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An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
Over the past thirty years, an enormous amount of research has been conducted into Mormon origins—Joseph Smith’s early life, the Book of Mormon, the prophet’s visions, and the restoration of priesthood authority. Longtime LDS educator Grant H. Palmer suggests that most Latter-day Saints remain unaware of the significance of these discoveries, and he gives a brief survey for anyone who has ever wanted to know more about these issues.
He finds that much of what we take for granted as literal history has been tailored over the years—slightly modified, added to, one aspect emphasized over another—to the point that the original narratives have been nearly lost. What was experienced as a spiritual or metaphysical event, something from a different dimension, often has been refashioned as if it were a physical, objective occurrence. This is not how the first Saints interpreted these events. Historians who have looked closer at the foundational stories and source documents have restored elements, including a nineteenth-century world view, that have been misunderstood, if not forgotten.
He finds that much of what we take for granted as literal history has been tailored over the years—slightly modified, added to, one aspect emphasized over another—to the point that the original narratives have been nearly lost. What was experienced as a spiritual or metaphysical event, something from a different dimension, often has been refashioned as if it were a physical, objective occurrence. This is not how the first Saints interpreted these events. Historians who have looked closer at the foundational stories and source documents have restored elements, including a nineteenth-century world view, that have been misunderstood, if not forgotten.
296 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2002
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 122 reviews
March 5, 2009
When I first started it I didn't believe a lot of what he said, fact wise, so I did my research (and appreciated how clearly and accurately he referenced) and found he is actually very clear and accurate on his history. I liked his approach and appreciated his perspective and opinions, although I did not agree with him on every single thing. He was very fair and honest, is easy to read, and in the end, I really liked the book. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking to get a clearer picture on LDS church history. That said I must also warn that it gave me a clearer perspective on church history, but NOT on what I believed in; it left me with tons of questions about what I believed and prompted TONS of learning and personal growth. It certainly was a life changing book for me. I certainly think my life is better for having read it.
January 16, 2009
Read this book if you are LDS!
Grant Palmer is a Mormon "Saint". His courage and candor evidenced in this book is awe inspiring. I thank God for his work and honor his memory. His candor and courage in writing this book has been instrumental in giving me the courage of my own convictions. Please read this book if you've never considered any other point of view but your own regarding the truthfullness of the Book of Mormon. Grant Palmer makes his own conclusions (he believes that the LDS church is true) but, he showed me the way to actually considering that my own opinions on the topics of literal truthfullness of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the Priesthood, and the veracity of may of Joseph Smith's stories were suspect, may be valid. Grant Palmer lays out what is plain to see for all but the already committed, that Joseph Smith's story was one more in a line of American religious innovators and charismatic millenial salesmen. I see that I'm not crazy for being suspicious of the translation stories, the priesthood restoration narrative, and the other founding mythology of the LDS faith. Please read this book, it's not designed to destroy your faith, just read it and then ask yourself if your own faith is recognisable with history as is documented and recorded and compiled by that courageous thinker, Grant Palmer.
Grant Palmer is a Mormon "Saint". His courage and candor evidenced in this book is awe inspiring. I thank God for his work and honor his memory. His candor and courage in writing this book has been instrumental in giving me the courage of my own convictions. Please read this book if you've never considered any other point of view but your own regarding the truthfullness of the Book of Mormon. Grant Palmer makes his own conclusions (he believes that the LDS church is true) but, he showed me the way to actually considering that my own opinions on the topics of literal truthfullness of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the Priesthood, and the veracity of may of Joseph Smith's stories were suspect, may be valid. Grant Palmer lays out what is plain to see for all but the already committed, that Joseph Smith's story was one more in a line of American religious innovators and charismatic millenial salesmen. I see that I'm not crazy for being suspicious of the translation stories, the priesthood restoration narrative, and the other founding mythology of the LDS faith. Please read this book, it's not designed to destroy your faith, just read it and then ask yourself if your own faith is recognisable with history as is documented and recorded and compiled by that courageous thinker, Grant Palmer.
October 28, 2008
I was surprised so many on goodreads have read this book. It is fascinating, but it helps if one is pretty well grounded in mormon history before jumping into this. Of course, the Mormon church guaranteed that it would have a wider audience than it might otherwise have had when they threatened to excommunicate the author after they'd been selling the book in church bookstores for some time. When will they ever learn?
December 29, 2009
This book can be difficult for active, stalwart Mormons to read. It does not fall within the anti-Mormon literature as it was written by an active Mormon while he worked for the LDS church. It has helped me and others rethink and reframe life according to a path that is more open-minded and less dogmatic. No religion is above another, no person is more than another, people want to do great things and when the plan is not working as well as hoped, adjustments are made. Joseph and others did great things but they were also human and fallible. Palmer's goals in this book are to give a more accurate and honest recount of history to this young Church, share a more honest version of Joseph Smith and his cohorts, and ask the modern Church to focus on Christ rather than the prophets. Palmer's book is well researched, well documented, detailed and convincing.
I now wonder if people in the LDS Church remain active due to the sense of community and family values as much as anything else. Is this what Joseph Smith wanted from the beginning, a group of people focused on community and Christ? Which leads me to reading Palmer's other book, The Incomparable Christ.
I now wonder if people in the LDS Church remain active due to the sense of community and family values as much as anything else. Is this what Joseph Smith wanted from the beginning, a group of people focused on community and Christ? Which leads me to reading Palmer's other book, The Incomparable Christ.
March 5, 2008
If you are interested in Mormon History, this should be your starting point. Written in a respectful manner by an active Mormon and 35 year CES director, this book takes an honest look at the origins of the Mormon faith, not shying away from some of the more uncomfortable aspects.
My only critique of the book is that where the rest of the book is very well documented and factual, the 'Golden Pot' chapter is speculative and I wish he hadn't included it.
My only critique of the book is that where the rest of the book is very well documented and factual, the 'Golden Pot' chapter is speculative and I wish he hadn't included it.
October 30, 2013
This one is a little difficult to review. I loved the immense factual content, citations galore and the unbiased view which Palmer paints the Mormon Origins. The various sections can get a little long in the tooth so to speak but they are riveted with so much dense content based on historical evidence and writings.
As a person raised in the Mormon church, I feel cheated, outright lied to and just plain flabbergasted at the complete and utter disparity between the historical facts cited by Palmer and his sources and what is represented in mainstream Mormon doctrine and culture.
I would strongly suggest reading this if you are a member of the Mormon church and want to expand your knowledge of its actual origins and not those accepted by the mainstream via the propaganda/teachings of the day.
As a person raised in the Mormon church, I feel cheated, outright lied to and just plain flabbergasted at the complete and utter disparity between the historical facts cited by Palmer and his sources and what is represented in mainstream Mormon doctrine and culture.
I would strongly suggest reading this if you are a member of the Mormon church and want to expand your knowledge of its actual origins and not those accepted by the mainstream via the propaganda/teachings of the day.
March 11, 2021
As a lifelong member of the church, I have been aware of some of the issues that Palmer brings up in this book. I have stayed away from explicitly anti-Mormon literature or antagonistic takes on church history. I am sympathetic to Palmer's position that the narrative that church members are taught is not in keeping with the actual history. I think because of this, people are drawn into these types of speculative narratives. Because church leadership has distorted and in some cases covered up uncomfortable aspects of church history, this type of a study and treatment seems to be drawing the curtain back on the secrets. It is tempting to view it as a tell-all expose. The questions about the historicity of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of priesthood, the first vision, the veracity of Joseph Smith's translation ability, and others, are important questions that the church has begun to address, although still not in a fully transparent manner.
