THE MORMON 1ST EDITION PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Steven Naifeh | --- | --- | --- | 9781250025890 | --- | --- 'The Mormon Murders' -- the Mini-Series the Latter Day Saints Shut Down

The First Presidency constitutes the highest office in the church; within the office are three men, a troika of elders who make virtually all major decisions. The letter appeared to be written entirely in the hand of . That alone made the letter valuable, but it was the content that demanded the attention of a man like Hinckley. In the years immediately preceding the founding of the church, Smith almost certainly had engaged in treasure hunting, a common practice in 19th-Century America. Often, the search for treasure was accompanied by arcane magical rites that, by modern standards, seem to have little to do with dignified religion. Altogether an embarrassment. It is not known what was said by Hofmann or Hinckley. Hofmann took the check and Hinckley took the letter. There were no press conferences, no articles in the church magazine. Two years later a reporter for , acting on a rumor, called the church press office and inquired about its existence. The press officer denied knowledge of the letter. Like all religions, has its own special language. That includes Sunday school lessons, missionary sermons and official history. Conflicting stories are not allowed. This effort is called the correlation program; there is even a correlation committee. To understand the Mormon need to correlate, you need only to take the tours through Temple Square in downtown . The Tour quickly gets to the crux. In 40 minutes the guide tells you--shows you, actually--the essential details: that Joseph Smith was a year-old farm boy living in Palmyra, N. That one lesson is repeated over and over: The are a chosen people, they are the true sons and daughters of Israel in the New World, and this special place is proven by their history. The story of Joseph Smith proves it; the story of the Book of Mormon proves it. Without that history, Mormons are just another group of Christians. Of course, for the argument to work, the story of Joseph Smith must be regarded as truth, not mythology. That is what the tour guides believe; that is what the church believes. The church needs its history, and it needs it to be told fact by correlated fact. All of which left in an extraordinary position. Documents deemed to be faith-promoting would be snapped up by the church or Mormon collectors and widely celebrated; threatening documents would be purchased quietly and hidden away. There was a market for each. In , Hofmann and his wife, Doralee, moved to a more upscale neighborhood south of the city. The couple began to hold dinner parties for their widening circle of friends. The weekend crowd would sit in the hot tub in the backyard, and Hofmann would discuss the possibilities. Some were startling. One of the greatest intrigues in Mormon history involves a set of papers known as the Lost Pages of the Book of Mormon. Early in the process of writing the book, a disciple carried the pages to his home in another town. The pages soon disappeared and have never resurfaced. Hofmann said he thought the pages were out there, somewhere; he was investigating some leads. He said he thought the offer was low. On another evening Hofmann said he was also in pursuit of something known as the Cowdery History. , one of the first church disciples, supposedly had written a history of the early church years. Hofmann said it was rumored that the collection contained a dramatically different account of the discovery of the plates. Then Hofmann shrugged. He had also heard, he said, that the church already owned the Cowdery History and was hiding it in a vault accessible only to the First Presidency. How, they asked, could one man find more lost documents than dozens of collectors had found over a period of decades? Hofmann was sanguine, claiming that he did what others were not willing to do. At times, he said, he went to extraordinary lengths to make his discoveries, even going door to door in small towns. The authorities seemed to agree. Repeatedly, they had certified the handwriting. The was the object of special scrutiny. After its acquisition by the church, archivists took the sheet to University for further tests. It was subjected to examinations by ultraviolet and infrared light, tests that can reveal erasures and alterations. None were found. In late fall of , Hofmann returned from a collecting trip in the East. He had found something: a letter written by Martin Harris, one of the first converts to the church. Hofmann picked up the phone and called a friend. Could he read it? He needed a judgment. What the friend heard over the next five minutes was an account of the discovery of the gold plates. In the letter, Harris describes a conversation with Smith on his farm in Palmyra. After several more attempts and considerable teasing by the spirit, Smith relates that he finally obtains the gold . There was no fatherly figure of the . There was little religion at all. Just the greedy pursuit of gold and a magical, violent salamander. A cold-blooded amphibian, cousin of the newt. When Hofmann finished reading, there was a period of silence on the phone. President Kimball, at 89, had faded badly; Hinckley was essentially running the affairs of the church, and the student knew he needed a decision from the top. Jacobs handed Hinckley the letter and gave him time to read it. Jacobs told Hinckley that he owned the letter and had come to offer it for sale. This was partly a lie. The letter would surely produce a furor, and Hofmann wanted to spare his family. Would Jacobs be the front man in Salt Lake? Jacobs agreed. Hinckley was quiet for a moment. That price may be a little high, he said. Jacobs then made a counteroffer. How about an original Mormon ? But something was wrong. Hinckley spoke quietly again. Jacobs left the building, confused. Could Hinckley have misunderstood the impact the letter would have if it got into general circulation? Neither man could figure it out. A week later Jacobs was about to return to Cambridge when Hofmann called. The had been sold, he said. The buyer was a local businessman named Steven Christensen. It is not known why Hinckley refused the chance to buy the Salamander Letter. Perhaps he thought Jacobs would return later with a lower price; perhaps, as Jacobs speculated, he misjudged the reaction it would produce. After all, similar stories about the discovery of the gold plates had been circulated by critics of the church in the 19th Century. Every Mormon historian was familiar with them. But that analysis did not account for modern newspapers and television. Within weeks local reporters began to receive tips about the existence of the Salamander Letter; many of these tips came indirectly from Hofmann. By early March, , Steven Christensen was forced to issue a statement confirming his ownership. If there is such a thing as a firestorm in religion news coverage, that is what followed. For the church the situation became the incarnation of all its fears; people who knew little about Mormonism were being told that a salamander, not an angel of God, had been keeper of the gold plates. Hofmann himself never seemed to revel in the furor, publicly or privately. One day he and collector Brent Ashworth talked about the pain being inflicted on the church. Ashworth said the whole thing made him feel sick; he wondered what the church should do. The possibility of a had also been considered by Christensen. He submitted the letter to Kenneth Rendell, an autograph expert in Newton, Mass. Rendell, in turn, subcontracted some of the work to other document experts. Still, there were some who were unsatisfied. The most unlikely of those was Jerald Tanner, a born-again Christian who has conducted a genteel campaign of intellectual warfare against the Mormon Church for 20 years. A historian at once remarked that the Salt Lake Messenger was read by more people who denied it than any publication in Utah save for Playboy. The Tanners wanted dearly to believe that the Salamander Letter was real. But Jerald Tanner had a problem. Could the Salamander Letter be a modern plagiarism of the old affidavits? It was spooky, and Tanner was suspicious. Three times Tanner came back and said the letter was a fake. For Hofmann, these were good times. He began making regular trips to , dropping in on auctions and rare-book dealers. William and Carolyn Ingersoll with the 18th-century secretary bookshelf that housed their Book of Mormon collection. Photo by Ingersoll Family. Media Contact: Natalie Ipson. Related Articles. Devotional: Deepening Discipleship. By Brenna Seeman. Elder Scott D. He spoke about the eternal significance of deepening our discipleship and following the Savior. Devotional: Thriving Spiritually. By Kaylee Esplin. He spoke about spirituality and the role of spiritual experiences in the path back to our Heavenly Parents. With the consecration of the in Kirtland, Smith turned away from the example of the early church and embraced more ancient Hebraic models of organization. In addition to deacons, elders, priests and bishops, he instituted a "First Presidency," composed of Smith as president and two counselors, a high counsel, a special Quorum of Seventy, a Council of Twelve Apostles, and a patriarch, the first of which Smith ordained his own father. Finally, granted the Lord's "servant, Joseph Smith, jun. In addition to this revelation securing the ultimate authority of the prophet and president , Smith announced the key revelation concerning "" under which saints' marriages were "sealed" for eternity. This doctrine became the basis for the revelation disclosed to a chosen few saints in l for the practice of "plural marriages," under which select and worthy Mormon men could take multiple wives. Growing Mormon power alarmed their initially welcoming neighbors. In addition to their economic power, Mormons voted as a block in accordance with revelation announced from the pulpit. In , Smith, who had revealed a plan for organizing the kingdom of God on earth with himself as king, declared his candidacy for president of the . In June, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were arrested, dragged from jail, and murdered by a group of militia called out to protect the state against a feared Mormon uprising. After Smith's , the Mormons regrouped and under the leadership of Brigham Young, selected as Smith's successor as prophet and president, undertook the "great trek" westward to the Utah Territory, where