02 - Why Study History?

Wineburg's Historical Thinking And Other Unnatural Acts explores the idea that we need to separate ourselves from the people's and thinking of the past. He suggests that we needn't - and shouldn't - always draw parallels from the past to the present. We live in a different society, a different context, and different ideas than all that came before us, so applying the past to tell us a story we want to hear about the present can be dangerous. We might miss the whole picture if we only apply what we find to be "applicable". In Pixley's Intelligence Respecting Mormonites, this idea is briefly touched on when the author quotes a sermon from Rigdon, in which he teaches that the biblical epistles were created for their time, and that the guidance the Latter-day Saints need in their day is different than the ancient church. In Burton's The City of the Saints, we get a glimpse into the unique Utah/LDS culture during the mid-late 19th century when compared to the rest of America.