Unbiased LDS History?

[Melissa569]

I would like to do my own research on the history of the LDS faith. I grew up in a baptized but inactive family. So I'm trying to make up my own mind about the church and its founders.

Unfortunately, it seems that all the information sources out there are either provided by people who are trying to prove that all the written accounts are true, or people trying to prove that they're false. And because of that, I feel like I'm not getting a fair and equal view of the facts. This makes me think of a scene from one of my favorite movies ("My Cousin Vinny") about how biased versions of a story can be very confusing and misleading. In the movie, Vinny is a defense attourney, defending his cousin in a murder trial. Vinny pulls out a deck of playing cards, and gives his cousin an example of a case:

"The D.A.‘s gotta build a case. Building a case is like building a house. Each piece of evidence is just another building block. He wants to make a brick bunker of a building. He wants to use serious, solid-looking bricks... He’s gonna show you the bricks. He’ll show you they got straight sides, he’ll show you how they got the right shape, he’ll show them to you in a very special way, so that they appear to have everything a brick should have. But there’s one thing he’s not gonna show you-- when you look at the bricks at the right angle, they’re as thin as this playing card. His whole case is an illusion. A magic trick. It has to be an illusion, cause you’re innocent.”

I would like to see ALL angles. So does anybody know of any good historical sources about the LDS faith that are unbiased? As in just facts, not trying to pull you in one direction or the other?

[applepansy]

"A Rough Stone Rolling" By Richard Bushman I found this book well written, well researched. The author worked hard to be balanced.

[UrbanFool]

I've tried to do the same thing, and have pretty much had to piece things together. I don't think any religion doesn't have some things to be really embarrassed about in their history. I have heard so many versions of what seems like straightforward histories that it all gets jumbled and I don't know what to believe.

I'll have to check that out Apple, thanks.

[bytor2112]

Rough Stone Rolling is very good. However, you might just let the Spirit be your guide instead. A careful study of the Restored Gospel and the imperfect people the Lord called to HIS service is interesting, but, likely no more interesting or confusing than the very flawed cast of characters that have proclaimed the truth since the time of Adam.

[UrbanFool]

I think this Amazon Kindle might be really dangerous for me.

[confuzzled]

You might also try finding the movie "An American Prophet" to my understanding it was not put out by the church. IMHO it does a very good job detailing the history of Joseph Smith. I completely agree w/ Bytor and let the Spirit be your guide.

[NeuroTypical]

So does anybody know of any good historical sources about the LDS faith that are unbiased? As in just facts, not trying to pull you in one direction or the other?

There is no such thing. It doesn't exist. Not just about mormons, or religion in general, but it doesn't exist anywhere. Every thinking being has a bias. God has a bias. People who think they know God have biases. Scientists conducting experiments have biases. Scientists might try harder than everyone else to eliminate or transparently state their biases, but they still have them.

Anything, written by anyone, ever, is an attempt to pull readers in a certain direction. That goes for scripture, critical works, scientific journals, math texts, and football play-by-plays. There are zero exceptions.

The best you can do, is figure out what your own bias is, and the bias of whoever you're reading, and triangulate.

Edited August 3, 2010 by Loudmouth_Mormon

[crazypotato]

I agree with Loudmouth. I think it is impossible to find an impartial, unbiased report of any religion or of a political issue, for that matter.

I think if you are wondering if the church is true, read a variety of materials about our church written by LDS believers, and then read other religious materials from different religions to see how you feel about those. Like read the Catholic version of the Bible to study Catholism, and talk to other Catholics about their religion, etc.

If you read anti-Mormon stuff, keep in mind that it is not unbiased, but almost always specifically designed to bash Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I would suggest reading the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's own words and deciding for yourself if it is true. It would be like asking a Mormon if the Catholic church is true, and then reading books by the Mormon church about the Catholics, rather than going to the source. I think that is the best way.

[Maureen]

A book I really enjoyed was Mormon Enigma:Emma Hale Smith. It is a biography about Emma, but it includes Joseph Smith, their children, and paints a picture of what a 19th century life would have been like. It is an excellent book. Here's a link:

Mormon enigma: Emma Hale Smith - Google Books

M.

[MichaelCraig]

Bias. It's so hard to be nonbiased. About as hard as it is to love someone unconditionally. It sounds really nice but is it even possible for us mere mortals? As for the chance of finding thruth about anything, I'll have to go with bytors idea, follow the Spirit.

[rameumptom]

Still, if a person acknowledges his/her bias, it is still possible to bring about a good work of history that is fairly balanced. Many current historians try to acknowledge such biases and work to ensure balance. Richard Bushman is excellent in this regard.

I would also recommend Mormon history written by Jan Shipps. She's not LDS, but is very respected in LDS and non-LDS circles as being very fair in her research. She's a very fascinating woman - I've had the chance to listen and talk to her on a few occasions (she lives here in Indianapolis).

[Melissa569]

Thanks everyone, I'll have to look into all this material. :)

rameumptom-- Sounds like she's fair because she might be trying to decide for herself. If I were going to share what I have learned, I would want to share everything that pulled my attention tot he left, and to the right. It would be like taking people with me on my journey :)

[Moksha]

Melissa, you should know in advance that actual Church history can vary significantly from many legends that have developed throughout the years and have found their way into commonly accepted teachings. If upon finding these discrepancies, it would be good if you could talk about them on this forum and those steeped in gospel doctrine could help explain and lessen the potential dissonance you might feel about finding such information.

Ultimately it is hoped, that being forewarned can furnish a degree of inoculation to anti-mormon thought.

