Word of this panel has been around already, but I thought I’d draw attention to it here. I understand this presentation has been over a year in the making, conceived as a way to bring in fresh perspectives from a few of the nation’s foremost academics on the place of the Mountain Meadows Massacre in wider historiographical frameworks and how well the authors engaged some of these themes in their book. Enjoying sponsorship from a wide spectrum of individuals and organizations, this will be an exceptional opportunity not to be missed.

I might also add that the American West Center at the University of Utah also sponsored a panel back in March on Mormons and the Environment. It’s encouraging to see some quality panels on Mormon themes being presented, and I hope they continue. Matt Basso, the director of the AWC and Paul Reeve, newly appointed Associate Department Chair in the History Dep., amongst others, are to be commended for their efforts with hopes of more to come.

Here is the flyer announcing the MMM panel:

Massacre at Mountain Meadows:

A Scholarly Discussion

September 5, 2008 | 7pm

Main Auditorium

Salt Lake City Public Library

(200 East/400 South)

Free and Open to the Public

Join three of the Nation?s Leading Scholars for a thought

provoking discussion of the highly-anticipated book,

Massacre at Mountain Meadows (Oxford University Press, 2008).

Dr. John Mack Faragher

Arthur Unobskey Professor of American History

Yale University

Dr. Philip Barlow

Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture

Utah State University

Dr. Donald Fixico

Distinguished Foundation Professor of History

Arizona State University

These distinguished panelists will offer both insights and questions that will place the Massacre within a deeper context of violence, imperialism, and religiosity in the U.S. West. Richard Turley, co-author of Massacre at Mountain Meadows will respond to the panel?s critique and the audience will then be invited to join the conversation.

Presented by:

The University of Utah?s American West Center

The Charles Redd Center for Western History at BYU

The Mormon History Association

The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah

The Tanner Center for Non-Violent Human Rights

at The University of Utah

The Salt Lake City Public Library