"LEONARD ARRINGTON AND THE WRITING OF MORMON HISTORY," by Gregory A. Prince, University of Utah Press, $39.95, 540 pages (nf)
When it comes to the chronicling of Mormon history, no figure stands taller than Leonard Arrington. Arguably the foremost 20th-century historian of Mormonism, he played an integral role in establishing both the Western History Association and Mormon History Association. Arrington went on to become the historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1972 — the first and only professional historian to ever hold that title.
Prominent author Gregory A. Prince takes an in-depth look at Arrington's life and legacy in "Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History." The book starts with Arrington's upbringing on a farm in Twin Falls, Idaho, and examines his life in academia prior to becoming LDS Church historian.
Arrington set out to professionalize the LDS Church History Division and open its archives for research, thus dawning the age of New Mormon History (sometimes dubbed "Camelot" due to the era's openness and idealism). Prince wrote that Arrington's efforts to shift Mormon studies from faith promotion to more scholarly and professional research and analysis were met with opposition. Arrington's service lasted until 1982, when the Church History Division was disbanded and subsequently moved to Brigham Young University.
"Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History" was compiled using the late Arrington's diaries (totaling more than 20,000 pages). Prince gathered further information by interviewing more than 100 of Arrington's friends and associates. The result is an honest, no-holds-barred account that really seems to capture the essence of what Arrington stood for and how his legacy continues to live on today. This was also a great follow-up to Prince's earlier book "David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism," in that both provide a fascinating view into the church of the mid-20th century.
Ryan Curtis is a proud seventh-generation Utahn and also writes for Utah Political Capitol and KSL.com. In his spare time, he enjoys doing family history research and listening to '70s and '80s music. You can contact him at ryancurtis4218@gmail.com.