Scott Faulring interview drafts, 1952-1982

Series

Identifier: MSS 1580 Series 2

Staff Only

Scope and Contents note

From the Collection:

The bulk of this collection grew out of Faulring's Senior Seminar project. In addition to the extensive oral history interviews, Scott Faulring compiled a comprehensive bibliography of the Tanners' works; collected other known interviews with the Tanners, including those conducted by James D'Arc and Roger Flick; and also helped organize a photographic record of the Tanners and their place of business. Besides the final draft, this collection contains the actual tapes of the interviews with Sandra Tanner and the amended rough drafts of the typescripts, some of which show the penciled corrections made by Jerald Tanner.

Anti-Mormon writers such as Eber D. Howe and John C. Bennett initiated anti-Mormon work since the 1830's, but researchers lack information on these individuals. Fortunately, this collection prevents the same trend from continuing where the Tanners are concerned. Thus, this is an invaluable collection which provides insight into the life and philosophy of two current successors to these early figures.

This collection has been organized into two main sections. The first section (boxes 1-3) contains the various written drafts of the Faulring project (the cassette taped recordings of the interviews are in box 6). The second section (boxes 4 and 5) contains photocopies of the legal papers and depositions relating to the United States District Court Case of Andrew F. Ehat vs. Jerald Tanner, et al. (1983-84), which were also donated by Mr. Faulring. The case centered on Mr. Ehat's claim that a publication by the Tanners of his research notes, etc. relating to the William Clayton diaries had robbed him of his rightful income.

Dates

Other: 1952-1982

Creator

Faulring, Scott H. (Person)

Conditions Governing Access note

Open for public research. All requests for photocopying must be approved by the curator of 20th Century Western & Mormon Manuscripts. The whole duplication of large documents, reprinting, digitizing, or otherwise publishing is prohibited without written permission from the Board of Curators of BYU Special Collections and Manuscripts.

Conditions Governing Use note

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.Permission to publish material from the Scott Faulring research collection on Jerald and Sandra Tanner must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical History

From the Collection:

Since at least 1959, Jerald and Sandra Tanner have been involved in anti-Mormon activities, first with the Modern Microfilm Company then later with the Utah Lighthouse Ministry. Then in 1980, Scott Faulring, a senior majoring in history at Brigham Young University, asked to do his extended oral history project for his History 490 on the Tanners.

Since at least 1959, Jerald and Sandra Tanner have dedicated their lives to anti-Mormon activities. Professing their own deep Christianity, they have consistently written and lectured against the history and doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Based in Salt Lake City, the Tanners have maintained an extensive publishing program, first as the Modern Microfilm Company (1959-1982) and since then as the Utah Lighthouse Ministry. Through photomechanical reprints, they have made available to their customers a large selection of out-of-print Mormon and anti-Mormon works. Additionally, they have authored a variety of works on specialized topics as well as a regular newsletter on subjects of contemporary interest.