Walker made some good points – she ignored the MMM resources = in the church archives completely. McKell says that at an SLC book = signing she claimed there was no need for archival research since everything known about MMM = has been written elsewhere. This is the same sort of mentality that = led William Wise to think he could simply lock himself in a hotel room with = all the eastern press articles on MMM and produce a credible book. Or = maybe these guys don’t worry about fine points like trying to get it right as long as they = produce a book that sells well. The popular market is not the academic = market.

That, for me, would be a more = “ominous issue.”

-----Original = Message-----
From: = owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com [mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of RickBook@aol.com
Sent: Sunday, July 13, 2003 1:58 = PM
To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
Subject: Re: = [LDS-Bookshelf] Today's SL Trib

In a message dated = 7/13/2003 5:26:15 PM Eastern Standard Time, irwinkw@earthlink.net writes:

Denton is going to appear on CSPAN on July 19th and = they wanted some people who knew a bit about MMM to call in with some = questions using Ron Walker’s retort to her NYTimes article as a guide. Fortunately or unfortunately, the CSPAN piece was already taped, so = there won’t be any questions from callers, at least not from me.

Agreed. There are times when issues other than the content of a = book begin to loom more ominously than any errors said book could promulgate, = I think.

I found Turley’s response is interesting in a = lot of ways, only a few of which I will mention.

<= ![if = !supportEmptyParas]>

(1) In light of = the very negative assessment from FARMs re Todd Compton’s book, it is = interesting to note that Turley praises Todd’s book noting “the more = balanced analysis in Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness: The = Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, = 2001)”.

(2) While he = mentions the Stowell trial, he never discusses what the business relationship was = between Stowell and Joseph Smith.

(3) Turley = devotes a whole (albeit short) paragraph to a minor issue: Krakaeur wrote that “most” Latter Day = Saints eventually go to the Palmyra pageant. = Turley notes that this is not true; most of the LDS never do make it to the = pageant.

(4) Turley = denies Krakauer’s assertion that documents acquired from Mark Hofmann were = “squirreled away in a vault to keep them from the public eye”.

(5) I assume he = was describing Bagley’s book when he referred to “ recent = ballyhooed publications” on MM.

My own = opinion is that Krakauer’s book is problematic in many ways, even lurid, and not = sufficiently nuanced. Most reviewers = unfamiliar with Mormonism will not appreciate this, and will be, IMO, overly = favorable to the book. That said, it = does seem to me that Mormonism, and here I include all branches that accept the = Book of Mormon, does have a higher rate of this type of stuff than = Episcopalians, Unitarians, Quakers, Lutherans or Methodists. Perhaps this is just because I am most familiar with Mormonism. Very quickly, = I can think of the following instances:

1) The = MM

2) The = Laffertys

3) The LeBarons =

4) John Singer, = Adam Swapp

5) Jeffrey = Lundgren

6) = The guy who = kidnapped Elizabeth Smart

7) = Who was the guy who = jumped off a SL hotel in the 1970’s? Was he Mormon?

<= ![if = !supportEmptyParas]>

P= ersonally, I think there is a problem here, although clearly not to the extent = that Krakauer asserts. = Nevertheless, IMO, there is a problem, and rather than deny it, we should try to = overcome it.

<= ![if = !supportEmptyParas]>

M= ark Edlund

<= ![if = !supportEmptyParas]>

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Irwin [mailto:irwinkw@earthlink.net]
Sent: Sunday, July 13, = 2003 4:25 PM
To: lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com
Subject: RE: = [LDS-Bookshelf] Today's SL Trib

I got an e-mail = from the regional public affairs office noting that two books were being = released that might prompt inquiries from the news media. One was = Krakauer’s book. The other was Sally Denton’s AN AMERICAN = MASSACRE=

Krakauer’s= book seems to be of more concern. It is apparently on a lot of = newspapers’ summer reading lists. The Church’s rebuttal can be found at: = . http://www.lds.org/newsroom/extra/0,15505,4028-1---2-748,00.html=

Denton is going = to appear on CSPAN on July 19^th and they wanted some people who knew a = bit about MMM to call in with some questions using Ron Walker’s = retort to her NYTimes article as a guide. Fortunately or unfortunately, the = CSPAN piece was already taped, so there won’t be any questions from callers, = at least not from me.

