LDS Church announces new Historian's Press

Desert Morning News ^ | February 25, 2008 | Lynn Arave

[greyfoxx39]

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced Monday morning it will establish a new imprint for publishing works relating to its origin and growth— the Church Historian's Press. "The claims the church makes are in its history," Elder Marlin K. Jensen, church historian and member of the Seventy, said. "It seems logical to have a Church Historian's Press."

Although this publishing effort may never have its own separate printing facilities, its staff and efforts will utilize those of church-owned Deseret Book initially and perhaps someday even the facilities of the church's own existing printing services too.

"We don't have a publishing plant (of our own)," he said.

The first printing project will be "The Joseph Smith Papers," a documentary series comprising up to 30 volumes.

Elder Jensen said these are "the single most significant historical project for our generation."

The "Papers" are a collection of "journals, diaries, correspondence, articles and notices," he said, "everything of a written nature Joseph Smith generated, or over which he had oversight."

-SNIP

Yale University Professor Harry S. Stout, a member of the Joseph Smith Papers' national advisory board, said the endorsement by the Records Commission is important. "It conveys the commission's conclusion that the staff and procedures of the Joseph Smith Papers meet the NHPRC's rigorous scholarly standards for transcription and annotation and that the edition will be accurate and professional."

Elder Jensen also said the Joseph Smith Papers "underscore the great value the church has always placed on its history. This is an invitation for anyone interested in the history of the church to read the foundational documents related to its beginning and development."

[greyfoxx39]

This could be quite a breakthrough according to the statement,"This is an invitation for anyone interested in the history of the church to read the foundational documents related to its beginning and development."

"It will be interesting to see how the papers are edited. If it is "everything of a written nature Joseph Smith generated, or over which he had oversight," it doesn't seem that the words of Brigham Young and suceeding prophets will be included, at least not at first.

[greyfoxx39]

Ping

[Elsie]

"The claims the church makes are in its history,"

They sure are!!

[Elsie]

 

Here would be a REALLY good place to start!!!

 

 

 

 FIRST VISION:VARIOUS VERSIONS OF VISIONS  

Version Number  When  Published  Brief Description	Age  Year	Pillar   of  light	No. of  Person-  ages	Father  Present	Son  Present	Question:  Join What  Sect?	Remarks-References
1. Offical version,  written 1838,  first  Published 1842  (There are minor differences between the various source references, Ensign  Jan 1985, page 14)	14   1820	yes	2	yes  Both spoke	yes	Join none	Lucy, Hyrum, Samuel, Sophronia join the Presbyterian Church - JSH, pages 49-50, 1981 edition; Times & Seasons, March, April 1842; Ensign Jan. 1985, page 14; Joseph Smith's First Vision by Milton V. Backamn, Bookcraft, 1971, 1980, Appendix C, page 160f
2. Dictated by Smith to F.G. Williams, Summer to Nov. 1832	14 or 15	yes	1	no	yes  Saw Lord, He  "spoke"	No question, told "None doeth good", sins forgiven	Joseph Smith's First Vision, Appendix A, page 155f
3. Written by Smith, his 1832 diary, in his own hand	15	yes	1	no	yes  Saw the Lord Jesus  Christ	No question,  told sins forgiven, all do no good	Ensign, Dec. 1984, pages 24-26; ibid, Jan. 1985, page 11
4. Smith's diary of 1835, recorded by Warren Cowdery, Nov. 9, 1835, conversation of Smith with Joshua	About  14	yes	One, then another like unto first	?	?  Second spoke, saw  many angels	No questions, told sins forgiven, Jesus is Son	Joseph Smith's First Vision, Appen. B
5. Letter form Smith to John Wentworth, editor of Chicago Democrat	none	no	2	?  They spoke	?	No Question	Joseph Smith's  First Vision, Appendix D; Ensign, Jan 1985, page 16; Times & Seasons, Vol  3, pages 706-707, March 1, 1842
6. Early church leaders Brigham Young, G.A.Smith, John Taylor	15	no	1  Saw an angel, and asked the angel	no	no	Join none	See Journal of Discourses,   2:17; 18:239; 13:77, 78; 20:167; 12:333, 334.

 

web/firvista.html 
5-11-95, Rev 8-8-98

 

John Farkas,     Berean Christian Ministries, P.O. Box 1091, Webster, N.Y. 14580

[Elsie]

They can start even SOONER: using ALL of the court records with JS’s name on them from NY to Missouri.

