Thanks to friend of JI Katherine Pollock for putting together this post!
The Folklore Society of Utah is holding a digital conference this weekend on Friday November 13, 1:00 PM MST (Pre-Conference Events) and Saturday November 14, 9:00am – 2:15pm MST. This Zoom Conference is open and free to the public! Register for updates and find the Pre-Conference Events, Conference Program and links to Zoom Sessions HERE.
Lisa Gabbert, Cristina Rosetti, Rachel Ross, Daisy Ahlstone, Andi Pitcher Davis, Danny B Stewart, and many others, will be speaking on their research into Utah folklore, Latter Day Saint folklore, the supernatural, literature and folklore, and more.
Keynote Address: Andrea Kitta Ph.D. (East Carolina University), “Covid-19: Why Folklore is More Important than Ever”
Alison Syring recently took over responsibilities for acquiring and editing titles in Mormon Studies at the University of Illinois Press! She was gracious enough to answer a few questions for JI. You can follower her on Twitter @AlisonSyring.
JI: What is forthcoming on Mormon Studies from UIP?
AS: Right now, because we are working on our Fall 2021 list, I am most excited about launching our series Introductions to Mormon Thought. The first books in this series are moving toward production and should be out around this time next year. I think this series is so exciting for a few reasons. Books in this series are about not only those traditionally considered Mormon intellectuals, but also those on the periphery. I think these books will be useful to those long interested in Mormonism and Mormon studies, but they could also potentially attract an audience of people who know little about Mormonism and who are interested generally in intellectuals and intellectual history. They may find themselves discovering or rediscovering people for whom they did not know Mormonism played an important role. For example, one of our first books is on Vardis Fisher, a novelist who grew up Mormon but left the faith after college. A contemporary of writers like William Faulkner, Fisher wrote Western literary novels that often had themes of faith. Though I focused on twentieth-century American literature in college, I had never heard of Fisher. Like myself, I think many non-Mormons don’t realize the degree to which Mormon intellectuals are involved in American life, and this series might help to reveal that with short biographies on writers, political thinkers, and other public intellectuals.
JI: Where do you see the future of Mormon Studies/History going in the next decade?
AS: I’m really excited specifically about where Mormon studies can go at Illinois. We have a long-standing commitment to this field, which has really been reinvigorated in the last few years. I am eager to continue this energy with books that are both a reflection of the exciting developments in the field and also complements to Illinois’s diverse publishing commitments. For example, we’ve had an interest in feminist Mormon studies, which matches a commitment to feminist studies more broadly. Similarly, I am interested in global Mormonism historically and contemporarily, and we continue to have interest in books with transnational scopes.
In terms of new areas of acquisition in Mormon studies, we have published a number of books on Mormon history, which I continue to be interested in, but we haven’t published as many that touch on contemporary Mormon issues. I would be very interested in Mormon studies books that explore the twentieth century or even engage the current moment. I’m also interested in projects that expand beyond history into related disciplines or methodologies, like anthropology and ethnography.
I also think there is an opportunity to expand into Mormon studies that might touch on some of my other areas of acquisition. I would be very interested in Mormon studies books that focus on a region, such as the Midwest or Appalachia. There is exciting work being done at the intersection of religion and digital humanities, and I would be excited to consider Mormon studies projects with DH elements. I also want to continue to support marginalized communities with my acquisitions work, which includes not only topics that may be marginalized, but also scholars who may be marginalized. I think sometimes the most exciting work is being done in areas that we don’t even see, and I’m excited to hear from and support scholars doing that work.
JI: What advice do you have for someone publishing their first Mormon Studies book?
AS: I think I would give the same advice to someone publishing their first book in any discipline: this is really your first big step into academia in your own right. There are potentially hundreds of considerations to make when you are thinking about publishing a book, but consider what is most important to you. Friends, colleagues, and mentors can share their experiences, but no matter what, yours will likely be different. What matters most to you? Maybe you are concerned with a press’s prestige in the field, or maybe you want to have control over the marketing strategy. You might be most concerned with finding an editor who can provide developmental support, or, on the other hand, you might want an editor who is more hands-off. Feel empowered to talk about your priorities with presses and their editors.
On a personal note, I hear a lot from scholars who are looking to publish their first book, but know nothing about the process. It’s been my experience that scholars don’t have a lot of support on navigating scholarly publishing beyond the anecdotal. I am always excited to talk to early career scholars who just want to know what publishing a book is like, either in a group setting or one-on-one. While I can’t necessarily speak for the entire industry, I am happy to talk about what publishing your first book at Illinois could look like. Scholarly publishers are often seen as “gatekeepers,” and so it is very important for me as an editor to make this process as transparent as possible from the first conversations I have with authors.
JI: How do you work through peer review for Mormon Studies? Do you send the book to two people in the field, or to one person in the field and one person in an adjacent historiography?
