Lighthouse: Jerald and Sandra Tanner, Despised and Beloved Critics of Mormonism

"Many Mormons view Jerald and Sandra Tanner only as despised critics of the LDS Church, but it is impossible to trace the course of Mormon history over the past sixty years without appreciating their contribution. Many inside and outside of Mormonism see them as beloved because of their unflinching quest for truth and knack for accepting it no matter the cost, as when Jerald declared Mark Hofmann's notorious Salamander Letter a forgery months before handwriting experts and the LDS Church said it was authentic. Their Utah Lighthouse Ministry has operated for decades only blocks from church headquarters, where their many works on Mormonism are still printed and sold. Jerald died in 2006 but Sandra continues to oversee the ministry. The Tanners consistently challenged the church's position on nearly every issue. Utah Lighthouse was long the only source for Mormon scholars to obtain crucial historical reprints, which they still happily or begrudgingly purchase; for others, the Tanners' writings have been the source of disillusionment with the church. Despised or beloved, the influence of Jerald and Sandra Tanner cannot be underestimated or ignored"--