Category: Mormon History
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Saving Mormonism: Divorcing Faith from Fact
The Salt Lake Tribune published an article earlier this month: “New Mormon mission: How to teach members the messy part of LDS history, theology.” Written by Peggy Fletcher Stack, the article looks at the need for the Mormon Church to shift its “simple” historical narrative to something that comports more with truth. She writes, “These…
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Mormon Church Does Not Require “Bloodletting”
Last week the Utah Senate voted to reinstate death by firing squad as one of the state’s options in carrying out a judiciously imposed penalty of capital punishment. The bill awaits the signature of Utah’s governor before it can become law. As the bill is written, the firing squad alternative would be required if lethal…
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The Dedication of Louie B. Felt
In December of 1866, three months after they first met, 26-year-old Joseph H. Felt and 16-year-old Sarah Louisa (Louie) Bouton were married in Salt Lake City. Louie became the first Primary general president in the Mormon Church, serving in that capacity for 45 years. She is featured in an article found in the July 2014…
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Book Review: The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri
Not everyone likes history, especially Mormon history. But if there is a particular year that ought to be understood for a better comprehension of Mormonism, the year would have to be 1838. For those who have heard of “Gov. Boggs,” the “Salt Sermon,” and the Hahn’s Mill massacre, this is the book that must be…
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Ballad of the Mountain Meadows Massacre
On September 11, 1857, a Mormon mob perpetrated the Mountain Meadows Massacre, killing 120 travelers in Utah. A ballad by Pete Moore recounts this tragic event, highlighting the betrayal and brutality experienced by the victims.
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Josiah Quincy’s Visit to Nauvoo
Josiah Quincy’s Visit to Nauvoo By Sharon Lindbloom The following was originally printed in the Sept-Oct 2011 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here.
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Were Mormons Ever Expelled From the United States?
The following was originally printed in the March-April 2009 edition of Mormonism Researched. To request a free subscription, please visit here. Mormonism has a history of changing history. From the written history of the LDS Church to its recorded revelations, changes are ever-present. Today a new spin on a historical LDS event is in the air. Credo, a…
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The Importance of History
The first sin ever recorded was historical revisionism. Satan said, “Did God really say that?” The serpent took advantage of a very important principle: What people believe in the present is largely shaped by what they think about the past. Unfortunately, Mormonism has been less than forthright about its history, sanitizing its founding events and…
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Horrific Tragedy in Mormon History
In two days, on October 30, 2013, the 175th anniversary of a very dark day in American history will pass mostly unnoticed. On this date in 1838, 18 men and boys were murdered at Haun’s Mill on the western Missouri frontier. Of the 18 victims, 17 were Mormons – mercilessly shot and killed by a…
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A Fiery 2010 Fireside in Stockholm, Sweden
A tape and transcript of a contentious 2-hour-plus conversation that took place in 2010 between a group of Swedish leaders and two LDS church representatives from Salt Lake City is making the rounds on the Internet. The questions asked by these leaders along with the answers provided by the church historical department are summarized in…
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Former Swedish Church Leader Just Wants the “Truth”
On July 20, 2013, a front-page article in the New York Times described how former Swedish area authority Hans Mattsson has serious doubts about Mormon history, including issues involving the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith’s polygamous ways. He learned about these through his study on the Internet. Mattsson criticizes the LDS Church for not being completely…
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The Delicate Balance of Mormon Church History
The June 2013 issue of New Era magazine (for Mormon youth) includes an article by LDS Seventy Steven E. Snow, “Balancing Church History.” The focus of the article is on warning Mormon young people about faith-challenging historical information they may encounter on the Internet, and encouraging them to be prepared for these encounters. Mr. Snow…
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Mormons Believe A Study in Scarlet is Inaccurate
Following the complaint of a student’s mother, the Sherlock Holmes story, A Study in Scarlet, has been reviewed and removed from a Virginia school district’s sixth-grade reading list as age-inappropriate. It isn’t because the archaic writing style may prove difficult for sixth-graders. It isn’t because of the stalking and graphic murders of the two main…
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The House that John Built
John Patten, Jr. and Candace Smith were newlyweds when John built their home in Manti, Utah. Constructed in 1854, the Patten home is now a museum that “stands as a symbol for the same industry, faith and hope” as does the LDS temple in Manti, according to Deseret News. The LDS Church-owned newspaper recently highlighted…
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An Account of the Mountain Meadows Massacre as Described by John D. Lee
The testimony of Lee given to his attorney, William W. Bishop that describes the events leading to, and during, the Mountain Meadows massacre of 1857.
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Summer 1844: Sorrowful Times in Nauvoo
Latter-day Saints Isaac and Sarah Scott were married in Massachusetts in 1843. They moved to Nauvoo, Illinois, where they became eyewitnesses to the events surrounding the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. Sarah wrote to her in-laws beginning on July 22, 1844, a few weeks after the murders; Isaac added a short note at the…
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The Demise of the LDS Church in Kirtland
Mormonism began in 1830 in a sleepy township in upstate New York. After Mormon missionaries realized great success gaining converts in Ohio, the religion’s founder, Joseph Smith, moved his fledgling church 250 miles west to the little town of Kirtland. Within months, Joseph sent a number of Church members farther west to Missouri to begin…
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Gathering to Zion
In the early days of the LDS Church, converts all over the world were commanded to gather in one place with all other Latter-day Saints. The appointed gathering place moved from Missouri to Illinois and finally to Utah. According to Brigham Young, the purpose of the gathering was “…for the express purpose of purifying ourselves,…
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A Final Resting Place for Parley P. Pratt
One of the first LDS Apostles, Parley P. Pratt, was hastily buried near Van Buren, Arkansas on May 14, 1857. Murdered in cold blood and considered by many Latter-day Saints a martyr to his Mormon faith, Parley’s dying wish was to have his remains brought back to Utah to be buried among his friends. In…
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John C. Bennett
On a recent trip through Iowa I stopped at the Polk City Cemetery, where early Latter-day Saint leader John C. Bennett is buried. Bennett joined the LDS Church in Nauvoo, during the summer of 1840. He quickly became a very close friend and confidante of Joseph Smith. Joseph received a revelation on January 19, 1841,…
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