Q&A with Don Smith and Mark Austin, authors of Bring Them to Zion: The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues August 04 2025

Greg Kofford Books recently chatted with Don H Smith and Mark C. Austin, creators of Bring Them to Zion: The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues, about their experiences in writing and editing the book.

Greg Kofford Books: What initially drew each of you to dedicate years of your lives to researching and compiling information about the 1856 handcart companies?

Don Smith: Family history drew me to the 1856 handcart emigration because my children are descendants of James G. Willie, the captain of the fourth company. Three of my ancestors were members of the Walker Wagon Train that carried extra luggage belonging to members of the Willie company who had money to pay for the transport of their extra luggage that could not be carried on the carts.   

Mark Austin: I knew that if I didn’t volunteer to help Don, the publishing of the results of his many years of research and experimentation would be lost; it would never be published in our lifetimes. I could not stand to let that happen; all of the work that had been done would just disappear. Don was always driven to check out “one more thing” or to try “another handcart experiment.” He was not going to stop and prepare his work for publication. He was not getting any younger. I have been helping him prepare the book for publication for five years.

GKB: Your preface mentions the challenging editing process to “whittle down a mountain of information to a single book.” What was the most difficult aspect of this process?

Mark: I volunteered to help Don prepare his manuscript to be published. He consented. Little did I know what my volunteering would lead to. Here was a mountain of information that needed to be whittled down to form a single book. That process was at times particularly painful, especially for Don, cutting out parts that he had a close attachment to and had spent so much time gathering. After making painful cuts, there were immediately more cuts to be made. When the publisher recommended making even more cuts, I was hesitant but eventually agreed that they should be made. There were many details related to the preparation and execution of the trek that ended up only being summarized in the book. There was such a large amount of detailed information of people, events, and construction experiments that was deleted; that was painful. One deletion was a chapter containing the stories of those who chose to stop in Florence and what happened to them. Fortunately, much of the information that was cut from the original manuscript was able to be salvaged and formed the basis of a separate self-published book (We Are Going to Zion: Pioneers of the Willie Handcart Company). That book contains stories of the members of the Willie Handcart Company. Those stories cover the time before, during, and after the pioneer trek.

GKB: The book aims to clarify “erroneous misconceptions” and “questionable claims” surrounding the 1856 handcart emigration. Could you elaborate on one or two of the most significant misunderstandings you sought to correct, particularly concerning the organization and leadership of the companies?

Don: One gets the impression from printed accounts that the main leaders of the fourth handcart company were ignorant, inexperienced, uncaring individuals otherwise they would have stayed in Florence during the winter. Millen Atwood had crossed the planes four times and Willie two times. Willie had encountered winter weather on September sixth 1847 in the same area where many of his company died in October 1856. Both men had spent the winter in the Florence area during 1846 and were aware of the many people who were buried on the hill above (Winter Quarters cemetery), during that stay. They did not want a repeat performance, knowing they had not the shelter, clothing, or food supplies needed for such a stay.  

Mark: When something goes wrong, people are quick to assign blame. Sometimes circumstances align that lead to unfortunate results, where no one is at fault. I believe that is the case with the suffering of Willie and Martin handcart companies and their associated leadership. If a few things had been different, the end result would have been entirely different—contracting all of the handcarts to be made using dry hubs, not losing 30 oxen in a thunderstorm, better weather, reliable rail service. The leaders were doing their best—they didn’t have all the best answers. There were many causes of delay, some that they had no control over; others it was a learning process—not negligence.

Who were these men, and what were their strengths and devotion? They were honest, intelligent, experienced, trusted, dedicated leaders at every level. They were faithfully committed to follow their leaders and dedicated to the gathering to Zion process. They deserve praise not criticism. When you examine the handcart emigration operation, the need was clear for unity and dedication to the objective of the gathering of Israel. 

• Daniel Spencer had considerable experience—mayor of Nauvoo, stake president in Salt Lake City (where he also handled civil disputes), counselor in the European Mission Presidency. He effectively used delegation.
• Franklin D. Richards was responsible for organizing and executing the emigration in Europe, gathering of funds for the PEF [Perpetual Emigrating Fund], second time being the European Mission President.
• James G. Willie—respected by those in his charge, demonstrated by testimonials given to him by the Saints on the Thornton and by the ship’s captain and doctor.
• John Taylor—church leader of the eastern part of the United States. His was a voice of reason and practicality. He stated, “Men differ in their judgment in many things, and he that does the best that’s in his power, does well; angels can do no more.”

There were many other dedicated agents at every station, helping the PEF Saints and also the “regular and through” emigrants. They were not in the game for monetary gain.

Why were the tents not ready when the pioneers arrived at the Iowa City camp. In a letter from the Liverpool office to Daniel Spencer, the outfitter at Iowa City Camp, Franklin D. Richards said, “I was unable for the reason named in my last to give Brother Willie a plan to make the tents by. He will therefore merely cut the material into lengths on the passage and deliver it to you in that manner.”

An important point often missed in studies on the handcart emigration is that Brigham Young requested tradesmen from among the emigrants’ ranks to make the carts as a cost-saving measure. Many authors write about the problems of using green wood in the construction of the handcart because they were in such a hurry. They fail to state where the green wood was used. Green wood was used to make some of the hubs of the handcarts. Green wood was not used because of haste, but because Brigham Young instructed them to use green wood for the hubs: “Drive the spokes in bracing while the hub is green so it will tighten while seasoning, the same as chairs are made—line the inside of the hub with good sole leather for boxes.”

Undoubtedly, Young did not anticipate that the green hubs would tighten on the axle as they cured and continue to crack as they did so, thus defeating the very tightening of the spokes which he sought. The shrinking hubs caused the wheels to move away from the shoulder of the axle. This created open passageways for the entry of dirt. When the dirt was added to the grease, the mixture appeared to mimic a valve-grinding compound and facilitated increased wear. The shrinking hubs also drew the spokes away from their place in the rim causing the wheels to become loose and weak.

Some claim that the camp leaders were unaware that two more ships were coming with pioneers, to be in the later handcart companies. They claimed that their unexpected arrival required the camp workers to hurriedly build more handcarts using green wood and arrange for supplies and cattle for those two handcart companies. That was not true; they were expected. Everyone in Salt Lake City who had access to the Deseret News knew when and how many were coming in the last two ships—Thornton and Horizon. Daniel Spencer wrote a letter on June 19, 1856, to Brigham Young, detailing the number of emigrants coming across the Atlantic (published in the Deseret News, August 6, 1856).

GKB: Mark, how did your personal experiences, such as serving as a missionary at the Mormon Handcart Historic Sites or your great-great-grandfather being James G. Willie, influence your approach to researching and presenting this historical narrative?

Mark: While serving at the Handcart Historic Sites in Wyoming, I became very familiar with the area of Sixth Crossing, Rocky Ridge, and Rock Creek Hollow. I realized there were numerous conflicting stories of the handcart struggles, both what happened and where it happened. The details of some of the stories did not make logical sense to me, including where events took place. I was motivated to learn what the facts were, and I wanted to help clarify them. Working on this book allowed me to gain additional knowledge about who did what and what the result was, and helped me to gain a clearer view of what really took place.

GKB: The book delves into the factors causing delays for the handcart companies. Beyond the well-known challenges, what lesser-understood issues, such as specific economic conditions, cartels, or unforeseen weather phenomena, significantly impacted the emigration’s timeline?

Don: In the published accounts, little mention is made of many important details that faced the leaders of the 1856 handcart companies. The instructions for the use of handcarts in the 1856 emigration plan were late arriving at church headquarters in Europe. This did not allow the European leaders with sufficient time to overcome the challenges that were needed to carry out the project in a timely period. Because of the emigration debts of the previous year, little or no money was sent from Utah to pay for the 1856 emigration, and the shortened time frame made it difficult to raise the needed funds locally as needed. The ships required to bring veterans home at the close of the Crimean War reduced the availability of ships for emigration purposes. Severe weather caused both the delay of ocean shipping and the loss of vessels both on the ocean and on American rivers which made planning difficult. The loss of river boats and the heavy demand for transport caused the shippers to form cartels and rase prices. 

Mark: The late arrival of the letter to Mission Office in England, informing them of the handcart system, delayed the early efforts of informing potential candidates of the new system and requirements, affected the selection of emigrants, and hindered the selecting and contracting of sailing ships.

Availability of money was a major issue. There was a lot of pressure to reduce expenses. Because of that, the Saints were expected to build/assemble many of the handcarts at the Iowa City Camp. They ended up economizing by assembling about half of the carts (200) and building some of the parts; the time required for that major work contributed significantly to the delays; it took significant time that was not available. There was competition with other wagon trains for animals and supplies which affected their costs and availability. Severe weather also affected the supply, cost, and delivery of the animals. These factors delayed their readiness to begin the trek.

Disruption in new, unreliable railroad service delayed timely arrival of supplies and equipment and slowed personnel travel required to conduct business transactions. The new route with an additional outfitter site, selecting a new appropriate campsite and building necessary facilities, a new method of trekking, and new suppliers all contributed to delays

The Willie Company lost 30 oxen during a thunderstorm where stampeding buffaloes took them away. Those oxen were needed to pull the supply wagons. A few days were lost looking for the oxen. They ended up using other weaker beef cattle and milk cows to pull the supply wagons which resulted in slower travel. The total effect of losing the oxen may have been a loss of about two weeks; otherwise, they may have been able to reach Ft. Bridger by the time they were rescued.

GKB: You highlight Brigham Young’s initial handcart design and later adjustments. What were the key flaws in the original design that became apparent during the 1856 emigration, and how were these addressed in subsequent plans?

