Wowsers--how'd we miss this!! (Or did I miss a post?)

[_mms]

(Did I miss the discussion of this???) From this press release by the Church (june 11, 2009)

http://newsroom.LDS.org/ldsnewsroom/eng ... ive-memory

Here's part

The new Church History Library is the substance behind the growing emphasis of transparency in the Church’s interaction with the public. This facility opens the door for researchers and historians of all kinds to flesh out the stories of Mormon heritage that pass through the imagination of Latter-day Saints from generation to generation. The Church cannot undertake this project on its own. It requires a groundswell of countless individuals — from within and without the Church — operating on their own personal inspiration. The story of the Church will inevitably be told as historians of good faith are given access to the library’s records and archives.

It is in the interests of the Church to play a constructive role in advancing the cathartic powers of honest and accurate history. In doing so, the Church strives to be relevant to contemporary audiences that operate under changing cultural assumptions and expectations. A careful, yet bold presentation of Church history, which delves into the contextual subtleties and nuances characteristic of serious historical writing, has become increasingly important. If a religion cannot explain its history, it cannot explain itself.

(Emphasis supplied.)

Trevor and others...

"If a religion cannot excplain its history, it cannot explain itself."

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[_Mary]

I'd add, that if a religion cannot make peace with its history (whatever it is) then it cannot make peace with itself.

[_Trevor]

This is welcome news, and the Church could be in for some praise. The definition of historian and scholars *of good faith* is a little worrisome to me, since that phrase could be construed in such a way as to exclude many good historians and scholars.

[Guest]

Does this mean the September Six get reinstated?

[_karl61]

Does this mean FARMS is on the way out?

[_cinepro]

I would also add that if a Church cannot whitewash its history, then it cannot whitewash itself.

[_Ray A]

The Mormon historical consciousness impels one to step outside the comfortable confines of the present, develop empathy to understand the past and, in turn, lay the spiritual groundwork for future generations. A collective memory preserves the shared experiences and common language of meaning that binds a people together. To preserve history is to shape identity. (emphasis added)

I'm skeptical.

[_Sethbag]

I would also add that if a Church cannot whitewash its history, then it cannot whitewash itself.

Well, no problem on that score.

[_moksha]

Wonder if good faith means they still have to sign a nondisclosure agreement?

[_Nevo]

This facility opens the door for researchers and historians of all kinds to flesh out the stories of Mormon heritage that pass through the imagination of Latter-day Saints from generation to generation. The Church cannot undertake this project on its own. It requires a groundswell of countless individuals — from within and without the Church — operating on their own personal inspiration. The story of the Church will inevitably be told as historians of good faith are given access to the library’s records and archives.

I commend the Church's renewed openness to historical inquiry. I hope it will continue.

Last fall I read Devil's Gate: Brigham Young and the Great Mormon Handcart Tragedy by David Roberts. Although Roberts, a non-Mormon, has a jaundiced view of organized religion generally and of Mormonism specifically, he lavishes praise on the LDS Archives in the book's acknowledgments:

I had anticipated a diffident or even suspicious reception when I started work in the LDS Archives in 2005. To my great surprise, the archivists, librarians, and historians in the Church History Library could not have been more welcoming and helpful. In 1964, Wallace Stegner had complained that the LDS library and archives were 'open to scholars only reluctantly and with limitations.' Nothing could be further from the truth today. To my mind, the Archives now set a shining example of disinterested service to writers and researchers who will inevitably quarrel with and criticize 'orthodox' Mormon history. (336)

Although "unorthodox" history, Roberts's book is well-researched (at least as far as the handcart pioneers are concerned) and offers a harrowing depiction of the handcart pioneers' struggles from primary sources. Roberts is unsparing in his criticism of Brigham Young and other church leaders, but he certainly succeeds in "flesh[ing] out" the story of the Willie and Martin Handcart companies, crediting them with "genuinely heroic perseverance and fortitude."