Greetings Fellow History Nerds!

I hope you are all enjoying autumn weather and colors. The weather finally started to change this last week here in Texas, though we're still suffering through bad heat. I at least got to enjoy autumn in Northern Utah last week when I traveled to Logan for the Arrington Lecture. That included a scenic drive through the canyon as well as a couple unforgettable hikes. It was good to be reminded that some places enjoy a pleasant fall season.

The true highlight of the trip, however, was delivering the Arrington Lecture. What an honor it was to speak in the historic Logan Tabernacle. And I was very pleased with the turnout--we filled the ground floor of the hall. And my remarks weren't bad enough to merit a stoning, so I'll count that as a win. The lecture was recorded, so I hope to post it sometime soon.

It was great to meet many of you at the lecture, too. Most of my time is speaking to a laptop or phone, so getting in-person feedback is a joy.

With that lecture behind me, it's been good to turn my attention back to my two book projects, a history of Christian nationalism and a political/religious biography of Cleon Skousen.

And I'm also excited for this week's LIVE AMA! I hope to see many of you there at 7pm MT on Wednesday.

NEWS/NOTES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

• This Wednesday, 10/7, at 7pm MT will be my monthly LIVE AMA. I always love these chats--it's a great way to feel the pulse of your interests and questions. Please go to the video page now to mark "notify me," so you don't miss it. And come with your questions! We'll be discussing the history of Mormon film, but I'll take questions on any and all topics.
• I was privileged to once again contribute to the Salt Lake Tribune's special General Conference issue. This time I wrote about the background to Skousen's The Naked Communist, which has once again become relevant due to the recent increase in anti-Communist rhetoric. You can read the column here, but I recommend reading the many other wonderful Tribune essays for Conference, including those by Jana Riess, Matthew Harris, and Matthew Bowman.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

• ​Could Polygamy Return? And Other Mailbag Questions (10/5): Would the LDS Church bring back polygamy if it became legal? In this Mailbag Monday episode, we explore why history and church culture suggest that legal permission alone would not restore plural marriage. We also examine how Mormon polygamous families actually lived, why Brigham Young’s Beehive House and Lion House were unusual, and how separate households and financial struggles shaped everyday family life. We then explore the future of Mormon history research, from overlooked archives and international Latter-day Saint communities to new interpretations of familiar sources. Along the way, we discuss concerns about AI in historical scholarship, books worth reading, and why critical academic reviews serve a different purpose than recommendations on this channel.
• ​The Surprising History of LDS Temple Recommends (10/2): What counted as “temple worthy” in 1856 might surprise you. LDS temple recommend questions have a history stretching from personal endorsements in Kirtland to standardized interviews in the twentieth century. This video traces how admission standards for temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints developed through Nauvoo, pioneer Utah, and later church administration. Explore how tithing, plural marriage, the Word of Wisdom, and loyalty to church leaders shaped who could participate in Mormon temple worship.
• ​Why Mormon Polygamy Makes Such Powerful Horror (9/30): What happens when the history of Mormon polygamy becomes a haunting? Author and historian Linda Hamilton joins Benjamin Park to discuss The Fourth Wife, her Gothic horror novel about a young woman entering a plural marriage in 1880s Utah. Hamilton explains how her own polygamous ancestors inspired the book and why the silences in their written histories led her to imagine the experiences of women whose stories were rarely recorded.
• ​The 1946 Allegations That Ended an LDS Patriarch's Ministry (9/28): In 1946, Joseph F. Smith III was released as patriarch to the LDS Church, publicly citing ill health. What led to that announcement, and why did he move to Hawaii soon afterward? This lecture traces his Smith family background, his appointment to a hereditary church office, the allegations brought to President George Albert Smith, and the private restrictions that followed. His story also reveals a turning point in Mormon history. Drawing on the work of Gary James Bergera, Connell O’Donovan, and Taylor G. Petrey, we examine what the surviving records establish, what remains unknown, and how LDS approaches to same-sex relationships changed in the following years. It is a history of church authority, family loyalty, secrecy, and the people affected by those decisions.
• ​How BYU Went From Banning Evolution to Teaching It (9/25): How did evolution become a standard part of biology at BYU after decades of opposition? Historian Benjamin Park explores the life of geneticist Duane Jeffery, who helped bring evolution courses back to Brigham Young University, and interviews evolutionary biologist Steven L. Peck about his new biography, Duane Jeffery: A Mormon Evolutionist.
• ​How Dallin H. Oaks's Address Challenged Christian Nationalism (9/23): Dallin H. Oaks called for peacemaking, constitutional principles, and political compromise at Washington National Cathedral. What does his address reveal about Mormon history and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ approach to American politics? Historian Benjamin Park examines Oaks’ account of early Latter-day Saint theocracy, religious freedom, and the long path toward pluralism. The speech offers a striking case for living with people whose beliefs differ from our own. It also leaves difficult questions about how those principles work in practice. This analysis explores Oaks’ preference for legislative compromise, the 2015 Utah Compromise, his remarks in relation to Christian nationalism, and the church’s Idaho ballot measure letter issued the same week.
• ​BH Roberts vs. Joseph Fielding Smith on Evolution (9/21): In 1931, two major Latter-day Saint thinkers collided over evolution—and the debate helped shape Mormon attitudes toward science for generations. This video explores the remarkable confrontation between B.H. Roberts and Joseph Fielding Smith over evolution, death before Adam, biblical interpretation, and Roberts's ambitious manuscript The Truth, The Way, The Life. What began as a proposed Church curriculum became one of the most consequential intellectual disputes in modern Mormon history.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

• How Mormons & AntiMormons Have Used the Declaration of Independence: TikTok/Instagram​
• Someone Please Give Tim Ballard the "Primetime" Treatment: TikTok/Instagram​
• Adam Hamilton & America's Religious Left: Instagram​
• The 5 Most Surprising Announcements Ever Made at an LDS General Conference: TikTok/Instagram​

Well, that's all the links for these past couple weeks. Thanks again for geeking out with me. I hope to see many of you at the LIVE AMA on Wednesday!

Benjamin Park, historian and nerd