Signature Books
Encyclopedia
Signature Books is a press specializing in subjects related to Utah
, Mormonism
, and Western Americana. The company was founded in 1980 by George D. Smith and Scott Kenney and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
by Orson Scott Card
. Several of Signature Books' publications have won awards from the Association for Mormon Letters
, the John Whitmer Historical Association
, the Mormon History Association
, the Mountain West Center for Western Studies, and the Utah Center for the Book. Among those present at Signature Books inception were George D. Smith and Scott Kenney, assisted by a board of directors composed of distinguished historians and business leaders: Eugene E. Campbell
, Everett L. Cooley, David Lisonbee, D. Michael Quinn
, Allen Dale Roberts, and Richard S. Van Wagoner
; and a similarly well-known editorial board: Lavina Fielding Anderson
, Maureen Ursenbach Beecher
, Davis Bitton
, Orson Scott Card
, and Jay Parry.
, Wilford Woodruff
, L. John Nuttall
, Anthon H. Lund
, John Henry Smith
, Rudger Clawson
, B. H. Roberts and Reed Smoot
. Signature has also published noted studies of well-known early Mormon theologians such as James E. Talmage
, B. H. Roberts, Orson Pratt
, Parley P. Pratt
, Brigham Young
, John Widtsoe, and award winning biographies of significant early Mormons such as, Joseph Smith
, Sidney Rigdon
, Wilford Woodruff
, John Taylor, as well as a biography of thirty three of the plural wives of Joseph Smith.
states that the publisher is "the main vehicle for publications that challenge the borders of Mormon orthodoxy."
Signature Books is sometimes at odds with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
(FARMS), an organization of Mormon scholars and apologists which promotes orthodox Mormon historical scholarship. Author Simon Southerton
referred to Signature Books as "a perennial thorn in the side of FARMS." One example was Signature Book's publication of Grant Palmer's book An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
. The publication of this book immediately resulted in five negative book reviews by FARMS. Ron Priddis of Signature Books responded to these reviews by stating: "Is nothing beyond the reach of sarcasm by FARMS polemicists?"
At one point in early 1991, FARMS claims that Signature Books threatened a lawsuit over several reviews of its books that appeared in the Review on Books of the Book of Mormon. The item which initiated the lawsuit threat was a book review published by Stephen E. Robinson
, on Signature-published The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture, in which Robinson blasted, "Korihor's
back, and this time he's got a printing press. In its continuing assault upon traditional Mormonism, Signature Books promotes with its recent and dubiously titled work, The Word of God, ...naturalistic assumptions...in dealing with Latter-day Saint belief." Signature Books asserts that several of the scholars who participated in New Approaches considered themselves active and participating members of the LDS faith. The FARMS reviewers, for their part, considered these authors to be opponents to the LDS tradition. Signature management made an inquiry with the FARMS management, holding that such inferences were insulting and could be considered libelous. Signature then requested a retraction.
In 2004, Signature Books posted on its web site a speech given by John Hatch, in which Hatch said, "After reading the (FARMS) reviews myself, it appears to me, and is my opinion, that FARMS is interested in making Mormonism's past appear as normal as possible to readers by attacking history books that discuss complex or difficult aspects of the church's past. ... I am deeply troubled by what I see as continued efforts to attack honest scholarly work."
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...
, Mormonism
Mormonism
Mormonism is the religion practiced by Mormons, and is the predominant religious tradition of the Latter Day Saint movement. This movement was founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. beginning in the 1820s as a form of Christian primitivism. During the 1830s and 1840s, Mormonism gradually distinguished itself...
, and Western Americana. The company was founded in 1980 by George D. Smith and Scott Kenney and is based in Salt Lake City, Utah.
History
In the late 1970s, Scott Kenney decided there needed to be a Mormon press that didn’t have political ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and in 1980 he and a few investors created Signature Books and in 1981 published its first book, SaintspeakSaintspeak
Saintspeak is a satirical look at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by LDS author Orson Scott Card. It is modeled after The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce....
by Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
. Several of Signature Books' publications have won awards from the Association for Mormon Letters
Association for Mormon Letters
The Association for Mormon Letters is a nonprofit founded in 1976 to promote quality writing "by, for, and about Mormons." The broadness of this definition of Mormon literature has led the AML to focus on a wide variety of work that has sometimes been neglected in the Mormon community...
, 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 ......
, 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...
, the Mountain West Center for Western Studies, and the Utah Center for the Book. Among those present at Signature Books inception were George D. Smith and Scott Kenney, assisted by a board of directors composed of distinguished historians and business leaders: Eugene E. Campbell
Eugene E. Campbell
Eugene Edward "Gene" Campbell was an American professor of history at Brigham Young University .-Biography:...
, Everett L. Cooley, David Lisonbee, D. Michael Quinn
D. Michael Quinn
Dennis Michael Quinn is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a professor at Brigham Young University from 1976 until his resignation in 1988. At the time, his work concerned church involvement with plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto, in which...
, Allen Dale Roberts, and Richard S. Van Wagoner
Richard S. Van Wagoner
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....
