DiscussMormonism.com

The William Clayton collection is brought up occasionally as potentially holding answers to questions about Joseph Smith and the early church. But for reasons I don't understand, it is "off-limits to scholars and historians".

Where is the collection and how did it become off-limits? Who has seen it? How does anyone know what is there? In other words why do some think it would answer certain questions? And, how do we know it wasn't used to heat Brigham's home a long time ago? Afterall, if it reflected favorably on Joseph Smith, wouldn't it have been a Deseret Book bestseller by now?

If it's unfavorable, there is NO WAY it has laid around all these years without the propagandista's laying a finger on it. If it were released now, it would be like Nixon turning over the tapes, no?

Who is telling you this? I have a published copy of his journal.

I have frequented the archives many times. I have never been asked for a temple recommend, nor have I ever been denied access to anything I have ever requested. Copying restrictions are draconian, but that is another issue.

There are some things not readily accessible: (1) discussions of things that could possibly pertain to living persons, (2) things donated which contain restrictions by the donors, (3) dicussion of the reasons for a member's discipline, (4) personnel issues.

But, having worked in the archives of major universities, I see the same or similar restrictions there.

But, a specific reference to the "William Clayton Collection" interests me. Cite?

In His Name,
rcrocket

Maybe Mr. Scratch can explain. This is from the recent Fanny Alger discussion. Bolding is mine.

Mister Scratch wrote:
That way, they would be covering all their bases---if (whenever scholars are given access to the William Clayton archives) it turns out that Joseph Smith was copulating with his plural wives, then the mopologists have a response; if it turns out that he never had relations, then they have a response.

William Clayton's diaries are under lock and key at the church archives. There was a book published that contained some of his journals - but not in their entirety.

Part of the reason is that they contain specifics of the temple ritual.

Just on a side note, what happened to the diaries of John Taylor.
The family I was staying with were his direct descendents and had access to his journals, but said that the church wouldn't publish them
because of his belief in personal angels?

Are they now published?

Mary