20:
198:
Flanders' conclusions. His seminal article on the topic, "The
Changing RLDS Response to Mormon Polygamy: A Preliminary Analysis" (1983), opened the door to reassess the church's official policy. However, as Howard recalled decades later, this study was "heavily edited" and "watered down" at the direction of church leaders and Howard considered its final form to be "a painful compromise."
158:
in which he concluded with candor that "separate analyses of modern
Egyptologists have established conclusive evidences that Joseph Smith's Book of Abraham (text and interpretations of the papyri drawings) is not even remotely related to the cultural reality behind the inscriptions and artwork on the
134:
from the 1829 manuscript through the 1840 printed version. In noting the numerous changes in the text, Howard concluded that the composition process of the Book of Mormon could not have been a word for word "translation" that some of Smith's contemporaries reported. Howard's study received the "Best
197:
Flanders concluded that the traditional RLDS view was incorrect, asserting instead that the practice had indeed originated with Joseph Smith. In 1977, the First
Presidency of the RLDS Church directed Howard to investigate the issue. Several years of careful study led Howard to generally agree with
229:
Since his retirement, Howard has continued to publish new articles and to actively promote scholarship. More recent articles by Howard include, "The Quest for Traces of a Peace Gene in
Restoration History" and "The RLDS Church's Anti-Polygamy Stance Adapted/Canonized 1967–1972: The Specter of an
90:
When
Charles A. Davies retired as church historian of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in 1963, Howard succeeded him in that position, becoming the first professionally trained RLDS church historian. This change took place against the backdrop of a broader trend of
46:. Howard's contributions include foundational work on Latter Day Saint scripture and the professionalization of the history of the Reorganization and the Community of Christ. His research into the origins of Mormon polygamy helped change his church's official stance on the subject.
159:
Egyptian papyri brought to
Kirtland." Howard further suggested that "it may be helpful to suggest that the Book of Abraham represents simply the product of Joseph Smith Jr.'s imagination" because it is "neither a scholarly translation...nor any kind of 'inspired' translation."
34:, having served as world church historian of that organization (previously named the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) from 1966–1994. He was the first professionally trained scholar to occupy that position. Howard has frequently been compared to
205:
published in two volumes in 1992 and 1993. Volume 1 was subtitled "RLDS Beginnings to 1860" and Volume 2 was subtitled "The
Reorganization Comes of Age, 1860–1992." As Howard explains in his introduction, the work resulted from the desire of RLDS prophet-president
245:
The John
Whitmer Historical Association presented Howard with its "Lifetime Achievement Award" in 2003. On September 24, 2011, at the association's annual presidential banquet, outgoing president
166:(JWHA) on September 18, 1972. He served as president of JWHA in 1985 and as president of MHA in 1990–91. Also among the founders of JWHA was Howard's assistant in the Church Historian's Office,
500:
Newell G. Bringhurst, "RLDS Church
Reaction to the LDS Doctrine and Covenants’ Section 132: Conflicting Responses and Changing Perceptions," in Newell G. Bringhurst and Craig L. Foster (eds.),
218:) agreed that Howard had "written a less defensive (though still denominational) and more legitimate (though still faith-centered) history of the church through its formative years."
598:
162:
Howard was one of the first three RLDS historians to join the Mormon
History Association (MHA), and he was among the original fifteen founders of the
210:
to have "a more legitimate history of the church" with the goal of producing "a more honest, less defensive history." In a review published in the
99:". In the RLDS context, major participants in the New Mormon History included Howard, Robert Flanders, Alma Blair, Barbara Higdon, Paul M. Edwards,
215:
39:
593:
608:
588:
249:
announced that the association would sponsor an annual lecture series named the "Richard P. Howard Lecture" beginning in 2012.
230:
Impending Schism" Since Ronald E. Romig retired as church archivist in 2009, Howard has served as a part-time volunteer in the
171:
449:
189:
had been called into question by scholars of the New Mormon History. In 1965, Robert B. Flanders, a professor of history at
613:
163:
226:
Howard retired as church historian in 1994, becoming church historian emeritus. He was succeeded by Mark A. Scherer.
63:
474:
Robert B. Flanders, Nauvoo: Kingdom on the Mississippi (Urbana, Illinois: University of Illinois Press, 1965), 272.
311:
Marvin Hill, "The 'New Mormon History' Reassessed in Light of Recent Books on Joseph Smith and Mormon Origins,"
142:
While serving as church historian, Howard contributed articles to the independent, progressive RLDS periodical,
150:
anticipated many of the progressive changes that would occur within the RLDS Church as it transformed into the
100:
75:
337:
Vol. 1: RLDS Beginnings to 1860 (Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing House, 1992) About the Author.
