Matthew L Harris - The LDS Gospel Topics Series: A Scholarly Engagement

The LDS

Gospel

Topics

Series

A Scholarly Engagement

edited by

Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst

Afterword by

Armand L. Mauss

Signature Books | 2020 | Salt Lake City

In memory of Armand L. Mauss

2020 Signature Books Publishing LLC. Signature Books is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Printed in the USA. www.signaturebooks.com

The opinions expressed in this book are not necessarily those of the publisher.

Cover design by Jason Francis.

The cover image is a portrait of Lucy Mack Smith painted by Sutcliffe Maudsley circa 1842.

First edition | 2020

library of congress cataloging-in-publication data

Names:Harris, Matthew L., editor. | Bringhurst, Newell G., editor. | Mauss, Armand L., writer of afterword.

Title:The LDS gospel topics series : a scholarly engagement / edited by Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst ; afterword by Armand L. Mauss.

Description:First edition. | Salt Lake City : Signature Books, 2020. | Includes index . | Summary: This anthology provides a scholarly, in-depth analysis of the thirteen Gospel Topics essays issued by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from December 2013 to October 2015. The contributors reflect a variety of faith traditions, including the LDS Church, Community of Christ, Catholic, and Evangelical Christian. Each contributor is an experienced, thoughtful scholar, many having written widely on religious thought in general and Mormon history in particular. The writers probe the strengths and weaknesses of each of the Gospel Topics essays, providing a forthright discussion on the relevant issues in LDS history and doctrine. The editors hope that these analyses will spark a healthy discussion about the Gospel Topics essays, as well as stimulate further discussion in the field of Mormon Studiesprovided by publisher.

Identifiers:LCCN 2020025699 (print) | LCCN 2020025700 (ebook) | ISBN 9781560852872 (paperback) | ISBN 9781560853862 (ebook)

Subjects:LCSH: Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsDoctrines. | Gospel topics (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) | Mormon ChurchDoctrines.

Classification:LCC BX8637 .L37 2020 (print) | LCC BX8637 (ebook) | DDC 230/.9332dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020025699 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020025700

Acknowledgments

Many people made this volume possible. First, and foremost, is Travis Stratford of New York City, who graciously shared his experiences behind the scenes encouraging officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to release the Gospel Topics Essays. Stratford also shared copies of his Faith Crisis reports, which were indispensable to the release of the essays. (Travis is discussed at greater length in the introduction.)

We are also indebted to the many church historians and archivists who shared their expertise discussing a variety of questions raised in this volume. Our thanks to Reid L. Nielson, Matthew J. Grow, and most especially LDS Church Historian Steven E. Snow (now retired), who was warmly encouraging after we presented some of the ideas in the introduction at the Mormon History Association Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, in 2017. We should stress that all errors of fact and judgment in the introduction are entirely our own.

We are especially grateful to the scholars who contributed essays to this volume. Their professionalism, sensitivity, and honesty make this a much better book than it would be if we were its only authors. Our thanks, also, to Signature Books for making the press a warm, hospitable place to publish our work.

Finally, we thank our wivesCourtney A. Harris and Mary Ann Bringhurstwho continue to tolerate our fascination with the Mormon past. We are grateful for their love and support.

Introduction: Why the Gospel Topics Essays?

Matthew L. Harris and Newell G. Bringhurst

On a chilly evening in November 2010, some 600 Swedish Latter-day Saints met at an LDS chapel in Stockholm to discuss their concerns about difficult theological questions in the LDS Church. It was not an ordinary church fireside. High-ranking officials from church headquarters in Salt Lake City had been sent to meet with them. They had a remarkably frank and sometimes testy exchange, especially about [Joseph] Smith and polygamy, the New York Times noted. The meeting was requested by a well-respected Swedish Latter-day Saint named Hans Mattsson, a one-time Area Authority Seventy for the LDS Church in Europe. Mattsson expressed alarm concerning certain controversial LDS teachings discovered on the internet. I felt like I had an earthquake under my feet, Mattsson explained. Everything Id been taught, everything Id been proud to preach about and witness about just crumbled under my feet. It was such a terrible psychological and nearly physical disturbance.

Dubbed the Swedish Rescue mission, this special fireside was led by LDS Church Historian/Recorder and general authority Marlin K. Jensen and Assistant Church Historian/Recorder Richard E. Turley Jr.

The fireside quickly turned testy. After Jensens opening statement quoting scripture and bearing testimony, one of the members asked: Is it okay to ask questions now? For the next three and a half hours, they asked Jensen and Turley questions concerning polygamy/polyandry, the ancient authenticity of the Book of Abraham, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and other controversial doctrinal and historical matters. Turley and Jensen tried to answer them. During one tense moment, a participant chided the two men for what he perceived was an obfuscating answer about the Book of Mormon. That is amazing, he noted, unimpressed with Turleys answer. But those are not the questions we want.

Jensen and Turley, well-aware of the crisis at hand, had been previously apprised of some of the questions the Swedes might ask. They brought a handout recommending five websites favorable to the church and implored the participants to spend more time on these faith-affirming sites rather than on anti-Mormon websites. They further stated that senior church apostle Boyd K. Packer had directed the church history department to put together a committee to create answers to difficult gospel questions, in what would later be called the Gospel Topics Essays. We are working on those now, Jensen stated, and were also giving thought to how we will disseminate these answers to the world. But well give you our best answers. We wanted you to know tonight there are answers.

The answers could not come fast enough. A year after Turley and Jensen met with Swedish Latter-day Saints, Travis Stratford, a middle-aged brand strategist from New York City, was experiencing a faith crisis of his own. Having served an LDS proselytizing mission in Sweden, graduated from LDS-owned Brigham Young University, and married in the LDS temple, Stratford had come of age in an orthodox LDS environment. But over the years his faith had waivered, affected by websites he discovered discussing and challenging LDS truth claims. After learning about the Swedish Rescue fireside, he contacted Mattsson, hoping for a collaborative effort to use his research skills and Mattssons connections to help the Brethren understand how Faith Crisis is destroying [LDS] families. In May 2011, Mattsson scheduled a meeting with Marlin Jensen, perceiving him as the most qualified to understand the issue. With the Swedish Fireside still fresh on his mind, Jensen agreed to meet with Mattsson and Stratford in New York City in October of that year. Included in the discussion was LDS scholar Gregory A. Prince. Jensen attended with the blessing of Apostle Packer.