From: owner-lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com (lds-bookshelf-digest) To: lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com Subject: lds-bookshelf-digest V1 #915 Reply-To: lds-bookshelf Sender: owner-lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com Errors-To: owner-lds-bookshelf-digest@lists.xmission.com Precedence: bulk lds-bookshelf-digest Tuesday, March 20 2001 Volume 01 : Number 915 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 20:31:41 -0800 From: "Joe Geisner" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Conference on writing Mormon biography Thanks for sharing this information Morgan. I wonder if these presentation will be published in a book. Did Bushman, Kimball, or Madsen give any timeline on when their biographies wil be published? I know Kimball and Madsen have been working on these projects 20+ years. I think Ed Kimball will do an incredible job. In many way's he has balanced things that are private, sensative and public better than any person I have read. I look forward to this bio. more than most. Was there any discussion about the Papers of Oliver Cowdery that Scott Faulring has edited? This was supposed to be out this spring but I have heard nothing. BTW, who is Steven Harper and what has he done on William McLellan? Joe >Richard Bushman was one of the speakers at the opening session--he gave a >quick survey of the biographies of Joseph Smith, starting with Henry >Caswall's The Prophet of the Nineteenth Century, 1843 (Flake #1237). He >also mentioned I. Woodbridge Riley's The Founder of Mormonism; a >psychological study of Joseph Smith (Flake #7288), which I had heard of >before, but never identified as psychobiography. > >Edward L. Kimball and Carol Cornwall Madsen spoke over lunch; Kimball about >an updated bio of his father that he's working on, and Madsen about >Emmeline B. Wells. Both dealt with how to handle the balance between the >private and public lives of public figures. > >Kimball talked about things that would have been embarrassing to Pres. >Kimball when he was alive, which he believes are okay to discuss now. For >example, Pres. Kimball always avoided discussing his education, not because >he felt inadequate for not having gone to college, but because he thought >people would judge the church negatively for being led by such an >"ignoramus." Pres. Kimball also didn't want much discussion of his oldest >son's inactivity in the first biography, but Ed thinks it should be dealt >with now, because it was such a concern to Pres. Kimball. Pres. Kimball >didn't want to include any discussion of the excommunication of Richard R. >Lyman in the original biography, because of the pain it would cause living >family members. Ed convinced him to leave it in, because it was a matter of >public record and such an important event in the first weeks after Pres. >Kimball was called as an apostle. Ed said he received letters from Lyman's >descendants saying they wished the incident could have been left out of the >biography. He regrets that discussing the incident was painful to them, but >still feels justified in doing so. > >Madsen talked about comparing speeches Emmeline B. Wells gave defending the >practice of polygamy with her private journal entries complaining about it. > >Steven Harper from BYU Hawaii defended his work on William McLellin and >criticized Van Wagoner's biography of Sidney Rigdon. > >Susan Howe spoke on "The Case of Virginia Sorensen: When Your Saint is Also >a Sinner." Sorensen's husband resented her success as an author. They >separated when he had an affair. Sorensen said that maybe if she had done >as she had been told in church--forget about a career and focus on her >marriage--maybe her marriage would have survived. At the same time, she >knew that her husband was responsible for his own choices, and resented >that she was expected to give up her career so that her husband could feel >superior. > >It was a good conference--it looks like there are some good biographies in >the works, and it made me want to write one. I only regret that I missed >Jessie Embry's talk on "Can I be Objective?: Using Family Sources in >Historical Writing." I've got several books for her to sign. > >MBA > > > >---------------------------------------------------------- >- LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books >- To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with >- "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. >- For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 21:18:39 -0800 From: "Joe Geisner" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] I