Mormon historian Richard Bushman, author of the landmark Joseph Smith biography "Rough Stone Rolling," sought and received a priesthood blessing from an apostle whose identity surprised those familiar with tensions between church hierarchy and independent Mormon scholarship, according to the Salt Lake Tribune's Mormon Land newsletter.

Bushman's scholarship has been both celebrated for its honest treatment of difficult historical questions and criticized by some conservative members. The blessing story offers insight into relationships between church leadership and faithful but independent Mormon scholars.