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Stan Larson papers, 1842-2011

Overview of the Collection

Title
Stan Larson papers
Dates
1842-2011 (inclusive)
Quantity
5.5 linear feet
Collection Number
ACCN 1111
Summary
The Stan Larson papers (1842-2011) consist of an interview of Larson, manuscripts, articles, notes, newspaper clippings, conference papers, diaries, correspondence, book reviews, books, and assorted materials. Larson was an associate librarian and curator of manuscripts at the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah. He was also a scholar and writer on topics dealing with the LDS Church.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English
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Historical Note

Stan Larson was born on 26 February, 1946 in Tacoma, Washington. His family moved to Boise, Idaho where he attended school. Subsequent to graduation from Boise High School, Larson matriculated at Brigham Young University. After spending a year on the Provo campus, he was called to serve on a LDS mission in 1965. In the process of receiving this assignment, Larson exhibited an independence of mind by refusing to be sent to Brazil as a church missionary. Authorities at the highest level of the church became aware of this situation and ultimately reassigned him to carry out his missionary responsibilities in Great Britain. As noted in his 1989 interview, Stan regarded himself to be a very devoted member of the LDS Church who viewed the study of his faith to be the most important dimension in his life. Following two years of service to the church, he resumed his undergraduate studies at BYU graduating with a B.A. in history in 1970. Larson's academic life continued as he pursued a graduate degree at BYU where he earned a M.A. in Ancient Scripture in 1974. It is important to note that at this early point in his professional career Stan's scholarly interests were focused upon textual anaylses of religious historical documents within a comparative context. An example of this methodological approach was manifest in his master's thesis which compared the texts of four editions of the Book of Mormon.

In 1974, Larson commenced an eleven year employment as a scripture translation researcher and guide writer for the LDS Church. Four years later he enrolled in the department of theology's doctoral program at the University of Birmingham in Great Britain. While Stan researched various topics associated with biblical studies, he worked full time for the LDS Church. The simultaneous investigation of the New Testament and the Book of Mormon impacted Larson's views on the question of the authenticity of Joseph Smith's translations. According to Larson's recollections, he observed significant textual and language discrepancies which led him to conclude that the Book of Mormon and the publications of LDS scholars lacked veracity. The 1985 manuscript comparing non-LDS scholarship on the Sermon on the Mount with Joseph Smith's rendition represented the culmination of Larson's abandonment of his LDS faith. An immediate consequence of the manuscript's circulation among church officials was Larson's resignation under duress of his position in the church's translation department. Within a few months after his departure from this job, Stan joined the University of Utah's Marriott Library staff as a religious archives specialist. In 1988 BYU awarded him a master's degree in library and information sciences. Larson was promoted to the position of an associate librarian and curator of manuscripts in 2001, a position which he held until his retirement from the library in 2011.

Larson's scholarly achievements are substantial. He is the author of "Unitarianism in Utah: A Gentile Religion in Salt Lake City, 1891-1991" and "Quest for the Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson's Search for the Book of Mormon" in addition to editing nine publications including B .H. Roberts' "The Truth, The Way, The Life", "A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic Diaries of Rudger Clawson," "What E'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part: The Missionary Diaries of David O. McKay," and Sterling Talmage's "Can Science Be Faith-Promoting?" His numerous scholarly articles (1976-1998) have appeared in publications such as "Ensign," "Sunstone," "Dialogue," " BYU Studies," "Journal for the Study of the New Testament," "The Evangelical Quarterly," "Trinity Journal," and the "Journal of Mormon History."

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Content Description

The Stan Larson papers (1842-2011) consist of an interview of Larson, manuscripts, articles, notes, newspaper clippings, conference papers, diaries, correspondence, book reviews, books, and assorted materials.

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

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Administrative Information

Processing Note

Processed by Roger V. Paxton in 2016.

Separated Materials

Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P1608).

