Jerald Dee Tanner (June 1, 1938 – October 1, 2006) and Sandra McGee Tanner (born January 14, 1941) are
American
American(s) may refer to:
* American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America"
** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America
** American ancestry, pe ...
writers and researchers who publish archival and evidential materials about the history of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...
(LDS Church). The Tanners founded the Utah Lighthouse Ministry (UTLM), whose stated mission is "to document problems with the claims of
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of t ...
and compare LDS doctrines with
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
". As of 2022 Sandra Tanner continues to operate the ministry after Jerald's death in 2006.
The Tanners, who are
ex-Mormon
Ex-Mormon or post-Mormon refers to a Religious disaffiliation, disaffiliate of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) or any of its :Rocky Mountain Saints denominations in the Latter Day Saint movement, schismatic breakoffs, ...
, printed original versions of early Mormon writings and
scripture
Religious texts, including scripture, are texts which various religions consider to be of central importance to their religious tradition. They differ from literature by being a compilation or discussion of beliefs, mythologies, ritual prac ...
in which they annotated and highlighted doctrinal changes, such as the rejection of
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
's "
Adam–God doctrine The Adam–God doctrine (or Adam–God theory) was a theological idea taught in mid-19th century Mormonism by Brigham Young, a president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Although the doctrine is rejected by the LDS Ch ...
". They jointly published more than 40 books about many aspects of the LDS Church, primarily its history.
Biographies
Jerald Tanner was born in
Provo, Utah
Provo ( ) is the fourth-largest city in Utah, United States. It is south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the largest city and county seat of Utah County and is home to Brigham Young University (BYU).
Provo lies between the ...
, and was a fifth-generation Mormon. He studied at the
University of Utah
The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...
and received a degree from
Salt Lake Trade Technical Institute. His great-great-grandfather,
John Tanner, gave large donations to church founder
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith Jr. (December 23, 1805June 27, 1844) was an American religious leader and founder of Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint movement. When he was 24, Smith published the Book of Mormon. By the time of his death, 14 years later, he ...
when the fledgling church was deeply in debt.
Like her husband, Sandra was a fifth-generation Mormon. She is a great-great-granddaughter of
Brigham Young
Brigham Young (; June 1, 1801August 29, 1877) was an American religious leader and politician. He was the second President of the Church (LDS Church), president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), from 1847 until his ...
, the LDS Church's second
president
President most commonly refers to:
*President (corporate title)
*President (education), a leader of a college or university
*President (government title)
President may also refer to:
Automobiles
* Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ful ...
. Both families had longstanding ties to the Mormon community.
They met in the spring of 1959, in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, at a religious meeting of
Pauline Hancock's
Church of Christ (Lukeite),
Soon after they were introduced, Jerald and Sandra began jointly researching the subject of Mormonism. Each had been raised as
Latter-day Saint
Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...
s, but discovered that they had each begun questioning the church in their teenage years.
Jerald and Sandra Tanner were married by a
Protestant minister in
Mission Hills, California, on June 14, 1959.
The following year, both resigned from the LDS Church. In 1964, they began an outreach to Mormons at their house in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
, which grew into UTLM. They had two daughters and a son together. After 47 years of marriage, Jerald died in
Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City (often shortened to Salt Lake and abbreviated as SLC) is the Capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Utah, most populous city of Utah, United States. It is the county seat, seat of Salt Lake County, Utah, Sal ...
on October 1, 2006, as a result of complications arising from
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
. He had retired a few months before his death.
Publications
Joseph Smith Egyptian Papers
The Tanners have specialized in publishing original documents that would otherwise be inaccessible to the general public. For example, in 1966, they were the first to publish Joseph Smith's ''
Egyptian Alphabet and Grammar
The Kirtland Egyptian papers (KEP) are a collection of documents related to the Book of Abraham created in Kirtland between July and November 1835, and Nauvoo between March through May 1842. Because some documents were created in Nauvoo, the col ...
'' (since called the "Joseph Smith Egyptian Papers"). Prior to their publication, few LDS Church members knew about these documents.
