I recently discovered an article about “the first real confrontation of Mormonism with science” during the Utah smallpox outbreak at the turn of the 19/20th century.
Author: benspackman
Tales from the Archives 3: The 1934-5 Newspaper Proxy Wars and Writing Hot
From 1934-5, the age of the earth, evolution, and scripture was hotly debated in the Deseret News. (See here for a little history and context.) Elders John Widtsoe and Joseph Fielding Smith wrote nothing themselves, but encouraged, solicited, and pushed articles reflecting their own views. On Widtsoe’s side was James E. Talmage’s son Sterling, who had received a PhD in geology. (JET had died the year before.) On Smith’s side, were several people, including Sidney Sperry, Major Howard S. Bennion, and Dudley J. Whitney, a Pentecostal farmer. Continue reading
Come Follow Me: Mormon 1-9
I’ll be posting the final Book of Mormon lessons soon, along with some pre-D&C posts and my “What to Read for D&C.”
With Mormon, we finally arrive in “the present,” that is, Mormon’s present. He’s no longer working from records that were ancient to him. Remember, the time difference between Mormon and the visit of Jesus is roughly the same time difference between us and Columbus; but in Mormon he’s now working from his own life’s experience, his own memories and thoughts. This is now a primary source, unfiltered through anyone else (well, except translation through Joseph Smith, however that worked.)
You can’t read the beginning of the end of the Book of Mormon without thinking of President Kimball’s stark call against modern idolatry which included this observation— “We are a warlike people, easily distracted from our assignment of preparing for the coming of the Lord.” Continue reading
Happy Reformation Day!
One of my qualifying exams was in Reformation history. As the story goes, Oct 31 is the day Martin Luther nailed his 95 theses to the door of the church, so Oct 31 is sometimes known as Reformation Day. What many people don’t know is that a) this story doesn’t mean what people think it does and b) it might not even have happened. Continue reading
Tales from the Archives 2: Wait, what?
In 2007 General Conference, President Monson told the story of an unusual convert to Christianity. Continue reading
Come Follow Me: 4 Nephi
Why is 4th Nephi so short? Two interrelated ideas, I think. Continue reading
Come Follow Me (Brief): 3Ne 22-26
First, D&C is coming. I still haven’t decided how to approach it for the blog, but I will be posting a suggested reading list in another week or two. My 2016 list is here, and there are some things to update. So stay tuned.
Rough notes on 3Ne 16, 20-30
I updated this from an isolated cabin in Wisconsin, while working on my final dissertation proposal draft (post-defense), our upcoming BYU Studies special issue, and some other projects. And then, working on that other stuff, I forgot to actually hit “update.” Re: these other projects, I’ll post some updates on all this soon. Continue reading
Mark E. Petersen, Expertise, Interpretation, and McConkie’s Mormon Doctrine
Many people are aware that Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s book Mormon Doctrine was not universally received among Church leadership as a positive thing. That story has been told in a number of places, from a number of perspectives. This, however, was new to me, summarizing from this article and expanding from the McKay diaries, around Jan 14, 1960. Continue reading
Tales from the Archives part 1: “So, things are normal.”
I will occasionally post things from the archives, with minimal explanation or point, sometimes. Here’s a fun one recently.
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