Mark: The first year was considered to be an experiment with the handcarts, as to what would work best. The major design flaw turned out to be using green wood to make the hubs. As the hubs dried, they caused critical problems: binding of the hub and axle spindle (making lubricants ineffective), pulling the wheel away from the axle shoulder (allowing dirt to enter between the hub and spindle which allowed grinding away of the axle spindle), pulling the spokes away from the rims (making the wheel loose and weak). All of the handcarts did not have the same problem as the handcarts made with hubs of green wood, in particular, the ones built in St. Louis most likely were made with seasoned wood. The following years, the instruction was to make the hubs with seasoned wood. The hubs were to have cast iron sleeves and the axles were to have iron or steel tapered thimbles. These changes eliminated the 1856 problems. In 1856, Brigham Young instructed the Saints to build their own handcarts. The following years, the construction of the handcarts were contracted out. In future years, the very aged and infirm were transported in wagons of a separate train.

GKB: The journey from Liverpool to Salt Lake City involved multiple stages and various Church agents. Can you describe the logistical challenges faced by European Church leaders in gathering and preparing emigrants from diverse regions like the British Isles and Scandinavia for this complex undertaking?

Don: The late arrival in Europe of the handcart plan and its numerous unknowns caused many of the selected Saints to decline the emigration which then forced the leaders to find replacements on short notice This problem caused spending extra time in the mission office and in some cases slowed down the process. The replacements who were found had still shorter time available to get ready. Those who were selected and accepted had to end their employment and sell their homes and belongings; at that point there was no turning back. A new Scandinavian mission president who was unfamiliar with emigration was thrown into the mix. To make matters worse he was not familiar with the language. Many of the emigrants were illiterate which meant all instructions had to be made in person. Some of the emigrants had to be accompanied to their departure points by their leaders.

Mark: The contents of the handcart assignment letter were first presented to the British Saints in the December 22, 1855, edition of the Millennial Star with requirements for the 1856 emigration. After its publication, the European Church leaders had twelve weeks to plan for this new mode of emigration, to meet the stated frontier departure date. Ship contracts had to be made for shipping the emigrants with a specified number of people. There was only a short time available to let emigrants know of their selection and of sailing times. The amount of money the European Mission leaders could raise determined how many emigrants could participate. As part of their instructions, leaders were requested to send forward some of the poorest European Saints who had been in the Church for fifteen years or longer but had been unable to emigrate earlier. These impoverished Saints could provide little to help finance their own passage. Raising funds for the Perpetual Emigrating Fund was dependent on the leaders in England

Local leadership (mission presidents; conference leaders; and branch leaders, who were generally missionaries) coordinated with the Mission leadership in Liverpool via telegraph and made lists of the Saints who had been selected to emigrate. Information was passed to local leaders to keep proposed emigrates apprised of their status, the requirements and needed preparations pertaining to emigration, and the timing of sailing. An emigration circular detailed the steps to be taken by the English emigrants in preparation for their journey. Local leaders then passed information to leaders in Liverpool regarding the circumstances of the proposed emigrants, including their financial situation and readiness, and provided letters of recommendation for the emigrants, stating that they were members of good standing. A short time before  sailing, sometimes just a week, the proposed emigrants received notice that they were expected to report to Liverpool. Local leaders kept watch over the emigrants’ preparations for departure, including the selling of their possessions (homes, furniture, and other items) to help fund their journey to Zion, and they would coordinate a collection of money to help fund the emigrants’ travel expenses. In addition, these leaders would also often shepherd the emigrants for some part of their travels to Liverpool. 

Extra attention was given to the Scandinavian Saints. By February 16, 1856, leaders in Denmark were making lists of Saints who intended to emigrate. On April 11, a telegram was sent to Hector C. Haight (the new Scandinavian Mission president), informing him that the Thornton had, that day, been engaged and was scheduled to sail on the second or third of May for New York. That same day, an emigration circular was also sent from the Liverpool office to President Haight. The circular detailed the steps to be taken by the English emigrants in preparation for their journey; it may not have been completely applicable for the Scandinavians.

Apostle Richards gave Haight instructions regarding the route of travel and timing to arrive at Liverpool and requested that he telegraph the Liverpool office immediately after the passengers left Copenhagen and update the Liverpool office during the journey. He was also requested to send a list of all the emigrants, stating their names, ages, occupations, sex, and nationalities, and to immediately notify the Liverpool office if any changes in the list should occur. Upon receiving the information from the Liverpool office, Haight sent letters to local leaders informing them that the emigrants must arrive in Copenhagen by April 20. Finally, Haight went to the pier on April 23 to see the Saints off on a steamer. When the Liverpool office was notified that the Scandinavian Saints were on their way, the British government’s emigration office was immediately informed of the pending arrival of these emigrants and of their intention to transport them to Liverpool en route for the United States, thus avoiding import duties. Two elders of the Liverpool office staff met the Scandinavian Saints as they arrived by ship and escorted them to where lodging arrangements had been made until the time for boarding the Thornton.

GKB: The narratives include both positive and negative contemporary accounts from emigrants. How did you balance these differing perspectives to present a comprehensive and nuanced view of the handcart experience?

Don: In my research I found memory accounts written by members of the Willie and other companies that cover the same event but give different versions of the same happening. If they were written years after the event took place, I put more faith in the ones that were presented closer to the event because age, experiences, and the influence of others tend to make changes in stories. My access to contemporary newspapers and many other local resources also helped me to choose. The background of the individual writers involved also played a role in the choices.   

Mark: The most trusted sources of historical information come from contemporary writings at the time of the event or shortly after. These include personal journals and other writings. Several years or many years after an event, some writers’ memories may start to fade and become mixed with suspect information from others. There are some writers who became separated from Church fellowship and others were excommunicated. Their memories sometimes were shaded by unkind feeling toward Church members and the Church, sometimes causing them to have a biased view of what happened in the past. Stories from pioneers who were young children during the trek had faint actual memories of the events. As the children grew older, their memories became combined with stories that they heard from others, which resulted in faulty combined memories of past events. Many of these stories resulted in family hand-me-down stories that are cherished family memories. These stories are great for families, but they may not make good sources for history. In many cases, they contradict stories from other families. So, what do you do? You seek and select the most trusted sources of information available, and give less credibility to faulty information sources.

GKB: The question of whether the companies should have continued from Florence or wintered there is a central theme. Based on your research, what were the most
compelling, perhaps overlooked, arguments for continuing the journey, despite the
known risks?

Mark: Answering the question of whether the handcart companies should have continued on or should have stopped depends on many points of view. As time continues, the perspective tends to change. The Church leadership associated with the outfitting site in Florence were familiar with the physical and spiritual dangers that existed in that region for the handcart pioneers, if they were to remain. Those dangers were related to apostate influences and to the anti-Mormon sentiment there and also to the political unrest that was caused by the current hostile slavery environment. Also, what were the conditions in general to sustain them if they stayed—food, clothing, shelter, support groups, and employment? These conditions were bleak, especially for the large number of pioneers involved.

As the trek continued, the pain and suffering were huge. The quick action of Brigham Young and the immediate response of volunteers and contribution of supplies from the Valley Saints made the difference between life or death to most of the individuals in the two handcart companies. The view of the ordeal at the time was great suffering, death of dear ones, despair, and bitterness. At the end of the trek, there was considerable finger-pointing and blame being passed around for the disaster; it even continues to this day. As time continued, many had lasting physical disabilities and suffered due the loss of family members. Later, the survivors and their families were blessed because of the strength of their convictions; still later their posterities were strengthened.

We know what happened to many of those who stopped in the Florence area. Some stopped who were ill and elderly; those decisions probably preserved their lives; some of them came to the Valley later. The ones who stopped had trials and suffering themselves—surviving the best they could as they pursued shelter, clothing, food supply, and employment and dealt with severe weather; some dealt with breaking up of family and early deaths. Had all the handcart pioneers stopped in the Florence area, those difficulties would have been greatly magnified for such a great number. Many did continue on to the Valley in the following year and later, but there were many who did not. Those who stopped and remained chose a variety of paths different from their original plans, affecting them and their posterity. 
 
The blessings that resulted from the struggles of those handcart pioneers have continued to grow with the passage of time. Many today are thankful that those pioneers continued on their trek. The beginning objective was to gather those European Saints to Zion. Among those of the Willie Company who stopped (about 80), only thirty-nine are known to have come west. Brigham Young’s counsel was, “God requires us to help these out, and bring them to Zion.” That did not happen for those who stopped in the Florence area and then remained.

GKB: The book details the significant loss of life during the trek, particularly on Rocky Ridge. What specific circumstances and challenges converged on those “most disastrous days” that led to such a high mortality rate?

Don: As we study the 1856 Willie Handcart Company’s experience, some events require additional careful analysis. A noted observation relates to Levi Savage who joined the company in Florence, Nebraska. Perhaps his experiences, in the Mormon Battalion, made him try to convince the company not to cross the plains to Utah so late in the season. He suggested the tribulations the company would encounter on their journey if they should continue. Students of the company’s history find his predictions came true; however, they fail to notice that his personal actions helped his predictions to be realized. Perhaps, because of his background in the Mormon Battalion, Levi Savage was placed in charge of the company’s wagon supply train. When any company arrived in the plain’s buffalo country, wagon leaders were told, by early church leaders, to tie up their draft animals. Levi Savage went off hunting buffalo instead of seeing to the proper care of the draft oxen under his charge (tying them up). He left their charge to inexperienced emigrants under his leadership, and in a thunderstorm many of their draft animals ran off with the buffalo. This forced the emigrants to spend valuable days searching for the lost animals, which were never found. Their beef animals and milk cows were forced to become draft animals, and much of their food and other supplies were loaded on the handcarts because the weight of the wagons was too much for the weaker untrained animals to pull. The rate of travel was much slower which took them longer before they met the rescuers. The extra weight on the handcarts placed extra strain on the pioneers which caused them to burn up additional calories.  They were already on reduced daily rations which made the problem worse. Their reduction in food, summer clothing, extra work in drawing heavier laden carts, and an uphill climb in a snow storm offered ideal conditions for their demise.