[colorcountry]

I wonder if they will publish the definitive book on Mountain Meadows Massacre to be written by Church Historian Richard Turley. It was promised to be published in 2002.....here we are four years later, waiting....waiting.

[P-Marlowe]

It was promised to be published in 2002.....here we are four years later, waiting....waiting.

It's six years later.

[colorcountry]

I guess math isn’t one of my strong suits! LOL

[Osage Orange]

Just publishing B. Young's written documents.....would be a can of worms.

IMO...most rank and file mormon's have no clue of his words...

And LDS, Inc. doesn't want his words widely spread.............

Might hurt the bottom line.....

[fproy2222]

.

[Domandred]

It will be interesting to see how the papers are edited.

Samples I saw today were left side of the page was scans of Joseph Smith's hand written texts (cursive) and right side of the page was type faced.

The type faced side even had notes like "this section was crossed out indicating that it wasn't to be published" and the hand written side showed the crossed out section so it could still be read.

The only "editing" I really saw was something basically saying we think this says such and such but the penmanship is hard to read. But as before the left side still showed that section so the reader could make their own judgment.

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Comprising up to thirty volumes?

The New Testament is only comprised of twenty-five books, with relatively few words actually spoken by Christ.

It appears to me that Smith always had an inferiority complex and believed that the greater in size that his written works were, the more emphasis they would receive. Thirty books of direct translation do NOT shed greater light upon his faith system. That requires never-ending prophecy by one president of this church after another.

If Smith was alive today I would think he would be disappointed that his faith system has such a meager following.

[Utah Girl]

From Amazon.com, Massacre at Mountain Meadows. It is due to be released on August 8, 2008.

[sandude]

If Smith was alive today I would think he would be disappointed that his faith system has such a meager following.

How many Christians were there 170 years after the Savior was crucified?

[Saundra Duffy]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mUhU0HgTq94

[colorcountry]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WwYm_mKQ3Gs

[Elsie]

It's six years later.

Yet another TYPICAL Gentile tactic of half-truth!!

He KNEW that it was 6 years; yet only chose to say 4.

WHY? I ask you??

--MorminDude(We're on to you guys!)

[Elsie]

That was EXCELLANT!!

 

 

 

Were you there?

[Pan_Yans Wife]

There's a distinction. Christ did not author his own books that were predicated on a story of a Vision which has been altered time and again. He did not author the Word through the translation of written word in REFORMED EGYPTIAN, A LANGUAGE WHICH DOES NOT EXIST.

Christ is the WORD. BEING THE WORD GIVES CHRIST THE ADVANTAGE IN THIS TIT FOR TAT COMPETITION THAT YOU STARTED. I mean, how can you compare a mere man who needs the occult to spread his story, when the living breathing Word exists that the entire world can easily access without special garments, temple recommends, sealed marriage, etc, etc. Christ does not put these restrictions upon His Church.

It's hysterical that you want to compare the man who set up the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to the Living Christ.

DID YOU CATCH THE FACT THAT THIS CHURCH HAS TAKEN THE NAME OF THE SAVIOR THAT YOU WISH TO COMPARE A PROPHET TO? WITHOUT THIS PROPHET'S GAMES HE WOULDN'T BE USING THE NAME OF CHRIST WHEN THE CORNERSTONE WAS LAID FOR THIS CHURCH.

Christ didn't use a Peepstone to enthrall the masses! You really are silly, sandude!

In every conceivable way Christ was unremarkable as a man. He was a carpenter, He had a family, He was a faithful Jew, He was not physically remarkable, and He lived an honorable and just life. The thing that set Him apart was His message alone and His willingness to be sacrificed because of it.

The same cannot be said for Smith. Trickery, adultery, illegal activities, and deceit followed him through his entire life. He could not have started this church without making these kind of waves... he had to fight his way to be noticed. The same cannot be said for Christ.

His Way is much more elegant and doesn't smack of that of a circus performance. He was more like finishing what had been started in the Garden of Eden, lo those many, many years ago. You know, Christ's calling was that of life and salvation. His life itself is the very definition of THE MEANING OF LIFE.

The fact that you compare the Savior to the Prophet of Mormonism shows just how skewed your viewpoint is. Do you see how ridiculous that really is? Do you realize WHO authored the Holy Bible? What ARROGANCE!

[Pan_Yans Wife]

Can you point me to where I could find the lyrics for that song?