Publication of Studies of the Book of Mormon and The Truth, The Way, The Life

Two of Roberts major works, Studies of the Book of Mormon and The Truth, The Way The Lift: An Elementary Treatise on Theology, were published more than a half century after his death. He could not get approval of the Church authorities to publish the manuscripts during his lifetime. These were important works to Roberts who ranged widely in his thinking exploring topics that were sometimes uncomfortable to others and his interpretations and conclusions were not always unanimously accepted. The Church held these manuscripts in their vaults, but as time passed some copies or partial copies of the manuscripts appeared on the undergound press and some were eventually given to university libraries. Because of Roberts' intellect and his reputation for pursuing the truth, many urged publication of these manuscripts over the years. Some were interested in Roberts straightforward approach to issues. Others were interested in revising the history of the past and the Church by using Roberts and his works. Past history and theology have often been used as tools to impact current thinking including to reinforce it, to revise it, or to challenge it. Some who had become alienated from the Church tried to make Roberts in their own image of having lost testimony of the Church and the Book of Mormon like they had.

The publication of a manuscript of a deceased person needs to be done carefully as the author does not have the ability to make final changes and no one can get inside of the mind of a dead author to know what stage the manuscript is at and what is the degree of completion of the manuscript. In 1985, the University of Illinois Press published B.H. Roberts Studies of the Book of Mormon edited by Brigham D. Madsen and with a biographical essay by Sterling M. McMurrin. The preface to this book written by Everett L. Cooley notes that as late as 1932, a year before his death, Roberts had not prepared this manuscript for publication. This is an important work by Roberts even in its partially completed format and in reading it, care should be taken by the reader to note the intent of Roberts as well as the intent of those who prepared the work for publication. Some have suggested that this manuscript and the questions that it raises gives evidence that Roberts had lost confidence in the Book of Mormon. Yet, there is cleat evidence throughout Roberts life, and particularly toward its end, that he maintained a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. On the cover of Studies of the Book of Mormon, a letter from Roberts to President Heber J. Grant and the Quorum of the Twelve, March 15, 1923, includes the following, "I am taking the position that our faith is not only unshaken but unshakable in the Book of Mormon, and therefore we can look without fear upon all that can be said against it."