Grant H. Palmer (born 1940) is an American historian best known for his controversial work An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, which led directly to his disfellowshipment from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Palmer is a graduate of Brigham Young University with an M.A. in American history.
Palmer is a three-time director of LDS Institutes of Religion in California and Utah, a former instructor at the Church College of New Zealand, and an LDS seminary teacher at two Utah locations. He has been active in the Mormon History Association and on the board of directors of the Salt Lake Legal Defenders Association. He is now retired. He is the author of the controversial book An Insider's View of Mormon Origins and The Incomparable Jesus.
In 1985 he wrote and circulated a manuscript called "New York Mormonism" under the pseudonym "Paul Pry, Jr." which became the first draft of An Insider's View of Mormon Origins.[1]
Palmer was disfellowshipped from the Church in December 2004 as a result of publishing the controversial work An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, a historical book examining the origins of Mormonism.
Palmer concluded that while he liked many of the teachings of Joseph Smith, "the foundational events in church history are too problematic to ignore". He found that much of what Latter Day Saints take for granted as literal history has, over the years, been modified to emphasize certain aspects over others. This, he believes, has resulted in an inaccurate picture of LDS Church history.
Palmer has been quoted as saying that he still loves the church, and is pleased he wasn't excommunicated. A disfellowshipped member retains church membership but loses certain privileges.
Critics of the LDS Church, and Palmer himself, have compared the disfellowshipment of Grant Palmer to the trial of Galileo Galilei by the Roman Catholic Church.[2][3]
In May 2006 Grant Palmer did a four part interview with John Dehlin on his podcast Mormon Stories.[4] This podcast was followed up in January 2007 with a five part interview of the historian Richard Bushman, author of Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. Richard Bushman's interview presents a more orthodox LDS response to Grant Palmer's take on Mormon origins.[5]
Palmer has compared the Mormon and Catholic Churches to the Pharisees, whose observance of strict laws and oral traditions was decried by Jesus. Palmer believes that, instead, a true belief in Christian religion is centered in individually becoming good and loving people.[6]
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