Mark: By the time that the Willie Handcart Company pioneers were rescued at Sixth Crossing, many were near death’s door. They were exhausted, starving, and freezing. Many were not able to recover even though they were “rescued.” As they continued moving the next couple of days, the severe weather and difficult traveling condition helped seal their fate. As the rescuer Daniel Webster Jones stated when he and other rescuers reached Sixth Crossing, “They reported their company in a starving condition that would stir the feelings of the hardest heart. They were in a poor place, the storm having caught them where fuel was scarce. They were out of provisions and really freezing and starving to death. The morning after our arrival nine were buried in one grave. We did all we could to relieve them. Soon there was an improvement in camp, but many poor, faithful people had gone too far—had passed beyond the power to recruit. Our help came too late for some and many died after our arrival.”

GKB: In articles written about James G. Willie over the years, his middle name has had two different spellings—Gray and Grey. Which one is correct?

Mark: When selecting the spelling of a person’s name, I give preference to the spelling used in the earliest available record of that person, usually the christening record. For James G. Willie, his earliest known record was created at his christening. He was christened on 15 January 1821. On that record his name is given as James Gray Willie.

GKB: How would you expect James G. Willie to feel about your book?

Mark: On January 10, 1879, James G. Willie sent a letter to then President John Taylor. This was shortly after Brigham had passed away; apparently Brigham Young did not favor public discussions about the tragedies of the two handcart companies.

James G. Willie wrote, “Reading in the Salt Lake Herald a statement purporting to be an account of the travels of the fourth Handcart Compy from Liverpool to Salt Lake City in 1856, over which I had the honor to preside, I thought I would write you; for the priveledge of giving a full and correct statement of its travels and sufferings that if thought proper, it could be inserted in ‘Church History’ or published as you may deem advisable. Many years has transpired since that eventual year, and as I am fast approaching three Score and ten years I should like to leave on record a true statement of events and scenes, that then transpired, and of which I was an eye Witness; as a correct statement has never been written.”

I am not sure what John Taylor’s response was to James G. Willie’s letter. I believe that James G. Willie would be pleased with our book, and would feel that it provided a good insight into what happened before the trek, on the trek, and the conditions associated with the trek. Hopefully, he would feel that the book met his desire to “leave on record a true statement of events and scenes, that then transpired.” Note that he states, “a correct statement has never been written.”

Bring Them to Zion: The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues is available in both paperback and ebook.

Preview Imagining and Reimagining the Restoration July 23 2025

Imagining and Reimagining the Restorations

by Robert A. Rees 

Stephen C. LeSueur. January 6, 1952 – July 1, 2025 July 22 2025

An editor's dream is a solid manuscript with flowing prose and in need of only a copy edit. Stephen C. LeSueur fulfilled my dreams not only once, but twice. Entering the Mormon Studies scene with his award-winning 1987 study, The 1838 Mormon War in Missouri, which was one of the first major works to highlight the complicated and often mutually violent conflicts between Mormons and their Missouri neighbors, Steve returned in 2023 with another exploration of violence involving a Mormon community, but this time something a little more personal.

Life and Death on the Mormon Frontier: The Murders of Frank LeSueur and Gus Gibbons by the Wild Bunch is one of the most captivating books on Mormon history that I have worked on (or even read). At its face value, it's Wild West history investigating the murders of Steve's ancestors by members of Butch Cassidy's Wild Bunch and what followed. However, it is much more than that. Although Steve was no longer a believing Latter-day Saint, Life and Death is a powerful, sympathetic, and insightful study on the faith that led Mormon settlers to establish a community in the barren desert of Arizona and how that same faith informed their response to this violence—even contributing to the eventual building of the Mesa Arizona Temple.

Then, about a year ago, Steve reached out to me to ask if we would be interested in following that up with a novel he had recently finished. While I very much liked the idea of working with him again, a large novel was outside of what we normally do, and so I initially pointed him to other publishers that might be a better fit. (We have published a pair of graphic novels and some news editions of nineteenth-century dime novels, but those were more Mormon studies related.) Unfortunately, within a few months after this, Steve informed me that his cancer had returned. To be honest, because I had so much valued my previous experience working with him and knew that his writing wouldn't require too much labor on our end, I chose to take on the novel as a favor to make sure that it would be out in time for him to see it in print—on condition that the manuscript (which I had yet to read) didn't have anything objectionable.

Once I began reading, I couldn't put it down. I finished the 300+ page manuscript in less than two days and knew that we had to publish it. In a melding of Richard Dutcher's God's Army and Levi Peterson's The Backslider, Every Man a Prophet takes place in the Norwegian Mission in the 1970s and is informed by Steve's own time serving there as a young elder, but the foundational missionary experience he captures felt like it could have come out of the much warmer and later experiences I had in Hawaii at the turn of the millennium. (Apparently the Mormon missionary experience transcends both time and space.) Mirroring the Steve I had come to know and just like his previous book with us, Every Man a Prophet is brilliantly smart, compassionate, sympathetic, and brimming with love for the religious community he knew well. Thankfully, because of Steve's talents as a writer, we were able to push his manuscript through with record speed, and I am happy to know that he was able to hold finished copies in his hand and even sign a dozen of them.

A few weeks ago, the Man Upstairs (aka Greg Kofford) told me that he we needed to find out how to get Every Man in more hands because he thought it could change lives for the better. I couldn't agree more.

The world would be a better and kinder place with more people like Stephen C. LeSueur in it, and sadly there is now one less.

Loyd Isao Ericson
Managing Editor

Preview Bring Them to Zion: The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues June 27 2025

Bring Them to Zion:
The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues

by Don H Smith with the assistance of Mark C. Austin 

Bring Them to Zion: The 1856 Handcart Emigration Organization, Leadership, and Issues offers a deeply researched and meticulously documented account of one of the most ambitious and controversial episodes in Latter-day Saint pioneer history. Drawing on original sources and archival materials, the authors reconstruct the organizational challenges and decision-making processes that led to the infamous 1856 handcart migration. This emigration effort, driven by faith and constrained by logistics, sought to bring impoverished European converts across the American plains with minimal resources—relying on handcarts instead of ox-drawn wagons. The book details how unforeseen weather, financial limitations, logistical miscalculations, and divided leadership all coalesced into tragedy for many participants.

Going beyond recounting events, Bring Them to Zion examines the motivations, planning, and execution behind the handcart experiment, and it explores the differences and cooperation between Church leaders in Utah, Europe, and the eastern United States, and investigates the internal politics and systemic missteps that affected thousands of emigrants. The narrative sheds new light on Brigham Young’s vision, the administrative roles of Franklin D. Richards and other key figures, and the broader context of mid-19th century transatlantic and frontier migration. This work is essential reading for anyone interested in Mormon history, American religious movements, or the broader story of westward expansion.

Limited Signed Editions Available from Kofford June 24 2025

Most of the volumes offered by Greg Kofford Books are available in paperback. Some are only available in hardcover. Many have an option to select either. There are a few books, however, that have additional editions available.

Whenever you are browsing our website, be sure to click the dropdown arrow under the heading of "Cover" on each book your are looking at. The available paperback and/or hardcover variants will be listed there, but occasionally you might find more options, such as "paperback - signed copy," "paperback binding error 10% off," or "paperback shelf-worn 10% off." (Note that some hardcovers are available in these categories as well.)

We recently had many of our titles on display at the Mormon History Association Conference, so we had most of the Kofford authors in attendance drop by our table and sign copies of their books. These books are available while supplies last at no additional charge. Just select the "signed copy" from the dropdown menu.

If you are looking to save a few dollars and care more about reading rather than displaying your books, we have a few "scratch 'n' dent" volumes show up from time to time that we make available for 10% off of the list price. These will have strange binding errors, or shelf wear like bent covers, dented pages, or scuff marks, but are otherwise intact and readable. (All sales are final for books in these categories.)

Please note that due to a glitch currently on our website, specialized inventory like our signed, shelf-worn, or binding error books will still show up after they are sold out, only to be removed from your cart when you go to pay. We apologize for any inconvenience that this might cause.

Supplies of all of these unique editions are strictly limited, so order yours today!

Report from MHA 2025 June 10 2025

The 60th Annual Conference of the Mormon History Association was held June 5–8, 2025, at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah, and had a theme this year of Junctions and Communities.

Greg Kofford Books sponsored tables at MHA to showcase our many books in the field of Mormon Studies, and our staff had a chance to attend many of the sessions.

Eleven Kofford authors presented during the conference, and several more attended the event (and dropped by our tables to sign books).

Positioned at the corner of two main hallways, the Greg Kofford Books tables attracted quite a bit of attention from conference attendees. We had over six dozen of our titles on display (along with another dozen we couldn’t squeeze onto our tables). The best-selling titles at the conference were:

1. Fire and Sword: A History of the Latter-day Saints in Northern Missouri, 1836-39

2. I, Claudia: The Life of Claudia Lauper Bushman in Her Own Words

3. The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon's Missing Stories

4. Every Man a Prophet

5. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations

6. The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compared with the Earliest Known Manuscripts

7. Come Up Hither to Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering

8. Saints, Slaves & Blacks

9. The Garden of Enid, Part 1

10. The Garden of Enid, Part 2

Kofford Authors Presenting at MHA 2025 May 29 2025

Have a favorite Kofford author? You might be able to hear them present at the 60th Annual Conference of the Mormon History Association next week. Held June 5–8, 2025, at the Ogden Eccles Conference Center in Ogden, Utah, the conference has a theme this year of Junctions and Communities in honor of the history of Ogden, nicknamed “Junction City” when it became the connecting point between numerous railroad lines. Below are the Kofford authors who will be participating at the conference. (And if you are attending, please be sure to stop by the Greg Kofford Books table and browse our titles!)

