Podcasts about Richard Bushman

What is the theological meaning of American history? In this episode, American church historian Grant Wacker joins Mark Labberton to explore the theological dimensions of American history, the legacy of Billy Graham, and the evolving face of evangelicalism. Wacker reflects on his Pentecostal upbringing, his formation as a historian, and his conviction that faith and scholarship must speak honestly to one another. Together they trace how religion has both shaped and distorted American life—from the enduring wound of slavery to the reformist spirit woven through its history. Wacker, now in his eighties, offers his perspective on evangelicalism's past, present, and global future. Episode Highlights “Religion has always been at the forefront of rationalizing and making enslavement seem perfectly normal—perfectly natural. It's just the order of things.” “Many of the very finest religious historians are not believers—and they do superb work in understanding where religion lies.” “I don't think there is Christian nationalism out there. What there is is that there is nationalism that draws on Christian categories to legitimate itself.” “I don't think what we're looking at is a religious movement. We're looking at a political movement that uses religious categories.” “We should write about others the way we wish they would write about us.” “You Americans are always asking the Holy Spirit to bring revival. What you ought to be doing is asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the revival that is already flourishing.” Helpful Links and Resources America's Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation by Grant Wacker — https://www.amazon.com/Americas-Pastor-Graham-Shaping-Nation/dp/0674052188 Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture by Grant Wacker — https://www.amazon.com/Heaven-Below-Pentecostals-American-Culture/dp/0674011287 One Soul at a Time: The Story of Billy Graham by Grant Wacker — https://www.amazon.com/One-Soul-Time-Religious-Biography/dp/0802885500/ Mark Noll's The Civil War as a Theological Crisis — https://www.amazon.com/Theological-Crisis-Steven-Janice-Lectures/dp/1469621819 Religion in American Life: A Short History — ****https://www.amazon.com/Religion-American-Life-Short-History/dp/0199832692/ About Grant Wacker Grant Wacker is the Gilbert T. Rowe Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Christian History at Duke Divinity School. A leading scholar of American religious history, he is the author of numerous books including Heaven Below: Early Pentecostals and American Culture and America's Pastor: Billy Graham and the Shaping of a Nation. His research has helped shape modern understanding of American evangelicalism, Pentecostalism, and the intersection of faith and culture. Show Notes Wacker's path to the study of history through mentorship at Harvard Divinity School and a fascination with theology's relationship to historical reality He distinguishes between observing “religion operating in history” and perceiving “the divine hand,” emphasizing the tension between secular and theological approaches to the past. Four major contexts that define the American story: geography, capitalism, immigration, and race Eleven domains where the power of religion—and possibly divine influence—can be seen, from colonization and enslavement to revivalism and reform. “We are a people of plenty—prosperous partly because of the accident of geography.” Reformed and Wesleyan theology as twin engines shaping the nation's moral and social imagination. Humility as “at the heart of Reformed theology: we don't run our lives; something else is running the show.” Wesleyan theology, by contrast, stresses human enablement and responsibility: “If we are able to do it, we are responsible for doing it.” Catholic contributions to the American story, especially the richness of liturgy and the continuity of two thousand years of history Reflections on racial sin as a “permanent wound,” calling religion both complicit in and necessary for confronting slavery's legacy Mark Noll's The Civil War as a Theological Crisis, highlighting how both sides invoked Scripture without self-awareness or self-critique “Religion has always been implicated in making enslavement seem natural—as natural as breathing.” Describes evangelicalism's deep roots in pietism and revivalism, its mainstream dominance by the late nineteenth century, and its later fragmentation. “Evangelicalism became the main line—it was the standard way Protestantism operated.” Outlines the modern trifurcation: fundamentalists, liberals, and a centrist evangelical river that remains influential. “Christian nationalism” is largely a political, not religious, phenomenon: nationalism using Christian categories to legitimize itself. “Religion is rarely an independent variable in determining how people vote.” Richard Bushman (paraphrase):  Have we written about [the subjects of academic history] as fairly and honestly as we can, or have we distorted their story in order to make ourselves look good? A call for fairness in historical judgment: “Write about them the way you wish they would write about you.” Prediction: Evangelicalism's future lies “south of the equator”—in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. Quotes a Jesuit: “Americans keep asking for revival; they should ask to see the revival that's already happening.” On Christian nationalism: “The question is not whether religion and politics collude—they always have—but whether we can be self-conscious and humble about it.” Identifies power, prosperity, and digital speed as the toxic combination shaping contemporary polarization. “Speed is a narcotic for humans—we want to be connected now.” Reflects on Billy Graham's unifying role and his progressive evolution on race and nuclear disarmament: “He became increasingly moderate, increasingly inclusive.” Notes Graham's three conversions—to Christ, to racial justice, and to peace. “The United States and the Soviet Union are like two little boys in a bathtub filled with gasoline, playing with matches.” On teaching and legacy: “My students are earnest—they want to do well for the world they live in.” “Whatever good has come—it's a gift, not earned.” Humility, humor, and grace as rare marks of faith and scholarship integrated Production Credits Conversing is produced and distributed in partnership with Comment magazine and Fuller Seminary.

Recently a documentary series entitled "An Inconvenient Faith" appeared on YouTube, produced by Robert Reynolds and Jim Bennett (among others). The documentary seeks to promote progressive Mormonism within LDS church membership. The documentary is groundbreaking in the sense that it includes both Ex-Mormons (e.g. Jeremy Runnells, Sandra Tanner, John Dehlin, Bill Reel) and faithful Mormon scholars (e.g. Richard Bushman, Terryl & Fiona Givens, Patrick Mason). The series has also received a considerable amount of excitement and critique on the Internet.Please join Mormon Stories for a livestream as a panel (John Dehlin, Bishop Beau Oyler, Julie Hanks, and Jana Spangler) react to the documentary. We welcome your participation as well!View the documentary ⁠here⁠.___________________YouTubeAt Mormon Stories we explore, celebrate, and challenge Mormon culture through in-depth stories told by members and former members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as scholars, authors, LDS apologists, and other professionals.  Our overall mission is to: 1. Facilitate informed consent amongst LDS Church members, investigators, and non-members regarding Mormon history, doctrine, and theology2. Support Mormons (and members of other high-demand religions) who are experiencing a religious faith crisis3. Promote healing, growth and community for those who choose to leave the LDS Church or other high demand religions

