DiscussMormonism.com

Posted: **Fri Sep 28, 2007 4:37 pm**

My wife has started reading his book Mormon Polygamy. She asked me about him. I think he is LDS though I do not know his status as active, dissaffected, or what. Does anyone know anything about him?

Posted: **Fri Sep 28, 2007 5:47 pm**

Uncle Dale would know this information.

Posted: **Fri Sep 28, 2007 7:34 pm**

Can a mod bump this up the the celestial forum? Maybe Uncle Dale will see it there.

Mod Note: Consider it done amigo-Bond

Posted: **Mon Oct 01, 2007 8:33 pm**

Jason, Yesterday, as it happens, I listened to part of John Dehlin's interview of Richard Bushman over at www.MormonStories.org. He (Bushman) indicated that he currently serves as a stake patriarch. I'd guess that he is active :^)

Jeff

Posted: **Thu Oct 04, 2007 12:47 pm**

mcjathan wrote:Jason, Yesterday, as it happens, I listened to part of John Dehlin's interview of Richard Bushman over at www.MormonStories.org. He (Bushman) indicated that he currently serves as a stake patriarch. I'd guess that he is active :^)

Jeff

Yes thanks

Bushman I know is active. I am looking for information about Richard Van Wagner

Posted: **Sat Oct 13, 2007 8:39 am**

Richard S. Van Wagoner is a clinical audiologist and Lehi City Historian, author of Lehi: Portraits of a Utah Town and other acclaimed works, including Mormon Polygamy: A History and Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess (winner of Best Book Awards from the Mormon History Association and John Whitmer Historical Association). He is co-author of the biographical resource, A Book of Mormons, and has published in Brigham Young University Studies, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Sunstone, the Utah Historical Quarterly, and elsewhere. He is currently writing a biography of Joseph Smith.

Jason, I read this book many years ago now. Even took it to my Stake President, thinking it was anti-mormon. He took my questions up the line to the regional rep and on to the GA's and he got a letter back saying that it was the 'wild west'...etc etc...

I don't know if Van Wagoner is active? Does it matter, is the question. Why does it matter?
I know that 10 years ago Deseret sold the book, and the librarian there told me it was one of the best at the time...Much to my amazement....

Mary

(Quote is from signature books.)

Posted: **Sun Oct 14, 2007 12:34 am**

Miss Taken wrote:
Richard S. Van Wagoner is a clinical audiologist and Lehi City Historian, author of Lehi: Portraits of a Utah Town and other acclaimed works, including Mormon Polygamy: A History and Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess (winner of Best Book Awards from the Mormon History Association and John Whitmer Historical Association). He is co-author of the biographical resource, A Book of Mormons, and has published in Brigham Young University Studies, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Sunstone, the Utah Historical Quarterly, and elsewhere. He is currently writing a biography of Joseph Smith.

Jason, I read this book many years ago now. Even took it to my Stake President, thinking it was anti-mormon. He took my questions up the line to the regional rep and on to the GA's and he got a letter back saying that it was the 'wild west'...etc etc...

I don't know if Van Wagoner is active? Does it matter, is the question. Why does it matter?
I know that 10 years ago Deseret sold the book, and the librarian there told me it was one of the best at the time...Much to my amazement....

Mary

(Quote is from signature books.)

The reason I asked is because my wife started reading the book. She wanted to know if the author was LDS. I said I believed so. Is he active she asked. don't know I said.

Posted: **Tue Oct 16, 2007 10:21 am**

Jason Bourne wrote:
Miss Taken wrote:
Richard S. Van Wagoner is a clinical audiologist and Lehi City Historian, author of Lehi: Portraits of a Utah Town and other acclaimed works, including Mormon Polygamy: A History and Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess (winner of Best Book Awards from the Mormon History Association and John Whitmer Historical Association). He is co-author of the biographical resource, A Book of Mormons, and has published in Brigham Young University Studies, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Sunstone, the Utah Historical Quarterly, and elsewhere. He is currently writing a biography of Joseph Smith.

Jason, I read this book many years ago now. Even took it to my Stake President, thinking it was anti-mormon. He took my questions up the line to the regional rep and on to the GA's and he got a letter back saying that it was the 'wild west'...etc etc...

I don't know if Van Wagoner is active? Does it matter, is the question. Why does it matter?
I know that 10 years ago Deseret sold the book, and the librarian there told me it was one of the best at the time...Much to my amazement....

Mary

(Quote is from signature books.)

The reason I asked is because my wife started reading the book. She wanted to know if the author was LDS. I said I believed so. Is he active she asked. don't know I said.

Jason, how is your wife getting on with the book??
Regards
Mary

Posted: **Tue Oct 16, 2007 2:47 pm**

Jason, how is your wife getting on with the book??
Regards
Mary

She is reading it sporadically and I think she finds it a somewhat disturbing.[/quote]

Posted: **Wed Oct 17, 2007 4:00 pm**

Jason, I've read that book some time ago and it is disturbing. Many of the stories are heart-rending. He does not sugar coat polygamy, but reports the sad stories as well as the happy ones.

I don't know whether he is active now or not, but he was active LDS when he wrote and researched it--you can tell your wife that. I don't consider it an anti-mormon book--it didn't shake my faith. However, it does force one to take the "rose-colored" glasses off of how we view polygamy and how it is often portrayed.