John L. Smith Papers,

Transcription

1 Overview of the Collection Creator Smith, John L., Title John L. Smith Papers Dates (inclusive) Quantity 6 boxes, (3 linear feet) Collection Number USU_COLL MSS 473 Summary This collections contains the research and papers of John L. Smith, a Baptist minister studied and wrote several books on Mormonism. The papers include biographical material, notes, correspondence and articles on Mormonism and other religious subjects. Repository Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections and Archives Division Special Collections and Archives Merrill-Cazier Library Utah State University Logan, UT Telephone: Fax: scweb@usu.edu Access Restrictions No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan. Languages English Biographical Note Reverend John L. Smith was born in Marlow, Oklahoma, on March 15, 1920 to Emmon and Viola Jeannetta Smith. He graduated from Marlow High School in 1937, then attended Oklahoma Baptist University and later Cameron University and Brigham Young University. On November 27, 1940 he married Winona Inez Muncrief in Coalgate, Oklahoma and together they had three children: John Jr., Winona and Bonita. His wife Winona passed away on August 27, 1991 and in 1995, Smith married Pearl Gayle. In Reverend Smith s career, he was awarded three honorary Doctor of Divinity degrees and a doctorate in Theology at Southwestern Baptist Seminary. He pastored for Baptist churches in Oklahoma, New Mexico and Utah. During his years of ministry in Utah, Smith began to study Mormonism, which lead him to write several books on the subject. He and his wife, Inez, also founded Utah Missions, Inc., an anti-mormon outreach organization. Smith later moved his ministry to his hometown of Marlow, Oklahoma, where he died at age 89 on April 5, Content Description 1

2 This collection consists of the papers of John L. Smith, a Baptist minister who studied and wrote about Mormonism. The papers include personal correspondence and biographical materials, as well as research and articles on Mormonism and other religious topics. These papers are useful to anyone researching the ministry of John L. Smith and anti-mormon theology. The collection is organized into six boxes, and separated into sections correspondence and writings, articles about Mormonism and other religious topics, materials relating to Sidney Rigdon and early Mormonism, Legal sized files, and other John L. Smith materials. The first box contains Smith s writings, which include stories from his life and ministry, as well as handwritten personal notes, and correspondence. The second, third, fourth and fifth boxes contain articles concerning Mormonism and the origin of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, letters and articles from non-mormons telling about their past membership in the Latter-Day Saint Church, and other largely Mormon themed materials. five in particular, deals specifically with Sydney Ridgon, who John L. Smith believed was responsible for writing much of the Book of Mormon. The last box contains a T-shirt which belonged to John L. Smith and features an image of Joseph Smith with the words, No False Prophets. The folders are placed in alphabetical order according to author or title (if no author is known). Some of the materials originally housed in binders have been removed and placed in archival boxes. The organization of the binders were retained, though materials from a single binder may have been dispursed among several folders. The processor added the folder descriptions, using some of Smith s original labeling, when possible. Use of the Collection Restrictions on Use It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the John L. Smith Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head. Preferred Citation Initial Citation: John L. Smith Papers USU_COLL MSS 473, [ ]. Special Collections and Archives. Utah State University Merrill-Cazier Library. Logan, Utah. Following Citations:USU_COLL MSS 473, USUSCA. Administrative Information Arrangement The first box of material is arranged according to subject matter, the last boxes are arranges according to subject matter, then alphabetically by author's name and title. Processing Note Processed in July of

3 Acquisition Information This collection was donated to Special Collections and Archives in 2009 by Edward Decker. Related Materials J. Edward Decker Papers (USU Coll Mss 210) Bibliography Detailed Description of the Collection Correspondence and Writings by John L. Smith, Folder 1 1 Autobiography of John L. Smith 1 2 I d Like to be Tall, a letter about John L. Smith by James W. Roe, with Photographs of Reverend Smith 1 3 Brownie, by John L. Smith 1 4 I Believe, by John L. Smith 1 5 Excerpt from book by John L. Smith, pages (title unknown) 1 6 John L. Smith lesson outlines 1 7 Knock and It Shall Be Opened to You Binder Sections Knock and It Shall Be Opened to You Binder Sections Articles and handwritten notes on Mormonism and Utah 1 10 Handwritten notes of John L. Smith 3

4 1 11 John L. Smith binder of typescript and research material 1 12 Can Mormonism Be The Answer?, by John L. Smith Articles from the Milennial Harbinger sent to John L. Smith by Richard and Kathleen Barr 1 13 Articles from the Milennial Harbinger sent to John L. Smith by Richard and Kathleen Barr 1 14 Newspaper clippings sent to John L. Smith from Bernice Alexander 1 15 Letters and Articles sent to John L. Smith from Bruce Hiestand 1 16 Research done by Harry Bruce Hiestand concerning Mormon corruption in Ohio 1 17 Letter to Betty Clark with copy of Rigdon and Solomon Spaulding Manuscript Letter from Jim Roe to John L. Smith with article Correspondence pertaining to LDSJSmith.org Grant Mildenhall letter to John L. Smith 2008 January 1 Articles about Mormonism and other Religious Materials, Folder 2 1 Articles on Mormonism compiled by John L. Smith 2 2 Wulf Barsch, The Sacred Lake 1988 January 2 3 Frank L. Barnes, Ten False Teachings of Mormonism 2 4 Book of Mormon Difficulties 4