Fawn Brodie, Richard Bushman, and Dan Vogel have the 3 most popular biographies on Joseph Smith prior to John Turner's latest. Which is best? John will answer that and we'll discuss the First Vision anachronisms. Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/BOTVrDQJGbc Don't miss our other conversations with John: https://gospeltangents.com/people/john-turner/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission Landscape of Joseph Smith Biographies John Turner is author of "Joseph Smith: The Rise and Fall of an American Prophet. Dr. Turner's book enters a field rich with extensive scholarship. He notes that the main biographies over the years include Fawn Brodie's "No Man Knows My History," Richard Bushman's "Rough Stone Rolling," and works by Dan Vogel,[1] Richard Van Wagoner,[2] and Martha Bradley.[3] Fawn Brodie's "No Man Knows My History": Published in 1945, Brodie's work is recognized for her "fantastic writing"and remarkable achievement given her limited access to sources available today. While now "out of date,"it was incredibly popular, with Richard Bushman himself acknowledging its enduring "perch" as a favorite among readers, perhaps due to Brodie's skills as an English major and great writer. She was technically Mormon but very critical of Joseph Smith. Richard Bushman's "Rough Stone Rolling": Dr. Turner expresses "enormous admiration"for Richard Bushman as a person and scholar. Bushman's biography "expertly contextualizes Joseph's life in the culture of the early 19th century United States"and benefits from tremendous access to sources, though notably, it predates the availability of the Joseph Smith Papers. Over the last two decades, "Rough Stone Rolling" has become the "go-to biography for any scholar or seriously interested party in Joseph Smith.” Bushman's work was seen as a more "faithful perspective" in contrast to Brodie's critical stance. Dan Vogel's Contributions: Dr. Turner highlights Dan Vogel as a "really diligent researcher"whose "Early Mormon Documents collection"[4] was an "essential resource for historians"before the Joseph Smith Papers. Vogel's works, including "Joseph Smith, The Making of a Prophet" and "Charisma Under Pressure," mark him as "one of the more significant historians of Mormonism" in this generation. While his books may not have achieved the wide readership of Brodie's or Bushman's, their scholarly value is undeniable. Dr. Turner clarifies that he didn't write his biography because existing ones were "inadequate" or "stink.” Instead, he aimed to write a "different one" that might be "better or does justice to different parts of Joseph's personality.” His approach involved immersing himself in the sources, particularly the Joseph Smith Papers volumes and website, and reading the latest scholarship, rather than directly positioning his work against others. He trusted there would be "room for my perspective from my position.” Unpacking Joseph Smith's Early Life When discussing Joseph Smith's early life, Dr. Turner notes a significant challenge: "we know very little" about the period before 1829. Scarcity of Sources: Most of what is known comes from a small number of sources, or at least only a few that detail events. Lucy Mack Smith's Biography: While a "great source,"Lucy Mack Smith's dictated biography from 1844 (decades after many events) is often the "only source we have to go on,"which presents a "little troublesome" limitation. Joseph Smith's Own Accounts: Joseph himself did not discuss his childhood in any great depth in his histories, only occasionally alluding to it in sermons. Conflicting Recollections: Early accounts of Joseph from Palmyra were often "filed up and divergent," coming from individuals who "were not too impressed with Joseph Smith and his family.” No Prefigured Greatness: Dr. Turner emphasizes that "there was nothing that pr...

Joseph Fielding Smith, a towering figure in the 20th-century Latter-day Saint landscape, is often remembered as a theologian and Church leader. But his long tenure as Church Historian also positioned him as a key interpreter of Mormon history, an area where his approach offers a fascinating case study in the relationship between faith, perspective, and the writing of the past. Our recent discussion drawing from the sources explored this complex legacy, highlighting Smith's contributions alongside critical insights into the nature of historical objectivity and bias. https://youtu.be/EyAoFsz9mn0 Church Historian When Joseph Fielding Smith became Church Historian, he faced the significant challenge of organizing sprawling, uncatalogued collections. He initiated processes that professionalized the church archives, particularly after World War II, by creating finding aids, dividing materials into collections, making lists, and microfilming documents. However, from the perspective of a professional academic historian, Smith's method of engaging with historical sources differed markedly. He treated certain documents, like the Bible and those produced by figures he considered revelators such as Joseph Smith Jr. and Joseph F. Smith, as entirely reliable and didn't subject them to critical interrogation. This lack of "suspicion of sources"—the practice of asking who wrote a document, when, and what biases they might have—is highlighted as a key distinction between Smith and professional academics. His influential book, Essentials in Church History, exemplifies this approach, treating "official LDS sources" uncritically, yet it became a foundational text shaping LDS understanding of their history for decades. This brings us to a core concept in academic historical study: the non-existence of "objective history." Writing academic history itself is considered a bias. The aim for professional historians is not to eliminate bias, which is seen as impossible, but rather to be acutely aware of bias—both in the sources they use and in their own perspectives—and to account for it in their work. This requires adhering to methods and principles developed over generations of scholarship. Mature scholarship involves being frank about one's own point of view and how it might influence interpretations. Trying to pretend one is objective is seen as a mistake. Richard Bushman is presented as an example of a scholar who openly discusses his background and how it might shape his work. RLDS Polygamy Skeptics The sources also reveal how bias can influence not just conclusions, but the very questions a historian thinks to ask—or doesn't ask. While "motivated reasoning" (steering sources to a predetermined conclusion) exists, it might be less common than bias manifesting in the kinds of questions that arise from a historian's background and positionality. The discussion used the example of Richard and Pamela Price's hypothesis regarding the influence of Cochranites on the Quorum of the Twelve and the practice of polygamy. While the Prices found evidence of contact between the groups, they reportedly don't account for the significant chronological gap between this contact and the public announcement of polygamy. This failure to ask about or explain this gap is suggested as stemming from their predisposition to believe the Quorum of the Twelve were the originators of polygamy. Most Influential Writer Joseph Fielding Smith was a prolific writer. Beyond Essentials in Church History, other notable works include The Way to Perfection, a narrative history of humanity from pre-existence to afterlife, where he explicitly stated his views on race. He also authored Man His Origin and Destiny (1954), which he considered his most important book, responding to higher criticism of the Bible and the theory of evolution. Perhaps his most widely read work during his lifetime was his "My Question" column in the Improvement Era church magazine,