The next year, the publication prompted discussions and debates about the content of the documents, which have continued for decades.
Joseph Smith said that, in addition to translating the golden plates, he translated the ''Book of Abraham'' papyri. These materials were thought to have been lost in the
Great Chicago Fire
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8–10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 10 ...
. However, in 1966 scholars found ten fragments of the papyri in the archives of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
in New York. Subsequently, an additional fragment was located in the LDS
Church Historian's Office
Church Historian and Recorder (usually shortened to Church Historian) is a priesthood calling in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of th ...
.
The papyri have been determined to be portions of
Egyptian
Egyptian describes something of, from, or related to Egypt.
Egyptian or Egyptians may refer to:
Nations and ethnic groups
* Egyptians, a national group in North Africa
** Egyptian culture, a complex and stable culture with thousands of years of ...
funerary texts, dating to about the first century BC.
The LDS Church disputes the Tanners' position stating in an Ensign article, "…some people have concluded that this Book of Breathings must be the text Joseph Smith used in his translation of the book of Abraham. However, there are some serious problems associated with this assumption. First of all, from paleographic and historical considerations, the Book of Breathings papyrus can reliably be dated to around A.D. 60–much too late for Abraham to have written it. Of course, it could be a copy–or a copy of a copy–of the original written by Abraham. However, a second problem arises when one compares the text of the book of Abraham with a translation of the Book of Breathings; they clearly are not the same…"
The Tanners contend that the ''Book of Abraham'' is a 19th-century work written only by Joseph Smith.
Other documents and books
![LighthouseMinistriesBookstore](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/39/LighthouseMinistriesBookstore.jpg)
The Tanners have also published photo-mechanical reproductions of texts such as complete sets of early-LDS periodicals, including ''
Messenger and Advocate
The ''Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate'', often shortened to ''Messenger and Advocate'', was an early Latter Day Saint monthly newspaper published in Kirtland, Ohio, from October 1834 to September 1837. It was the successor to ''The Eveni ...
'', ''
Times and Seasons
''Times and Seasons'' was a 19th-century Latter Day Saint newspaper published at Nauvoo, Illinois. It was printed monthly or twice-monthly from November 1839 to February 1846. The motto of the paper was "Truth will prevail," which was printed u ...
'', and the ''
Millennial Star
''The Latter-day Saints’ Millennial Star'' (usually shortened to ''Millennial Star'') was the longest continuously published periodical of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and was printed in England from 1840 unti ...
''. Also notable is a reproduction of the 1825 edition of
Ethan Smith's ''
View of the Hebrews
''View of the Hebrews'' is an 1823 book written by Ethan Smith (clergyman), Ethan Smith, a Congregationalist minister in Vermont, who argued that Native Americans in the United States, Native Americans were descended from the Ten Lost Tribes of I ...
.'' Their version contains the margin notes made by Elder
B. H. Roberts
Brigham Henry Roberts (March 13, 1857 – September 27, 1933) was a historian, politician, and leader in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He edited the seven-volume ''History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
, who compared this text with the ''Book of Mormon'' at the request of an LDS leader. His report was initially kept secret, but it gradually was distributed within Mormon circles and was published posthumously as part of ''A Book of Mormon Study'' (also known as ''
Studies of the Book of Mormon ''Studies of the Book of Mormon'' is a collection of essays written at the beginning of the 20th century (though not published until 1985) by B. H. Roberts (1857–1933), a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS C ...
'') and ''A Parallel''.
The Tanners have published compiled lists of changes to the text of the ''Book of Mormon'' and other texts used by the LDS church. They argue that the alterations are substantial and that the inconsistencies in the texts are evidence against LDS claims of their being divinely inspired. This is because of the Tanner's interpretation of Joseph Smith's claim the Book of Mormon was "the most correct book on the face of the Earth… and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book."
