Author Archives: Tom Nysetvold

New release: Orson Pratt debates polygamy with the Senate Chaplain

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This is the all-star game of polygamy debates, folks. Orson Pratt was Brigham Young’s point man for explaining and defending polygamy, and the Rev. Dr. J. P. Newman, Chaplain of the U. S. Senate, sounds like a worthy opponent. In 1870 they publicly debated the question “Does the Bible sanction Polygamy?” for three days, and that debate is reproduced in The Bible and Polygamy, now available free on Project Gutenberg. It also includes discourses on polygamy by George A. Smith, George Q. Cannon, and Pratt himself. It’s thus a cross-section of both Mormon and non-Mormon thought on polygamy in the middle of the pre-Manifesto Utah period. Have a look.

“The Mormons: A Discourse…” by Thomas L. Kane

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In this unique discourse originally delivered to the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, Thomas L. Kane, a non-Mormon, offers a sympathetic account of the exodus from Nauvoo and early settlement of Utah. We have lots of documents from Mormon pioneers, and lots of anti-Mormon stuff, but this type of thing–by a non-Mormon, for non-Mormons, without being negative–is relatively uncommon, making it particularly interesting. As he met with the saints on the plains, saw Nauvoo, etc. he can narrate first-hand.

Kane, who depending on your households’s Mormon history buff quotient may or may not be a household name, is famous for using his political connections in support of the Church. During the exodus he pulled strings to create the Mormon Battalion and gain permission for the saints to temporarily occupy Indian territory. Later, he was offered the first governorship of the Utah territory (he declined and recommended Brigham Young), played a mediation role in the Utah War, and served as the executor of Brigham Young’s will. So beyond being an interesting observer, he’s significant in his own right.

At a bit under 100 pages, this should be a quick read. Have a look.

New release: “Representative Women of Deseret”

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“Representative” might be a stretch for a list of women including Emmeline B. Wells, Eliza R. Snow, etc., but in any case Representative Women of Deseret by Augusta Joyce Crocheron offers biographical sketches of variety of early Utah saints. First published 1884, it’s a window into the lives of women in the early Church, including many in polygamous relationships. Leaders of the Relief Society, Primary, and Y.L.M.I.A. are represented, as are authors, poets, and doctors. Much of the material is autobiographical.

This collection is obviously a great resource for understanding the role of women in the early Church, and it’s one of several books in this vein that we will release over the next year. I’m interested in these books because I feel such early primary sources will help people better navigate the controversies about women’s role in the Church. They will hopefully show that faithful women have found fulfillment, opportunities for meaningful service, and ultimately happiness throughout the history of the Church, but in any case they contain perspectives that deserve to be explored.

So there you go. Literature about Mormon women. More on the way.

Book of Mormon fiction: “Cities of the Sun”

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Elizabeth Rachel Cannon’s The Cities of the Sun, a collection of short stories “founded on historical incidents in the Book of Mormon,” has just been released on Project Gutenberg. It represents an early attempt at Book of Mormon fiction, along the lines of B. H. Roberts’ earlier Corianton. It’s of interest both as early Mormon fiction and as a time capsule of how the Book of Mormon was then understood–for example, odd references to Lamanite or Nephite “phalanxes” are common. A romantic element is added to most of the stories, which include those of Captain Moroni, Ammon, and Alma/Abinadi. The e-book is based on the 1911 enlarged second edition, and includes the original illustrations. Weighing in at 147 pages, it’s an easy read.

 

Thanks to Allie Bowen and Mariah Averett for their work on this book!

Joseph Fielding Smith New Release Double Feature

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That’s right, two new releases: Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage, and Origin of the “Reorganized” Church and the Question of Succession. Both are pamphlets by a young Joseph Fielding Smith related to controversies with the Reorganized Church.

The first (what a title–maybe that’s why it gets so many downloads…) was a pamphlet coming in at just under 100 pages, in which there is given:

Correspondence between ELDER JOSEPH F. SMITH, (JR.,) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and MR. RICHARD C. EVANS, second counselor (1905) in the Presidency of the “Reorganized” Church. A conclusive refutation of the false charges persistently made by ministers of the “Reorganized” Church against the Latter-day Saints and their belief. Also a supplement containing a number of affidavits and other matters bearing on the subjects.

