According to a circular letter I received two weeks ago, Sandra Tanner will retire next year and close her long-running and highly influential book and education ministry next year. I found nothing on her website, but according to her letter,

"Sadly, I must inform you that I will be retiring this next Spring. The closing of the bookstore is not due to COVID or finances; at age 81, I am just tired. We have sold the property and must turn over the keys to the new owner on May 14,2023. Thankfully the sale of the property has left us with enough money to close things down and will make it possible to divide the extra resources among various ministries."

She further stated that the plan to have a clearance sale in February and close the store March 1, but plan to maintain their on-line archives.

Sandra and her late husband Jerald were perhaps the first to seriously investigate the origins of LDS. Loyal Mormons and devoted to their church, they zealously collected and studied historical documents and artifacts, only to discover numerous and highly damning discrepancies between what they were taught (and believed) and what historical records revealed. They eventually left tCoJCoLdS and identified as [non-LDS] Christians and affiliated with the Church of Christ (Temple Lot, I think).

Although lacking a scholastic pedigree themselves, their research was rigorous and aggressive. They published and sold the works of many historians, both with and without academic credentials. Most notably, their work caught the attention of Dr. Walter Martin, who utilized much of their findings in his influential book, "The Kingdom Of the Cults." Before then, many orthodox Christians knew there were wrong, even strange, things about LDS faith and practice, but didn't know just what. Martin filled in the holes in their knowledge.

Although the Tanners were overtly Christian, their writings and available literature helped many find their way out of LDS, even those who never came to a conventional Christian faith.

Their work was invaluable and I, for one, will miss Sandra and the Utah Lighthouse Ministry.

I am glad she is going to take some time for herself. She has done so much for so many. AND put up with so much crap over the years. She is a very nice person too :)

On the other hand, I've seen many ministries, Christian colleges, publishers and other institutions get taken over by heirs or successors who jerk the organization into some activity or direction that would make the founders roll over in their graves.

Edit: The Tanners' have had a biography written and is available through their bookstore:

http://www.utlm.org/booklist/titles/lighthousejeraldandsandratanner_xb409xb410.htm



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/16/2022 10:28PM by caffiend.

I think I will make her a nice "Thank You" card.

thanking her and letting her know just how her ministry (filtered through Walter Martin, in a way) blessed me.

That's nice caffiend :)

Mrs. Tanner is now the age of my mother who passed away two months ago. I wish her well in retirement.

She and her husband are/were courageous and honorable people.

I was wondering when she might want to retire. I wish her well. The Tanners did a great service for the exmormon community.

It is amazing what they accomplished. We owe them so much. I hope she has a great retirement. It has been years since I last talked to her. She is friendly with a sense of humor - something rarely seen in Mormon GAs. Sending her a thankyou card is a great idea.

I am in the middle of organizing what I have but I know I have at least one really nice "Thank You" die. Christmas is upon us but I swear I will get something made and sent by January. And yes, I will make it from all of us.

Thank you for doing that, Susan.

group 'Thank You' card/gift? I'm IN

(please delete, I Sneezed!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/17/2022 03:46PM by GNPE.

She fought the good fight and influenced many, myself included.