Dr. Matthew Bowman has just released a new biography on Joseph Fielding Smith. Bowman is the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, California. The Mormon Studies chair Bowman holds at Claremont Graduate University is the oldest in the country, having been established over 15 years ago. Bowman is the third person to hold the chair, following Richard Bushman and Patrick Mason. Patrick Mason left Claremont to take the chair at Utah State University. https://youtu.be/6VrK15TQVcY Don't miss our other episodes with Dr Matthew Bowman! https://gospeltangents.com/people/matthew-bowman/ Copyright © 2025 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission. Mormon Studies Other Mormon studies chairs exist at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley (held by Deidre J Green), and the University of Virginia. Although not directly affiliated with Claremont, the late Jan Shipps is credited with making the study of the Mormon tradition a legitimate academic pursuit for those outside the tradition, enabling universities like Claremont without historical ties to Mormonism to establish such a chair. Before the endowed chair, Anne Taves, a professor interested in Mormonism, taught American religious history at CGU, and Armand Mauss was involved in fundraising and occasionally taught classes. Introductions to Mormon Thought Bowman is also involved in the "Introductions to Mormon Thought" book series, which he co-edits with Joseph Spencer. Published by the University of Illinois, the series aims to stimulate the growth of Mormon intellectual history through accessible introductory volumes on important Mormon thinkers. The series broadly defines "Mormon thinkers" to include artists like CCA Christensen and Minerva Teichert, alongside more traditional intellectuals. The books are intended to be short, accessible, and explore how these individuals influenced how members of the Mormon tradition understood themselves. The series uses the term "Mormon" intentionally broadly to encompass all denominations and movements originating from Joseph Smith's work, including fundamentalist Mormons and figures from the Community of Christ. While initially planned for 10-15 books, the series is doing well and is expected to continue. Other volumes in the series cover figures such as Eugene England (by Christine Hagund), Vardis Fisher (by Mike Austin), Sonia Johnson (by Chris Talbot), Lowell Bennion (by George Handley), Hugh Nibley (by Joseph Spencer), and Richard Bushman (by JB Haws). A future volume is planned on Eliza R. Snow (by Deidre Green), and Bowman hopes for one on Sheri Dew. Joseph Fielding Smith Bowman chose to write his book in the series about Joseph Fielding Smith, though his initial interest was in Bruce R. McConkie. He agreed to write about Smith instead to secure another author's participation in the series. Bowman views Joseph Fielding Smith as Bruce R. McConkie's intellectual parent and considers him the most significant LDS theologian of the 20th century, leaving a deeper and more persistent mark than others like James E. Talmage. While McConkie was influential, Bowman sees him more as a systematizer of his father-in-law's ideas rather than being an original. Other significant 20th/21st-century Mormon thinkers mentioned include B.H. Roberts, Margarita Bautista, Sheri Dew, and Leverne Parmley.. A significant fact about Joseph Fielding Smith is that he was the grandson of Hyrum Smith and the son of Joseph F. Smith. Bowman emphasizes that being a "Smith" was incredibly important to Fielding Smith, shaping his sense of duty and responsibility to continue his family's work. His memories of his father and uncle's violent deaths and his father's need to hide from federal marshals profoundly influenced him, fostering a sense of defensiveness and a perception that the world was hostile and persecuted the family f...

This week, we're sharing a conversation with Phil Barlow about his new book, published by Faith Matters, called A Thoughtful Faith for the 21st Century. If that sounds familiar, it may be because Phil published the first volume back in 1986. That original collection included essays by Eugene England, Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Francine Bennion, Richard Bushman, and others—each exploring what it means to live a spiritually and intellectually honest life within the Latter-day Saint tradition.As Phil points out, challenges to faith are not new. Thoughtful people were wrestling with difficult questions decades ago in ways that still have power today. But, as he says, “the world has turned some” since then. The 2025 edition brings in a new generation of scholars and voices—Thomas McConkie, Melissa Inouye, Fiona Givens, Ben Schilaty, among others—who speak to today's distinctive challenges while honoring the wisdom and foundation of those who came before.At the heart of both volumes is an urgent and beautiful question: How can we hold together the integrities of our minds and our hearts and our spirits? That question—its weight, complexity, and quiet hope—sits at the center of this conversation today.Phil brings so much humility and clarity, and in this episode we get to hear a little about what's changed in his own faith, about the wisdom of surrendering the need to know, and why he still finds the Latter-day Saint tradition compelling, human, and a spiritual home he continues to choose with both heart and mind.We're so grateful to Phil for this conversation, and we hope you love it as much as we did. With that, here's Phil Barlow.Links for the show notes:Purchase the book through Bookshop.org (https://bookshop.org/a/108982/9781953677242) Amazon (https://amzn.to/4mgJsCf) or anywhere you get your books. Get a free look inside the book on our website: https://www.faithmatters.org/s/a-thoughtful-faith-vol-2

In Episode #344 of Research Like a Pro, Nicole and Diana discuss Colonial American Research. Diana explains the difficulties of finding the original immigrant for ancestors who immigrated during the colonial years. Nicole suggests learning from historians who have studied immigration patterns and developing a hypothesis based on what is known about ancestors and their groups. They introduce the book "The Peopling of British North America: An Introduction" by Bernard Bailyn as a resource for understanding colonial immigration. Diana and Nicole discuss the book's value for genealogists and its four propositions. They explore how the propositions connect to genealogical research and provide examples of how to apply them to specific ancestral lines. Nicole highlights the importance of understanding immigration patterns and using historical context to form hypotheses about ancestors' origins and motivations for immigration. This summary was generated by Google Gemini. --Edit to the podcast: Bailyn died in 2020 not in 2000. -- Links Colonial American Research and a Review of “The Peopling of British North America: An Introduction” by Bernard Bailyn - https://familylocket.com/colonial-american-research-and-a-review-of-the-peopling-of-british-north-america-an-introduction-by-bernard-bailyn/ The Peopling of British North America: An Introduction by Bernard Bailyn - https://amzn.to/4au6SP5* and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Bailyn The American Farmer in the Eighteenth Century: A Social and Cultural History - by Richard Bushman - https://amzn.to/4h3m6gx* *This is an affiliate link. Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code “FamilyLocket” at checkout.  Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product-tag/airtable/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series 2024 - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-webinar-series-2024/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Best Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/

Join our Patreon site (TSAR.website) to get some fantastic extra content and to support the podcast. To rent fantastic space and take advantage of the "penthouse suite" in Central Park East building on the Orem/Provo border, email thescripturesarereal@gmail.com. We are grateful for their support of the podcast. In this episode Richard Bushman and Kerry discuss the ways that God worked with Joseph Smith to help him learn, grow, and do what he needed to do. They explore the loss of the 116 pages and the role that Martin Harris played in that and in the Restoration, and the story of Lucy Harris, a law suit, and how all of those things combined to create the pressure that led to the loss of the 116 pages. They also talk about the lessons that Joseph Smith, and we, needed to learn in order to not fall prey to this same kind of mistake. They also talk about how the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants are like God speaking into our ears. We are grateful for our generous donors who make the podcast possible. We are also grateful to Launchpad Consulting Studios for producing the podcast and to Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.

Today we are joined with Sandra Tanner to discuss Mormon historian, Richard Bushman's recent response to the CES Letter. Bushman's response was on the topic of the translation of the Book of Mormon. Did Joseph Smith really use a seer stone? Is the author of the CES Letter, Jeremy Runnells, wrong for feeling betrayed by the church? Did the church really hide that Joseph Smith had and used a seer stone to translate their most sacred text? Join us to find out these answers! Show Notes YouTube Help us continue to deliver quality content by becoming a donor today: One-time or recurring donation through Donorbox Support us on Patreon PayPal Venmo Our Platforms: Youtube Patreon Spotify Apple Podcasts Contact us: PO Box 171085, Salt Lake City, UT 84117 Social Media: Insta: @mormstories Tiktok: @mormonstoriespodcast Join the Discord

