Mormon History Guy: Recent Episodes
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My current meeting place looks less like a site for worship service and more like somewhere you go to for a shady deal. Poor lighting. Deteriorating walls. There’s even a rank odor that floats by on occasion. The congregation does not count as a branch or even a twig. It’s more like a leaf; one […]
The post Breaking the Mirror: A Note on Prophetic Fallibility appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
This blog will be retaining the Mormon History Guy label, since I do not confine my discussions to the history of the Church ofJesus Christ of Latter-day Saints proper–and the topic of this blog falls firmly within the context of Mormon history as evidenced by the Mormon Newsroom’s use of “Mormon Trail.” And since I […]
The post “Better to represent ourselves than to be represented by others”: Thoughts on the Politics of the Name ‘Mormon” appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Being an onye ocha (“white person”) strolling down the dirt roads of Enugu en route to the archives invites, well, attention. It’s a bit like the opening scene to Beauty and the Beast–but replace Bon Jour with a mildly unnerving racial descriptor. Some people say it to you directly: “Onye Ocha, Ke Ka I Mere?” (“white guy, how are you?”). […]
The post Can White People Be African Studies Scholars? appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Finally had the opportunity to watch the Be One celebration sponsored by the LDS Church in commemoration of the lifting of the priesthood/temple restrictions 40 years ago. You can watch the performance here. This celebration was notable, not just for the topic but for the kind of anniversary it was. Church policy dictates what anniversaries will […]
The post Three Ways The Be One Celebration Broke New Ground appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Photo Credit: Salt Lake Tribune Thanks to the excellent research of Mark Staker, we know of an interesting point of intersection between the Joseph Smith family and the Massachusetts free black community and also, further insight into why Emma Smith was so willing to be sealed to black member Jane Manning James. This research provides background […]
The post Emma Smith and the Massachusetts Black Community: A Note appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
This will be a fairly sparse post, considering the aspirations of the topic. Brevity, after all, is the soul of Not Finding The Blogger to Be an Insufferably Long-Winded Hack. It is common for folks to speak about racism as a “product of the times.” Anger is a poor color on me (some wear it beautifully), but […]
The post What Other Nineteenth-century Western Churches Were Doing About Racial Integration appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
This title is misleading. Some folks have asked for something quick and easy they can share as we approach the 40th-anniversary of peoples of African descent receiving full access to all the offices and rituals necessary for salvation in Mormonism. Quick and dirty. So, this post will not offer any kind of Grand Explanation About the Priesthood […]
The post A One-Stop-Shop on the Origins/Implementation of the Mormon Priesthood Restriction appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Note: Lest anyone think that The Faux Blogger Who Shall Not Be Named deserves credit for this discussion, this post is an engagement with the introductions to both Black Mormon: The Story of Elijah Ables and For the Cause of Righteousness Additional note: This is a thought experiment, a privilege that I, as a white Mormon male, enjoy. […]
The post Approaching an Apology for Mormon Racism appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
It’s been a strange day for race in Mormondom. Jonathan Streeter penned a faux apology for the temple/priesthood ban with the layout, design, and imagery that made a serious effort to mimick the Mormon Newsroom (I will not link to it here, if only to avoid perpetuating it). The language felt like it came straight […]
The post I’m a Progressive, and I’m Here to Help: On Emotional Manipulation in the Name of Morality appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
“It was a racist time. What do you expect of him?” In this week’s series on Silly Things Many Mormons Say to Make Themselves Feel Better, we tackle the Everyone Was Doing It, in hopes that the haze of collective memory will embrace us in the misery of other suns. Maybe the Saints were horribly […]
The post Not Everyone was As Racist as Brigham Young appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
“We don’t know where/when the priesthood/temple ban originated.” As we gear up for the Big 40th in commemoration/celebration of the lifting of the priesthood ban, this line of thinking is an old chestnut that crops up from sources both high and low–a usable, soothing narrative for jittery Mormons who would rather throw their hands up […]
The post We Know A Lot About the Origins of the Priesthood Ban appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
We have covered Cain and “blackness,” probably more than it deserves. In this post, I will run through a quick and dirty discussion of Ham and “blackness.” This explanation has, hands down, no contest, dominated racial exegesis in European Biblical scholarship until the last 50+ years. While there is more–much more–to the Noachian story, if […]
The post Black Ham: Ham and Race in the Old Testament appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Is the Mormon emphasis on religious liberty rooted in anything other than the considerations of 21st-century America? Neither fully American, Christian, nor white, Mormons found themselves at the margins of antebellum American life, compelled to advocate for their own claims to Constitutional protection when state and federal government officials failed them. In this episode, Dr. […]