That said, Palmer's book is not the place to go for answers to these tough questions. It is clear from reading other reviews and commentaries on this book that Palmer has misrepresented both his status as an "insider" in the hierarchies of the church CES system, his employment history, and his motivations and reasons for writing this book. His scholarship is one-sided and not balanced, and he fails to give equal weight to explanations of these events that consider Joseph Smith from a faithful perspective. As I said, I can understand Palmer's frustration here, but he seems to have taken his disillusionment and let it fester, while entertaining and expanding on conspiracy theories or bad-faith interpretations of church history events that are either unsubstantiated, or have been repeatedly debunked by serious scholarship. All of the things that Palmer covers, except his strained accounting of Smith's encounters with the angel Moroni as a fabrication based on a story called The Golden Pot, which appeared in Smith's vicinity 7 years after his initial accounts of his visitations, have been addressed in better scholarly forums and treated in a much more balanced fashion. In short, Palmer seems to have a less than honorable agenda here, despite his stated goal of inspiring faith in his readers.
In the end, this book is as much an anti-Mormon polemic as a reflection on the work the church needs to do to gain the trust of its members given the increasingly available evidence of the dishonesty with which it has portrayed its history. It's too bad that Palmer went down a rabbit hole of speculation and anti-Mormon propaganda, but the church is not innocent in this either. Palmer was disfellowshipped for publishing this book. It was reviewed and critiqued by many church scholars, who called him apostate, and wrote him off without considering the real issues that possibly led to his disillusionment. It's past time that the church stops playing damage control and trying to silence dissenters who feel betrayed by its handling of its history. These feelings of betrayal are real, they hurt, and they cause people to lose faith in a church they have loved. It's not enough to have academic forums where scholars publish their apologist studies on the historicity of the Book of Mormon or other thorny issues regarding church history. The leadership must own up to its errors and recognize that people who lose faith over these issues are not just apostate anti-Mormons who want to destroy the church. Palmer, and others like him, are in a lot of ways casualties of the church's ongoing denial of the reality of its history. The questions he asks are real, and important, even if his treatment of them is biased and his scholarship is one-sided and historically incomplete.
That said, Palmer's book is not the place to go for answers to these tough questions. It is clear from reading other reviews and commentaries on this book that Palmer has misrepresented both his status as an "insider" in the hierarchies of the church CES system, his employment history, and his motivations and reasons for writing this book. His scholarship is one-sided and not balanced, and he fails to give equal weight to explanations of these events that consider Joseph Smith from a faithful perspective. As I said, I can understand Palmer's frustration here, but he seems to have taken his disillusionment and let it fester, while entertaining and expanding on conspiracy theories or bad-faith interpretations of church history events that are either unsubstantiated, or have been repeatedly debunked by serious scholarship. All of the things that Palmer covers, except his strained accounting of Smith's encounters with the angel Moroni as a fabrication based on a story called The Golden Pot, which appeared in Smith's vicinity 7 years after his initial accounts of his visitations, have been addressed in better scholarly forums and treated in a much more balanced fashion. In short, Palmer seems to have a less than honorable agenda here, despite his stated goal of inspiring faith in his readers.
In the end, this book is as much an anti-Mormon polemic as a reflection on the work the church needs to do to gain the trust of its members given the increasingly available evidence of the dishonesty with which it has portrayed its history. It's too bad that Palmer went down a rabbit hole of speculation and anti-Mormon propaganda, but the church is not innocent in this either. Palmer was disfellowshipped for publishing this book. It was reviewed and critiqued by many church scholars, who called him apostate, and wrote him off without considering the real issues that possibly led to his disillusionment. It's past time that the church stops playing damage control and trying to silence dissenters who feel betrayed by its handling of its history. These feelings of betrayal are real, they hurt, and they cause people to lose faith in a church they have loved. It's not enough to have academic forums where scholars publish their apologist studies on the historicity of the Book of Mormon or other thorny issues regarding church history. The leadership must own up to its errors and recognize that people who lose faith over these issues are not just apostate anti-Mormons who want to destroy the church. Palmer, and others like him, are in a lot of ways casualties of the church's ongoing denial of the reality of its history. The questions he asks are real, and important, even if his treatment of them is biased and his scholarship is one-sided and historically incomplete.
August 8, 2008
An interesting literary criticism of the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham. There were many interesting points, some of which had more merit than others. Ultimately, it was interesting if not entirely convincing (kind of like a lot of the papers I wrote in college).
More convincing: Book of Abraham connection to obscure 19th century astronomy book, connections between the BOM and 19th century preaching styles, Biblical connections to the BOM (and the lack of new doctrine), the gullible nature of the witnesses to the BOM, questions about the nature of translation.
Less convincing: Smith family connection to the BOM (merely alluded to), the priesthood restoration as a fabrication (no attention was paid to OC's role or impeccable character), no real attempt to fathom the character or present a cohesive picture of Joseph Smith was made, dismissing spiritual conversion.
Utterly unconvincing: The Golden Pot connection.
Old News: the rock in the hat as a means of translation, not using the plates directly, the Kinderhook plates, the nature of the BOM witnesses, the issues with the Book of Abraham and funerary texts, JS's gullibility and money digging.
More convincing: Book of Abraham connection to obscure 19th century astronomy book, connections between the BOM and 19th century preaching styles, Biblical connections to the BOM (and the lack of new doctrine), the gullible nature of the witnesses to the BOM, questions about the nature of translation.
Less convincing: Smith family connection to the BOM (merely alluded to), the priesthood restoration as a fabrication (no attention was paid to OC's role or impeccable character), no real attempt to fathom the character or present a cohesive picture of Joseph Smith was made, dismissing spiritual conversion.
Utterly unconvincing: The Golden Pot connection.
Old News: the rock in the hat as a means of translation, not using the plates directly, the Kinderhook plates, the nature of the BOM witnesses, the issues with the Book of Abraham and funerary texts, JS's gullibility and money digging.
June 11, 2017
In the tradition of B.H. Robert's 'Book of Mormon difficulties,' Grant aims to shed more light on the many historical problems with Mormonism's origins in hopes of uncovering truth and bolstering faith. He aims to make a course correction for how the members of the LDS faith are instructed. "In other words, it didn't happen the way we've been told. For the sake of accuracy and honesty, I think we need to address and ultimately correct this disparity between historical narratives and the inspirational stories that are told in church."
Palmer is a seasoned seminary director intending to strengthen the testimony of Mormons. In reality, he hits hard on several major flaws in Mormonism's historical foundations, which are so damning I find it hard to comprehend how the author could remain a member of the LDS faith. To paraphrase, there's lies, damn lies, and Mormonism. Like many organizations, Mormonism is replete with well-intentioned and intelligent people. Unfortunately, the foundation is hollow to the core and a majority of its staunchest defenders have little awareness of it, or they blind themselves to it for the sake of avoiding the psychological, emotional, and social pains which would likely ensue from an honest exploration.
An Insider's View is accessible, includes in-text footnotes, and moves along pretty quickly. Palmer writes with humility, intellectual honesty, and earnestness. He comes across as a very knowledgeable believer, deeply Mormon, with solutions for a faith community he loves: "As a forth-generation Latter-day Saint, with children and grandchildren in the fifth and sixth generations, I am proud and have a mixture of confidence in, and anxiety for, the future." To compensate for the dubious historical foundations, Palmer suggests the LDS church follow the paths recently traveled by the Seventh-day Adventists and the RLDS church. Acknowledge the problematic history and become a far more Christ-centered church. Liberalize. Teach religion through metaphor and leave behind the faulty historical or literal claims. He concludes that "as Latter-day Saints, our religious faith should be based and evaluated by how our spiritual and moral lives are centered in Jesus Christ, rather than in Joseph Smith's largely rewritten, materialistic, idealized, and controversial accounts of the church's founding. I hope that this study contributes in some way toward that end."
