Articles by

Ben P

Mormon History Odds and Ends

By April 22, 2011


The end of the semester typically means a dearth of posts here at JI, as many of us are busy with exams, term papers, and other end-of-the-year activities. However, there is, as usual, no dearth of Mormon studies news, so consider this a catch-all of recent updates that deserve attention. And please feel free to add more in the comments.

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Another Job Opening at the CHL: Edit Joseph Smith’s Papers!

By April 19, 2011


Historian/Documentary Editor, Joseph Smith Papers

Job Description
The Joseph Smith Papers seeks a full-time historian/documentary editor with the appropriate
academic training, research and writing skills to edit Joseph Smith?s papers. The Joseph
Smith Papers is producing a comprehensive edition of Smith?s documents featuring complete
and accurate transcripts with both textual and contextual annotation. The scope of the project
includes Smith?s correspondence, revelations, journals, historical writings, sermons, legal papers,
and other documents. Besides providing the most comprehensive record of early Latter-day
Saint history they will also provide insight into the broader religious landscape of the early
American republic.

Duties will include document analysis (research regarding textual and documentary intention,
production, transmission, and reception); composition of source notes and historical
introductions; writing of annotation to provide appropriate context and to clarify or explain
passages that are unclear or challenging; regular participation in team meetings and project
committees; and professional development.

Qualifications
PhD or doctoral candidate in history, religious studies, or related discipline. Experience in
one or more of the following areas is desirable: documentary editing, archival management,
antebellum American history, American religious history, early Mormon history. Demonstration
of excellent writing and research skills required. As the highest professional standards of
documentary editing are expected of the position, including a rigorous production schedule,
the applicant must exhibit attention to detail, efficiency, flexibility, good interpersonal
communications, and the ability to work in an academic environment that requires personal
initiative and collaborative competence. Competitive salary based on experience.

Please send letter of application, vita, writing sample, and three letters of recommendation to
Joseph Smith Papers Search, c/o Viola Knecht, Church History Library, 15 E. North Temple St.,
Salt Lake City, UT 84150-1600. Applicants must also complete on-line application found at
www.ldschurch.jobs, posting 61884. Applications due by May 20.


New Job Opening at the CHL: Full Time Position in Women’s History

By April 16, 2011


Historian/Writer, Church History Department

Purpose and Responsibilities

The Church History Department announces an opening for a historian/writer with an emphasis on women?s history within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Duties will include researching and writing, in collaboration with others, documentary and narrative histories on the experience of Latter-day Saint women.

Qualifications

PhD (or doctoral candidate) in history, religious studies, or related discipline, with demonstrated competence in women?s history. Excellent writing skills and the ability to work in an academic environment that requires personal initiative and collaborative competence. Professional and personal integrity required to maintain the trust and confidence of professional colleagues, department supervisors, and archivists working in other public and private repositories. Must be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, currently temple worthy.

Please send letter of application, vita, writing sample, and three letters of recommendation to Women?s History Search, c/o Viola Knecht, Church History Library, 15 E. North Temple St., Salt Lake City, UT 84150-1600. Applicants must also complete on-line application found at www.ldschurch.jobs, posting 61660. Applications due by May 20.


Of Stars, Symbolic Language, Cultural Context, and Intellectual Influence

By April 11, 2011


Every once and a while I?ll read a book or article that in no way deals with Mormon history but still either sheds light on Mormonism?s cultural surroundings or demonstrates a methodological approach that may be useful for Mormon studies. (For instance, an example of the former is here, and an example of the latter is here.) In Eran Shaley?s ??A Republic Amidst the Stars?: Political Astronomy and the Intellectual Origins of the Stars and Stripes,? published in the most recent issue of Journal of the Early Republic, I found an example of both.[1]

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Call for Applicants: Research Cool Stuff with Cool People at the Church History Library

By April 1, 2011


Publications Internship-Church History Department

The Church History Department announces an opening for an internship during summer 2011 in the Publications Division. This will be a full time temporary position beginning in May.

Duties will involve research in nineteenth-century Latter-day Saint history and assisting the director of publications.

Qualifications:
Bachelor?s degree in history, religious studies, or related discipline, with preference given to master?s or doctoral students. In addition, the candidate should possess excellent writing and research skills as well as the ability to work in an academic environment that requires personal initiative and collaborative competence. Please attach your vita and a writing sample with your application.

To apply:
Click on this link, go to ?browse jobs,? sign in with your LDS Account number, and fill out the on-line application.


Where Heaven Meets Earth; Or, the Importance of the Joseph Smith Papers

By March 27, 2011


[This past Wednesday, March 23, I was privileged to take part in a bloggernacle event with the Joseph Smith Papers folk via internet in honor of the release of the third volume overall and second volume in the Revelations and Translations Series. General information on the volume can be found here. Since many participants of the event have already outlined both the happenings of the meeting and the contents of the book, this post gives a general reflection of the project that I came away with after listening, once again, to the volume editors explain the purpose and mission of the project.]

Sixty-five thousand. That?s how many copies of Joseph Smith Papers: Journals, Volume 1 is currently in circulation. Most scholarly papers editions?typically limited to presidents, founding fathers, or other iconic figures?are fortunate to reach four digits, and a vast majority of those are purchased by libraries and research institutions. When the most recent edition of the Thomas Jefferson Papers: Retirement Series rolled off the press several months ago, there was no press conference, no advertisement campaign, not even a ?based on your previous purchases, you may be interested in?? email from Amazon. Papers project volumes aren?t generally on even a bibliophile?s wish list. But copies of the Joseph Smith Papers are purchased en masse. They are showcased in the front shelves of Deseret Book, offered for impressive discounts on Amazon and Barnes & Noble (even if the discounts rarely hold), and are displayed prominently in numerous Mormon households. And thus, when a new volume was released last week, the great folks at the LDS Church History Library hold a blogger event. Naturally.

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Essential Documentary Sources in LDS History

By March 10, 2011


Continuing a series of posts over the last month or so, this thread aims to give a broad list of important documentary sources in Mormon history. By “thread,” I mean that I mostly want this to be more of a discussion with most suggestions coming from readers as opposed to me presenting my own canonical list.

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Conference Schedule: War and Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives

By February 28, 2011


?War and Peace in Our Time: Mormon Perspectives?
Claremont Graduate University
March 18-19, 2011

Under the sponsorship of
The LDS Council on Mormon Studies
and the
Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies
at the University of Notre Dame

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Not that we’re a “Big Blog” or anything…

By February 27, 2011


…but vote for us anyway: Niblets Awards for 2010. Meaning, even though the judges aren’t separating the “best blog” voting into “big blogs” and “group blogs” (we either won or tied the latter category for the last three years, I believe), Juvenile Instructor is still deserving of some votes.

Also, several JI permas are up for “best blogger,” so vote for them as well!


Essential Articles in Mormon History

By February 3, 2011


As I worked on a hypothetical comps list for Mormon history, it quickly became apparent that there have been a large number of important articles over the decades—a point that was made even more vivid in the responses. This post aims to outline the most important, best written, required-for-a-legitimate-overview-of-Mormonism articles over the past half century.

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