Referencias: - Artículo sobre las 116 páginas en LDS Discussions. Este artículo fue la base para este ensayo: https://www.ldsdiscussions.com/116pages  - Richard Bushman en Mormon Discussions (esta cita comienza en el minuto 8:14): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3p9g8QVoIwQ - Primer video sobre Harris y las 116 páginas perdidas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NhBPK1RVuHI - Segundo video sobre Harris y las 116 páginas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBSjY-QTnzY - Declaración de Lucy Mack Smith sobre José y el "Urim y Tumim": https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/64#full-transcript - Martin Harris dice que José encontró una aguja en un pajar con su piedra de vidente: https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/history/martin-harris-1859-interview-with-joel-tiffany-on-early-events-in-mormonism/ - El libro de mandamientos (la primera versión de DyC) en el sitio de Joseph Smith Papers: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/book-of-commandments-1833/26 - Artículo en Lectures on Doubt: https://lecturesondoubt.com/2019/07/25/the-lost-plates-of-nephi/ - Lección 3 del Manual de DyC: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/doctrine-and-covenants-teacher-manual-2017/lesson-3-doctrine-and-covenants-3-10?lang=spa - La historia de la Iglesia en el cumplimiento de los tiempos, manual: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times-student-manual/chapter-four-a-period-of-preparation-1823-29?lang=spa - Artículo de los Tanner: http://www.utlm.org/newsletters/no72.htm - Artículo de Roper: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1225&context=msr 

Referencias: - Historiador y patriarca mormón, Richard Bushman, admite que la narrativa mormona no es verdadera: https://youtu.be/3dyi9NeD6M8 - Testimonio de David Whitmer: https://archive.org/details/addresstoallbeli00whit/page/12/mode/2up?q=%22seer+stone+into+a+hat%22 - Testimonio de Emma Smith: https://rsc.byu.edu/coming-forth-book-mormon/firsthand-witness-accounts-translation-process - Testimonio de Martin Harris, via Edward Stevenson: https://bhroberts.org/records/0iSghu-0Iiwz5/andrew_jenson_writes_of_martin_harris_describing_the_translation_of_the_bom_with_joseph_using_both_seer_stone_and_u_and_t - Richard Bushman en el podcast de Fair Mormon: https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/blog/2010/10/12/fair-podcast-episode-3-richard-l-bushman-p-1 (minuto 47:45) - Nelson: El Libro de Mormón no es un manual de historia: https://www.ldsliving.com/president-nelson-shares-what-the-book-of-mormon-is-not/s/82550 - Declaraciones de egiptólogos en el Saints' Herald: https://www.academia.edu/31894670 - Panfleto: El palo de José: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-2-document-3-stick-of-joseph-1844/1#historical-intro  - Carta de Cowdery con cuatro caracteres nuevos: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-2-document-2a-characters-copied-by-oliver-cowdery-circa-1835-1836/1 - Video de la Iglesia sobre las planchas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EUGSlra2Cg - Video de la Iglesia sobre las piedras de vidente: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1esI8cbCtc - Traducción de José Smith de Mateo 6: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/jst/jst-matt/6?lang=spa - La traducción del Libro de Mormón, ensayo en el sitio de la Iglesia: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/book-of-mormon-translation?lang=spa - Carta a Oliver Cowdery: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letter-to-oliver-cowdery-22-october-1829/1 - Versión de la Primera Visión de 1832: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/first-vision-accounts/1832-account?lang=spa - La historia de Lucy está en el capítulo 14 de su autobiografía, y también está citada en el manual de historia de la Iglesia: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/church-history-in-the-fulness-of-times/chapter-four?lang=eng - Saints Unscripted sobre la velocidad de la traducción: https://saintsunscripted.com/faith-and-beliefs/the-restoration-of-christs-church/how-long-to-translate-book-of-mormon - Video de Central de las Escrituras sobre las piedras de vidente: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csyupoFfDa0&t=40s 

Richard Bushman is a religious scholar and author of many books, including "Rough Stone Rolling" and is an expert on the life of Joseph Smith, the first prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Subscribe to my Patreon Here: https://patreon.com/talhaslam

One of the most contentious issues of 19th Century Christian America revolved around the veracity of the story of Joseph Smith and his discovery of golden plates that became the foundation of the Book of Mormon. In these episodes we speak with Prof. Richard Bushman, whose book on this subject is perhaps the most detailed on the subject you'd want to see.. What piqued my interest is that while Dr. Bushman is a practicing Mormon, his academic credentials are impeccable. And he retired from Columbia University. This is interesting because so many academicians in the field of Religious Studies are actually quite secular. Above & beyond the main focus of our conversation, I question him on what it's like to be a believer in a conservative religion in the midst of the liberal landscape of college campus. Listen to what he says.

Originally Recorded July 24th, 2023 About Professor Richard Bushman: https://history.columbia.edu/person/bushman-richard/ Check out Professor Bushman's book, Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction: https://www.amazon.com/Mormonism-Introduction-Richard-Lyman-Bushman/dp/0195310306 Get full access to Unlicensed Philosophy with Chuong Nguyen at musicallyspeaking.substack.com/subscribe

Establishing colonies in North America took an astonishing amount of work. Colonists had to clear trees, eventually remove stumps from newly cleared fields, plant crops to eat and sell, weed and tend those crops, and then they had to harvest crops, and get the crops they intended to sell to the nearest market town, and that was just some of the work involved to establish colonial farms. Colonists did not often perform this work on their own. They enlisted the help of children and neighbors, purchased enslaved people, and used animals. Undra Jeter is the Bill and Jean Lane Director of Coach and Livestock at the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. He joins us to explore the animals English and British colonists brought with them to North America and used to build, run, and sustain their colonial farms and cities. Animals provided many benefits to early Americans, so Undra also shares information about the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation's efforts to bring back the population numbers of some of these historic animal breeds through its rare breeds program. Show Notes: https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/369 Sponsor Links Colonial Williamsburg Foundation “I made this”: Black Artists & Artisans Conference, November 10-11, 2023  Factor Meals, Save 50 percent by using benfranklin50 Complementary Episodes Episode 067: John Ryan Fischer, An Environmental History of Early California & Hawaii Episode 168: Andrea Smalley, Wild By Nature: Colonists and Animals in North America Episode 187: Kenneth Cohen, Sport in Early America Episode 234: Richard Bushman, Farms & Farm Families in Early America Episode 275: Ingrid Tague, Pets in Early America Listen! Apple Podcasts Spotify Google Podcasts Amazon Music Ben Franklin's World iOS App Ben Franklin's World Android App Helpful Links Join the Ben Franklin's World Facebook Group Ben Franklin's World Twitter: @BFWorldPodcast Ben Franklin's World Facebook Page Sign-up for the Franklin Gazette Newsletter

In his new book, “Joseph Smith's Gold Plates: A Cultural History,” historian Richard Bushman calls the Book of Mormon, the signature scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a “book about the importance of books.” One could also say that this book, which church founder Joseph Smith said he translated, sprang from plates that were about the importance of plates. In this special live episode, celebrating the more than 300 “Mormon Land” shows, we talk about the “important” role these plates played in the rise of a global religion with the author, who also wrote the highly acclaimed “Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling.” Joining him is his wife, scholar Claudia Bushman, the founding editor of Exponent II who edited “Mormon Sisters: Women in Early Utah” and wrote “Contemporary Mormonism: Latter-day Saints in Modern America.” Together, the Bushmans discuss their research on Mormonism, church founder Joseph Smith, the evolution of women's rights, the threats to Latter-day Saint community, the challenges and opportunities facing the global faith, why they think art is vital in the church, and a range of other topics.