Whether intentional or not, Palmer offers a fairly convincing non-believer's explanation for the why, what, and how of the Book of Mormon's creation. Smith was absolutely a genius. A sponge, with a knack for synthesizing the theological debates of the time to create a book which would deeply resonate with 19th-century frontier Americans who held magical worldviews (see second sight, seer stones, divining rods, spectral guardians, visions, incantations, and slippery treasures).
A great weekend read for Mormons looking to introduce meatier material into their church-correlated Sunday School lessons.
Palmer is a seasoned seminary director intending to strengthen the testimony of Mormons. In reality, he hits hard on several major flaws in Mormonism's historical foundations, which are so damning I find it hard to comprehend how the author could remain a member of the LDS faith. To paraphrase, there's lies, damn lies, and Mormonism. Like many organizations, Mormonism is replete with well-intentioned and intelligent people. Unfortunately, the foundation is hollow to the core and a majority of its staunchest defenders have little awareness of it, or they blind themselves to it for the sake of avoiding the psychological, emotional, and social pains which would likely ensue from an honest exploration.
An Insider's View is accessible, includes in-text footnotes, and moves along pretty quickly. Palmer writes with humility, intellectual honesty, and earnestness. He comes across as a very knowledgeable believer, deeply Mormon, with solutions for a faith community he loves: "As a forth-generation Latter-day Saint, with children and grandchildren in the fifth and sixth generations, I am proud and have a mixture of confidence in, and anxiety for, the future." To compensate for the dubious historical foundations, Palmer suggests the LDS church follow the paths recently traveled by the Seventh-day Adventists and the RLDS church. Acknowledge the problematic history and become a far more Christ-centered church. Liberalize. Teach religion through metaphor and leave behind the faulty historical or literal claims. He concludes that "as Latter-day Saints, our religious faith should be based and evaluated by how our spiritual and moral lives are centered in Jesus Christ, rather than in Joseph Smith's largely rewritten, materialistic, idealized, and controversial accounts of the church's founding. I hope that this study contributes in some way toward that end."
Whether intentional or not, Palmer offers a fairly convincing non-believer's explanation for the why, what, and how of the Book of Mormon's creation. Smith was absolutely a genius. A sponge, with a knack for synthesizing the theological debates of the time to create a book which would deeply resonate with 19th-century frontier Americans who held magical worldviews (see second sight, seer stones, divining rods, spectral guardians, visions, incantations, and slippery treasures).
A great weekend read for Mormons looking to introduce meatier material into their church-correlated Sunday School lessons.
January 29, 2008
Certianly not as factual as it tries to be, but raises some good issues that need to be talked about more often and more openly.
Read
June 16, 2014Won't rate it because I didn't finish it.
I started reading this when I wanted to learn more about the history of the early Mormon church. Palmer states that his purpose is to promote faith, but it didn't for me.
I abandoned it mostly because I didn't believe that Grant H. Palmer was as rigorous of a historian in his presentation of the material.
Regarding the story of Joseph Smith and the Greek Psalter. Palmer presents the story as evidence that "Joseph mistranslated a number of documents." But, I don't think this is very good evidence for that, especially given the fact that Palmer himself admits "it is true that we only have Caswall's view of this incident" and that "Caswall's representation of poor grammar is uncharacteristic of Joseph in the 1840s." In my opinion the entire source for this story is highly suspect, since Caswall's presentation of Joseph Smith is not typical of what historians know about Joseph Smith, Caswall was probably lying.
It did get me thinking about things though, and I am eager to keep exploring the church's history.
I started reading this when I wanted to learn more about the history of the early Mormon church. Palmer states that his purpose is to promote faith, but it didn't for me.
I abandoned it mostly because I didn't believe that Grant H. Palmer was as rigorous of a historian in his presentation of the material.
Regarding the story of Joseph Smith and the Greek Psalter. Palmer presents the story as evidence that "Joseph mistranslated a number of documents." But, I don't think this is very good evidence for that, especially given the fact that Palmer himself admits "it is true that we only have Caswall's view of this incident" and that "Caswall's representation of poor grammar is uncharacteristic of Joseph in the 1840s." In my opinion the entire source for this story is highly suspect, since Caswall's presentation of Joseph Smith is not typical of what historians know about Joseph Smith, Caswall was probably lying.
It did get me thinking about things though, and I am eager to keep exploring the church's history.
March 2, 2021
Fascinating. Compared to Rough Stone Rolling by Bushman, this is so much more detailed and honest. Busman’s book glossed over the tough history and the apologetic tone of that book really bothered me. It felt like gaslighting. Palmer’s detail and honesty was refreshing. If you’re too lazy to read the book, listen to Grant Palmer’s episodes on Mormon Stories. They are probably my very favorite episodes on that podcast.
August 24, 2020
I have always loved history, especially the detailed stories behind the common stories you hear all the time. Do you remember Paul Harvey's famous, "And now you know....the rest of the story"?
A little like a Mormon Paul Harvey, Grant H. Palmer (who taught in the LDS church's educational system for 34 years) shares extensive research in his book to tell the background stories of The Book of Mormon, the Golden Plates, priesthood authority in the church, and Joseph Smith's first vision accounts.
From his preface: "Unfortunately, our adult lessons and discussions at church rarely rise above the seminary level, even though many of our members are well educated. Our discussions are usually an inch deep and a mile wide as they say. We seem to have a lingering desire for simple religion. . . Questions about such topics are discouraged because they create tension; they are considered inappropriate or even heretical. This approach has isolated many of us from the rest of the world or from reality itself in those instances when we insist on things that are simply untrue."
After meaning to read this book for four years, I'm glad I finally did. There were a couple of boring/unnecessary chapters, but through most of the book, I found myself nodding in relief at the discussions of questions I have had for years. It was like finding Occam's razor for the theology I was raised in.
All that said, this can be a difficult read for those who have always trusted the Sunday School version of church history. It is written respectfully and honestly, but I wouldn't advertise it as faith-promoting, despite the author writing as a fully active believer.
A little like a Mormon Paul Harvey, Grant H. Palmer (who taught in the LDS church's educational system for 34 years) shares extensive research in his book to tell the background stories of The Book of Mormon, the Golden Plates, priesthood authority in the church, and Joseph Smith's first vision accounts.
From his preface: "Unfortunately, our adult lessons and discussions at church rarely rise above the seminary level, even though many of our members are well educated. Our discussions are usually an inch deep and a mile wide as they say. We seem to have a lingering desire for simple religion. . . Questions about such topics are discouraged because they create tension; they are considered inappropriate or even heretical. This approach has isolated many of us from the rest of the world or from reality itself in those instances when we insist on things that are simply untrue."
After meaning to read this book for four years, I'm glad I finally did. There were a couple of boring/unnecessary chapters, but through most of the book, I found myself nodding in relief at the discussions of questions I have had for years. It was like finding Occam's razor for the theology I was raised in.
All that said, this can be a difficult read for those who have always trusted the Sunday School version of church history. It is written respectfully and honestly, but I wouldn't advertise it as faith-promoting, despite the author writing as a fully active believer.
