One could argue that Jan Shipman has been beneficial to Mormon Studies moving forward.
I sometimes worry that some non-LDS authors will miss the boat and not really understand what Mormonism is about. In other words, they can recite the facts and figures and events, but not get to what is at the heart of Mormonism. Either through ignorance or in some unfortunate cases, malice. Krakauer is an example of the latter.
If it's good history, good. If it's bad history, throw it in the trash.
|