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Originally Posted by Moksha
I have always like George Santayana's saying that "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it". Thank goodness Richard Bushman gave us a fairly accurate and approved history book.
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I'm not sure that you can say this is an "Approved History Book" Just because it is sold at Deseret Book doesn't mean it is "approved". Actually, if you listen to the bushman interviews with John Dehlin, Bushman mentions that the church has gotten out of the business of releasing history books.
One thing that amazes me is when some of you will mention that why would anyone read this type of book when you can just pray for a witness. With all the push in our church about keeping and reading history of the church. We study it once every 4 years, but in my mind, most people know very little about the history of our early leaders. In reality, there is very little that is in the official material that is even true.
How many people know the real story about polygamy and polyandry?
How many people know the real story about the peepstone and the "translation process"
How many people know about the Kinderhook Plates?
How many people know about the history about the Book of Abraham?
It just seems weird that in books like our study guides like Joseph Smith and Brigham Young, not one single word is mentioned about Polygamy. But... when a book like RSR is read, it is all over the place. Crazy...
For me... RSR cemented in my mind many problems with early history of the church. If Joseph Smith was willing to "lie for the Lord" about Spiritual Wifery, what else would he lie about? I've yet to answer that question.