Valeen Tippetts Avery

About the Author

Valeen Tippetts Avery was a pioneering historian and author whose meticulous research illuminated the hidden stories of early Mormonism, particularly the lives of its women. Born in 1934 in Utah, she grew up immersed in the faith's culture but pursued an academic path that challenged traditional narratives. Avery's groundbreaking work, Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith, co-authored with John W. Van Wagoner, offered a nuanced portrait of Joseph Smith's first wife, blending empathy with rigorous scholarship to reveal Emma's complexities amid polygamy and persecution. Her writing bridged personal devotion and critical inquiry, earning acclaim for humanizing historical figures often overlooked in official church histories. Avery's legacy endures in her commitment to truth-telling, influencing generations of scholars until her passing in 2009.