In this compilation, editor George D. Smith has assembled sixteen thought-provoking essays which represent this ongoing discussion. They include “On Being a Mormon Historian” by D. Michael Quinn, “Two Integrities: An Address to the Crisis in Mormon Historiography” by Martin E. Marty, “Objectivity and History” by Kent E. Robson, “The Acids of Modernity and the Crisis in Mormon Historiography” by Louis Midgley, and “Historicity of the Canon” by Edward H. Ashment.

“History, myth, and legend are not always distinguishable,” cautions Smith,” “but there are some things we can know. The authors of these essays attempt to define the boundaries between objectivity and the biases of belief and unbelief which may color what is written about the past.”

Over the past decade Mormons have debated how their history should be written. New Mormon Historians believe that balanced, unprejudiced approaches produce the most reliable history. Traditionalists contend that no historian can be completely objective, that Mormon history should therefore be written with the “pre-understanding” that Joseph Smith restored the ancient Christian church.

Contents:
Editor’s Introduction
01 – Faithful History
02 – The Irony of Mormon History
03 – Some Reflections on the New Mormon History
04 – Thoughts on the Relation of Faith and Historical Knowledge
05 – History and Theology: The Mormon Connection
06 – On Being a Mormon Historian (and Its Aftermath)
07 – Reflections of a Non-Mormon Historian
08 – History, Faith, and Myth
09 – Looking for God in History
10 – Faithful History/Secular Religion
11 – Objectivity and History
12 – An Address to the Crisis in Mormon Historiography
13 – The Acids of Modernity and the Crisis in Mormon Historiography
14 – A Critique of New Mormon History
15 – Some Possibilities of a “New” Traditional History
16 – Historiography of the Canon
Epilogue: Myth, Symbol, and Truth