The 58th Annual Conference of the Mormon History Association will be June 8-11, 2023, in Rochester, New York. The 2023 conference theme, “Beginnings” intends to evoke the many beginnings in Mormon history. Those beginnings include Joseph Smith’s first vision and the establishment of the Church of Christ in upstate New York, but also the many other firsts throughout the faith’s subsequent history. As this American religious tradition has grown from a fledgling church to a global movement with multiple expressions, it has attracted followers and critics, nurtured disciples and dissenters, and generated gatherings and schisms. It has, in many respects, begun over and over again.
Change is a key tenet of Mormonism, from its birth in the fires of the revivals of the early nineteenth century to its introduction of new teachings, policies, and organizations as it expanded its reach and extended its influence. Individually and institutionally, the faith and its practitioners have wrestled with the shifting theological, social, and political issues of American and global history, navigating and adapting in response to slavery and abolition, political opposition toward religious practices, the struggle for women’s rights, the emergence of the United States as a global military and political force, and, more recently, the fight for LGBTQ+ rights and growing political polarization around the world.
In 2003, John Krakauer’s Under the Banner of Heaven hit bookshelves and became an overnight sensation. The story is a is the true-crime bestseller about two men who made headlines after a double murder shook a suburban Utah town. The men, Dan and Ron Lafferty, were raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but joined the School of the Prophets, a small Mormon fundamentalist group that understood themselves to be the most authentic remnant of the nineteenth-century faith.
Since its publication, the discussion around Banner never stopped. It consistently ranks among the five best-selling books on Mormonism on Amazon. It’s often the first book that non-Mormons will turn to in order to understand their Mormon (usually Latter-day Saint) neighbors). While it’s foolhardy to judge an entire population by a single book, much less one written nearly twenty years ago, it doesn’t stop well-meaning people from recommending it as an authoritative text on Mormonism or Mormon history.
The Utah State Historical Society and Utah Division of State History invite proposals for papers, sessions, panels, or multi-media presentations for the 70th annual history conference this fall. Scholars, researchers, educators, students, and members of the public are encouraged to submit proposals that explore the connection of water to our collective past and future.
Date: Wednesday, October 26, 2022
Location: Provo Marriott Hotel and Convention Center, 101 West 100 North, Provo, Utah
The Book of Mormon Studies Association (BoMSA) is pleased to announce its sixth annual meeting, to be held in person on October 6–8, 2022, at Utah State University. The event is sponsored by USU’s Department of Religious Studies and with thanks to Patrick Mason, the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture.
This annual event gathers a variety of scholars invested in serious academic study of the Book of Mormon. It has no particular theme but instead invites papers on any subject related to the Book of Mormon from any viable academic angle. This year’s two plenary guests will be Ann Taves (University of California Santa Barbara) and David Holland (Harvard Divinity School).
On Thursday, June 2, 2022, the Fifth Annual Mormon Studies Publication Workshop will be held at Utah State University. You can read more about the 2017 meeting at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis here.
The workshop helped create a sense of community among young scholars from various institutions and disciplines while providing helpful feedback for developing projects. Workshopped papers from the past three years have become parts of books published by (or under contract with) Oxford University Press, University of Nebraska Press, and Routledge University Press; the Journal of Religion, the Journal of Mormon History, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, completed dissertations, and other distinguished venues.
The workshop, “Frames: Scholarly Writing and Personal Introductions,” will be held Thursday, June 2 from 10:00 AM AM-3:30 PM. There will be no cost for the workshop beyond punctual arrival and rigorous intellectual engagement.
ELIGIBILITY TO APPLY
In a change from past years, anyone interested in Mormon Studies in any discipline may apply to participate in the workshop. Women, people of color, independent scholars, and other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Participants should be physically present in Logan, UT, to participate in the workshop.
To apply, please send the following application materials to joseph dot stuart at Utah dot edu and klwright at Princeton dot edu:
Name and Email
CV
A 100-150-word description of what your scholarly/academic work on Mormonism entails
Confirmation that you will be in Logan, UT
Anyone that does not submit each part of the application will not be considered for participation.
THE WORKSHOP:
This year, we will discuss the work and art of writing sharp introductions to scholarly work and framing one’s scholarship on Mormonism within larger academic fields. We will then examine introductions to scholarly articles and books to discuss what we might away from their examples and how to improve our own work.
After our morning discussion and the provided lunch, we will how to frame one’s scholarship in an elevator pitch and discuss the state of the field. There will be no peer review of writing this year.
Applications are due on April 20, 2022, and acceptance or rejection notices will be sent out by April 27, 2022. Please help us spread the word by social media and word-of-mouth!
