Richard D. Poll
Encyclopedia
Richard Douglas Poll was an American historian, academic, author and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). His liberal religiosity influenced his notable metaphor about "Iron Rod" vs. "Liahona" LDS Church members.
at age 10. He published his first article at age 13 in Liahona, the Elders' Journal, a missionary magazine published by the LDS Church. From 1939-1941 he served as an LDS missionary
, first in Germany until World War II
began, and then in Canada. From 1942-1945, Poll served as a first lieutenant
in the U.S. Army Air Force without seeing the front. He married Emogene (Gene) Hill in 1943 in the Salt Lake Temple
, and they remained married until their deaths in 1994 in Provo, Utah.
Throughout his life, Poll was active in the LDS Church and served in various positions, such as stake high councilor.
(TCU), completing a bachelors degree in history in 1938. He also received a masters degree from TCU in 1939, writing his thesis
on the U.S. campaign against Mormon polygamy. Poll later received a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Berkeley
in 1948.
From 1948-1970 Poll was a history professor at Brigham Young University
(BYU). In 1955, he became chair of the department of history. He was the charter president of the American Association of University Professors
(AAUP) at BYU in 1959. In 1962, Poll became associate director of the BYU Honors Program, and was named Honors Professor of the Year at BYU in 1969. From 1958-65, he had also occasionally taught at the University of Maryland, College Park
, European Division. At BYU, Poll clashed with BYU administration and some church leadership over his AAUP involvement, their anti-communism
, and the role of organic evolution
. After uncertainty over whether his BYU contract would be renewed, Poll resigned to take a position as vice president of Western Illinois University
(WIU) in 1969. He remained in that role until 1975, though he continued teaching history at WIU until 1983. In his retirement, Poll taught occasional classes at BYU from 1983 until his death in 1994.
From 1978-1993, Poll and his wife taught reading and writing skills in adult education
classes offered by the LDS Church.
in August 1967 and published in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
.
The paper drew upon Book of Mormon
imagery. In Lehi and Nephi's vision
, people held onto an "iron rod" that followed a single path to salvation
. In another story, a mysterious instrument, called the "Liahona", pointed righteous travelers toward their destination. Poll's paper set up a dichotomy between church members who see the gospel as clear and exact, or "hold to the Iron Rod", and those who follow the guidance of the church as a compass to lead their lives. He explained:
The subject caught the attention of LDS intellectuals and leaders, becoming a poignant metaphor in cultural discourse. It would become Poll's best known article, and was in republished several other times.
In a 1971 General Conference
address, church Apostle Harold B. Lee
alluded to and denounced Poll's ideas, saying:
Lee also quoted the phrase "A liberal in the Church is merely one who does not have a testimony."
Poll and his wife considered themselves "Liahona" Mormons.
Biography
Poll was born in Salt Lake City, where he lived until moving to Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
at age 10. He published his first article at age 13 in Liahona, the Elders' Journal, a missionary magazine published by the LDS Church. From 1939-1941 he served as an LDS missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
, first in Germany until World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
began, and then in Canada. From 1942-1945, Poll served as a first lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
in the U.S. Army Air Force without seeing the front. He married Emogene (Gene) Hill in 1943 in the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
, and they remained married until their deaths in 1994 in Provo, Utah.
Throughout his life, Poll was active in the LDS Church and served in various positions, such as stake high councilor.
Academics
In Fort Worth, Poll studied at Texas Christian UniversityTexas Christian University
Texas Christian University is a private, coeducational university located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States and founded in 1873. TCU is affiliated with, but not governed by, the Disciples of Christ...
(TCU), completing a bachelors degree in history in 1938. He also received a masters degree from TCU in 1939, writing his thesis
Thesis
A dissertation or thesis is a document submitted in support of candidature for an academic degree or professional qualification presenting the author's research and findings...
on the U.S. campaign against Mormon polygamy. Poll later received a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
in 1948.
From 1948-1970 Poll was a history professor at Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU). In 1955, he became chair of the department of history. He was the charter president of the American Association of University Professors
American Association of University Professors
The American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
(AAUP) at BYU in 1959. In 1962, Poll became associate director of the BYU Honors Program, and was named Honors Professor of the Year at BYU in 1969. From 1958-65, he had also occasionally taught at the University of Maryland, College Park
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
, European Division. At BYU, Poll clashed with BYU administration and some church leadership over his AAUP involvement, their anti-communism
Anti-communism
Anti-communism is opposition to communism. Organized anti-communism developed in reaction to the rise of communism, especially after the 1917 October Revolution in Russia and the beginning of the Cold War in 1947.-Objections to communist theory:...
, and the role of organic evolution
Mormonism and evolution
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints takes no official position on whether or not biological evolution has occurred, or on the validity of the modern evolutionary synthesis as a scientific theory. However, in the 20th century, the LDS Church published doctrinal statements on the origin...