Thomas G. Alexander will be honored (and comment) in Session 1A: “Thomas G. Alexander and His Contribution to MHA and Mormon History” (Ballroom B, 10:30 AM – Noon Friday). Thomas taught at Brigham Young University for four decades, where he was the Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr. Professor of Western American History and director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies. He is the author of several books, including Mormonism in Transition.

Reid L. Neilson will present “The Incarceration of Latter-day Saint Polygamists at Home, 1879–1887” during Session 1F: “Being Subject: The Crossroads of Religion and Law” (Meeting Room 203, 10:30 AM – Noon, Friday). An assistant academic vice president at BYU, Reid previously served as Assistant Church Historian and Recorder for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the managing director of the church's history department. He is co-editor of The Annals of the Southern Mission.

Newell G. Bringhurst will present “Heber Bennion: Forgotten Proponent of Mormon Fundamentalism” during Session 1H: “Persistence of Post-Manifesto Polygamy” (Room 102, 10:30 AM – Noon, Friday). Professor Emeritus of History and Political Science at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, California, Newell is the author of many books on Latter-day Saint history, including Saints, Slaves, and Blacks: The Changing Place of Black People Within Mormonism. He is also the co-editor of Excavating Mormon Pasts: The New Historiography of the Last Half Century.

Craig L. Foster will present “Second Echelon Latter-day Saints and the Perpetuation of Post-Manifesto Polygamy” during Session 1H: “Persistence of Post-Manifesto Polygamy” (Room 102, 10:30 AM – Noon, Friday). An accredited genealogist, Craig is the author of Penny Tracts and Polemics: A Critical Analysis of Anti-Mormon Pamphleteering in Great Britain, 1837-1860 and A Different God? Mitt Romney, the Religious Right, and the Mormon Question.

Caroline Kline will present with Nancy Ross “Global Mormon Women and Work: Discourse and Lived Experience” during Session 2B: “Gender Beyond the Pulpit: Women’s Words, Women’s Worlds” (Ballroom C, 2:15 PM – 3:45 PM Friday). Caroline is the assistant director of the Center for Global Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University. She is the co-editor with Claudia Bushman of Mormon Women Have Their Say: Essays from the Claremont Oral History Collection.

Patrick Q. Mason will present “Reading Mormon History Nonviolently” during Session 4I: “Crossroads of War and Peace” (Room 103, 10:30 AM – Noon Saturday). Co-editor of War & Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives, Patrick is a historian specializing in the study of the Latter-day Saint movement. His other books include Planted: Belief and Belonging in an Age of Doubt and Mormonism and Violence. Since 2019, he has held the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture at Utah State University.

Joseph M. Spencer will present “On ‘Leaders to Managers: The Fatal Shift’” during Session 5C: “Latter-day Eloquence Part 2: Orating Mormon Identity in an Incredulous World” (Ballroom E, 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM Saturday). Joseph is a philosopher and an assistant professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. He is the author or editor of several books, including For Zion, The Vision of All, The Anatomy of Book of Mormon Theology (2 volumes), and Perspectives on Mormon Theology: Scriptural Theology.

Ardis E. Parshall will present “Josephine de la Harpe Ursenbach: Family Connections Linking Napoleon, the Russian Tsar, and a Handcart Pioneer” during Session 6A: “Genealogy, History, and Broadening the Study of the Past” (Ballroom B, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Saturday). Ardis is a historian, author, and freelance researcher specializing in Mormon history. Among other works, she is the co-editor of The Mormoness; Or, The Trials Of Mary Maverick: A Narrative Of Real Events, Boadicea; the Mormon Wife: Life Scenes in Utah, and Dime Novel Mormons.

Richard L. Saunders will present “WPA Cultural Projects and the Latter-day Saints” during Session 6F: “A New Deal for Zion: Saints and the State in the Great Depression” (Room 203, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Saturday). The author of The 1920 Edition of the Book of Mormon: A Centennial Adventure in Latter-day Saint Book History, Richard is a social historian, academic librarian, and former Dean of Library Services at Southern Utah University.

Michael Austin will present “Bernard DeVoto’s Mormons and the Possibility of Mormon Regionalism in the 20th Century” during Session 6G: “Mormonism in a Dull Mirror: Bernard DeVoto and the Possibility of Mormon Literature” (Room 101, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Saturday). Michael is the provost and vice president for academic affairs at Snow College. He is the author of Re-reading Job, and is the co-editor of The Mormoness, Boadicea, and Dime Novel Mormons.

Conan Grames will present “Unique But Not Different: Latter-day Saints in Japan” during Session 6I: “Pacific Junctures: Asian, Oceania, and America” (Room 103, 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM Saturday. Conan will also present the lecture at the Global Mormon Studies Breakfast: “Pioneer Women in the Early Church in Japan” on Friday, June 6, from 7:15 AM - 8:15 AM [Please note that a registration is required for the breakfast event.] An international lawyer who has lived and worked in both the US and Japan, Conan is the co-author of Unique But Not Different: Latter-day Saints in Japan.

Ebook readers: Support your independent publishers March 31 2025

It may come as no surprise that Amazon’s Kindle ebooks completely dominate the market, making upwards of over 90% of our ebook sales. Well aware of their virtual monopoly, Amazon takes advantage of this by offering only half of the royalties to authors and publishers compared to other distributors like Apple and Google.

While readers with Kindle ebook devices are limited to titles purchased through Amazon, we at Greg Kofford Books recommend using Google Play Books for your ebook reading for these four reasons:

• They can be read on virtually any phone, tablet, or computer regardless of operating system using the Google Play Books app (iOS, Android) or any browser.

• For most titles, readers get access to both the standard ebook with flowing resizable text AND the digital print version (similar to a pdf) with the text as it appears on the printed page. The latter is great for books with tables and other complex formatting that do not work well with standard ebooks, as well as for scholars who prefer to cite a printed page rather than a complicated Kindle location. Importantly, readers are able to seamlessly switch between the two, and any highlight or notation made on one is automatically made on the other (and across devices as well).

(Right: standard ebook with flowable text and highlighted passage; left: digital print version with same passage automatically highlighted)

• On phones and tablets, the Google Play Books app has an exceptional “Read aloud” tool that can turn your ebook to an audiobook, even while your device screen is off. It still sounds a little robotic and cannot properly pronounce “Nauvoo” or “Nephi,” but it’s great for continuing your reading while driving, relaxing, or going on a walk, and it also seamlessly resumes from wherever you were at on the ebook.

• Finally, as mentioned above, Google (as well as the other ebook distributors we sell through, Apple and Kobo) gives authors and publishers twice the royalties offered by Amazon. For small and independent authors and publishers pinching every penny in a niche market, the importance of this can hardly be overstated.

To provide you with an example of what Google Play Books has to offer, for one week (ending April 8th) we are making the first volume of Brant Gardner’s Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon available for free on the Google Play Books store, which you can acquire here.

For those of you who prefer the feel and smell of a printed book in your hand, you can further support your independent publishers by purchasing through them directly. We are working to improve the gregkofford.com experience and currently offer free shipping for orders over $40. And, of course, we encourage you to also purchase books through independent bricks and mortar stores, like our friends at Benchmark Books who sell our entire library–including some hard-to-find quality hardcover editions.

Q&A with Zachary McLeod Hutchins, author of Shall I Have Pleasure? An Answer for Sarah March 03 2025

Greg Kofford Books recently asked Zach Hutchins, author of Shall I Have Pleasure? An Answer for Sarah, about his experience in writing the book.

Q: What inspired you to explore the concept of pleasure in the context of faith and spirituality?

A: Because I was born in Massachusetts, to very religious parents who regularly reminded me that I was descended from the state’s seventeenth-century founders, I sometimes jokingly claim to be the world’s last Puritan. I’m naturally skeptical of fun, inclined to ask whether time and money devoted to leisure, aesthetics, or taste is appropriately allocated. In other words, this book probably emerged from an effort to wrestle with my own neuroses and a pre-disposition to self-denial that borders on unhealthy—especially given the temptation to impose my own values on others, who have a much richer appreciation of the value of pleasure in strengthening our relationship to the Creator and to one another.

Q: You discuss the Christian tradition's historical unease with sensory enjoyment. How do you believe this perspective has shaped modern attitudes among believers?

A: A decision to forego certain pleasures might be an appropriate expression of our agency and discipleship, but I have observed that many Christians—both those who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and those who belong to other denominations—seem to feel constrained by their faith. In other words, it seems to me that many Christians experience Christianity as an involuntary barrier to pleasure, rather than a conscious elevation of other priorities. The effect of this orientation is to render every new encounter with pleasure a form of temptation, even where pleasure might be enjoyed innocently.

Q: What role does Sarah’s question, “Shall I have pleasure?” play in framing your exploration of divine intent for human pleasure?

A: What I love so much about Sarah’s question is that it gets at the question of divine intent. When God informs Sarah that she’s about to conceive a son, the question of whether or not that experience will be pleasurable might seem irrelevant. God could fulfill the promise that Sarah would give birth and that Abraham’s posterity would be as numerous as the stars without making any sort of provision for Sarah’s enjoyment of the experience. But what Sarah is really asking is not, “Can you do the impossible?” but “Why would God do the impossible?” She wants to know whether God cares about the means (how something happens) as well as the ends (what ultimately happens). And the good news that this book celebrates is that God does care about our experience in mortality. God wants us to enjoy the embodied experience of His Creation.

Q: You argue that pleasure is often viewed with suspicion among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How do you think this perception can evolve while staying aligned with doctrinal principles?

A: I think that the prophets and apostles are already—by virtue of their teachings and their examples—doing much to re-orient our relationship with pleasure. During President Nelson’s tenure as the Lord’s living mouthpiece, he released a picture of himself swinging on his back porch that clearly communicated a sense of pleasure and fun. The good-natured banter between Elder Holland and Elder Kearon at the pulpit of General Conference communicated a light-heartedness that is conducive to play and pleasure. As members of the Church follow the example of our leaders and more fully embrace our roles as agents, assuming more individual responsibility in choosing activities that express gratitude for the Creation, we will stop thinking about prohibited pleasures and start thinking more about how pleasure can bring us into closer relationship with our Heavenly Parents and with our brothers and sisters around the globe.

