History

A Letter Written by Jesus

No writings have ever been attributed to Jesus in the Bible.  However, there is an ancient manuscript that claims to be letters written between Abgarus, King of Edessa, and Jesus.  It’s a very short “book”, so I will quote it entirely.  But first, here’s a bit of background.  The official name of the document is […]

Stories about Jesus’ Childhood

Ever wondered what kind of a child Jesus was?  Well, The First Gospel of the Infancy of Jesus Christ tells us that Jesus was part healer, part genius, part brat.  It starts out with some interesting stories about happened to the holy family in Egypt (following Herod’s edict to kill all boys age 2 and under), […]

The Untold Story of Joseph and Mary

The biblical account of the interactions between Joseph and Mary is very small.  To me, it almost makes Joseph and Mary appear 2-dimensional, and I never feel like I know them very well.  When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant before their wedding, we know that he considered cancelling the betrothal.  An angel intervened, and […]

Benson, Eisenhower, and Communism

I’m not sure why President Benson is so popular lately.  Will at Wheat and Tares asked, Were President Benson’s Words Prophetic? In Sunday’s Salt Lake Tribune, FBI files shed light on Ezra Taft Benson, Ike and the Birch Society.  In July, I promised to talk about President Benson’s politics, and I guess the timing is […]

What’s up with Non-Biblical Angels?

A few months ago, I attended several family reunions.  At the time, I was reading John Hamer’s book, Scattering of the Saints.  I was absolutely fascinated with all the accounts of Mormon schismatic groups.  I was especially interested in Strangism and the Church of Christ with the Elijah Message.  As I told the story of […]

Mormon Women Blessing the Sick

As a follow up to my previous article discussing female priesthood holders in Ancient Christianity, I thought it would be interesting to discuss a now discontinued practice of Mormon women anointing and blessing the sick.  Did you know that Mormon women used to wash, anoint with oil, and lay hands on the sick until 1946?  […]

The Passing of Richard Van Wagoner

This is a sad day for Mormon History buffs.  I have just learned that Richard Van Wagoner passed away on Saturday.  He has written several book on Mormon History.  I blogged about his Sidney Rigdon book, and he recently completed The Complete Discourses of Brigham Young.  Here is a list of some of his books. […]

Fundamentalist Mormonism: More Diverse Than you Thought

Anne Wilde wrote the chapter on Fundamentalist Mormonism in Hamer/Bringhurst’s book Scattering of the Saints.  I’ve always viewed Fundamentalist Mormons like an embarrassing relative, and I haven’t really wanted to learn much about them.  However, Anne’s chapter was incredibly interesting, and I learned that Fundamentalist Mormonism is much more diverse than I realized.

Coke, Rum Cake, and President McKay

I just started reading Greg Prince’s book, David O McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism.  It’s been a great read so far.  Prince tells some interesting stories about President McKay and the Word of Wisdom.

History of the Bickertonites

The Church of Jesus Christ (based in Monongahela, Pennsylvania) traces its roots to Joseph Smith.  I previously discussed its most famous former member, rock star Alice Cooper.  I thought I could give a bit more history of this church and discuss basic beliefs.  Larry Watson wrote a chapter in John Hamer and Newell Bringhurst’s book […]