30 years ago today - Aug 22, 1981

[General] Apostle Boyd K Packer instructs BYU religion faculty, all seminary and institute teachers, and administrators of Church Education System that Mormon history, "if not properly written or properly taught, may be a faith destroyer," and he affirms that Mormon historians are wrong in publicizing controversial elements of Mormon past. BYU STUDIES publishes this address in full. At request of students, BYU history professor D. Michael Quinn gives his perspective on Elder Packer's talk and role of historical inquiry to meeting of BYU's history majors. Summarized within days by off-campus student newspaper SEVENTH EAST PRESS, this conflict between some apostles and some Mormon historians is subject of Feb 1982 NEWSWEEK article which quotes Professor Quinn that "a history which makes LDS leaders flawless and benignly angelic would border on idolatry."

[Source: On This Day in Mormon History, http://onthisdayinmormonhistory.blogspot.com]