Q: In your analysis, you connect the biblical concept of joy with embodied experiences. Why is this connection significant in understanding divine intent?

A: Joy has often been framed in opposition to pleasure, as a more spiritual and ethereal experience. But the doctrine of the Restoration insists that a fulness of joy is contingent upon a union between flesh and spirit. When we recognize that a fulness of joy literally incorporates physical sensations like touch and taste and smell and sight, we cannot escape the conclusion that our Heavenly Parents mean for us to find joy in and through the pleasures of this world—and not simply to endure its hardships with gritted teeth, until the morning of the first resurrection arrives. Discipleship may not be a series of uninterrupted pleasures, but traveling along the covenant path shouldn’t feel like walking on broken glass, either. I think the Lord would be pleased if, as we traveled along the strait and narrow, we paused to smell a flower, or paid attention to the birdsong, or reveled in the feeling of someone else’s fingers intertwined with our own.

Q: How do you interpret the role of pleasure in the lives of Adam and Eve, especially in light of their experiences before and after the Fall?

A: The scriptural record seems fairly clear about the fact that living in Eden was a pleasurable experience. The trouble is that the Fall involved pleasure as well: the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil looked delicious and very desirable. I think that for most Christians, the fact that God sentenced Adam to a lifetime of toil amidst thistles and thorns seems like an implicit condemnation of pleasure. The implication is that Adam and Eve didn’t do a very good job of weighing pleasure against obedience, so God removed them from the distractions of pleasure. But Latter-day Saints celebrate the Fall as a moment of progress (2 Nephi 2:25), which suggests that our paranoia about pleasure in this important story is an inherited tradition, not true doctrine.

Q: You mention prophetic warnings against prioritizing pleasure. How can believers balance these warnings with the acknowledgment of pleasure as a divine gift?

A: I have a firm testimony that we will be blessed as we follow the prophet, and I take apostolic warnings against the prioritization of pleasure seriously. But I also know—from studying the life and teachings of Jesus Christ; the lives and teachings of living prophets; and personal experience—that pleasure is an important element of the embodied experience our Heavenly Parents want us to have. As we prioritize pleasures that draw into closer relationship with God and with loved ones, that balance will seem more and more intuitive, a natural outcome of living after the manner of happiness.

Q: What message do you hope readers will take away about the role of pleasure in the plan of happiness, both in this life and the next?

A: I love Elder Kearon’s declaration that we worship in the Church of joy. That joy is enhanced by a perfectly cooked roast at the ward Christmas party; by the beautiful artwork produced by President Yee; by the sound of well-tuned voices in sacrament meetings; and by the embrace of a spouse with whom we are striving to be perfectly united in all things. Elder Talmage wrote that worship is an outgrowth of our understanding of another’s worth, and as we more fully appreciate the role of pleasure in God’s plan for us, we will better be able to understand both the beneficence of our Creator and the worth of His Creation. Better appreciating the gifts with which we are surrounded, we will be better prepared to enter into God’s presence with hearts full of gratitude for the plan of happiness that brought us so much pleasure here on earth.

Shall I Have Pleasure? An Answer for Sarah is available in both paperback and ebook.

Q&A with Alonzo L. Gaskill and Richard G. Moore, compilers of The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compared with the Earliest Known Manuscripts February 13 2025

We recently spoke with Alonzo L. Gaskill and Richard G. Moore, compilers of The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compared with the Earliest Known Manuscripts, about their new book.

Greg Kofford Books: What inspired you to create this revised edition of The Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith?

Richard Moore: The project was Alonzo’s idea. He came to me after his student researchers were having a difficult time finding some of the original or earliest sources. I initially came on board as a researcher. Later, as we became aware of how large this project was becoming, he invited me to be a co-compiler. I was excited to be part of this. As strange as it might sound to most people, I actually enjoy research.

Alonzo Gaskill: I’ve loved TPJS and have memorized so many of the quotes attributed to the Prophet Joseph. However, with the Joseph Smith Papers Project, that volume largely found itself “on the outs” and not trusted as it once was. I wanted the Prophet’s teachings to still be accessible—but as correctly as possible. Hence the ten-year project to create a new version of this once very popular text.

GKB: How did the collaboration between you and the Joseph Smith Papers Project influence the book?

Alonzo: I initially assumed that they would take on this project, but when I discussed this with affiliates of the JSP—and discovered that they would not be doing this—I jumped on the decade long project. We chatted with various affiliates during the project, but the book is not affiliated with the JSP and doesn’t solely rely on their work.

Rich: The Joseph Smith Papers were invaluable—an awesome work. I originally thought that I would be using the Joseph Smith Papers almost exclusively, but I soon discovered that there were many other sources that were not available in the JSP. There were the journal entries or diaries of others, newspapers, letters, and documents in the Church History Library not found in the JSP.

GKB: What challenges did you face while comparing the original manuscripts to earlier editions?

Rich: The painstaking process of comparing our document with the originals. Hours and hours of me reading the text (including every punctuation and capital letter) while Alonzo followed along with what we had in our manuscript. It was not just a cut and paste thing.

Alonzo: We had to read and reread, making sure we had gotten things correct. We had a few occasions—though not many—where our reading of an original document did not agree with other interpreters (including those at the JSP). So, we methodically went through these books and documents, reading and rereading, trying very hard to get things “right.” That was challenging, time consuming, and painful—though necessary.

GKB: Why was it important to retain the original pagination from the 1938 edition?

Alonzo: Because that’s the same pagination used in all subsequent versions, we wanted to stick with that so that users of the volume could quickly locate any quote they were trying to look up.

Rich: I was surprised to discover that the same pagination from the 1938 first edition of TPJS was used throughout its publication history. That was actually a bonus for us. We didn’t have to note different editions.

GKB: How does this new edition address previous historical inaccuracies or misconceptions?

Alonzo: We’ve corrected those, identifying quotes “attributed” to Joseph that turned out to be the words of another person, and we’ve provided the original words that, in some cases, Joseph Fielding Smith expanded into a quote (drawing on only a few words). So, our version of TPJS makes clear what was actually recorded of Joseph’s teachings and what (in the original TPJS) is not actually Joseph, but instead the words of someone else.

Rich: We discovered that some of the statements found in TPJS were edited and expanded by early Church historians after they arrived in Utah. Perhaps they were there when Joseph Smith spoke and remembered some of what he said—even though the handwritten notes from that occasion were sparse. Or maybe they felt like they knew Joseph well enough to expand the notes into sentences they believed he would have said. Truth is, there are no recordings of Joseph speaking, only notes taken by scribes and other observers. In many cases, we do not know exactly what he said. We tried to find the earliest or original sources and put them in unedited.

GKB: What criteria did you use to select the content included in the revised edition?

Rich: Earliest and most valid sources we could find.

Alonzo: We sought to use the earliest sources. Often there were early (but not the earliest) sources that had been fleshed out after the Prophet’s martyrdom. However, we tried to use the earliest source, so that additions or changes were not included in the volume.

GKB: Can you explain the significance of Joseph Smith's sermons being reconstructed from notes rather than verbatim records?

Alonzo: Joseph was largely an extemporaneous speaker, so “verbatim” texts of his sermons don’t exist. Likewise, Joseph often authorized others to write and publish things under his name. Thus, it became important to explain the source and nature of the various quotes that have been attributed to Joseph for well over 100 years. In his early sermons, there was often only one notetaker. In his later sermons (like during the Nauvoo era) you would usually have several people taking notes—which made those discourses easier to flesh out.

Rich: I recently read where someone claimed they had the actual, verbatim words of the King Follett Discourse. The published sermon we have came from four different sources. There is no exact version. In fact, a person can read the King Follett Discourse in about 15 or 20 minutes. Yet, Joseph is reported to have spoken for more than two hours. The people who made an amalgamated version did a great job, but we simply have to recognize that it is incomplete and probably not necessarily Joseph’s exact words.

GKB: How do you hope this edition will impact the study of Latter-day Saint history and doctrine?

Alonzo: The JSP project was of incalculable value to historians, authorities, speakers, teachers, and members. However, the volumes are expensive and not readily accessible in hardcopy. Additionally, as valuable as the website is, it can be very challenging to find specific quotes on the site. (Indeed, sometimes the transcripts posted on the website are not 100% accurate, which poses its own challenges.) Thus, we have made available in a single volume the “best of” Joseph’s teachings—many of which (though not all) are in the JSP volumes. So, this will help those who want to quote him accurately but who do not have ready access to all of the volumes.

Rich: There has been some criticism that we were simply redoing what the Joseph Smith Papers project was doing, only on a much smaller scale. There is no possible way we could match what the JSP people have done, nor were we trying to do that. Our goal was simply to focus on the book Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith because it was such an important volume for many years. So many of us are very familiar with the statements from that book. We wanted to have it continue to be useful for those people who grew up with it, and add to it where they could find the original sources, whether in JSP, Wilford Woodruff’s Journals, Times and Seasons, Church History Library, etc. We were trying to make things easier to find for the average person.

GKB: What new insights did you gain while compiling this edition that surprised you the most?

Alonzo: Largely just that many quotes traditionally attributed to Joseph Smith were either summarizations of what he taught (by Joseph Fielding Smith, or others) or were statements of other people, but changed to appear to be the words of the Prophet himself.