The post Podcast #17: Joseph Smith and Religious Liberty with Dr. Spencer McBride appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Lesson 5 on Cain and Abel is coming up, and the proverbial elephant in the room endures: what of the Curse of Cain? Mormons live in a new era when it comes to racial exegesis. Grandfather’s talking points about “the negro,” Cain and Ham aren’t en vogue. “We now know,” we tell ourselves, with a breath […]
The post Teaching about Cain and Race in LDS Gospel Doctrine appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
At times like this, the elixir of postmodernity is at its strongest: there is no history–only narratives. Hagiography (a narrative that paints its subject in a particularly effusive light, typically in a religious context e.g. George Q. Cannon’s biography of Joseph Smith or the early religious biographies of say, Simon Stylites) is, while sometimes a […]
The post Dieter F. Uchtdorf Cannot Save You appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Dear Chronic Plagiarizer: Over the course of this semester, you have taken every opportunity to proactively avoid learning. Rather than dare to know something about the forces that shape our world–whether they be ideas, economics, or social relationships–you have chosen instead to attend sporting events, to copy (bad) papers from online, and to project judgment […]
The post Letter to a Chronic Plagiarizer appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
For the Mormon Sunday School teachers out there, this one is for you. This is a follow-up to an earlier post: Mythbusters: Official Declaration #2 edition. Today, I taught the lesson on Official Declaration #2. For most of us, it is over. Whether with grace or clumsiness or perhaps #facepalm moment (or three), we’ve taught […]
The post Teaching Official Declaration #2 appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
We don’t do an awesome job of discussing Official Declaration #2, even though it serves as the best starting point for us to bracket off what some of us may designate The Global Era of Mormonism. It allowed men of African descent to receive ordination to the Aaronic and Melchizedek priesthoods, and it allowed women […]
The post Mythbusters, Official Declaration #2 Edition appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Full disclosure: I like Martin Luther King. This shouldn’t surprise most of us. Most of us in 2017 do. He had a vision for human rights that have since transcended the times, and I celebrate it. Dr. King worked to dismantle white power structures that defined (and, to a large extent, still do define) American […]
The post A Family Home Evening Lesson on Martin Luther King Day appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this episode, I interview Danor Gerald, an African-American working actor in Utah commissioned to play the role of Elijah Able[s] in new official LDS Church productions. Given Ables’ position as one of a few black priesthood holders prior to the implementation of the priesthood restriction, the moves represents a marked shift towards a reckoning with […]
The post Podcast #16: The Man Who Plays Elijah-An Interview with Danor Gerald appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
“The fate of our times is characterized by rationalization and intellectualization and, above all, by the disenchantment of the world.”–Max Weber, “Science as Vocation,” 1918. The world of Mormonism has changed, even within the span of my relatively short lifetime. We live in a time where networks of information have become decentralized, enclaved, and […]
The post Letting the Gods Go?: A Review of Patrick Mason’s Planted: Belief and Belonging in An Age of Doubt appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Yesterday, W. Paul Reeve, author of Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness (Oxford University Press, 2014) posted a short piece on By Common Consent about the ordination of Elijah Able[s], the first documented African-American man to hold the priesthood in Mormon history. In the piece, he makes a short simple argument: “Did […]
The post Was Elijah Able[s] Ordained by Joseph Smith? A Response to W. Paul Reeve appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Today, the always-thoughtful Jana Riess posted a short piece criticizing commentators who continue to defend the priesthood restriction on peoples of African descent. These critics suppose that by critiquing comments that even ancient Book of Mormon prophets such as Nephi and Jacob critiqued, we must be seeking to undermine the authority of the Church, its […]
The post Why We Can Condemn the Priesthood Restriction While Keeping Our Recommends appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
On March 8, Russell Stevenson, along with Blacks in the Scriptures and Northstar, sponsored a special event devoted to discussing how the LGBT/SSA/transgender and African-American communities have endeavored to uphold their faith in the face of systemic marginalization. Participants included Nick Gregory, an active transgender Latter-day Saint, Rod Olson, an active gay Mormon living in […]
The post Podcast #15: Of One Heart and One Mind Fireside appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this podcast, I sit down with Dr. Samuel M. Brown, a medical doctor at the Intermountain Medical Center and a brilliant historian of death theology in Mormonism, focusing particularly on his book, In Heaven as it is on Earth: Joseph Smith and the Early Mormon Conquest of Death. We discuss the distinctive contributions Mormonism made to […]
The post Podcast #14: Transcending Death: Dr. Samuel M. Brown on Mormon Death Theology appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
