Posted on 06/30/2008 6:25:14 PM PDT by Utah Girl
Viewers of tonight's season premiere of "History Detectives" will learn that a book about the horrors of "Female Life Among the Mormons" is a work of fiction.
And the woman who owns the 1856 volume will be "disappointed" by that news.
"History Detectives" (8 p.m., Ch. 7) is a fascinating series in which historical objects are examined to determine if they're authentic. (Tonight's other two segments feature a World War II diary and a coin shot by Annie Oakley.)
In the case of the 1856 book about the horrors of Mormon polygamy, Marcie Waterman Murray of Stanfordville, N.Y., bought it at an auction and wants to know who wrote it. (There's no author listed.)
"I was very moved by this book. It really stayed with me a long time. I've become fascinated with it," Murray says.
What stayed with her is a barbaric account, written in the first person, of a young woman who married a Mormon elder in New York and traveled to Utah with Brigham Young. She suffered the "abominations" of polygamy and the "degradation it imposes on females."
That includes one account of a misbehaving wife who was stripped nude, tied to a tree and whipped until "blood ran to the ground."
Enter Tukufu Zuberi from "History Detectives."
"You don't know if this is a real book. You don't know if it's really from the 19th century. You don't know what it is," Zuberi said in a phone interview with the Deseret News. "But it is a document which definitely offers a skewed view toward marriage among Mormons.
"It puts (women) on the level of being slaves. You can take it as something that's either laughable, looking at it today, or something that really provided fuel for those who were anti-Mormon back in the 19th century."
Without detailing the entire episode, Zuberi quickly discovers that this is not a genuine history. Among other things, it purports to tell the story of Joseph Smith's death and gets it flat-out wrong.
And the show's conclusions are clear. "It seems that our book is little more than pulp fiction, and shot through with historical errors," Zuberi says in the show.
The segment briefly outlines 19th-century LDS history, including the effort to demonize Mormons.
"Someone could write it today in order to kind of speak badly of the Mormons," Zuberi said. "Someone could've written it then to speak badly of the Mormons. And that's our task — to find out."
He does his best to track down the author, including using "some high-tech stuff to determine who wrote the book and determine the authenticity or lack thereof."
"This one I was surprised by. The Mormon story has a lot of twists and turns."
In 21st-century Utah, "Female Life Among the Mormons" seems silly, even campy. But, obviously, the book's owner thought — perhaps hoped — it was genuine.
Upon learning that it's fiction, she gasps and says, "I'm actually a little disappointed. But I'm glad to know the truth."
But it certainly seemed as if she would've been more glad if Mormon women really had been tied to trees and whipped.
On one hand Joseph Smith had pitted his revelation against the Bible...basically throwing the Bible out.
**********Which Bible? ********** How about the one you will READ!
From the Translators to the reader (preface to the origional KJV bibles)
• 1 Now to the latter we answer, that we do not deny, nay, we affirm and avow, that the very meanest translation of the Bible in English, set forth by men of our profession, (for we have seen none of theirs of the whole Bible as yet) containeth the Word of God, nay, is the Word of God.
• 2 As the King’s Speech which he uttered in Parliament, being translated into French, Dutch, Italian, and Latin, is still the King’s Speech, though it be not interpreted by every translator with the like grace, nor peradventure so fitly for phrase, nor so expressly for sense, everywhere.
• 2 Truly, good Christian reader, we never thought from the beginning that we should need to make a new translation, nor yet to make of a bad one a good one, ..... but to make a good one better, or out of many good ones, one principal good one, not justly to be excepted against; that hath been our endeavour, that our mark.
That is, to put it VERY, VERY MILDLY is a blatant untruth.
And then you have the unmitigated gall to come up with this "I wouldn't be surprised if many amoral and immoral people, as well as many cult members happen to be in heaven, but I also have no doubt that those who fall out of fellowship and seek some other path to God other than through faith in Christ will find many a crown in heaven having been made for them in eternity past, never to be awarded them by our Lord and Savior due to their degenerate behavior and thinking after their initial salvation. Their eternal status shall be effected by lack of faith prior to the first death, but our hope is that by returning to Him, many a predestined crown await us in heaven to be awared upon His judgment of our good works performed through faith in Him. Those good works performed, not through faith in Him, might be good for temporary human good, only to be burnt up prior to His judgment of divinely established good works through faith in God the Son at the bema seat."
Discuss the issues all you want, but do not make it personal. Also, do not use potty language on the Religion Forum.
_________________________________________________________
Thank you.
I didn't read the post from Turret Gunner A20 before they were removed, but I assume they were of the same rule violations as I pointed out to him earlier this morning.
Besides the passaged I highlighted concerning those, his behavior to Osage Orange in post #235 was par for the course:
I've seen a lot of blather and bigotry from a lot of scudders
I'll stick by the rules too - and if I get out of line I'll expect you would rebuke me as well (which is fine). Thanks for enforcing the rules around here.
Did you lick the Mod’s boots nick and clear now?
Now we know, don't we?
I'll stick by the rules too - and if I get out of line I'll expect you would rebuke me as well (which is fine). Thanks for enforcing the rules around here.
AWWWW, now ain't that sweet?
Frustrating, eh hommy?
hommy = homey
Well, I can see tht you either didn't read it, couldn't read it, or if you did read it you didn't understand a word of what I said. I would advise tht you work on that problem.
