There Shall Be A Record Kept Among You: Professionalization of the Church Historian s Office

Transcription

1 There Shall Be A Record Kept Among You: Professionalization of the Church Historian s Office J. Gordon Daines III University Archivist Brigham Young University Slide 1: The archival profession came into its own in the 20th century. This trend is reflected nationally with the development of the National Archives and the establishment of the Society of American Archivists. The National Archives provided evidence of the value of trained staff and the Society of American Archivists reached out to records custodians across the country to help them professionalize their skills. National trends were reflected locally across the country. This presentation examines what it means to be a profession and how the characteristics of a profession began to manifest themselves in the Church Historian s Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It also examines how the recordkeeping practices of the Church influenced acceptance of professionalization. Professionalization and American archives Slide 2: It is not easy to define what differentiates an occupation from a profession. Sociologists who study the professions have described a variety of characteristics of professions but have generated very little consensus on which of these characteristics are the fundamental criteria for defining a profession. 1 As Stan Lester has noted the notion of a profession as distinct from a non-professional occupation is far from clear." 2 In spite of this lack of clarity about what defines a profession, it is still useful to attempt to distill a set of criteria for defining what a profession is. This is particularly true when studying occupations that are attempting to gain status as a profession. Slide 3: Since its establishment in the early 20 th century the archival occupation has steadily charted a course towards becoming a profession. In gauging the progress of the archival occupation towards this stated goal, it is critical to have a set of criteria against which to 1 For example see Patrick B. Forsyth and Thomas J. Danisiewicz, Toward a Theory of Professionalization, Work and Occupations vol. 12 (1985): 59-76; Adam Yarmolinsky, What Future for the Professional in American Society? Daedalus, vol. 107, no. 1 (Winter 1978): ; Kenneth S. Lynn, ed. The Professions in America (Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1965); and Stan Lester, Becoming a Profession: conservation in the UK Journal of the Society of Archivists 23 no. 1 (2002): Lester, 88.

2 measure its efforts. For the purposes of this presentation, I have chosen to define a profession by the following criteria: Possession and use of a specialized knowledge base. One of the few characteristics common across every sociological definition of a profession is the possession and use of a specialized knowledge base. In fact, it has been argued that the profession must not only possess this knowledge; it must also help to create it. 3 Service Orientation. Another common characteristic is a service orientation. This means that members of a profession use their specialized knowledge base for the benefit of individuals or groups with whom he or she establishes a relationship of trust and confidence. 4 In practical terms, this means that members of the profession exercise their specialized knowledge to benefit the client and not themselves. Community Sanction. Professions are given grants of power by the communities that they serve. These grants of power give professions the right to select who will become members of the profession and the right to discipline members who transgress the profession's code of conduct. 5 Institutional altruism. Another important characteristic of a profession is that it possesses a system of institutionalized rewards that encourage members of the profession to maintain a strong service orientation. These institutionalized rewards systems typically take the form of codes of ethics and mechanisms for enforcing these codes of ethics. 6 Image building. It has been argued that the creation of a strong public image is one of the key factors in an occupation gaining the community s sanction as a profession. 7 Examining the Church Historian s Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints allows us to see a clear trend towards professionalization of the archival staff of that institution. Church Historian s Office 3 William J. Goode, The Librarian: From Occupation to Profession? The Library Quarterly 31, no. 4 (October 1961): Yarmolinsky, For a more detailed discussion of how professions are granted power see Patrick B. Forsyth and Thomas J. Danisiewicz, Toward a Theory of Professionalization, Work and Occupations vol. 12 (1985): For more information on the impact of institutionalized rewards for maintaining a strong service orientation see Forsyth and Danisiewicz; Goode; John Frederickson and James F. Rooney, How the Music Occupation Failed to Become a Profession, International Review of the Aesthetics and Sociology of Music, Vol. 21, No. 2 (Dec. 1990): ; and Richard J. Cox, Professionalism and Archivists in the United States, American Archivist vol. 49 (Summer 1986): Forsyth and Danisiewicz, 64.

