David J. Buerger papers
Collection
Identifier: MS 0622
Scope and Contents
The David J. Buerger papers (1820-1986) consists of materials pertaining to his research on LDS doctrine and the evolution of theology. The collection contains correspondence, personal diary entries, research notes, copies of published and unpublished papers, newspaper clippings, class notes and projects, copies of diary and letter transcripts, pamphlets, and excerpts from published works.
According to LDS historian Leonard J. Arrington, "objective, scholarly, and systematic treatises on the Mormons and their culture began in this century as a product of work toward the Ph.D. in history and the social sciences." Prior to this time, writings dealing with the subject of LDS doctrine tended to be LDS/Anti-LDS polemic writings or faith-promoting articles appearing in official church publications. As LDS scholars increasingly left the confines of the Salt Lake Valley to study at universities in the East and Midwest, it became apparent that there was no forum for scholarly exchange of ideas in a non-official (that is, other than church-sponsored) publication. Partly as a response to the increase in studies of LDS doctrine by university-trained scholars, several journals have appeared in the past quarter-century which deal with LDS studies. Among these publications are Dialogue (1966), Journal of Mormon History (1974), Sunstone (1975) and, most recently, the John Whitmer Historical Association Journal (1981), sponsored by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ).
The writings contained in these publications have contributed greatly to what is popularly known as the "New Mormon History," despite the fact that History is only one of the disciplines represented in the literature. LDS history and theology are intimately connected, and officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter LDS Church) have traditionally been wary of scholarship which seems to interpret historical figures and events in a purely secular vein.
David J. Buerger's work on various aspects of LDS doctrine has appeared in both Dialogue and Sunstone magazines. Like many of the authors who have contributed to the proliferation of independent studies concerning the LDS experience, Buerger pursued his studies as a matter of personal interest, rather than as a professional in an academic setting. His work can perhaps best be understood as an attempt to bring academic methodology to private study of theological issues. Buerger's work is an example of the studies being pursued by modern LDS intellectuals, many of whose philosophy was expressed by Scott Kenny in his initial Sunstone editorial. Kenny expressed the hope that Latter-day Saints would learn doctrine from one another, as well as from the standard works. He called upon young LDS scholars to "raise the questions, pursue the discussions, and bear the witness worthy of a living faith that is both intellectually vigorous and spiritually discerning."
Buerger published on subjects related to LDS doctrine from 1979 to 1987. The bulk of the collection is comprised of material collected over a period of roughly ten years, from 1977 to 1987, when Buerger was researching topics related to LDS doctrine, with an emphasis on the evolution of theology over time. The collection contains correspondence, personal diary entries, research notes, copies of papers (both published and unpublished), newspaper clippings, class notes and projects, copies of diary and letter transcripts where the originals are stored in other archival repositories, pamphlets, and excerpts from published works. The largest body of documents on any one subject pertains to temple ceremonies and ordinances. Buerger compiled a file of one hundred and one published articles written between 1842 and 1985 which describe temple ceremonies. His other interests included the Adam-God doctrine, polygamy, fundamentalism, anti-LDS writings, and all issues which have involved conflict between church officials and LDS scholars. Among the latter are evolution, Black men and the priesthood, prophetic infallibility, and education at Brigham Young University.
Buerger donated 125 pages of documents and letters from the First Presidency relating to changes in temple ceremonies to the Marriott Library in 1983. Like many documents now in circulation concerning matters considered sensitive by LDS church officials, the provenance of this material is unclear, but Buerger's original gift was reportedly compiled by Tom Truitt. These documents are located in box 24, folders 5-8 of the current collection.
In 1986, Buerger deposited a copy of his paper, "The Evolution of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony," at the library. This copy is located in box 23, folder 7. The collection also includes Buerger's research notes, critical comments by colleagues, and correspondence related to this article. These items were donated in December 1990, along with the bulk of Buerger's papers.
At the time of accession, the collection numbered fifty-six boxes and consisted of Correspondence, People, and Subject files. Copies of published articles which are available in the library have been removed. In addition, the Ernest L. Wilkinson Diary transcript was removed from the collection and assigned a separate number (Ms 629). The collection was further reduced to its current thirty-six boxes by removing duplicate copies. It was apparently Buerger's practice to make several copies of significant documents, both for the purpose of cross-filing, and for circulation among interested parties.
