Richard S. Van Wagoner
Encyclopedia
Richard S. Van Wagoner was an amateur historian who published works on the history of Utah
and the history
of the Latter Day Saint movement
.
Van Wagoner was a Lehi, Utah
native and a fifth-generation Mormon
. He was an Eagle Scout
and was a missionary
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the church's Central States Mission
. In 1970, he graduated from Brigham Young University
with an M.S. degree. He was trained as a clinical audiologist
and beginning in 1977 operated a hearing center in Salt Lake City, Utah
.
Van Wagoner is best known for his books Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess
and Mormon Polygamy: A History. His 1994 biography of Sidney Rigdon
won awards from the Mormon History Association
and the John Whitmer Historical Association
.
Van Wagoner was a member of the board of Signature Books
and was described after his death as a "trailblazer in Mormon studies", having published historical articles in Utah Historical Quarterly, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
, and Sunstone. He lived in Lehi, Utah
and acted as the town's historical archivist.
Beginning in the early 1980s, Van Wagoner lost his hearing due to otosclerosis
. He received a cochlear implant
in 2001, which partially restored his hearing.
He died at his home in Lehi, Utah.
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and the history
History of the Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a religious movement within Christianity that arose during the Second Great Awakening in the early 19th century and that led to the set of doctrines, practices, and cultures called Mormonism and to the existence of numerous Latter Day Saint churches...
of the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
.
Van Wagoner was a Lehi, Utah
Lehi, Utah
-Attractions:Lehi Roller MillsLehi Roller Mills was founded in 1906 by a co-op of farmers. George G. Robinson purchased the mill in 1910, and since then it has remained in the family. It is run today by grandson R. Sherman Robinson....
native and a fifth-generation Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
. He was an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
and was a missionary
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the church's Central States Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
. In 1970, he graduated from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
with an M.S. degree. He was trained as a clinical audiologist
Audiology
Audiology is the branch of science that studies hearing, balance, and related disorders. Its practitioners, who treat those with hearing loss and proactively prevent related damage are audiologists. Employing various testing strategies Audiology (from Latin , "to hear"; and from Greek , -logia) is...
and beginning in 1977 operated a hearing center in Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
.
Van Wagoner is best known for his books Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess
Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess
Sidney Rigdon: A Portrait of Religious Excess is a 1994 biography of the early Latter Day Saint leader Sidney Rigdon written by Richard S. Van Wagoner. It is published by Signature Books....
and Mormon Polygamy: A History. His 1994 biography of Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
won awards from the Mormon History Association
Mormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
and the John Whitmer Historical Association
John Whitmer Historical Association
The John Whitmer Historical Association "is an independent scholarly society composed of individuals of various religious faiths who share a lively interest in ......
.
Van Wagoner was a member of the board of Signature Books
Signature Books
Signature Books is a press specializing in subjects related to Utah, Mormonism, and Western Americana. The company was founded in 1980 by George D...
and was described after his death as a "trailblazer in Mormon studies", having published historical articles in Utah Historical Quarterly, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
, and Sunstone. He lived in Lehi, Utah
Lehi, Utah
-Attractions:Lehi Roller MillsLehi Roller Mills was founded in 1906 by a co-op of farmers. George G. Robinson purchased the mill in 1910, and since then it has remained in the family. It is run today by grandson R. Sherman Robinson....
and acted as the town's historical archivist.
Beginning in the early 1980s, Van Wagoner lost his hearing due to otosclerosis
Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis is an abnormal growth of bone near the middle ear. It can result in hearing loss.-Clinical description:Otosclerosis can result in conductive and/or sensorineural hearing loss...
. He received a cochlear implant
Cochlear implant
A cochlear implant is a surgically implanted electronic device that provides a sense of sound to a person who is profoundly deaf or severely hard of hearing...
in 2001, which partially restored his hearing.
He died at his home in Lehi, Utah.
Sunstone Symposium presentations
- Van Wagoner, Richard; Allen D. Roberts (August 27, 1982). "From Grace to Grace"
- Bradley, Martha; Richard Van Wagoner (August 23, 1985). "Changed Faces: LDS Positions on , 1890-1-80"
- Van Wagoner, Richard S.; Lynne Watkins Jorgensen (August 12, 1995). "The Making of a Mormon Myth: The 1844 Transfiguration of Brigham Young - and - The Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Passes to Brother Brigham and the Twelve Apostles: A Collective Spiritual Witness"
- Van Wagoner, Richard S. (August 17, 1996). "Sidney Rigdon and the Elect Sisterhood"
- Ehat, Andrew E.; Richard S. Van Wagoner (August 22, 1996). "Pseudo-Polyandry: Explaining Mormon Polgyny's Paraboxical Companion"
- Van Wagoner, Richard; Breck England (August 23, 1996). "Orson Pratt, Jr"
External links
- The Richard S. Van Wagoner Papers (J. Willard Marriott LibraryJ. Willard Marriott LibraryJ. Willard Marriott Library is the library of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was named for J. Willard Marriott, the founder of Marriott International. The library building is over and houses over 3 million volumes. The University of Utah Press is a division of the Marriott...
, University of Utah)