Rich: I gained a greater appreciation for the efforts of Joseph Fielding Smith who in the 1930s, without the use of modern technology, compiled TPJS. I also became aware of the fact that, in many cases, we do not have the exact wording of the Prophet Joseph, and in some cases, we are not sure that these are his words at all. Case in point, for a time he was the editor of the Times and Seasons. There were editorials in the Times and Seasons that were included in TPJS. Joseph was the editor. These were editorials. But did he write them? Maybe he did. Perhaps the editorials were written by others and approved by Joseph. We just don’t know for sure. I’ve come to the point when I am quoting the Prophet from a source that I am unsure of, I will simply use the phrase “a statement attributed to Joseph Smith.”

GKB: How does the book balance historical accuracy with maintaining its devotional and instructional purpose?

Alonzo: The fact that we have just gone back to the earliest sources assures that “historical accuracy.” The reality that we have left the structure of the original TPJS has enabled us to retain the “devotional and instructional” value of the words.

Rich: I remember a religion professor when I was a university student saying that Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith was the fifth standard work. I recall being disappointed when it was taken out of print and it was suggested that people writing books and articles not cite it anymore. After going through it for the past ten years, I do understand the hesitancy of quoting it when we now have better sources. However, the teachings of Joseph Smith, as accurate as we can get them, have not lost their importance and value to me.

The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compared with the Earliest Known Manuscripts is available in both paperback and as a PDF ebook.

Preview Every Man a Prophet February 12 2025

Every Man a Prophet

A novel by Stephen C. LeSueur 

Every Man a Prophet is a powerful exploration of faith, love, and self-discovery set within the framework of missionary life in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Eddie Pedersen and Orrin Tanner, two missionaries serving in Norway, each grapple with the weight of expectation, personal desires, and the search for their true selves. Eddie struggles to reconcile his faith with feelings he has been taught to suppress, while Orrin’s relentless pursuit of perfection masks a deep fear of failure. Together, they navigate a land of cold landscapes and colder hearts, striving to find meaning and connection in their spiritual calling.

Through Eddie and Orrin’s intertwined journeys, LeSueur crafts a deeply human story of vulnerability and resilience. The novel delves into the complexities of identity, faith, and the universal longing to belong. As the two men confront the rigid doctrines of their religion and the unyielding truths of their own hearts, readers are drawn into an unforgettable narrative of courage and redemption. Every Man a Prophet is a profound tale of the sacrifices we make for faith and the truths we uncover about ourselves along the way.

Preview Shall I Have Pleasure? An Answer for Sarah January 23 2025

Shall I Have Pleasure An Answer for Sarah

Shall I Have Pleasure? An Answer for Sarah explores the complex relationship between faith, desire, and the pursuit of joy through a spiritual and philosophical lens. Drawing from religious narratives, scriptural analysis, and theological insights, the book delves into how pleasure is perceived within Christian traditions, particularly among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Through reflective anecdotes, historical context, and doctrinal interpretations, the author challenges the tension between spiritual duty and sensory enjoyment, encouraging readers to reconcile divine purpose with the pursuit of happiness.

Rooted in scripture and enriched by personal storytelling, this thought-provoking work invites readers to reconsider long-held beliefs about pleasure and self-denial. By examining biblical stories like Sarah's incredulous laughter at the promise of joy in old age, as well as Christ's compassionate acceptance of human love and generosity, the book offers a fresh perspective on living a life of spiritual fulfillment that embraces joy as an essential part of divine intent. Through this lens, Shall I Have Pleasure? becomes a call to rediscover pleasure as a God-given gift intertwined with human purpose and eternal potential.

Preview The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith November 11 2024

 

The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compared with the Earliest Known Manuscripts

• “Thanks to careful and exhaustive scholarship of Gaskill and Moore, Teachings has been resuscitated. . . . We now have a trustworthy source of Joseph Smith’s thought to match the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants.” — Richard L. Bushman

For nearly a century, Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, first published in 1938, was the standard source for studying the profound teachings and revelations of the founding prophet of the Restoration. Drawing on a rich collection of sermons, letters, and journal entries, Teachings provided Latter-day Saints with an accessible compilation of Joseph Smith’s revelatory doctrines that highlighted his unique ability to make heavenly concepts accessible to everyday people.

The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Compared with the Earliest Known Manuscripts offers readers not only a preservation of Joseph Fielding Smith’s original compilation but also a side-by-side comparison with the primary sources that it was based on. With modern scholarship shedding new light on these sources, the updated volume allows readers to explore both the Prophet Joseph Smith’s revelatory insights and the historical context in which his teachings were first shared. This balanced approach honors the enduring legacy of the original Teachings while encouraging deeper exploration and understanding of their origins.

Q&A with Author Claudia L. Bushman October 14 2024

We recently spoke with Claudia L. Bushman, author of I, Claudia: The Life of Claudia L. Bushman in Her Own Words, and asked her a few questions about her new book.

 Q. You grew up in a Latter-day Saint home in San Francisco. In what way(s) did this experience shape you, that growing up in Utah, or perhaps anywhere else, likely wouldn’t have?

A. Well, of course, San Francisco is a sophisticated, gay friendly, highly cultured place. My sisters and I felt very privileged to have access to so much significant art and activity. I think that we took good advantage of what was available to us and had many rich experiences. Our mother encouraged us in many directions and we all benefited a lot from it. I don’t know how it would have been to grow up in Utah or anywhere else.

Q. Your courtship with Richard L. Bushman while you were a student at Wellesley may surprise readers for a number of reasons, but could be summarized with the phrase “opposites attract.” In what way did this prove to be a positive?

A. I am surprised to hear you suggest that Richard and I are opposites. Actually we are very much alike. Very, very much.  

 Q. The women’s issue of Dialogue in 1971 and the founding of Exponent II are considered pivotal moments in modern Mormon feminism, and the response to both endeavors was favorable as well as critical. You even sacrificed your official involvement to keep the peace. Looking back, are you still happy with the timing of both publications, believing that any backlash would have been inevitable no matter when they came out? Or, would there have been a benefit to waiting?

A. I very much dislike waiting. When I am ready or getting ready to do something, I just do it. That’s dancing to the music of our times. I don’t do things when considering their timeliness. Backlash is not my concern.  

Q. Your work as a historian has allowed you to write about women and men, you’ve conducted oral histories, and you have edited and annotated other women’s journals. Each of these genres have their own challenges and rewards. Do you find any one of them more satisfying to undertake than the other? If so, why?

A. All these can be very satisfying. Or not. I just do what seems possible when the occasion arises. I’m not always in a position to undertake anything. Everything I have done has challenges and rewards of its own, for which I am grateful.

Q. After having written about many others, you have now published your own candid memoir. Was your autobiography project more, or less challenging than writing about someone else? What did you learn about yourself in the process?

A. Actually, writing I, Claudia, was somewhat accidental. I don’t remember writing it. I don’t remember why I decided to write it. It just sort of happened. I’m glad it did. Someone asked if I had considered an autobiography and I saw it on my computer and sent it off. Suddenly, it was published. I actually do live in some sort of fog. I don’t think that it was more difficult than anything else. I don’t try to be anything I’m not.

   I, Claudia is available in both paperback and as an ebook.  

Element is back! September 23 2024

 

Element: A Journal of Mormon Philosophy and Theology

Preview I, Claudia: The Life of Claudia Lauper Bushman in Her Own Words August 26 2024

 

I, Claudia: The Life of Claudia Lauper Bushman in Her Own Words

• “With admirable honesty and keen self-reflection, this triumphant memoir expounds on her life as an intelligent, talented woman driven to find her own place in patriarchal religious and secular worlds.” — Lori LeVar Pierce
• “This lively and remarkably generous book holds nothing back.” — Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
• “I, Claudia reveals the inner workings of a woman who fully inhabited yet transcended her own times.” — Maxine Hanks

I, Claudia: The Life of Claudia Lauper Bushman in Her Own Words is a captivating autobiography of a remarkable woman, Latter-day Saint, and scholar. Through a series of vivid anecdotes and reflective essays, Claudia shares her journey from her childhood in California, through her family life, and to her academic pursuits and professional achievements. Her narrative, infused with humor, warmth, and a deep commitment to her community, provides a window into the daily life and challenges of a Mormon woman in the twentieth century outside the Mormon corridor of the Rocky Mountains.

Claudia’s autobiography is, however, more than a personal memoir; it is a testament to the power of storytelling and exemplifies her work with the Claremont Mormon Women’s Oral History Project, which she established to capture the diverse and rich lives of Latter-day Saint women. I, Claudia thus stands as both an inspiring personal journey and a powerful call to action for the preservation of women’s histories.

Q&A with Cheryl L. Bruno and John S. Dinger, authors of Come Up Hither T Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering July 29 2024

We recently spoke with Cheryl L. Bruno and John S. Dinger, the authors of Come Up Hither to Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering about their new book. 

William Marks's spiritual journey and vision for the Latter Day Saint community were profoundly shaped by his experiences with gathering to Zion and his conflicts with church leadership. As the stake president in Nauvoo, he played a crucial role in organizing the community and establishing a justice system. This included excommunicating those who were out of harmony with church teachings. Despite never being formally excommunicated, Marks was harassed and shunned by the church leadership after Joseph Smith’s death, which led him to leave Nauvoo. These experiences gave him a deep empathy for those marginalized within the church and fueled his advocacy for reform. This ultimately influenced his significant role in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, where he emphasized moral integrity, inclusivity, and a return to the original teachings of the Book of Mormon.

6. The early Mormons faced significant opposition and violence, especially in places like Jackson County, Missouri. How did these conflicts impact the gathering efforts, and what strategies did the church employ to overcome the challenges?

Preview Nathan B. Oman's Law and the Restoration July 26 2024

 

Law and the Restoration: Law and Latter-day Saint History

and

Law and the Restoration: Law and Latter-day Saint Thought and Scripture

Download a preview here or view below.

Law and the Restoration: Law and Latter-day Saint History is a profound exploration of the intricate legal history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this first of two volumes, Nathan B. Oman delves into the unique intersection of law and religion, uncovering how legal frameworks have shaped and been shaped by the experiences of Latter-day Saints. Through a series of meticulously researched essays, Oman reveals the profound impact of legal conflicts and developments on the growth and identity of the Church. From the early struggles for legal recognition and the battles over polygamy to the establishment of corporate entities and the role of religious courts, this book offers a comprehensive and enlightening narrative of the Church's legal journey.