The collection has been divided into three sections. The first section contains personal material, and is the only portion of the collection where Buerger's original order was disturbed. Box 1, Diary Entries, consists of photocopies of excerpts from Buerger's missionary study notes, notes on telephone conversations or interviews, reports of conversations with professors and other students at Brigham Young University (hereafter BYU), and transcripts of notes taken by others. Originally this material was scattered throughout the collection, with several copies interfiled in various folders.
Boxes 2 through 4 contain both Buerger's personal correspondence and copies of letters relating to various doctrinal issues which have been circulating among LDS dissidents for a number of years. Copies of the latter were originally filed alphabetically in both Correspondence and People folders. There are no originals of the circulating letters, and some may be of questionable authenticity. There are two cases where letters were written under assumed names. The "Janice Willden" letter was written by H. Michael Marquardt, and "John Davidson" is a pseudonym that was used by David Buerger. The John Davidson letters were written at a time when Buerger was concerned that a direct approach would result in a confrontation with local priesthood authorities. He also felt that the church officials to whom the letters were addressed would be unlikely to respond to him directly.
Section two, "People," contains either information pertaining to the individual noted on the folder or copies of papers written by that person. In cases where full papers or articles are included, the name of the paper has been added to the folder. The People section of the collection is heavily weighted toward persons currently writing on subjects of interest to LDS scholars, and to twentieth-century church officials.
Subject files typically contain Buerger's research notes, copies of papers which relate to the designated topic, or excerpts from published material which Buerger has collated and arranged in some particular order, often chronological. The bulk of the Subject files are devoted to information about temple ceremonies, Adam-God, evolution, and prophetic infallibility. This section is probably the oldest part of the collection. In Boxes 24 to 26 there are 101 numbered published accounts of the LDS temple ceremony. Buerger began by filing material according to subject categories designated in a commercially-prepared LDS filing system called Subdex 1. Many of the documents in the collection have Subdex classification numbers.
The David J. Buerger papers provide a record of his spiritual and intellectual development during a period of conflict and change within the larger LDS community. The collection also contains a unique compilation of documents relating to controversial aspects of LDS theology and history. The Buerger collection provides an insight into the struggle of one member of a small group of self-described LDS intellectuals who sought to combine religious conviction with scientific empiricism.
According to LDS historian Leonard J. Arrington, "objective, scholarly, and systematic treatises on the Mormons and their culture began in this century as a product of work toward the Ph.D. in history and the social sciences." Prior to this time, writings dealing with the subject of LDS doctrine tended to be LDS/Anti-LDS polemic writings or faith-promoting articles appearing in official church publications. As LDS scholars increasingly left the confines of the Salt Lake Valley to study at universities in the East and Midwest, it became apparent that there was no forum for scholarly exchange of ideas in a non-official (that is, other than church-sponsored) publication. Partly as a response to the increase in studies of LDS doctrine by university-trained scholars, several journals have appeared in the past quarter-century which deal with LDS studies. Among these publications are Dialogue (1966), Journal of Mormon History (1974), Sunstone (1975) and, most recently, the John Whitmer Historical Association Journal (1981), sponsored by the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now the Community of Christ).
The writings contained in these publications have contributed greatly to what is popularly known as the "New Mormon History," despite the fact that History is only one of the disciplines represented in the literature. LDS history and theology are intimately connected, and officials of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter LDS Church) have traditionally been wary of scholarship which seems to interpret historical figures and events in a purely secular vein.
David J. Buerger's work on various aspects of LDS doctrine has appeared in both Dialogue and Sunstone magazines. Like many of the authors who have contributed to the proliferation of independent studies concerning the LDS experience, Buerger pursued his studies as a matter of personal interest, rather than as a professional in an academic setting. His work can perhaps best be understood as an attempt to bring academic methodology to private study of theological issues. Buerger's work is an example of the studies being pursued by modern LDS intellectuals, many of whose philosophy was expressed by Scott Kenny in his initial Sunstone editorial. Kenny expressed the hope that Latter-day Saints would learn doctrine from one another, as well as from the standard works. He called upon young LDS scholars to "raise the questions, pursue the discussions, and bear the witness worthy of a living faith that is both intellectually vigorous and spiritually discerning."