Have Been Reading....... I read three chapters of "The Nauvoo Temple" by Cecil McGavin today at church. This is really the most I have read by him and only the second book I own by him. I have read a bit out of "Mormonism and Masonry", but stopped after a few pages. I am curious about Cecil McGavin. He seems like a defender of the faith, much less balanced than say B.H. Roberts, much closer to Joseph Fielding Smith's style of writing. And yet the book has things that would never pass a Deseret Book editor today. An example is his continuely calling the Nauvoo Temple endowment and the then current endowment "secret". In one sentence he will use "secret" and in the next sentence write "sacred". He also cites quite a bit of "anti-Mormon" writings in the book. Some he calls "apostate" and some he almost approves of. His comments on James J. Strang are even more interesting/strange for a DB book. He comments that Strang "was not influenced by the teachings of Brigham Young....but based his philosophy upon the teachings and practices of Jospeh Smith." This is obvious, but it makes no sense to write it, and in some ways he is almost praising Strang. McGavin has no clue or he acts like he has no clue about the Council of Fifty, the second anointing, or the Anointed Quorum. He quotes people discussing these things and then writes "see these people are apostates and they don't know what they are talking about". Having read this by McGavin and knowing a little about "The Sex Life Of Brigham Young", I am begining to wonder where he was coming from. Does anyone know anything about him or did any of you meet him before he passed away? Joe _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 22:52:09 -0800 From: Keith Irwin Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] I Really Am Alive! The Riley book was written at the turn of the century as a thesis for Riley's Ph.D. at Yale. From the Preface: "The aim of this work is to examine Joseph Smith's character and achievements from the standpoint of recent psychology. Sectarians and phrenologists, spiritualists and messmerists have variously intepreted his more or less abnormal performances, - it now remains for the psychologist to have a try at them." Keith At 06:49 PM 3/18/01 -0700, Morgan wrote: >Richard Bushman was one of the speakers at the opening session--he gave a >quick survey of the biographies of Joseph Smith, starting with Henry >Caswall's The Prophet of the Nineteenth Century, 1843 (Flake #1237). He >also mentioned I. Woodbridge Riley's The Founder of Mormonism; a >psychological study of Joseph Smith (Flake #7288), which I had heard of >before, but never identified as psychobiography. - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 09:35:34 EST From: RickBook@aol.com Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] I Have Been Reading....... In a message dated 03/19/2001 12:19:12 AM Eastern Standard Time, rbssman@hotmail.com writes: << Having read this by McGavin and knowing a little about "The Sex Life Of Brigham Young", I am begining to wonder where he was coming from. Does anyone know anything about him or did any of you meet him before he passed away? >> "I guess I'd better have some ice cream . . ." McGavin had a dry, sometimes wry sense of humor that undoubtedly allowed him to function in a climate which prescribed less complexity than he might offer. Even something so simple as food required a few jokes. I heard and watched him for one interesting period of three days when I was a teenager in Boise, Idaho. McGavin was there as part of BYU Education Week, and I couldn't get enough of his fascinating anecdotes and style of delivery - low-key but edge-of-your-seat colorful and all-absorbing. In one session, he proposed to explain to us why the Word of Wisdom calls for "fruit in the season thereof." He pointed out that one means of fruit preservation in the early nineteenth century would have been in brandy, hardly a healthful alternative for winter nourishment. One man, he said, presented his friend with a cask of brandied peaches. "I never much cared for peaches," McGavin had the friend reply, "but I certainly appreciated the spirit in which the gift was given." One had to hear the tone of this delivery - not quite so dry and cynical as Chad Flake, but close enough. Here was a man who could straddle any fence. RG - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 19 Mar 2001 10:50:57 -0500 From: Cahoon_Doug@emc.com Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Joseph Smith Bio On Saturday, Richard Bushman mentioned that there have been 18 full-length bios on Joseph Smith. He mentioned the first on published in 1843(?) along with Brodie's, Hill's, Evans', and Cannon's. Anyone know the rest? - --Doug - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 11:11:37 -0700 From: "Matthew T. Wirthlin" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies Morgan's and Joe's comments about upcoming biographies brings up a related = question: What Mormon related biographies/autobiographies are in the = works, forthcoming or ought to be in the works? I am aware of the following: 1. Ed Kimball's administrative bio on President Kimball (as mentioned) 2. Greg Prince is supposedly working on an administrative biography of = David O. McKay. 