Greetings fellow history nerds,

I've been thinking a lot about the ethics of historical scholarship lately. This is mostly prompted by the recent Trust Me documentary on Netflix, which I've now covered in two videos in which I interview relevant experts. (Links below.) What is the role of the historian to not only document various communities but also help all involved to learn from the past? In my discussion with Shirlee Draper, we talked about how many progressive scholars have been critiqued for aiming to freeze groups in time and not allow them to grow and evolve. Fundamentalists, for instance, are more useful to historians when they are helpless artifacts who require saving.

Anyway, it's a complicated topic that has no easy answers.

I have a lot more thoughts on the matter, and thankfully I have plenty of smart friends who do, too. So this Wednesday at 7pm MST I'll be chatting with Lindsay Hansen Park, an organizer, historian, and consultant who knows a lot about the topic. She has done a lot of work with the fundamentalist community, has studied their development, and has worked with filmmakers and documentarians to explain their story. Our conversation should be wide-ranging, and will hopefully be assisted by any and all questions you bring. I hope you'll join us.

On to the links and news.

NEWS/NOTES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Most importantly, don't miss this month's LIVE conversation that will take place Wednesday, May 6, at 7pm MST. Here is the link for the conversation. I'll be joined by Lindsay Hansen Park, who has done more to teach Mormon history to the general public than nearly anyone else. She is the executive director of Sunstone, co-host of Sunstone's Mormon History podcast, and author of a forthcoming biography of Juanita Brooks, among many other accomplishments. She's also been involved with several tv shows, so she can offer a perspective on both history as well as how history is depicted. You won't want to miss it.
• I was privileged to have an essay in the latest issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought. As part of a roundtable on the 10th anniversary of the 2015 LGBTQ Policy, I placed that development within the longer context of LDS exclusion. You can read my essay here, but I recommend checking out all the other wonderful essays in this issue on LGBTQ bodies and belonging.
• We are approaching the deadline for the Mormon History Association's annual conference registration. I've been talking about it a lot lately, but for good reason: it's the most fun weekend for history nerds in the year. Regardless of your level of expertise or religious background, I promise you'd have a lot of fun. And don't forget the pre- and post-conference tours! You can find more information at this link.
• I'm pleased to share that I have received a research fellowship from BYU's Charles Redd Center for Western History. This will help me spend some time in Provo this summer researching Cleon Skousen for my book on Christian nationalism in the twentieth century. Institutions like the Redd Center are so crucial to historical scholarship, as they allow deep and sustained time in the archives.

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

• ​The 1953 Raid on Short Creek and Its Legacies (5/4): one of the reasons fundamentalists are so skeptical of external authorities is because of the tragedy in 1953. State authorities in Arizona arrested all adults in the Short Creek community and placed every child in a foster home. The backlash was severe, however, as the general public sympathized with the children who were separated from parents. An the fundamentalist community never forgave the police. This saga is crucial for understanding the fundamentalist mentality.
• ​Why the Second Anointing is So Controversial (5/1): Joseph Smith introduced a series of rituals in his final years, but none were as controversial as the second anointing. This video introduces the ritual itself, the theological problem it was supposed to solve, and how it became a key issue in the succession crisis. I'll do Part 2 on the topic this coming Friday, as I survey how the ritual evolved in the ensuing 150 years.
• ​Why this Netflix Documentary is Problematic (4/30): I was privileged to by joined by Shirlee Draper, a member of the Short Creek community, to discuss why some are not happy with the new Trust Me documentary. We discuss the ethics of coverage as well as the troubling community dynamics. It's a hard but necessary conversation.
• ​When BH Roberts Was Denied a Seat in Congress (4/28): before the debates over Reed Smoot's senate seat, BH Roberts was denied his spot as a US Representative due to his connections to polygamy. My video surveys this important, yet often overlooked, moment in Mormon and US history, and while Roberts's fellow saints did not come to his defense.
• ​The Truth About the American West You Were Never Told (4/25): our narratives of the American West usually revolve around "pioneers" and reaffirms a manifest destiny message. Yet as Megan Kate Nelson highlights in her new book, The Westerners, the West was far more diverse and never assured of White American dominance. I highlight the lessons of this new book and interview Dr. Nelson about why its important to understanding Mormonism.
• ​Breaking Down the Truth & Narrative of the Trust Me Documentary (4/23): in this deep dive about the new Trust Me documentary, I talk with Dr. Cristina Gagliano about how this break-off group of fundamentalists fits within the larger tradition and history.
• ​The Secret and Scandalous 1911 Photos of the Salt Lake City Temple (4/21): in 1911, a disaffected Mormon snuck into the Salt Lake City Temple to take photos, which he then used to blackmail the LDS Church. Yet instead of a crisis, LDS leaders used the moment for a public relations win.
• ​Why Scholars Can't Agree on the Gold Plates (4/18): the gold plates have long befuddled historians and religious studies scholars. This video provides an overview of the divergent approaches taken over the last decade to explain what might seem unexplainable to those outside the faith.
• ​Why Mormons Rejected the Cross...Only to Now Bring it Back (4/16): many were surprised, and a bit confused, when the LDS church placed a large monument of the cross in Temple Square. Yet the reticence among LDS faithful to embrace the cross is a much more recent development than typically assumed. This video surveys the long history of how Latter-day Saints embraced, rejected, and then embraced the cross again.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

• How Brigham Young Adjusted LDS Temple Rituals after Joseph Smith's Death: TikTok/Insta​
• The Theological & Social Context for Joseph Smith's Second Anointing: TikTok/Insta​
• Why the "Mormon" in "Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" is Not Referring to Religion: TikTok/Insta​
• The Common Myth of Elevators in the SLC Temple: TikTok/Insta​
• Mormonism's 2015 LGBTQ Policy and the Long History of LDS Exclusion: TikTok/Insta​
• When Cleon Skousen Was Fired as Salt Lake City's Police Chief: TikTok/Insta​
• Initial Thoughts on the "Trust Me" Documentary: TikTok/Insta​
• Contextualizing Trump's Attack on Pope Leo: TikTok/Insta​

Well, I think that's more than enough for this week. I apologize for so many links--I try to do these newsletters every-other week, but went three weeks since the last one, so there was a build-up of videos.

I hope to see many of you Wednesday night for the live discussion with Lindsay Hansen Park.

Until next time,

Benjamin Park, historian and nerd