The second pamphlet, of a little more than 100 pages, was prompted by “Reorganite” missionary efforts in Utah. It discusses succession and the Reorganized Church as follows:

Part one of this book contains the discourse delivered in Ogden on the “Origin of the ‘Reorganized’ Church;” part two contains the discourse on the “Succession in the Presidency,” and part three deals with the most prominent differences existing between the Church and the “Reorganization,” wherein they accuse us of departing from the doctrines of the Prophet Joseph Smith. This matter in part three is added by request of a number of parties who have had to meet the sophistry of the Reorganite missionaries.

We may post some more discussion of  these later, but I’ve held their release up far too long already. Both were proofread and produced by Tyler Garrett, one of our BYU interns. Our thanks to him!

Key Free Doctrinal Works: A Reading List from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism

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I recently stumbled on the Encyclopedia of Mormonism’s list of books that “have made significant contributions to the understanding of doctrine.” It’s an interesting reading list–if you want a thorough grounding in Mormon doctrine through the ages, these are the books–and naturally it lines up well with what people have chosen to get up on Project Gutenberg.

Here’s the pre-1923 (i.e. out of copyright) portion of that list, with links to PG for the works we’ve completed:

Read these books!

New Release: “Biographical Sketch of Orville Southerland Cox, Pioneer of 1847”

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“Nearing his 24th birthday, he was a thorough frontiersman, forester, lumberman, a splendid blacksmith, a natural born engineer; in short a genius and an all around good fellow. He was six feet in his socks and heavy proportionately.”

These are the words that describe Orville Southerland Cox, the subject of Adelia B. Cox Sidwell’s “Biographical Sketch of Orville Southerland Cox, Pioneer of 1847.” This pamphlet, written for the “Daughters of the Pioneers” and interspersed with poetry from poets of the time, is now available free on Project Gutenberg. In it, Sidwell fondly recalls experiences from Cox’s life, detailing both the joys and challenges of life as a pioneer on the American frontier.

Though he experienced abusive treatment as a child, Cox overcame such challenges to go on and become a successful tradesman, self-disciplined and hard-working. He would later marry Elvira P. Mills upon moving to Missouri. It was also here that he would meet “the Mormons” and soon became a baptized member of the Church. Readers will also learn of the skills he gained that would aid him in becoming such a successful individual in many arenas of his life.

Read the adventurous anecdotes from Cox’s life that demonstrate his faith, devotion, and love for God and his family.

Margaret Willden, one of our past BYU interns, proofread and produced this pamphlet, and contributed to this blog post. Our thanks to her!

Utah War fiction by Susa Young Gates: “John Stevens’ Courtship”

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Recently released on PG, John Stevens’ Courtship: A Story of the Echo Canyon War was published in 1909 and written by Susa Young Gates. Gates was the daughter of Brigham Young, wrote nine books, and was an advocate for women’s rights. Her novel is set in Salt Lake City during the years 1857-1858 and follows several young Mormon characters as they deal with the excitement and hardships surrounding the Echo Canyon War—more commonly known today as the Utah War. Although there were no major battles and very few casualties, the war disrupted life in Salt Lake City considerably, particularly in the transfer of governorship from Brigham Young to the non-Mormon Alfred Cumming, the evacuation of the Saints from Salt Lake City and the entrance of the U.S. Army into the Utah territory.

In the preface, Gates states her goal in writing John Stevens’ Courtship: “An avowed purpose of this book is to show that there is plenty of romance and color in every-day life—if the eye be not life-colorblind. . . . The pioneer days were days of beauty and rich emotions. That their memory should be perpetuated is the author’s chief justification for the writing of this book.”

John Stevens’ Courtship offers an interesting glimpse at pioneer life in Salt Lake City during the late 1850s and recounts an important episode in Mormon history from a unique perspective.

Thanks to McKayla Hansen, one of our past MTP interns, for proofing and producing John Stevens’ Courtship and contributing to this blog post. Renah Holmes, one of our volunteers, also deserves thanks for doing the first round of proofreading.

