Regional Studies in LDS Church History: California

I acquired a copy of Regional Studies in LDS Church History: California (published by Brigham Young University) mainly because I used to live in California. For the most part, I really enjoyed this collection of essays. I learned a lot of neat facts that I didn't know before, and I also got to read multiple stories that were often entertaining and always informative.

One of the most interesting stories contained in this volume is Donald Q. Cannon's essay on Sam Brannan. I had heard the name before and I knew that he didn't listen to the counsel of Brigham Young, but that was just the beginning. He also went on to become California's first millionaire. He abandoned the Church completely succumbed to his demons of alcohol and adultery. He eventually died penniless and alone. His story is a tragic one, but also really makes you focus on what is most important.

I really enjoyed the essays that discussed the Mormon Battalion. I knew about the circumstances under which the Battalion was called, I knew about their march, and I knew they didn't have to engage in combat. However, I had no idea just how many challenges they endured on their march. I loved reading about their march and learning more about the historic group to which my ancestor Ruel Barrus belonged.

I loved essays that talked about the experiences of certain general authorities in California, and I was very intrigued by the account of members living in San Francisco who endured the terrible earthquake and the fires that followed. But perhaps one of my most favorite essays was Jeremiah K. Clark's on the San Diego temple. Since that is where I was married, I had a particular interest in that temple's history.

The research done by the authors was very thorough. I learned that this is just the first of several volumes of regional church history published by BYU. I would be interested in reading the research they did in their other works.

History of the Church Vol. 3

The third volume of the History of the Church by Joseph Smith was certainly the most depressing. This volume contains the entire history of the Missouri period of Church History. While none of the stories were necessarily new to me, the detail and perspectives of the persecuted were incredible. It is difficult to understand how the mobs could have been so inhumane and ruthless. Towards the end of the book, Joseph Smith very clearly states that no single religious or political party was responsible for the atrocities that occurred, but all seemed to be united against the "Mormons".

I like reading the commentary by  B.H. Roberts because he adds commentaries in the footnotes that often expound on something by quoting from another individual, or else he offers insight on events that transpired after the history was written. He actually begins this volume talking about a prophecy Joseph Smith told Alexander Doniphan (who did his best to help the Church during the Missouri period). A man offered to pay Doniphan in property in Jackson County, and Joseph encouraged him not to accept it, because it would be destroyed. B. H. Roberts then gives an account of the destruction that Missouri suffered during the Civil War. Ironically, many of the things they either accused the saints of, or things they did against the saints happened to them.

It was ridiculous to read about the "legal processes" surrounding the arrest of church leaders. They were arrested by an army and were going to be court marshaled and sentenced to death, except they weren't part of a military, so they couldn't legally be court marshaled. So the general researched the entire military law, trying to find some excuse to kill them. Being unsuccessful, he turned them over to the civil judges to try them. The judges were just as corrupt, and whenever the leaders tried to produce a witness, the witnesses were either arrested, beaten, or driven from the state. Finally, realizing they had no real case against the prisoners, they were eventually released and actually aided by their captors.

I had heard about Joseph rebuking the guards for their foul language, and I had heard about what evil acts the mob committed against the "Mormons", but not until I read this did I realize the extent of how horrible the mob was. After reading about the horrible things they did, I can't believe they were only rebuked once!

However, amidst all this darkness, it was really neat to read about those who remained faithful. So many abandoned the Church at this time, and many of those turned against it with the black heart of a traitor. But many, many others remained true and steadfast. These people risked their lives multiple times, and were only preserved by the hand of God. They are an inspiration to me. I can see how the Missouri trials truly purified the Church at that time. Many of the tares were removed from the crop, and many among the Lord's wheat were gathered to Him and preserved. In my own trials in life, which can never compare with what these people had to suffer, I hope I can always prove myself steadfast and immovable, just like the heroes of this period of Church History.

Making Sense of Isaiah

I received the book Making Sense of Isaiah by Terry Ball and Nathan Winn as a prize for answering a question correctly at a work meeting. I finally decided to use it in my most recent study of Isaiah.

Each chapter is divided into three sections: First it gives a summary of the content in that chapter, Second it helps the reader liken the chapter unto him/herself, and Finally, it gives the reader some questions to ponder to further help them liken the scriptures to themselves, but requiring a great effort on the part of the reader.

