LDS History Articles Warned Against
Dallin Oaks Cautions Members to Use Spirit to Discern Truth
Aug 7, 2008
LDS Apostle Dallin Oaks recently warned members to be careful when reading articles on LDS History. The growth of the Internet has made available a number of sources discussing LDS History. Mormon scholars were excommunicated or disfellowshipped because of writing truthfully about the history of the Mormon church.
Dallin Oaks, whose comments recently appeared in the church owned publication, The Mormon Times, gave advice on how faithful Mormons should pursue the study of LDS History. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a controversial history, and easily available sources of information such as the Internet have caused many obscure pieces of Mormon history to come to light.
A Brief Diversion to the Salamander Letter
Mormon Times writer Maddie Wilson cites the talks Oaks gave after the Mark Hoffman affair in the mid-1980s, but the article in the Mormon Times does not mention that church leaders at the time believed the letters to be genuine. Mark Hoffman's Salamander Letter did not impact the perception of the church's past because the forgery plot and the murder attempts to cover Hoffman's involvement led to his arrest and conviction..
Why Faithful Mormons Should Be Wary of Articles on Mormon History
Oaks's comments follow standard journalistic training when he states that people reading articles on Mormon history should be aware of the limitations of print media, including the fact that writers often cannot go into full scientific explanation in short media pieces, the bias of the author should be considered, and that authors should, where possible strive for balance. Oaks departs from standard journalistic training with his final comment about how Mormons should discern the truth.
Instead of relying solely on their intellect, Oaks warns that faithful Latter-day Saints should also rely on the witness of the Holy Spirit to tell them the truth. His comments site Moroni's promise, which can be found at the end of the Book of Mormon.
Possible Reasons for the Concern Over LDS History Articles
A chart on the LDS Church News website shows a decline in church growth that corresponds to the birth and increase in popularity of the World Wide Web. Critics of the Mormon church, particularly message boards frequented by former Mormons, speculate that the Internet and the popularity of the web makes information about controversial elements of Mormon history easily accessible.
Oaks' comments ended with a warning against what has been termed evil speaking against the Lord's annointed, which means that church members should not criticize the leaders of the Mormon church. User comments posted under the Deseret News link to the article that appeared in the Mormon Times section have been mostly negative. The Mormon Times is a Mormon interest publication of the Deseret News.
Sources:
“Be Cautious of LDS History Articles Oaks Warns.” Maddie Wilson. Mormon Times. Salt Lake City, Utah
Mark Hoffman's Salamander Letters
