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7 Mormon Historiography David J. Whittaker The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized on April 6, 1830. It has grown from six members in an obscure village in western New York to a membership of over 13 million worldwide. By 2005 it was ranked as the fourth largest Christian denomination in America. Joseph Smith Jr. (1805–44) claimed personal visits by God the Father and the Son in the spring of 1820, in addition to other heaven-sent messengers who revealed lost scriptures , bestowed priesthood authority, and gave further instructions as to the restoration of the ancient Christian Church. Smith was considered by his loyal followers a “prophet, seer and revelator” from the earliest years of the movement, though his claims to new scripture, authority, and truth evoked hostility from some.1 Persecution and forced moves were almost yearly events in the church over which Joseph Smith presided. His murder at the hands of a mob in June 1844 was just part of the ongoing reaction of non-Mormon neighbors to what they perceived to be threats to their community and way of life in a young nation still trying to find and stabilize its identity. The movement of the majority of the followers of Joseph Smith into the American West under Brigham Young’s leadership in 1847 was important in the survival and growth of the young religion. In the West Mormons found space for their community building and peace for their religious worship and activities.Before BrighamYoung’s death in 1877,almost 350 communities had been established in the areas throughout the Great Basin,with newer colonies eventually spreading into southern Canada and northern Mexico in the 1880s. Driving all this activity was a very successful missionary program, particularly in the British Isles and Scandinavia. By 1887 over sixty thousand converts had gathered into Mormon communities in the West, bringing needed skills and new blood to these settlement efforts. If Mormon claims to new revelation and new scripture were not enough, Mormon Historiography 147 the Mormon practice of plural marriage seemed to confirm to everyone else that this religion was both non-Christian and a public menace and thus worthy of persecution and prosecution. Much of Mormon history to 1900 was focused on attempts to defend its religious claims, its unique lifestyle, and what appeared to outsiders as Kingdom building that allowed no possibility of the separation of church and state. By the end of the nineteenth century, Mormons had given up polygamy and had moved to soften their institutions that were seen as un-American. While suspicion remains among many, the Latter-day Saints are no longer considered a threat to mainstream America; in fact, Mormons are often portrayed as ideal Americans.2 Mormon historiography is the story of the attempts to record and interpret this rich and complex history. This essay will sketch the basic stages and contours of this literature, suggesting the major authors and works that have attempted to explain the history of the Latter-day Saints both to themselves and to those outside the faith.3 Mormon Antiquarianism The keeping of historical records by the Latter-day Saints dates from their organized beginnings.Reinforced and broadened by both their biblical heritage and record keeping in the early American Republic, their Book of Mormon constantly referred its readers to the record-keeping activities of the peoples whose story is told in its pages—records that kept both their knowledge of their Redeemer and their sacred covenants alive and also reinforced the cultural significance of language for the survival of civilization itself (Omni 1:17). In the Book of Mormon, history writing was a sacred responsibility.4 Mormons maintain that Joseph Smith received a revelation on the day the church was organized commanding him and his followers to keep a record of their activities.5 In time, specific individuals were assigned the duties of keeping the church history. While these early efforts were fitful and incomplete by modern standards, they did begin the process of record creation and interpretation in Mormonism.Because these early accounts were recorded by the participants, their value remains high.Additional directions from Joseph Smith broadened and deepened the responsibilities of these initial historical assignments, and these early directives also help in understanding the direct involvement of church leaders in the process of creating and maintaining a history of the church, an involvement that continues to the present day.6 Forced moves, growing criticism, and active persecution...

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