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Good work, Dave. The discussion of being converted to falsehood in Hardy's essay was quite interesting and perhaps the biggest problem with the sanitized history that we're presenting.

I don't think the Church has any responsibility to dig up dirt on itself, but I sometimes think that we should either be honest or get out of the history business. We're not lying in a lot of official history, but we're also deliberately steering people away from a detailed examination in favor of faith-promoting narratives.

Thanks, D. I do think there's a place for faith-promoting narratives in the Church -- most members are more interested in faith than in history. But I think leaders are coming around to the idea that there's also a place in the world for a historian. The warm reception given to Rough Stone Rolling and the support given to the upcoming comprehensive volume on Mountain Meadows by three LDS historians are good signs.

I don't know about "we are not lying." If it could be established that a used car dealer is marketing his product the way we are presenting ourselves, the guy would go to jail.

It's a big deal to go to a foreign country and challenge people to antagonize their families and surrender their heritage. When you do that then you have a responsibility to tell the whole truth about your program. Half the truth is misleading. It's a lie.

This is the most subversive thing you've posted in quite a while, Dave. Good job! :)

Subversive? Moi? I suppose any historical narrative could be said to "subvert" alternative accounts, but there are better terms. Complement. Correct. Critique.

I don't think it's fair to ask present general authorities to deal with this problem and the way things were handled in the past. But, life isn't fair. It doesn't shake my faith, I just wish we could be frank and screw the consequences.

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