James B. Allen

Thoughts on Anti-Intellectualism: A Response

Whenever a young Mormon intellectual attempts to discuss anti-intellectualism within his Church, especially in the broad, 166-year historical context attempted by Professor Bitton, it seems to me that he is faced with at least three…

The Significance of Joseph Smith’s “First Vision” in Mormon Thought

Dialogue 1.3 (Fall 1966): 29–46
In this early article, Allen shows that the First Vision was not well known during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. It became well known after the Prophet’s death, which is when missionaries started to teach about it for the first time.

The Twentieth Century: Challenge for Mormon Historians

This year (1972), the Mormon Church is 142 years old, which means that 71 years of its history, or fully half its life, has taken place in the twentieth century. Its written history, on the…

James E. Talmage: A Personal History | John R. Talmage, The Talmage Story: Life of James E. Talmage—Educator, Scientist, Apostle

James E. Talmage was one of the most significant Mormon leaders in the early twentieth century. Internationally known scientist, outstanding educator, Apostle, and author of some of the most enduring theological works in the Church,…

Harold B. Lee: An Appreciation, Both Historical and Personal

When I was asked by Dialogue to write something in memory of President Harold B. Lee, my thought immediately went in two directions: the impact President Lee had upon the Church, and the influence he…

The Document Diggers and Their Discoveries: A Panel

Mormon history has always been a hot topic. From the earliest days of Church history over a century and a half ago, vastly divergent accounts of the origins and development of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have been penned and published. In many cases, controversies about LDS historical topics have spilled over into the national press. In the last generation, for example, disputes about the accuracy of Fawn Brodie’s No Man Knows My History and Juanita Brooks’s Mountain Meadows Massacre have been avidly covered in national newspapers and magazines. 

On Becoming a Universal Church: Some Historical Perspectives

Dialogue 25.1 (Spring 1992): 13–36
A historical analysis of the globalization of the Church. Under President David O McKay, the Church was able to reach out to more people beyond North America and Europe, which led to an increase in membership, temples and missionaries.

Editing William Clayton and the Politics of Mormon History