they established a virtual Mormon kingdom, centered in Great Salt Lake City, which they called the . In Utah, under the long leadership of Young , building on the precepts of plural marriage and patriarchal, prophetic governance promulgated by Joseph Smith, the Mormons established a unique, cohesive, economically self-sufficient, and thriving society. Indeed, at the time of Young's death in l, the Utah Mormons, augmented by converts from England and elsewhere in Europe, numbered close to , The Great Basin Kingdom endured largely intact into the s. But then, due to mounting hostility that centered on the practice of polygamy which the U. Congress declared illegal by the Edmunds Act of l , the Mormons relinquished their most controversial doctrine. After the arrest of a number of Mormon leaders, the president of the church, Wilford Woodruff, in exchange for granting Utah statehood, agreed to halt plural marriage and dissolve the separate Mormon political party. Religious and Social Sources Throughout the nineteenth century and most of the twentieth, Mormonism has been viewed as an aberrant, bizarre, isolated, and largely self-contained religious movement cut off from the mainstream of American society. But what this picture obscures is the extent to which Mormonism, for all its distinctiveness, was not only rooted in many of the broader ideas that characterized early nineteenth-century evangelicalism but was also broadly responsive to the social changes playing across nineteenth-century American society. Like the Campbellite movement or the "primitive" Baptists, it sought to cut through the confusing welter of warring sects and denominations and restore the simplicity of the early church by resting itself on a few clearly revealed, authoritative truths. It also reflected the strong current of belief in magic and the occult and in the reality of spiritual visions and divine signs that was widespread in the culture. In fact, in in Southampton County, Virginia, another prophetic figure, Nat Turner, following signs and visions given only to him, launched a bloody slave insurrection that he too saw predicted in the Book of Revelation. Finally, of course, the millennialism at the heart of Mormonism drew on evangelicalism's pervasive sense of millennial expectancy. Mormonism, however, took these broader religious impulses farther than more "mainstream" religious groups were willing to go. Cutting through the complex doctrines surrounding evangelical conversion and spiritual rebirth, it simply shed the idea of original sin and promised salvation to all who professed belief in Jesus Christ, renounced sin, and promised to obey the clerked "laws and ordinances of the Bible. To believers, deliverance of the Book of Mormon and the institution of a Mormon order had launched the "latter days. Mormon doctrine and organization also reflected broader and often contradictory social conditions. Above all, it provided desperately desired structure for lives beset by unpredictability, disorder, and change. It gave its adherents enormous social, psychological, and economic support. In social terms, in fact, Mormonism can be seen as perhaps the most successful, dynamic, and enduring version of the communitarianism of the ls and s. first editions of Book of Mormon translations donated to BYU Library

How cheaply some men and women sell their good names. Jun 02, Jackie rated it did not like it. I was so interested in reading this, as I only remember bits and pieces of these murders, but the first line turned me off completely. They told how Kathy Sheets felt, what she thought and what she believed. She is dead--they never even met her I do not feel they have the right to do this--to her or anyone else who is deceased and they have never met. I did read about I was so interested in reading this, as I only remember bits and pieces of these murders, but the first line turned me off completely. I did read about 70 pages, just to get a brief, if albiet biased, history of the murders, but then stopped. I will just look the incident up on the internet if I want to learn more. View 2 comments. Religion, belief systems, cults, and the soul are always interesting material to read about. What attracts people to a particular belief system which other equally intelligent and educated individuals may revile or despise even though the core of that belief may stem from similar foundations? Most religions, fortunately for their followers, were created before print journalism became commonplace. Newspapers and the printed word preserve the less agreeable aspects belief in magic and the occult Religion, belief systems, cults, and the soul are always interesting material to read about. Newspapers and the printed word preserve the less agreeable aspects belief in magic and the occult more commonly referred to as miracles which necessarily form the foundation of all religions. Legends are created which become essential to the belief system of the church. Salt Lake City, by the late seventies, was known as the capital of the United States. The Securities and Exchange Commission called it the "sewer of the securities industry. He used his Mormon background as authentication. Mormons, believing that God rewards the faithful, are brought up to be particularly trusting and to believe what they are told. Skepticism is frowned upon. It was in this environment of naive trust that Gary Sheets created Consolidated Financial Services, initially, a wildly successful investment corporation. The police were initially puzzled when Sheets' wife and business partner Steve were killed in separate bomb explosions. Only after a very respected and successful documents dealer named Mark Hofmann was severely injured in another bomb explosion did the pieces begin to fit together. The plot began to unravel. Hofmann had been selling forged documents to church officials including Christiansen, who was a deacon, that purported to validate all the rumors of scandal surrounding Joseph Smith and the origins of the Church of the Latter Day Saints. The "Salamander Letter" in particular, if legitimate would have been particularly embarrassing to the church. It revealed Smith as a wily con man fascinated by in necromancy, dowsing, and "gold-digging". Hofmann, the investigation disclosed, was an excellent forger who had mastered techniques for aging paper and recreating authentic-looking inks. The details of research into his forgery techniques by forensic experts is a fascinating story in itself. Church officials were in a terrible bind as the story unfolded and did everything possible to prevent the case from coming to trial. Hofmann had made thousands selling the fraudulent documents to the church which then placed them in a vault unavailable for inspection. Hofmann had also persuaded rich Mormons to buy these "anti-Mormon" documents. They would donate them to the church claiming the appropriate tax-deduction. In these instances the church could honestly claim it had not "bought" the documents. The church was in a pickle. If the documents investigators sought as evidence turned out to be authentic it cast grave doubt on the origins of the church; if fraudulent1 church officials needed explain why they were in such a rush to purchase the documents from a con-man. Anyone who doesn't believe how a church can control a city should read this book. Church officials manipulated the trial in many ways to get the result they wanted. Apr 26, Ryan Crompton rated it really liked it. This book is a good but somewhat flawed account of the Hoffman killings that rocked Salt Lake in the mid's. Much like Jon Krakauer 20 years after "Mormon Murders" was written, Naifeh is a great author when he confines himself to facts in evidence but loses credibility when he speculates or otherwise exposes his coastal provincialism. There were two items in particular that bothered me -- the hearsay idea that Jerald Tanner's phone was bugged in the 70's the basis for this claim is Jerald's This book is a good but somewhat flawed account of the Hoffman killings that rocked Salt Lake in the mid's. There were two items in particular that bothered me -- the hearsay idea that Jerald Tanner's phone was bugged in the 70's the basis for this claim is Jerald's claim that he heard voices on his line; nobody, even the most incompetent wiretapper, bugs phones like that , and the claim that confidential FBI files had landed on LDS church security desks this was passed along with absolutely no substantiation. The story itself is compelling enough without uncorroborated and technically impossible accusations. At times, the narrative suffers as a result of these sorts of issues. They're minor, but they do add up. Elsewhere, the authors offhandedly insult hunters, gun show attendees, and LDS members in general. It's clear, to a large extent, that the authors are not as familiar with Utah or LDS culture in particular or fly-over culture in general as they probably should be. Outside of these quibbles, the book functions very well. There is a lot of back story to Hoffmann's forging as well as his fiscal shenanigans that ultimately led to the bombings. The authors do particularly well covering the maze of bad accounting and the multiple storylines Hoffmann fed his investors. Elsewhere, they go to great lengths to cover the forensic details of the bombs in question. It's clear they undertook a substantial number of interviews in order to provide the level of detail they did. The authors offer a narrative around the Mormon power structures at the time, notably the triumvirate of Gordon Hinckley, Hugh Pinnock, and Dallin Oaks. Hinckley would ultimately ascend a decade after this book was written to the head of the LDS church, while Pinnock would lapse into relative obscurity. Much of the detail around this narrative is second-hand or third-hand -- for example, meetings that were attended by Hoffman and Hinckley. Neither of them were interviewed for this book, so where do these details come from? It's to the book's detriment that the most powerful figures --Hinckley, Hoffmann, Oaks, and Pinnock -- were not interviewed. The last and minor complaint I'd offer is that very little of Hoffmann's life prior to the bombings is delved into. His atheism and anger at the LDS church were in no small part per Hoffmann due to a misadventure with explosives when he was young -- and a similar misadventure would eventually bring him to justice. Overall, this is a compelling and accessible read. As a former adherent to the religion under the microscope, I can empathize with both the authors' narrative as well as the