While the organization for the book was appealing, I didn't find it too helpful in understanding Isaiah. Usually the authors would focus on just a select phrase or set of verses, isolate them from the rest of the chapter, and ignore the other material. While the connections were usually neat and interesting, sometimes I felt like they were too much of a stretch.

Overall, I would say that this is a good book if you want to understand basic concepts and principles taught by Isaiah, but if you want in-depth exploration, you're going to want to try something different. This is my second book on Isaiah that I have read, and I have a couple more on my shelf that I hope to still read this year. In the meantime, I'm taking a break from this profound prophet and focusing on other scripture topics.

Since Cumorah

I have very conflicting emotions about Since Cumorah by Hugh Nibley. Some of his arguments were very interesting, and he began the book by making a great case for the authenticity of the Book of Mormon. For example, he talks a lot about the Dead Sea Scrolls and how they have changed the world's perspective on scripture. This new perspective falls perfectly in line with the Book of Mormon and its teachings.

Nibley goes on to describe names that have been discovered in the Middle East that are not mentioned anywhere in the Bible, but have very close counterparts in the Book of Mormon. Following a lot of the external evidence, he then spends a lot of time on the internal evidence of the Book of Mormon, showing how the writing style is not typical of 19th century literature, and also commands a knowledge that would be totally unavailable to an obscure farm boy such as Joseph Smith.

My biggest problem with this book is how Nibley doesn't get his facts right when talking about the Book of Mormon itself. For example, he spends an entire chapter talking about the military history of the Book of Mormon, but repeatedly says it is Moroni, the son of Mormon who is abridging it. This is completely false! Moroni didn't touch the plates as far as writing the history goes until Mormon chapter 8, after his father dies. (Ironically, Nibley later states that Mormon is the one speaking in Mormon 8). At first I thought it was just a mistake when the author uses "Moroni" instead of "Mormon", but then he adds clarification, such as: "Moroni the Younger," "Moroni, son of Mormon," etc. I checked the latest edition of this book, and this problem still has not been fixed.

He also gets some of the history of the Book of Mormon. At one point he talks about a Lamanite King who makes a law to provide for widows and orphans affected by war. The scripture reference he uses is actually referring to King Limhi--a NEPHITE king.

If he cannot get his facts right about the Book of Mormon itself, how can I, as a reader, trust anything else he says about the Dead Sea Scrolls or research done in far away countries and foreign languages? At the beginning of this book, I was a captive reader with an open mind. But after finding so many discrepancies that should have been simple to avoid, I am not sure I can trust the research he has done on everything else. It left a sour taste regarding his book in general.

History of the Church Vol. 2

I really enjoyed the second volume of History of the Church by Joseph Smith. I love how candid he is, quick to confess his own faults, but also quick to defend the truth. I want to highlight some of my favorite parts of this volume.

At one point, the prophet was traveling with a group of the church's leaders and they came across a man on the road who claimed to be sick and asked for a ride. Joseph says they were "checked by the Spirit" and so refused. Soon they learned this man was part of a mob and others were waiting to ambush them when they stopped to help him.

A lot happened during Zion's Camp. At one point Joseph said he was feeling depressed in spirit and said there had been a lot of bloodshed in the place they were. He said a righteous man will always feel this way where there has been a lot of bloodshed. Forty rods later they came across a large mound containing human bones, confirming what Joseph had said. Also, throughout that journey, Joseph gave some excellent teachings. Some included the sanctity of animal life. Joseph refused any animal to be killed for no reason. If it was killed, it was to be eaten.

Later, after the Twelve Apostles were called, Joseph charged them to write all their revelations and proceedings of their meetings, teaching that much valuable information had already been lost because many in the Church were negligent to take notes at meetings.

One of the greatest treats was reading a blessing the prophet bestowed on Newel K. Whitney. I loved reading this because I have married into his family and now my daughter Symphony takes part in the blessings where Joseph promised his seed "all good things of the earth" and that "Angels will guard the lives of his posterity."

This volume contained the dedication of the Kirtland temple, and it was powerful to see how anxious Joseph was to prepare the people to receive their endowment. He placed the highest priority on getting them ready and helping them understand the importance of it.

