Sarah M.S. Pearsall’s argument in Polygamy: An Early American History is succinct: Polygamy “is a form of marriage and therefore, like monogamy, a matter of public concern structuring societies, cultures, and lineages” (7). She repeatedly, and helpfully, drives this home as she documents and analyzes arguments for and against plural marriage/polygyny/polygamy over three centuries, from early Spanish colonization in New Spain, New France, King Phillip’s War, and among the enslaved in eighteenth-century British colonies before moving on toward the Latter-day Saint practice of plural marriage in antebellum America. She proves, beyond all reasonable doubt, that, “Contrary to popular opinion, American polygamy did not start with the Mormons” (1).
The Book of Mormon Studies Association (BoMSA) is pleased
to announce its fourth annual meeting, to be held October 9–10, 2020, 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 keynote speakers will be John Durham
Peters (Yale University) and Nancy Bentley (University of Pennsylvania). We
will also hold a special plenary session on the Maxwell Institute’s Brief
Theological Introductions to the Book of Mormon series in conjunction with
its full release in 2020.
We therefore invite the submission of papers and
proposals for inclusion in the 2020 conference program. Note that newcomers to
the organization are required to submit a full paper for consideration, while
those who have presented at any of the previous conferences are free to submit
a proposal or a paper. Papers submitted should be no longer than 4000 words,
while proposals should be between 500 and 750 words.
The submission deadline is June 1, 2020. All submissions
should be sent to bookofmormonsa@gmail.com. Be sure to include “Conference
Submission” in the subject line of the submission email.
We particularly encourage the participation of graduate
students. To that end, BoMSA will continue to host a special lunch for graduate
students in attendance, free of charge, in the hopes of creating networking
opportunities.
Hotel space for the conference has already been secured
at a reduced rate at the USU Campus Inn. Once acceptance letters have been sent
out in June, rooms can be booked online through the “Conference” page at
www.bomsa.org.
KEYNOTES: John
Durham Peters (Yale University) + Nancy Bentley (University of Pennsylvania)
DATE: October 9–10,
2020
LOCATION: Utah
State University, Inn and Conference Center
As millions of us throughout the world move into voluntary isolation to avoid spreading COVID-19 I thought it would be nice to recommend a few podcast episodes to download to pass the time. Please add your own in the comments!
An excerpt from an interview with our own Benjamin Park, Assistant Professor of History at Sam Houston State University, whose book on politics and polygamy in Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo is soon to be published with Liveright/Norton. Park received his PhD in History from Cambridge University in 2014. He is also co-editor of the Mormon Studies Review. For the full interview, head over to Kurt Manwaring’s site, From the Desk.
What surprised you during your research for Kingdom of Nauvoo?
68th Annual Utah State Historical Society Conference
THEME: RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITES
September 25, 2020
The Utah State Historical Society invites you to attend its 68th annual conference on September 25, 2020.
In 1920, with the passage of the nineteenth amendment, women throughout the United States won the right to vote. In recognition of that event, the 2020 conference will focus on the question of rights and responsibilityin Utah history. Those who have sought legal, political, and social equality have often had to disentangle ideologies, legal doctrines, and established opinion. The push for women’s suffrage is a prime example of this process.
Other topics to be addressed may include women’s rights, Native voting rights, religious and secular liberty, disability rights, LGBTQ rights, questions of family law, desegregation, free speech, property rights, equal access to education, conscientious objection, and protection of labor. The conference promises to present other interpretations of rights and responsibility, as they pertain to Utah history, to encourage a broad understanding of the topic.
Nestled in the
charming hills of northeastern Ohio, this “House of the Lord” stands
as a vivid reminder that Kirtland was once home to some of the 19th century’s
most successful community builders. Inspired by the beliefs and practices of
the earliest Christians, followers of Joseph Smith Jr. gathered in Kirtland and
built their first temple between 1833 and 1836. The Kirtland Temple stood at
the center of community life for more than 2,000 believers by 1838. Within a
year, all but 100 were gone. The Kirtland Temple is a National Historic
Landmark.
Consider an internship at Kirtland Temple, for a rewarding
and fun experience where you will:
The Joseph Smith
Historic Site preserves the properties and memories of Joseph Smith Jr.,
founder of the Latter Day Saint movement, his father, Joseph Smith Sr., and
son, Joseph Smith III. The site houses many original structures from the 1840s,
as well as the Smith Family Cemetery, final resting place of Joseph and Emma
Smith, Hyrum Smith, Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack Smith, and numerous other family
members and friends. The Joseph Smith Historic Site is part of the Nauvoo
National Historic Landmark District.
Consider an
internship in Nauvoo, Illinois, at the Joseph Smith Historic Site, for a
rewarding and fun experience where you will:
The Mormon History Association (MHA) is accepting submissions for a poster session, to be held in the Riverside Convention Center Exhibit Hall during the 55th annual conference in Rochester/Palmyra, New York, June 4-7, 2020. We welcome proposals that address the conference theme, “Visions, Restoration, and Movements,” but all proposals will receive equal consideration. Please visit https://mormonhistoryassociation.org/2020-conference 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 February 1, 2020. Notifications of acceptance or rejection will be sent March 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.
SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS
In a single PDF file, please include the following information for each presenter: -Name -Title/Position -Affiliation (if applicable) -Email -Phone Number -Bio (no more than 100 words) In the same PDF file, also include: -Poster Title -Poster Abstract: In no more than 200 words, describe the project that the poster will focus on and how you plan to present the project. Outline the research topic, themes, or questions, and the design and materials of your study. Explain and justify the proposed poster components (e.g. text, images, other graphics, tables etc.). Briefly anticipate the results or conclusion.
The Mormon Studies Initiative at the University of Utah is pleased to announce a call for applications for the Graduate Research Fellowship in Mormon Studies at the Tanner Humanities Center for the 2020-2021 academic year. Applications are due 2 March 2020. Application material can be found at this link: https://history.utah.edu/undergraduate/mormon-studies-fellowship.php#uu-top-target
The first of its kind in the nation, the Tanner Humanities Center’s Mormon Studies fellowship provides a doctoral student funds to spend a year researching the history, beliefs, and culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members, or any religious group that traces its roots to Joseph Smith Jr. This fellowship is open to all dissertation level students of the Mormon Experience from any university in the United States or from around the world. Areas of focus include, but are not limited to: Theology, History, Sociology, Economics, Literature, Philosophy, and Political Science.
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.”