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Aug. 4th, 2009 03:10 pmOver the past week or so I've been using some of my free time to see what sorts of items the Library holds in regards to LDS church history. I have found some very interesting things, such as a photograph of some of Brigham Young's wives (in the Prints and Photographs department) and a sworn affidavit from one of Joseph Smith's wives (Manuscript department.) This has been an interesting journey for me and one that I'm slowly learning to enjoy.
When I was younger, I liked learning about the Church's history until I realized that what I really enjoyed learning about was a sanitized, watered-down version of the truth. For example, yes I knew that polygamy was practiced by early Mormon leaders but I didn't know the details about how it actually worked. As I grew older, I learned bits and pieces about certain aspects of the Church's history that I felt uncomfortable with. I wasn't able to reconcile my own understanding of the present day church with the things that happened in the early days. So, I turned my attention to other things and decided to accept today's church at face value.
Clint loves to study church history and since I've been living with them, he's talked to me about it several times. I've been embarrassed by my ignorance, especially since I tout myself as being a student of history. I finally admitted to him that I've somewhat shunned the church's history for the above mentioned reasons and he was quite surprised by this. So was I, having said it aloud. Is my faith really so fragile as to not withstand the idiosyncrasies of the past?
What a shame that I've waited so long! I am enjoying this journey into the church's past SO VERY MUCH! I've read books about the church that were published only a decade or two after its organization. So interesting. Yesterday, I checked out a book entitled "In Sacred Loneliness". It's a book about Joseph Smith's wives. It is a very well researched historical work. I feel like I can trust a book that devotes a third of its text to footnotes and bibliographic material. The author states that his goal is not to comment on the practice of polygamy but simply to tell the stories of the women who chose to live it. He also says that one of his objectives in writing the book is to preserve the memory of these women. He mentions how history has all but forgotten these women, while Joseph Smith himself is still quite prevalent in modern memory. And, incase you're wondering, he counts 33 women that he feels he can authoritatively say were married to Joseph Smith.
Yes, there are still many events in the history of the church that are just plain odd, but let's face the facts: this is true of most religions. It's time for me to learn to reconcile the past with the present.
When I was younger, I liked learning about the Church's history until I realized that what I really enjoyed learning about was a sanitized, watered-down version of the truth. For example, yes I knew that polygamy was practiced by early Mormon leaders but I didn't know the details about how it actually worked. As I grew older, I learned bits and pieces about certain aspects of the Church's history that I felt uncomfortable with. I wasn't able to reconcile my own understanding of the present day church with the things that happened in the early days. So, I turned my attention to other things and decided to accept today's church at face value.
Clint loves to study church history and since I've been living with them, he's talked to me about it several times. I've been embarrassed by my ignorance, especially since I tout myself as being a student of history. I finally admitted to him that I've somewhat shunned the church's history for the above mentioned reasons and he was quite surprised by this. So was I, having said it aloud. Is my faith really so fragile as to not withstand the idiosyncrasies of the past?
What a shame that I've waited so long! I am enjoying this journey into the church's past SO VERY MUCH! I've read books about the church that were published only a decade or two after its organization. So interesting. Yesterday, I checked out a book entitled "In Sacred Loneliness". It's a book about Joseph Smith's wives. It is a very well researched historical work. I feel like I can trust a book that devotes a third of its text to footnotes and bibliographic material. The author states that his goal is not to comment on the practice of polygamy but simply to tell the stories of the women who chose to live it. He also says that one of his objectives in writing the book is to preserve the memory of these women. He mentions how history has all but forgotten these women, while Joseph Smith himself is still quite prevalent in modern memory. And, incase you're wondering, he counts 33 women that he feels he can authoritatively say were married to Joseph Smith.
Yes, there are still many events in the history of the church that are just plain odd, but let's face the facts: this is true of most religions. It's time for me to learn to reconcile the past with the present.
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