For generations, Mormons have navigated the tumultuous waters of public opinion. Whether defending themselves against charges of racism or making charming advertisements about the importance of family, Mormons have sought to be conscious about how the outside world sees them. Russell Stevenson sits down with Dr. J.B. Haws, an assistant professor of religion at Brigham Young […]
The post Podcast #13: An Interview with J.B. Haws appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Meet the Mormons, a documentary/informercial produced by the LDS Church about six remarkable Mormons across the globe, shows Mormonism at its coolest. Would I see it over Guardians of the Galaxy? Tough sell, that. But I attended, if only out of filial loyalty. The profiles range from a humanitarian in Nepal to a kickboxer in Costa Rica. […]
The post Reviewing Meet the Mormons appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this timely interview, Russell Stevenson discusses the newest volume of the Deseret Book-published series, Women of Faith. As an edited volume of short biographies about LDS women from the nineteenth-century, this book provides readers a fast-paced tour what Mormon women experienced, whether in territorial Utah or New Zealand. Brittany Chapman discusses how Mormon women viewed […]
The post Podcast #12: Women of Faith–An Interview with Church Historian Brittany Chapman appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this important episode, Russell Stevenson sits down with historian Brian Hales, author of the three-volume series, Joseph Smith and Polygamy. We talk about the concept of “dynastic marriage,” sexuality in Joseph Smith’s plural marriages, and the Women Who Told Joseph Smith “No.” Hales offers his own feelings and concerns about polygamy and helps Saints navigate their way […]
The post Podcast #11: Joseph Smith and Polygamy: An Interview with Brian Hales appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
For my interview with Alex Beam, click here. On June 5, 2014, I downloaded the Kindle version of Alex Beam’s American Crucifixion and reviewed Chapter 5, “Polygamy and Its Discontents.” I immediately identified a few weaknesses of the chapter including the predominant use of secondary sources, quoting of problematic evidences apparently without checking their reliability, […]
The post Guest Post: A Review of Alex Beam’s Treatment of Polygamy by Brian Hales appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this special Mormon History Guy/Rational Faiths joint podcast, Russell Stevenson interviews Alex Beam, the non-Latter-day Saint author of American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church. We discuss polygamy, Joseph Smith’s strength of character, and distinctions between traditional Mormon narratives about Joseph Smith and Alex Beam’s interpretation. Come […]
The post Podcast #10: An Interview with Alex Beam, Author of American Crucifixion appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this exciting episode, Russell Stevenson interviews Chelsea Shields Strayer, a member of Ordain Women’s Executive Board. We discuss the history of the Ordain Women movement in the broader context of Mormon history and explore the contours of the relationship between Ordain Women and the institutional Church. The discussion that arises is rich, provocative, and […]
The post Podcast #9: Ordain Women in Mormon History-An Interview with Chelsea Shields Strayer appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Dr. Robert Millet, a longstanding and widely-respected scholar of the Latter-day Saint tradition, joins us this podcast to discuss his new book, Restored and Restoring: The Unfolding Drama of the Restoration. We discuss efforts to build bridges between the evangelical and Mormon communities, the idea of a “big Church,” and the role of historically verifiable […]
The post Podcast #8: An Interview with Robert Millet appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
The following post is a follow-up to the podcast conducted with Dr. Steven C. Harper on the First Vision. It addresses one of the most common–and central–concerns about the differences among the various First Vision accounts: did Joseph Smith see one being or two? Did Joseph Smith see one divine being or two in his […]
The post One Being or Two: A Guest Post by Dr. Steven Harper, LDS Church History Department appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
It’s time to ask the tough question: is Mormon history even helpful to the Ordain Women movement? Like Joanna Brooks has said, this cause isn’t one that burns deeply within my soul. If President Monson told us tomorrow that women could be ordained to be “Elders” or “High Priestesses,” I would cheer along with everyone […]
The post When Mormon History Fails You appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
It is the foundational event of Mormonism–or at least that is what it became. Beginning in 1832, Joseph Smith began to publicly talk about a visionary experience he had in a grove of trees nearby his home in upstate New York. However, what he told audiences differed from year-to-year in what feels to be substantial […]
The post Podcast #7: The First Vision appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this podcast–recorded live at the Salt Lake City Public Library–Russell Stevenson hosts a panel discussion in which he along with three single Latter-day Saints (Ryan Fleming, Kylee Shields, and Lisa Benson) discuss not only the history of Mormon single identity but also struggles and benefits of being a single Latter-day Saint today. Given the […]
The post Podcast #6: Mormonism and the Single Saint appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this special episode, Russell Stevenson and Brittney Nielson delve into one of the most controversial topics of our times: homosexuality. During the first half, they discuss the history of homosexuality in the Mormon tradition and homosexuals’ struggles to find a place within it. The second half is an interview with two of Mormonism’s most […]