235:
136:
92:
119:
376:
353:
by Joni Wilson (ed.) (Independence, Missouri: The John Whitmer Historical Association, 2002) 147.
175:
267:"2003 Lifetime Achievement Award: Richard P. Howard, RLDS Church Historian Emeritus (1965-1994)"
603:
239:
127:
79:
190:
59:
55:
8:
231:
151:
67:
31:
551:
Presented at the 39th Annual Meeting of JWHA in Nauvoo, Illinois, on September 23, 2011.
96:
43:
349:
William D. Russell, "A Brief History of the John Whitmer Historical Association," in
167:
104:
35:
397:
William D. Russell, "Courage: A Liberal Journal Foreshadows RLDS Doctrinal Shifts,"
453:
207:
111:
71:
23:
Richard P. Howard attending the annual Restoration Studies Symposium in April 2011.
538:
Richard P. Howard, "The Quest for Traces of a Peace Gene in Restoration History,"
413:
Richard P. Howard, "The 'Book of Abraham' in the Light of History and Egyptology"
42:(LDS Church). Both church historians are recognized as pioneering scholars of the
186:
155:
351:
The John Whitmer Historical Association: 2002 Nauvoo Conference Special Edition,
266:
201:
Among Howard's final accomplishments as church historian was the production of
131:
582:
502:
The Persistence of Polygamy: Joseph Smith and the Origins of Mormon Polygamy,
246:
182:
110:
Howard's first major contribution was a study of the scriptures produced by
427:
295:
D. Michael Quinn, "On Being a Mormon Historian (and Its Aftermath)," in
561:
299:
George D. Smith (ed.), (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1992), 72.
66:. He pursued further graduate studies at the University of Kansas,
221:
130:. More provocative was his comparison of the various texts of the
19:
515:
The Church Through the Years: Volume 1: RLDS Beginnings, to 1860
118:(1969). In this work, Howard noted evolutionary changes in the
123:
364:
Restoration Scriptures: A Study of Their Textual Development
286:(Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing House, 2010), 59.
116:
Restoration Scriptures: A Study of Their Textual Development
517:(Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing House, 1992), 9.
504:(Independence, Missouri: John Whitmer Books, 2010), 276–77.
366:(Independence, Missouri: Herald Publishing House, 1969).
282:
David J. Howlett, Barbara B. Walden, and John C. Hamer,
181:
By the 1960s and 1970s, the traditional RLDS view that
126:
and similar changes in the revelations recorded in the
278:
276:
297:
Faithful History: Essays on Writing Mormon History,
273:
85:
415:Courage: A Journal of History, Thought, and Action
170:. McMurray later became a member of the church's
144:Courage: A Journal of History, Thought, and Action
154:. Howard's contributions included a study of the
580:
485:The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal
222:Retirement and Emeritus Historian, 1994–present
214:Mormon historian Glen Leonard (a member of the
185:rather than Joseph Smith Jr. was the origin of
40:the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
146:. Published quarterly between 1970 and 1973,
540:John Whitmer Historical Association Journal,
452:. Mormon History Association. Archived from
307:
305:
284:Community of Christ: An Illustrated History,
212:John Whitmer Historical Association Journal,
599:Historians of the Latter Day Saint movement
527:John Whitmer Historical Association Journal
399:John Whitmer Historical Association Journal
409:
407:
91:professionalization in the history of the
345:
343:
302:
18:
404:
264:
54:Howard earned an associate degree from
581:
340:
324:Howlett, Walden, and Hamer (2010), 58.
313:Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought,
269:. John Whitmer Historical Association.
30:is an American historian emeritus of
564:. John Whitmer Historical Association
430:. John Whitmer Historical Association
195:Nauvoo: Kingdom on the Mississippi.
164:John Whitmer Historical Association
13:
594:21st-century American male writers
62:, and an M.A. in history from the
14:
625:
609:American male non-fiction writers
64:University of California-Berkeley
589:21st-century American historians
417:Pilot Issue (April 1970): 45-45.
86:RLDS Church historian, 1966–1994
554:
545:
532:
520:
507:
494:
477:
468:
442:
420:
391:
315:Vol. 21, No. 3 (Fall 2002):122.
58:, a B.A. in education from the
369:
356:
327:
318:
289:
258:
174:, rising ultimately to become
1:
483:The article was published in
335:The Church Through the Years,
203:The Church through the Years,
122:or "Inspired Version" of the
76:Saint Paul School of Theology
379:. Mormon History Association
49:
7:
614:Graceland University alumni
10:
630:
487:Vol. 3 (1983): 14–29, and
137:Mormon History Association
401:, vol. 28 (2008): 155–56.