Buerger published on subjects related to LDS doctrine from 1979 to 1987. The bulk of the collection is comprised of material collected over a period of roughly ten years, from 1977 to 1987, when Buerger was researching topics related to LDS doctrine, with an emphasis on the evolution of theology over time. The collection contains correspondence, personal diary entries, research notes, copies of papers (both published and unpublished), newspaper clippings, class notes and projects, copies of diary and letter transcripts where the originals are stored in other archival repositories, pamphlets, and excerpts from published works. The largest body of documents on any one subject pertains to temple ceremonies and ordinances. Buerger compiled a file of one hundred and one published articles written between 1842 and 1985 which describe temple ceremonies. His other interests included the Adam-God doctrine, polygamy, fundamentalism, anti-LDS writings, and all issues which have involved conflict between church officials and LDS scholars. Among the latter are evolution, Black men and the priesthood, prophetic infallibility, and education at Brigham Young University.
Buerger donated 125 pages of documents and letters from the First Presidency relating to changes in temple ceremonies to the Marriott Library in 1983. Like many documents now in circulation concerning matters considered sensitive by LDS church officials, the provenance of this material is unclear, but Buerger's original gift was reportedly compiled by Tom Truitt. These documents are located in box 24, folders 5-8 of the current collection.
In 1986, Buerger deposited a copy of his paper, "The Evolution of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony," at the library. This copy is located in box 23, folder 7. The collection also includes Buerger's research notes, critical comments by colleagues, and correspondence related to this article. These items were donated in December 1990, along with the bulk of Buerger's papers.
At the time of accession, the collection numbered fifty-six boxes and consisted of Correspondence, People, and Subject files. Copies of published articles which are available in the library have been removed. In addition, the Ernest L. Wilkinson Diary transcript was removed from the collection and assigned a separate number (Ms 629). The collection was further reduced to its current thirty-six boxes by removing duplicate copies. It was apparently Buerger's practice to make several copies of significant documents, both for the purpose of cross-filing, and for circulation among interested parties.
The collection has been divided into three sections. The first section contains personal material, and is the only portion of the collection where Buerger's original order was disturbed. Box 1, Diary Entries, consists of photocopies of excerpts from Buerger's missionary study notes, notes on telephone conversations or interviews, reports of conversations with professors and other students at Brigham Young University (hereafter BYU), and transcripts of notes taken by others. Originally this material was scattered throughout the collection, with several copies interfiled in various folders.
Boxes 2 through 4 contain both Buerger's personal correspondence and copies of letters relating to various doctrinal issues which have been circulating among LDS dissidents for a number of years. Copies of the latter were originally filed alphabetically in both Correspondence and People folders. There are no originals of the circulating letters, and some may be of questionable authenticity. There are two cases where letters were written under assumed names. The "Janice Willden" letter was written by H. Michael Marquardt, and "John Davidson" is a pseudonym that was used by David Buerger. The John Davidson letters were written at a time when Buerger was concerned that a direct approach would result in a confrontation with local priesthood authorities. He also felt that the church officials to whom the letters were addressed would be unlikely to respond to him directly.
Section two, "People," contains either information pertaining to the individual noted on the folder or copies of papers written by that person. In cases where full papers or articles are included, the name of the paper has been added to the folder. The People section of the collection is heavily weighted toward persons currently writing on subjects of interest to LDS scholars, and to twentieth-century church officials.
Subject files typically contain Buerger's research notes, copies of papers which relate to the designated topic, or excerpts from published material which Buerger has collated and arranged in some particular order, often chronological. The bulk of the Subject files are devoted to information about temple ceremonies, Adam-God, evolution, and prophetic infallibility. This section is probably the oldest part of the collection. In Boxes 24 to 26 there are 101 numbered published accounts of the LDS temple ceremony. Buerger began by filing material according to subject categories designated in a commercially-prepared LDS filing system called Subdex 1. Many of the documents in the collection have Subdex classification numbers.
