The New Mormon History: Revisionist Essays on the Past (Essays on Mormonism Series)

Rating:
Summary: Is There a New Mormon History?
Review: D. Michael Quinn, one of the foremost practitioners of the type of work distinguished as the "New Mormon History," certainly thinks so. He has assembled in this volume a set of fifteen previously published essays and a short epilogue by B. H. Roberts, all demonstrating most ably the basic trends identified as "New Mormon History" (to Quinn a broadly descriptive rather than polemical label). He notes that this type of historical analysis seeks to attain a "functional objectivity" and avoid several "deadly sins of traditional Mormon history" (viii), among them shying away from critical but controversial topics.

"New Mormon historians" have adopted these as cardinal points against which all historical writing must be measured. The fifteen essays in this volume certainly rise to high there is no question that something important has happened in Mormon historical writing since the 1960s. Indeed, perhaps what has been taking place has been not so much a "new" approach toward Mormon history as the rapid and sustained professionalization of the field. The distinguishing features of the "New Mormon History" had been present to some degree long before the 1960s--most assuredly in the work of such early Mormon historians as E. E. Erickson, Joseph A. Geddes, or Nels Anderson--but emphasis on understanding rather than arguing a specific position became dominant during the 1960s. Both the quality and the quantity of the publications taking this approach skyrocketed during the next three decades. This book puts between two covers some of the best of that work.

Quinn's introduction briefly sketches these general trends in the text, and endnotes exhaustively reference historiographical trends. While a serviceable preamble to the articles that follow, the introduction could have presented a more substantial and philosophical discussion of the "New Mormon History" and its role in furthering an understanding of the Mormon past. The essays follow in roughly chronological order, making the book a useful text for classroom use. Taken altogether, the fifteen essays, each written by a different specialist and originally appearing between 1966 and 1983--perhaps the golden age of the New Mormon History--represent a powerful explanation of the larger aspects of Mormon history from its origins.

Some narrow and others broadly interpretive, these essays include the first major reassessments of unique topics in the history of the Mormon Church. Many of these pathbreaking studies, however, have since been revised by other historians. With the exception of a couple of instances where the authors have inserted some historiographical discussion into their endnotes, the essays do not comment on specific debates over interpretations. This lack of historiographical context is unfortunate, leaving readers with little understanding of the historians' differing perspectives.

Although each of these essays has stood the test of time and can be considered a benchmark study, like most collected works, this book suffers from uneven quality. Some essays are more challenging than others; I found particularly rewarding Thomas G. Alexander's "'To Maintain Harmony': Adjusting to External and Internal Harmony," first published in "Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought" in 1982; Ronald W. Walker's provocative analysis of Mormon militarism, "Sheaves, Bucklers, and the State: Mormon Leaders Respond to the Dilemmas of War," which first appeared in "Sunstone: that same year; and "A Demographic Portrait of the Mormons, 1830-1980" by Dean L. May, first published in 1983, which significantly revised early membership numbers and Utah migration figures.

In addition, the volume's first essay, Leonard J. Arrington's eloquent plea for serious, professional historical inquiry--"The Search for Truth and Meaning in Mormon History"--is an important declaration of intellectual independence that present-day historians of Mormonism should embrace just as fully as did those who first read it in "Dialogue" in 1968. His assertion that "historians ought to be free to suggest interpretations without placing their faith and loyalty on the line" (p. 5) is a central issue in the current restrictive environment. Arrington's conclusion "that an intensive study of church history, while it will dispel certain myths or half-myths sometimes perpetuated in Sunday school (and other) classes, builds faith rather than weakens it" (p. 6) is especially germane to present debates over the faithfulness of Mormon history that strays from the agreed-upon story. With the current LDS review policy, threat of censorship, and restricted access to the Church Archives, we would do well to listen to such past voices of concern.

Any essay collection of this type has built-in difficulties. Although "The New Mormon History" is an important work encapsulating Mormon history's reinterpretation during the last generation, it views the Mormon experience only through the lens of selected events, institutions, and personalities, leaving huge gaps in the story of Mormonism and representing themes and events unevenly. The Reorganized Church (now Communit of Christ) experience, not even discussed, deserves mention in a book such as this and could have provided a useful counterpoint for analyzing such themes as theological developments, political issues, relations with larger society, and organizational structures. The collection also contains very little discussion of twentieth-century Mormonism. The era is ignored, with the exception of the Alexander and Walker essays, already mentioned, and some spillover of their subjects into the first part of this century in articles by Kenneth L. Cannon II, "After the Manifesto: Mormon Polygamy, 1890-1906," and Klaus J. Hansen, "The Metamorphosis of the Kingdom of God: Toward a Reinterpretation of Mormon History." Admittedly Quinn had much less to choose from for this field, although much more of the Church's history has been in the twentieth century. The volume would also have been enhanced had Quinn incorporated any of his own exemplary work.

Quinn anticipated some of these concerns in his introduction. "I can only apologize in advance," he wrote, "for the omissions and acknowledge that others might choose differently" (p. x). No apologies are necessary. This is an excellent collection in spite of different choices that could have been made. It makes available between a single cover several classic essays--some of the best of the "New Mormon History"--and serves as a fine introduction to a complex and fascinating subject.

Rating:
Summary: A Sampler's Table of Mormon Study
Review: Michael Quinn has collected a body of work that is sure to be remembered as one of his least controversial works in general circulation. That's all well and good, but it wasn't as "fun" to read as some of his own writings.

That said, this is a fine compilation, a smorgasborg that allows someone the opportunity to sample some of the "non-traditional" LDS studies that are available to the open-minded, yet faithful Mormon student. As Quinn defines them, the "new Mormon Historians" are a breed of scholar/student/writer who examine difficult, complex, and often controversial subjects in the church with an eye toward objectivity. The result is material that is neither condemning nor ridiculously apologetic, but rather intelligent and reasonable, with the intent to understand the faith system which they continue to maintain. Quinn respectfully tributes Juanita Brooks for paving this path for careful, objective and yet still faithful Mormon scholarship.

Topics covered in this collection include Mormon authority, evolving interpretatins and use of the First Vision and the Joseph Smith story, charismatic and priesthood gifts and useage among early Mormon women, the legend of the crickets and gulls, polygamy issues, and more. Each essay could send an interested reader down a long path of further study by reviewing the lists of reference material available in each author's footnotes.

A book like this might be a fine place for someone just starting the adventure of understanding Church History. As mentioned below, however, serious students of Church History will be very familiar with about everything found between these two covers.

Rating:
Summary: Good starting point for thinking for yourself
Review: We all need to break free of mind control, and this book has certainly opened up my mind. As Orwell sharply pointed out in his perennial work "1984", he who contolls the present controlls the passt, and he who controlls the past controlls the future. This is exactly what those mortmons are doing, and thank the stars that Michael Quinn has opend up mymind to the truth.

The directions of history are twords a more internal, keeping the sick myths alive, and blatently ingnoring the feet of clay of the church leaders. Michael Quinn has experinece in this area of clay feet, as his footnotes prove.

A footnoted lie is still a lie. "nuff said.

Quinn has a peiercing eye that sees thing that otehrs don't see, and that is the mark of a great man in my book. Ingenutity an the nove are the watchwords of our day.

Everyone should read this book, and everyone should belive this book.