Mormon
Multiple Sealings for Women
D&C 132 was recorded on July 12, 1843. In this section, God revealed to Joseph Smith the Celestial Law of Marriage, and showed that a man could be sealed to multiple wives if done with the proper priesthood authority. On the other hand, women are not supposed to be sealed to multiple men. However, verse 51 offers a […]
The Chicago Experiment: A Fundamentalist-Modernist Battle
When it comes to religion, there are 2 main camps: fundamentalists and modernists. Perhaps you would prefer the term “conservative” and “liberal”; to some degree, these terms make sense. Casey Paul Griffiths came out with an article in BYU studies back in January called “The Chicago Experiment” and said “the Church had inserted itself directly […]
Events Leading Up to the 1978 Revelation
I’ve really enjoyed reading Newell Bringhurst’s book Saints, Slaves, and Blacks: The Changing Place of Black People Within Mormonism. The epilogue has some really interesting events in the 1960s and 1970s. There were some people inside the church that were more confrontational in their approach to the priesthood ban. Bringhurst notes on page 185,
Mountain Meadows is Newest National Historic Landmark
The Deseret News reported that the U.S. Government designated Mountain Meadows as a national historic landmark last week. For those who don’t know, in September 1857, 120 immigrants were killed by Mormons at Mountain Meadows near Cedar City, Utah. Mormons tried to cover up the tragedy and blame it on the Indians. I have previously […]
Warner McCary: the black prophet
In a previous post, I documented Early Black Mormons, and gave a brief history of some of them. Warner (Aka William) McCary is a little-known black Mormon from the early days of the church. He was ordained an Elder by Apostle Orson Hyde in October 1846 and was known as the “black prophet.” McCary claimed […]
The Latest Polygamy Controversy
You may think that we know all there is to know about polygamy in the LDS church. Â However, historians continue to debate the issue. Â A press release from Signature Books a few days ago let me know about some interesting developments. Â In 2008, George D Smith released a book called Nauvoo Polygamy – …but we […]
Early Mormons Were Anti-Slavery and Anti-Abolitionist
I just began reading Newell Bringhurst’s book Saints, Slaves, and Blacks: The Changing Place of Black People Within Mormonism. Â It was printed in 1981, and is a hard book to find on the cheap. Â Used copies are around $30 on Amazon, and the local booksellers tell me it is a highly requested book. Â I wanted […]
17 Miracles: The Faithful and Foolhardy Willie Handcart Company
If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you know I really enjoy Mormon History, yet for some reason, I haven’t taken the time to become acquainted with the Martin and Willie Handcart disasters. I don’t have a good reason for that; I guess it is because other topics have more interest for me. I […]
The Finale of MHA 2011
Sadly, all good things must come to an end. MHA 2011 finished with a bang. Once again it was hard to pick which session to attend. Steve Olsen, Shawn Bennion, and Brandon Plewe combined for a session titled “New Perspectives on Mormon History”. Steve spoke on how we often argue history. To bolster an argument […]
Day 2 of MHA 2011
I absolutely love the Mormon History Association conferences. Â It is wonderful to talk to all the people that I have been writing about the past few years! Â I’ve eaten lunch with Newell Bringhurst, breakfast with Richard Bushman, and received advice from Rick Turley, Gary Bergera, Armand Mauss and Barbara Walden. Â Only John Hamer seems to […]
Mormon Heretic 