Benjamin Park
@benjaminepark.bsky.social
Historian, professor, author. Author/editor of 5 books, including AMERICAN ZION: A NEW HISTORY OF MORMONISM. views = my own
https://linktr.ee/benjaminepark
https://linktr.ee/benjaminepark
Pinned
I guess I should do a more formal intro, too.
I teach US history in Texas & write on intersections of religion, politics, & culture. I’ve authored 3 books & edited 2 more. My most recent is AMERICAN ZION: A NEW HISTORY OF MORMONISM. I’m currently working on Theodore Parker, religion, & abolition.
I teach US history in Texas & write on intersections of religion, politics, & culture. I’ve authored 3 books & edited 2 more. My most recent is AMERICAN ZION: A NEW HISTORY OF MORMONISM. I’m currently working on Theodore Parker, religion, & abolition.
I think the lesson is Trump knows he can survive the base learning that he did horrible moral things, but he can’t survive if he’s no longer seen as in control of the GOP.
Trump told Republicans in Congress to vote for the Epstein files bill yesterday. Whatever meaning we want to attach to all but one House Republican voting for it (and its likely passage thru the Senate by unanimous consent), this is not Republicans defying Trump. They're literally following orders.
November 18, 2025 at 9:24 PM
I think the lesson is Trump knows he can survive the base learning that he did horrible moral things, but he can’t survive if he’s no longer seen as in control of the GOP.
With developments in Texas, Utah, California, and Indiana, it'd be really funny if Republican ineptitude loses them the 2026 midterms before a single vote is cast.
November 18, 2025 at 8:36 PM
With developments in Texas, Utah, California, and Indiana, it'd be really funny if Republican ineptitude loses them the 2026 midterms before a single vote is cast.
For those of you digging into the Netflix #DeathByLightning series, here’s a great interview with the showrunner who discusses how he approached/used the history. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
'Death by Lightning': Netflix's Hit Garfield Assassination Show, With Mike Makowsky | Prestige TV
Podcast Episode · The Prestige TV Podcast · 11/18/2025 · 40m
podcasts.apple.com
November 18, 2025 at 3:54 PM
For those of you digging into the Netflix #DeathByLightning series, here’s a great interview with the showrunner who discusses how he approached/used the history. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
True story: when Kingdom of Nauvoo was in press (2020), my agent & I pitched a political bio of the James Otis family to be released with the 250th anniversary. My editor wisely advised to avoid the anniversary's onslaught. I'm glad I did--my book wouldn't compare to all the great works coming out.
November 18, 2025 at 2:46 AM
True story: when Kingdom of Nauvoo was in press (2020), my agent & I pitched a political bio of the James Otis family to be released with the 250th anniversary. My editor wisely advised to avoid the anniversary's onslaught. I'm glad I did--my book wouldn't compare to all the great works coming out.
Annual faculty evaluation form: what are some of your most notable accomplishments from the past year?
Me: I've experimented with melting brownie pieces into my nightly mug of hot chocolate.
Me: I've experimented with melting brownie pieces into my nightly mug of hot chocolate.
November 18, 2025 at 2:20 AM
Annual faculty evaluation form: what are some of your most notable accomplishments from the past year?
Me: I've experimented with melting brownie pieces into my nightly mug of hot chocolate.
Me: I've experimented with melting brownie pieces into my nightly mug of hot chocolate.
Reposted by Benjamin Park
The vast body of research that Ken Burns relied upon to make his new documentary on the American Revolution would be practically impossible to be produced today, what with the defunding of humanistic scholarship, the collapse of stable academic jobs, the attack on public history & academic freedom.🗃️
November 17, 2025 at 9:43 PM
The vast body of research that Ken Burns relied upon to make his new documentary on the American Revolution would be practically impossible to be produced today, what with the defunding of humanistic scholarship, the collapse of stable academic jobs, the attack on public history & academic freedom.🗃️
Cleveland deserves to lose every game that features this jersey/court combo.
November 18, 2025 at 12:24 AM
Cleveland deserves to lose every game that features this jersey/court combo.
Reposted by Benjamin Park
Death by Lightning, Episode 2!
Still loving it. Macfadyen still steals the show. Ep. 2 highlighted Nick Offerman-as Chester Arthur-as Nick Offerman (to quote @vscharff.bsky.social).
This shouldn't ruin it for anyone, but a few thoughts on historical mark-missing:
• Roscoe Conkling was 6' 3".
1/6
Still loving it. Macfadyen still steals the show. Ep. 2 highlighted Nick Offerman-as Chester Arthur-as Nick Offerman (to quote @vscharff.bsky.social).
This shouldn't ruin it for anyone, but a few thoughts on historical mark-missing:
• Roscoe Conkling was 6' 3".
