Benjamin Park, Historian

Were the Danites really Joseph Smith’s secret Mormon militia—and did Joseph Smith ever order them to kill? The historical record is far more complicated than either the sensational stories or complete denials suggest. In this video, we examine the Danites, officially organized as the Society of the Daughters of Zion, within the turbulent world of the 1838 Mormon Missouri conflict. We explore frontier vigilante justice, the contested “right to remain,” Sidney Rigdon’s inflammatory rhetoric, the Danite Constitution, and the escalating conflict between Latter-day Saints, dissenters, and their Missouri neighbors.

5 days ago | [YT] | 6

Benjamin Park, Historian

WATCH: https://youtu.be/PpOG3HxwAmY

Do Mormons really believe Cain is Bigfoot? The answer reveals a fascinating story about Mormon folklore, race, theology, and the way legends evolve over time. This video traces the famous account of LDS apostle David W. Patten allegedly encountering Cain, a huge, hairy wanderer cursed to roam the earth. We examine early versions of the story, its later appearance in Spencer W. Kimball’s The Miracle of Forgiveness, and how Latter-day Saints gradually connected the Cain legend with American Bigfoot folklore.

1 week ago | [YT] | 16

Benjamin Park, Historian

What does “General Authority” actually mean, why is global Mormon history so difficult to tell, and is BYU Religious Education really indoctrination? In this Mailbag Monday, we tackle four fascinating questions about Mormon history, scholarship, publishing, and religious education—including the development of LDS Church leadership structures beginning in the 1830s and the challenges historians face when studying Mormonism outside the United States.

WATCH: https://youtu.be/fF5ElZpPBzU

1 week ago | [YT] | 18

Benjamin Park, Historian

What does “General Authority” actually mean, why is global Mormon history so difficult to tell, and is BYU Religious Education really indoctrination? In this Mailbag Monday, we tackle four fascinating questions about Mormon history, scholarship, publishing, and religious education—including the development of LDS Church leadership structures beginning in the 1830s and the challenges historians face when studying Mormonism outside the United States.

We also explore why academic audiobooks can be surprisingly difficult and expensive to produce, how audiobook economics affect university presses, and what distinguishes religious education from academic religious studies. Finally, we examine the complicated history of intellectual freedom and institutional boundaries within BYU Religious Education—and why any fair assessment has to account for both those restrictions and the serious scholars working within them.

1 week ago | [YT] | 7

Benjamin Park, Historian

Do Mormons really believe Cain is Bigfoot? The answer reveals a fascinating story about Mormon folklore, race, theology, and the way legends evolve over time. This video traces the famous account of LDS apostle David W. Patten allegedly encountering Cain, a huge, hairy wanderer cursed to roam the earth. We examine early versions of the story, its later appearance in Spencer W. Kimball’s The Miracle of Forgiveness, and how Latter-day Saints gradually connected the Cain legend with American Bigfoot folklore.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 5

Benjamin Park, Historian

Brazil, Brazil, Brazil

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 35

Benjamin Park, Historian

Brazil is now one of the strongest centers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that remarkable growth was never guaranteed. This video explores how the LDS Church’s former racial restriction collided with Brazil’s complex racial history, creating a problem that became increasingly difficult to sustain. From early missionary work and the creation of the São Paulo stake to the announcement of the São Paulo Temple, we trace how Brazil became central to one of the most consequential changes in modern Mormon history.

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 4

Benjamin Park, Historian

Tomorrow's Video will be going over the Brazilian Lineage Lessons taught by missionaries and expand on the story of the racial restrictions.

Lineage Lesson Excerpt 1
Elder: God also decided before the world that some of His sons would not hold the Priesthood on the earth until He decided the right time had come. God put all those spirits in one race so they could be identified. We read in the scriptures that after the flood in the time of Noah that this race ended up in the African continent. Which race was this?

Response: The black race.

Lineage Lesson Excerpt 2
Elder: Do you know if you or your parents have any black linage?

Response: If yes, Elder: Do you want to be baptized and live in the church?

If no: Elder: If you were to discover after your baptism that someone in your family had come from a black lineage would you remain faithful in the church?

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 38

Benjamin Park, Historian

Tonight! Please don’t forget to join me as I chat with the phenomenal historian, and good friend, Kristin Kobes Du Mez about her new book, LIVE LAUGH LOVE: THE SECRET HISTORY OF WHITE CHRISTIAN WOMEN AND THE WORLD THEY MADE. It’s a truly compelling, sobering, and important work that recasts US religious history with women at the center and today’s cultural fissures as a result.

I teach American religion every year, have published extensively on the topic, and like to think of myself as an expert. But even I learned a lot from the book. And I was thrilled that Mormons play such a central part in the saga.

We’ll be chatting about the work—how a “fun” project turned so series, how she chose to approach such a massive endeavor, and what she believes the most important lessons are—as well as take your questions. So please join us at 8pm ET, 6pm MT, and bring your curiosity!

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2 weeks ago | [YT] | 27