Did you know Patreon donors get additional content? Listen to the hosts discuss new degrees available at BYU-I by Become a TWiM Patron. Quick Clips: MELISSA The presidents of the BYUs gave speeches about the changes to the honor code and dress and grooming standards this week. Each spoke about it differently. BYU President Reese spoke of an “elevated standard”.  BYU-I President Meredith talked about it in terms of integrity and specifically stated that the dress and grooming standards are not matters of personal morality, BYU-Hawaii President Kauwe said that even some things not specifically prohibited by the standards might not be ok and encouraged men to “to carefully consult some women in your life about whether you should have a mustache or not.” MATT A lot of people are excited about the new three year online degrees being offered by BYU-Idaho. They get accreditation for this because they are very specific degree programs. They have been using a unique structure that pushes all of the GE requirements to the end of the program. Basically, they asked to have an accredited Bachelor's degree that does not require GE courses. MELISSA New Church streaming app MATT This month marks the 30th anniversary of the September 6 excommunications of LDS scholars. Benjamin Park has a piece about this in The Conversation and Signature Books has something coming out from a non-LDS religious historian about this moment. Looking back, what has been the impact of this moment? MELISSA The Church commissions a new biography of Joseph Smith MATT The church is going to dedicate three temples in one day this Sunday. MELISSA Mormons are among the most likely Americans to have a gun in their household. Famous Mormons: MATT Which famous YouTuber is a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Mark Rober Ruby Franke The Yeager Family Big/Little/No Deal: MATT LDS Bishop has a different take on church finances. He writes about all of the good things the church does with its money. MELISSA It is now possible to make group reservations for endowment sessions online. MATT The church clarifies that Operation Underground Railroad founder Tim Ballard betrayed his friendship with President M. Russell Ballard when Tim claimed that the LDS church supported his cause. MELISSA Few — if any — public figures since Brigham Young have done more to shape America's impression of Mormonism than Mitt Romney. MATT Hot off the presses this week. Richard Bushman wrote a biography of the Gold Plates and Grant Hardy has an annotated version of the Book of Mormon that will make it much easier for people to read and understand. MELISSA Elder Holland is released from the hospital and is recuperating at home. Mormons Doing Goodly: Seniors delight kids at the water park with ice cream treats. (Matt) General Conference Predictions MELISSA Temples: number and locations Fillmore or Richfield Utah Rigby Idaho Tremonton Utah? Mexico City Style multi-temples in Brazil? Female Speakers: Last conference was a big disappointment in this area, 2 females in 5 sessions. Topics Discussed: Melissa - Focus on Youth, FSY successes Any unexpected announcements? Melissa - Significant policy changes? YES, From YW General Board Saturday Evening session changes?

Jim Lucas & Jonathan Neville think revisions need to be made to the Gospel Topics Essays. They also critique Richard Bushman's scholarship. Check out our conversation... https://youtu.be/-8Cqbw3uVSM transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission transcript to follow Copyright © 2023 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved

  In this episode of The Interpreter Radio Show, our hosts are Bruce Webster, Robert Boylan, and Kris Frederickson. They discuss Come, Follow Me New Testament lesson 38, Richard Bushman's statements about the source of the Bok of Mormon, two recent articles in Interpreter, and the 2023 FAIR Conference. You can listen to or download […] The post Interpreter Radio Show — August 20, 2023 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

The mysterious gold plates are the gravitational center of the Latter Day Saint tradition. Although twelve people other than Joseph Smith claimed to have seen or handled the plates, Smith said he returned them to an angel soon after completing the translation of the Book of Mormon. Even now, nearly 200 years later, the plates continue fascinate and confound interpreters in American culture. Today on my last episode as host of Scholars and Saints, I'm chatting with Richard Bushman, renowned biographer of Joseph Smith, about his new book, Joseph Smith's Gold Plates. 

What happens when you're LGBTQ/SSA but your patriarchal blessing mentions temple marriage? Dr. Richard Bushman, author, professor, scripture historian, and stake patriarch, joins us this week for an important discussion on how to reconcile sexual orientation with promises mentioned in a patriarchal blessing. Don't miss this episode!

This week's guest is Richard Bushman, who is simply one of the most important scholarly voices ever in the Latter-day Saint tradition.Of course, Richard has been interviewed many times over the years, and we wanted to make sure that we covered new ground while asking for his perspective on some of the questions that have propelled and perplexed us throughout our faith journey.So in this very wide-ranging conversation, Richard spoke about his own early journey from agnosticism to faith; why learning history, and learning from history, are so important; the revelatory process, including his experience giving many patriarchal blessings; the legacy of Rough Stone Rolling, and even why he wants to live in a world where there could be such a thing as gold plates.Richard received his AM, AB, and PhD in the history of American civilization from Harvard University. Through the years he has taught at Harvard, BYU, Boston University, the University of Delaware, and Columbia. He married his wife, Claudia Lauper Bushman, in August 1955, and together they have four sons and two daughters. He's written many books, including, of course, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, which has been called “the crowning achievement of the new Mormon history.” Richard served a mission New England and Atlantic Canada, and his Church callings over the years include seminary teacher, bishop, stake president, and stake patriarch.Richard is also the co-founder and Chairman of Center for Latter-day Saint Arts, a project that is incredibly important to him; you'll hear him discuss in the episode why he believes that art is the next frontier for the Church, and why he's so excited about what's to come. The Center will be having a large festival in 2024; to stay up to date with that project or to donate, head to centerforlatterdaysaintarts.org.

Sister-in-law Shannon shares with Sarah (and Mason) we still need that third microphone. Now it's your turn, share something with us. It can be "spooky". There is your obligatory Halloween tiding.  “Why won't you apologize?”-Harriet Lerner  https://www.harrietlerner.com/ Unlocking us Podcast - Brené Brown, Episode 12 with Harriet Learner https://open.spotify.com/episode/2jxcLXMB672u5dpc9YqDu9 “I hear you” - Michael S Sorenson https://michaelssorensen.com/ “7 principles for making marriage work” by John Gottman https://www.gottman.com/ “Rough Stone Rolling” by Richard Bushman  

