The William E. McLellin Papers, 1851 - 1880

Forthcoming June 2007

The William E. McLellin Papers, 1854-1880
STAN LARSON AND
SAMUEL J. PASSEY, EDITORS
Hardback. 608 Pages. / 1-56085-144-9 / $39.95

During his long life, William E. McLellin moved from one Mormon faction to another, searching for absolute truth but sympathizing with dissenters in each new group. In fact, he was a genuine, if ill-tempered, intellectual among Joseph Smith's less academically oriented original twelve apostles, and his writings illuminate the founding period of Mormonism. Ironically, the items in this compilation were discovered because document forger Mark Hofmann claimed to have found "apple crates full" of such material. In fact, Hofmann had found nothing, but the publicity surrounding the claim led to the discovery of the McLellin papers. This collection is introduced and contextualized by the editors and contributors, including former RLDS Church Historian Richard P. Howard, Salt Lake Tribune reporter Dawn House, Brigham Young University Professor Thomas G. Alexander, and AHA award-winning historian D. Michael Quinn.

Stan Larson is Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah. Among his published works are Prisoner for Polygamy: The Memoirs and Letters of Rudger Clawson; Quest for the Gold Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson's Archaeological Search for the Book of Mormon; and Working the Divine Miracle: The Life of Apostle Henry D. Moyle .

Samuel J. Passey, an archivist at the Marriott Library, recently received his MLS degree from the University of North Texas. He juggles work, family (he and wife, Samantha, have two children), church (he teaches Sunday school), and further research.