February 23, 2022
Beginning with the "Mormon spring" of the 1970s, an ever-increasing number of books has examined the orthodox version of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and found it wanting. This 2002 book by then-Mormon scholar Grant W. Palmer (who taught my wife social studies at the Church College of New Zealand when she was growing up) is not the longest or most footnoted or most detailed of the lot, but it is one of the most accessible, although some familiarity with the doctrine and official history of the Church would help most readers. Despite being disfellowshipped (but not excommunicated) in 2004, Palmer remained positive toward as many aspects of the Church as he could but was then put into an untenable situation in 2010 and ended up resigning his membership (see the Wikipedia article on Grant H. Palmer). The story of Palmer's relationship with the Church cries out for a separate telling, but this book is not that telling. It is, instead, a convincing marshaling of current historical evidence that Joseph Smith, for whatever reasons (reacting to Church crises being among them), seriously embellished the accounts of his personal experiences and that events such as his First Vision, his production of the Book of Mormon, and his claims to priesthood authority were presented differently at the beginning and were interpreted through nineteenth-century sensibilities. He makes a reasoned and ultimately convincing case, one well worth reading. I have read much about early Mormonism, and most of what I've read has been valuable, but if I had to choose just one book to summarize in fewer than 300 pages the important developments in history as applied to the Church, this would probably be it. Highly recommended!
July 25, 2020
This was an extremely informative book about the origins of the Mormon church. It was written by a Mormon historian who is well-versed in the history of the church and Joseph Smith. He does an amazing job laying out the facts about Joseph Smith, his family, his background in treasure seeking, and his reasons for starting a religion. He also goes into intricate detail about all the contemporary sources JS used to write the Book of Mormon, as well as his multiple accounts of the first vision, his “translation” of the Book of Abraham, and his inspiration for the Moroni visitations story.
This book answered all of my questions I’ve ever had about the church and even questions I didn’t have in such a concise, logical way with a respectful tone. The only thing I didn’t like was the pages of comparisons of certain literary works and bible verses put up against similarly written BoM verses. It was too extensive to follow but informative nonetheless.
This book answered all of my questions I’ve ever had about the church and even questions I didn’t have in such a concise, logical way with a respectful tone. The only thing I didn’t like was the pages of comparisons of certain literary works and bible verses put up against similarly written BoM verses. It was too extensive to follow but informative nonetheless.
October 24, 2017
Helpful
This book helped me to understand early church history more fully, and helped to put some events into context. Thanks!
This book helped me to understand early church history more fully, and helped to put some events into context. Thanks!
October 2, 2020
This book does exactly what it claims to do. The author lays out the data for various arguments concerning the origins or LDS doctrine and scripture.
Interesting...
Interesting...
September 8, 2026
A MORMON LOOKS HISTORICALLY & CRITICALLY AT THE ORIGINS OF THE CHURCH
Grant Hart Palmer (1940-2017) taught in the LDS Church Educational System for 34 years, prior to his retirement. After this book was published in 2002, he was disfellowshipped in December 2004.
He wrote in the Preface, “I have two purposes in writing. One is to introduce church members who have not followed the developments in church history during the last 30 years to issues that are central to the topic of Mormon origins. I hope my survey will be enlightening and useful to anyone who has wanted to understand what has been termed the ‘New Mormon History.’ Second, I would like church members to understand historians and religion teachers like myself. When I or my colleagues talk or write about the LDS past, we tend to avoid superlatives that members expect when hearing a recital of our history… they assume that we have secularized the story, that we are intentionally obtuse, or that we split hairs. They have heard that we are revisionists, and by this they understand that we are rewriting history in a way that was never intended. In truth, we are salvaging the earliest, authentic versions of these stories from the ravages of well-meaning censors who have abridged and polished them for institutional purposes.” (Pg. x) He continues, “For the sake of accuracy and honesty, I think we need to address and ultimately correct this disparity between historical narratives and the inspirational stories that are told in church. Hopefully my book will be received in the spirit in which it is intended.” (Pg. xii)
In the first chapter, he explains the translation of the BOM: “The church magazine… the Ensign, depicts the prophet studying plates much like an archaeologists or classicist might. This view is not supported by what Joseph Smith’s scribes and other witnesses said. On the contrary, the eyewitnesses reported that Joseph read the English text as it appeared, word for word, in the seer stone, sometimes called the ‘interpreters,’ which he placed in his hat, his face over the hat’s opening to shut out the light. Those who reported this include Emma Hale Smith (Joseph’s wife), Isaac Hale (Joseph’s father-in-law), Michael Moase (brother-in-law), Martin Harris, and Joseph Knight Sr.; Morse said that he watched Joseph on several occasions: ‘The mode of procedure consisted in Joseph’s placing the Seer Stone in the crown of a hat, then putting his face into the hat, so as to entirely cover his face, resting his elbows upon his knees, and then dictating, word after word, while the scribe … wrote it down.’ …
“In Fayette, David Whitmer and Elizabeth A. Whitmer (later the wife of Oliver Cowdery) observed the dictation process and reported that Joseph used a seer stone placed in his hat, the same as previously reported… With his face covered, Joseph was unable to see … the golden plates, even if the plates were nearby; more than often they were not. For a time Emma Smith acted as her husband’s scribe. She said that she received dictation from him as he sat ‘with his face buried in his hat… hour after hour with nothing between us.’ Occasionally, she said, the plates ‘lay on the table… wrapped in a small linen table cloth,’ but she was never allowed to see them---a decision which caused her to ‘murmur.’” (See D&C 25:4) (Pg. 2-3)
He continues, “David Whitmer confirmed that Joseph ‘did not use the plates in the translation,’ and that ‘the plates were not before Joseph, while he translated, but seem to have been removed by the custodian angel.’ Isaac Hale said that while Joseph was translating, the plates were ‘hid in the woods.’ Martin Harris and Joseph Smith Sr., respectively, ‘added that the plates were covered ‘in the box’ and hid ‘in the mountains’ while they were being translated.’” (Pg, 3-4)
He reports, “That Joseph claimed to be reading an ancient text with a stone soon caused trouble. Critics who sought to test this claim stole 116 pages of the Book of Mormon transcript, then apparently waited to see if Joseph ‘should bring forth the same words again.’ According to a revelation revealed in May 1829, the critics would say: ‘If he bringeth forth the same words, behold, we have the same words with us, and we have altered them; Therefore they will not agree, and we will say that he has lied in his words with us, and that he has no gift.’ (D&C 10:7-18, 31; BOM 1830 edition, preface.) This is problematic. If these critics had ‘altered the words,’ as Joseph had divined they had, and produced the original manuscript to discredit him, the alterations in a different handwriting would have been readily apparent… Joseph avoided this test altogether by translating a different version of the same story from a different set of plates, said to have been attached to the original plates.” (Pg. 6-7)
He reports, “Usually [Joseph] did not mind if others observed him translating, but sometimes he separated himself from his scribe. Martin Harris reported that while he wrote for Joseph, ‘a thick curtain or blanket was suspended between them’ and that Joseph was ‘behind a curtain.’ … Since the gold plates were not used during the translation, why the curtain? … scholars have determined that he consulted an open Bible… the King James translation dating from 1769 or later, including its errors.” (Pg. 10)
He notes, “Generally, it is now accepted that Indians are of Siberian and Mongolian extraction… scientists from various research organizations, including biologists from Brigham Young University, have tested the DNA of other 7,000 American Indians… This research has revealed that in excess of 99% of the ancestors of living Native American women arrived on the American continent from Asia over 12,000 years ago. About 90% of the men have … DNA from the same place of origin… but not from the Middle East. The LDS position that Israelites ‘are the principal ancestors of the American Indians’ is no longer probable.” (Pg. 56-57)