typical LDS perspective. There are any number of books out there on the Hoffmann affair, but this is probably the best or second-best of them. Mar 24, Jim Whitefield rated it it was amazing. If this book had been fiction, I would have rated it one of the best crime thrillers I have ever read. The fact that it is a true story about real people, including murder and mayhem, forgery, bribery, surreptitious bank loans arranged by Mormon hierarchy, cover ups, and legal deals, along with Mormon Church leaders lying completely about even knowing Hoffman, it takes my rating to beyond belief. This is not a boring work about a legal process; it is a fast paced, gritty, edge of seat thriller If this book had been fiction, I would have rated it one of the best crime thrillers I have ever read. This is not a boring work about a legal process; it is a fast paced, gritty, edge of seat thriller all the way. It is a true story brilliantly formatted and sequenced to read like a novel. Underlying reasons for Hoffman blowing up two people and then almost killing himself when a third bomb exploded prematurely in his own car, were hinged in his numerous , most of which were purchased by the Mormon Church. Gordon Hinckley, Dallin Oaks and Hugh Pinnock managed to lie their way through police interviews and did everything they could to avoid Hinckley having to appear in court. Many of the law enforcement officers and prosecution staff owed more allegiance to the Church and what was best for it than to ensuring a solid conviction for Hoffman. Ultimately, a deal was struck in order to avoid a final trial, but it seems such a thing in this case , could only have happened in Salt Lake City where the Church reigns supreme. Elsewhere, such a solid case would almost certainly have gone to trial and Hinckley would have been forced to testify. Nothing has changed in the Mormon Church. Naifeh and Smith have written an absolutely brilliant work; a real page turner. The fact that the whole thing is actually true seems hard to believe sometimes, yet it is, and that is what makes this read so special. Everyone who loves crime thrillers and court cases will love this book. Five star stuff. Oct 28, JC rated it liked it Shelves: history , my-firsttime , checked-out , This book is a bit disturbing and a little slanted I would say. There are some things that probably shouldn't have been published here view spoiler [say for example some of the exact wording from the pre temple ceremony hide spoiler ]. That being said, it's pretty crazy the extent to which Mark Hoffman went in order to make a few bucks and how blinding stupid people gave him money and took his word for things. I must say that it's great that Hoffman was willing to explain some of how This book is a bit disturbing and a little slanted I would say. I must say that it's great that Hoffman was willing to explain some of how things happened and his motives, otherwise I'm sure there'd be a lot of questions as to what really happened. It's pretty disturbing. Even more disturbing is that Gordon B. Hinckley was nearly kicked out - not sure how close of course as this is a bit of speculation, but it would have been crazy since he went on to become the President of the Church. I'm not sure what I think of these events, but obviously the church would want to keep his name out of it. Anyways, the biggest complaint, as I mentioned earlier is the temple ceremony. It didn't really add anything to the book and they could have just mentioned a couple of things that they used if they really needed. It's not like they didn't have enough content, so not really sure the point. Oct 11, Nancee rated it it was ok. I knew nothing about this story when I started. I really enjoyed the first part of the book that introduced all the characters and set the stage. It was pretty informative and interesting. I also enjoyed the last few chapters from the preliminary hearing forward that brought everything together. Theses sections were more of a factual summary with little personal interpretation. The book really fell apart in the middle. The authors presented a confusing dump of details regarding various financial transactions that dragged on for more than half the book. I almost didn't finish. They were vague on some things that would have been helpful to know, but wasn't explained until the very end of the book. It wasn't an approach to create suspense, just a lack of clarification. The worst part was their obvious biases against the Mormon church. Granted, there are a lot of questionable things in the church's history they brought up. I don't deny that there are some questionable things. My issue wasn't with the things they brought up, but their commentary regarding these issues. They added so much of their own personal opinions to this section it took away from their alleged unbiased approach to the story. They don't leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions. They try and impose their preconceived notions into the story, some of which were completely inaccurate. It's too bad because that ruined the rest of the story for me. I had a hard time accepting the whole book as completely and factually accurate. Instead, it just became a fictional novel based on a true story. Still, it was an interesting read and I learned a lot about this story. This is a really interesting book about crimes that somehow I had never heard of though, in my defense, the major ones happened 25 years ago and who knows what I was paying attention to in the world then I did have some trouble following events in the book, because there are dozens of main "players," numerous documents and several different locations to keep straight. I didn't think these were handled very well, as the writing lacked some continuity and good transitions. At times it seemed This is a really interesting book about crimes that somehow I had never heard of though, in my defense, the major ones happened 25 years ago and who knows what I was paying attention to in the world then At times it seemed like some editor had just indiscriminately chopped things out without regard to flow, perhaps to try to shorten the book up it is quite long. Perhaps more interesting to me than the crimes documented in the book were the descriptions of the background and history of the Mormon Church and its hierarchy and inner workings. Meanwhile, other officials have debated which specific cartels are involved. The Attorney-General for the neighboring state of Chihuahua, Cesar Peniche Espejel, said he believes the newly-formed "Los Jaguares" cartel, an off-shoot of the Sinaloa cartel, may be behind the massacre. One person was arrested Tuesday that officials initially believed was connected to the attacks. But a preliminary investigation showed that the suspect is not involved in the case, Mexico's Secretary of Security Alfonso Durazo said Wednesday. Howard Miller, the man in the black shirt, and the three children with blurred faces survived the attack. The five others were killed. The victims are part of a Mormon community of about 3, members living in Mexico. Generally, the community practices a fundamentalist version of Mormonism, and one of the victim's family members told CNN that some practice polygamy. Polygamy is illegal in both the United States and in Mexico. A spokesman from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, said the victims were not members. Though it is our understanding that they are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, our love, prayers and sympathies are with them as they mourn and remember their loved ones. The LeBaron family has previously been the victim of drug cartel violence in Mexico. Afterward, his older brother Benjamin became a nationally known anti-crime activist who pushed the local community to take a stand against violence. Two months later, Benjamin LeBaron, 32, and his brother-in-law Luis Widmar were beaten and shot to death after armed men stormed their home in Chihuahua. Authorities later arrested the alleged ringleader of a drug trafficking family that ran a smuggling operation on Mexico's border with Texas. In the wake of the attack, US President Donald Trump called for war against the drug cartels in a series of tweets. We merely await a call from your great new president! In fact, he used the Mormon History Trust Fund to employ Hope Hilton daughter of Annalee Skarin and also great- granddaughter of Hickman to help him with a study, published as a Task Paper and included here as Section 1. Busk wrote her own study which is included as Section 2. A useful resource on a very colorful figure. Bottom corner slightly worn. During the early s, an incredible number of documents were discovered relating to early Mormonism. One in particular garnered much attention. Unfortunately, as would later come to light, it was a forgery created by the notorious Mark Hofmann. Verification by experts aside, the episode was quietly relegated to obscurity, with the brief exuberance it caused captured by this well-produced piece. History of the Scandinavian Mission. Press, Blue cloth with titles bright on spine and front cover; no names inside or visible marking to the text. As with all of his projects, Andrew Jenson was nothing if not painstaking in his research on the history of the various missions. He notes that his manuscript version filled 18 large volumes! The following missions are chronicled: Scandinavian , Danish-Norwegian , Swedish , Norwegian Jenson combined his early notes with materials gathered during his world tour as well as interviews with early participants in the work there. NP: NP, Minor moisture rippling along top right corner of pages especially in the Index, few pages of marking. In , she came to Salt Lake to be married and then returned to the colonies but were forced to leave just months later due to the Mexican Revolution. Annie remarried but divorced just a few years later. Her formative years in Mexico were always near to her heart—she returned there on a and, later in life, wrote Heartbeats of Colonia Diaz. Harold B. Lee Library, Drawing on smaller scale earlier histories, Hattie Knight professor of library science at BYU documented the growth of the library from nothing to a facility designed to hold a million volumes. She drew on various institutional archives as well as journals and correspondence to create this history. A very rare piece. Journals of John D. Lee, —47 and Scarce in dust jacket; Dust jacket has very minor creasing and soft spots to corners and along spine. No marking in text. Signed by Kelly on front endsheet. Circular damp stain