132 Problems: Revisiting Mormon Polygamy

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How do we judge which of Josephs journals are trustworthy?

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Given that Joseph apparently had scribes write his journal entries, I'm hesitant to take them at face value because I can't be 100% sure they're in fact his intended words. How do you navigate these journals?

Michelle Stone 13/03/2024 6:54 pm

@defythegrid Great question. It is definitely tricky since none of them were actually written by Joseph, so none of them are actually "journals." But they are very useful and important. My general approach is to prioritize earlier versions over later versions -- especially when the bias is apparent and there are no other sources used for the alterations. In addition, I tend to assume they are reliable, unless there is reason to question them, in which case I try to find additional evidence. It's a shame that it has to be so difficult, but I'm very glad we at least have better sources -- letters, actual journals of people recording his words, etc.

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