He recounts, “The fact that the Smiths organized and participated in treasure digging expeditions indicates their belief in the physical reality of what they saw by ‘second sight.’ Significantly, none of the Smith’s seeric ventures yielded any real physical treasure. This is why, when the family began telling of gold plates in mid-1827, people were skeptical about ‘their pretended revelations.’ the unsuccessful treasure episodes had created credibility problems…. It was especially difficult for neighbors because Joseph’s religious experiences bore the trappings of his previous endeavors.” (Pg. 189)
He states, “The early claim to be ‘the only true … church,’ with Christ’s exclusive authority, may have caused members to ask how the church’s authority was in fact unique… [Eber D.] Howe’s book [‘Mormonism Unvailed’]… posed a threat to the credibility and authority of the Restoration. This provided motivation for Joseph and Oliver to counter with detailed accounts of physical appearances by these impressive biblical figures… In a single stroke, the new accounts legitimized the leadership’s religious authority… setting them apart from anyone who claimed a nonliteral or metaphysical reception of authority. Angelic ordinations and apostolic keys of succession provided an incontestable and singular credential for being the only true spokesmen for Christ on earth.” (Pg. 251-252)
He reports, “A leadership crisis began in Kirtland [in] 1837… Frederic G. Williams, a counselor in the First Presidency, left the church… Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses, was excommunicated. [In] 1838, John Whitmer, one of the eight witnesses … was excommunicated. On 25 March, Martin Harris told a public meeting that none of the witnesses had physically seen or handled the plates, that they had not seen the plates with their ‘natural eyes.’ … Apostles John H. Boynton, Luke Johnson, and other church members ‘renounced the Book of Mormon.’ … Apostles Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, and John F. Boynton were excommunicated or left the church… Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were also excommunicated … and Hiram Page and Jacob Whitmer left the church as well. By the fall of 1838, Apostles Thomas B. Marsh and Ordon Hyde had defected. ‘During this time of apostasy, approximately 300 left the church, representing about 15% of the Kirtland membership… three of the apostles no longer believed in the Book of Mormon… All three witnesses to the Book of Mormon and three of the eight had defected. The entire Whitman clan had left the church.” (Pg, 246-248)
He suggests, “It seems clear that the first vision narratives between 1832 and 1838 were expanded and become more miraculous, thus following the pattern … with regard to priesthood restoration. Over time, spiritual events were retold in a way that was more literal, more physical, as if they occurred in the material rather than in a metaphysical realm.” (Pg. 254)
He explains, “I cherish Joseph Smith’s teachings on many topics, such as the plan of salvation and his view that the marriage covenant extends beyond death… But when it comes to the founding events, I wonder if they are trustworthy as history. The issue of his credibility is differentiating between history and allegory initially filled me with a sense of loss. But I realize that the focus of my worship, as a Mormon, is Jesus Christ. As I learn more about our history, I arrive at a greater commitment to Christ’s teachings… As Latter-day Saints, our religious faith should be based and evaluated by how our spiritual and moral lives are centered in Jesus Christ, rather than in Joseph Smith’s largely rewritten, materialistic, idealized, and controversial accounts of the church’s founding. I hope that this study contributes in some way toward that end.” (Pg. 261, 263)
This book may appeal to some open-minded LDS members, as well as to critics.
Grant Hart Palmer (1940-2017) taught in the LDS Church Educational System for 34 years, prior to his retirement. After this book was published in 2002, he was disfellowshipped in December 2004.
He wrote in the Preface, “I have two purposes in writing. One is to introduce church members who have not followed the developments in church history during the last 30 years to issues that are central to the topic of Mormon origins. I hope my survey will be enlightening and useful to anyone who has wanted to understand what has been termed the ‘New Mormon History.’ Second, I would like church members to understand historians and religion teachers like myself. When I or my colleagues talk or write about the LDS past, we tend to avoid superlatives that members expect when hearing a recital of our history… they assume that we have secularized the story, that we are intentionally obtuse, or that we split hairs. They have heard that we are revisionists, and by this they understand that we are rewriting history in a way that was never intended. In truth, we are salvaging the earliest, authentic versions of these stories from the ravages of well-meaning censors who have abridged and polished them for institutional purposes.” (Pg. x) He continues, “For the sake of accuracy and honesty, I think we need to address and ultimately correct this disparity between historical narratives and the inspirational stories that are told in church. Hopefully my book will be received in the spirit in which it is intended.” (Pg. xii)
In the first chapter, he explains the translation of the BOM: “The church magazine… the Ensign, depicts the prophet studying plates much like an archaeologists or classicist might. This view is not supported by what Joseph Smith’s scribes and other witnesses said. On the contrary, the eyewitnesses reported that Joseph read the English text as it appeared, word for word, in the seer stone, sometimes called the ‘interpreters,’ which he placed in his hat, his face over the hat’s opening to shut out the light. Those who reported this include Emma Hale Smith (Joseph’s wife), Isaac Hale (Joseph’s father-in-law), Michael Moase (brother-in-law), Martin Harris, and Joseph Knight Sr.; Morse said that he watched Joseph on several occasions: ‘The mode of procedure consisted in Joseph’s placing the Seer Stone in the crown of a hat, then putting his face into the hat, so as to entirely cover his face, resting his elbows upon his knees, and then dictating, word after word, while the scribe … wrote it down.’ …
“In Fayette, David Whitmer and Elizabeth A. Whitmer (later the wife of Oliver Cowdery) observed the dictation process and reported that Joseph used a seer stone placed in his hat, the same as previously reported… With his face covered, Joseph was unable to see … the golden plates, even if the plates were nearby; more than often they were not. For a time Emma Smith acted as her husband’s scribe. She said that she received dictation from him as he sat ‘with his face buried in his hat… hour after hour with nothing between us.’ Occasionally, she said, the plates ‘lay on the table… wrapped in a small linen table cloth,’ but she was never allowed to see them---a decision which caused her to ‘murmur.’” (See D&C 25:4) (Pg. 2-3)
He continues, “David Whitmer confirmed that Joseph ‘did not use the plates in the translation,’ and that ‘the plates were not before Joseph, while he translated, but seem to have been removed by the custodian angel.’ Isaac Hale said that while Joseph was translating, the plates were ‘hid in the woods.’ Martin Harris and Joseph Smith Sr., respectively, ‘added that the plates were covered ‘in the box’ and hid ‘in the mountains’ while they were being translated.’” (Pg, 3-4)
He reports, “That Joseph claimed to be reading an ancient text with a stone soon caused trouble. Critics who sought to test this claim stole 116 pages of the Book of Mormon transcript, then apparently waited to see if Joseph ‘should bring forth the same words again.’ According to a revelation revealed in May 1829, the critics would say: ‘If he bringeth forth the same words, behold, we have the same words with us, and we have altered them; Therefore they will not agree, and we will say that he has lied in his words with us, and that he has no gift.’ (D&C 10:7-18, 31; BOM 1830 edition, preface.) This is problematic. If these critics had ‘altered the words,’ as Joseph had divined they had, and produced the original manuscript to discredit him, the alterations in a different handwriting would have been readily apparent… Joseph avoided this test altogether by translating a different version of the same story from a different set of plates, said to have been attached to the original plates.” (Pg. 6-7)
He reports, “Usually [Joseph] did not mind if others observed him translating, but sometimes he separated himself from his scribe. Martin Harris reported that while he wrote for Joseph, ‘a thick curtain or blanket was suspended between them’ and that Joseph was ‘behind a curtain.’ … Since the gold plates were not used during the translation, why the curtain? … scholars have determined that he consulted an open Bible… the King James translation dating from 1769 or later, including its errors.” (Pg. 10)
He notes, “Generally, it is now accepted that Indians are of Siberian and Mongolian extraction… scientists from various research organizations, including biologists from Brigham Young University, have tested the DNA of other 7,000 American Indians… This research has revealed that in excess of 99% of the ancestors of living Native American women arrived on the American continent from Asia over 12,000 years ago. About 90% of the men have … DNA from the same place of origin… but not from the Middle East. The LDS position that Israelites ‘are the principal ancestors of the American Indians’ is no longer probable.” (Pg. 56-57)