3 Slide 4: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is imbued with a recordkeeping ethos. It infuses the highest levels of church governance and extends to local units. It is important to understand this recordkeeping ethos in order understand the professionalization of archival work within the Church Historian s Office and its successor, the Historical Department. Slide 5: The importance of recordkeeping is rooted deeply in the Church s sacred texts including the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants. Recordkeeping concepts from the Book of Mormon had the earliest and most significant impact on Joseph Smith, founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Book of Mormon is, in the words of its principle compiler Mormon, a small abridgement of the records of his people. 8 Mormon s son, Moroni, augmented our understanding of what the Book of Mormon is and why it was written in the title page that he prepared for the book. Moroni wrote it is an abridgment of the record of the people of Nephi, and also of the Lamanites Written to the Lamanites, who are a remnant of the house of Israel; and also to Jew and Gentile. to show unto the remnant of the house of Israel what great things the Lord hath done for their fathers; and that they may know the covenants of the Lord, that they are not cast off forever. 9 Slide 6: Recordkeeping is an unmistakable theme throughout the entire book. Through the process of translation Joseph Smith became familiar with the importance of recordkeeping to the Nephites and how the presence and absence of records impacted the entire society. One of the earliest actions of Nephi, the leader of the group of people who become the Nephites, was to return to the city of Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates of Laban, which contained the record of the Jews. 10 Marlin K. Jensen, current Church Historian, has written that Joseph Smith must have taken note of the careful way other prophet-historians in the Book of Mormon attended to record keeping. 11 Robin Jensen explained why the recordkeeping of the Book of Mormon resonated with Joseph Smith. Laban s brass plates represented not only the physical preservation of records and history, but the concept that records, especially sacred records, would preserve a heritage, religion, and a nation. 12 Slide 7: The recordkeeping pattern that Joseph Smith observed in the Book of Mormon would have deep implications for the development of recordkeeping in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The pattern observed in the Book of Mormon was one of writing and preserving sacred history, rather than gathering original documents what we associate with 8 Book of Mormon, Mormon 5:9. 9 Ibid., Title Page Nephi 3: Marlin K. Jensen, Making A Case for Church History, in Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints, ed. Richard E. Turley, Jr. and Steven C. Harper (Provo, UT; Religious Studies Center, 2010), Robin Scott Jensen, Rely Upon the Things which are Written : Text, Context, and the Creation of Mormon Revelatory Records (MLIS Thesis at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, December 2009), 86.

4 archival work. Joseph Smith implemented this same pattern upon the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830 when he received a revelation directing that behold, there shall be a record kept among you. 13 Oliver Cowdery originally fulfilled the command to keep a historical record. 14 He recorded meeting minutes, patriarchal blessings, membership information, priesthood ordinations, and a kind of narrative church history. His tenure was short as he was called to serve a mission for the Church and in 1831 Joseph Smith received a revelation directing John Whitmer to write and keep a regular history [and] to keep the church record and history continually. 15 This revelation established the position of Church Historian. Additional revelations would solidify the importance of this office. In November 1831 John Whitmer would be reminded that he should be writing, copying, selecting, and obtaining all things which shall be for the good of the church, and for the rising generations that shall grow up on the land of Zion. 16 A year later in 1832 W. W. Phelps was reminded of the importance of recordkeeping to the Church when he was told that the Lord s clerk (the Church Historian) was to keep a history, and a general church record of all things that transpire in Zion. 17 From very early on the Historian s Office had community sanction its recordkeeping role was publicly, and divinely, recognized and accepted by the Church. Slide 8: During this same period, Joseph Smith began to recognize the importance of gathering the institutional records of the Church and the personal papers of early members what we understand as archival activities. In 1832 Joseph and his newly appointed clerk, Frederick G. Williams, began the earliest effort to collect and preserve these materials. They began gathering correspondence, revelations, and other writings of importance and copying them into blank books. 18 These early records and Church histories were stored in a variety of locations, including the Prophet s home, the homes of those who assisted him, rooms in the Kirtland printing office and temple, his smoke house, an upper room in his brick store, and a room in the Nauvoo temple. 19 These documents would be used beginning in 1839 for the creation of the History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The early years of the Church s history were completed before Joseph Smith s untimely death in The project would not be completed until nearly a decade later in Utah. Upon its completion, a similar 13 Doctrine and Covenants 21:1. 14 Scott C. Esplin, A History of All the Important Things : John Whitmer s Record of Church History, in Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints, ed. Richard E. Turley, Jr. and Steven C. Harper (Provo, UT; Religious Studies Center, 2010), Doctrine and Covenants 47:1, Doctrine and Covenants 69: Doctrine and Covenants 85:1. 18 Jensen, Ibid., 151.