The David J. Buerger papers provide a record of his spiritual and intellectual development during a period of conflict and change within the larger LDS community. The collection also contains a unique compilation of documents relating to controversial aspects of LDS theology and history. The Buerger collection provides an insight into the struggle of one member of a small group of self-described LDS intellectuals who sought to combine religious conviction with scientific empiricism.
Dates
- 1842-1988
Creator
- Buerger, David John, 1955- (Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.
Conditions Governing Use
The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library’s Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.
Biographical Note
David John Buerger was born in Lansing, Michigan. He was the first of three children born to parents who were members of the Lutheran Church. The family lived in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri while David was growing up, finally settling permanently in California in 1968.
The Buergers had lived in the Los Angeles area for about a year when cutbacks in the aerospace industry precipitated layoffs and David's father began a period of unemployment. The family was further unsettled when John Buerger suffered a near-fatal heart attack. David, now a teenager, became involved with the anti-establishment youth movement in California, an involvement which was to become almost a rite of passage for many persons of Buerger's generation. For the next two years, David divided his time between attending school and participating in anti-war demonstrations, associating with the counter-culture, and investigating various religious groups, of which Buddhism held the greatest attraction.
In 1972, when David was seventeen, the Buerger family moved to San Jose where, he later recalled, he "began trying to get [his] head on straight." It was at this time that Buerger became interested in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine was the first book he bought after the scriptures, Buerger was most strongly drawn to study of the mysteries--speculating, for example, on the possible whereabouts of the lost ten tribes or on the possibility of life on other planets as part of the plan of exaltation.
In the summer of 1973, Buerger was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The following year, he was called to serve a mission to France. Prior to leaving for the mission field, Buerger paid a visit to the Church Historian's Office in Salt Lake City, where he learned of a recently-discovered entry in the diary of Heber C. Kimball describing a talk given by Brigham Young which reportedly strongly supported the Adam-God doctrine, now officially disavowed by Church authorities. What Buerger saw as the mystery of "Adam's true pre-earth identity and role" was an important part of the scriptural study he undertook while on his mission.
Buerger's deliberations concerning doctrinal questions were closely allied to his own search for a spiritual identity. Speculation about whether or not Adam lived another life before his earthly existence was an essential part of Buerger's attempt to place himself within the Latter-day Saint world view, with its characteristic concern with the progression of spirits. For Buerger at this time, the purpose of life on this earth was to effect a reaffirmation of prior spiritual covenants, and spirit and intelligence combined to "rediscover" dimly remembered universal principles. Six months into his mission, Buerger wrote "Discovering who you really are is a matter of correlating covenants made in this life with those of the pre-existence and fulfilling them; thus boosting one's self into the understanding position of a God."
Characteristically, Buerger linked an understanding of doctrinal questions with personal self-discovery, and saw doctrinal speculation as an essential component of his own spiritual quest, a philosophy which was to color his attitude toward church authorities when he began writing for publication. For the present, however, he was content to speculate privately and await future enlightenment. Buerger's diary entries reveal that most of his published work on LDS topics grew out of doctrinal study undertaken while in the mission field.
Released from his mission in 1976, Buerger returned to California and enrolled at San Jose State, where he attempted to combine the gospel contemplation which was an important part of his spiritual life with the exigencies of academic life. The theories of Fred Holmstrom, an LDS professor of physics, provided the theoretical basis for a paper Buerger wrote attempting to link modern scientific theories with the creation story found in the book of Abraham. Buerger concluded his paper with an expression of hope "that the reader's faith in God and in His power has been fortified," clearly indicating that he had not yet discarded the idea that it was possible to combine intellectual inquiry and faith-promoting scholarship.
Buerger's interest in controversial subjects and his personal commitment to reconciling faith and reason brought him into contact with various LDS dissidents and with scholars whose ideas ran counter to the official doctrine promulgated by the church hierarchy in Salt Lake City. Several visits to Provo in the year following his return from France provided the opportunity for Buerger to widen his contacts, and he made plans to enroll at Brigham Young University.