1/6
November 16, 2025 at 6:43 AM
Death by Lightning, Episode 2!
Still loving it. Macfadyen still steals the show. Ep. 2 highlighted Nick Offerman-as Chester Arthur-as Nick Offerman (to quote @vscharff.bsky.social).
This shouldn't ruin it for anyone, but a few thoughts on historical mark-missing:
• Roscoe Conkling was 6' 3".
1/6
Still loving it. Macfadyen still steals the show. Ep. 2 highlighted Nick Offerman-as Chester Arthur-as Nick Offerman (to quote @vscharff.bsky.social).
This shouldn't ruin it for anyone, but a few thoughts on historical mark-missing:
• Roscoe Conkling was 6' 3".
1/6
Reposted by Benjamin Park
Just watched ep. 1 of “Death by Lightning.” For a screen adaptation, great job. Superb casting.
The problem: Everyone’s white. Black delegates played a big role in GOP conventions. There were still Black congressmen! Hollywood is bad with Black people in history with power & their own interests.
The problem: Everyone’s white. Black delegates played a big role in GOP conventions. There were still Black congressmen! Hollywood is bad with Black people in history with power & their own interests.
November 15, 2025 at 7:48 AM
Just watched ep. 1 of “Death by Lightning.” For a screen adaptation, great job. Superb casting.
The problem: Everyone’s white. Black delegates played a big role in GOP conventions. There were still Black congressmen! Hollywood is bad with Black people in history with power & their own interests.
The problem: Everyone’s white. Black delegates played a big role in GOP conventions. There were still Black congressmen! Hollywood is bad with Black people in history with power & their own interests.
As a new season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiers, here’s a reminder that I did a deep dive on the show a few months ago and interrogated what it tells us about the terms “Mormon,” “modern,” and “MomTok.”
Why Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Matters More Than You Think
youtu.be/fOSjYJ4mxbY
Why Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Matters More Than You Think
youtu.be/fOSjYJ4mxbY
Why Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Matters More Than You Think
YouTube video by Benjamin Park, Historian
youtu.be
November 14, 2025 at 10:52 PM
As a new season of Secret Lives of Mormon Wives premiers, here’s a reminder that I did a deep dive on the show a few months ago and interrogated what it tells us about the terms “Mormon,” “modern,” and “MomTok.”
Why Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Matters More Than You Think
youtu.be/fOSjYJ4mxbY
Why Secret Lives of Mormon Wives Matters More Than You Think
youtu.be/fOSjYJ4mxbY
While this is far from the most important revelation, it's good to know that many of us were vindicated in seeing Michael Wolff as an insufferable and opportunist snake.
November 13, 2025 at 1:19 AM
While this is far from the most important revelation, it's good to know that many of us were vindicated in seeing Michael Wolff as an insufferable and opportunist snake.
Indeed. It's crazy that the president of Harvard couldn't deign to use proper punctuation.
Not important but why are all of the people in these Epstein emails writing barely coherent run-on sentences? Do a lot of people email like this??
November 13, 2025 at 12:54 AM
Indeed. It's crazy that the president of Harvard couldn't deign to use proper punctuation.
Reposted by Benjamin Park
Something absolutely perfect about Larry Summers riffing about the scourge of woke cancel culture being unfair to predatory men in a friendly email to his pal JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
November 13, 2025 at 12:25 AM
Something absolutely perfect about Larry Summers riffing about the scourge of woke cancel culture being unfair to predatory men in a friendly email to his pal JEFFREY EPSTEIN.
Ten years ago, the LDS church instituted a new policy that categorized same-sex spouses as “apostates” and barred their children from salvific rites. The backlash was so loud that it was later repealed.
I did a video on the history, context, and lasting legacies of this consequential moment.
I did a video on the history, context, and lasting legacies of this consequential moment.
The LDS Policy That Caused Members To Leave The Church!
YouTube video by Benjamin Park, Historian
youtu.be
November 12, 2025 at 10:42 PM
Ten years ago, the LDS church instituted a new policy that categorized same-sex spouses as “apostates” and barred their children from salvific rites. The backlash was so loud that it was later repealed.
I did a video on the history, context, and lasting legacies of this consequential moment.
I did a video on the history, context, and lasting legacies of this consequential moment.
ICYMI: I started a Kit newsletter that combines everything from my youtube channel and social media videos, as well as offers periodic thoughts & reflections on Mormon, religious, & political history. First big message goes out tomorrow morning. Sign up!
To celebrate my YouTube channel hitting 10k subs(!), & to corral my various videos, essays, interviews, & etc in one place, I:
1) started a newsletter on Kit that will compile things into a semi-frequent email, and
2) will send a signed copy of AMERICAN ZION to one subscriber in the 1st week.