He recounts, “The fact that the Smiths organized and participated in treasure digging expeditions indicates their belief in the physical reality of what they saw by ‘second sight.’ Significantly, none of the Smith’s seeric ventures yielded any real physical treasure. This is why, when the family began telling of gold plates in mid-1827, people were skeptical about ‘their pretended revelations.’ the unsuccessful treasure episodes had created credibility problems…. It was especially difficult for neighbors because Joseph’s religious experiences bore the trappings of his previous endeavors.” (Pg. 189)
He states, “The early claim to be ‘the only true … church,’ with Christ’s exclusive authority, may have caused members to ask how the church’s authority was in fact unique… [Eber D.] Howe’s book [‘Mormonism Unvailed’]… posed a threat to the credibility and authority of the Restoration. This provided motivation for Joseph and Oliver to counter with detailed accounts of physical appearances by these impressive biblical figures… In a single stroke, the new accounts legitimized the leadership’s religious authority… setting them apart from anyone who claimed a nonliteral or metaphysical reception of authority. Angelic ordinations and apostolic keys of succession provided an incontestable and singular credential for being the only true spokesmen for Christ on earth.” (Pg. 251-252)
He reports, “A leadership crisis began in Kirtland [in] 1837… Frederic G. Williams, a counselor in the First Presidency, left the church… Martin Harris, one of the three witnesses, was excommunicated. [In] 1838, John Whitmer, one of the eight witnesses … was excommunicated. On 25 March, Martin Harris told a public meeting that none of the witnesses had physically seen or handled the plates, that they had not seen the plates with their ‘natural eyes.’ … Apostles John H. Boynton, Luke Johnson, and other church members ‘renounced the Book of Mormon.’ … Apostles Luke S. Johnson, Lyman E. Johnson, and John F. Boynton were excommunicated or left the church… Oliver Cowdery and David Whitmer were also excommunicated … and Hiram Page and Jacob Whitmer left the church as well. By the fall of 1838, Apostles Thomas B. Marsh and Ordon Hyde had defected. ‘During this time of apostasy, approximately 300 left the church, representing about 15% of the Kirtland membership… three of the apostles no longer believed in the Book of Mormon… All three witnesses to the Book of Mormon and three of the eight had defected. The entire Whitman clan had left the church.” (Pg, 246-248)
He suggests, “It seems clear that the first vision narratives between 1832 and 1838 were expanded and become more miraculous, thus following the pattern … with regard to priesthood restoration. Over time, spiritual events were retold in a way that was more literal, more physical, as if they occurred in the material rather than in a metaphysical realm.” (Pg. 254)
He explains, “I cherish Joseph Smith’s teachings on many topics, such as the plan of salvation and his view that the marriage covenant extends beyond death… But when it comes to the founding events, I wonder if they are trustworthy as history. The issue of his credibility is differentiating between history and allegory initially filled me with a sense of loss. But I realize that the focus of my worship, as a Mormon, is Jesus Christ. As I learn more about our history, I arrive at a greater commitment to Christ’s teachings… As Latter-day Saints, our religious faith should be based and evaluated by how our spiritual and moral lives are centered in Jesus Christ, rather than in Joseph Smith’s largely rewritten, materialistic, idealized, and controversial accounts of the church’s founding. I hope that this study contributes in some way toward that end.” (Pg. 261, 263)
This book may appeal to some open-minded LDS members, as well as to critics.
April 21, 2008
Very good book, well written. Can be a little dry at times but only because it is so well referenced and footnoted. The topic is very well presented, tastefully and in a way that it makes sense. Next to the Holy Scriptures, there is no other book that has strengthened my testimony as much of the Holy Spirit! I challenge anyone that believes to read this book. It will deeply bless you. The book is written in such a ways that it assumes that you already are familiar with LDS Docterine. As Palmer noted in the preface. "lest there be any question,let me say that my intent is to increase Faith, not diminish it." Also "I have always thought that an unwillingness to submit One's faith to candid questions is a manifestation of weakness in faith"
The Author has been active in the church all his life, including the Mormon History Association which gives him the credibility to know the subject of the History of the Church. Starting with the first vision, and all the way to Nauvoo, he touches many subjects, including the book of Abraham translation (Egyptian Papyrus), the Kinderhook Plates, and their translation. Both the Kinderhook plates and the Papyrus have been found and it gives the view of what scholars have said about them, including scholars and professors. The Book of Mormon witnesses and their worldview is explained. It is very interesting to note that none of the witnesses ever recanted their testimony but what about what they said in person in later years? As an LDS member I had always been curious about the life of the witnesses went afterward. There may be many controversies surrounding Joseph Smith but Plamer does very well to explain some of the actual events in detail and on a very professional and Historical level. I reccomend it.
The Author has been active in the church all his life, including the Mormon History Association which gives him the credibility to know the subject of the History of the Church. Starting with the first vision, and all the way to Nauvoo, he touches many subjects, including the book of Abraham translation (Egyptian Papyrus), the Kinderhook Plates, and their translation. Both the Kinderhook plates and the Papyrus have been found and it gives the view of what scholars have said about them, including scholars and professors. The Book of Mormon witnesses and their worldview is explained. It is very interesting to note that none of the witnesses ever recanted their testimony but what about what they said in person in later years? As an LDS member I had always been curious about the life of the witnesses went afterward. There may be many controversies surrounding Joseph Smith but Plamer does very well to explain some of the actual events in detail and on a very professional and Historical level. I reccomend it.
May 18, 2017
From the preface of this book I take issue with the author's intent. In it he states that, "...my intent is to increase faith, not to diminish it. Still faith needs to be built on truth - what is, in fact, true and believable. After that comes the great leap. We too often confuse faith with knowledge. Faith has to do with the unknown, not about what can be proven or can be shown to be reasonably based on the evidence. I have always thought that an unwillingness to submit one's beliefs to a rigorous scrutiny is a manifestation of weakness of faith. Otherwise, everything becomes a matter of orthodoxy rather than truth."
- First, "faith needs to be built on truth - what is, in fact, true and believable." The author proceeds to discount the truth of the notion that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God chosen as an instrument to bring forth the Book of Mormon and to restore Jesus Christ's true church on the earth. He does this by siting historical accounts that seem to contradict what was espoused and hailed as historical fact from LDS church authorities. Members and investigators of the church (whom by the way the author states in his preface are not intended to read this book, nor is it for younger people) can find these historical records troublesome. Viewing them through the lens of a 21st century church member, one finds oneself scratching the head and wondering how and why they would have done, said, acted in such a way that seems so foreign to our way of thinking and doing things. Not only is the initial history of the church troublesome in many aspects, but the way the church leadership handled the general church and public's view of that history, blatantly scrubbing and buffing it up to make it more presentable; arguably in many instances brushing some of the more controversial and embarrassing events under the proverbial rug of history. But the author and reader must remember that we have the advantage of time on our side to better see how it "should" have been handled. And because of contradictory accounts, and other actions of early church leaders the author in his writing makes the statement that Joseph must not have had a divine calling. That empirical evidence of spiritual things is what truth must be based in. Take for instance the account of the three and eight witnesses respectively. The formal testimony as recorded in every print of the Book of Mormon since it's initial inclusion states that the engravings upon the plates were shown to them by an Angel. The eight said they "hefted" the plates. But later testimony from these men revealed that this was a spiritual manifestation rather than a physical one. That it took place in a metaphysical realm rather than a mortal realm discounting the empirical evidence. The author takes issue with this because church history and the early saints presented it as physical evidence not spiritual. That simply is not true. The evidence of the divinity and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's mission and calling as the prophet of the restoration has always been and will always and forever continue to be a matter of the spirit.