I just started = reading Denton and am finding it somewhat disappointing. When I finish, = I’ll post more.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com [mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Edlund, Mark J
Sent: Sunday, July 13, = 2003 8:09 AM
To: = 'lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com'
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] = Today's SL Trib

Today’s Salt Lake Tribune has a piece written by the Jon Krakauer, responding = to the church’s comments on his book. Also they print excerpts of = the comments of Richard Turley, managing = director of the church's Family and Church History = Department, and Michael Otterson, director of media relations for the = church.=

The book seems to be generating a fair amount of interest. Part of it is = being excerpted in the current GQ. It has been mentioned by or reviewed = by national newspapers such as USA Today. In fact, the person who = wrote the summer book section for USA Today said that it was the book he or she = was most looking forward to reading this summer. It was also reviewed in = the most recent Outside Magazine. So far all of the national reviews I = have seen were positive.

= =

&nb= sp; Somewhere I read that the first printing was 350,000, so obviously this = one is never going to be collectible.=

= =

&nb= sp; Mark Edlund

I suspect = Pentecostal religions provide more fodder for extremist groups and in actual numbers = they may have more incidences of extreme, irrational, and violent activities = than Mormonism has ever spawned. I can think of two big examples, = the Waco = and the Bob Jones groups. There was some group in Europe = not to long ago that were paranoid and violent but their name escapes me who also = were committing suicide.

I find it hard to understand that = the concept of plural marriage by itself causes abhorrent and vicious behavior. There has to be many other factors in the brew to cause = this type of psycho behavior.

BTW I am really happy to see Todd Compton’s book receive some = praise from some of the ‘A” historians of the Church. FARMS = was very unfair in their review of his book. I thought they even trashed = him personally; insinuating that he had his own agenda in writing the = book.

Phil

I = found Turley’s response is interesting in a lot of ways, only a few of = which I will mention.

(1) In light of = the very negative assessment from FARMs re Todd Compton’s book, it is = interesting to note that Turley praises Todd’s book noting “the more = balanced analysis in Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001)”.

(2) While he = mentions the Stowell trial, he never discusses what the business relationship was = between Stowell and Joseph Smith.

(3) Turley = devotes a whole (albeit short) paragraph to a minor issue: Krakaeur wrote that “most” Latter Day Saints eventually go to the Palmyra pageant. Turley notes that this is not true; most of the LDS never = do make it to the pageant.

(4) Turley denies Krakauer’s assertion that documents acquired from Mark Hofmann = were “squirreled away in a vault to keep them from the public eye”.

(5) I assume he = was describing Bagley’s book when he referred to “ recent = ballyhooed publications” on MM.

<= /font>

My own opinion is that Krakauer’s book is problematic in many ways, = even lurid, and not sufficiently nuanced. Most reviewers unfamiliar = with Mormonism will not appreciate this, and will be, IMO, overly favorable = to the book. That said, it does seem to me that Mormonism, and here I = include all branches that accept the Book of Mormon, does have a higher rate of = this type of stuff than Episcopalians, Unitarians, Quakers, Lutherans or Methodists. Perhaps this is just because I am most familiar with Mormonism. Very quickly, I can think of the following = instances:

<= /font>

1) The = MM

2) The = Laffertys

3) The LeBarons =

4) John Singer, = Adam Swapp

5) Jeffrey = Lundgren

6) The guy who = kidnapped Elizabeth Smart

7) Who was the = guy who jumped off a SL hotel in the 1970’s? Was he = Mormon?

Personally, I think there is a problem here, although clearly not to the extent that = Krakauer asserts. Nevertheless, IMO, there is a problem, and rather than = deny it, we should try to overcome it.

Mark = Edlund

I got an e-mail from the regional public affairs office noting that two books = were being released that might prompt inquiries from the news media. One was Krakauer’s book. The other was Sally Denton’s AN = AMERICAN MASSACRE

Krakauer’s book seems to be of more concern. It is apparently on a lot of newspapers’ summer reading lists. The Church’s = rebuttal can be found at: . http://www.lds.org/newsroom/extra/0,15505,4028-1---2-748,00.html

Denton is going to appear on CSPAN on July 19^th and they wanted some = people who knew a bit about MMM to call in with some questions using Ron Walker’s retort to her NYTimes article as a guide. = Fortunately or unfortunately, the CSPAN piece was already taped, so there won’t = be any questions from callers, at least not from me.

I just started reading Denton and am finding it somewhat disappointing. = When I finish, I’ll post more.

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com [mailto:owner-lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com] On Behalf Of Edlund, Mark J
Sent: Sunday, July 13, = 2003 8:09 AM
To: 'lds-bookshelf@lists.xmission.com'
Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] = Today's SL Trib

Today’s Salt Lake Tribune has a piece written by the Jon Krakauer, responding to = the church’s comments on his book. Also they print excerpts of = the comments of Richard Turley, managing director of the church's Family and Church = History Department, and Michael = Otterson, director of media relations for the church.

&nbs= p; Somewhere I read that the first printing was 350,000, so obviously this = one is never going to be collectible.

&nbs= p; Mark Edlund