in right margin of the title page. Before the publication of these journals, the only work on John D. Lee had been his problematic autobiography. Press of the Frank Wiggins Trade School, Reprinted, with some revisions, from the Utah Historical Quarterly 5, no. Light brown wraps. McMurtrie, initially in the newspaper industry, took his talents to several other venues, including The New Yorker and Columbia University Press. This piece was part of an ambitious project to compile a four-volume set on early printing efforts in every state. Sadly, due to his untimely death, McMurtrie only published vol. George, Ogden, Beaver and Provo. Our first copy in nearly twenty years. Includes replacement supplement pages, moisture rippling. Introductory message from First Presidency laid in, underlining throughout. One interesting section that developed was the final portion on performing ordinances. Earlier editions were much more brief and general while, beginning in , specific instructions for each ritual were included. Very scarce. A Bibliography of the Churches of the Dispersion. NP: NP, — Minor bumping to corners of vol. Over the course of four years, Dale Morgan—always characterized by his painstaking research—compiled bibliographies of lesser known Mormon groups that functioned as much as history as bibliography. Each section features helpful introductions by Morgan that provided a historical overview of the groups. Still incredibly useful today. Cover title: Joseph W. Musser Journal. Scattered highlighting. As one of the fathers of fundamentalist Mormonism, very little has been published on Joseph Musser. Toward the end of his life, Musser consulted his extensive journals to compile this autobiographical account. It was first published by Pioneer Press in and then reprinted several times. In his account, Musser outlines his claims to authority: second anointing, conferral of sealing keys by an apostle and ordination as high priest apostle by Lorin C. Musser also included correspondence and information on church trials that document the growing split between early fundamentalists and the LDS Church. An Historical Analysis of the . Reprinted by Benchmark Books, Despite the obvious importance of the Word of Wisdom in Mormon history, relatively little has been done to treat its history. Grant era—remains one of the best historical studies to date. Since going out of print, this reprint edition that we published has become fairly difficult to find. Key to the Science of Theology Designed as an introduction to the first principles of spiritual philosophy; religion; law and government; as delivered by the ancients, and as restored in this age, for the final development of universal peace, truth and knowledge. Richards, Blindstamped covers with ruled borders are worn and rubbed and have possible minor moisture rippling; Cloth at head and foot of spine has been torn away and there are two tears to cloth just below head and foot of spine; name inside on plain yellow coated endsheet as well as some pencil doodling; last page of Preface is loose but present. Condition: Good. Extraordinaria which advertised the forthcoming work. At this point, Pratt apparently envisioned it to be part of his missionary efforts in the Southern Hemisphere , as he declared it would be published in Spanish Un Llave al Sciencia de Theology Universal. Franklin D. It was published the following year—despite a print run of 5, copies, they do not often come up for sale. Eastern States Mission, []. Flake-Draper Ben E. Rich, the son of apostle Charles C. Rich, spent the last fifteen years of his life as mission president —he presided over the Southern States twice , short-lived Middle States and Eastern States —13 missions during this span. He had been nominated to fill a vacancy in the First Council of the Seventy in but—due to having married a wife after the Manifesto ceremony performed by Matthias Cowley —was left in the mission field. During these years, he wrote and published many pamphlets. At this point in Mormon history, missions were composed of conferences rather than stakes. Ancestry, Biography and Family of George A. Brigham Young University Press, Minor rubbing and soiling to covers and foredge; note in pen inside front cover. George A. Smith—father and grandfather of future leaders—was a key figure in Mormon history. An early apostle and First Presidency counselor, he was involved in many key events. The author felt the biography—comprising more than half of the book—was a way to honor her grandfather who died before she was born. The last section of the book lists his descendants—though he had seven wives, George A. One of the most difficult family histories to find—we have sold only one other copy in fifteen years. Among twentieth-century church presidents, George Albert Smith is one of the lesser known and, similarly, his signature does not show up as often. Arthur Haycock and dated , and featuring a bold signature by George Albert —is quite desirable. Fifty Years. William F. Gibson, Name in ink inside front. Green wraps with red printing. A characteristically useful and hard to find! Bookcraft, Minor rubbing to covers. Cecil McGavin with my best wishes. Thunder Cave began as a series of pamphlets in the s. Stokes, then living in Draper, pulled in prominent cartoonist Jack Sears to illustrate a book version. The first edition—published in —was then revised into the Bookcraft edition. The recipient, E. Edward W. Tullidge, — Leather is rubbed especially at the corners and head and foot of the spine. Following his return to Salt Lake City, Tullidge began work on several ambitious projects, including this quarterly magazine. Other topics included poetry, short stories and local histories, making it a very valuable collection in many areas. This set passed through several interesting sets of hands: Vol. Anderson succeeded B. Dated July 26, in his hand as well. Deseret News, In the winter of , Widtsoe—who had earlier written the biography of his parents—sat down to write his own story. Interestingly, though he had kept a daily journal for more than forty years, he chose to rely solely on his memory. The manuscript sat for the next six years until friends finally persuaded him to look toward publishing it. John A. Monday, October 25, in Barratt Hall. NP: NP, ?. Given his background in academia and education, John A. Widtsoe was a popular speaker and lecturer. This pamphlet reproduces a presentation he made, apparently to MIA instructors. There is no virtue in beating around the bush. At the end of the evening, Widtsoe took questions from the group. A very interesting window into Widtsoe and church instruction at that point. An Understandable Religion. As was often the case in this period, a series of radio addresses that Widtsoe had delivered over KSL were compiled in book form. Over the course of the twenty-two addresses, Widtsoe tried to mesh the ideals and pragmatism of Mormonism, a theme running throughout his life. Leah D. BYU Studies, PDF file on CD. The historical background for each section is given as well as the various versions of each text. The bulk of the material tracks the textual changes from manuscript to the then-current published version. While it seems surprising now, at the time it was a highly sensitive dissertation. Leonard Arrington noted in his journal that it had to receive First Presidency authorization before it could be placed in the BYU and Historical Department libraries. A very useful resource. Addressed to Charles C. Great Salt Lake City, August 23, From the Western Americana collection of Herbert S. Auerbach This is a personal invitation to Charles C. Unfortunately, no journal accounts of the excursion are known. Army was on its way to make war on the Saints. By the time of the pic-nic in August took place, the was over and Alfred Cumming had been put in as territorial governor. We have seen but never had for sale the rare printed July invitation to the famous pic-nic in Big Cottonwood Canyon, but have never before seen or been aware of a personal, hand-written invitation to the August party. A choice and rare document. Utah residents: add 7. New Arrivals! Published May 19, By benchmarkbooks. List—April Published April 7, By benchmarkbooks. Indianapolis Indiana Temple: Come and See. NP, ca. Temples will often have a commissioned book produced near the time of dedication but they are usually produced on very limited scales and often stay in the area. This well-crafted example documents the history of the LDS Church in Indianapolis and the planning and construction of the temple in great detail. The text is accompanied by hundreds of full-color photos. Like most of modern temple books, this is an extremely rare collectible. Arrington, Leonard J. Adventures of a Church Historian. Inscribed to Dennis and Marti Lythgoe. A year before his passing, Leonard Arrington published his memoirs, describing his career as church historian and subsequent involvement with Mormon history. Written with such candor that he feared might get him excommunicated, Adventures of a Church Historian is a fascinating perspective on a quarter century of Mormonism. Leonard Arrington 22 May Inscribed copies rarely come up for sale. This copy is a prototype for a limited run of photoreprints scanned from the original in the Leonard J. Arrington papers at . Appendix A — President Harold B. Periodically, Arrington would make notes of pertinent subjects in his diary to be used in the project. By , Anderson was devoting a good amount of time to the autobiography which was informally published the following year. Because it was never published in a traditional format, photocopies of the manuscript were the only avenue and only rarely surface. Immediately after shipments began reaching stores and missions, urgent calls went out to have the books returned to Salt Lake. In the process of publishing, a very glaring typo had slipped through. In the chapter heading of Moroni 3 p. Because the error was noticed so soon after the book was released, most copies were recalled. Some copies were then reissued with a sticker including the corrected text pasted over the offending chapter heading. Copies like this one, with the original error and no sticker, are quite rare. Reprint of the Palmyra edition with modernized chapters and verses. The errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation as found in the original have been intentionally preserved in this edition. Three years later, the church published a retypeset edition of the Book of Mormon, under the signatures of Harmston as President of the