Richard Bushman once told me that “panic precedes revelation.” Dr. Bushman was discussing the process by which Joseph Smith received the First Vision (recall the line from the Pearl of Great Price that “at that moment of great alarm” that the Father and Son appeared to the boy prophet). While reading, Isaiah, though, I think […] The post Abide: Isaiah 13-14; 24–30; 35 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Richard Bushman once told me that “panic precedes revelation.” Dr. Bushman was discussing the process by which Joseph Smith received the First Vision (recall the line from the Pearl of Great Price that “at that moment of great alarm” that the Father and Son appeared to the boy prophet). While reading, Isaiah, though, I think that the same can be said for Isaiah. He lived in difficult times, with wars, rumors of wars, and the horrors that accompany them. How did he care for his people? How do his revelations affect Latter-day Saints today? We'll discuss that, and much more, on today's episode of Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast. The post Abide: Isaiah 13-14; 24–30; 35 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Richard Bushman once told me that “panic precedes revelation.” Dr. Bushman was discussing the process by which Joseph Smith received the First Vision (recall the line from the Pearl of Great Price that “at that moment of great alarm” that the Father and Son appeared to the boy prophet). While reading, Isaiah, though, I think […] The post Abide: Proverbs and Ecclesiastes appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Saints Volume 3 is coming out soon, part of the first update of Church history in almost 100 years. But did you know that back in the 1970s, Dr. Richard Bushman was part of a project to update Church history?  The project was scuttled, and Richard gives more details on that project. Richard:  Yes, I […]

I'm excited to introduce a pair of amazing historians:  Dr Richard Bushman, and his wife, Dr. Claudia Bushman. We'll learn more about their backgrounds in Mormon history.  Claudia is the incoming president of the Mormon History Association meetings coming up next month in Logan, Utah. She'll give us a preview of the conference. Mormon History […]

Welcome to the Season 2 premiere of my Book Review series! One of the most important books ever written about Mormonism and Joseph Smith, Richard Bushman's "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling" is reviewed by Evangelical Steven Pynakker. In this episode Steven gives his personal insights of the book and compares and contrasts it with Fawn Brodie's "No Man Know My History" and Dan Vogel's "Pious Fraud" hypothesis. He also gives some background on how he was able to get Dr. Bushman to be a guest on his program.Link to Purchase BookLink to support my channel via Patreon

Steven Pynakker has a unique and wide ranging conversation with one of the most renowned historians of Mormonism, Dan Vogel. This is the first time that an Evangelical has interviewed Dan. Author of many important works on early Mormonism, Joseph Smith, and now the Book of Abraham. We discuss his background and how a Pentecostal minister in England told Dan of Jerald and Sandra Tanner and a narrative of Mormon history that he was unaware of that set Dan on his journey. We also discuss a Presbyterian minister who was an important supporter, patron, and friend to him. The conversation includes topics like the early treasure digging days of young Joseph, the Mound Builder myths common during this time, how the spectacles entered the narrative early on, using the seer stone to partially translate the Book of Abraham, his next book focusing on the 1831-1839 period in Joseph's life, and why Dan advocates a hemispheric model narrative for Book of Mormon geography. We then talk about Richard Bushman and his book Rough Stone Rolling, Fawn Brodie's No Man Know My History, and him giving the introduction speech for for famed Jacksonian historian Robert Remini at the Mormon History Association. This was a fantastic interview and I look forward to having Dan on back soon to discuss his upcoming new YouTube series!Link to purchase his latest bookLink to Dan's YouTube ChannelLink to our Patreon PageLink to M.T. Lambs "Golden Bible"

Steven Pynakker interviews fellow Evangelicals Paul Nurnberg and Matthew Eklund. They are the hosts of the Podcast "Outer Brightness". Both were faithful LDS and they served successful overseas missions. I like their podcast because it is both an outreach to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a forum for open, civil dialogue. This is a bit of a prelude to the 2 part interview of me on their podcast. In this episode we discuss their time in the LDS Church, leaving Mormonism, and the history of their podcast. We then conclude with a lively book discussion of Richard Bushman's "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling". When the 2 part interview of "yours truly" is posted I will provide a link here in the description.Here is a link to Part 1: https://www.outerbrightnesspodcast.co... And Part 2: https://www.outerbrightnesspodcast.co...Link to purchase Rough Stone Rolling

Evangelical Steven Pynakker has a very interesting conversation with Richard Bushman. He is the Gouverneur Morris Professor of History, Emeritus, at Columbia University. Dr. Bushman is best know for his groundbreaking work "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling". In this episode we talk about the growth and development of early Mormonism, Evangelical and LDS dialogue, Leonard Arrington, and his ongoing project The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts. It was a real privilege to be able to interview one of the leading historians of Mormonism and American Religion. Special thanks to fellow podcaster (Pod of Thunder) Nick Jones for fixing the audio.Here is a link to purchase Joseph Smith: Rough Stone RollingLink for The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts

This is the seventh of our Living Faith discussions this year, focusing on key events and persons from Church history. We were delighted to have Richard Bushman, emeritus professor of history at Columbia University and author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, speak to our stake on the topic “Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration”. Brother Bushman addressed the Kirtland period we are currently studying in Come, Follow Me, and then responded to questions sent in from members of the stake, moderated by Laguna Niguel Stake President Blaine Evanson. If you missed previous discussions you can find links on our website: http://www.lnstake.org/living-faith We look forward to hearing from Andrea Radke-Moss, Kate Holbrook, and Barbara Morgan-Gardner later this year.

This is the sixth Living Faith Discussion the Laguna Niguel stake has hosted this year, connected to Church history events highlighted in Come, Follow Me. While studying the Doctrine & Covenants, we realized that over half the revelations came while in Kirtland, so we wanted to find a Kirtland expert for our next discussion. Karl Ricks Anderson is known by many as "Mr. Kirtland". Originally from Utah, Brother Anderson left with a graduate degree from the University of Utah and went to work in Ohio. His LDS Church callings there include service as a stake president, regional representative, family history advisor and patriarch. His time in Ohio led him to a love of the Prophet Joseph Smith and LDS Church history there. He learned of the incalculable contribution the Ohio period made to the church's organization, doctrine and legacy of sacrifice. He has since written two books, "The Savior in Kirtland" and "Joseph Smith's Kirtland". If you missed previous discussions you can find links on our website: http://www.lnstake.org/living-faith We look forward to hearing from Richard Bushman, Andrea Radke-Moss, Kate Holbrook, and Barbara Morgan-Gardner later this year.

This is the fifth of several Living Faith Discussions the Laguna Niguel stake will host this year connected to Church history events highlighted in Come, Follow Me, and our first in person discussion. The other discussions we've had so far have been focused on particular historical events or people, but this one focuses on the unique doctrines that were revealed with the Restoration. Terryl Givens is a former professor Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond and currently a Neal L. Maxwell Senior Fellow at Brigham Young University. Along with his wife Fiona, he is the author of “The Christ Who Heals” (Deseret 2017); “The Crucible of Doubt” (Deseret 2014), and “The God Who Weeps” (Deseret 2012) and many other books. They are the parents of six children. If you missed previous discussions you can find links on our website: http://www.lnstake.org/living-faith We look forward to hearing from Karl Anderson, Richard Bushman, Andrea Radke-Moss, Kate Holbrook, and Barbara Morgan-Gardner later this year.

