George Robinson in what has become known as the Scriptory Book the following (taken from the online version of Dean Jessee’s Personal Writings of Joseph Smith):

 After being here two or three days my Brother Samuel arrived with his family an[d] shortly after his arrival while walking with him & cirtain other bretheren the following sentiments occured to my mind. (more…)

Part II of the review examining the most recent issue of The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal.  Part I is available here.

(more…)

While watching The Jewish Americans last night on PBS (ht: Paul Harvey), I was struck by the fact that every individual interviewed (including both Orthodox and Reformed Jews and everywhere in between) that was asked to describe his or her identity as a Jew living in the United States affirmed that he or she was an American Jew, and not a Jewish American.  Some of the interviewees explained that ”Jew” described more fully and deeply who they were as an individual, and “American” used (in this instance) as an adjective simply desribed their nation of residence.   (more…)

In 1868 Brigham Young approached nineteen-year old Franklin S. Richards to give him some advice, if it can be called that. Young told Richards that he needed to study to be a lawyer. Richards, surprised, replied that he had always heard Brother Brigham speak ill of attorneys, and that he [Richards] intended to be a doctor. Young informed Richards that he needed to be a lawyer “because the time will come when the Latter-day Saints will need lawyers of their own to defend them in the Courts and strive with fearless inspiration to maintain their constitutional rights.” Richards, the son of Apostle Franklin D. Richards, obeyed Young, became a successful attorney and represented the Church’s leaders before the U.S. Supreme Court several times during the polygamy raids.

When my father told me this story several years ago (Richards is an ancestor), I was intrigued not (more…)

We often hear about Joseph Smith’s sojourn in a Missouri prison during the winter of 1838-1839, but Parley P. Pratt also spent about eight months in a Missouri jail, an experience that receives little attention. Those eight months were, in a word, prolific, as Pratt produced not only a major full-length treatise describing the Mormon persecutions in Missouri, but also an important theological essay. He also wrote several surviving letters and poems. Some of the poems are better (more…)

In elders quorum yesterday, we discussed the first chapter in the new Joseph Smith Manual. Expectedly, it treated the First Vision and the class discussed how the First Vision was the great starting point of the Restoration and Joseph Smith’s prophetic career. (more…)

As mentioned elsewhere, the latest volume of The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal has a number of quality articles examining interesting issues dealing with various expressions of the Latter Day Saint movement.  Although The JWHA Journal has, over the years, consistently published relevant and interesting articles (back issues can be ordered here), John Hamer deserves some recognition for his recent efforts to expand JWHA’s relevance and reach to the larger intellectual LDS community.  Volume 27 (2007) of The JWHA Journal is evidence of the success of his efforts.  Because of the number of articles included in the volume (12), I will conduct the review in two parts.  The review provided here is intended to be neither comprehensive nor thorough.  Though all articles included in the volume will be mentioned here, those that receive the most attention are admittedly those that reflect my personal interest (and what I assume is of particular interest to most JI readers).  (more…)

It has recently been suggested that we should commemorate the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, rather than his birthday. I wonder how contemporary Latter-day Saints would respond to having an official holiday set aside to remember the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. In speaking to some of my friends and family about the idea, I’ve seen some resistance, in part I think to the contemporary fear of being perceived by outsiders as worshipping Joseph Smith. Parley P. Pratt, in his “One Hundred Years Hence. 1945.”, speculated that in the Millennium we will hold feast days to h (more…)

Paul Reeve’s new book, Making Space on the Western Frontier, has received some positive reviews around the ‘nacle. ‘Nacle reviews however count for very little in the world of academia. In the latest issue of The Journal of American History historian Anne Hyde has written a very positive review of the work, calling it “an effective case study at both the micro and macro levels.” In summarizing Reeve’s study, Hyde concludes that Reeve’s attention to the workings of federal officials to privilege mining interests at the expense of Southern Paiute and Mormon claims to space in southern Utah/eastern Nevada is “stunning.” She lauds his reconstruction of efforts by Mormons and Southern Paiutes to survive the onslaught of “an awesome flexing of federal might.” The review, unlike Reeve’s prose, is a bit dry, but is well worth the read. I suspect that Paul is more than a little pleased to see his book so well reviewed in one of the top journals in the historical profession.

For those with access to a university library, here’s a like to the full text of the review.