High Priesthood and First Presidency. Briney, Drew. Statements by Brigham Young and other nineteenth century leaders regarding the nature of Adam and his status as a god have been characterized as everything from theory to doctrine and even heresy. One thing is certain—there was much said and written about this topic. There have been several previous attempts to compile these statements into one place before but none have been so comprehensive. The material is organized into topics to make it more useful. Tripled in value since going out of print. Brown, Lisle G. The Smith-Pettit Foundation, Due to the limited print run, this edition has steadily risen in value. Church Building Committee, [? Ostensibly a brochure to explain the LDS Church building program, this item represents the height of construction under Henry D. Moyle just before the brakes were applied. Numerous full-color paintings and photographs show the variety of design used at the time. Eborn Books, Call, baptized in near Kirtland, is a classic example of an early Mormon who was never a leader but was involved in so many key events. This limited-run printing has become increasingly hard to find. Cheney, Thomas E. Golden Kimball. Missing dust jacket — sunned spine; title page removed and the BYU Press logo at base of the spine has been filed off or painted over; a few small stains and some scattered marking in pen. Inscribed by Cheney inside front cover and signed by him on the half title page. The first edition, published by BYU Press, included several stories about a shared incontinence problem due to prostate troubles plaguing Kimball and Heber J. This raised some eyebrows and many copies were recalled. All of them said that not one could be released for any purpose to any person. A revised edition, with two offending stories removed and a new story added, was published a year later by Peregrine Smith. A collectible with an entertaining backstory! Benchmark Books

His executive order calls for the expulsion or extermination of all Mormons from the state. Three days later, a raiding party massacres church members, including children, at Haun's Mill, The Mormon community leaves for Illinois. There's mosquitoes everywhere, malaria outbreaks About this Place In the s, land speculators invest in a Mississippi riverbank area they call Commerce. The marshy swamp, plagued by malaria, fails to attract any permanent settlers. When the Mormons arrive in , on a wave of sympathy following the Haun's Mill massacre, only a few lone cabins remain. Smith purchases 15, acres and names the settlement Nauvoo. Free from the hostile persecution that dogged them in Missouri, Smith and his followers begin building a communal society. Mormon Developments Joseph Smith writes Nauvoo's city charter and is elected mayor. By , the dynamic settlement's population has grown to 12,, rivaling the size of Chicago. Smith has himself appointed chief justice of the city court and lieutenant general of a Nauvoo militia, merging church and state in a thriving theocracy, where Mormons wield political and military might. Smith receives two key in Nauvoo: the baptism of the dead, and plural marriage, which will be controversial from the start and a flashpoint for anti-Mormonism for decades to come. Published by a Mormon opposed to plural marriage, the newspaper exposes Joseph Smith's secret practice of polygamy. An enraged Smith orders the destruction of the newspaper's press, antagonizing the public with his assault on a basic American freedom. Smith is charged with treason and arrested. An angry mob storms the Carthage, Illinois jail where Smith is being held. During the attack, Smith falls from the second floor window and is killed. Illinois authorities revoke Nauvoo's city charter and ask the Mormon community to leave. Their prophet has been martyred. In some sense, they have nothing left to lose About this Place The temporary camp known as Winter Quarters is on the western banks of the Missouri River in a region not yet part of any U. California and Oregon-bound explorers use Kanesville as a departure point. Mormon Developments The journey from Illinois is slow, covering only a few miles on some days. Lacking wagons and horses, some migrants pull hand-carts across the rough terrain. The convoy endures bitter cold at first, then debilitating mud brought on by spring rains. The travelers suffer immensely, and many die. The first convoy to arrive at the place that will become Winter Quarters divides the camp into wards, plants crops and builds log cabins. Young develops into a pragmatic leader, mostly administrating, not prophesizing. The Mormons will continue to use Winter Quarters for years as a stopping point on the route west. Why They Left After such a treacherous journey, Brigham Young decides it will be best to wait out the coming winter at the settlement. William and Carolyn Ingersoll with the 18th-century secretary bookshelf that housed their Book of Mormon collection. Photo by Ingersoll Family. Media Contact: Natalie Ipson. Related Articles. Devotional: Deepening Discipleship. By Brenna Seeman. Elder Scott D. He spoke about the eternal significance of deepening our discipleship and following the Savior. Devotional: Thriving Spiritually. By Kaylee Esplin. He spoke about spirituality and the role of spiritual experiences in the path back to our Heavenly Parents. From the beginning, Joseph Smith and his followers provoked ridicule for Mormonism's seemingly magical if not superstitious origins, and opposition as a heresy that dared to claim itself "the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth. Kirtland was the seat of the prophet where in l the Mormons built and consecrated an elaborate temple. In both places, they isolated themselves from their neighbors, and, much as other nineteenth-century religious communitarian groups like the Shakers or the Amish, set up cohesive, economically self-sufficient and largely self-governing communities, setting themselves up not simply as a group of worshipers but as a people apart. Neither Ohio nor Missouri provided adequate refuge against the hostility of neighbors suspicious of Mormon belief and fearful of Mormonism's growing numbers and economic prosperity and power. In their Missouri neighbors attacked the settlement, forcing the Mormons to abandon Independence. Opposition also intensified back in Ohio and by early l most of the Kirtland Mormons, led by the prophet, had departed for Missouri, where they joined forces with their Independence coreligionists who had resettled in a county organized especially for them. Still, the tension between the Mormons and their Gentile neighbors escalated into armed conflict, and the saints were forced to flee once again. In the spring of , nearly 15, Mormons crossed into Illinois, where they purchased the town of Commerce, which they renamed Nauvoo. Granted a charter that made Nauvoo virtually an independent municipality with its own court system and militia, the Mormon settlement by l had become the largest city in the state. In Nauvoo, Smith completed the process of organizational and doctrinal consolidation begun in Kirtland. What had begun as an effort to recover the clarity and simplicity of early Christianity and the pure and authoritative forms of the apostolic church, developed into a more doctrinally complex and more elaborate and hierarchical religious structure. With the consecration of the temple in Kirtland, Smith turned away from the example of the early church and embraced more ancient Hebraic models of organization. In addition to deacons, elders, priests and bishops, he instituted a "First Presidency," composed of Smith as president and two counselors, a high counsel, a special Quorum of Seventy, a Council of Twelve Apostles, and a patriarch, the first of which Smith ordained his own father. Finally, revelation granted the Lord's "servant, Joseph Smith, jun. In addition to this revelation securing the ultimate authority of the prophet and president , Smith announced the key revelation concerning "celestial marriage" under which saints' marriages were "sealed" for eternity. This doctrine became the basis for the revelation disclosed to a chosen few saints in l for the practice of "plural marriages," under which select and worthy Mormon men could take multiple wives. Growing Mormon power alarmed their initially welcoming Illinois neighbors. In addition to their economic power, Mormons voted as a block in accordance with revelation announced from the pulpit. In , Smith, who had revealed a plan for organizing the kingdom of God on earth with himself as king, declared his candidacy for president of the United States. In June, Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were arrested, dragged from jail, and murdered by a group of militia called out to protect the state against a feared Mormon uprising. After Smith's murder, the Mormons regrouped and under the leadership of Brigham Young, selected as Smith's successor as prophet and president, undertook the "great trek" westward to the Utah Territory, where they established a virtual Mormon kingdom, centered in Great Salt Lake City, which they called the State of Deseret. In Utah, under the long leadership of Young , building on the precepts of plural marriage and patriarchal, prophetic governance promulgated by Joseph Smith, the Mormons established a unique, cohesive, economically self-sufficient, and thriving society. Indeed, at the time of Young's death in l, the Utah Mormons, augmented by converts from England and elsewhere in Europe, numbered close to , The Great Basin Kingdom endured largely intact into the s. But then, due to mounting hostility that centered on the practice of polygamy which the U. Congress declared illegal by the Edmunds Act of l , the Mormons relinquished their most controversial doctrine. After the arrest of a number of Mormon leaders, the president of the church, Wilford Woodruff, in exchange for granting Utah statehood, agreed to halt plural marriage and dissolve the separate Mormon political party. Religious and Social Sources Throughout the nineteenth century and most of the twentieth, Mormonism has been viewed as an aberrant, bizarre, isolated, and largely self-contained religious movement cut off from the mainstream of American society. But what this picture obscures is the extent to which Mormonism, for all its distinctiveness, was not only rooted in many of the broader ideas that characterized early nineteenth-century evangelicalism but was also broadly responsive to the social changes playing across nineteenth-century American society.

