When History Tells the Truth… But the Church Isn’t Ready
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When History Tells the Truth… But the Church Isn’t Ready
✍️ The Story They Tried to Write—Then Buried
Once upon a time—not in ancient Nephi or Zarahemla,
but in Salt Lake City, 1972—
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did something remarkable:
They hired a real historian.
Not just a faithful scriptorian.
Not just a devotional storyteller.
A real-deal, PhD-trained, footnote-loving scholar named Leonard J. Arrington.
And they gave him a bold assignment:
✍️ Tell our story—truthfully, academically, and completely.
All of it.
From Palmyra to Provo.
From the Kirtland bank collapse to the pioneer plains.
From Joseph’s revelations to modern correlation.
Sixteen volumes.
Scholars like Richard Bushman were lined up.
Church archives were opened.
The brethren gave their blessing.
A quiet little Camelot of LDS history began.
🚫 Until the Apostles Read the First Book
Then came the storm.
They read The Story of the Latter-day Saints,
and some of them didn’t like what they saw.
It told the story like a historian would—not like a missionary would.
Too honest.
Too human.
Too much Joseph Smith being mortal.
Too little angelic glow.
One apostle said it felt “secular.”
Another feared it would “shake testimonies.”
So, the doors slammed shut.
Contracts were canceled.
Arrington’s office was dismantled.
And that beautiful dream of open, scholarly truth?
It died quietly behind a granite wall.
💔 The Cost of Silence — A Personal Story
You want to know the ripple effects of hiding the truth?
Let me tell you something personal.
The other day, my dear wife—
a saint in every sense of the word—
turned to me and asked:
“Joseph didn’t practice polygamy… did he?”
What do we believe?
What have we been taught?
What has the Church told us… and not told us?
The truth is:
The Church hides it, softens it, dances around it,
then turns around and teaches our youth in seminary that Joseph had 30–40 wives.
But not in General Conference.
Not over the pulpit.
Not in Relief Society.
Not with the spiritual weight of repentance and transparency.
My wife is humble, faithful, temple-loving.
She’s got more priesthood in her heart than I’ve got in my hands.
She trusts the Lord.
She trusts the prophets.
And like many Saints today…
she can’t even think past the Conference Center.
Why?
Because we’ve been programmed.
Taught not to question.
Taught that following the brethren is the same as following Christ.
But Joseph never said that.
He said he wanted all the Lord’s people to be prophets.
And so did Moses (Numbers 11:29).
Jesus said:
🕊️ “My sheep hear my voice.”
He didn’t say, My sheep watch every General Conference talk.
💡 Why This Matters More Than Ever
The saints today are waking up.
They’re Googling.
They’re reading journals.
They’re wondering why the version they heard growing up
doesn’t match the records hiding in plain sight.
But we were this close, brothers and sisters.
We were this close to having a full, honest, Church-backed history
fifty years ago.
The Sesquicentennial Series could’ve been a masterpiece.
Instead, it was shelved.
Because history—even when written with love—
can be uncomfortable.
But Jesus never avoided uncomfortable truth.
He walked into the temple
and flipped the tables.
📖 A Tale of Two Histories
Compare that with today’s Saints books.
They’re cleaner.
Smoother.
Well-crafted, no doubt.
But let’s be honest: they’re correlation-approved narratives.
They don’t challenge.
They don’t disrupt.
They tell just enough to claim transparency,
but not enough to awaken Zion.
It’s safe history.
And safe history doesn’t save us.
Truth does.
⚖️ What Arrington Taught Us
Here’s the real legacy of Leonard J. Arrington:
- You can be faithful and honest.
- You can love the Restoration and admit the mess.
- You can honor Joseph’s mission without sanitizing his humanity.
And maybe most of all:
🔓 Opening the archives is a sign of faith.
Closing them is a sign of fear.
🔍 Are We Still Afraid?
Let me ask you—dear brother, dear sister—
Why would the Church halt an honest history project?
Is God afraid of the truth?
Was Christ afraid to let His wounds show?
Or are we just too comfortable
with a polished past
that keeps us feeling safe?
Leonard wasn’t trying to destroy faith.
He was trying to ground it.
To show that the Restoration didn’t need makeup.
It needed light.
🌱 Final Thoughts: Real Faith Doesn’t Flinch
Faith that hides from history is fragile.
But faith that wrestles with it is Zion-ready.
The Church said no to Camelot.
But the scholars kept writing.
The truth found its way out.
And you know what?
🌤️ It’s still here—waiting for you to read it.
So be brave.
Pick up a volume.
Turn the page.
Let history baptize your faith in truth.
🙏 A Simple Prayer
Lord,
We are not afraid of truth.
Because You are truth.
And where the truth is, there is liberty.
Free our minds from fear,
Free our history from chains,
And lead us, not with whitewashed stories,
But with burning honesty.
That we may become Zion—
Whole, wounded, and holy.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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