One of my favorite quotes is, "I don't read fiction because I get it confused with fact. History is much more interesting anyways. History is perverse man - it will twist you." This isn't verbatim, but it's pretty close.
As I read through the Joseph Smith papers(minus some of the opinions in the inserted essays), it is apparent to me how twisted my understanding of those times was. Real, first hand, contemporary accounts twisted my brain, scratched out my eyes, and scratched them back in. It's far better than any novel I have read.
I end up liking people I disliked before(Sidney Rigdon). Pitying people I thought were wretched(John C. Bennett). Being disappointed in people I thought ought to know better(Oliver Cowdery). And standing in awe at people I thought I were great before, but are now magnificent(Joseph and Emma).
It becomes apparent where God was working, where He wasn't, where He wanted to. True history shines a bright, and sometimes unwelcome light on why we are where we are today. It helps me understand where we wanted to go(Zion) and where we went(the desert). And I'm compelled to agree with the quote. True history IS more interesting. It IS more perverse. It will twist you. But it will, if you'll accept it, always bless you.
There are very few people I trust to write commentaries on history. It is easy to "write in" your own opinion as you take quotes out of context, or "elaborate" on some written account, even if it is only your assumption. This is why everyone who wants know what happened needs to put in the work themselves. It sucks. It takes time. You have to sacrifice some things. It's fine though - you're always left with more than you bargained for anyway.
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