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Benjamin Park, Historian

Remembering a Master Historian and Announcing a LIVE Discussion on Mormon Extremism: The History Nerd's Newsletter for 3/2/2026

Published about 2 hours ago • 3 min read

Greetings fellow history nerds,

The Mormon history community is still in mourning after the loss of Ardis Parshall, one of the best researchers the LDS tradition ever produced. I link to a social media video I did on her and her legacy below. You can read Peggy Fletcher Stack's thoughtful obituary at this link. Ardis helped me with some of my first historical projects, sharing transcripts that really helped me find my footing. She did that for so many in the field that her fingerprints can be found throughout the field. She will be missed.

Below are my typical collections of news, videos, social media posts, and a few book recommendations at the end. I hope there's something worthwhile for each of you!

NEWS/NOTES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

  • My monthly LIVE YouTube discussion is this Wednesday, 3/4, at 7pm MT. I'm privileged to be joined by the journalist and author Leah Sottile, author of the phenomenal book about Chad Daybell and Lori Vallow, When the Moon Turns to Blood. I often tell people that this book accomplishes what people (mistakenly) think Jon Krakauer's Under the Banner of Heaven does: it's a thoughtful, nuanced, and critical indictment of religious fanaticism. Anyway, Leah and I will be discussing the rise of Mormon extremism--is it really a thing? What can we learn from it? Please come with your questions. I always look forward to these monthly chats, which are often quite rewarding.
  • If you missed my live discussion with Eli McCann about his new book, We're Thankful for the Moisture, you can find the recording here. Eli was delightful as expected, and our wide-ranging conversation was both funny and heartwarming. Make sure to get a copy of the book!

YOUTUBE VIDEOS

  • ​The Geography War Inside Mormonism (3/2): Nearly everyone agrees that the Book of Mormon is the bedrock of the Latter-day Saint tradition. But there has long been a debate within the faith over whether it's possible to identify the geography of the scripture's story. This video walks through the long history and the various camps--the hemispheric, mesoamerican, and heartlander models--and what it tells us about Mormon belief.
  • ​Eliza R. Snow: More Than a Poet (2/27): the LDS Church History Department just published a brand new collection of Eliza R. Snow's discourses. It's just the lates of several important books on women's history produced by top-notch historians employed by the church. This video introduces the book, highlights Snow's important contributions, and interviews Dr. Jennifer Reeder, one of the volume's editors.
  • ​How Accurate is The Testament of Ann Lee? (2/25): I've previously shared in this newsletter how much I loved The Testament of Ann Lee, a new film focused on Shakerism's founder. For this video, I welcome Dr. Jennifer Dorsey, an expert in Shaker history, to dissect the movie, what it gets right, and where you can learn more.
  • ​How Romney Paved the Way for Trump (2/23): Romney's presidential campaign is well-known for its significance to Mormon history. He was the first Latter-day Saint to be nominated by a major political party for president. Yet his campaign is also important in tracing the history of the Religious Right and the GOP. This video talks about one poignant anecdote--when Romney hosted an awkward meeting with evangelical leaders in his home--to discuss the larger story.
  • ​What LDS Members Really Think About Garments (2/20): I really loved the new book, Mormon Garments: Sacred and Secret, which is based on 4,500 surveys filled out by a wide variety of Latter-day Saints. This video provides an overview of the book--that I recommend to readers!--as well as an interview with two of the authors.

SOCIAL MEDIA VIDEOS

ODDS & ENDS

  • I recently finished a couple of really great books. Matthew Pinsker's Boss Lincoln: The Partisan Life of Abraham Lincoln really cast the 16th president in new light. I of course was aware of his political proclivities, but I was blown away by how much of his life was devoted to party politics. He was a party man, through and through. And though not as recent, I finally got to Joyce Chaplin's The Franklin Stove: An Unintended American Revolution, which looks at how eighteenth century scientists, like Benjamin Franklin, tried to use cutting-edge technology to address a critical climate crisis. Sadly, it did not turn out how they hoped.
  • Whether or not you like Marvel movies/shows, I strongly recommend Wonder Man. If only all superhero genre productions were this thoughtful and moving.
  • The new Mumford & Sons album slaps.

And that's all I have for this week. I hope to see many of you at Wednesday's live discussion with Leah Sottile at 7pm MT!

Benjamin Park, historian and nerd

Benjamin Park, Historian

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