By David G.March 11, 2008
Thanks to BHodges for taking the time to transcribe Bushman’s talk and provide footnotes. Enjoy!
“Rough Stone Rolling and the Intellectual Prospects for Mormonism”
Richard L. Bushman
Weber State University, Ogden, Utah
March 5, 2008
Well it’s wonderful to be back at Weber State, it’s getting to be habit. I spoke here two years ago and gave a commencement address when Paul Nelson was President so every year I get an invitation to the commencement asking for my measurements for the cap and gown and I feel like I’m really part of the community here. We’re now in Californ
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By David G.March 9, 2008
Such, more or less, was Darius Gray’s summary of his initial reaction to the 1978 revelation.
Today was the Ogden screening of Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of Black Mormons. I along with Christopher, Ben, and our female companions drove up from Provo to support Margaret and Darius. Margaret told us afterward that we couldn’t use such words as amazing or incredible to describe this documentary, but such words do indeed fit. But I’ll humor her and give a more substantial response to the film.
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By David G.March 5, 2008
Following the Manifesto of 1890 and the decline of officially-sanctioned plural marriages among the Latter-day Saints, many Mormons worked to construct explanations for the practice of polygamy. The discursive means used by Mormons to situate their peculiar institution in their past reveal insights into how Mormons saw themselves during the first decades of the twentieth century and how they wanted the world to perceive them. One strategy, highlighted here, was to downplay the significance of plural marriage in both practice and in doctrine. However, at the same time that this was occurring, many Mormons were arguing that polygamy had produced a large and righteous posterity, “racially” superior to o
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By David G.March 1, 2008
This is from Paul Reeve:
Join us for a panel discussion:
Monday, March 10, 2008
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By David G.February 29, 2008
An important part of early Mormon culture making was the promotion of polygamy in the ranks. Although Kathy Daynes is correct to note that the brethren had to preach polygamy from the pulpit in order to get the members to enter into polygamous relationships, it is also important to remember that polygamy was promoted in other forms as well, such as in the following song. According to Carmon Hardy, “[t]his verse appeared as part of a ballad sung to the tune of ‘Rosa May’ in the 17th Ward School House in Salt Lake City, on 15 October 1856,” at the height of the Mormon Reformation
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By David G.February 25, 2008
After months years of anticipation, the Joseph Smith Papers Project has finally announced a publisher…The Church Historian’s Press. If you haven’t heard of this press before it’s because it hasn’t existed prior to now. There have been high hopes that a University press (other than BYU’s) would agree to be the publisher, but apparently those hopes have been in vain. Let’s just say that this is disappointing news.
The Project has also launched a project website, which looks to be a great site that will include transcri
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By David G.February 22, 2008
Ed Blum over at Religion in American History asks
[W]hat are the best titles in American religious history? Not the best books, but the best literary titles – and why.
I want to ask the same question here, but adapted to a Mormon history context. What does everyone think?
By David G.February 20, 2008
We’ve heard rumors that other blogs have been conspiring to nab Heidi, our latest guest blogger, to be a permablogger elsewhere. Not to burst anyone’s bubble, but such conspiracies are bound to fail. Heidi has accepted our invitation to stay with us as, in her words, the “first Juvenile Instructoress.” Unfortunately, she has made some kind of strange pact for Lent about giving up blogging, and so we must wait until March 22 for her to start as an official permablogger (although she assures us that she will finish out her guest stint). But regardless, we wanted to let everyone know and begin the congratulations process.
By David G.February 20, 2008
I’m SC Taysom is currently drafting an encyclopedia article on Mormon history from 1830-1844. The essay is supposed to pick up right after the founding of the Church in April 1830 and conclude with the Martyrdom. For my opening paragraph, I want to summarize in 150-200 words the major themes of the period. I have my ideas for this paragraph, which I may post at some point below, but I’d like to see how others would draft this paragraph.
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By David G.February 18, 2008
From January 13-15, 1834, the State of Ohio held a preliminary hearing, ostensibly to determine if anti-Mormon Doctor Philastus Hurlbut had in fact threatened the life of Joseph Smith. After hearing several witnesses, the justice of the peace determined that there was sufficient evidence that a threat had occurred, and the case was set for the following April. But the JP also allowed for testimony on far more than just the alleged threat. The First Presidency wrote not long after the hearing to the Saints in Missouri that the trial included an investigation of “the merits of our religion.”[1] It appears that the JP heard testimony concerning Hurlbut’s research on the Soloman Spalding manscript and even had Joseph testify concerning the finding of the Book of Mormon. Hurlbut’s attorney, James A. Briggs, wrote several letters later in his life
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