Buerger was married to a life-long member of the LDS church who had recently completed a mission to Taiwan, China. Shortly thereafter the Buergers moved to Provo, Utah, where David began his studies at Brigham Young University. Buerger was later to write that living in an area where LDS thought and customs were the norm was not a good experience for him, due to his "rebellious nature." While at BYU, he wrote extensively on various aspects of what he saw as LDS authoritarianism.
It was Buerger's undergraduate writing which first brought him into conflict with church officials in Salt Lake City. "Politics and Inspiration," a paper dealing with the Woodruff manifesto and written as an English assignment resulted in a meeting with Buerger's stake president in order to determine his testimony of the church and investigate his possible affiliation with polygamous splinter groups. Another paper written for the same English professor, "Brigham Young University: The Unvarnished Reality," was later published in BYU's student journal, Century 2. This paper, critical of the quality of scholarship at the university, asserted that what Buerger saw as a decline in the LDS intellectual climate was linked to the increasing conservatism of church leaders. Joan Prusse's rebuttal to Buerger's Century 2 article took the position that BYU's attempt to provide an atmosphere where one could synthesize religious and intellectual life represented its greatest contribution, a position similar to Buerger's own views at the time of his return from the mission field. However, by the time Buerger graduated in 1979, he was convinced that the church hierarchy was hostile to individual doctrinal study.
The Buergers returned to California in 1980, where David worked first as a management consultant and then as director of the Personal Computer Center at Santa Clara University. Providing for his growing family and settling into a new ward left little time for writing. Buerger confided to a friend that he had, since leaving Provo, "experienced a renewed growth in spirituality." It was not until late summer that Buerger began writing again, this time on the Adam-God doctrine--a project he envisioned completing in six months time.
Buerger spent the next several years writing on various aspects of the development of LDS doctrine and religious practice. An inquiry to the B.H. Roberts Society in late 1981 led to the formation of the Bay Area Colloquium, a study group which held its first meeting at the Buerger home in February 1982.
In the Spring of 1983, Buerger was once again asked to explain his religious views, apparently at the instigation of LDS general authority, Mark E. Petersen. The office of the First Presidency had asked for, and received, an advance copy of Buerger's Dialogue article, "The Fulness of the Priesthood: The Second Anointing in Latter-day Saint Theology and Practice." The article dealt with sensitive material and there was some concern on the part of Dialogue's editorial staff that publication would adversely affect their church status. Buerger's bishop was apparently successful in reassuring church officials regarding Buerger's personal testimony. However, Buerger decided to withdraw from the program of the August Sunstone Symposium, where he had been scheduled to present a review of Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine. Not only was he concerned with his own church status, but with the quality of the paper itself. Comments from colleagues who had reviewed early drafts indicate that substantial rewriting was in order. The revised paper was delivered the next year, and published in Sunstone in 1985.
Buerger's growing involvement with the study of unorthodox doctrinal speculations and the resulting conflict with church authorities took its toll on his personal, as well as on his spiritual and intellectual life. After the death of his father in 1984, he and Wendy separated and were divorced two years later. Although he continued to publish until 1987, Buerger's ties with the LDS Church became increasingly tenuous. When he presented his paper on the temple endowment ceremony at the August 1986 Sunstone Symposium, he had to borrow a temple recommend card from a friend to, as he put it, "ma(k)e me look like a card carrying member." Research became increasingly difficult when he was officially banned from entering the LDS Church Archives and Library in the summer of 1986.
By 1987, Buerger's interest in LDS history and theology had waned. He donated his research files to the University of Utah library and no longer follows the debate concerning the interpretation of the LDS past and its implications for the future of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Buergers had lived in the Los Angeles area for about a year when cutbacks in the aerospace industry precipitated layoffs and David's father began a period of unemployment. The family was further unsettled when John Buerger suffered a near-fatal heart attack. David, now a teenager, became involved with the anti-establishment youth movement in California, an involvement which was to become almost a rite of passage for many persons of Buerger's generation. For the next two years, David divided his time between attending school and participating in anti-war demonstrations, associating with the counter-culture, and investigating various religious groups, of which Buddhism held the greatest attraction.