The best-known publication produced by the Tanners is ''Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?,'' originally published in 1963 as ''Mormonism: A Study of Mormon History and Doctrine'', and reprinted five times since. Dean M. Helland of
Oral Roberts University
Oral Roberts University (ORU) is a private evangelical university in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Founded in 1963, the university is named after its founder, evangelist Oral Roberts.
Sitting on a campus, ORU offers over 70 undergraduate degree programs ...
describes it as "the heavyweight of all books on Mormonism".
[ Cited by Matthew Roper of ]Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
. The Tanners question the character and integrity of the
witnesses
In law, a witness is someone who has knowledge about a matter, whether they have sensed it or are testifying on another witnesses' behalf. In law a witness is someone who, either voluntarily or under compulsion, provides testimonial evidence, e ...
to the
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a religious text of the Latter Day Saint movement, which, according to Latter Day Saint theology, contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from 600 BC to AD 421 and during an interlude date ...
; they discuss the different accounts that Joseph Smith gave of the
First Vision
The First Vision (also called the grove experience by members of the Community of Christ) refers to a theophany which Latter Day Saints believe Joseph Smith experienced in the early 1820s, in a wooded area in Manchester, New York, called the ...
. Their book includes copies of original LDS documents.
Legal challenges
In 1999, the LDS Church sued the Tanners for internet
linking from their website to the copyrighted ''
Church Handbook of Instructions
The ''General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints'' is an on-line book of instructions and policies for leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The contents are prepared ...
.'' The lawsuit was settled out of court before an appeals court could rule on what observers described as a potentially landmark case concerning internet linking.
Criticism
Lawrence Foster, a non-Mormon historian of Mormon history, has offered a mixed assessment of the Tanners and their work. On the negative side, Foster has written that, until the Tanners "are prepared to abide by accepted standards of scholarly behavior and common courtesy, they can expect little sympathy from serious historians."
He criticized them for "a holier-than-thou stance, refusing to be fair in applying the same debate standard of absolute rectitude that they demand of Mormonism to their own actions, writings, and beliefs… The Tanners seem to be playing a skillful
shell game
The shell game (also known as thimblerig, three shells and a pea, the old army game) is often portrayed as a gambling game, but in reality, when a wager for money is made, it is almost always a confidence trick used to perpetrate fraud. In conf ...
in which the premises for judgment are conveniently shifted so that the conclusion is always the same—negative."
On a more positive note, Foster says that some of the Tanners' "research and analysis... would do credit to any professional historian."
[, presentation at the 2002 FAIR conference.] He credits them with being "more than simply
gadflies" and says that their work has helped stimulate serious Mormon scholarship.
D. Michael Quinn
Dennis Michael Quinn (March 26, 1944 – April 21, 2021) was an American historian who focused on the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1976 until ...
, a historian and former member of the LDS Church, takes issue with the Tanners' work. He noted that "although the most conscientious and honest researcher can overlook pertinent sources of information, the repeated omissions of evidence by the Tanners suggest an intentional avoidance of sources that modify or refute their caustic interpretation of Mormon history."
Challenging anti-Mormonism
On occasion, the Tanners have publicly challenged critics of Mormonism and earned praise from some LDS scholars. For instance, the historian
Daniel C. Peterson
Daniel Carl Peterson (born January 15, 1953) is a former professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University (BYU).
Background
A native of southern California, Peterson receiv ...
, the former chairman of
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. ThFoundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS)was established in 1979 as a ...
(FARMS) at Brigham Young University, suggested the Tanners' willingness to debunk false documents, regardless of their content, was a sign of
integrity
Integrity is the practice of being honest and showing a consistent and uncompromising adherence to strong moral and ethical principles and values.
In ethics, integrity is regarded as the honesty and truthfulness or accuracy of one's actions. Inte ...
:
The Tanners were among the first public critics of the
forger
Forgery is a white-collar crime that generally refers to the false making or material alteration of a legal instrument with the specific intent to defraud anyone (other than themself). Tampering with a certain legal instrument may be forbidd ...
and later murderer
Mark Hofmann
Mark William Hofmann (born December 7, 1954) is an American counterfeiter, forger, and convicted murderer. Widely regarded as one of the most accomplished forgers in history, Hofmann is especially noted for his creation of documents related to ...