Law and the Restoration: Law and Latter-day Saint Thought and Scripture is a comprehensive exploration of the intricate relationship between legal principles and the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Author Nathan B. Oman delves into the profound ways in which Mormon theology intersects with legal concepts, offering readers a detailed analysis of church doctrines, their authority, and their implications for members' daily lives. In doing so, Oman addresses foundational questions about the nature of church authority, the role of personal judgment, and the dynamic interplay between divine law and secular legal systems. The book is not just an academic treatise but a thoughtful discourse aimed at elucidating how Mormons navigate complex moral and legal landscapes in their quest to reconcile faith with modern societal norms.

Book of Mormon Flash Sale 40% - 70% off Print & eBooks! July 18 2024

Preview Come Up Hither to Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering May 17 2024

Come Up Hither to Zion:
William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering

Download a preview here or view below.

Come Up Hither to Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering delves deep into the life of William Marks, a devoted follower of Joseph Smith and a key figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Marks's journey from a descendant of Puritan settlers to a fervent convert to Mormonism is a fascinating exploration of faith, community, and the quest for spiritual truth. As Marks navigates the tumultuous landscape of early Mormonism, readers are taken on a gripping journey through pivotal moments such as the banking crisis in Kirtland, the expulsion of Saints from Missouri, and the clandestine practice of plural marriage. However, Marks's story goes beyond mere historical events; it is a testament to the enduring struggle to define one's place within a religious tradition while attempting to balance devotion to the faith, interpersonal relationships, and personal integrity.

After the death of Joseph Smith, Marks found himself at the center of a power struggle among various groups claiming succession. His interactions with Brigham Young, James Strang, and others illuminate the diverse interpretations of Mormon doctrine and the differing visions of what Zion should be. From his involvement in defining moments in Mormonism to his break with Young and eventual ordination to the First Presidency of the Reorganized Church, Marks's life encapsulates the challenges and complexities of early Latter Day Saint history. Through meticulous research and insightful analysis, Come Up Hither to Zion sheds light on the intricate tapestry of beliefs and practices that shaped Marks's spiritual journey and offers a compelling exploration of the Mormon concept of gathering as both a physical and philosophical endeavor.

Q&A with David B. Ostler, author of Healing Our Divides May 07 2024

We recently spoke with David B. Ostler about his newest title Healing Our Divides: Answering the Savior's Call to Be Peacemakers.

 Q: What inspired you to delve into the topic of peacemaking and healing divides, particularly within the context of religious and political polarization?

A: Bridges taught me that we have real limitations on understanding why people believe differently and how we relate to them. Although Bridges was about people who no longer believe in traditional LDS beliefs, I saw that this applies to other beliefs, particular about politics. I’ve seen how people are affected by the division and contention coming from different beliefs. I see families, congregations, and communities divided by different. I worry that our alienation is increasing causing us to separate into different groups unable, or unwilling, to engage with others.

Q: Could you elaborate on the challenges you faced while researching and writing the book, especially in terms of navigating differing perspectives and potential biases?

A: One challenge was seeing how natural it is to be caught up in difference and my own natural tendency to bias and contention. I don’t think I will ever get over it, maybe none of us will, but I found that I have a lot of work to do. I worry that people that know me well, will dismiss this message because they know I am still a work in progress.

As I studied Latter-day Saint teachings about contention, I struggled to know what I should do overcome contention in my own life. I questioned whether it was just better to retreat from these issues. But, I realize that the very issues that are most contentious are the ones that are the most important. It was hard for me to decide that part of being a peacemaker is to be engaged in the messiness of these different beliefs.

As I studied and wrote, I realized that I had very few tools to help me when I choose to engage. What did I need to do so that I could stay in the room with difference? Could I find ways to better understand why someone could believe something completely different than me? Could I respect someone who is my ideological opposite? I realized that I needed tools and I didn’t have them. I found some resources that had practical tools, but I realized that just understanding them academically wasn’t enough, I needed to engage with others and that would take me to settings with conflicting ideas. Often, I found that despite my best efforts, I couldn’t step back and remember tools. But, over time, I found that I could better remember and use those tools. I’m still trying, which is something we all need to do.

Q: Your book emphasizes the importance of understanding and respecting differing beliefs while fostering meaningful discussions. How do you suggest individuals approach conversations about contentious issues without furthering division?

A: Healing Our Divides gives some simple tools that all of us can use. I’m sure that there are others, but these ones worked for me. I think readers can find and learn a couple of tools that will work for them. I even give readers exercises where they can work with another, perhaps a friend or family member, to practice and try out these skills. If we can try, we will get better. Yes, we will make some mistakes and need to apologize and reset, but in the process, we will learn and provide examples to others that we can have positive discussions.

Q: In your research, what concrete approaches or skills did you find most effective in reducing contention and building bridges between individuals with differing viewpoints?

A: In-group bias is someone all of us feel. When we think of someone as in our group, we generally think of them more charitably. When we think of them as not in our group, we think of them more skeptically. If I am interacting with someone who beliefs or supports policies I don’t agree with, this bias means that I am naturally alienated from. In some situations, this can be defining. We might even label them in our mind with a negative political or religious label. This is reductive and alienates us. If we express it to another, it hurts them. But there are ways to eliminate this in-group bias. We simply keep a common identity in our mind. Instead of thinking about them in context of our difference, we can label them in our minds, as a brother, or mother, or a friend, or a child of God. With this commonality, we lose defensiveness and skepticism and find charity and connection. Likewise, we can refuse to use or think about another with any negative labeling, including words like brain washed, apostate, right wing nut job or America hating liberal. If we can see the divinity of another and the commonality we should all feel as children of God, we will see others in that light. It’s hard to be contentious with another how we dignify through their divine parentage.

Q: As a member of the Latter-day Saint community, how do you see the teachings and principles of the Church contributing to the efforts of peacemaking and healing divides, both within and outside the faith?

A: I was surprised at how many of our general Latter-day Saint leaders have condemned contention and today’s polarization and alienation. They clearly see how these forces are affecting not only Latter-day Saints, but our communities.

In April 2023, President Nelson taught that discipleship includes peacemaker. In his talk, Peacemakers Wanted, he said, “Brothers and sisters, we can literally change the world—one person and one interaction at a time. How? By modeling how to manage honest differences of opinion with mutual respect and dignified dialogue.” He believes that peacemaking can change the world. I think he is very aware of the fractures that existing in families, congregations and societies as a whole because of today’s curse of polarization and contention.

Q: Your book emphasizes the communal nature of healing divides and becoming
peacemakers. How do you envision individuals and communities actively engaging with the concepts presented in your book to create positive change in their spheres of influence?

A: Most peacemakers are going to influence just a few, likely with family members and a few friends. That can create a multiplier effect where those they touch end up touching others. I’m optimistic that this translates into a rejection and weakening of the forces that want to divide us further. There will be some that can organize in their communities or join and support peacemaking organizations. Perhaps there will be an issue that divides their community, and they can be peacemakers and help find effective ways to discussion these issues and find solutions that consider others and their concerns and needs. President Nelson said, “peacemaking is a choice.” When any of decides to be a peacemaker, we make a better world. It might be just in our families, or in how we help our children live in a contentious world, but it might also be in our communities. If enough of us decide to be peacemakers, we can prevail against what at times seems like unstoppable division and contention.

Q&A with the editors of The Life and Adventures of Eli Wiggill April 17 2024

We recently spoke with Fred E. Woods, Jay H. Buckley, and Hunter T. Hallows, the editors of our latest title The Life and Adventures of Eli Wiggill: South African 1820 Settler, Wesleyan Missionary, and Latter-day Saint.

Q: What were the driving factors behind Eli Wiggill and his family’s decision to leave England and settle in South Africa, and again to later migrate to Salt Lake City, Utah Territory?

A: Parliament recruited British emigrants to establish a South African colonyto ease unemployment and social unrest while strengthening Britain’s foothold in South Africa’s Cape Province. Isaac and Elizabeth Grimes Wiggill and their eight children, from Painswick, Gloucestershire, England, were one of the fortunate five percent of families chosen to participate. On January 10, 1820, the Wiggills embarked from Bristol, joining the Samuel Bradshaw Company of 64 emigrants aboard the Kennersley Castle, arriving in Cape Town, South Africa, on March 5, 1820, after a four -month voyage from England. Eli and Susannah Wiggill joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1858. They moved to Port Elizabeth, where Wiggill served as LDS conference president. His friend Henry Talbot served as president of the branch, which consisted of thirty to forty members. Church officials directed Saints around the world to gather to Zion as soon as possible. In February 1861 the congregation boarded the Race Horse and sailed to Boston, arriving on April 19,1861. They traveled to New York, joined with other LDS emigrants, journeyed by rail to Chicago, and thence to the wagon outfitting station at Florence, Nebraska. The Homer Duncan Company departed June 25, arriving in Salt Lake City on September 13, 1861.

Q: How did Eli Wiggill's experiences as a Wesleyan Methodist assistant minister contribute to his eventual conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?