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Detailed Description of the Collection

  • Manuscript and General Materials

  • Articles

    • Description: "Changes in Early Texts of the Book of Mormon"
      Dates: 1976
      Container: Box 2, Folder 1
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Early Book of Mormon Texts: Textual Changes to the Book of Mormon in 1837 and 1840"
      Dates: 1976
      Container: Box 2, Folder 2
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Textual Variants in Book of Mormon Manuscripts"
      Dates: 1977
      Container: Box 2, Folder 3
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "A Most Sacred Possession 'The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon'"
      Dates: 1977
      Container: Box 2, Folder 4
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Conjectural Emendation and the Text of the Book of Mormon"
      Dates: 1978
      Container: Box 2, Folder 5
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "The King Follett Discourse: A Newly Amalgamated Text"
      Dates: 1978
      Container: Box 2, Folder 6
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Omissions in the King James New Testament"
      Dates: 1978
      Container: Box 2, Folder 7
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "The 26th Editionof the Nestle-Aland Novum Testamentum Graece: A Limited Examination of Its Apparatus"
      Dates: 1981
      Container: Box 2, Folder 8
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "A Few Forgotten Renditions in the First Printed English New Testament"
      Dates: 1982
      Container: Box 2, Folder 9
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Synoptic Minutes of a Quarterly Conference of the Twelve Apostles: The Clawson and Lund Diaries of July 9-11, 1901"
      Dates: 1988
      Container: Box 2, Folder 10
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "The Earliest Syriac Commentary on the Apocalypse"
      Dates: 1990
      Container: Box 2, Folder 11
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Scribal Scars on the Sacred Scriptures"
      Dates: 1990
      Container: Box 2, Folder 12
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Intellectuals in Mormon History: An Update"
      Dates: 1993
      Container: Box 2, Folder 13
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "A 'Meeting of the Brethren': The Discovery of Official Minutes of a 1902 Meeting of the First Presidency and Twelve Apostles"
      Dates: 1998
      Container: Box 2, Folder 14
      Location: Articles
    • Description: "Why NOT the King James Version: An Examination of Accidental and Intentional Changes in the New Testament Text"
      Dates: 2011
      Container: Box 2, Folder 15
      Location: Articles

  • Manuscripts and Notes

    • Description: "McMurrin on Mormonism: Writngs about the LDS Church by Sterling M. McMurrin"
      Container: Box 3, Folder 1-4
      Location: Manuscripts and Notes
    • Description: Larson's transcriptions of Roberts' notations from the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon
      Container: Box 3, Folder 5-7
      Location: Manuscripts and Notes
    • Description: Blake Ostler, "The Book of Mormon as a Modern Expansion of an Ancient Source"
      Dates: 1987
      Container: Box 3, Folder 8
      Location: Manuscripts and Notes
    • Description: "Henry D. Moyle: A Chapter from Richard D. Poll's Unpublished Biography"
      Dates: 1997
      Container: Box 3, Folder 9
      Location: Manuscripts and Notes
    • Description: "The Controversy concerning Richard D. Poll's Bioigraphy of Henry D. Moyle"
      Dates: 1998
      Container: Box 3, Folder 10
      Location: Manuscripts and Notes

  • Rudger Clawson Materials

    • Description: "Rudger Clawson: a Prisoner of Polygamy before and after the Manifesto"
      Dates: 1990
      Container: Box 4, Folder 1
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials
    • Description: Reader's Report on "Prisoner for Polygamy"
      Dates: 1990
      Container: Box 4, Folder 2
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials
    • Description: Proofs of "Prisoner for Polygamy: The Memoirs and Letters of Rudger Clawson at the Utah Territorial Penitentiary 1884-87"
      Dates: 1993
      Container: Box 4, Folder 3-5
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials
    • Description: Documents
      Dates: 1884-1885
      Container: Box 4, Folder 6
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials
    • Description: List of Polygamist Prisoners
      Dates: 1884-1895
      Container: Box 4, Folder 7
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials
    • Description: Diaries of Rudger Clawson
      Dates: 1898-1901
      Container: Box 4, Folder 8-11
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials
    • Description: Diaries of Rudger Clawson
      Dates: 1901-1904
      Container: Box 5, Folder 1-5
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials
    • Description: Reader's Report on "The Apostolic Diaries of Rudger Clawson"
      Container: Box 5, Folder 6
      Location: Rudger Clawson Materials

