Should the church open up its archives?

[RobinFinderson]

So Robin, did you not get pictures of the cameras at temple square?

No, I didn't. As it turned out, I had more pressing things to do in SLC, and my expose was a bust. As a last ditch effort, I decided to crack the Beaver tire scam wide open, by video taping my interaction with a gas guy at one of Beaver's notorious tire scam stations. The attendant approached my car, while I was pumping gas, and I thought for sure I was going to get expose gold. He proceeded to clean my windows and ask about Los Angeles. I was just waiting for him to point out that my tires had some wear on them, and that they should probably be replaced, but it never came. So, on the expose front, I came home from Utah empty handed. I was sorely disappointed.

[RobinFinderson]

It is an archives, not a library. How do you know there isnt a catalog? Have you looked?

I don't, which is why I asked Pellegrino if such a catalog exists. If you know of such a catalog, you are welcome to answer the question as well. I'm pretty sure that some digital catalog exists of holdings, but I have no idea if it is available to the public. It would be pretty cool to find out, once and for all, if the church actually owns the Sword of Laban.

[All-American]

This is specifically why I said that the documents would be digitized first, to deal with the problem of having untrained people handle valuable old documents.

As for 'skills to interpret their significance,' what skills are you talking about? There are plenty of amateur historians that are very good at understanding and interpreting the significance of old documents. Why deny them access?

To be clear, I don't know what kinds of private records the church has. It may very well be that they have scores of minutiae, ranging from old tithing slips to gas receipts, and there just isn't that much interest in opening the records up. The Joseph Smith papers project is only possible because of an intense interest in the subject as well as the willingness of donors to support the venture, and even then, what we're finding are scores and scores of materials that only very skilled historians will find useful. Or maybe they have records on tithes and offerings, or matters regarding a person's worthiness, or other things that the public really has no business knowing. Then again, maybe they have Joseph's signed confession that he made it all up. I haven't the foggiest idea what they have in their vaults.

I was a history major in college, and I'm generally on the side of releasing more information than less information, but not knowing what they aren't saying, I'm not stressing too much over it.

[All-American]

I don't, which is why I asked Pellegrino if such a catalog exists. If you know of such a catalog, you are welcome to answer the question as well. I'm pretty sure that some digital catalog exists of holdings, but I have no idea if it is available to the public. It would be pretty cool to find out, once and for all, if the church actually owns the Sword of Laban.

You should go check out the church's new history library facility. It's kitty corner to temple square, across North Temple from the Main Street plaza, as well as any surveillance cameras on that location.

Two birds, one stone.

[creekster]

I don't, which is why I asked Pellegrino if such a catalog exists. If you know of such a catalog, you are welcome to answer the question as well. I'm pretty sure that some digital catalog exists of holdings, but I have no idea if it is available to the public. It would be pretty cool to find out, once and for all, if the church actually owns the Sword of Laban.

Thren what prompted your question if you dont know? How do you know they are closed? Why do you assume they are closed?

[RobinFinderson]

Thren what prompted your question if you dont know? How do you know they are closed? Why do you assume they are closed?

Because, as Pellegrino pointed out in his reference to Arrington's memoir, they are closed. This has just been something I have known for a long time. I don't know the details of what 'closed' means, nor do I know why they are closed. Indy's question from the other thread prompted the question. Maybe the archives contain useful information.

[SeattleUte]

I find myself surprisingly ambivalent about this issue. This has been a huge issue of contension, and during my time in the LDS Church was something I felt strongly about--of course, that there should be access. Sterling McMurrin addressed this issue in his interview with Blake Ostler and he favored free and open access to scholars. I couldn't vote no, absent my hand going palsied, refusing to click no. So I voted yes.

On the other hand, the LDS Church is a private institution. Why should it have to open up its archives any more than Robin has to open up his porn stash for the public to comb through? More and more I'm thinking, "Only Indy-style Mormons, please!" Progressive Mormons are asking a lot of their church, maybe too much. Not only is it privately owned, it's a church! There's no sunshine law that applies to churches. And like Indy says, it's a free church. You can always get the hell out if you don't like lying and coercion. What do you expect from a church? Liberty? LOL.

[creekster]

Because, as Pellegrino pointed out in his reference to Arrington's memoir, they are closed. This has just been something I have known for a long time. I don't know the details of what 'closed' means, nor do I know why they are closed. Indy's question from the other thread prompted the question. Maybe the archives contain useful information.

That's very odd, because that their status is relatively open is just something I have known for a long time. I can see why you would want to rely on a book you haven't read nor have a deisre to read, however. I find that very compelling. I certainyl trust Pellegrino (i do, truly) but I think Arrington's memoir refers to a different status than now exists. I think you have shown pretty clearly why this is such an important, poll-worthy issue.

[RobinFinderson]

That's very odd, because that their status is relatively open is just something I have known for a long time. I can see why you would want to rely on a book you haven't read nor have a deisre to read, however. I find that very compelling. I certainyl trust Pellegrino (i do, truly) but I think Arrington's memoir refers to a different status than now exists. I think you have shown pretty clearly why this is such an important, poll-worthy issue.

Excellent. You know something about them being open these days. Where can I find the catalog of archived documents?

[creekster]

Excellent. You know something about them being open these days. Where can I find the catalog of archived documents?

Call the archives.

ALthough I guess you won't bother, becasue its just something you know.

[SeattleUte]

Excellent. You know something about them being open these days. Where can I find the catalog of archived documents?

http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/archives

[creekster]

http://www.lds.org/churchhistory/archives

Lol. An Indy-esque response from SU! Turnabout is fair play, but who could predict this turnabout?