More B. H. Roberts–“The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo” Released

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Much of Latter-day Saint History is unintentionally overlooked by the members of the church, often including the Mormon golden era that existed in Nauvoo. B. H. Roberts goes into deep detail about the establishment, flourishing, and fall of Nauvoo in his book The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo, now available on Project Gutenberg. He touches on events that are rarely addressed within the LDS church; describes the political situation at the time, showing why Joseph Smith decided to run for President of the United States; and goes into detail about new doctrines that were revealed in Nauvoo, which are found both within and outside of the Doctrine and Covenants. This book will help anyone more fully understand the splendor of Nauvoo, as well as help put LDS doctrines into perspective.

As this is a religious work, it bears testimony of Joseph Smith’s calling as prophet, seer, revelator, and restorer of Jesus Christ’s true church on the earth. It also bears witness of Christ’s gospel and how it has blessed the lives of thousands in the midst of great trials and sacrifice. Even a casual reading of this book will help strengthen the reader’s testimony of these things and bolster their faith to live up to the high standard laid before them by their religious predecessors.

Thanks to Steven Fluckiger, one of our 2015 interns, for proofreading and producing The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo, as well as contributing to this blog post.

New Release: B. H. Roberts’ “The Missouri Persecutions”

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Once upon a time, books had prefaces where the author just said what the book was about and why they wrote it. In that simpler age, B. H. Roberts explained The Missouri Persecutions (now free on PG) as follows:

My chief purpose in publishing this book, and the one which will immediately follow—”The Rise and Fall of Nauvoo”—is to place in the hands of the youth of the Latter-day Saints a full statement of the persecutions endured by the early members of The Church in this last dispensation, in the States of Missouri and Illinois, that they may be made acquainted with the sacrifices which their fathers have made for the word of God and the testimony of Jesus Christ. And I indulge the hope that by becoming acquainted with the story of the suffering of the early saints, the faith of the Gospel will become all the more dear to the hearts of their immediate posterity and all the youth of Zion for many generations to come.

I think without depreciating at all any other narrative of these events in our Church literature, I may claim that the story of the Missouri Persecutions in these pages is told more thoroughly than in any other of our present publications. This arises from the fact that this book deals with but a brief period in the history of The Church—from 1830 to 1838—and therefore admits of such a consideration of details as could not possibly be given to that period in any general history of The Church. This detailed treatment of the subject, in the opinion of the author, is justified because of the very important events which the treatise covers, and also for the reason that it is a period of our history which has been very much misrepresented, upon which misrepresentations false accusations are made against The Church and its leaders to this day. Those who have thought themselves called upon to oppose, if not to persecute, The Church in later years, frequently attempt to justify their present opposition by insinuating that The Church was driven from Missouri and Illinois for other reasons than adherence to an unpopular religion. The impression is sought to be created that it was for some overt acts against the State or National government, or for some offense against the spirit of American institutions, or because The Church leaders “were determined to be a law unto themselves,” in disregard of the rights of others.

It is, in part, to correct these false statements, and guard our youth against the influence of such calumnious insinuations, that I tell this story of the Missouri Persecutions; not that the history in these pages is written for the purpose of glozing over the defects in the character of the early members of The Church, or to claim for them absolute freedom from errors in judgment, or actual sinfulness in conduct. I have not written what may be called “argumentative history,” only so far as a statement of the truth may be considered an argument. After these pages are read I feel sure that no one will be able to accuse me of failing to point out the errors of the early members of The Church; indeed, I have been careful to call attention to the complaints which the Lord made against their conduct; the reproofs of his inspired servants; and the repeated warnings sent to them by the Prophet Joseph Smith concerning the results of their conduct if there was not a speedy repentance.

[…]

So there you go. That brings the number of B. H. Roberts books on Project Gutenberg to 13, with several more in the pipeline. (It also adds one more to the number of book release announcements where I’ve just used the author’s preface, but hopefully no one’s keeping score on that.)

Thanks to past MTP intern Allie Bowen for proofreading and producing The Missouri Persecutions.