Secondly, and most troubling to me with regard to being able to take the author's arguments seriously is the notion that the Holy Ghost is not a reliable source of truth. He states, "The evangelical position of identifying and verifying truth by emotional feelings, which the Book fo Mormon advocates, is therefore not always dependable. Such a conclusion may lead some people to believe that these feelings are self-manufactured and that there is no objective existence of something called the Holy Ghost." He goes on to contradict himself in the very next sentence by stating, "I assert that the Holy Ghost does exist, that it does speak to human beings. This Spirit of love gives peace, comfort, prompts, and enhances belief in God..." Here is where the contradiction comes in to play for me, continuing the same sentence, "but abundant evidence also demonstrates that it is an unreliable means of proving truth. Those who advocate the witness of the Holy Spirit as the foundation for determining the truthfulness of a given religious text need to honestly deal with these epistemological contradictions."
The author goes on to say that the Holy Ghost will bring a person closer to Christ but not be able to prove the truth of anything in objective reality.
So for me I ask the author, how did he come to the belief that Jesus Christ is real? He is basing the whole of his faith in the notion that an immaculate conception occurred wherein God himself took on a tabernacle of flesh and, his spirit embodied in flesh and blood, and that he was able to suffer the pains and anguish of every mortal soul, die, and live again from the grave. Where is the empirical evidence of this event? For me, if there is a Holy Ghost that bears witness or truth of the life and mission of Christ, then this same Holy Ghost certainly has the capability, no... mission, to bear witness of truth in other regards. So by the same spirit that the author has a belief and faith in Christ, one can come to the truth of weather or not Joseph Smith was called by God to do what he claimed and whether or not the Book of Mormon are true. How could the Holy Ghost fail in his mission to testify of Christ and not do so when one reads the Book of Mormon when the whole of the book is about his love and mission to the people on the American continent?
For me this is the biggest disconnect. If the author has a belief in Christ, I submit it is by the same power and being that we can know the truth of all things. This is not a unique notion to Latter-day Saints either. There is plenty of evidence in the Bible that points to and delineates the mission of the Holy Ghost as the witness of truth.
So for not intending to diminish faith but to build it and then stating that the Holy Ghost is not a reliable source to find truth which in turn bolsters that faith... no - is the very foundation of that faith, including the author's own faith in Jesus Christ, the contradiction of the work leaves me to discount his findings and leads me to the same conclusion that any search for truth does. It is individual, it is unexplainable, it is miraculous, and it is not of this world. Mankind will continue to fail in his efforts to explain the miraculous things of God. And so long as God must use man to fulfill his purposes, the journey will be riddled with human mistakes and problems, but as always His purposes will be fulfilled one way or another.
- First, "faith needs to be built on truth - what is, in fact, true and believable." The author proceeds to discount the truth of the notion that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God chosen as an instrument to bring forth the Book of Mormon and to restore Jesus Christ's true church on the earth. He does this by siting historical accounts that seem to contradict what was espoused and hailed as historical fact from LDS church authorities. Members and investigators of the church (whom by the way the author states in his preface are not intended to read this book, nor is it for younger people) can find these historical records troublesome. Viewing them through the lens of a 21st century church member, one finds oneself scratching the head and wondering how and why they would have done, said, acted in such a way that seems so foreign to our way of thinking and doing things. Not only is the initial history of the church troublesome in many aspects, but the way the church leadership handled the general church and public's view of that history, blatantly scrubbing and buffing it up to make it more presentable; arguably in many instances brushing some of the more controversial and embarrassing events under the proverbial rug of history. But the author and reader must remember that we have the advantage of time on our side to better see how it "should" have been handled. And because of contradictory accounts, and other actions of early church leaders the author in his writing makes the statement that Joseph must not have had a divine calling. That empirical evidence of spiritual things is what truth must be based in. Take for instance the account of the three and eight witnesses respectively. The formal testimony as recorded in every print of the Book of Mormon since it's initial inclusion states that the engravings upon the plates were shown to them by an Angel. The eight said they "hefted" the plates. But later testimony from these men revealed that this was a spiritual manifestation rather than a physical one. That it took place in a metaphysical realm rather than a mortal realm discounting the empirical evidence. The author takes issue with this because church history and the early saints presented it as physical evidence not spiritual. That simply is not true. The evidence of the divinity and truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith's mission and calling as the prophet of the restoration has always been and will always and forever continue to be a matter of the spirit.
Secondly, and most troubling to me with regard to being able to take the author's arguments seriously is the notion that the Holy Ghost is not a reliable source of truth. He states, "The evangelical position of identifying and verifying truth by emotional feelings, which the Book fo Mormon advocates, is therefore not always dependable. Such a conclusion may lead some people to believe that these feelings are self-manufactured and that there is no objective existence of something called the Holy Ghost." He goes on to contradict himself in the very next sentence by stating, "I assert that the Holy Ghost does exist, that it does speak to human beings. This Spirit of love gives peace, comfort, prompts, and enhances belief in God..." Here is where the contradiction comes in to play for me, continuing the same sentence, "but abundant evidence also demonstrates that it is an unreliable means of proving truth. Those who advocate the witness of the Holy Spirit as the foundation for determining the truthfulness of a given religious text need to honestly deal with these epistemological contradictions."
The author goes on to say that the Holy Ghost will bring a person closer to Christ but not be able to prove the truth of anything in objective reality.
So for me I ask the author, how did he come to the belief that Jesus Christ is real? He is basing the whole of his faith in the notion that an immaculate conception occurred wherein God himself took on a tabernacle of flesh and, his spirit embodied in flesh and blood, and that he was able to suffer the pains and anguish of every mortal soul, die, and live again from the grave. Where is the empirical evidence of this event? For me, if there is a Holy Ghost that bears witness or truth of the life and mission of Christ, then this same Holy Ghost certainly has the capability, no... mission, to bear witness of truth in other regards. So by the same spirit that the author has a belief and faith in Christ, one can come to the truth of weather or not Joseph Smith was called by God to do what he claimed and whether or not the Book of Mormon are true. How could the Holy Ghost fail in his mission to testify of Christ and not do so when one reads the Book of Mormon when the whole of the book is about his love and mission to the people on the American continent?
For me this is the biggest disconnect. If the author has a belief in Christ, I submit it is by the same power and being that we can know the truth of all things. This is not a unique notion to Latter-day Saints either. There is plenty of evidence in the Bible that points to and delineates the mission of the Holy Ghost as the witness of truth.
So for not intending to diminish faith but to build it and then stating that the Holy Ghost is not a reliable source to find truth which in turn bolsters that faith... no - is the very foundation of that faith, including the author's own faith in Jesus Christ, the contradiction of the work leaves me to discount his findings and leads me to the same conclusion that any search for truth does. It is individual, it is unexplainable, it is miraculous, and it is not of this world. Mankind will continue to fail in his efforts to explain the miraculous things of God. And so long as God must use man to fulfill his purposes, the journey will be riddled with human mistakes and problems, but as always His purposes will be fulfilled one way or another.