3. Bushman on Joseph Smith (as previously mentioned) 4. Carol Madsen on Emmeline B. Wells (as previously mentioned) 5. Jill Mulvay Derr apparently took over Maureen Ursenbach Beecher's work = on Eliza R. Snow. 6. Isn't Devery Anderson working on a Willard Richards bio? 7. Is Ron Walker still working on a Heber J. Grant bio or was that = scrapped? 8. Paul Thomas Smith is supposedly working on a John Taylor bio. 9. Is Scott Kenney still working, if ever, on a Joseph F. Smith bio? 10. Mike Quinn's revised and significantly expanded bio on J. Reuben = Clark is forthcoming from Signature later this Summer. I can't wait! 11. Bruce Van Orden is working on a W.W. Phelps bio. 12. A BYU religion professor is working on a John Widstoe bio, but I = can't remember his name. Does anyone have updated information on the above list? I think the following bios need to be written: 1. We need a good bio on Hyrum Smith. 2. We need a good bio on Oliver Cowdery. I hope Faulring's "The Papers = of Oliver Cowdery" will be out soon. That should facilitate a good Oliver = Cowdery bio. 3. Bruce R. McConkie, not just highlights. 4. James E. Talmage (I am aware of John Talmage's bio of his father, but = I would love to see one much more substantive and comprehensive) 5. Parley P. Pratt (I am aware of his autobiography, but we need a good = scholarly biography) 6. Lorenzo Snow There are many more that can be added to this list, especially women and = lesser known Saints. Who would you like to see a biography of? =20 Thanks. Matt - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 11:53:42 -0700 From: "ROY SCHMIDT" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies I am writing mine. Any buyers ? Roy Schmidt >>> "Matthew T. Wirthlin" 03/20/01 11:11AM >>> Morgan's and Joe's comments about upcoming biographies brings up a related question: What Mormon related biographies/autobiographies are in the works, forthcoming or ought to be in the works? I am aware of the following: 1. Ed Kimball's administrative bio on President Kimball (as mentioned) 2. Greg Prince is supposedly working on an administrative biography of David O. McKay. 3. Bushman on Joseph Smith (as previously mentioned) 4. Carol Madsen on Emmeline B. Wells (as previously mentioned) 5. Jill Mulvay Derr apparently took over Maureen Ursenbach Beecher's work on Eliza R. Snow. 6. Isn't Devery Anderson working on a Willard Richards bio? 7. Is Ron Walker still working on a Heber J. Grant bio or was that scrapped? 8. Paul Thomas Smith is supposedly working on a John Taylor bio. 9. Is Scott Kenney still working, if ever, on a Joseph F. Smith bio? 10. Mike Quinn's revised and significantly expanded bio on J. Reuben Clark is forthcoming from Signature later this Summer. I can't wait! 11. Bruce Van Orden is working on a W.W. Phelps bio. 12. A BYU religion professor is working on a John Widstoe bio, but I can't remember his name. Does anyone have updated information on the above list? I think the following bios need to be written: 1. We need a good bio on Hyrum Smith. 2. We need a good bio on Oliver Cowdery. I hope Faulring's "The Papers of Oliver Cowdery" will be out soon. That should facilitate a good Oliver Cowdery bio. 3. Bruce R. McConkie, not just highlights. 4. James E. Talmage (I am aware of John Talmage's bio of his father, but I would love to see one much more substantive and comprehensive) 5. Parley P. Pratt (I am aware of his autobiography, but we need a good scholarly biography) 6. Lorenzo Snow There are many more that can be added to this list, especially women and lesser known Saints. Who would you like to see a biography of? Thanks. Matt - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 11:53:38 -0800 From: "Joe Geisner" Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Joseph Smith Bio Doug, I turned to Studies in Mormon History and Henry Caswall's "The Prophet of the Nineteenth Century", 1843 was not listed as a bios for JSjr Here is the list from Allen, Walker, and