5 endeavor would begin to document the life of Brigham Young. 20 It is quite clear that the main activity of the Church Historian s Office was the creation of a written history like that of the Book of Mormon rather than an archive in the sense of a collection of records and personal papers. Slide 8: This pattern would continue into the mid-twentieth century. Although the focus was on creation of a narrative history, early Church Historians recognized the importance of the primary documents that Joseph Smith and others had begun to acquire. Willard Richards was appointed Church Historian in 1842 and, along with others, oversaw efforts to gather all the church s records and box them up for the journey across the plains. 21 Upon arrival in Utah community sanction was reinforced as these records were maintained in the Office of the First Presidency of the Church. In 1854 Apostle George A. Smith was called to be Church Historian further reinforcing the importance of the Church Historian s Office. Smith had an addition build to his house to care for the records and upon his death the entire home was utilized for historical purposes and was thus continued until the erection in 1916 of the splendid Church Offices. The Historian s Office was located on the 3rd floor of the new building. 22 Elder Smith was followed as Church Historian by Albert Carrington, Orson Pratt, Wilford Woodruff, and Franklin D. Richards. Elder Richards died in 1899 and for one year Andrew Jenson and John Jacques served as acting Church Historians. They would be followed by Anthon H. Lund and Joseph Fielding Smith. Slide 9: The next step in the professionalization of the Historian s Office begins in many ways with Andrew Jenson. Jenson came to the Historian s Office in 1886 on a part-time basis. His early assignments included gathering photographs, historic documents, and other documentation during a trip to historic church sites in the eastern United States. He also gathered similar documentation for various stakes and missions throughout the Church. On July 3, 1897 he reported his activities of the previous ten years to Church Historian Franklin D. Richards. Having now almost completed my travels as planned a few years ago in the various stakes of Zion and in all our missionary fields throughout the world (outside of the United States) this may be a fitting apportunity [sic] to make a condensed report of my travels during the past ten years. 23 Jenson goes on to describe how he has visited Church settlements in Utah, New York, Ohio, Illinois, Nebraska, and Missouri. His purpose was to gather historical 20 Leonard J. Arrington. Adventures of a Church Historian (Urbana and Chicago: University of Illinois Press, 1998), Ronald K. Esplin, Modern Efforts to Preserve Church History, in Preserving the History of the Latter-day Saints, ed. Richard E. Turley, Jr. and Steven C. Harper (Provo, UT; Religious Studies Center, 2010), Historian s Office. History, 1930 (CR ). Document Autobiography of Andrew Jenson : Assistant Historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (BX J451a)

6 information for use in writing a history of the Church. Note the ties to recordkeeping as described in the Book of Mormon. He describes how he was hired full-time by the Church as a historian in 1891 and continued to visit sites important to Church history to gather historical information. He concludes by recommending a thorough reformation in regard to record keeping. There is a lack of system and uniformity throughout the Church, in the recording of ordinance work, and in the making of minutes and rolls, statistical reports, annual reports, etc., etc. 24 Jenson was appointed as a full-time Assistant Church Historian in It was under Jenson that the Church began to systematically think about how to acquire and organize its historical documents. It was also under Jenson that recognition began to be given to the specialized knowledge necessary for successfully undertaking this task. However, Jenson still held to the idea that the principle purpose of the Church Historian s Office was that of history writing rather than archiving. The scriptural command to keep a history, and a general church record of all things that transpire in Zion deeply influenced Jenson s approach to recordkeeping. 25 Slide 11: The Church Historian s Office would take another step towards professionalization when Andrew Jenson s grandson, Earl Olson was hired. Olson began his work in the Historian s Office in 1933 and he would serve in the Office in one way or another for the next fifty plus years. Under Olson the Church Historian s Office began to build its public image and continued to strengthen the unique knowledge base of its employees. More importantly, the Church Historian s Office would begin to take a truly archival approach to recordkeeping. Slide 12: In 1957 Olson was given permission by Church Historian Joseph Fielding Smith to attend the annual meetings of the Society of American Archivists (SAA). Looking back on this experience, he wrote This was the first time that anyone from this office has been permitted to participate in professional meetings of organizations which deal with history, archives or libraries. 26 The next year SAA held its annual meetings in Salt Lake City and Olson was part of the planning committee for the meetings. Olson would faithfully attend SAA meetings for the next twenty-five years. The notes he took at these meetings are replete with information on how to improve the care of the archival materials in the Church Historian s Office. These records also document how Olson became involved in the Workshop on Church Archives. They also document the attendance at SAA of members of Olson s staff. 27 Olson would write a pamphlet entitled A Desirable Service Program of An Ecclesiastical Archives, Including Its Formal and Informal Functions by Earl E. Olson for the Workshop. Olson also wrote a report on a study of the use of ballpoint inks for archival materials that was published in the 24 Ibid. 25 Doctrine and Covenants 85:1. 26 CR The Office of the Church Historian, As remembered by Earl E. Olson, CR 10 9 Society of American Archivists files,