November 11, 2020
This is an accessible book about the basics of non-correlated Mormon history. For someone looking for a relatively quick and easy read without having to burrow through the piles of historical documentation (I'm looking at you, D. Michael Quinn), then "Insider's View" provides a good starting place.
Other reviewers do a good job of giving an overview of what this book contains. Most of the chapters do a good job of laying the groundwork for the history of Joseph Smith and the development of the Book of Mormon. The one exception to this is the chapter on the fable of "The Golden Pot," which contains several motifs that are similar to Smith's story of finding the golden plates.
I object to the "Golden Pot" chapter because it seems like a stretch. Yes, there are several corollaries between the narrative and Joseph Smith's stories, but I think these can be more easily explained by the "magical worldview" of the early 1800's as opposed to a specific text. It's just one part of Palmer's analysis, though, and in the others he seems to stick far more productively to hard textual data rather than correlation-as-causation hypotheses.
That's the only exception, though, and was the only chapter that I felt I had to slog through. The rest was both interesting and accessible, and as I said, marks a great opening point for those with even a passing interest in Mormon history to gain insight into the movement's origins.
Other reviewers do a good job of giving an overview of what this book contains. Most of the chapters do a good job of laying the groundwork for the history of Joseph Smith and the development of the Book of Mormon. The one exception to this is the chapter on the fable of "The Golden Pot," which contains several motifs that are similar to Smith's story of finding the golden plates.
I object to the "Golden Pot" chapter because it seems like a stretch. Yes, there are several corollaries between the narrative and Joseph Smith's stories, but I think these can be more easily explained by the "magical worldview" of the early 1800's as opposed to a specific text. It's just one part of Palmer's analysis, though, and in the others he seems to stick far more productively to hard textual data rather than correlation-as-causation hypotheses.
That's the only exception, though, and was the only chapter that I felt I had to slog through. The rest was both interesting and accessible, and as I said, marks a great opening point for those with even a passing interest in Mormon history to gain insight into the movement's origins.
August 4, 2016
I decided to read this book after listening to Grant Palmer's interviews on Mormon Stories. He sounds like a genuinely nice guy who was just diligently doing research and came across some things that bothered him.
Though this book isn't trying to destroy faith (and Palmer tries to be very, very clear about his intentions with the book from the opening pages), I can see why it does. By the time in my faith journey that I read it, "losing faith" wasn't an issue any more, but I can see why black-and-white believing Mormons might want to stay far, far away from this one. Even members who are more nuanced believers will have a hard time with a large part of this book, because there just aren't easy answers here. So, read it at your own peril.
However, content aside, the book is very well written. It's easy to read and follow along from one point to the next. Palmer makes it easy to go through the material, but doesn't over-simplify in the process. It's really very well done.
But I won't be handing it out as Christmas gifts to my Mormon family any time soon.
Though this book isn't trying to destroy faith (and Palmer tries to be very, very clear about his intentions with the book from the opening pages), I can see why it does. By the time in my faith journey that I read it, "losing faith" wasn't an issue any more, but I can see why black-and-white believing Mormons might want to stay far, far away from this one. Even members who are more nuanced believers will have a hard time with a large part of this book, because there just aren't easy answers here. So, read it at your own peril.
However, content aside, the book is very well written. It's easy to read and follow along from one point to the next. Palmer makes it easy to go through the material, but doesn't over-simplify in the process. It's really very well done.
But I won't be handing it out as Christmas gifts to my Mormon family any time soon.
February 6, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. It talks about many of the issues that I've heard throughout my life regarding Mormonsim and approaches them with a historical, researched approach. I felt that Palmer treated each issue with fairness and respect.
--ADDED ON 27 April 2012--
I wanted to come back and offer some additional insights on this book. Now that I've read hundreds of other pages regarding Mormonism, Christianity, and the like I realize that Grant Palmer did an excellent job of taking a handful of sensitive topics and condensing mountains of evidence and views into a smaller, less daunting book.
It's hard to realize as you're going through the book, but a lot of the topics he covers has been covered extensively in other volumes and he has gleaned the cream from those other volumes and records and put it together in an impressively objective book. I'm convinced that Grant Palmer approached the topics with fairness, and it's worth a read.
--ADDED ON 27 April 2012--
I wanted to come back and offer some additional insights on this book. Now that I've read hundreds of other pages regarding Mormonism, Christianity, and the like I realize that Grant Palmer did an excellent job of taking a handful of sensitive topics and condensing mountains of evidence and views into a smaller, less daunting book.
It's hard to realize as you're going through the book, but a lot of the topics he covers has been covered extensively in other volumes and he has gleaned the cream from those other volumes and records and put it together in an impressively objective book. I'm convinced that Grant Palmer approached the topics with fairness, and it's worth a read.
October 23, 2007
This was a fascinating and somewhat painful book to read. It has a moderate objective tone and broke no new ground but was authored by a man who spent his life in the employment of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints who loves the people and institution but who hoped the institutional church would be more honest and open about its early history. The author is frank about human foibles and the likely misrepresentation or mythologizing of the life of Joseph Smith and some stories about the founding of the church. Palmer wrote with naive optimism about the opportunity to re-emphasize the role of Jesus Christ and the connection with so-called primitive Christianity while moving away from excessive adulation and emphasis on the roles and teachings of modern presidents of the church.
October 1, 2009
Not for the faint of heart. If you are a Mormon, this is interesting reading though. If you read Rough Stone Rolling and want to get into some more depth about the founding of the Church and some of the basic events this will give you an historical overview, but it is not the standard stories you hear in Sunday School. Makes you realize that the church came about in a more organic way than you thought and it gave me a lot to think about. One thing that I found particularly illuminating was to learn more about the characters and personalities of the 3 witnesses and the eight witnesses. They were a little bit sketchier I think than we tend to acknowledge nowadays, some of them sounded like downright mystics.
July 13, 2010
I think this book is a great starting place for someone interested in a historical view of the origins of the early Mormon church. It visits some of the disagreements historians have with the church and provides possible answers to why they differ.
The book is well referenced, some of the pages are half text and half footnotes.
Some people have complained that parts of the book are dry or boring, but I didn't find that to be the case. It is a very short book. The author has packed a lot of information into very few pages.
The book is well referenced, some of the pages are half text and half footnotes.
Some people have complained that parts of the book are dry or boring, but I didn't find that to be the case. It is a very short book. The author has packed a lot of information into very few pages.
July 30, 2011
Grant Palmer is not an anti-lds author, he is still an active member of the church that is not afraid to address the issues between the facts and the story. For those that read this book, they will have to come to new conclusions about their beliefs so I only recommend this to those that are ready to take that path. What's the saying? "Truth hurts..." Yes it can. But I'd rather the truth, than the illusion.
May 28, 2017
Grant Palmer takes the style of Sunday School or Teachings of the prophets manual books and made this similar in look and design. Palmer takes a great amount of information and condenses it in a readable fashion.
June 26, 2011
Palmer does a great job at crafting an honest and scholarly work, while keeping it accessible to a wide audience.
December 18, 2014
Informative
A little better than just a collection of little known facts about the origin of Mormonism. Some may consider it Anti-Mormon, but I consider it history.
A little better than just a collection of little known facts about the origin of Mormonism. Some may consider it Anti-Mormon, but I consider it history.
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