Joseph also gives a lot of insight into his personal life. He frequently talks about the fine weather for sleighing, and also how much he enjoyed spending time with his family. He talks about attending to his "domestic concerns." I enjoyed that.

Finally, I was really surprised when I read about the Church's stance on abolition. I guess I always just assumed that the Church was in favor of abolition. But apparently at this time period, abolitionists were seen as extremists and disturbers of the peace. While against slavery, the Church did not declare itself to be aligned with the abolitionists. Joseph actually wrote a letter to express his views on the matter. What he did not support was the rebellion of slaves, leading them to kill their masters. Joseph recommended that it was those in the South who needed to recognize the evil of slavery, because they would be able to best offer the remedy. This really intrigued me. I already knew that slavery was such a tender issue at this time, but Joseph's letter really shows that.

Of All Things

(Not the cover on my book)

To my surprise, I really enjoyed reading Of All Things: A Nibley Quote Book, compiled by Gary P. Gillum. I wasn't too sure about this book at first. My first exposure to Hugh Nibley a few years ago was a derogatory remark he made about Disneyland. I wasn't necessarily anti-Nibley, I just wasn't in a rush to read him. I'm glad I started with this book, because it gave me great insight into the incredible man that was Hugh Nibley.

One of my favorite things about him is his understanding of truth. I can't stand it when people say, "That might be true for you, but it's not true for me." Truth is truth. Nothing that we say, think, believe, or do can change what truth is. All we can do is blind ourselves and others to it. Nibley has basically said this same thing on multiple occasions. One of my favorite quotes was the first one in the book: "What on earth have a man's name, degree, academic position, and, of all things, opinions, to do with whether a thing is true or not?"

I loved his commentary on the Book of Mormon. I love how he defends its truthfulness as well as its importance. Says he, "Angels do not come on trivial errands, to deliver books for occasional light reading." That really puts things into perspective, and I felt the need to be more serious about my scripture study.

His teachings on the Book of Abraham are the best I have read, and the most satisfying to my inquisitive soul. I loved his remarks on our society, and the comparison between Zion and Babylon. He helped me recognize my own cottage in Babylon and how to abandon it once and for all. Most of all, I appreciated his humility and his quenchless thirst for knowledge.

I am now excited to read more by Hugh Nibley. This was a great book to start with, and is one of the best quote books I have ever read.

Change Your Questions, Change Your Life

To be honest, I can't remember why I bought Change Your Questions, Change Your Life by Wendy Watson Nelson. I purchased it when it was first released a few years ago. I read the first chapter, then put it on the bookshelf, never to be picked up again until this past week. I'm very glad I chose to read it again, because it gave me great insight and inspiration.

I actually had a hard time getting into it at first. This is definitely a self-help book. Hmm... actually, that might not be an accurate description. We'll just call it a help book. This means it requires you to ponder, write down thoughts and feelings, and do other things that prevent you from just casually reading the book. However, by doing these things, you have a remarkable experience.

I wasn't sucked into the book until chapter 5, where the author goes into detail with seven different questions that can have life-changing results. Great questions are found throughout the book, but I found these seven particularly meaningful. They are:

1. What is on my premortal list of things to do while on Earth? This one I liked because I am definitely a list kind of person. I can totally imagine myself making a to-do list before being born. 
2. What is the one questions I most need to have answered from the scriptures today? The author testifies that as we read the scriptures for a specific answer, we will find it. But we must read with dedication and the Spirit.
3. What are three words to follow for a great life? The author suggests, as a possible answer, the words: Not Even Once. These can be used to resist temptation, but also to make sure to never miss an opportunity to do good.
4. Whose agenda is this supporting? If we asked ourselves this question before every activity, would it change how we spent our time? What movies or TV shows we watch? What websites we go to?
5. If I were to pray for and picture the Holy Ghost being right beside me, how would I manage this difficult situation? Pretty self-explanatory.
6. How can I be more of my true self at the end of this experience? What a great question! This helps us let go of resentment during difficult challenges and helps us draw closer to God.
7. What do I know to be true? Find your testimony, record it, feed it, and guard it.

I am glad I read this book. The questions it asks the reader to ponder and apply are quite remarkable. I hope to change my life by asking and applying these questions.