The Book of Mormon was vital to early Latter-day Saint religious life.[1] It also functioned as a sign to early converts that Joseph Smith was a prophet.[2] It fed the day-to-day lives of Saints who read its words, naved their children Lachonius, and borrowed bits and phrases from its passages in letters and sermons, but also served as proof to outsiders that Mormonism was true.
The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis invites applications for one or more open rank, tenure track positions in American religion and politics. The search committee welcomes applications from scholars from a variety of fields and disciplines including, but not limited to, African and African-American Studies; Anthropology, Asian American Studies; Hispanic Studies; History; Islamic Studies; Jewish Studies; Law; Literature; Philosophy; Political Science; Religious Studies; Security Studies; Sociology; Theology; and Women/Gender/Sexuality Studies.
To apply, send a letter of application, along with a curriculum vitae, through Interfolio HERE. A list of three references should also be submitted, along with a scholarly writing sample. Nominations may be sent to the same address. The search committee will begin reviewing applications as early as March 15, 2022, and will continue doing so until the search is complete. For more information, see http://rap.wustl.edu/.
The Tanner Humanities Center will award a graduate fellowship in Mormon Studies for the 2022-2023 academic year. The fellowship encourages, in all facets, the scholarly explorations of any religious tradition which traces its roots to Joseph Smith Jr., its people, values, history, culture, and institutions. This fellowship is designed to enable doctoral students of unusual ability and achievement to engage in research and writing full time. Projects should focus on topics related to the history and/or culture of Mormonism. Eligible disciplines include: Communication, English, History, Languages, Law, Philosophy, and Political Science, among others.
Graduate students will have successfully passed their Ph.D. or qualifying exams, and completed all course work by the beginning of the fellowship period (August 2022).
Required Degree: MLS from an ALA-accredited institution.
Experience:
In-depth knowledge of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other aspects of the Latter-day Saint movement, and the history of Utah and the West (preferred: graduate degree in history)
Reading knowledge of multiple languages preferred
Knowledge and skills in applying cataloging and classification standards
Knowledge of special collections librarianship
Duties/Expectations:
Performs cataloging and catalog maintenance in both the local integrated system and OCLC. Creates and enhances OCLC master records as necessary and contributes original cataloging directly to OCLC.
Performs descriptive cataloging (according to the cataloging standard Resource Description and Access [RDA]), subject/genre cataloging, and classification of materials in all formats for the Americana and Mormon collections in the HBLL.
Publishes significant and original contributions relevant to the library profession and/or the world of academic scholarship in Mormonism and Western history.
Contributes subject authority work as needed through the SACO program.
Information required at the time of application – Please list the individual contact information for each of your three recommenders on the faculty application. At some point during the selection process they may be contacted to submit their letters of reference electronically
Document(s) required at the time of application – Please attach your updated Curriculum Vitae and cover letter to the faculty application.
Brigham Young University is an equal opportunity employer. All faculty are required to abide by the university’s honor code and dress and grooming standards. Preference is given to qualified candidates who are members in good standing of the affiliated church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “The burden of proof is on the claim of there BEING Nephites. From a scholarly point of view, the burden of proof is on the…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “But that's not what I was saying about the nature of evidence of an unknown civilization. I am talking about linguistics, not ruins. …”
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “Large civilizations leave behind evidence of their existence. For instance, I just read that scholars estimate the kingdom of Judah to have been around 110,000…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “I have always understood the key to issues with Nephite archeology to be language. Besides the fact that there is vastly more to Mesoamerican…”
Steven Borup on In Memoriam: James B.: “Bro Allen was the lead coordinator in 1980 for the BYU Washington, DC Seminar and added valuable insights into American history as we also toured…”
David G. on In Memoriam: James B.: “Jim was a legend who impacted so many through his scholarship and kind mentoring. He'll be missed.”
Recent Comments
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “The burden of proof is on the claim of there BEING Nephites. From a scholarly point of view, the burden of proof is on the…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “But that's not what I was saying about the nature of evidence of an unknown civilization. I am talking about linguistics, not ruins. …”
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “Large civilizations leave behind evidence of their existence. For instance, I just read that scholars estimate the kingdom of Judah to have been around 110,000…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “I have always understood the key to issues with Nephite archeology to be language. Besides the fact that there is vastly more to Mesoamerican…”
Steven Borup on In Memoriam: James B.: “Bro Allen was the lead coordinator in 1980 for the BYU Washington, DC Seminar and added valuable insights into American history as we also toured…”
David G. on In Memoriam: James B.: “Jim was a legend who impacted so many through his scholarship and kind mentoring. He'll be missed.”