Mark Hofmann - Wikipedia

In Reynolds v. United States , the Court distinguished between religious beliefs and religious conduct. Although the free exercise clause protects religious belief, it extends less protection to religious conduct. Davis v. United States further limited the practice of polygamy and confirmed the disincorporation of the Church. After LDS president Wilford Woodruff announced that he had received a revelation in and that the church would thereafter obey the law, the crisis over polygamy and legal confrontation with the government subsided. When Utah gained statehood in , its constitution provided for freedom of religion and protection against church domination of state and local government. Since then, relations between the government and the LDS Church have been more peaceful, with only occasional legal challenges over personal injury, property issues, and business concerns. One such recent challenge, Utah Gospel Mission v. Salt Lake City Corporation 10th Cir. The church was given the right to restrict behavior and speech in the plaza, which raised free speech concerns and charges of improper establishment of religion. Many government officials were members of the church. The case was resolved when the city and the church agreed that the city would relinquish the public easement in the plaza and in return the church would give the city other land that it wanted, as well as some financial consideration. Amos , involved church termination of several employees in alleged violation of the Civil Rights Act of The Supreme Court ruled that a religious exemption, section , in the act did not violate the establishment clause and that the religious anti-discrimination exemption was constitutional. In Boyajian v. Gatzunis 1st Cir. The citizens argued that a state law, the Dover amendment, was unconstitutional in disallowing zoning ordinances that prohibit, regulate, or restrict the use of land for religious purposes. The court ruled that the amendment did not violate the establishment clause and therefore the temple could be built. City of West Linn. When we begin to explore the theological concepts discovered, the lessons derived, and the principles learned from the Vision, we move into the realm of doctrine—and doctrine has the power to save. Sincere pondering and our own personal, prayerful encounter with the doctrines of the will change us, bringing about the kind of deep conversion the apostles and prophets encourage us to seek. Hicks, Michael. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, At times jubilant, at times elegiac, this set of ten essays by music historian Michael Hicks navigates topics that range from the inner musical life of Joseph Smith to the Mormon love of blackface musicals, from endless wrangling over hymnbooks to the compiling of Mormon folk and exotica albums in the s. There are surprises and provocations, of course, alongside judicious sifting of sources and weighing of evidence. Edison, Carol A. Eliason and Lynne S. McNeill eds. It features recipes and photographs of food and beverages. Scholarly but lively and accessible, this book will appeal to both the general reader and the academic folklorist. Ostler, Richard H. Cedar Fort Inc. Richard is supportive of the Church, its leaders, and doctrine. By sharing stories, the podcast and book help readers better support LGBTQ members in their unique and often difficult road and better recognize their gifts and contributions in our wards and families. Diamond, Mark S. Reed eds. Interfaith dialogues of understanding are valuable both for challenging individuals to articulate their beliefs and practices in a careful way and for deepening connections between people of different faiths. The Jewish and Latter-day Saint communities have at times been at odds, yet they share a number of significant historical and communal bonds. The fruit of five conferences held semiannually since , the volume addresses such themes as theological foundations, sacred scriptures, lived experience and worship, and culture and politics. Readers will emerge with a deeper understanding of the Jewish and Latter-day Saint traditions and how the two faith communities can engage in a meaningful dialogue. Sublette, Mark. Just Me Publishing, In his Stetson hat and Texas boots, he affected the look and mannerisms of a lanky cowboy, one who cut a distinctive figure on the streets of San Francisco. Born during the Indian Wars, Dixon navigated through World Wars I and II, two great American economic depressions, and a pandemic flu, while battling severe health issues of his own—a struggle that came to an end as the first wave of post-war Baby Boomers expanded the U. Dixon lived a robust life, filled with adventure, struggle, and even despair—yet he never wavered in his singular vision. Posted in Benchmark Blog 2 Comments. Benchmark Books So. Main St. Posted in Benchmark Blog. Back in Business! Published September 10, By benchmarkbooks. Power is back on so we are back in business! Come see us or give us a call. Thank you! Benchmark Books Staff. New Arrivals Published August 18, By benchmarkbooks. Hauglid, eds. Joseph Smith, the founding prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and of the broader Latter-day Saint movement, produced several volumes of scripture between , when he translated the Book of Mormon, and , when he was murdered. The Book of Mormon, published in , is well known. Less read and studied are the subsequent texts that Smith translated after the Book of Mormon, texts that he presented as the writings of ancient Old World and New World prophets. These works were published and received by early Latter-day Saints as prophetic scripture that included important revelations and commandments from God. In this carefully curated collection, experts contribute cutting-edge research and incisive analysis. List—June Published June 8, By benchmarkbooks. Greetings, friends, We hope you are safe and well during this continuing health crisis. Eden Hill Publishing, As was increasingly the case in his later years, this book was a contract job. Given his background in economic history, Arrington was an excellent choice to narrate the history of the company, from its beginnings in Wyoming to a network of eighteen banks. Unfortunately, the company only lasted for a few more years before being swallowed up by another company. Leonard Arrington. Hindsight Publications, First printing. As NEW. The years following the in were a bumpy period, perhaps most acutely when disciplining apostles John W. Taylor and Matthias F. While a few members of the Twelve who disciplined Taylor and Cowley were completely uninvolved in new plural marriages after the manifesto, one married a plural wife in the fall of , another was recently engaged to a potential plural wife, at least two others courted potential plural wives after , another approved scores of new marriages and another assisted Taylor in marrying about 90 couples. Since going out of print, this has become fairly scarce. Louis, U. John Q. Cannon Deseret News Press, Printers , Ex libris Edwin Q. Cannon son of George Q. Very bright and clean copy. Cannon and St. George Temple president David H. The author had quite the colorful life himself: counselor in the presiding bishopric until being excommunicated and then executive editor of the Deseret News. A particularly difficult to find history of a key family in Mormonism. Heart Throbs of the West, vol. Daughters of Utah Pioneers, First edition. Longtime DUP president Kate Carter was relentless in her efforts to compile histories written by various camp members. The first set under her leadership, Heart Throbs of the West , began publication in Like all DUP sets, it featured a fascinating combination of subjects—for example, this volume covers the history of the United Order in Orderville followed by a discussion of fire departments in Utah. These various histories remain very valuable resources. This volume has always been the most difficult to find—in addition, this copy is signed inside front cover by John A. Reuben Clark , Abridged. NP, Limited to copies. Includes 2 appendices: 1. Diaries of Stephen L. Richards, —54, Abridged, 2. Diaries of Marion G. Romney, —61, Abridged. As new. From the moment he was brought into the First Presidency in as a relative unknown, J. Richards and Marion G. Romney with Clark. A very scarce piece! Brigham Young University, Very good. A very clean copy. Keith A. Erekson, Ex libris Richard L. Revontulet: Weekly publication of the Finnish Mission. Finnish Mission, October 26, —August 6, Ring bound. Mission newsletters are both a great resource and usually very difficult to find. Not surprisingly, given the difficulty of the language, each newsletter included a section with tips on troublesome grammar and vocabulary. Interestingly, they also included pragmatic