The most recent issue of The Journal of Mormon History (January 2021) includes “’I Dug the Graves’: Isaac Lewis Manning, Joseph Smith, and Racial Connections in Two Latter Day Saint Traditions,” an article by Paul Reeve. One important contribution of this article is information about rates at which adult men in the Latter-day Saint tradition were ordained to priesthood offices up to the early Utah period. Come to find out, in branches of the church, very few men were ordained, and in 1850s Utah ordination was far from universal. Thus the fact that a black man like Isaac Manning doesn’t appear to have been ordained can’t really be evidence for or against any particular race-based approach to ordination. Most Latter-day Saint men during this period appear to have not been ordained.
Many thanks to friend-of-JI Devan Jensen for sending us this job ad!
The BYU Religious Studies Center is hiring a 3/4-time senior editor. Job Title: Senior Editor Job ID: 95960 Contact: Staff/Admin Employment Service Full/Part Time: 3/4 Time The senior editor is expected to maintain professional editing standards in preparing books and articles for publication. The editor will take a leading role in editing and shepherding assigned books or journals (BYU Religious Education Review and Religious Educator) through the production process, from initial copyediting to author review and proofreading.
Essential Functions: Perform copy and content edits at an appropriate level while maintaining editing standards of accuracy, thoroughness, clarity, consistency, and correctness in a timely fashion Coordinate with authors and volume editors as needed Work closely with other editors, administrative staff, production and business supervisor, and designer Supervise editorial student intern(s) Create a style sheet for a given project, applying recommendations in Chicago Manual of Style, RSC, and Church style guides Oversee proofreading of edited material, jacket copy, and press proofs Prepare information for ISBN assignment and CIP data application
Minimum education/experience required: Master’s degree in English, editing and publishing, or related field and 4+ years of editing experience (preferably full time in a publishing house) OR Bachelor’s degree in English, editing and publishing, or related field and 6+ years of editing experience Preferred: Master’s degree in English, editing and publishing, or related field and 4+ years of editing experience preferably in a full-time publishing house.
Skills, abilities, knowledge, licenses, certifications (please indicate whether “required” or “preferred”): Ability to establish rapport and trust with authors, being respectful and limiting oneself to the editing role Skill in applying guidelines in the current Chicago Manual of Style and Church Style Guide for Editors and Writers Proficiency with Latter-day scripture, doctrine, and history Mastery of principles of grammar, usage, and punctuation Excellent composition skills Supervision of student editors Good teamwork Superior communication skills (in-person, written, and virtual) with students, authors, editors, and professionals Superior time-management and organizational abilities Creative problem-solving ability Familiarity with Microsoft Word and Excel programs and a general knowledge of computers as a tool for performing editing tasks Employee Class: 3/4 Time (28 hour)
Work Location: Provo Campus
Environment: General office or other equivalently good environment
Desired Start Date: 04/19/2021
Job Close Date: 03/26/2021
Pay Level: 51
Approximate Starting Salary: $23.80 – $30.91 per hour DOQ
Documents Required at time of Application: Required: Cover Letter, Resume, Letter of Recommendation 1 Optional: Letter of Recommendation 2 Equal Opportunity Employer: m/f/Vets/Disability
The Mormon History Association (MHA) is accepting submissions for a poster session, to be held in the Utah Olympic Park during the 56th annual conference in Park City, Utah, June 10-12, 2021. We welcome proposals that address the conference theme, “Restoration, Reunion, and Resilience,” but all proposals will receive equal consideration. Please visit MHA’S WEBSITE to view the conference call for papers. This poster session offers participants the opportunity to discuss and answer questions about their work in a relatively informal, interactive setting. This format is particularly useful for works-in-progress and for projects with visual and material evidence. Presenters must be MHA members, register for and attend the meeting, and be available for a two-hour poster viewing session and reception during the conference, date and time TBD. MHA will waive the conference registration fee for all student poster presenters.
The submission deadline for poster proposals is April 26, 2021. Notifications of acceptance or rejection will be sent May 1, 2020. Proposals will be evaluated on the persuasiveness of the abstract and the project’s connection to major questions and issues in Mormon history and the conference themes. MHA allows a maximum of four presenters per poster. All posters must be 36 inches x 48 inches. We will provide cardboard, binder clips, and easels for those who request them. Presenters are responsible for all other materials, including the printed poster itself. Accepted posters will be on display for the entirety of the conference. Please send your proposal to mharochester2020@gmail.com. Contact program co-chairs Anne Berryhill or Joseph Stuart at this email address if you have any questions.
If you, like millions of Americans, turned in to watch Murder Among the Mormons, and are interested in reading more on the Hofmann saga, Early Mormonism’s “magic world view,” or scholarship examining Mormonism as the “Other,” check out this list.
I want to add to this list–please send me a note or comment here for me to update it with additional resources!
For the second part of this review, (see first part here) I want to talk about the ways that Davis and Brown attempt a kind of middle ground between the larger secular scholarly field and those who believe in Joseph Smith operating under divine guidance while he translated. Both make attempts at explaining what Smith did in terms of translation, and this brings up the old religious-studies question, “Does explaining supernatural experiences mean explaining them away?”
Indeed, Davis’s theses certainly makes an attempt to explain the process of the Book of Mormon translation in terms of Smith’s abilities to draw on mnemonic speaking devices in order to dictate the Book of Mormon. Davis goes so far as to propose that Smith could have had a short, written outline of the book that he could have occasionally referred to throughout the process.
We want to make you aware of several upcoming opportunities for papers and proposals through the Utah State Historical Society. Please feel free to share with your colleagues and on social media. Call for Papers: Utah State Historical Society Annual Conference The CFP announcing this year’s annual conference is now open for submissions. The theme centers on public health and the common good. We rely on your participation and support to make our conference possible. Please spread the word for us. For questions or recommendations for programming related to the theme, please don’t hesitate to reach out at uhq@utah.gov. Call for Papers: Public Health and the Common Good
Call for Proposals on Utah Historical MemorialsWe also want to make you aware of an exciting initiative. This year we are launching a blog series on historical memorials. We seek proposals for short essays that place historical markers in historical and contemporary perspective. We hope the series will represent the diversity of thought about historical markers and will facilitate public discussion about the place of historical markers and memorials in our society. Check out our website for more information and deadlines for proposal submissions. Call for Proposals: Blog Series on Historical Memorials
Student Manuscript AwardFinally, the historical society has a new award for the best student manuscript submitted for publication in Utah Historical Quarterly. A cash prize will be given to a manuscript that shows innovative historical thinking, rigorous research, and excellence in writing. If you know of student work that fits the bill, please ensure they submit the paper to uhq@utah.gov. Any student manuscript submitted between January 2020 and March 31, 2021 will be considered. Sincerely,UHQ editors
Christopher on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “Blake, I get a kick out of your poor reading comprehension skills.
If your comment is directed to Joseph, who posted this description, please understand that…”
Eric Nielson on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “Matt, I have signed up with a friend account, but when I try to open the file I am told that I do not have…”
Recent Comments
Christopher on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “Blake, I get a kick out of your poor reading comprehension skills. If your comment is directed to Joseph, who posted this description, please understand that…”
Eric Nielson on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “Matt, I have signed up with a friend account, but when I try to open the file I am told that I do not have…”
Terry H on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “I mean, I know its in the link, but just curious.”
Terry H on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “Perhaps I missed something, but when and where is it?”
Matt Witten on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “This one? https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/handle/2027.42/157453”
Eric Nielson on LATTER-DAY SAINT THEOLOGY &: “I would like to read Paulsen's dissertation. Does anyone have some link or way to access it?”