. After uncertainty over whether his BYU contract would be renewed, Poll resigned to take a position as vice president of Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Western Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became...
(WIU) in 1969. He remained in that role until 1975, though he continued teaching history at WIU until 1983. In his retirement, Poll taught occasional classes at BYU from 1983 until his death in 1994.
From 1978-1993, Poll and his wife taught reading and writing skills in adult education
Adult education
Adult education is the practice of teaching and educating adults. Adult education takes place in the workplace, through 'extension' school or 'school of continuing education' . Other learning places include folk high schools, community colleges, and lifelong learning centers...
classes offered by the LDS Church.
"Iron Rod" and "Liahona" metaphor
Poll wrote on various topics in Latter-day Saint history and thought. His religious approach was influenced by his studies at TCU, where he examined and rejected creationism, scriptural literalism, and prophetic infallibility. He remembered one professor saying "the purpose of religion is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." In 1963, Poll prepared a paper called "What the Church Means to People Like Me", which he delivered in the Palo Alto Ward sacrament meetingSacrament meeting
Sacrament meeting is the weekly worship service held on Sunday in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .Sacrament meetings are held in individual wards or branches in the chapel of the meetinghouse. The bishop or branch president of the ward or branch presides, unless a higher authority...
in August 1967 and published in Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought
Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
.
The paper drew upon Book of Mormon
Book of Mormon
The Book of Mormon is a sacred text of the Latter Day Saint movement that adherents believe contains writings of ancient prophets who lived on the American continent from approximately 2600 BC to AD 421. It was first published in March 1830 by Joseph Smith, Jr...
imagery. In Lehi and Nephi's vision
Tree of life vision
The Tree of life vision is a vision described and discussed in the Book of Mormon, one of the scriptures of the Latter Day Saint movement denominations published by Joseph Smith, Jr. in 1830. According to the Book of Mormon, the vision was received by a prophet named Lehi, and later by his son...
, people held onto an "iron rod" that followed a single path to salvation
Salvation
Within religion salvation is the phenomenon of being saved from the undesirable condition of bondage or suffering experienced by the psyche or soul that has arisen as a result of unskillful or immoral actions generically referred to as sins. Salvation may also be called "deliverance" or...
. In another story, a mysterious instrument, called the "Liahona", pointed righteous travelers toward their destination. Poll's paper set up a dichotomy between church members who see the gospel as clear and exact, or "hold to the Iron Rod", and those who follow the guidance of the church as a compass to lead their lives. He explained:
"The Iron Rod Saint does not look for questions but for answers, and in the gospel he finds or is confident that he can find the answer to every important question. The Liahona Saint, on the other hand, is preoccupied with questions and skeptical of answers; he finds in the gospel answers to enough important questions so that he can function purposefully without answers to the rest."
The subject caught the attention of LDS intellectuals and leaders, becoming a poignant metaphor in cultural discourse. It would become Poll's best known article, and was in republished several other times.
In a 1971 General Conference
General Conference
In the United Nations system of specialized agencies such as the International Atomic Energy Agency or UNESCO, General Conferences are the recurring meetings of Member States. General Conference sessions are usually held yearly or biennially at the headquarters of the Agency...
address, church Apostle Harold B. Lee
Harold B. Lee
Harold Bingham Lee was eleventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from July 1972 until his death.- Early life :...
alluded to and denounced Poll's ideas, saying:
If there is any one thing most needed in this time of tumult and frustration, … it is an "iron rod" as a safe guide along the straight path on the way to eternal life, … There are many who profess to be religious and speak of themselves as Christians, and, according to one such, "as accepting the scriptures only as sources of inspiration and moral truth," and then ask in their smugness: "Do the revelations of God give us a handrail to the kingdom of God, as the Lord's messenger told Lehi, or merely a compass?" … Wouldn't it be a great thing if all who are well schooled in secular learning could hold fast to the "iron rod," or the word of God, …?
Lee also quoted the phrase "A liberal in the Church is merely one who does not have a testimony."
Poll and his wife considered themselves "Liahona" Mormons.
Honors
- 1939 Wilber Kidd Fellowship at Texas Christian University
- 1948 Willard D. Thompson Fellowship at University of California, Berkeley
- 1969 BYU Honors Professor of the Year
- 1970 President of the Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
. - 1979 Presidential Merit Award for quality and accuracy in historical work
- 1985 Secretary/Treasurer of the BYU Academy Foundation
- 1994 Personal Essay award from the Association for Mormon LettersAssociation for Mormon LettersThe Association for Mormon Letters is a nonprofit founded in 1976 to promote quality writing "by, for, and about Mormons." The broadness of this definition of Mormon literature has led the AML to focus on a wide variety of work that has sometimes been neglected in the Mormon community...
for "A Liahona Latter-day Saint"