A: Eli Wiggill accompanied Reverend John Edwards as a minister to the “Bechuana” country beyond the Orange River. Although Wiggill had not formal ministerial training, he had a good understanding of the Bible. Wiggill labored in the Wesleyan Methodist Church ministry at the Thaba Nchu Wesleyan mission station. After his release on May 1, 1842, he traveled with his wife and two children to Winterberg and built a farm and went into business making wagons before moving to Queenstown. Wiggill remained active in his Wesleyan faith and occasionally preached at the Kat River mission station as well as at Fort Beaufort. Wiggill heard that Latter-day Saint missionaries had arrived at Fort Beaufort. The missionary trio of Jesse Haven, William Walker, and Leonard Smith initially arrived in South Africa on April 19, 1853, and preached and published tracts in Cape Town in both English and Dutch. They met with great opposition throughout their labors and were mobbed, having bricks and stones and rotten eggs thrown at them. Elder William Walker converted Eli’s brother George. Eli wrote, “When I heard Walker explain things in the manner he did I could not help [but] believe the truth of it.” In February 1858, Wiggill traveled to Winterberg to see George. Together they traveled to the Kat River settlement, where LDS Elder John Green, a former Wesleyan, baptized Eli, Susannah, and daughters Sarah Ann and Margaret on March 1, 1858. That same day, Wiggill was ordained a priest, which authorized him to perform baptisms as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Q: What challenges did Eli and Susannah Wiggill face as early converts to Mormonism in South Africa, and how did they overcome them?

A: Wiggill’s study of the Gospel of Jesus Christ filled his mind with light and knowledge. This awoke the missionary spirit in him so much so that he “had a great many arguments with religious people with whom I was surrounded and especially with my Wesleyan Brethren.” Unfortunately, his zeal towards a peculiar and foreign religion brought harsh criticism, censure, and opprobrium from their acquaintances. Susannah asked him to stop investigating further. Eli complied with Susannah’s wishes for a time and stopped investigating the Church. Local preachers told their congregations to shun and spurn the missionaries. Angry mobs harassed LDS missionaries and dispersed LDS gatherings. The backlash against the Latter-day Saints kept the Church from gaining converts very quickly and sparked fear of reprisal for the few who did join. Missionaries did not find willing converts for months due to the intense persecution. Although not yet a member, Wiggill overcame his social fear of conversion and became somewhat of a missionary. He related how his own preaching changed because of the additional light and knowledge he found in the Latter-day Saint religious tradition, as well as a greater outpouring of the holy spirit. After about a year of unofficial dedication to the church, Elder John Green baptized the Wiggills on March 1, 1858.

Q: Can you elaborate on the process of gathering the South African Saints to Zion in the mid-nineteenth century, as documented in Eli Wiggill's autobiography?

A: Eli Wiggill's autobiography describes how early missionaries spread the message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and how early converts lived their new faith in fledgling branches and left their homes and homelands to gather to Zion. During the nineteenth century, Church leaders instructed LDS members to gather to a central place in the United States.First it was Ohio, then Missouri, then Illinois. After the Latter-day Saints were driven from Nauvoo, Illinois, they trekked west to the valley of the Great Salt Lake in 1847. For the next fifty years, converts from all over the world were instructed to gather to Zion. Between 1855 and 1865, at least 270 Saints emigrated to the United States from the Port Elizabeth seaport, the most populous city in the Eastern Cape Province. Most of these early converts were of British descent and many came from the 1820 British Settler groups since the early missionaries did not speak Afrikaans, Dutch, Xhosa, or Zulu. The first South African Saints sailed from Port Elizabeth in 1855. In the 1890s, Church leaders no longer asked Saints to cross oceans or continents to gather to Zion but to build up The Church of Jesus Christ in their local stakes of Zion.

Q: What role did Eli Wiggill play in the establishment and leadership of Latter-day Saint congregations both in South Africa and in Utah Territory?

A: Eli and Susannah Bentley Wiggill joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1858 and became stalwart members following their conversion. Their faithful dedication affected the lives of dozens of South African Saints. Following their conversion to the restored gospel, their missionary labors, their leadership role in congregation formation, and their efforts to gather to Zion whilst building up and strengthening communities of South African Saints reverberated during the 1850s, 1860s, and 1870s. Their great faith and missionary efforts after their conversion provide insights into early church organization and the formation of branches. Finally, Wiggill’s autobiography documents how Eli and Susannah’s experiences represent one of the most well-documented accounts of South African Saints answering the call to immigrate to Zion.

Q: How did Eli Wiggill's missionary efforts in South Africa contribute to the growth and development of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in that region?

A: One of the downsides of having converts continually gathering to Zion was that the Church struggled for continuity in countries around the world during the nineteenth century. The same is true for South Africa. Opened as mission in 1852, the South African Mission closed on April 12, 1865. The South African Mission was reopened until July 25, 1903. The historical setting surrounding Eli and Susannah Bentley Wiggill and their nine children reveals a story of faith, courage, and devotion as one of the first South African families to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Wiggill’s autobiography is worthy of a careful read to appreciate and comprehend his astonishing transnational adventures in Africa and Utah. The Life and Adventures of Eli Wigg ill is more than a little-known Latter-day Saint conversion narrative, more than a missionary memoir, and more than an account of emigration and pioneer settlement (though it is all the above). It offers readers insight into a variety of subjects, including British colonialism in South Africa, religious rivalry in the Atlantic world, slavery and emancipation in the British empire, and family life in the nineteenth century.

Preview Healing Our Divides: Answering the Savior’s Call to Be Peacemakers April 10 2024

Healing Our Divides:
Answering the Savior’s Call to Be Peacemakers

"No book has focused so clearly on how to face religious and ideological rivalry between people who earnestly believe they have the truth while the other does not."
— C. Randall Paul, President, Foundation for Religious Diplomacy

"Healing Our Divides is the perfect book for our current moment. . . . Ostler teaches correct principles and then offers concrete tools and examples that will empower readers not just to believe in peace but to embody and practice it as well."
— Patrick Mason, co-author of Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict

Download a preview here or view below.

Healing Our Divides: Answering the Savior’s Call to Be Peacemakers is a timely and essential guide for navigating the increasingly polarized and contentious landscape of modern society. Drawing inspiration from powerful and prophetic messages from Latter-day Saint leaders on unity and peace, author David B. Ostler explores the skills and approaches necessary to eliminate contention and become peacemakers. Through extensive research and personal reflection, Ostler offers concrete and practical strategies for reducing contention, understanding others, and fostering meaningful conversations amid differences in beliefs and ideologies.

Rooted in principles of religious discipleship and moral integrity, Healing Our Divides addresses the urgent need to confront societal division and hostility with love and understanding. Ostler delves into four major themes, including understanding today's divisions, learning practical approaches to reduce contention, recognizing peacemaking as a vital aspect of religious discipleship, and mastering the art of deep and meaningful discussion. With insightful thought boxes prompting self-reflection and engagement, as well as questions for group study, he invites readers to join in the communal effort of healing divides and fostering unity. This book serves as a poignant reminder of our collective responsibility to follow the teachings of Jesus Christ and work towards creating a more peaceful and harmonious world, one interaction at a time.

Q&A with authors of Unique But Not Different: Latter-day Saints in Japan April 03 2024

We recently spoke with Shinji Takagi, Conan Grames, and Meagan Rainock to discuss their recently released title Unique But Not Different: Latter-day Saints in Japan.

Q: What inspired you to undertake a comprehensive study on the practices of Japanese Latter-day Saints, particularly within the context of a minority religion in Japan?

A: This book grew out of the work we prepared for a volume of essays edited by Melissa
Inouye and Laurie Maffly-Kipp, who had asked us to write a chapter on how Japanese Latter-day Saints practice their religion. In order to conduct an objective, data-driven analysis, we decided to administer an anonymous survey to practicing Latter-day Saints. As we were preparing the survey, it became obvious that doing justice to the data would require not a chapter but a book. We also recognized that, realistically, we had only one chance to administer a survey, given its time- and labor-intensive nature. Hence our decision to make the survey much more comprehensive than was necessary to complete our assigned task, even though this carried a risk of deterring potential survey takers. This book is an outcome of that decision. Melissa’s and Laurie’s book has not yet been released. We hope it will be soon.

Q: Could you elaborate on the challenges and opportunities faced by Japanese Latter-day Saints within a society undergoing profound demographic and cultural changes?

A: Our thesis is that, while Latter-day Saints in Japan, as practitioners of a minority religion, face situations of identity conflict, societal changes, predominantly triggered by the adverse demographic trend, are increasing Japanese society’s tolerance for diversity. This obviously presents opportunities for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints if some accommodation is made for institutional acculturation (e.g., if a source of pervasive conflict, such as green tea drinking, is properly addressed).

Q: The survey data you collected offer insights into the experiences and perspectives of active Latter-day Saints in Japan. What were some of the most surprising or significant findings that emerged from your analysis?

A: We were most surprised to learn how representative the Latter-day Saint population is of the larger Japanese society—in terms of social and political views. Indeed, they may be unique in their beliefs but certainly not different from the rest of Japanese society.

Q: The book mentions that despite being a minority religion in Japan, Latter-day Saints have found a niche for their particular lifestyle by establishing long-term relationships and making conflict-avoiding career choices. Can you delve deeper into the specific strategies or practices employed by Japanese Latter-day Saints to integrate their religious identity into their daily lives, especially in contexts where it may diverge from mainstream cultural norms?

A: The most important aspect of individual acculturation is that Japanese Latter-day Saints choose professions that allow them to attend church on Sundays. Sabbath-day worship is a cultural practice uncharacteristic of Japanese customs. This prioritization of their lives is made easier because Latter-day Saints typically join the Church in their teens or twenties before they are established in their careers. Another major adjustment that Latter-day Saints in Japan must make is in the observance of the Word of Wisdom as they refrain from tea, coffee, sake, etc., which are so universally accepted cultural customs. The survey revealed that this has been less of a problem than one might expect, as LDS members feel generally accepted by peers at work and in the culture generally even as they decline to participate in these customs.

Q: What are the key takeaways from your book for various stakeholders, including scholars, missionaries, Latter-day Saint leaders, Japanese members, and the general public?

A: We have provided key takeaways for scholars, for members, and for other stakeholders in the final chapter of the book. We hope that these targeted summaries provide useful insights into the experiences of Japanese Latter-day Saints.

Unique But Not Different: Latter-day Saints in Japan is now available in paperback and ebook.