Church Leaders Chastised John Gee and Daniel C. Peterson

[IHAQ]

Brian Hauglid initially told me that John Gee was called down to Salt Lake and yelled at.

I understood him to mean at church headquarters by a church leader.

I later questioned him more closely as to what he meant and he clarified he meant not at church headquarters by a church leader, but at a different building by the head editors of the JSPP.

He added that Dr. Peterson was also present, and that Brian Hauglid heard this directly from a person present in the room for the dressing down.

And then Brian Hauglid heard the same account from a second person in the room.

I clarified recently with John Dehlin (I think it was the “Civil War” episode) my better understanding of what happened to try to keep the story as straight as possible.

In what capacity do the head editors of the JSPP have the authority to call Gee to a meeting and give him a "dressing down"?

[Bought Yahoo]

I could be wrong. Where did he say that. ??

Sorry about my comments about your laugh. I'm sure people can say similar things about me.

Brian Hauglid initially told me that John Gee was called down to Salt Lake and yelled at.

I understood him to mean at church headquarters by a church leader.

I later questioned him more closely as to what he meant and he clarified he meant not at church headquarters by a church leader, but at a different building by the head editors of the JSPP.

He added that Dr. Peterson was also present, and that Brian Hauglid heard this directly from a person present in the room for the dressing down.

And then Brian Hauglid heard the same account from a second person in the room.

I clarified recently with John Dehlin (I think it was the “Civil War” episode) my better understanding of what happened to try to keep the story as straight as possible.

That isn't credible evidence. Unless I guess you are a Trumpista.

[consiglieri]

Thankfully Dr. Peterson just confirmed it in substance.

[dastardly stem]

Peterson:

’ve just been alerted to a claim being made online that, as a result of a pair of critical reviews of The Joseph Smith Papers, Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts, eds. Robin Scott Jensen and Brian M. Hauglid (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2018) that we published by the Interpreter Foundation back in 2019– the two reviews in question are Jeff Lindsay’s “A Precious Resource with Some Gaps” and John Gee’s “The Joseph Smith Papers Project Stumbles” — John Gee and I were summoned to the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, where unidentified Church leaders “yelled” at us because of our offense.

This claim is misleading in important ways.

It is true that certain people connected with the Historical Department of the Church were not happy about those two critical reviews — who loves to be negatively reviewed? — and it is true that John Gee and I met (entirely willingly) with a couple of the principal figures in the Joseph Smith Papers project to talk about the reviews.

But the meeting took place in the Church Historical Library, not in the Church Office Building. No leaders of the Church were involved (assuming that, by “Church leaders,” General Authorities of the Church are intended). And there was absolutely no “yelling.” It was an entirely civil conversation, conducted entirely in conversational tones of voice. One misunderstanding that needed to be clarified was that the criticisms in the two reviews were directed solely at certain aspects of that fourth volume, not at the entire volume, and certainly not at the Joseph Smith Papers project as a whole (let alone at the Church or at its leaders).

However, as a matter of fact, I have never been rebuked by any General Authority of the Church, nor by any combination of General Authorities. Never.

I hope that’s clear enough.

I'd tend to go with Peterson's accounting since it appears he's the only one commenting who was actually there.

I think it's a funny story though. "They were upset with us. We knew it. They wanted us to travel to them to talk about it...so we did. It was entirely civil and there were no church leaders present. " Apparently the history department folks wanted to use the Church's backing of JSPP as a backdrop to the conversation and it seems apparent Gee and Peterson weren't having that. It's as if they were saying behind their smiles, "bring a legit church leader here and then we'll actually talk. But you chumps have no standing over us, so zip it. But we'll be nice." Some other person there reported to Hauglid "Peterson and Gee got a stern talking to and got put in their place". Peterson and Gee left not feeling put in their place and thought their position was entirely credible and the History department folks kindly expressed how they understood where they were coming from.

The Church is funny, but it does come off as a very Mormon sounding event to me.

[consiglieri]

Don’t forget John Gee’s editorial footnote on his first screed that his original paper was modified pursuant to the meeting.

[dastardly stem]

Don’t forget John Gee’s editorial footnote on his first screed that his original paper was modified pursuant to the meeting.

I forgot it. But he could have made changes as a courtesy. I don't know the extent of the modifications though either.

[Dr Moore]

I know plenty of people who can yell quite effectively without raising their voices.

[Shulem]

I know plenty of people who can yell quite effectively without raising their voices.

And there was absolutely no “yelling.” It was an entirely civil conversation, conducted entirely in conversational tones of voice. One misunderstanding that needed to be clarified was that the criticisms in the two reviews were directed solely at certain aspects of that fourth volume, not at the entire volume, and certainly not at the Joseph Smith Papers project as a whole (let alone at the Church or at its leaders).

And that's why when they were finished they shook hands, maintained the best of friendships, and went to the temple together just so they could stand in a prayer circle together with no hurt feelings or unkind thoughts towards each other.

Riiiiight.

Somehow, I don't believe it.

[Moksha]

Thankfully Dr. Peterson just confirmed it in substance.

Will that satisfy as evidence for Bought Yahoo or will he need it initialed on a Golden Post-it Note?