In 1972, when David was seventeen, the Buerger family moved to San Jose where, he later recalled, he "began trying to get [his] head on straight." It was at this time that Buerger became interested in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Although Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine was the first book he bought after the scriptures, Buerger was most strongly drawn to study of the mysteries--speculating, for example, on the possible whereabouts of the lost ten tribes or on the possibility of life on other planets as part of the plan of exaltation.
In the summer of 1973, Buerger was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The following year, he was called to serve a mission to France. Prior to leaving for the mission field, Buerger paid a visit to the Church Historian's Office in Salt Lake City, where he learned of a recently-discovered entry in the diary of Heber C. Kimball describing a talk given by Brigham Young which reportedly strongly supported the Adam-God doctrine, now officially disavowed by Church authorities. What Buerger saw as the mystery of "Adam's true pre-earth identity and role" was an important part of the scriptural study he undertook while on his mission.
Buerger's deliberations concerning doctrinal questions were closely allied to his own search for a spiritual identity. Speculation about whether or not Adam lived another life before his earthly existence was an essential part of Buerger's attempt to place himself within the Latter-day Saint world view, with its characteristic concern with the progression of spirits. For Buerger at this time, the purpose of life on this earth was to effect a reaffirmation of prior spiritual covenants, and spirit and intelligence combined to "rediscover" dimly remembered universal principles. Six months into his mission, Buerger wrote "Discovering who you really are is a matter of correlating covenants made in this life with those of the pre-existence and fulfilling them; thus boosting one's self into the understanding position of a God."
Characteristically, Buerger linked an understanding of doctrinal questions with personal self-discovery, and saw doctrinal speculation as an essential component of his own spiritual quest, a philosophy which was to color his attitude toward church authorities when he began writing for publication. For the present, however, he was content to speculate privately and await future enlightenment. Buerger's diary entries reveal that most of his published work on LDS topics grew out of doctrinal study undertaken while in the mission field.
Released from his mission in 1976, Buerger returned to California and enrolled at San Jose State, where he attempted to combine the gospel contemplation which was an important part of his spiritual life with the exigencies of academic life. The theories of Fred Holmstrom, an LDS professor of physics, provided the theoretical basis for a paper Buerger wrote attempting to link modern scientific theories with the creation story found in the book of Abraham. Buerger concluded his paper with an expression of hope "that the reader's faith in God and in His power has been fortified," clearly indicating that he had not yet discarded the idea that it was possible to combine intellectual inquiry and faith-promoting scholarship.
Buerger's interest in controversial subjects and his personal commitment to reconciling faith and reason brought him into contact with various LDS dissidents and with scholars whose ideas ran counter to the official doctrine promulgated by the church hierarchy in Salt Lake City. Several visits to Provo in the year following his return from France provided the opportunity for Buerger to widen his contacts, and he made plans to enroll at Brigham Young University.
Buerger was married to a life-long member of the LDS church who had recently completed a mission to Taiwan, China. Shortly thereafter the Buergers moved to Provo, Utah, where David began his studies at Brigham Young University. Buerger was later to write that living in an area where LDS thought and customs were the norm was not a good experience for him, due to his "rebellious nature." While at BYU, he wrote extensively on various aspects of what he saw as LDS authoritarianism.
It was Buerger's undergraduate writing which first brought him into conflict with church officials in Salt Lake City. "Politics and Inspiration," a paper dealing with the Woodruff manifesto and written as an English assignment resulted in a meeting with Buerger's stake president in order to determine his testimony of the church and investigate his possible affiliation with polygamous splinter groups. Another paper written for the same English professor, "Brigham Young University: The Unvarnished Reality," was later published in BYU's student journal, Century 2. This paper, critical of the quality of scholarship at the university, asserted that what Buerger saw as a decline in the LDS intellectual climate was linked to the increasing conservatism of church leaders. Joan Prusse's rebuttal to Buerger's Century 2 article took the position that BYU's attempt to provide an atmosphere where one could synthesize religious and intellectual life represented its greatest contribution, a position similar to Buerger's own views at the time of his return from the mission field. However, by the time Buerger graduated in 1979, he was convinced that the church hierarchy was hostile to individual doctrinal study.