93:Latter Day Saint movement
252:
120:Joseph Smith Translation
491:Vol. 3 (1986): 145–162.
377:"Past Award Recipients"
95:commonly known as the "
265:Russell, Bill (2003).
240:Independence, Missouri
128:Doctrine and Covenants
24:
450:"Past MHA Presidents"
135:Book Award" from the
80:Kansas City, Missouri
38:, his counterpart in
22:
529:Vol. 12 (1992): 104.
60:University of Kansas
542:Vol. 23 (2003): 45.
513:Richard P. Howard,
489:Restoration Studies
456:on 13 February 2012
362:Richard P. Howard,
333:Richard P. Howard,
232:Community of Christ
152:Community of Christ
68:American University
32:Community of Christ
101:William D. Russell
97:New Mormon History
44:New Mormon History
25:
16:American historian
428:"JWHA Presidents"
191:Graceland College
176:prophet-president
168:W. Grant McMurray
105:W. Grant McMurray
56:Graceland College
36:Leonard Arrington
28:Richard P. Howard
621:
574:
573:
571:
569:
558:
552:
549:
543:
536:
530:
524:
518:
511:
505:
498:
492:
481:
475:
472:
466:
465:
463:
461:
446:
440:
439:
437:
435:
424:
418:
411:
402:
395:
389:
388:
386:
384:
373:
367:
360:
354:
347:
338:
331:
325:
322:
316:
309:
300:
293:
287:
280:
271:
270:
262:
234:Archives at the
208:W. Wallace Smith
172:First Presidency
112:Joseph Smith Jr.
72:Washington, D.C.
629:
628:
624:
623:
622:
620:
619:
618:
579:
578:
577:
567:
565:
560:
559:
555:
550:
546:
537:
533:
525:
521:
512:
508:
499:
495:
482:
478:
473:
469:
459:
457:
448:
447:
443:
433:
431:
426:
425:
421:
412:
405:
396:
392:
382:
380:
375:
374:
370:
361:
357:
348:
341:
332:
328:
323:
319:
310:
303:
294:
290:
281:
274:
263:
259:
255:
224:
187:Mormon polygamy
178:of the church.
156:Book of Abraham
88:
52:
17:
12:
11:
5:
627:
617:
616:
611:
606:
601:
596:
591:
576:
575:
553:
544:
531:
519:
506:
493:
476:
467:
441:
419:
403:
390:
368:
355:
339:
326:
317:
301:
288:
272:
256:
254:
251:
223:
220:
139:in 1969/1970.
132:Book of Mormon
87:
84:
51:
48:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
626:
615:
612:
610:
607:
605:
604:Living people
602:
600:
597:
595:
592:
590:
587:
586:
584:
563:
557:
548:
541:
535:
528:
523:
516:
510:
503:
497:
490:
486:
480:
471:
455:
451:
445:
429:
423:
416:
410:
408:
400:
394:
378:
372:
365:
359:
352:
346:
344:
336:
330:
321:
314:
308:
306:
298:
292:
285:
279:
277:
268:
261:
257:
250:
248:
247:John C. Hamer
243:
241:
237:
233:
227:
219:
217:
213:
209:
204:
199:
196:
192:
188:
184:
183:Brigham Young
179:
177:
173:
169:
165:
160:
157:
153:
149:
145:
140:
138:
133:
129:
125:
121:
117:
113:
108:
106:
102:
98:
94:
83:
81:
77:
73:
69:
65:
61:
57:
47:
45:
41:
37:
33:
29:
21:
566:. Retrieved
556:
547:
539:
534:
526:
522:
514:
509:
501:
496:
488:
484:
479:
470:
458:. Retrieved
454:the original
444:
432:. Retrieved
422:
414:
398:
393:
381:. Retrieved
371:
363:
358:
350:
334:
329:
320:
312:
296:
291:
283:
260:
244:
228:
225:
211:
202:
200:
194:
180:
161:
147:
143:
141:
115:
109:
89:
53:
27:
26:
114:, entitled
583:Categories
568:6 February
460:6 February
434:6 February
383:6 February
216:LDS Church
193:published
50:Education
562:"Awards"
148:Courage
236:temple
103:, and
74:, and
253:Notes
124:Bible
570:2013
462:2013
436:2013
385:2013
238:in
78:in
70:in
585::
406:^
342:^
304:^
275:^
242:.
107:.
82:.
572:.
464:.
438:.
387:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