7 American Archivist. 28 Olson pushed the Church Historian s Office to engage with national standards and was instrumental in getting the Office to adopt the new Mormon Classification System which he assisted in developing with the committee of the Utah Library Association. 29 Slide 13: Olson s push to have the staff of the Church Historian s Office develop the specialized body of knowledge necessary to adequately care for the records in their care was recognized by his colleagues and peers. In 1984 Lyman Tyler, former director of the library at Brigham Young University, wrote Olson One of your important contributions has been the recognition that the Church Historian's Office (Historical Department), as a depository for archival and manuscript materials, performs functions similar to many other such agencies in the world. By attendance at professional meetings, acceptance of new ideas, and training personnel to take advantage of improved methods, your department now leads out in numerous ways. 30 Slide 14: An important event in the professionalization of the Church Historian s Office, and an example of image building, occurred in 1972 when the Office was renamed the Historical Department and Olson was given the official title of Church Archivist. The reorganization separated the functions of history and archives by creating a Church Historian as well as a Church Archivist. The pattern established early in the Church s history had finally given way to a truly professional meaning for archives. The shift from a history writing approach to an archival approach to recordkeeping by the Church Historian s Office was not welcomed by everyone. Elder Howard W. Hunter, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles appointed as an advisor to the new Historical Department, felt that the new archival approach was preventing the department from accomplishing its scriptural mandate. They had not published important documents, had not compiled biographies, and had not written narrative or interpretive history since The reorganization of the Church Historian s Office recognized the reality of the three separate activities that the office had been engaged in. It legitimized the archival approach that Olson had been promoting with the establishment of the position of Church Archivist, promoted the importance of history writing with the creation of the position of Church Historian, and acknowledged the need to professionally manage the publications in the Historical Department with the position of Church Librarian. A managing director was given responsibility for all three departments of the Historical Department to coordinate their activities. The image of the department and its community sanction was underscored when Olson was then sustained 28 MS 7370 Biographical sketch [of] Earl E. Olson : fifty years of service, 1984 April 1, Ibid., MSS 7414 Earl E. Olson scrapbook, S. Lyman Tyler to Earl E. Olson, February 24, Arrington, 78.

8 along with the Managing Director, the Church Historian, and the Church Librarian in the Church s April General Conference meetings. Conclusion Slide 15: The early recordkeeping patterns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints deeply influenced the professionalization of the Church Historian s Office. The Church Historian s Office was bestowed with community sanction from its inception. It would work to build its image through the production of narrative histories documenting the Church s activities (a legacy of the Book of Mormon). The appointment of Earl Olson began to move the Church Historian s Office away from its focus on narrative history (although this never completely went away) and towards a focus on collecting the archival records created by the various local entities of the Church. Professionalization would take another step forward in the late 1950s with recognition that the developing national specialized body of knowledge for managing archival materials had the potential to enable the Church Historian s Office to better meet its charge to document the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The growth the Library-Archives division staff in the 1960s is illustrative of the growing acceptance of the importance of that specialized body of knowledge within the Historical Department. Slide 16: The professionalization of the archival functions of the Church Historian s Office has positioned the Church to better document its history and has placed it in a position to engage in the history writing that was so important at the creation of the Church Historian s Office. The emphasis on written history as a tool for preserving the past is now complemented by an understanding of the importance of archives and archival records to documenting Church history.