The post Podcast #5 -The History of Homosexuality and Mormonism appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this episode, Russell Stevenson and Kate Harline explore Mormonism’s fascinating interactions with the environment and environmentalist thought. Unlike many Christian denominations, Mormonism has a mixed and complicated message, as it has endeavored to uphold its principles of stewardship over the material world while still navigating the American and world economy as a minority religious […]
The post Podcast #4: Mormons and the Environment appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this podcast, Russell Stevenson and Kate Harline discuss an aspect of Mormon cultural art that is easy to overlook: dancing. Though seemingly recreational, Mormon dance in fact highlights deeper issues in the development of Mormon identity: theologically, sexually, and even racially. They analyze how Mormon dance has served as a cultural “contact zone” […]
The post Podcast #3 – History of Mormon Dance appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
The story of white Mormon racism gives me heartburn. It makes me sad, tragically so. And tragedies are only possible when there’s something–something big–to lose. As Rabbi Abraham Heschel observed, though “few are guilty…all are responsible.” Deflection and projection will not do. To paraphrase the haunting language of poet Jeremy Loveday, “the culture of violence [though I would […]
The post Let Not God Speak with Us: The Tragedy of Mormon Racism appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this podcast, Kate Kelly Harline takes on the role of interviewer and discusses Russell Stevenson (author of Black Mormon: The Story of Elijah Ables and author of the forthcoming, For the Cause of Righteousness: A Documentary History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830-2013). We discuss the meaning and ramifications of the LDS Church’s new statement on “Race and the […]
The post Podcast #2: Race and the Priesthood appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In a recent conversation with Doug Fabrizio, I made the comment that the priesthood ban was a collaborative endeavor, with plenty of culpability to spread around throughout the various strata of the Mormon community. I said that it has taken this long for the Mormon community to reckon with their racial past. He responded with […]
The post 2013?! Wow. Ok. appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Published in the summer edition of The Journal of Mormon History, this review offers my analysis of W. Kesler Jackson’s Elijah Abel: The Life and Times of a Black Priesthood Holder. Parenthetical references deal with material from inside Jackson’s book. Bracketed references point to sources outside Jackson’s work. Full Disclosure: For a copy of my book, Black Mormon: […]
The post Review of Elijah Abel: The Life and Times of a Black Priesthood Holder appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In summer 1947, Southern States Mission President Heber Meeks traveled to Cuba in order to determine whether Mormon missionary work should commence in the nation of Cuba. Meeks had an impressive track record both as a church official and a public servant. He had directed the 1940 census in Utah and had once run as […]
The post The White Element: Heber Meeks and the First Mormon Mission to Cuba appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Purpose: To use Official Declaration #2 to show class members how the Lord continues to guide his Church through revelation. Preparation: 1. Scriptures On racial equality: D&C 38:25, 2 Ne. 26:33 On the relationship between the righteousness of the people and revelation: Mormon 3:16, Ezekiel 3:26 2. Historical Reading “Race and the Priesthood” from www.lds.org: http://www.lds.org/topics/race-and-the-priesthood?lang=eng Lesson Development: Have a […]
The post A Lesson Plan on Official Declaration #2 appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Brigham Young made Thanksgiving Day official in Utah Territory almost twelve years before Lincoln declared it to be a national holiday. Source: http://www.lds.org/ensign/1971/11/proclamation-for-a-day-of-praise-and-thanksgiving-for-the-territory-of-utah
The post Mormon History Fact of the Day: Brigham Young’s Thanksgiving appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
In this pilot episode, Russell Stevenson and Kate Harline discuss the historical undergirdings for the Mormon position on war. Drawing on Mormon scripture and various episodes of Mormon armed conflict, they show that the Saints’ views on war have been more ambivalent than contemporary Mormon assumptions might suggest. Stay tuned for more. For Hosea Stout’s […]
The post War – Mormon History Guy Show – Episode 1 appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
Mormons have called it a plague, a cursing, a disease, and the surest sign that the modern world loves to gaze at Gomorrah. For several years, hardly a General conference, stake conference, or even Elder’s quorum meeting went by without at least a passing reference to pornography’s evils. But pornography hasn’t always been around, and […]
The post Plague: The Mormon Opposition to Pornography, 1850s-1966 appeared first on Mormon History Guy.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk has sent a shock wave of sheer joy throughout the Latter-day Saint community, ranging from conservative housewives to liberal academics. One blogger used Park and Recreation’s Ben Wyatt to demonstrate the dramatic impact of Uchtdorf’s talk: For others, it was more like: But what did he do? Among other things, he said […]
The post The Uchtdorf Persuasion appeared first on Mormon History Guy.