I argue that a key indicator that JS was not simply seeking to restore biblical practice, but sought instead to restore doctrines and practices that he believed were MISSING from the Bible is the endowment. It’s clearly not in the Bible, though I argue Smith’s sources convinced him that Christians had an initiation rite that other evil early Christians had suppressed.
I note in chapter seven of my dissertation that the structure of the endowment is like the structure of the Eleusinian mysteries described under the entry on “mysteries” in the 1792 Encyclopedia Britannica (volume 12:577-97). Michael Quinn made this point in his Magic World View that I fleshed out in my dissertation (Quinn, first ed., 184-90).
Here I quote a few paragraphs from my dissertation (36-38) in which I look at a couple of Stephen Webb’s books. Webb, though Catholic, borrowed from Mormon thinkers on asserting the claim of Platonic corruption of Christianity related to materiality and God’s body. I note that Webb, like Roberts, presented some contradictory claims.
I want to finish my train of thought that Mormons claiming Greek philosophy was central to the apostasy is problematic. Again, this was a common Protestant claim, and I argue that Joseph Smith knew of the claim and rejected it, seeking to embrace the “ancient theology” instead.
I once saw a video of Mormon thinkers attributing the embraced of the Platonic-corruption idea to B H. Roberts’s Outlines of Ecclesiastical History (1893), so this post takes a look at what Roberts said on the topic. I argue that Robert’s statements inadvertently highlight the problems with the claim of linking Greek philosophy to the corruption of Christianity.
The Church Historian’s Press of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently released a history of the Church’s Young Women’s Organization from 1870-2024. The book is a significant milestone for many reasons, not least that the LDS Church is addressing the history of its youth adherents in an official capacity for the first time. Recognizing the contributions, power, and experiences of young women highlights the Church History Department’s (and thus, the LDS Church’s) decade-long commitment to understanding and celebrating the experiences of a broader swath of its membership than it ever has before. Addressing and celebrating young women’s experiences and their ecclesiastical leaders at the global level shines a new light on what it meant to be a Latter-day Saint growing up in the Church in the United States as well as across the world.
To meet the needs of the Church, we seek to build teams that represent the diverse perspectives, broad life experiences and backgrounds of our global Church membership. With that in mind, we encourage all qualified applicants to apply.
The Church History Museum is seeking a curator of history to join its staff. The mission of the museum is to provide opportunities for our patrons to connect to the history of the Church and the growing spiritual, artistic, and cultural legacies of the Latter-day Saints throughout the world.
October 10-11, 2025 Utah State University Inn SUBMISSION DEADLINE: June 13, 2025 SUBMISSION EMAIL: bookofmormonsa@gmail.com
The Book of Mormon Studies Association (BoMSA) is pleased to announce its ninth annual meeting, to be held on October 10-11, 2025, at Utah State University. The event is sponsored by USU’s Department of Religious Studies and with thanks to Patrick Mason, the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture.
This annual event gathers a variety of scholars invested in serious academic study of the Book of Mormon. It has no particular theme but instead invites papers on any subject related to the Book of Mormon from any viable academic angle. This year’s two keynote addresses will be delivered by Matthew Bowman (Claremont Graduate University) and Jillian Sayre (Rutgers University-Camden). We also will feature two special panels: one celebrating the completion of Royal Skousen’s massive critical text project and the other on Book of Mormon Art. As we have for the past several years, we will hold a pre- conference exhibit at the Church History Library on Thursday afternoon. This event will feature documents related to the development and publication of Orson Pratt’s 1879 edition of the Book of Mormon.
Over the past six years, Dr. Steven C. Harper has done a remarkable job leading BYU Studies as its editor in chief. We are grateful for his thoughtful leadership and inspiring publication record of BYU’s premier academic journal under his leadership. Having completed two, three-year terms as editor in chief, Steve looks forward to returning to his campus responsibilities as professor of Church history and doctrine at BYU beginning fall semester 2025.