"The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn to Their Fathers." Richard Bushman, professor of history, joins the moderators and studio audience to discuss several topics from the Doctrine and Covenants. They talk about Joseph Smith's early history, how the sealing power is a promise of the restoration, and the turning of the hearts of the children to their fathers. The Jones family in San Antonio, Texas, asks through a video question how women are included in Elijah's promise. And the panel discusses God's work for each of us.

The name Joseph Smith is known to many Americans, as is the faith he founded, once called “Mormonism”, but recently having requested to be identified by their original, historic name: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Joseph Smith is revered by members of that church as a “modern prophet of God”; and derided by others as a “charlatan” or worse. We thought that to understand American religion, which is really part of the quest to understand America itself, it would be helpful to know, as best we can in an hour, what the historical record has to say about this man.   Today we have with us Richard Bushman, Gouverneur Morris Professor Emeritus of History, United States at Columbia University, to help us understand who Joseph Smith was by discussing his book Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, A Cultural Biography of Mormonism's Founder. Mr. Bushman specializes in the social and cultural history of the United States and received his PhD from Harvard University. He is the author of several other books, including From Puritan to Yankee: Character and the Social Order in Connecticut, 1690-1765, King and People in Provincial Massachusetts, and The Refinement of America: Persons, Houses, Cities. We encourage listeners to visit  storyofamericanreligion.org and resister for future podcast notifications under the “sign-up” tab.

Have you struggled to figure out what to do with the new Ministering program in the LDS Church? Kurt Francom of the Leading Saints Podcast gives ideas on how to approach this.  I asked him how to handle both faithful & faithless members! https://youtu.be/1UsnTO8sUgQ Kurt: Go over there and just ask the simple question of "How would you like to be ministered to? Do you want us to come over a quarterly, monthly?" Where I know my father, he really appreciates the ministry brothers that just stopped by for a good conversation once a month and that really helps him. That's how he's ministered to. So the best thing we could do as ministering brothers and sisters, just set an appointment, go over and ask them the question, how would you like to be ministered to? And if someone asked that to me, I would say, well, I'm say hi to me at church. If you see me at church where you sit by me, I'd love that, you know, but I don't need a home visit. He also tells how he handled his Second Counselor in the bishopric losing his faith and leaving the church. Kurt: And it all began for him after he returned from his mission. He went through college and then he went back to law school and he was in law school at Brigham Young University of all places where in his religion course it was required reading to read Rough Stone Rolling the famous book by Richard Bushman, right? Which obviously is written from the faithful perspective since Richard Bushman is a faithful Latter-day Saint. But certain facts and historical concerns came to the surface for him that he had never considered. And then suddenly the understanding that he had about the church was disrupted. Right? And this is, I think, a familiar story for a lot of people who've had maybe had loved ones who've gone through a stage of faith or a state of doubt. And so, we talked openly about these things. I encouraged him. You know, I tried to be as empathetic as possible and I think, all things considered, I think as a bishop I handled that pretty well.... And, he later did remove his name from the church. And I thought, "Man! I thought we were--I thought I was steadying the ark a little bit and helping you understand that, you know, we can get through this." But you know, that was a decision that he made and we still have a great relationship. Find out more by checking out our conversation...  Don't forget to check out part 1! Kurt Francom gives advice on the new Ministering program for both faithful & faithless members.

We're continuing our discussions with Dr. Newell Bringhurst.  In our next conversation, we'll continue to talk about polygamy.  We'll talk about Todd Compton's book, In Sacred Loneliness, a biography of Joseph Smith's plural wives. https://youtu.be/EZ-2eW_8kn0 Newell:  Todd Compton's is mainly a biographical, collective biography of the wives themselves.  It doesn't get into as much of Joseph Smith interacting or justifying polygamy and all of that.  So I think Todd Compton's is the best as far as giving us a feeling of who the wives were and how they reacted to Joseph Smith and polygamy and their subsequent activities after Joseph Smith's martyrdom. We'll also talk about what Bringhurst thinks of Richard Bushman's book, Rough Stone Rolling and its treatment of Joseph's polygamy. Newell: One of the weaknesses, glaring weaknesses I saw in Richard Bushman's Rough Stone Rolling was he kind of slighted Joseph Smith's involvement with polygamy.  I found that one of the most disappointing parts of his Rough Stone Rolling.  He kind of slights—he doesn't even really acknowledge some of the wives that Joseph married and the relationship and the work that was done by Todd Compton. We'll also talk about some early rumors about polygamy in Nauvoo, and we'll get Newell's opinion on that.  Don't forget to check our previous conversation with Newell on polygamy!  Check out our conversation….. [paypal-donation]

Who has written the best biography of Joseph Smith?  The two most prominent authors are Fawn Brodie and Richard Bushman.  Dr. Newell Bringhurst weighs in on the Bushman-Brodie issue and talks strengths and weaknesses of both approaches. https://youtu.be/EbomltcNYc4 Newell: Well, I tell people if they really want to know Joseph Smith, I recommend those two in tandem for this reason.  Number one is that Brodie really was a path-breaking study in trying to attribute reasons or motives to Joseph Smith and his practice of polygamy.  It was controversial because she starts it out by her major premise is Joseph Smith was a conscious fraud.  When you make that statement at the beginning of the book, that's immediately going to send up red flags all over the place, but when you get into the book itself, she actually is quite empathetic to a lot of Joseph Smith's behavior and actions. She was able, I think, to create a more human figure.  In previous biographies, they have either pictured him as a scoundrel, anti-Mormon books that had been written by Smith, or in the case of books written by faithful Latter-day Saints by Joseph Smith, had been made almost as a hagiographic, almost a demigod.  I think even though she didn't believe that he was really a prophet of God, she tried to give you a sense of the whole man. ... The sources she used, the critics that had problems with Brodie, not only had she started with the premise that Joseph is a conscious fraud but she uses a lot of/a disproportionate number of anti-Mormon sources, so that does make it a little bit of a skewed as far as she doesn't give Joseph Smith enough credit as the religious leader that he was or that he purported to be.  That was one of my major criticisms that I saw from the book when I read it. ... But when you compare Bushman's arguments with Brodie's, his is based a lot more on contemporary documents.  He had access to a lot more materials and documents that Brodie didn't have access to, so his is a much more thoroughly researched and documented history, but I don't think it is as engagingly written. Fawn Brodie was trained in English literature and received her degree in English so she brought that expertise and is able to write in a very engaging way.  To me it's a much more readable biography, but Bushman's is more carefully documented and gives you all sides of the argument.  He's arguing also from the vantage point of a faithful practicing Latter-day Saint.  He believes what he said he was a prophet of God and pretty much goes along with the divine origin and various doctrines and practices.  It's far from being a hagiography because Bushman does acknowledge his faults and his shortcomings and the mistakes that he made and so on, so it's good in that regard. Don't forget to check our previous episodes about Newell's perspectives on race and the LDS Church.  Check out our conversation…..