[rameumptom]

Thanks everyone, I'll have to look into all this material. :)

rameumptom-- Sounds like she's fair because she might be trying to decide for herself. If I were going to share what I have learned, I would want to share everything that pulled my attention tot he left, and to the right. It would be like taking people with me on my journey :)

Nope. Jan is a very happy Methodist. She lived in Ogden for several years and thought Mormonism would be a good area to study, especially since it was basically untouched by most non-LDS historians.

[Saguaro]

Melissa, you should know in advance that actual Church history can vary significantly from many legends that have developed throughout the years and have found their way into commonly accepted teachings. If upon finding these discrepancies, it would be good if you could talk about them on this forum and those steeped in gospel doctrine could help explain and lessen the potential dissonance you might feel about finding such information.

Ultimately it is hoped, that being forewarned can furnish a degree of inoculation to anti-mormon thought.

There's a perfect example of this in the August Ensign under the visiting teaching message. It recounts the story of the women in Kirtland giving up their china to be ground down and mixed in with the plaster for the walls of the temple.

August 2010

Turns out though this story has little basis in historical fact of the time.

Much has been said concerning the exterior stucco of the Kirtland

Temple. The common story is that the women of Kirtland donated their fine

china to be crushed and mixed in with the stucco, thereby adding a shimmering

surface. That glass was put into the plaster is true, yet there are no

records that tell of any fine china. Artemus’s journal and other contemporary

accounts use the phrase “old glass and crockery.” His son recalled,

“Artemus sent men and boys to the different towns and places to gather old

crockery and glass to put in the cement.” Stories about fine china being

mixed in the Kirtland Temple stucco do not appear on the historical record

until 1940—over a hundred years after the dedication of the temple.

Artemus Millet: Builder of the Kingdom by Josh E. Probert and Craig K. Manscill, pg. 64

[HoosierGuy]

Fawn Brodie's No Man Know's My History. Very easy to read and a quick read. Fascinating book. Some say it's anti-Mormon. But Fawn Brodie grew up in the church, so I'm sure it was hard for her to write. I've seen criticism of Rough Stone Rolling though. I've not read the book. But the criticism seems to be the author's underlying tone is that Smith was a Prophet and glances over some major things.

[FlaviusHambonius]

Fawn Brodie's No Man Know's My History. Very easy to read and a quick read. Fascinating book. Some say it's anti-Mormon. But Fawn Brodie grew up in the church, so I'm sure it was hard for her to write. I've seen criticism of Rough Stone Rolling though. I've not read the book. But the criticism seems to be the author's underlying tone is that Smith was a Prophet and glances over some major things.

On an audio interview that I listened to a few months back, Bushman points out the fact that whether you believe Joseph Smith was a prophet or an imposter -- the fact of the matter is that Joseph Smith believed he was a prophet to the very end.

Fawn Brodie's book was definitley a page turner, but the downside is that it seems like she acted at times as though she could read Joseph's mind and spin it her way. I will say that I thought that she brought out some great stuff in the book -- fun read.

Rough Stone Rolling was a great book and I think should be mandantory for every LDS person to read it -- it would open up their eyes hopefully that this man called Joseph Smith had many faults like all of us.

[FlaviusHambonius]

A book I really enjoyed was Mormon Enigma:Emma Hale Smith. It is a biography about Emma, but it includes Joseph Smith, their children, and paints a picture of what a 19th century life would have been like. It is an excellent book. Here's a link:

Mormon enigma: Emma Hale Smith - Google Books

M.

I absolutley loved Mormon Enigma -- being the fact that it was non-sanitized was even more refreshing -- but those seem to be the kind of books that I enjoy reading lately.

I just recently purchaced a book called 'Conflict In The Quarom' by Gary James Bergera that talks about the conflicts between Brigham Young and Orson Pratt and the other bretheren -- I haven't had a chance to read it yet -- but I'm hopeing it has some spicey sauce.

I think Bergera had access to some of the archives during the time known as 'The New Mormon History' just before it ended, while Leonard Arrington was still in charge of the church history and archives dept.

[Saguaro]

I'm currently reading Mormon Enigma and enjoying it, I second the recommendations for Rough Stone rolling. For more modern history, I would recommend:

Amazon.com: David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism (9780874808223): Gregory A Prince, Wm Robert Wright: Books

[HoosierGuy]

Brings up a question - can one get unbiased information from someone who's in the LDS church and devoted to it? Or is the best unbiased information from those who have been in the church but left.

[applepansy]

"Saints" by Orson Scott Card is also a good read... it's "fictional"... but based on truth.

I found the book to based on Orson's truth, which in the end didn't have any basis in fact.

[Dravin]

Brings up a question - can one get unbiased information from someone who's in the LDS church and devoted to it? Or is the best unbiased information from those who have been in the church but left.

Neither group is unbiased.

[Moksha]

There is one website which is anti-mormon in nature, and uses the weapon of unvarnished history, to harm the testimonies of Mormons finding their own history unprepared. The catch here is that the unvarnished history is presented with no mitigating explanations. If one should ever run across it, immediately report back to here and seek out Hemidakota, Rameumpton or others to fill in the blanks.

[UrbanFool]

Neither group is unbiased.

Someone who is still in the church would be less likely to be biased since they are likely seeking the answers for themselves as well.

Those that have left the church entirely would think they'd found their answer (or the lack thereof.)

[Dravin]

Someone who is still in the church would be less likely to be biased since they are likely seeking the answers for themselves as well.

Those that have left the church entirely would think they'd found their answer (or the lack thereof.)

Their bias would be of a different nature, and possibly more palatable but the bias exists. It doesn't make the information worthless mind you, but don't fall into the trap of thinking both groups don't have a bias. This kinda reminds me of the discussion about media bias, we tend to say the guy who's bias is in line with ours is unbiased and the guy who disagrees with us is heavily biased.

Edited August 6, 2010 by Dravin