Historical Issues

Unfortunately, Mormonism has been less than forthright about its history, sanitizing its founding events and the lives of its leaders. Some have promoted a philosophy of "faithful history", where the dissemination of unflattering information about the Mormon hierarchy is seen as spiritually jeopardizing. Mormon apostle Boyd K. Packer said:

"You seminary teachers and some of you institute and BYU men will be teaching the history of the Church this school year. This is an unparalleled opportunity in the lives of your students to increase their faith and testimony of the divinity of this work. Your objective should be that they will see the hand of the Lord in every hour and every moment of the Church from its beginning till now... Church history can be so interesting and so inspiring as to be a very powerful tool indeed for building faith. If not properly written or properly taught, it may be a faith destroyer... There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not... Some things that are true are not very useful... That historian or scholar who delights in pointing out the weaknesses and frailties of present or past leaders destroys faith. A destroyer of faith — particularly one within the Church, and more particularly one who is employed specifically to build faith — places himself in great spiritual jeopardy. He is serving the wrong master, and unless he repents, he will not be among the faithful in the eternities... Do not spread disease germs!" ("The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than The Intellect")

Apostle Dallin H. Oaks said:

"It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true. As Elder George F. Richards, President of the Council of the Twelve, said in a conference address in April 1947, 'when we say anything bad about the leaders of the Church, whether true or false, we tend to impair their influence and their usefulness and are thus working against the Lord and his cause.' ... The Holy Ghost will not guide or confirm criticism of the Lord's anointed, or of Church leaders, local or general. This reality should be part of the spiritual evaluation that LDS readers and viewers apply to those things written about our history and those who made it." ("The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than The Intellect")

History is important. As Christians we have been called to herald the truth not only of God's word, but also the truth of what has actually happened in the past. Jesus said, "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:15-16). These fruits are recognizable in the context of history. Instead of disrespecting people with the attitude of, "You can't handle the truth!", we should instead treat people with dignity by allowing to make informed decisions based on the facts. After an introduction to factual history, many Mormons have started an important journey to the truth.

Further Reading

• Brigham Young's Rise to Power
  Brigham Young's succession to the presidency was determined by shrewd planning and manipulation.
• Early Mormon Leaders on the Inhabitants of the Sun and Moon
  Joseph Smith reportedly taught of inhabitants of the moon dressed like Quakers; Brigham Young taught of inhabitants of the Sun
• In the Line of Duty: Mountain Meadows
  A recap of the tragedy at Mountain Meadows and some explanations for why it happened.
• Joseph Smith's First Vision: Fact or Fiction?
  The well-publicized story of Joseph Smith's First Vision is not a true account of the origin of Mormonism.
• Mormon Beef, It's What's For Dinner – Or Is It?
  Were Mormon prisoners forced to eat "the flesh of some of their murdered brethren"?
• On This Day in Mormon History
  Historical nuggets pertaining to every day of year.
• Priesthood Restored or Retrofit?
  No Mormons seem to have known about the priesthood in the earliest years of the Church.
• The Missouri Debacle of the 1830s
  Smith's constant course corrections were the result of him being either a false prophet, or his God being very shortsighted.
• The Mountain Meadows Massacre
  The mass slaughter of the Fancher-Baker emigrant wagon train in Utah Territory by Mormon militia.
• Violence in Early Mormonism - Was It All Unjust Persecution?
  Both Mormons and non-Mormons had their share of abuses in human rights.
• Was There a "Miracle" of the Seagulls?
  LDS tradition tells how tens of thousands of seagulls miraculously appeared to devour millions of crickets.
• Which First Vision Account Should We Believe?
  There are at least nine different versions of the First Vision, each of which differs in significant parts.
• Joseph Smith for President (Mormon Coffee)
  Smith's campaign for president of the United States was much more complicated than most would imagine.
• Latter-day Saints Don’t Care for Sugar-coated Mormon History (Mormon Coffee)
  It is interesting that Latter-day Saints need to request an honest portrayal of history from their church.
• Jehovah As Father: The Development of the Mormon Jehovah Doctrine (Boyd Kirkland)
  Several divergent views have been held in Mormonism on the identity of Elohim and Jehovah.
• Making Mormon History (Boston Globe)
  "An influential religion struggles with how to tell the story of its past."
• The Reconstruction of Mormon Doctrine: From Joseph Smith to Progressive Theology (Thomas G. Alexander)
  Dispels the myth that there has been a cumulative unity and consistent development of doctrine.
• The Reed Smoot Hearings and the Shaping of 20th Century Mormonism (Sunstone MP3)
  The senate interrogation of LDS Church leaders, including President Joseph F. Smith.