Proposals due: April 1, 2025: accepted on a rolling basis (no limit on participants)
The Juanita Brooks Conference, a platform that values and promotes diverse histories and cultures of Utah and the American West, eagerly awaits your poster submissions. We extend this invitation to scholars and students across various fields, including environmental history, American religion, women’s history, and Native American studies. Your contributions should be related to subjects significant to the states associated with Juanita Brooks’ life and scholarship—Utah, Idaho, Arizona, and Nevada.
Posters should meet the following requirements (adapted from the American Historical Association):
Readable from 5 to 10 feet
Use at least a 48-point font for titles and a 36-point font for body text and tables
Submit your work (or a colleague’s work) for an MHA Award! Publishers: submit your author’s work!
Here are the awards for this year’s cycle:
The Jan Shipps Best Article Award: awarded to the author(s) of the published article or essay that best exemplifies the legacy of one of MHA’s most important founders, scholars, and leaders. Overall quality is a crucial consideration, as well as an author’s use of interdisciplinary tools, interpretive innovation, and/or incorporation of distinct Mormon traditions.
Best Article on Mormon Women’s History: awarded to the author(s) of an outstanding article on the experiences of Mormon women in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Sponsored by the Mormon Women’s History Initiative Team (MWHIT), an independent group of scholars from around the United States who encourage research, writing, and publications on Mormon women’s history.
Best International Article Award: Awarded to the author(s) of the best international Mormon history article (in print or online journals), in honor of Andrew Jenson, Assistant LDS Church Historian, for his outstanding contribution in documenting nearly every LDS congregation around the world.
Please send submissions to joseph [dot] stuart [at] byu [dot] edu.
Happy almost New Year, folks! As a way of ushering in this new year, Spencer Stewart and I invite you to submit a proposal for a special issue of the Journal of Mormon History, called “Mormon History in the Digital Age.” We’re hoping that the issue will be inclusive of all kinds of contributions, hence the variety of submission categories below. If what you’re thinking of doesn’t seem to fit one of the categories, or if you’re unsure if your project would count, please email us! We’re happy to address any questions you might have before the proposal deadline. We hope you’re as excited as we are to highlight the digital work that exists within Mormon Studies!
Steve Fleming on BH Roberts on Plato: “Interesting, Jack. But just to reiterate, I think JS saw the SUPPRESSION of Platonic ideas as creating the loss of truth and not the addition.…”
Jack on BH Roberts on Plato: “Thanks for your insights--you've really got me thinking.
I can't get away from the notion that the formation of the Great and Abominable church was an…”
Steve Fleming on BH Roberts on Plato: “In the intro to DC 76 in JS's 1838 history, JS said, "From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important…”
Jack on BH Roberts on Plato: “"I’ve argued that God’s corporality isn’t that clear in the NT, so it seems to me that asserting that claims of God’s immateriality happened AFTER…”
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “The burden of proof is on the claim of there BEING Nephites. From a scholarly point of view, the burden of proof is on the…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “But that's not what I was saying about the nature of evidence of an unknown civilization. I am talking about linguistics, not ruins. …”
Recent Comments
Steve Fleming on BH Roberts on Plato: “Interesting, Jack. But just to reiterate, I think JS saw the SUPPRESSION of Platonic ideas as creating the loss of truth and not the addition.…”
Jack on BH Roberts on Plato: “Thanks for your insights--you've really got me thinking. I can't get away from the notion that the formation of the Great and Abominable church was an…”
Steve Fleming on BH Roberts on Plato: “In the intro to DC 76 in JS's 1838 history, JS said, "From sundry revelations which had been received, it was apparent that many important…”
Jack on BH Roberts on Plato: “"I’ve argued that God’s corporality isn’t that clear in the NT, so it seems to me that asserting that claims of God’s immateriality happened AFTER…”
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “The burden of proof is on the claim of there BEING Nephites. From a scholarly point of view, the burden of proof is on the…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “But that's not what I was saying about the nature of evidence of an unknown civilization. I am talking about linguistics, not ruins. …”