In a fitting tribute to the Prophet Joseph Smith, last month on June 27, 2023, the Joseph Smith Papers Project published the final print installment of the landmark documentary editing series. A launch event held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake City celebrated the occasion of the publication of Documents, Volume 15 of … Read more
Review of Brent J. Schmidt, Relational Faith: The Transformation and Restoration of Pistis as Knowledge, Trust, Confidence, and Covenantal Faithfulness. BYU Studies. 2022. 306 pp. + xiv, bibliography, index. $21.95. In 2015, Brent J. Schmidt, a faculty member of Brigham Young University—Idaho who teaches religious education and humanities courses, published Relational Grace: The Reciprocal … Read more
On October 27, 2022, The Church Historian’s Press, an imprint of the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, completed the online publication of important documents related to Latter-day Saint women’s history: The Discourses of Eliza R. Snow and The Diaries of Emmeline B. Wells. A media brief distributed to … Read more
Joseph F. Smith (1838–1918) was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from October 17, 1901 to November 19, 1918. On January 5, 1923, some four years after Joseph F. Smith’s death, a Latter-day Saint named Joseph Bailey Smith (1870–1944), grandson of Joseph Smith’s younger brother Samuel H. Smith (1808–1844), … Read more
During my research I came across the following in the Illinois State Journal (dated May 30, 1857). I was so utterly charmed by this spoof that I had to share it. The original can be accessed here. Below is my transcription. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! (And if anybody has … Read more
In my blog post of August 11, 2020 (“B. H. Roberts and the Book of Mormon: Exhumation and Reburial”) I argued against the claim that Brigham Henry Roberts (1857–1933) lost his faith in the Book of Mormon as a book of ancient scripture. With this argument I was, in part, responding to a recent Master’s … Read more
To anybody even passingly familiar with Latter-day Saint scholarship and historiography, Brigham Henry Roberts (1857–1933) needs no introduction. Those who may not be familiar with B. H. Roberts or his contributions can learn about him and his story from either his own autobiography prepared shortly before his death or Truman G. Madsen’s 1980 biography. In … Read more
On June 12, 2016, Richard Bushman was posed the following question during a fireside talk with a small group of people: In your view do you see room within Mormonism for several different narratives, multiple narratives, of a religious experience or do you think that in order for the Church to remain strong they would … Read more
The subject of the lost 116 pages of the Book of Mormon continues to be a topic of considerable interest among researchers of Latter-day Saint history and readers of the Book of Mormon. Indeed, the lost 116 pages continue to tantalize modern readers of the Book of Mormon, prompting scholars to offer hypothetical reconstructions of … Read more
The apocryphal story is told of the freshman who storms up to the reference desk at his university library flustered and frustrated. “What seems to be the problem?” the kind librarian asks him. “I’m trying to do research,” he replies, “and I keep seeing references to a book called “Ibid.”, but I can’t find it … Read more
Let me tell you a story about a girl named Sue from Orem, Utah. Sue was raised by parents who were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When Sue was eight years old, she was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church. At age twelve she became a Beehive; at … Read more
Review of Steven C. Harper, First Vision: Memory and Mormon Origins (New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, 2019). 262 pp. + index. Print: $35.00. Ebook: $14.00. Oh, how lovely was the morning!Radiant beamed the sun above.Bees were humming, sweet birds singing,Music ringing thru the grove,When within the shady woodlandJoseph sought the God of love. … Read more
June 23, 2019 To Dr. William Lane Craig: Dear Dr. Craig, I have followed your work for some years now as my interest in philosophical theology has grown. I have sporadically listened to your podcast and have read a number of both your online and print publications. I have watched a number of your … Read more