The Buergers returned to California in 1980, where David worked first as a management consultant and then as director of the Personal Computer Center at Santa Clara University. Providing for his growing family and settling into a new ward left little time for writing. Buerger confided to a friend that he had, since leaving Provo, "experienced a renewed growth in spirituality." It was not until late summer that Buerger began writing again, this time on the Adam-God doctrine--a project he envisioned completing in six months time.
Buerger spent the next several years writing on various aspects of the development of LDS doctrine and religious practice. An inquiry to the B.H. Roberts Society in late 1981 led to the formation of the Bay Area Colloquium, a study group which held its first meeting at the Buerger home in February 1982.
In the Spring of 1983, Buerger was once again asked to explain his religious views, apparently at the instigation of LDS general authority, Mark E. Petersen. The office of the First Presidency had asked for, and received, an advance copy of Buerger's Dialogue article, "The Fulness of the Priesthood: The Second Anointing in Latter-day Saint Theology and Practice." The article dealt with sensitive material and there was some concern on the part of Dialogue's editorial staff that publication would adversely affect their church status. Buerger's bishop was apparently successful in reassuring church officials regarding Buerger's personal testimony. However, Buerger decided to withdraw from the program of the August Sunstone Symposium, where he had been scheduled to present a review of Bruce R. McConkie's Mormon Doctrine. Not only was he concerned with his own church status, but with the quality of the paper itself. Comments from colleagues who had reviewed early drafts indicate that substantial rewriting was in order. The revised paper was delivered the next year, and published in Sunstone in 1985.
Buerger's growing involvement with the study of unorthodox doctrinal speculations and the resulting conflict with church authorities took its toll on his personal, as well as on his spiritual and intellectual life. After the death of his father in 1984, he and Wendy separated and were divorced two years later. Although he continued to publish until 1987, Buerger's ties with the LDS Church became increasingly tenuous. When he presented his paper on the temple endowment ceremony at the August 1986 Sunstone Symposium, he had to borrow a temple recommend card from a friend to, as he put it, "ma(k)e me look like a card carrying member." Research became increasingly difficult when he was officially banned from entering the LDS Church Archives and Library in the summer of 1986.
By 1987, Buerger's interest in LDS history and theology had waned. He donated his research files to the University of Utah library and no longer follows the debate concerning the interpretation of the LDS past and its implications for the future of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Extent
18 Linear Feet
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
The David J. Buerger papers (1820-1986) contain correspondence, personal diary entries, research notes, copies of papers (both published and unpublished), newspaper clippings, class notes and projects, copies of diary and letter transcripts where the originals are stored in other archival repositories, pamphlets, and excerpts from published works. The largest body of documents on any one subject pertains to LDS temple ceremonies and ordinances. Buerger compiled a file of one hundred and one published articles written between 1842 and 1985 which describe temple ceremonies. His other interests included the Adam-God doctrine, polygamy, fundamentalism, anti-LDS writings, and all issues which have involved conflict between church officials and LDS scholars. Among the latter are evolution, Black men and the priesthood, prophetic infallibility, and education at Brigham Young University.
Arrangement
Organized in three series: I. Personal Material; II. People; III. Subjects.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Gift of David J. Buerger in 1983, 1986 and 1990.
Separated Materials
Photographs and audio cassete tapes were transfered to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0466) (A0222).
Processing Information
Processed by Karen Carver in 1994.
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- African American Latter Day Saints
- Articles
- Brigham Young University -- Evaluation
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.)
- Correspondence
- Diaries
- Evolution -- Religious aspects -- Latter Day Saints
- Latter Day Saint churches -- Controversial literature
- Latter Day Saint fundamentalism
- Latter Day Saints -- Polygamy
- McConkie, Bruce R.
- Mormonism (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- Notes (documents)
- Pamphlets
- Polygamy
- Prophets (Latter Day Saint doctrine)
- Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
- Temple work (Latter Day Saints)
Creator
- Buerger, David John, 1955- (Person)
- Title
- Inventory of the David J. Buerger papers
- Author
- Finding aid created by Karen Carver.
- Date
- 1994 (last modified: 2019)
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English.
Repository Details
Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository
Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863
special@library.utah.edu