Whittaker: 1. C. Mackay, "The Mormons:or Latter-Day Saints + 2. Lucy Smith, "Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet" 3. E.W. Tullidge, "Life of Joseph the Prophet 4. G.Q. Cannon "The Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet" 5. T. Gregg, "The Prophet of Palmyra" 6. I. W. Riley, "The Founder of Mormonism" 7. H.M. Beardsley, "Joseph Smith and his Mormon Empire 8. J.H. Evans, "Joseph Smith: An American Prophet" 9. P. Nibley, "Joseph Smith, The Prophet" 10. D. Chase, "Joseph Smith: As He Lives in the Hearts of his People"+ 11.F.M. Brodie "No Man Knows My History" 12. J. A. Widtsoe "Joseph Smith": Seeker After Truth, Prophet of God" 13. H.L. Andrus "Joseph Smith, the Man and the Seer" 14. J.J. Stewart, "Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet" (this guy had two other books published that are listed, I believe they are the same book under different title)+ 15. Curtis & Farber, "The Making of a Prophet"+ 16. C. Carmer, "The Farm Boy and the Angel" 17. L. R. Hartshorn, "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration"+ 18. D. Hill, "Joseph Smith, the First Mormon" 19. F. Gibbons, "Joseph Smith: Martyr, Prophet of God" 20. M.L. Draper, "The Founding Prophet, An Administrative History of Joseph Smith jr." Most of these I have heard of, four I own. I guess Bushman say's that at least three of these do not qualify as full-length bios. Five with + I am completely unfamiliar with. >On Saturday, Richard Bushman mentioned that there have been 18 full-length >bios on Joseph Smith. He mentioned the first on published in 1843(?) along >with Brodie's, Hill's, Evans', and Cannon's. Anyone know the rest? > >--Doug _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 16:13:14 -0700 From: "Hugh Stocks" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies On 20 Mar 2001, at 11:11, Matthew T. Wirthlin wrote: [lots of good stuff snipped] > > There are many more that can be added to this list, especially women > and lesser known Saints. Who would you like to see a biography of? My favorite candidate for a bio has to be Ebenezer Robinson, the printer who was everywhere: involved in the Kirtland printing shop, partner to Don Carlos Smith in Nauvoo, kicked out of church printing by Joseph, went with Rigdon in 1844, then to RLDS, where he worked on the first printing of the Inspired Version, then to Whitmer. Unfortunately, I don't know where there are any primary source materials for his life. Hugh Stocks hstocks@vii.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 17:28:55 -0800 From: "Dennis Nelson" Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies Hugh, since you are an expert in BoM publications, how about a bio of Grandin, the publisher. Are there sources? Did he throughout his life think his publication of BoM was a fiasco, or the low point of his career, etc? - -----Original Message----- From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com [mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com]On Behalf Of Hugh Stocks Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 3:13 PM To: Matthew T. Wirthlin; lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies On 20 Mar 2001, at 11:11, Matthew T. Wirthlin wrote: [lots of good stuff snipped] > > There are many more that can be added to this list, especially women > and lesser known Saints. Who would you like to see a biography of? My favorite candidate for a bio has to be Ebenezer Robinson, the printer who was everywhere: involved in the Kirtland printing shop, partner to Don Carlos Smith in Nauvoo, kicked out of church printing by Joseph, went with Rigdon in 1844, then to RLDS, where he worked on the first printing of the Inspired Version, then to Whitmer. Unfortunately, I don't know where there are any primary source materials for his life. Hugh Stocks hstocks@vii.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 18:51:46 -0500 From: Cahoon_Doug@emc.com Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Joseph Smith Bio Thanks Joe! - --Doug > -----Original Message----- > From: Joe Geisner [SMTP:rbssman@hotmail.com] > Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 12:54 PM > To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com > Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Joseph Smith Bio > > Doug, > > I turned to Studies in Mormon History and Henry Caswall's "The Prophet of > the Nineteenth Century", 1843 was not listed as a bios for JSjr > > Here is the list from Allen, Walker, and Whittaker: > 1. C. Mackay, "The Mormons:or Latter-Day Saints + > 2. Lucy Smith, "Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet" > 