tips such as how to use the little animals that came in cereal boxes to keep children occupied during cottage meetings. A lengthy run of a difficult to find periodical. Hilton and Golda P. Profiles of William Adams Hickman. The Wm. Hickman Family Organization, Third printing. Section 1 by Arrington and Hilton 54 pp. Section 2 by Golda Busk pp. As he was wont to do, Leonard Arrington was more than happy to help when Golda Busk great-granddaughter of Bill Hickman came to him for help. In fact, he used the Mormon History Trust Fund to employ Hope Hilton daughter of Annalee Skarin and also great-granddaughter of Hickman to help him with a study, published as a Task Paper and included here as Section 1. Busk wrote her own study which is included as Section 2. A useful resource on a very colorful figure. Bottom corner slightly worn. During the early s, an incredible number of documents were discovered relating to early Mormonism. One in particular garnered much attention. Unfortunately, as would later come to light, it was a forgery created by the notorious Mark Hofmann. Verification by experts aside, the episode was quietly relegated to obscurity, with the brief exuberance it caused captured by this well-produced piece. History of the Scandinavian Mission. Deseret News Press, Blue cloth with titles bright on spine and front cover; no names inside or visible marking to the text. As with all of his projects, Andrew Jenson was nothing if not painstaking in his research on the history of the various missions. He notes that his manuscript version filled 18 large volumes! The following missions are chronicled: Scandinavian , Danish-Norwegian , Swedish , Norwegian Jenson combined his early notes with materials gathered during his world tour as well as interviews with early participants in the work there. NP: NP, Minor moisture rippling along top right corner of pages especially in the Index, few pages of marking. In , she came to Salt Lake to be married and then returned to the colonies but were forced to leave just months later due to the Mexican Revolution. Annie remarried but divorced just a few years later. Her formative years in Mexico were always near to her heart—she returned there on a mission and, later in life, wrote Heartbeats of Colonia Diaz. Harold B. Lee Library, Drawing on smaller scale earlier histories, Hattie Knight professor of library science at BYU documented the growth of the library from nothing to a facility designed to hold a million volumes. She drew on various institutional archives as well as journals and correspondence to create this history. A very rare piece. Journals of John D. Lee, —47 and Scarce in dust jacket; Dust jacket has very minor creasing and soft spots to corners and along spine. No marking in text. Signed by Kelly on front endsheet. Circular damp stain in right margin of the title page. Before the publication of these journals, the only work on John D. Lee had been his problematic autobiography. Press of the Frank Wiggins Trade School, Reprinted, with some revisions, from the Utah Historical Quarterly 5, no. Light brown wraps. McMurtrie, initially in the newspaper industry, took his talents to several other venues, including The New Yorker and Columbia University Press. This piece was part of an ambitious project to compile a four-volume set on early printing efforts in every state. Sadly, due to his untimely death, McMurtrie only published vol. George, Ogden, Beaver and Provo. Our first copy in nearly twenty years. Includes replacement supplement pages, moisture rippling. Introductory message from First Presidency laid in, underlining throughout. One interesting section that developed was the final portion on performing ordinances. Earlier editions were much more brief and general while, beginning in , specific instructions for each ritual were included. Very scarce. A Bibliography of the Churches of the Dispersion. NP: NP, — Minor bumping to corners of vol. Over the course of four years, Dale Morgan—always characterized by his painstaking research—compiled bibliographies of lesser known Mormon groups that functioned as much as history as bibliography. Each section features helpful introductions by Morgan that provided a historical overview of the groups. Still incredibly useful today. Cover title: Joseph W. Musser Journal. Scattered highlighting. As one of the fathers of fundamentalist Mormonism, very little has been published on Joseph Musser. Toward the end of his life, Musser consulted his extensive journals to compile this autobiographical account. It was first published by Pioneer Press in and then reprinted several times. In his account, Musser outlines his claims to authority: second anointing, conferral of sealing keys by an apostle and ordination as high priest apostle by Lorin C. Musser also included correspondence and information on church trials that document the growing split between early fundamentalists and the LDS Church. An Historical Analysis of the Word of Wisdom. Reprinted by Benchmark Books, Despite the obvious importance of the Word of Wisdom in Mormon history, relatively little has been done to treat its history. Grant era—remains one of the best historical studies to date. Since going out of print, this reprint edition that we published has become fairly difficult to find. Key to the Science of Theology Designed as an introduction to the first principles of spiritual philosophy; religion; law and government; as delivered by the ancients, and as restored in this age, for the final development of universal peace, truth and knowledge. Richards, Blindstamped covers with ruled borders are worn and rubbed and have possible minor moisture rippling; Cloth at head and foot of spine has been torn away and there are two tears to cloth just below head and foot of spine; name inside on plain yellow coated endsheet as well as some pencil doodling; last page of Preface is loose but present. Condition: Good. Extraordinaria which advertised the forthcoming work. At this point, Pratt apparently envisioned it to be part of his missionary efforts in the Southern Hemisphere , as he declared it would be published in Spanish Un Llave al Sciencia de Theology Universal. Franklin D. It was published the following year—despite a print run of 5, copies, they do not often come up for sale. Eastern States Mission, []. Flake-Draper Ben E. Rich, the son of apostle Charles C. Rich, spent the last fifteen years of his life as mission president—he presided over the Southern States twice , short-lived Middle States and Eastern States —13 missions during this span. He had been nominated to fill a vacancy in the First Council of the Seventy in but—due to having married a wife after the Manifesto ceremony performed by Matthias Cowley —was left in the mission field. During these years, he wrote and published many pamphlets. At this point in Mormon history, missions were composed of conferences rather than stakes. Ancestry, Biography and Family of George A. Brigham Young University Press, Minor rubbing and soiling to covers and foredge; note in pen inside front cover. George A. Smith—father and grandfather of future leaders—was a key figure in Mormon history. An early apostle and First Presidency counselor, he was involved in many key events. The author felt the biography—comprising more than half of the book—was a way to honor her grandfather who died before she was born. The last section of the book lists his descendants—though he had seven wives, George A. One of the most difficult family histories to find—we have sold only one other copy in fifteen years. Among twentieth- century church presidents, George Albert Smith is one of the lesser known and, similarly, his signature does not show up as often. Arthur Haycock and dated , and featuring a bold signature by George Albert —is quite desirable. Fifty Years. William F. Gibson, Was it the Joseph Smith, prophet of the Mormon Church? Together the two men tried to separate the pages with Toluene, a solvent. Then Simmonds took a scalpel, slowly cut through the fold, and peeled open the sheet. Bending his head down, he peeped at the writing on the page. The first character was an Egyptian hieroglyphic symbol. Simmonds went a little breathless. It looked like the Anthon Transcript. If Simmonds was right, Hofmann had just found one of the most tantalizing lost documents in the history of the Mormon Church. Simmonds, who is not a Mormon, finds this account somewhat hilarious. Still, there was a famous early episode in which Joseph Smith copied on paper what he said were characters from the . In the late s, the sheet was taken to New York, where it was examined by a Columbia University professor, . No one had seen it since. Simmonds did not answer directly. Hofmann smiled shyly in non-commitment. Not quite yet, he said. He wanted to show the document to the church; he believed