; and a similarly well-known editorial board: Lavina Fielding Anderson
Lavina Fielding Anderson
Lavina Fielding Anderson is a Latter Day Saint scholar, writer, editor, and feminist. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington...
, Maureen Ursenbach Beecher
Maureen Ursenbach Beecher
Maureen Ursenbach Beecher was an English professor at Brigham Young University who has also been in the past associated with the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History at that university. Although she has written at times broadly on the history of Latter-day Saint women her main focus...
, Davis Bitton
Davis Bitton
-External links:*...
, Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
, and Jay Parry.
Present
Signature Books produces from eight to ten books a year, which deal with topics of western and Mormon history, fiction, essay, humor and art. Among these are the diaries of Mormon leaders such as Joseph Smith, William Clayton, Heber C. KimballHeber C. Kimball
Heber Chase Kimball was a leader in the early Latter Day Saint movement. He served as one of the original twelve apostles in the early Latter Day Saint church, and as first counselor to Brigham Young in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his...
, Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, L. John Nuttall
L. John Nuttall
Leonard John Nuttall was a private secretary for Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff and was a member of the Council of Fifty who kept a detailed journal of the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Nuttall was born in Liverpool, England and emigrated to...
, Anthon H. Lund
Anthon H. Lund
Anthon Henrik Lund was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a prominent Utah leader.-History:...
, John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith
John Henry Smith was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, Rudger Clawson
Rudger Clawson
Rudger Judd Clawson was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898 until his death in 1943...
, B. H. Roberts and Reed Smoot
Reed Smoot
Reed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...
. Signature has also published noted studies of well-known early Mormon theologians such as James E. Talmage
James E. Talmage
James Edward Talmage born in Hungerford, Berkshire, England, was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1911 until his death in 1933....
, B. H. Roberts, Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt
Orson Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles...
, Parley P. Pratt
Parley P. Pratt
Parley Parker Pratt, Sr. was a leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and an original member of Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1835 until his murder in 1857. He served in the Quorum with his younger brother, Orson Pratt...
, Brigham Young
Brigham Young
Brigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, John Widtsoe, and award winning biographies of significant early Mormons such as, Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
, Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon
Sidney Rigdon was a leader during the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Baptist background:...
, Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, John Taylor, as well as a biography of thirty three of the plural wives of Joseph Smith.
Controversy
A number of books produced by the publisher related to Mormon history have been considered controversial. Some authors view this as "quality liberal thinking on controversial LDS topics." Terryl GivensTerryl Givens
Terryl Lynn Givens is professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond where he holds the James A. Bostwick Chair in English...
states that the publisher is "the main vehicle for publications that challenge the borders of Mormon orthodoxy."
Signature Books is sometimes at odds with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies is an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. The group is formally part of the Neal A...
(FARMS), an organization of Mormon scholars and apologists which promotes orthodox Mormon historical scholarship. Author Simon Southerton
Simon Southerton
Simon Southerton is an Australian plant geneticist. Southerton published the book Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA, and the Mormon Church. The book uses genetic evidence to examine the historical accuracy of The Book of Mormon. The book received heavy criticism from members of The...
referred to Signature Books as "a perennial thorn in the side of FARMS." One example was Signature Book's publication of Grant Palmer's book An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins is a 2003 book on the origins of Mormonism written by Grant H. Palmer, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is a retired Church Educational System instructor and Institute director with a master's degree in history.Palmer's stated...
. The publication of this book immediately resulted in five negative book reviews by FARMS. Ron Priddis of Signature Books responded to these reviews by stating: "Is nothing beyond the reach of sarcasm by FARMS polemicists?"
At one point in early 1991, FARMS claims that Signature Books threatened a lawsuit over several reviews of its books that appeared in the Review on Books of the Book of Mormon. The item which initiated the lawsuit threat was a book review published by Stephen E. Robinson
Stephen E. Robinson
Stephen Edward Robinson is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a Mormon scholar and apologist.- Biography :...
, on Signature-published The Word of God: Essays on Mormon Scripture, in which Robinson blasted, "Korihor's
Korihor
Korihor is a skeptic mentioned in The Book of Mormon, in Alma . Korihor preached ...that there could be no atonement made for the sins of men, but every man fared in this life according to the management of the creature; therefore every man prospered according to his genius, and that every man...
back, and this time he's got a printing press. In its continuing assault upon traditional Mormonism, Signature Books promotes with its recent and dubiously titled work, The Word of God, ...naturalistic assumptions...in dealing with Latter-day Saint belief." Signature Books asserts that several of the scholars who participated in New Approaches considered themselves active and participating members of the LDS faith. The FARMS reviewers, for their part, considered these authors to be opponents to the LDS tradition. Signature management made an inquiry with the FARMS management, holding that such inferences were insulting and could be considered libelous. Signature then requested a retraction.
In 2004, Signature Books posted on its web site a speech given by John Hatch, in which Hatch said, "After reading the (FARMS) reviews myself, it appears to me, and is my opinion, that FARMS is interested in making Mormonism's past appear as normal as possible to readers by attacking history books that discuss complex or difficult aspects of the church's past. ... I am deeply troubled by what I see as continued efforts to attack honest scholarly work."