3. E.W. Tullidge, "Life of Joseph the Prophet > 4. G.Q. Cannon "The Life of Joseph Smith the Prophet" > 5. T. Gregg, "The Prophet of Palmyra" > 6. I. W. Riley, "The Founder of Mormonism" > 7. H.M. Beardsley, "Joseph Smith and his Mormon Empire > 8. J.H. Evans, "Joseph Smith: An American Prophet" > 9. P. Nibley, "Joseph Smith, The Prophet" > 10. D. Chase, "Joseph Smith: As He Lives in the Hearts of his People"+ > 11.F.M. Brodie "No Man Knows My History" > 12. J. A. Widtsoe "Joseph Smith": Seeker After Truth, Prophet of God" > 13. H.L. Andrus "Joseph Smith, the Man and the Seer" > 14. J.J. Stewart, "Joseph Smith the Mormon Prophet" (this guy had two > other > books published that are listed, I believe they are the same book under > different title)+ > 15. Curtis & Farber, "The Making of a Prophet"+ > 16. C. Carmer, "The Farm Boy and the Angel" > 17. L. R. Hartshorn, "Joseph Smith, Prophet of the Restoration"+ > 18. D. Hill, "Joseph Smith, the First Mormon" > 19. F. Gibbons, "Joseph Smith: Martyr, Prophet of God" > 20. M.L. Draper, "The Founding Prophet, An Administrative History of > Joseph > Smith jr." > > Most of these I have heard of, four I own. I guess Bushman say's that at > least three of these do not qualify as full-length bios. Five with + I am > completely unfamiliar with. > > > >On Saturday, Richard Bushman mentioned that there have been 18 > full-length > >bios on Joseph Smith. He mentioned the first on published in 1843(?) > along > >with Brodie's, Hill's, Evans', and Cannon's. Anyone know the rest? > > > >--Doug > > _________________________________________________________________ > Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com > > > ---------------------------------------------------------- > - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books > - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with > - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. > - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 18:55:38 -0500 From: Cahoon_Doug@emc.com Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies Last word I heard was that it wouldn't be out for a few years, but he had sent some early chapters to Signature. This was over a year ago. - --Doug > -----Original Message----- > From: Matthew T. Wirthlin [SMTP:MTW@pyglaw.com] > Sent: Tuesday, March 20, 2001 11:12 AM > To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com > Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies > > 9. Is Scott Kenney still working, if ever, on a Joseph F. Smith bio? > - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 17:13:39 -0700 From: "Hugh Stocks" Subject: RE: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies On 20 Mar 2001, at 17:28, Dennis Nelson wrote: > Hugh, since you are an expert in BoM publications, how about a bio of > Grandin, the publisher. Are there sources? Did he throughout his life > think his publication of BoM was a fiasco, or the low point of his > career, etc? Sorry to say to both of your queries: "I don't know." I've seen almost nothing dealing with him, and what there is is in Peter Crawley's biblio. The info we have about the first printing comes from John Gilbert the typesetter/pressman who worked on the book. But maybe Rick has access to old newspaper sources there in the BOD which might cast light on the question... Hugh Stocks hstocks@vii.com - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 21:46:55 EST From: RickBook@aol.com Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies In a message dated 03/20/2001 6:13:56 PM Eastern Standard Time, hstocks@vii.com writes: << My favorite candidate for a bio has to be Ebenezer Robinson, the printer who was everywhere: involved in the Kirtland printing shop, partner to Don Carlos Smith in Nauvoo, kicked out of church printing by Joseph, went with Rigdon in 1844, then to RLDS, where he worked on the first printing of the Inspired Version, then to Whitmer. Unfortunately, I don't know where there are any primary source materials for his life. >> I would think that THE RETURN would be the best source (Flake 7090). Its early contents are an amazing source of early LDS history. Unfortunately, it is very rare, impossibly expensive, and I do not believe that it has been reprinted. I have only sold one example, Wes Walters' copy, shortly after his death. A few years ago, I sold a little Nauvoo imprint, a form of some kind - just a slip. Robinson's name was printed at the bottom as printer, and he had signed it as well, in whatever capacity the form was devised to handle. RG - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 21:58:04 EST From: RickBook@aol.com Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] The Return Aftern my post regarding Ebenezer Robinson's periodical, THE RETURN, I realized that I had a lengthy write-up in my Mormon List 50 (May 1995). This may be of help to those who are curious . . . [copied entry begins:] ". . . to [my] amazement [I] encountered John Taylor, one of the twelve Apostles, in a long white garment, with a white turban on his head, and a drawn sword in his hand . . ." 