Comments on: Blazing a New Trail: Doing History in the Age of the Internet

By: Anne (UK)

Anne (UK) — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 11:24:18 +0000

Thanks for putting your talk here; I missed this on the live feed, so it’s great to have the chance to read it on Keepa (which is it’s natural home really, I think!)

By: Bill MacKinnon

Bill MacKinnon — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 01:04:45 +0000

Ardis, another home run for you in the Keepa tradition! Thanks for posting this and even more thanks to the conference’s organizers for having the savvy to invite you to give this paper. BTW, do I fall into the “tin-foil hat” crowd or do you have me in another category?

By: Austin

Austin — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 15:42:17 +0000

As an occasional lurker, I’d just like to add a hearty “hear, hear!” to this post.

By: Diane Peel

Diane Peel — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 10:28:18 +0000

Once again, wish I could have been there; thanks for posting your text here so I could at least read what you had to say.
PS I like the photo!

By: Ben S

Ben S — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 16:46:20 +0000

Excellent stuff Ardis. Thank you.

By: Mommie Dearest

Mommie Dearest — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 07:37:39 +0000

I’m glad you posted this; it’s full of interesting ideas and information. (Just like the blog–funny how that works.)
Will the video of this conference be archived? Or transcripts published? I was only able to manage to watch about 45 minutes of a Q&A, and found it fascinating. I’d love to see more of what I missed. Though by the time I finish taking in General Conference, I fear this will be far downstream.

By: Susan W H

Susan W H — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 00:39:55 +0000

Ardis, you are beautiful in spirit, in mind, and in real life. Thanks for posting this.

The Internet makes doing “real history” possible for those of us who live far from Salt Lake yet have been bitten by the bug. The history bug bit me later in life and I do believe the condition is more serious than had it happened years ago thanks to access to blogs like yours and the ones you mentioned.

I hope parents do talk about history with their children. Today I happened to be thinking about my great aunt, who was the youngest daughter of Charles Penrose. How I wish I had been smart enough to pump her for stories about her childhood and her parents while she was still alive. I’m sure there were other relatives who could have given me some wonderful insights, but when I was in my teens and twenties, interviewing great aunts and uncles was not one of my interests. Maybe exposure to history will inspire our children to take advantage of such opportunities before it is too late.

I haven’t been here at Keepa as faithfully as I had in the past. I’m working hard a paper to present at this year’s MHA conference–my very first history paper. So there–I owe you a lunch.

By: kevinf

kevinf — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 22:48:57 +0000

I also would have loved to watch the livestream of this yesterday, but alas, I work so I can do Mormon history, and work always gets first priority. Unfortunately.

You really put into words how many of us feel about the Keepa and its community when you said, as others have quoted:

Affection, appreciation, and a shared recognition that what moves us religiously today is much the same as what moved the Saints in earlier decades.

Thank you so much for the great service you have given here at Keepa. To paraphrase Joseph F. Smith, “Yes ma’am, I’m a Keepaninnie, died in the wool, true blue, through and through. Now don’t shoot me, please!”"

By: Thomas Parkin

Thomas Parkin — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:40:51 +0000

Tremendous, Ardis.

By: David Y.

David Y. — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 21:20:26 +0000

This was wonderful. And I loved how you put this: “Because my readers and I share the world view that the Church is indeed what prophets and missionaries claim it is, we feel free to explore darker corners of our past.” That unique dual nature — authentic, credible history combined with affection for the Church and its people — is what keeps me coming back to this place. Thank you.