Exploring the Mormon Past | Davis Bitton, ed., Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies

Mormons have always had a passion for recording the experiences that shaped their lives—their dreams, ideals, intentions and conceptions of themselves. The sheer volume of their diaries, journals and other records stagger the imagination. Nothing so certifies this phenome- non than Davis Bitton’s monumental col- lection, the product of more than a decade of hard work and tenacity. Taking the citations in their entirety, scholars can view the broad panorama of Mormon society—how money and power, along with a variety of religious, eco- nomic and historical influences entered the lives of pioneers and shaped their character as well as their assumptions about their world. From the writings of ordinary people, as well as from the exalted, the volume records their candid reactions to the many problems that haunted their existence. The result leaves a picture of a humane, gentle, hard- working and very opinionated Mormon population—a portrayal that goes a long way toward destroying the provincial, narrow-minded and puritanical image that lived in the minds of nineteenth- century enemies of the Saints. When contemplated together, the diaries and journals have the same fascination as a well-ordered history held together by the thread of the pioneer’s common experience. Good witnesses to the crippled dreams and frustrations of the hard- scrabble life and to the haunting solitude indigenous to the wide-open frontier of the Great Basin are to be found in pro- fusion among the nearly three hundred sources in this Guide. 

For those who spend a greater part of their productive years in the gloom of dusty archives, this volume is a breath of air. As most scholars realize, history is the gradual accumulation of assorted glimpses, each unimportant in itself, but collectively contributing to a written portrait. It is easier to skim off the most important and the readily accessible materials, usually papers of outstanding national figures or religious figures of regional importance. In Utah, the ruling heirarchy, along with those who enjoyed their close association and confidence, have received more than their fair share of attention while the unheralded many have generally been ignored. It is in this light that one must carefully look at Dr. Bitton’s compilation. 

Conscious of the increasing interest in all aspects of history, Dr. Bitton, assistant to the Mormon Church Historian and Professor of History at the University of Utah, has published this new study to encourage further research in the life and times of the Latter-day Saints. The editor has spared no pains in covering available materials in the local archives and has relied heavily on published lists in libraries outside Utah. Generally, he employs a rigorous and substantial scholarly apparatus to ensure accuracy in content and execution. Proofreading is uniformly careful, and the Guide is well-organized and clearly written, though many entries might be criticized for their brevity. 

It seems carping then to find fault with Professor Bitton’s work, yet minor irritants do deserve attention. Biographical entries are sometimes incomplete. This useful book is marred by a less than comprehensive index; the author omits important place names and specific references to neighboring states. Having personally watched the progress of this work, this reviewer must note that the brief credits in the forward do not give deserved recognition to those who la- bored in gathering, writing and arranging the Guide. Even a token et al would be preferred to the passing manner in which they are recognized. Although the print is clear and pleasing in size, the binding is so weak that one wonders about its longevity under heavy use. 

This book is a collector’s item, however, in spite of its awkward format (8^ inches wide by IIV4 inches) and its thirty-dollar price tag. All students of Mormon history will find themselves constantly referring to this useful volume.

Guide to Mormon Diaries and Auto biographies edited by Davis Bitton. Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1977, xi, 406 pp., index. $29.95