D. Michael Quinn
Early Mormonism and the Magic World View
| The claim... |
The facts... |
- Encyclopedia of Mormonism "was an official product of the LDS Church"
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The Encyclopedia of Mormonism was not an official production of the LDS Church as the Church News noted:
- The encyclopedia, according to its publisher and board of editors, is not an official publication of the Church. Daniel H. Ludlow, editor-in-chief, emphasized that the encyclopedia is not intended as a substitute for the scriptures, other official publications of the Church or doctrines as taught by the apostles and prophets.
This is indicated in the introduction to the Encyclopedia:
- Lest the role of the Encyclopedia be given more weight than it deserves, the editors make it clear that those who have written and edited have only tried to explain their understanding of Church history, doctrines, and procedures; their statements and opinions remain their own. The Encyclopedia of Mormonism is a joint product of Brigham Young University and Macmillan Publishing Company, and its contents do not necessarily represent the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In no sense does the Encyclopedia have the force and authority of scripture.
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- D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, revised and enlarged edition, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998), 338, footnote 60.
- D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, revised and enlarged edition, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998), 339, footnote 2.
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- Gerry Avant, "Encyclopedia of Mormonism," LDS Church News (12 July 1991).
- Daniel H. Ludlow, "Preface," Encyclopedia of Mormonism, edited by Daniel H. Ludlow, 5vols, (New York: Macmillan, 1992), lxii.
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Commentary
Quinn wants to make the Encyclopedia of Mormonism an 'official' work, when the book, its editor, its authors, and publisher all assert that it is not.
| "...how extensively Barrett's Magus circulated in the United States during the early nineteenth century is unknown." |
"... Barrett's Magus "created an immediate sensation. . . . Barrett's book and teachings were also widely available to Smith's generation [in America]." |
- D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1987), 67. [i.e. 1st edition]
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- D. Michael Quinn, Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, revised and enlarged edition, (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1998), 84. [i.e. 2nd edition]
- William J. Hamblin, "That Old Black Magic: Review of D. Michael Quinn. Early Mormonism and the Magic World View, revised and enlarged edition," FARMS Review of Books 12/2 (2000): 225–394.*
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Commentary
Quinn provides no new citations or data between editions. Yet, he alters his claim—without evidence, and despite his cited sources—to suit his thesis.
