B. H. Roberts was one of the most respected Church historians in all of Church History. He is well known for his integrity and academic honesty, and for his accurate reporting of all Church History, faith promoting or otherwise.

While compiling and editing the seventh volume of “The History of The Church,” B. H. Roberts was instructed by the Prophet, Heber J. Grant to censor the history—to remove certain events from the volume to preserve faith. In other words, the Prophet instructed him to lie.

According to Mormon scholar D. Michael Quinn, Roberts was furious with the dishonesty of the Prophet.

“Church president Heber J. Grant also required B.H. Roberts to censor some documents in the seventh volume of the History of the Church. Elder Roberts was furious. ‘I desire, however to take this occasion of disclaiming any responsibility for the mutilating of that very important part of President young’s manuscript,’ Roberts replied to President Grant in August 1932, ‘and also to say, that while you had the physical power of eliminating that passage from the History, I do not believe you had any moral right to do so.’” [1]

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[1] Dr. Michael Quinn, Mormon scholar, Sunstone, February 1992, pp. 13-14