Geez, I must be getting good at getting under the cabal’s skin.
Who's this guy 'cabal'?
If you are referring to me -- by "getting under (my) skin you mean getting progressively more disgusted with your blind intolerance, you are right. I am indeed pointing the finger at those who are religiously intolerant. I do so unabashedly ....
Isn't that a bit conceited, (pointing at yourself in the mirror), and somewhat disturbing to your fellow Mormon bashers/haters. having your finger in their faces all the time?
... but you’ll notice I am not pointing fingers at or attacking your faith ....
I’m glad you pointed out that beam of Mormon paranoia in your eye.....I readily confess to the speck of pointing it out to you in mine.
That isn't worth commenting on.
Um, are you aware that RF is on your side? Bwahahahahahaha Rage on, shooter.
Are you trying to imitate Senator McCarthy? If so, you'll never make it. I can attack mormonism all I like, having been one myself.
KIcked you out, did they?
And they get paid for doing it, don't they?
If you go back to my posting history on the Religion threads, you will see that I have been in disagreement with the Religion Moderator (and the Admin Moderator) concerning the (in my opinion) totally misguided "Caucus" and "Ecumenical" threads which have become nothing more than LDS personal sandboxes.
I never, ever thought I would be at loggerheads with the mods. Ever. In the "old" Free Republic, the only people who were in that category were the liberals, Marxists, disruptors, child molesters, and Democrats.
Suddenly, in the past few months (after years on the forum), I have sometimes found myself in a "violation" category for defending Christianity against another false teaching - and using Biblical language to back it up.
Moreover, there is not one "Religion Moderator" or "Admin Moderator" - but several who volunteer here and work in shifts.
So your accusation of 'boot licking' is unjustified.
I am trying very, very hard to live within the evolving rules of Free Republic. In turn, I expect people on the other side of any debate to do the same.
I thanked the RM who finally told you to cool it here, because you clearly were and are operating outside the rules with your personal attacks and name calling. We both have to live within Free Republic guidelines that have been established since its inception - and are clear to you and I every time we post.
NO profanity, NO personal attacks, NO racism or violence in posts.
Pretty clear, isn't it?
I did not see the posts that you wrote and were subsequently pulled, but I can surmise they were pulled for a good reason - like violating the rules as you did earlier and which I told you about.
I'm not the one making statements that I can't back up with facts.
If it's too much of a burden for you, please allow me.
http://www.talkleft.com/story/2005/08/29/686/07496
Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina | 25 comments (25 topical) Top of Form 1
 Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#22) by Talkleft Visitor on Tue Aug 30, 2005 at 11:24:52 PM EST Kitt, Not sure where you receive your info on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS, Mormons), but if you're ever in Salt Lake, be sure to take a tour of the humanitarian center to see first hand their massive, world-wide relief efforts. God bless all those affected by this devistating natural disaster.
Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#23) by Talkleft Visitor on Wed Aug 31, 2005 at 01:52:13 PM EST THE MORMON CHURCH CONTRIBUTED ALMOST 350 MILLION DOLLARS TO THE PEOPLE AFFECTED MY THE LAST TIDLE WAVE. THERE ARE VERY FEW IF ANY MEMBERS LIVING IN THAT AREA
Re: Open Thread: Hurricane Katrina (none / 0) (#25) by Talkleft Visitor on Thu Sep 01, 2005 at 11:37:54 AM EST As for the Mormons, they are always helping those in need and doing service. This weekend, there will be LDS going out to help from as far off as Georgia, Florida, Texas, etc, and this is out of their own pockets not church funds, but the church funds also come in but with food and supplies not the service which the members give to people whether they are members or not.
Mormons step in to help Katrina victims
Byline: Peggy May, Northwest Florida Daily News, Fort Walton Beach
Dec. 17--The Mormons have done it again. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, LDS, have once more jumped in to help those in need. It started the first weekend in September as they converged on several Katrina-devastated areas to do what was needed. Area Mormons took their last trip on Dec. 10-11, ending 14 consecutive weekends of cutting down trees, handing out food and water and tarps, repairing severely damaged houses, and other humanitarian work for those affected by the storm. They gave suitcases to many people who'd had only plastic garbage bags in which to store their clothes and other belongings.
"The effort will bring to a close one of the largest relief efforts ever undertaken by the church," said Melvin Miller, president of the Fort Walton Beach Stake, which encompasses all units of the Mormon Church in Okaloosa and Walton counties.
They worked in Mobile, Ala.; Pascagoula, Biloxi and Gulfport, Miss.; and in Slidell, Covington and New Orleans, La.
All the hours of work and all the items and services provided were free ....
Better try taking a bath, yourself...the mormon mud is pretty sticky.
My, my, in the personal attack mode, huh? What bad manners!!
Leave the thread.
Friend-
Stay on task. Your job is to attack Mormons.
My job is to attack you for being religiously intolerant.
If you refuse to continue, with what originally seemed like single-minded zeal, to attack Mormons for having their own religious beliefs, I’m afraid I can’t do my job.
If you want to attack me, then please start a thread bashing “Those who dare defend Mormons and other unapproved religions” and I’ll make a token appearance so you can get it started.
Keep up the good work.
Let me pre-emptively remove myself from this thread before being told to do so!
Oh, Oh — your in for it now. The basher brigade’ gonna getcha.
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