1) started a newsletter on Kit that will compile things into a semi-frequent email, and
2) will send a signed copy of AMERICAN ZION to one subscriber in the 1st week.
History Has Never Been More Relevant
benjaminpark.kit.com
November 12, 2025 at 2:52 AM
ICYMI: I started a Kit newsletter that combines everything from my youtube channel and social media videos, as well as offers periodic thoughts & reflections on Mormon, religious, & political history. First big message goes out tomorrow morning. Sign up!
Screening the screener is always a 💯 basketball move.
WHAT A SET FROM SPO WHAT A FINISH FROM WIGGINS WHAT A NIGHT OF BASKETBALL
November 11, 2025 at 3:43 AM
Screening the screener is always a 💯 basketball move.
I know we have the memory of a goldfish, but I’m amazed we’re only a few years past conservative economic “experts” claiming the $2,000 COVID checks were the primary cause of an inflation crisis, and now those same “experts” are praising Trump’s promise to, you guessed it, send $2,000 checks.
November 11, 2025 at 3:40 AM
I know we have the memory of a goldfish, but I’m amazed we’re only a few years past conservative economic “experts” claiming the $2,000 COVID checks were the primary cause of an inflation crisis, and now those same “experts” are praising Trump’s promise to, you guessed it, send $2,000 checks.
Really enjoyed the new Netflix series on the Garfield assassination. And I really hope it leads more people to @btarrington.bsky.social’s wonderful work on the topic.
November 11, 2025 at 1:50 AM
Really enjoyed the new Netflix series on the Garfield assassination. And I really hope it leads more people to @btarrington.bsky.social’s wonderful work on the topic.
Just as quickly as Spirit Halloween rises from the dust, so too does it quietly dissolve back into the dust. Such is the cycle of life.
November 10, 2025 at 10:34 PM
Just as quickly as Spirit Halloween rises from the dust, so too does it quietly dissolve back into the dust. Such is the cycle of life.
Still relevant.
I have two words for Chuck Schumer:
Devour feculence.
Devour feculence.
a man in a white shirt and tie is smiling .
ALT: a man in a white shirt and tie is smiling .
media.tenor.com
November 10, 2025 at 4:46 AM
Still relevant.
To celebrate my YouTube channel hitting 10k subs(!), & to corral my various videos, essays, interviews, & etc in one place, I:
1) started a newsletter on Kit that will compile things into a semi-frequent email, and
2) will send a signed copy of AMERICAN ZION to one subscriber in the 1st week.
1) started a newsletter on Kit that will compile things into a semi-frequent email, and
2) will send a signed copy of AMERICAN ZION to one subscriber in the 1st week.
History Has Never Been More Relevant
benjaminpark.kit.com
November 9, 2025 at 6:11 PM
To celebrate my YouTube channel hitting 10k subs(!), & to corral my various videos, essays, interviews, & etc in one place, I:
1) started a newsletter on Kit that will compile things into a semi-frequent email, and
2) will send a signed copy of AMERICAN ZION to one subscriber in the 1st week.
1) started a newsletter on Kit that will compile things into a semi-frequent email, and
2) will send a signed copy of AMERICAN ZION to one subscriber in the 1st week.
Reposted by Benjamin Park
We've got a cover. Coming your way next June!
November 9, 2025 at 5:50 PM
We've got a cover. Coming your way next June!
I was expecting Pluribus to be weird, but that pilot blew me away.
November 9, 2025 at 1:47 AM
I was expecting Pluribus to be weird, but that pilot blew me away.
A fun academic conference first for me:
I was halfway through my paper when I realized that for some reason my cloud drive didn’t sync and so I only had a previous draft of the presentation that was missing an entire 3-page section.
Do not recommend.
I was halfway through my paper when I realized that for some reason my cloud drive didn’t sync and so I only had a previous draft of the presentation that was missing an entire 3-page section.
Do not recommend.
November 9, 2025 at 12:34 AM
A fun academic conference first for me:
I was halfway through my paper when I realized that for some reason my cloud drive didn’t sync and so I only had a previous draft of the presentation that was missing an entire 3-page section.
Do not recommend.
I was halfway through my paper when I realized that for some reason my cloud drive didn’t sync and so I only had a previous draft of the presentation that was missing an entire 3-page section.
Do not recommend.
Bad news: looks like I’m gonna be stuck at the Detroit AirPort for a while.
Good news: the Detroit AirPort is surprisingly delightful!
Good news: the Detroit AirPort is surprisingly delightful!
November 8, 2025 at 11:42 PM
Bad news: looks like I’m gonna be stuck at the Detroit AirPort for a while.
Good news: the Detroit AirPort is surprisingly delightful!
Good news: the Detroit AirPort is surprisingly delightful!