5 2 5 Davis Bitton The Charge of a Man with a Broken Lance c Tammy J. Braithewaite, Journey to the Center of My Soul; a Mormon Odyssey Concerned Christians: Witness to Mormons Conservative Bible Institute, Exposing Mormonism class syllabus, taught by John L. Smith Dan Corner, Real Mormon Teachings 2 10 Correspondance between Oliver Cowdery and Warren Cowdery, 1938 (photocopies) 2 11 Wayne L. Cowdry, Manuscripte Found and the Moroni Myth: the Importance of Being Honest Jay Crosby, How Wide the Divide? DNA Evidence and the Book of Mormon 2 14 Details of Oaks/Maxwell/Benson Meetings, Part Eleven Jeff Downs, An Apology to Cults: The Often Neglected Encounter at Our Doorstep T.S. Dunaway, Why Baptist and Not Presbyterian, Arza Evans, Families Held Hostage 2 18 Arza Evans, Recovery From Mormonism; A Suggested 12 Step Program 2 19 Arza Evans, Serious Trouble for the Book of Mormon 2 20 Facts Mormons Wont Tell You at the Door The First Vision Quilt Articles about Mormonism and other Religious Materials extended,

6 3 Folder 3 1 Fisher of Men International: news letter and certificates 3 2 Getting Along with Ministers: Seminar to Help LDS Learn How 3 3 Van Hale, Doctrinal Impact of the King Follet Discourse, BYU Studies Reprint Allen F. Harold, Who s Being Hornswoggled Now? 3 5 History of the Church and Patterns for Articles of Faith 3 6 Ronald Hovey, Correspondence Relating to the Alonzo Thomas and Mabel Edna Hall family Josef Smith s History Vault, Journal of Mormon Thought Josef Smith Jr. from evangelicaloutreach.org 3 9 LDS After Sheep! 3 10 Lyman Wight from LDS Biographical Encyclopedia 3 11 Reverend R. G. McNeice D.D., Mormonism; It s Origin, Characteristics, and Doctrines Memoirs of Alexander Campbell 3 13 Mormon Plan of Eternal Progression 3 14 Parley Becomes a Mormon and Meets Josef Smith 3 15 Howard Pendley, The Breedlove Papers 3 16 Prayer for revival articles 3 17 Quotes about Christians from Mormons 3 18 Review for The Mormon Conspiracy 6

7 3 19 Jan Shipps, A Little Known Account of the Murders of Josef and Hyrum Smith[1844], BYU Studies Reprint 3 20 Jan Shipps, Is Mormonism Christian? Reflections on a Complicated Question BYU Studies Reprint 3 21 Josef Feilding Smith and the First Presidency, Letter to Stake Presidents, Bishops and Branch Presidents, Statistics about those who leave the LDS Church The Strange Account of the Fist Vision 3 24 Jerald and Sandra Tanner, The Mormon Purge Through the Kirtland Period 3 26 Translated from Gold Plates? No, More Like Copied from the King James Bible! 3 27 Utah resident, Facts From Mormons 3 28 R. A. Venable, Why Babtist and not Methodist 3 29 Waldrip, Stuart (President of Orange, CA Stake) Letter fo Reverand Rick Lake, 1989 (photo copy) 3 30 William Whitsitt: Insights into Early Mormonism printed from sidneyrigdon.com 3 31 William Whitsitt, Origin of the Disciples of Christ 3 32 Witnessing to Mormons: General Principles Charles L. Wood, LDS Temple Similarities Between Islam and Mormonism 3 35 Chapters 3, 5, 6, and 7 of an unknown book on Mormonism 3 36 An Historic Bible, and John D. Lee, the Mormon 7

8 Articles and Material Relating to Sidney Rigdon and Eary Mormonism, 2000s 4 Folder 4 1 Life of Sydney Rigdon 4 2 typescripts on Sydney Rigdon, with handwritten notes 4 3 Sydney Rigdon articles, letters and history 4 4 Sydney Rigdon, from the Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclopedia 4 5 Sydney Rigdon: Creating the Book of Mormon, by Craig Criddle 4 6 Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess, by Richard S. Van Wagener Sidney Rigdon and Me, by Richard S. Van Wagener 4 8 The Life of Sidney Rigdon: The Real Founder of Mormonism by William Whitsitt 4 9 Sidney Rigdon: The Real Founder of Mormonism Book 4, Section 7, Chapter I by William Whitsitt 4 10 Josef Smith Jr.: Birth and Breeding, by William Whitsitt (excerpt from Whitsitt s Sydney Rigdon: The Real Founder of Mormonism) 4 11 Whitsitt, William, pages about Rigdon, Book 3, Section 4, Chapter III 4 12 William Whitsitt, Book 3 continued (typescripts on Oliver Cowdery, Rigdon) 4 13 William Heth Whitsitt and the Spaulding-Rigdon Theory 4 14 Rigdon-Spaulding Manuscript extended 8

9 4 15 Sidney Rigdon and the Book of Mormon 4 16 Origin of the Spaulding Story Concering the Manuscript Found, by Benjamin Winchester Watchtower Service Report-Analysis and trends for 2005, and Another Article about Rigdon 4 18 Excerpts from, Daughter of Britain and a book on early formation of the LDS Church and Sidney Rigdon 2004 Legal Sized Files, Correspondence, and Articles, Folder 5 1 Ancient Alphabets and Hieroglyphic characters explained; with an account of the Egyptian priests, their classes, initiation and sacrifices, 1806 (copy from the Gardner A. Sage Library) 5 2 Correspondence and articles from Grant Mildenhall Correspondence with Bruce Heistand Handwritten suggestions for novel 5 5 The Case Against the First Vision John L. Smith Materials, 5 Item 1 1 No False Prophets T-shirt 9

10 Names and Subjects Finding aid/register created by Elisabeth Cropper