By Jerald and Sandra Tanner

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Since we published the last issue of the Salt Lake City Messenger, the Mormon Church has continued to excommunicate those who publicly express dissenting opinions. For example, on April 9, 1994, the Salt Lake Tribune reported: “David P. Wright, a professor of Biblical Studies and Hebrew at Brandeis University who questioned the origins of the Book of Mormon, has been excommunicated from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.” Wright had formerly taught at the church’s Brigham Young University before he was dismissed. He wrote a very interesting article for the book, New Approaches to the Book of Mormon, in which he argued that Joseph Smith plagiarized from the Bible to create the Book of Mormon. He also noted that “there is evidence that Smith’s other ‘ancient’ compositions are not actually ancient but arise out of his interactions with biblical texts and religious ideas of his period” (New Approaches to the Book of Mormon, page 207).

Two weeks after David P. Wright’s excommunication was revealed in the Tribune, the Washington Post reported:

A Fairfax County man who works as a lawyer for the Central Intelligence Agency was excommunicated from the Mormon church yesterday for conducting a newspaper letter-writing campaign about the history and teachings of his religion. . . . Barrett said he has done nothing wrong. “It is kind of ironic. I’m fairly well-received at the CIA when I counsel them we have to tell the truth. When I try to tell these same principles to church leaders, I have a big problem.” (Washington Post, April 23, 1994)

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