Deseret News | Reader comments: Committed to preserving church history

Reader comments
Committed to preserving church history

to late for me... | 6:32 p.m. June 20, 2009

In the article it said;

One of the most significant aspects of the new library is that it is designed for public accessibility. However, not all artifacts will be available for public research. Those considered sacred, private, confidential or too fragile will not be available.

Hummm, in the past sacred, private or confidentIal sometimes meant embarrassing, contradiction of doctrine or history that just didn't fit well with their official story. Many have lost their faith not only because of what they have found but the way the church sometime handled these things in a less then a honest way. Hopefully in the future with this new chapter they can embrace their history, both the good and the bad. just like all of us can improve our lives by learning from the past so can the church. If the past is not portrayed accurately then the lessons learned from it will be worthless.

Sorry Folks | 7:13 p.m. June 20, 2009

Reminds me of a Soviet archive. If you are unwilling to show it ALL, you cannot call it true history. It is nothing more than propaganda.

JB | 8:05 p.m. June 20, 2009

During Christ's forty-day ministry to His closest disciples after His resurrection, the things He taught them were considered extremely sacred and the many writings available from that period confirm that the disciples held those things sacred and shared little with the general church or public. Throughout history, the concept of sacredness has been understood until recently.

The early Gnostics had many of the manuscripts about the forty-day ministry and they have interpreted the info in a variety of ways. It was easy for the writings to be misconstrued and various opinions to form because the witnesses of that ministry were so careful in what they shared.

For any interested, there is a great deal that has come forward from that time and a study of that can help in understanding the LDS concept of sacred literature.

I'm sorry but I'm not interested in bashing about this subject. Mutually respectful discussions are great...bashing is fruitless.

Comments continue below

Re: Sorry Folks | 8:47 p.m. June 20, 2009

You've clearly never dealt with archives. ALL archives hold collections that are confidential or restricted for various reasons. An archive is not a library for you to wander in and check out items as you feel free. It is a controlled storage facility for a wide range of documents and artifacts. Some are preserved so that the public may access and learn from them, others are stored because they hold inherent value to the institution but must be guarded because they are fragile or of a sensitive nature. In most archives an archivist must handle all documents to ensure their security. All archives have access restrictions; so dear detractors, please drop the self-righteous indignation.

John Pack Lambert | 9:18 p.m. June 20, 2009

One thing they did not mention is that often if the document is fragile one can look at a microfilm of it, so frigileness does not limit accessability as much as might initially be thought.

BG | 10:47 p.m. June 20, 2009

Why do sacred things have to be hidden from human kind, when they could benefit all of God's children - rather than a select few, who have access to hidden vaults filled with great mysteries/wonders, that could assist all of us, in our search for eternal peace, joy/happiness?

re: BG | 11:11 p.m. June 20, 2009

That is a good but very tough question. The process of learning the mysteries of God is one of patience and faith. It is a journey and not a jump. The journey helps us grow closer to God and learn to hear the song of the spirit amid the clamoring of the world.

If you really are interested, read and ponder the words Jesus spoke to His disciples in Matthew 13:10-15. I'll just put the first part here:

10 And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

11 He answered and said unto them, Because it is given unto you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given.

Good luck, BG. Life isn't easy.

CougarKeith | 11:22 p.m. June 20, 2009

I get so tired of the NaySayers! FACT:JB is very accurate, and all Archive Libraries have a special collection that are rarely seen, and are preserved in special climate controlled areas. Other things are "Sacred" and other things are to fragile or personal in nature, so it's not like anyone can walk in and just read anyone's stuff! I wouldn't want just anyone reading my Patriarchal Blessing!

Then again their were those who persecuted Christ for what He taught and believed, and claimed, and it obviously holds true today! What if He were here in the flesh, how many would take His word for it that He was indeed the Savior? I mean He would just show up one day and walk out of a temple to see for himself how the world would react. Guess what, 99%, even "Good Devout Mormons" would doubt, mock and persecute Him for claiming to be Christ here for the second coming, because He can't be Him! Just like the Jews refused to see Him for who He really was and sought to put him to death! Shame on those who seek to tear down someone's faith!

Calm Down | 12:21 a.m. June 21, 2009

If the church wants to keep certains things under lock and key due to fragility and not wanting anything to happen to a sacred item, so be it, but that should not prevent copies from being made available. Is this complete history or just and edited version?

Quite frankly, I'm not interested in an edited version. Make ALL the information available in some form or accept the bashing like men.

Nayajja | 6:47 a.m. June 21, 2009

So, M. Calm Down, do you publish every paper about yourself on the internet? your checking financial records, personal letters, medical records, love notes to your girlfriend, etc?
Why not?

chicagofriend | 8:47 a.m. June 21, 2009

I am grateful that records are being preserved. If you do not preserve your documents the perspective of the document will be lost. Erroneous speculation may be dispelled when documents can be examined for content, setting, authorship, and authenticity.

If science is forever tentative, subject to new discovery, how much more so is history tentative when created without the benefit of some documents and evaluation?

Doyly | 1:11 p.m. June 21, 2009

Nayajja-

Private individual docs are much, much different than org docs. And, if he was being investigated, yup- then private docs are fair game. It's like vetting for VP or such.

LD$ inc hides a lot of truth from its members- even more so from its investigators. What do they have to hide in failing to publish their $ records? Maybe the fact that 90%+ of your tithe goes to malls, business dealings, more temples, etc while ward members are forced to do the cleaning (church can't afford janitors) and a very tiny fraction of their actual income goes to humanitarian aid?

LD$ has always operated on secrecy. (Oh, I mean "sacredness.")

James D. Clark | 1:38 p.m. June 21, 2009

I remember a few years ago attempting to view a copy of the diary of Charles C. Rich, an early apostle who baptised my great-great grandfather in 1835. I wished to learn if Charles C. Rich had recorded details of the conversion and baptism in his journal. The guardians at the Church History Library denied me access to the record citing policy laid down by the Quorum of the Twelve. So much for commitment to preserve church history.

I later obtained a complete copy of Apostle Rich's journal from the Rich Family Association. And "yes," the journal contained numerous references to my great-great grandfather.

SFC RET DENNIS | 6:00 p.m. June 23, 2009

Doyly | 1:11 p.m. June 21, 2009 were do you get you info? From your mind? All one has to do is look and you can see where it gos and it is not 90% or even close to that going to malls, business dealings ect Yes a lot gos to temples and a lot more to humanitarian aid then you wish to believe. Watch the beginning of our semi-annual general conference an accounting is given.

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