Signature Books is an American 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. It is majority owned by the Smith-Pettit Foundation.
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."[2]Terryl Givens states that the publisher is "the main vehicle for publications that challenge the borders of Mormon orthodoxy."[3]
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."[4] One example was Signature Book's publication of Grant H. Palmer's book An Insider's View of Mormon Origins. The publication of this book immediately resulted in five negative book reviews by FARMS.[5] Ron Priddis of Signature Books responded to these reviews by stating: "Is nothing beyond the reach of sarcasm by FARMS polemicists?"[6]
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.[7] 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."[8] 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.[citation needed] 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.
Daniel C. Peterson, an LDS scholar and member of FARMS, published a response in various newspapers in Utah. In his response, he stated that "Signature Books and George D. Smith seem...to have a clear (if unadmitted) agenda, an agenda that is often hostile to centrally important beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints".[9][10]
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."[11]
Notes
^"Publishers served by the Chicago Distribution Center". University of Chicago Press. Retrieved 2017-09-12.
Cobabe, George E (2003), A Summary of Five Reviews of Grant Palmer's "An Insider's View of Mormon Origins", Provo, UT: Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research (FAIR), retrieved 2007-02-07.
Southerton, Simon G (2004), Losing a Lost Tribe: Native Americans, DNA and the Mormon Church, Salt Lake City: Signature Books, ISBN1-56085-181-3.
External links
The official Signature Books Website
Out-of-print Signature Books on-line
About Signature Books
August 19, 2023
signature, books, also, mormon, studies, american, press, specializing, subjects, related, utah, mormonism, western, americana, company, founded, 1980, george, smith, scott, kenney, based, salt, lake, city, utah, majority, owned, smith, pettit, foundation, off. See also Mormon studies Signature Books is an American 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 It is majority owned by the Smith Pettit Foundation Signature BooksSignature Books officeStatusActiveFounded1980FounderGeorge D Smith and Scott G KenneyCountry of originUnited States of AmericaHeadquarters locationSalt Lake City UTDistributionChicago Distribution Center 1 Publication typesfiction non fiction biography history documentary history essays poetry women s studiesNonfiction topicsMormon and Western AmericanaNo of employees8Official websitewww wbr signaturebooks wbr com Contents 1 History 2 Present 3 Controversy and criticism 4 Notes 5 References 6 External linksHistory EditIn the late 1970s Scott Kenney decided there needed to be a Mormon related press that didn t have ties to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints Among those present at Signature Books s inception were George D Smith and Scott Kenney assisted by a board of directors composed of historians and business leaders Eugene E Campbell Everett L Cooley David Lisonbee D Michael Quinn Allen Dale Roberts and Richard S Van Wagoner and an editorial board consisting of Lavina Fielding Anderson Maureen Ursenbach Beecher Davis Bitton Orson Scott Card and Jay Parry In 1980 Kenny and a few investors created Signature Books In 1981 they published their first book the satire Saintspeak 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 Present EditSignature 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 Kimball 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 Controversy and criticism EditA 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 2 Terryl Givens states that the publisher is the main vehicle for publications that challenge the borders of Mormon orthodoxy 3 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 4 One example was Signature Book s publication of Grant H Palmer s book An Insider s View of Mormon Origins The publication of this book immediately resulted in five negative book reviews by FARMS 5 Ron Priddis of Signature Books responded to these reviews by stating Is nothing beyond the reach of sarcasm by FARMS polemicists 6 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 7 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 8 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 citation needed 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 Daniel C Peterson an LDS scholar and member of FARMS published a response in various newspapers in Utah In his response he stated that Signature Books and George D Smith seem to have a clear if unadmitted agenda an agenda that is often hostile to centrally important beliefs of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints 9 10 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 11 Notes Edit Publishers served by the Chicago Distribution Center University of Chicago Press Retrieved 2017 09 12 Ostling amp Ostling 2000 p 353 Givens 2002 p 296 note 123 Southerton 2004 pp 148 149 Cobabe 2003 Priddis Ron A Reply to FARMS and the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute Signature Books Archived from the original on 2007 01 29 Retrieved 2007 02 01 Peterson 1992 Robinson 1991 Fullscreen Neal A Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship Archived from the original on 2014 12 05 Retrieved 2014 11 30 Utah County Journal 2 August 1991 Provo Daily Herald 12 August 1991 Salt Lake Tribune 21 August 1991 Midgley 2004 Although Hatch s essay was present on the Signature Books website on 24 April 2004 it has since been removed References EditCard Orson Scott 1993 A Storyteller in Zion Salt Lake City Utah Bookcraft ISBN 1 57345 808 2 Cobabe George E 2003 A Summary of Five Reviews of Grant Palmer s An Insider s View of Mormon Origins Provo UT Foundation for Apologetic Information amp Research FAIR retrieved 2007 02 07 Givens Terryl L March 1 2002 By the Hand of Mormon The American Scripture That Launched a New World Religion New York Oxford University Press ISBN 0 19 513818 X Midgley Louis 2004 The Signature Books Saga FARMS Review of Books Provo Utah Maxwell Institute 16 1 retrieved 2007 05 06 Ostling Richard N Ostling Joan K October 1 2000 Mormon America The Power and the Promise San Francisco Harper ISBN 0 06 066372 3 Peterson Daniel C 1992 Editor s Introduction Questions to Legal Answers FARMS Review of Books Provo Utah Maxwell Institute 4 1 retrieved 2007 05 06 Robinson Stephen E 1991 Review of The Word of God Essays on Mormon Scripture FARMS Review of Books Provo Utah Maxwell Institute 3 1 312 18 archived from the original on 2007 04 17 retrieved 2007 05 14 Southerton Simon G 2004 Losing a Lost Tribe Native Americans DNA and the Mormon Church Salt Lake City Signature Books ISBN 1 56085 181 3 External links EditThe official Signature Books Website Out of print Signature Books on line About Signature Books Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Signature Books amp oldid 1157332295, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
