Posts Tagged ‘ church history ’

Scott Gordon invited the first non-Mormon to speak at the recent FAIR conference.  She spoke on the similarities between conversion and de-conversion stories in Mormonism.  Many active Mormons just don’t understand de-conversion stories, and it was Scott Gordon’s attempt to help active Mormons better understand why some people feel they can no longer believe.  Richard [...]

The Church’s correlated manuals are narrowly focused on topics the Church wants to reinforce with members.  When members want to learn more about Church history, there really aren’t any resources availabe to Church members, and in the past, it seems the Church has tried to discourage participation in events like Sunstone Symposia, or reading Dialogue [...]

More than almost any other religion, Mormonism delves into its history.  We draw upon our history to teach lessons.  Yet sometimes, the Church doesn’t like to emphasize certain parts of history.  In the 1970s and 80s, New Mormon History started to make headway, and the Church hired a professional historian, Dr. Leonard Arrington to be [...]

Since March is Women’s History month, I decided to follow up to my previous article discussing female priesthood holders in Ancient Christianity, I thought it would be interesting to discuss a now discontinued practice of Mormon women anointing and blessing the sick.  Did you know that Mormon women used to wash, anoint with oil, and lay [...]

[Zina D. Huntington] when only fifteen years old was baptized by the Patriarch Hyrum Smith, August 14th, 1835, and soon after went to Kirtland with her father’s family. In this year she received the gift of tongues. On one occasion in the Kirtland Temple she heard a whole invisible choir of angels singing, till the [...]

Oliver Cowdery was excommunicated in 1838 and was rebaptized ten years later in 1848.  I have always felt Oliver got a bum rap.  He was faithful.  He was more educated than Joseph, but humble enough to let him lead.  Joseph in several cases gave unwarranted preference to others:  Sidney Rigdon (a fiery speaker with a [...]