The Crandall Printing Museum

This week our D&C class went to the Crandall Printing Museum in Provo, Utah. I didn't know it existed. It was a neat experience to learn about the exact type of printing press Gutenberg invented. As I sat through the two hour lecture, all I could think over and over again was, Gutenberg was a genius. Gutenberg was a genius. Gutenberg was a genius. He was. Everything in our world relies on printed text. Every field is affected by and dependent upon it. Science. History. Medicine. Literature. Architecture. Politics. Religion. Every aspect of my life is affected by the printed word. It was an extraordinary achievement and, as the museum's curators and historians explained, it paved the way for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

As explained to us, the Catholic Church first asked Gutenberg to print copies of the bible. In the 1700's, the American Revolution relied on the press to publish documents like The Declaration of Independence, The Federalist Papers, The Constitution of the United States, and others. The printing and distrubtion of Thomas Paine's "These are the Times that Try Men's Souls" rallied our troops and helped propel us to victory of strong British forces. The museum's historian shared a quote from Paine's work that I first read while in AP US History my junior year of high-school. I find it powerful:

These are the times that try men's souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered; yet we have this consolation with us, that the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph.

-Thomas Paine, December 23, 1776

I think the story of Gutenberg is an example of how God is involved in inspiring men throughout history-- even during the Dark Ages. Spiritual and secular things are seldom, if ever, distinct. At least, I believe that God created everything in the universe. His influence on medicine and music is no less than his influence on Sunday sermons. I'm grateful for Gutenberg, and I'm grateful that his invention brought about the printing and distribution of the Book of Mormon. It is the word of God.