By Jerald and Sandra Tanner
We hope that by selling these books we will be able to pay off our loans, and, if it is possible, to keep our equipment. We hope to spend some time in research and writing, and also to continue the Salt Lake City Messenger. After that the Lord may call us to some other work, or we may even continue Modern Microfilm Co. on a part time basis. Be this as it may, we feel that our work has been very effective. We have received much help and encouragement from members of the Mormon Church. For instance, a student at the Brigham Young University (the Mormon Church’s University) wrote us a letter in which he stated:
I consider myself obligated to you for not only your books but for the way in which my life and ideas have undergone a radical change for the better. . . .
I can do nothing too overtly to help you until I graduate for lack of funds, fear of some kind of reprisal like disfellowshipment or excommunication which would or might foul up my graduation from BYU. But what I can do I do. I think I have been moderately successful in advertizing your work and publications to my friends who are much of the same opinions as myself. If I can do anything else for you please ask. (Letter from a student at the Brigham Young University, dated December 18, 1965)
Several men who have served on missions for the Mormon Church have taken a real interest in our work. One man (who had recently returned from a mission for the Church) claimed that he has completely lost faith in the Mormon Church and is considering entering the ministry in another church.
Besides receiving much help from members of the Mormon Church, we have received a great deal of help from those who are working with the Mormons. A minister in Idaho wrote us a letter in which he stated:
I ordered your masterful work, Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? and I think that it is the most outstanding book that I have seen. I have already recommended it to others and will continue to do so. (Letter dated December 22, 1965)
We have many people on our mailing list who have written or will be writing books, pamphlets and theses on Mormonism. We feel that it has been a very important part of our work to supply these writers with source material. This material will help them to present a more complete picture of Mormonism to their readers. One man who will be writing on the subject of Mormonism sent us a letter in which he stated:
About a week ago I was asked . . . to teach one class session on Mormonism in the Polemics class. . . . yesterday, when I taught the class, everyone came away very enthusiastic. Among other books and literature which I brought to class, I also brought and promoted your book Mormonism—Shadow or Reality? which in my thinking has become a classic in its field.
Well, I must close. You have, through the literature and letters, created an enthusiasm in me to keep one pursuing the area of Mormonism. (Letter dated January 8, 1966)
Information That Must be Made Available
We feel that some of the most important information concerning Mormonism has yet to be printed. For instance, we have access to a microfilm of a handwritten document which was dictated by Joseph Smith which, we feel, will absolutely prove that Mormonism is false. At the present time the only thing that prevents us from publishing this document is the lack of money to buy the paper to print it on. The Mormon leaders have suppressed this document for 130 years, but we feel that it must be made available. Also we have a great deal of information concerning the Book of Mormon, the Temple Ceremony, blood atonement, the Danites, changes in Mormon publications, polygamy, the Book of Abraham, suppression of the records and many other subjects which we would like to make available to the public.
Our ability to make this information available hinges on how well we are able to sell the present material.
A Very Hard Work
Many people have told us that they would pray for our work. This is very encouraging to us because we realize that we could not have made it this far without God’s help, and we will need His help if we are to continue.
A man who worked at a publishing company in Salt Lake City told us that his company seldom prints less than 3,000 copies of a book at one time. He also stated that if they printed less than 3,000 the price of the book would go up to $10 a copy, and that they would not even consider printing less than 1,000 copies at a time. At Modern Microfilm Co. we have never printed more than 500 copies of a book at one time. On one of our latest books (Letters of Orson Spencer) we printed only 140 copies. We have had to reprint our large book on Mormonism at least ten different times. To make small printings like this takes a great deal of time. Most publishers would not even consider printing such small quantities, however, we have been forced to do this because of our lack of capital. For this reason we have had to work long hours. Many nights we have not quit working until 11 or 12 o’clock at night.
Actually, we should have had at least $10,000 to start this work, but we began with almost nothing. We had to borrow 250 of the 300 dollars that we needed for a down payment on a microfilm camera.
When we found that it was possible to make masters to print from a microfilm, we looked at an “offset” printing press. Since the price was almost $2,000, we were rather reluctant to buy it. We decided that if our income tax refund came the next day we would use it for a down payment. The next day the refund arrived in the mail, and this was the beginning of a long uphill battle. But even though the work has been hard and the hours long, we feel that our time has been well invested. One man who lives in California wrote us a letter in which he stated:
This is to compliment you on your outstanding and interesting work and also the excellent Salt Lake City Messenger.
Another man, who lives in Utah, wrote:
Keep up the work. Your efforts are the most inspiring and noble thing I have yet encountered.
Whether Modern Microfilm continues or not, we feel that our time has been well spent.
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