  • B. H. Roberts Materials

    • Description: "The Truth, The Way, The Life, An Elementary Treatise on Theology: The Masterwork of B.H. Roberts"
      Dates: 1994
      Container: Box 6, Folder 1-14
      Location: B. H. Roberts Materials
    • Description: Correspondence and Document
      Dates: 1934-1994
      Container: Box 6, Folder 15
      Location: B. H. Roberts Materials
    • Description: Newspaper Article and Text Corrections
      Dates: 1993
      Container: Box 6, Folder 16
      Location: B. H. Roberts Materials

  • B. H. Roberts: Publications, 1883-1996

    Container: Box 7

  • Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials

    • Description: First Draft: The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson in Search of the Book of Mormon"
      Dates: 1988
      Container: Box 8, Folder 1
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: "Register of the Thomas Stuart Ferguson Papers"
      Dates: 1988
      Container: Box 8, Folder 2
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: "The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson"
      Dates: 1989-1990
      Container: Box 8, Folder 3-4
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: Critique" "The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson in Search of the Book of Mormon"
      Container: Box 8, Folder 5
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: Manuscript: "The Odyssey of Thomas Stuart Ferguson in Search of the Book of Mormon"
      Dates: 1993
      Container: Box 8, Folder 6
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: "Quest for the Gold Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson's Archaeological Search for the Book of Mormon"
      Dates: 1996
      Container: Box 8, Folder 7
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: Book Reviews of "Quest for the Gold Plates"
      Dates: 1996-2001
      Container: Box 8, Folder 8
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: "Thomas Stuart Ferguson and the Book of Mormon Archaeology"
      Dates: 2002
      Container: Box 8, Folder 9
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: "Determination of the True Authorship of a Book: A Case Study of 'The Messiah in Ancient America'"
      Container: Box 8, Folder 10
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: Letter: Stan Larson to Devery Anderson re Textual Deletions
      Dates: 2006
      Container: Box 8, Folder 11
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: The Book of Mormon and Archaeological Materials
      Dates: 1842-1988
      Container: Box 8, Folder 12
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: Daniel C. Peterson, "Ein Heldenleben? On Thomas Stuart Ferguson as an Elias for Cultural Mormons"
      Dates: 1996
      Container: Box 8, Folder 13
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials
    • Description: Hampton Sides, "This Is Not the Place"
      Dates: 1999
      Container: Box 8, Folder 14
      Location: Thomas Stuart Ferguson Materials

  • McKay and Talmage Books

    • Description: "What E'er Thou Art Act Well Thy Part: The Missionary Diaries of David O. McKay"
      Dates: 1999
      Container: Box 9, Folder 1-4
      Location: McKay and Talmage Books
    • Description: Textual Deletions and Documents
      Container: Box 9, Folder 5
      Location: McKay and Talmage Books
    • Description: Book Reviews of "What E'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part"
      Dates: 2000
      Container: Box 9, Folder 6
      Location: McKay and Talmage Books
    • Description: Sterling B. Talmage, "Can Science Be Faith-Promoting?"
      Dates: 2001
      Container: Box 9, Folder 7-9
      Location: McKay and Talmage Books
    • Description: Book Review of "Can Science Be Faith-Promoting?"
      Dates: 2001
      Container: Box 9, Folder 10
      Location: McKay and Talmage Books

  • Sermon on the Mount and New Testament Materials

  • General Materials

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Latter Day Saint churches--History

Personal Names

  • Clawson, Rudger, 1857-1943

Form or Genre Terms

  • Correspondence
  • Drafts (documents)

Finding aid created by Roger V. Paxton.
2016 (last modified: 2019)

CC0

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