38 THE RETURN. "Truth, crushed to earth, shall rise again; The eternal years of God are hers." An UNBROKEN RUN of the COMPLETE FIRST PORTION - all twenty-six issues produced by founder Ebenezer Robinson. Davis City, Iowa, 1889-91 [I - II; III:1-2]. 22 cm. (first issue); 22.7 cm. (following issues). 384 (vols. I-II paged consecutively); 32 (vol. III:1-2) pages. Natural even browning of the wood pulp paper, but all pages in very good, unworn condition. Occasional passages have been underlined in ink, but very neatly, using a ruler. Bound up for an early owner in a single volume: maroon roan leather over black cloth boards; gilt-lettered spine. Spine very worn. On the front paste-down is a twentieth-century ownership signature of a woman from the HEDRICK Family. $4,500 Flake 7090. IMPORTANT and deliciously rare. I am aware of only seven individual issues appearing for sale in the last decade since I have been watching (Deseret Book Fine and Rare Books, Catalog Two, item 129: Vol. I, No. 1, $250; Grunder Mormon List Fourteen [1985], item 31: Vol. I, Nos. 1, 4-8, $675). Dale Morgan (Churches of the Dispersion, 55) devotes two full pages to his description of this periodical, beginning with these comments . . . "The Return was commenced in the interests of the Church of Christ by Ebenezer Robinson, and was published by him at Davis City until his death in January, 1891. The twenty-six numbers Robinson got out are especially valuable historically for the "Items of Personal History" Robinson printed; he went back over early Mormon history, and using the "History of Joseph Smith" as a framework, added his personal contribution to the written and unwritten record. This autobiography ran from April, 1889, to February, 1891. Robinson incidentally remarks in the first number of The Return that he left Nauvoo with Sidney Rigdon June 18, 1844, to build up a church in Pittsburgh, and remained with Rigdon till his organization failed. Robinson removed to Decatur County, Iowa, in 1855, and joined the Reorganized Church in 1863. He was finally baptized into the Church of Christ on April 13, 1888, by John C. Whitmer." TURN to a variety of Mormon scholars, and you will find them turning to The Return: Newell and Avery, Mormon Enigma, pp. 60, 318; Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, pp. 209, 279; Backman, The Heavens Resound, pp. 433, 451; Donna Hill, Joseph Smith, The First Mormon, pp. 341, 482. Ebenezer ROBINSON (b.1816) was baptized by Joseph Smith in 1835. It was he who produced the first issue of the Times and Seasons from his sick bed in November, 1839 (Donna Hill, p. 270), and who printed Emma Smith's 1841 hymnal. Small wonder, then, to learn the following from Dale Morgan: "The Return was printed monthly, the subscription price being $1 per year. Pagination was cumulative through the first two volumes (1-192, 193-384 pp.). Robinson was not only editor and publisher but printer, and the paper was abruptly suspended at his death. Vol. III, No. 2, February, 1891, is the last issue with his imprint." From the mysterious treasure-seeking trip to Salem in 1836 (D&C 111) and the dedication of the Kirtland Temple in Ohio, to events in Far West and Nauvoo, Ebenezer Robinson was there, and he chronicled events with details not found anywhere else. "We [i.e., I ] did not see the angel," he admits of the temple events, "but . . . tarried all night still waiting upon the Lord [April 30], and rejoicing in him. Some testified of having the visions of heaven opened to their view, others enjoyed the spirit of prophecy . . . For our part we did not have any of those gifts bestowed upon us on that occasion, but we rejoiced greatly, and felt to "praise the name of the Lord of hosts, because he was restoring to the children of men in these days the ancient order of things, and opening the way for the gathering of Israel." Thus we wrote in our journal at the time." [issue for June, 1889 (I:6), pp. 90-1] Here is Robinson's personal recollection of David W. PATTEN: "We [i.e., I] esteemed him very highly, as a good man, and loved him as such. He was brave to a fault. So much so, that he was styled and called, "Captain Fearnought." He seemed