AS: Illinois is known for having a rigorous peer review process, and there are some standard practices for each project. For example, we always send a proposal or manuscript to at least two scholars for a first-round review. But at the same time, I like to see the peer review process as a collaboration between the scholar and myself. The press needs certain things from peer review, of course, but those priorities should not eclipse the scholar needing useful feedback on their work. If the project is interdisciplinary, I always want to find a pair of scholars who will bring a breadth of disciplinary knowledge to the project. Because Illinois publishes so many interdisciplinary books, and because most of the fields I specifically acquire in, while history based, are interdisciplinary, I think it’s a great strength of ours that we are able to reach across disciplines to find the right scholars to review each project.
I also tend to do more work with projects on the front end. I don’t want to send a project for outside review if I already know what a reviewer will say, especially if those critiques will be something I am well positioned to work on with an author, like the organization or the argumentative through-line. I want to create the smoothest process for authors, so I like to get as much done before peer review as possible, so that reviewers can focus on the disciplinary elements like sources and argument. I’ve found that this often provides the most useful reports for authors, and the smoothest process forward to—ideally!—contracting.
Sign up to listen to author Val Holley, Ken Cannon, Kathryn MacKay, Greg Prince, and Kate Kelley discuss Holley’s new book, Frank J. Cannon: Saint, Senator, Scoundrel!
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Search for the job HERE (Staff and Admin Jobs, JOB ID 93452)
Job Summary
The senior editor at BYU Studies is committed to publishing impeccable scholarship that is informed by the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. She or he has a creative vision for making the scholarship published in BYU Studies both more relevant to and more accessible to well educated but non-specialist readers. The successful applicant will assist the editor in chief and the editorial director in publishing. They will also possess the ability to manage growth initiatives designed to exponentially increase awareness of BYU Studies content. The senior editor is capable and comfortable discussing scholarship in a variety of disciplines, managing student editors, editing journals, working with digital humanities, and implementing marketing principles. This position requires the candidate to work with students, staff, editorial board members, scholars, contractors, printers, and the media.
Spencer W. McBride, Jeffrey D. Mahas, Brett D. Dowdle, and Tyson Reeder, eds., The Joseph Smith Papers, Documents Volume 11: September 1842-February 1843 (Salt Lake City: Church Historian’s Press, 2020).
John C. Bennett, con man, and political insider, and former Joseph Smith confidante, left the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in July 1842. His departure catalyzed a series of changes within Joseph Smith’s religious movement, particularly as the Latter-day Saint prophet and his followers scrambled to adjust to the curious media’s attention and their neighbor’s vitriol.
Those changes are transcribed, annotated, and verified in the 105 documents that comprise the eleventh volume of the Documents series of the Joseph Smith Papers, released in October 2020. These documents fall broadly into three categories. First, the extradition attempts led by Lilburn W. Boggs, related to an assassination attempt that took place on May 6, 1842. The Missouri governor believed that the Latter-day Saints bore responsibility, and, so his logic went, it must have happened on Joseph Smith’s orders. The Latter-day Saint leader won a court case that denied Missouri’s extradition attempt—Smith’s followers celebrated at parties and in song.[1]
Smith was also busy trying to put out the gossipy blaze that was John C. Bennett’s speaking tour. The former Nauvoo mayor and member of the LDS Church’s First Presidency had published several letters that shared scandalous details about Joseph Smith’s practice of plural marriage. As the JSPP editorial team writes, “Smith was, in fact, secretly practicing plural marriage in Nauvoo by this time.” Furthermore, “he had introduced the practice to a small circle of Latter-day Saint, but most church members were not aware of it.”[2] Bennett spun some yarns and “seemingly fabricated” several of his claims, but the truth was irrelevant to a hungry public’s appetite for salacious details about the Mormon prophet.[3]
Lest readers and historians forget, Joseph Smith was also a religious leader. Documents 11 shows how Smith directed his church, oversaw the temple’s construction, wrote editorials for the Church’s newspaper, and elaborated on his teachings regarding the practice of vicarious baptism for the dead. Of utmost importance is also remembering that Joseph Smith felt a deep-seeded duty to protect “his family and his fellow Latter-day Saints from persecution.” (JSPP Press Release).
Map of Nauvoo
The JSPP volume editors for D11 were gracious enough to meet with scholars and journalists to share a few personal reflections and highlights.
Spencer McBride began with a quote from Joseph Smith’s journal from a different JSPP volume to introduce what the Latter-day Saint prophet said about his leadership: that he did not expect perfection from his followers and they should not expect perfection from him. Infallibity was never on the table. Which, McBride reminds us, is important to keep in mind for both devotional members of the Church and scholars. I would add a paraphrased line from O Brother Where Art Thou: one’s ideals and one’s actions don’t always align.