The Book of Mormon warns against mistaking intelligence for wisdom, but adds a crucial caveat: “to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God” (2 Nephi 9:29). Where LDS founding prophet Joseph Smith declared that a person is saved no faster than they get knowledge, historian Richard Bushman adds a corollary: A person gains knowledge no faster than they are saved. Bushman believes historical inquiry has made him a better Mormon, but he also believes being a Mormon has made him a better historian, too. In this episode,  Bushman gets autobiographical about his biography of Joseph Smith, talks about the rise of Mormon studies, and offers his perspective on the relationship between personal faith and professional scholarship. Bushman is one of the most distinguished and respected historians ever to call The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints his religious home. It was a real treat to sit down with him to talk about his career, his personal faith, his difficulties and successes. This episode coincides with the publication of To Be Learned Is Good: Essays on Faith and Scholarship in Honor of Richard Lyman Bushman. The book contains the edited proceedings of a 2016 scholars' colloquium held in Bushman's honor at Brigham Young University. Bushman wanted Latter-day Saint scholars to reflect on their work in the presence of non-LDS scholars, to think through the difficult issues in ways that spoke to larger questions about faith and reason. Learn more about the book or watch video of the presentations at mi.byu.edu/bushman. Learn more about the Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture here. About the Guest Richard Lyman Bushman is Gouverneur Morris Professor of History Emeritus at Columbia University and author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. He occupied the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University in California from 2008 to 2011. Before joining the faculty at Columbia University, Bushman received his BA and PhD degrees from Harvard University and taught at Brigham Young University, Brown University, Boston University, Harvard University (as a visiting professor), and the University of Delaware. Bushman has served as president of the Mormon History Association, as a member of the board of editors of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, as a council member for the Institute of Early American History and Culture, and as president of the Society for Historians of the Early American Republic. He chaired the advisory committee to the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University, 1999–2004; and he chaired the board of directors of the Mormon Scholars Foundation until 2016. He is currently a member of the National Advisory Board for the Joseph Smith Papers project of the History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having served as a general editor from the project's founding until 2013.The post “To be learned is good,” with Richard Bushman [MIPodcast #75] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Richard Bushman is professor of history emeritus at Columbia University and formerly the Howard W. Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. He is author, among many other books, of a biography of Joseph Smith titled "Rough Stone Rolling." Professor Bushman came in to the UPR studios in March 2017 for conversation with Tom Williams following his appearance at a conference on the USU campus titled “New Perspectives on Joseph Smith and Translation.” The conference was sponsored by USU's Religious Studies Program and the Faith Matters Foundation, a non-profit organization that encourages discussion about Mormon topics.

Professor Richard Bushman's contribution to contemporary Mormon Studies cannot be overstated.  In this interview we discuss the need for a refreshed understanding of the idea of the 'translation' of the Book of Mormon; the imperative for a more supple Mormon conversation, and  the urgency for us to speak up with candor at church.  We also talk about the upcoming Mormon Art Center Festival at Riverside Church in New York City.

In some ways it's been a lonelier than usual summer at the Maxwell Institute. Since it was founded in 2006 we've had the privilege of hosting the Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture, a remarkable research opportunity that is somewhat legendary for the people that have passed through it, like Reid Neilson of the Church History Library, Patrick Mason and Kathleen Flake who hold chairs in Mormon Studies at universities on the east and west coast, and the Institute's brand new executive director, Spencer Fluhman. Students, scholars, junior faculty—a variety of different people come together to study a particular aspect of Mormon culture or history and then write working papers to share some of the things they discovered and prompt further research. In lieu of the seminar this year the Institute hosted a scholars' colloquium in honor of Richard Bushman, the Mormon historian who started the Summer Seminar back in 1997 when he was working on his acclaimed biography of Joseph Smith. Richard is still active in his studies, but he'll be leaving the direction of summer seminars in the capable hands of Terryl Givens and possibly others going forward. This 50th episode of the Maxwell Institute Podcast will give you a sense of what the Summer Seminar is all about. Last summer I sat down with some of the participants to talk about their experiences and the papers they were working on. Their papers are now available—along with most of the seminar papers going back to 2006 when the seminar came to the Maxwell Institute—at mi.byu.edu/summerseminar.The post The Summer Seminar on Mormon Culture, 2015 [MIPodcast #50] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

In part 3 of this multi-part interview with Dr. Richard Bushman, the world's foremost scholar on Joseph Smith and early Mormonism and author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, Brother Bushman discusses Joseph Smith's bringing to light of the Book of Mormon, from angel Moroni's visit, to the obtaining of the plates, to the actual mechanics of the translation process. He also discusses the process of receiving revelation within Mormonism, as a Patriarch in the LDS Church.

In part 4 of this multi-part interview with Dr. Richard Bushman, the world's foremost scholar on Joseph Smith and early Mormonism and author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, Brother Bushman discusses the historicity of the Book of Mormon, and the credibility of the 3 and 8 witnesses to the Book of Mormon.

In the 5th and final part of this multi-part interview with Dr. Richard Bushman, the world's foremost scholar on Joseph Smith and early Mormonism and author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, John Dehlin offers some final thoughts on his time with Brother Bushman, and Dr. Bushman himself provides some final musings on the challenges of dealing with tough Mormon issues. He then concludes with his testimony of Joseph Smith.

In part 1 of this multi-part interview, Dr. Richard Bushman, the world's foremost scholar on Joseph Smith and early Mormonism and the author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, discusses his years as a Mormon historian, including his struggle with faith as a Harvard undergraduate, his decision to get a PhD in history, and his experiences with Leonard Arrington, Dialogue and Sunstone. He also discusses the role of candid, honest history within the modern LDS Church.

In part 2 of this multi-part interview with Dr. Richard Bushman, the world's foremost scholar on Joseph Smith and early Mormonism and author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, we tackle 4 main topics. First, brother Bushman provides a high level review of the major Joseph Smith biographies that preceded Rough Stone Rolling, including Fawn Brodie's "No man knows my history." Next, brother Bushman discusses the art of writing history, and the challenges involved in trying to arrive at "the facts" and "the truth" for both historians, and readers of history. Finally, we discuss in depth the first 2 of our top 10 tough Joseph Smith issues: 1) The multiple and somewhat varying accounts of Joseph Smith's first vision story, and 2) Joseph Smith's involvement in folk magic and treasure digging. The slight audio buzz from the previous interview continues on this one, with an additional static sound that lasts for about 2 minutes at the beginning of the interview.

While preparing for this interview with Adam Miller, whom Richard Bushman described as "the most original and provocative Latter-day Saint theologian practicing today," I was delighted to have my paradigm yanked out from under me again and again to reveal a world much richer and more colorful than I had imagined. In covering his 'Rube Goldberg Machines,' and 'Letters to a Young Mormon,' we explore a range of topics like how to "care" for our bodies desires, the revelations of science, and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves, all in the context of something Adam Miller calls "grace" which is not what you think it is. Adam shows us a new way of seeing and living life using scripture and philosophy in a way that is surprisingly and profoundly useful. Thanks to Adam Miller for being willing to give us this interview.