reckless of his life, as though it was scarce worth preserving. He had said to us [i.e., me], before there was any indication of a mob, or difficulty with the people of Missouri, "If I dare to do it, I could wish myself dead." We did not feel at liberty to ask him any reason for such a wish, but presume it was on account of those things transpiring in the church, as we did not know of his having any domestic or financial troubles." [issue for January, 1890 (II:1), p. 202] For one final example of the indispensible nature of this surprising historical source, here is a glance at comments Robinson offers to prove to the Reorganized Church that the temple ceremony did not originate with Brigham Young in Utah: "We [i.e., I] here state a few facts which came under our personal observation. As early as 1843 a secret order was established in Nauvoo, called the HOLY ORDER, the members of which were of both sexes, in which, we were credibly informed, scenes were enacted representing the garden of Eden, and that the members of that order were provided with a peculiar under garment called a robe. 'It was made in one piece. On the right breast is a square, on the left a compass, in the centre a small hole, and on the knee a large hole.' This was the description of that garment as given to the writer in Nauvoo, in Joseph Smith's life time. It was claimed that while they wore this "robe" no harm could befall them. . . . . . "One day in June, 1844, the 'Order' was in session from morning until evening. At the adjournment for dinner we saw Joseph Smith come from there, and again after dinner, he returned back to the same place, as in returning from dinner President Smith and the writer walked by ourselves, side by side in intimate conversation, but parted at the store. "Not long after parting with President Smith, wishing to speak with him, we [i.e., I] ran hastily up the stairs to call him out when to our amazement we encountered John Taylor, one of the twelve Apostles, in a long white garment, with a white turban on his head, and a drawn sword in his hand, evidently representing the 'cherubims and flaming sword which was placed at the east of the garden of Eden, to guard the tree of life.' He informed us Bro. Joseph was in the room. "Here, we understand, and firmly believe, the ceremony originated, as practiced in the endowment house in Utah . . ." [issue for April, 1890 (II:4), p.252] This is a one-time opportunity to acquire the complete Robinson run of this essentially unobtainable periodical; I cannot expect to have one for sale again. - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 03:05:52 GMT From: John Hatch Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] The Return Many thanks for posting this, Rick. As always, you're a fountain of fascinating information. Best, John > Aftern my post regarding Ebenezer Robinson's periodical, THE RETURN, I > realized that I had a lengthy write-up in my Mormon List 50 (May 1995). This > may be of help to those who are curious . . . > > - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 21 Mar 2001 03:13:26 GMT From: John Hatch Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] Mormon biographies I've really enjoyed this thread and am grateful to Matt for his informative post about the bio's in progress. I hadn't heard about more than half of them. If shelfers don't mind, I'd be very interested in seeing individual lists of what shelfers think the best biography on each church president is. For example, my list would look something like this: Joseph Smith the First Mormon Brigham Young: American Moses The Kingdom or Nothing (reprinted as The Last Pioneer) Things of Heaven and Earth Etc. - I stop the list here because it gets tough to pick good biographies beyond these first four presidents. What does everyone recommend? Thanks! John< - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Mar 2001 22:16:53 -0600 From: "Mick Reasor" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] The Return And here we have it from Rickbook himself, only slightly out of context, = that underlining in books is OK as long as one uses a ruler. Mick 22 cm. (first issue); 22.7 cm. (following issues). 384 (vols. I-II = paged=20 consecutively); 32 (vol. III:1-2) pages. Natural even browning of the = wood=20 pulp paper, but all pages in very good, unworn condition. Occasional=20 passages have been underlined in ink, but very neatly, using a ruler. - ---------------------------------------------------------- - - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------ End of lds-bookshelf-digest V1 #915 ***********************************