church officials would want to see what had been found. Hofmann gathered the yellow sheets with their tarry edges and headed for the Latter-day Saints Institute across the campus. Logan, Utah, is the northern terminus of a miniature Mormon megalopolis running down the front of the Wasatch mountains. It stretches miles south past refineries and steel mills to Provo, after which the desert once again claims its own. There is the Salt Lake Temple rising out of Temple Square, the Tabernacle, and a blank-faced tower that overwhelms everything around it. Within days, all of Mormondom knew of the discovery. There is a news photograph from the period that has achieved a certain fame: It shows a young Mark Hofmann bent over a table in mock study of the Anthon Transcript. At his side are five of the highest leaders of the church. At the center of the photograph stands Spencer W. Kimball, then President, Seer, and Revelator of the Church and a man believed by the faithful to have divine revelation; he is peering at the transcript with a magnifying glass. For outsiders it is difficult to appreciate the importance of a discovery like the Anthon Transcript to Mormonism. After all, Joseph Smith died slightly more than a century ago. His life was littered with personal letters, contracts, court proceedings, and all of these can--and often are--used to scrutinize his claims to divine inspiration. For Mormonism, that threat is always present. The trade was tactfully omitted from accounts, which implied the young collector had made a donation. Hofmann left Utah State without a degree, moved to Salt Lake with his wife and two children, and began life as a professional collector. From the very beginning, people liked him. At 24, Hofmann was shy and relentlessly eager. He worked at all hours, conducting business in an unorthodox manner. He would appear in a tattered undershirt at midnight to sell a document worth thousands of dollars. Deals were done on a handshake, and if his customers bounced a check now and then, Hofmann took it in stride. He bounced a few himself. Behind it all there was the enduring trust that Mormons have for one another; after all, Hofmann was a returned missionary. In the next two years, a remarkable phenomenon took place. Hofmann documents were everywhere. With each find, new details of Mormon history unfolded. Hofmann produced the earliest known Mormon document; the last known document by Joseph Smith; letters and memorabilia that offered new information about crucial moments in church history. It was faith promotion of the first order, and church officials greeted the evidence with fanfare and celebration. Soon, they did. Magical rites and the occult were mentioned. One letter, nightmarish for the church, described a white, talking salamander playing a role in the discovery of the gold plates. Soon an underground economy developed in Salt Lake; certain investors who formerly sheltered their money in oil wells and railroad cars were bidding to become part of a Hofmann document deal. Hofmann had phones installed in his cars. Yet there was a kind of innocence about the affair; it seemed to be the story of an American kid who had made good with a peculiar genius. Hofmann was still shy, still dressed in torn shirts, and never appeared the braggart--an altogether likable man. It was not expected that Mark Hofmann was, in fact, something very different from what he seemed. It was not expected that the church was more involved with Mark Hofmann than anyone knew. It was not expected, in any quarter, that it would soon turn to betrayal, and to murder. Two stories help to explain the peculiar mix of joy and fear that Mark Hofmann inspired in the Mormon Church. In the Mormon Church, bishops are the lay leaders who watch over the affairs of a , the rough equivalent of a Catholic parish. Ashworth has been devoted to the church his entire life; he believes in the Book of Mormon and in Joseph Smith as a prophet. Since childhood he has collected early American documents. Ashworth is a gregarious man who speaks about himself with unsettling honesty. He admits, for example, that he cultivated Hofmann because of his own desire to become a famous Mormon, a Mormon known for acquiring documents of a faith-promoting nature. Hofmann reached into his briefcase and handed Ashworth a letter on paper that had yellowed with age. Ashworth did not have the cash. He started pulling framed documents off his walls, offering them as trades. He pulled down an original copy of the 13th Amendment, a Benjamin Franklin letter, an letter. The only thing Ashworth asked was that Hofmann keep quiet about his role as the supplier. He wanted to ride this discovery himself. Hofmann agreed, tucked the documents under his arm and headed back into the night. Within weeks Ashworth had become a famous Mormon. Ashworth offered his opinions on television and was quoted in the Salt Lake City newspapers. It was a faith-promotion festival. The second story is shorter and less supplied with human detail--because none of the participants, thus far, have agreed to discuss it. This letter was not faith-promoting. Hofmann bypassed the church archives and went directly to the office of Gordon B. Hinckley, a member of the First Presidency. The First Presidency constitutes the highest office in the church; within the office are three men, a troika of elders who make virtually all major decisions. The letter appeared to be written entirely in the hand of Joseph Smith. That alone made the letter valuable, but it was the content that demanded the attention of a man like Hinckley. In the years immediately preceding the founding of the church, Smith almost certainly had engaged in treasure hunting, a common practice in 19th-Century America. Often, the search for treasure was accompanied by arcane magical rites that, by modern standards, seem to have little to do with dignified religion. Altogether an embarrassment. It is not known what was said by Hofmann or Hinckley. Hofmann took the check and Hinckley took the letter. There were no press conferences, no articles in the church magazine. Two years later a reporter for the Salt Lake Tribune, acting on a rumor, called the church press office and inquired about its existence. The press officer denied knowledge of the letter. Like all religions, Mormonism has its own special language. That includes Sunday school lessons, missionary sermons and official history. Conflicting stories are not allowed. This effort is called the correlation program; there is even a correlation committee. To understand the Mormon need to correlate, you need only to take the tours through Temple Square in downtown Salt Lake City. The Book of Mormon Tour quickly gets to the crux. In 40 minutes the guide tells you--shows you, actually--the essential details: that Joseph Smith was a year-old farm boy living in Palmyra, N. That one lesson is repeated over and over: The Mormons are a chosen people, they are the true sons and daughters of Israel in the New World, and this special place is proven by their history. The story of Joseph Smith proves it; the story of the Book of Mormon proves it. Without that history, Mormons are just another group of Christians. Of course, for the argument to work, the story of Joseph Smith must be regarded as truth, not mythology. That is what the tour guides believe; that is what the church believes. The church needs its history, and it needs it to be told fact by correlated fact. All of which left Mark Hofmann in an extraordinary position. Documents deemed to be faith-promoting would be snapped up by the church or Mormon collectors and widely celebrated; threatening documents would be purchased quietly and hidden away. There was a market for each. In , Hofmann and his wife, Doralee, moved to a more upscale neighborhood south of the city. The couple began to hold dinner parties for their widening circle of friends. The weekend crowd would sit in the hot tub in the backyard, and Hofmann would discuss the possibilities. Some were startling. One of the greatest intrigues in Mormon history involves a set of papers known as the Lost Pages of the Book of Mormon. Early in the process of writing the book, a disciple carried the pages to his home in another town. The pages soon disappeared and have never resurfaced. https://files8.webydo.com/9587548/UploadedFiles/E280B82A-BD18-BDCB-5DE0-397C80AAD875.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9586556/UploadedFiles/D28D35E3-9D14-A210-3C3E-40A408EF22AD.pdf https://uploads.strikinglycdn.com/files/63eeaa9d-c794-4d7f-bc6a-2086f7bf5839/maltagebuch-fur-erwachsene-positives-denken-schildkroten- illustrationen-turkiser-marmor-808.pdf https://uploads.strikinglycdn.com/files/21554985-4dd9-43f1-afcb-5c0a1b68bcfb/die-anwendung-der-europaischen-charta-der-regional-oder- minderheitensprachen-eine-kritische-betra-314.pdf