Suffering as the Highest Good

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

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From the Archives: Brigham Young Educates Bancroft

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.

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From the Archives: Jeffrey R. Holland on President Gordon B. Hinckley

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

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The Prophet is Dead. Long Live the Prophet.

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.

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Lorenzo Snow and Eram Quod Es

Admin: This post is authored by occasional guest blogger and friend to JI, Bored in Vernal.

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]

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The Juvenile Instructor Welcomes SC Taysom as a New Permablogger

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

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Emma — The Elect Lady

Admin: This post is authored by occasional guest blogger and friend to JI, Bored in Vernal.

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:”

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The Juvenile Instructor Welcomes Bored in Vernal

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!

Divergence from the Romantics

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.

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From the Archives: James Strang on the Book of Mormon

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. 

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