A bit of sad news, and a bit of happy news.  First the sad. Grant Palmer, author of An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins – certainly one of the most important books in 20th/21st century Mormonism, is dying of cancer.  I confirmed this with Grant yesterday – when he related to me that he likely only has weeks/months to live.  This information moves many of us deeply, since Grant’s courageous scholarship over the years (which has come at a great personal cost to him) has been instrumental in helping tens of thousands of Mormons understand their church history more accurately.  I dare say that projects like Mormon Stories Podcast, Mormon Think, Letter to a CES Director, and even the recent LDS Church Gospel Topics Essays would not exist without the courage and scholarship of Grant Palmer. Now for the happy news.  Mormon Stories Podcast and the Open Stories Foundation, along with a few supporters, will be holding a private event in Grant Palmer’s honor on the evening of February 15, 2017* in Utah – with the plan of live-streaming the event to all who are interested in showing support for Grant.  The event will include: An interview with Grant, wherein he will discuss his most recent book, along with reflections on his life. A chance for some of those who are grateful for Grant’s work to express appreciation for him. If you are interested in participating in this tribute/celebration, there are a few things you can do to participate: Record a brief Facebook or Youtube video expressing your gratitude to Grant (and his positive impact on your life), and post the link as a comment here. Write a text-based tribute to Grant in the comments section here. Send an email to mormonstories@gmail.com with “Grant Pamer” in the subject line, wherein you express to Grant your gratitude for the positive impact that his work has had on your life. Feel free to use the hash tag #grantpalmer for any of the tributes you share on social media.  Finally, these emails, blog comments, and videos will be gathered and shared with Grant at the live-steamed, worldwide event in honor of him. Thanks for taking the time to honor Grant with us, and we very much look forward to the evening of February 15th* wherein we hope to show Grant how much we love and appreciate him!  *Date subject to how Grant is doing/feeling.