Historian Spencer W. McBride explains how Latter-day Saints in Nauvoo used the still-unfinished Nauvoo temple for worship services in 1842 and 1843
Brett Dowdle introduced a letter from September 7, 1842 on baptisms for the dead. Like Dowdle, I was fascinated by the time that Smith took, while in isolation while evading Missouri’s authorities, to dictate such a long letter. Smith included an immense amount of detail, he said that “you may find this very particular,” but it’s because of his commitment to preserving a record that could be used by God at judgment. Historians everywhere may have different concerns, but I think I speak for us all when I say “thank you for insisting on careful recordkeeping!”
Brett Dowdle introduction records of baptism for the dead in Nauvoo
Jeffrey Mahas explained that Joseph Smith spent a lot of this time in hiding while negotiating his way out of Missouri’s arrest warrants, related to a murder attempt on Lilburn W. Boggs’ life. Mahas calls this likely the greatest legal victory of Joseph Smith’s life. When returning home from court, several Saints composed a song, including lines by Eliza R. Snow. MAHAS THEN SANG THE FIRST VERSE. Friends, this was a time never to be forgotten.
After a stirring rendition of the jubilee song, Mahas pointed out that the song praised Thomas Ford, who later becomes notorious in Mormon history. Eliza R. Snow’s wrote:
“Protection’s wreath again will bloom Reviv’d by Thomas Ford; Which under Carlin had become Like Jonah’s wither’d gourd…
Like Freedom’s true and genuine son, Oppression to destroy, His Excellency has begun To Govern Illinois…
His ‘Mormon’ subjects fondly trust, The citizens will share, A legislation wise and just, While he retains the Chair, While foul oppression’s &c.
The Jubillee Songs, Docs 11, 334.
On to the Q&A:
Dowdle noted that the September 7 letter was special because he doesn’t necessarily produce long letters or discourses like that document, but that he’s still operating with “space” to think. McBride noted that Smith’s life was busy at this time (per usual), but that he was still busy. The types of documents are unique in this period because he’s not preaching, but he’s able to produce a lot of documentation, including on things like currency. Mahas added that he is in hiding, but still near Nauvoo. Smith ends up moving thirty miles upriver from the City of Joseph, where he doesn’t have friends, family, or scribes to record his thoughts at this point (Smith preferred to dictate rather than write). A later account by someone who spent time with Joseph Smith at this time remembered a lot of boredom.
In response to a question about Bennett, McBride said that Joseph Smith was on the defensive, but that it’s essential to remember that many of Smith’s teachings are geared towards assuring converts moving to Nauvoo. Many are coming to Illinois expecting jobs and could be disappointed in what was available. Smith’s concern was with the Saints, though it would be oversimplifying to discount Bennett’s speaking tour against Mormonism.
A question came in about the consistency in annotation, style, etc. comes from frequent review, collaboration, and a consistent effort to have an authorial voice.
Our friends at BOMSA are holding their annual conference this week. Be sure to check out all the presentations, but we are particularly excited about the historical presentations (listed below):
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 9
10:15 PM-12:15 PM
Robin Jensen (JSPP), “A Preliminary Examination in to the Authenticity of the University of Chicago Leaves of the Original Book of Mormon Manuscript (Alma 3:5-4:2; 4:20-5:23)
Janiece Johnson (Neal A. Maxwell Institute), “Scripturalizing the Book: Book of Mormon Authority and the Material Record”
Christopher Jones (BYU), “A Necessary Book for Dark-Skinned People’: Reading the Book of Mormon with the First Missionaries to the Pacific”
Thanks to friend of JI Matthew Grow for reaching out to us regarding this announcement!Further information can be found at the Communcal Studies Association website.
Sessions will begin at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time and end at 6:00 p.m. Eastern. Each session will be 90 minutes in length, generally with three presenters speaking for 25 minutes with time for questions. Viewers will be able to query speakers in real time via the Q & A tab. There will be 15 minutes between sessions. Our business meeting, election and awards ceremony will occur on Friday evening.
Registration will be on our website at conference registration. Cost for registration will be just $50 for members, $60 for non-members and $10 for students and current communitarians. We hope this low price will encourage many to attend who might not otherwise be able to afford the transportation and lodging expense of an in-person conference. So please spread the word!
Kurt Manwaring has published an interview with Joseph Geisner, over on his site, From the Desk. Geisner has published in Sunstone, the John Whitmer Historical Journal, the Journal of Mormon History, and Irreantum. Joe is an avid book collector of the New Mormon History, and rare and collectible Mormon books. An excerpt from Manwaring’s site on Geisner’s new edited collection, Writing Mormon History: Historians and their Books is available here; click over to From the Desk to read the rest!
CCHSF Autumn Lecture Series: Community of Christ’s Global History
Community of Christ Historic Sites Foundation (CCHSF) is hosting online lectures every Thursday night at 7:00 pm (Central) from October 1 – November 19, 2020. Each week CCHSF will journey, through the pages of church history, to a new area of the world. The 8-week series will feature church history around the globe: Korea, India, England, Southeastern Nigeria, Canada, and the Holy Land.
The online lectures are free and open to the public with any donations received going to support the ongoing preservation and maintenance of Community of Christ historic sites.
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.”