. Hofmann's "discoveries" of important Mormon documents he had secretly forged appeared to bolster the Tanners' arguments, but by early 1984, Jerald Tanner had concluded there was significant doubt as to the
Salamander Letter's authenticity. He even went as far as to publish an attack on the Salamander Letter, shocking many scholars, historians, and students who believed the document was genuine. By late 1984, he questioned the authenticity of most, if not all, of Hofmann's discoveries, largely for their undocumented
provenance
Provenance (from the French ''provenir'', 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody or location of a historical object. The term was originally mostly used in relation to works of art but is now used in similar senses i ...
. He was ultimately vindicated when Hofmann's forgeries were exposed.
The Tanners have debunked what they characterize as misrepresentations of the LDS Church by
Ed Decker
John Edward "Ed" Decker (born 1935) is an American counterculture apologist, and evangelist known for his expert studies, books, and public presentations, of the negative aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS religion) ...
, a Christian evangelist. They criticized his film ''
The God Makers II
''The God Makers II ''is a documentary-styled film produced by Ed Decker and Jeremiah Films in 1993. The film, a sequel to Decker’s earlier film ''The God Makers (film), The God Makers'', is intended to be an exposé of the Church of Jesus Christ ...
'',
despite their involvement in his earlier film, ''
The God Makers
''The God Makers'' is a book and film highlighting the inner workings and perceived negative aspects of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Ed Decker and Dave Hunt co-authored the book and film.
Jeremiah Films produced ...
''.
Selected publications
* ''
Mormonism: Shadow or Reality?'' includes reproductions of early Mormon documents accompanied by commentary. A revised version is the basis for their more accessible book, ''The Changing World of Mormonism.''
* ''The Case Against Mormonism, Vols. 1-3''.
* ''The Mormon Kingdom, Vols. 1-2''
* ''Evolution of the Mormon Temple Ceremony: 1842-1990'', includes the complete text of the 1990 changes to the
temple ceremony, and examines many other changes made to the ceremony throughout the years.
See also
*
Brent Metcalfe
Brent Lee Metcalfe is an independent researcher and writer of the Latter Day Saint Movement.
Contributions
Metcalfe is on the editorial board of the John Whitmer Historical Association.
Seventh East Press
In the early 1980s, Metcalfe contributed ...
*
Criticism of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) has been subject to criticism and sometimes discrimination since its early years in New York and Pennsylvania. In the late 1820s, criticism centered around the claim by Joseph Smith ...
*
Descendants of Brigham Young
Brigham Young (June 1, 1801 – August 29, 1877) was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1847 un ...
*
H. Michael Marquardt
*
Mormonism and Christianity
Mormonism and Nicene Christianity (often called mainstream Christianity) have a complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. Mormons express their doctrines using biblical terminology. They have similar views about the nature o ...
*
Wesley P. Walters
Wesley Preston Walters (20 January 1926 - 9 November 1990) was a pastor of the United Presbyterian Church in Marissa, Illinois. He is notable for his historical research critical of the Latter Day Saint Movement, specifically Joseph Smith's First ...
References
External links
Tanner ministry websitefrom utlm.org
from utlm.org
**Tanner, Jerald and Sandra. (1981).
' (Moody Press) is the most thorough exposition available of their LDS religion critique.
**Tanner, Jerald.
' (Salt Lake City, Utah: Utah Lighthouse Ministry, 1987), gives Tanner's description of his encounters with Mark Hofmann and the reasons for his conclusion that Hofmann's "discoveries" were fraudulent.
*Sandra Tanner interviews on television program
Polygamy: What Love Is This?:
Episode 106 (17 July 2008)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tanner, Jerald And Sandra
Critics of Mormonism
Former Latter Day Saints
Latter Day Saint movement in Utah
Married couples
Mormonism-related controversies
Writers from Provo, Utah
Writers from Salt Lake City
Tanner family
Religious leaders from Utah