Magen Edvalson is an independent historian associated with the Oral History Project for the Community of Christ. She holds a masters degree in Folklore from Utah State University and a BFA in Theatre from the University of Utah. Her research interests include comparative folklore within the Restoration, theatre as performative ritual, and apotheosis in folklore. She currently resides in Oregon with her spouse. Thanks for reviewing, Magen!
The 1960s and 70s for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Community of Christ) might best be summed up as a time of historical excitement. This era brought about a fervor amongst academics from both camps as they recognized the value of self-reflection through historical and sociological lenses. This would have a profound impact on theology and structure, further dividing them, but it would also bring them closer together. The Mormon History Association was founded in 1965 primarily by LDS scholars, while the John Whitmer Historical Association was founded in 1972 by RLDS scholars. Both of these institutions have employed the talents of academics from across the Restoration as much as possible, initiating a decades-long conversation between their parent churches that continues to bear fruit.
On Thursday, October 27, 2022, the Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints launched the websites for the Eliza R. Snow and Emmeline B. Wells Papers. Either of these projects would be newsworthy; the two of them together promise to launch many new projects in Latter-day Saint women’s history.
Some context for the project: beginning decades ago, historians like Cherry B. Silver, Sheree Bench, Jill Mulvey Derr, Carol Cornwall Madsen, and others transcribed and annotated documents. Then, roughly a decade ago, the historian Jill Derr suggested the creation of “a female Journal of Discourses” for Latter-day Saints to access women’s words and witness. These Papers Projects join Relief Society: The First Fifty Yearsand At the Pulpit: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History as collections in these “journals of discourse.”
Women have always played an essential role in the Church’s development and continuance, and our historical understanding of the extent of that role has continued to evolve. While much of the discourse focuses on the move to Zion and the institutional Church in Utah, women were following Christ’s restored doctrines in Europe and the rest of the world. Come learn from three experts who can share how women’s experiences and roles in the Church differed in European and American contexts, and see how leadership and engagement can be found in every scenario.
Postdoctoral Research Associates in Religion and Politics
The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics seeks applications from junior scholars and recent Ph.D. graduates for up to four postdoctoral fellowships in residence at Washington University in St. Louis. The appointment is for one year, renewable for a second year. Eligible applicants must complete the Ph.D. by July 1, 2023, and are expected to have completed it no earlier than January 1, 2018. In exceptional cases a qualified applicant who completed the Ph.D. prior to 2018 or who hold a J.D. without a Ph.D. may be considered. Research associates will spend most of their time pursuing research and writing for their own projects. They will also serve the intellectual life of the Danforth Center on Religion and Politics through participation in its biweekly interdisciplinary seminar and events hosted by the Center. Their teaching responsibilities will include: 1) developing one course per year to complement and contribute to the Center’s curricular offerings, and 2) possibly assisting in one additional course each year (depending on the particular teaching needs of the Center). Washington University in St. Louis is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer and especially encourages members of underrepresented groups to apply.
2023 Church History in the Pacific & Asia Conference “Voices of Latter-day Saint Women in the Pacific and Asia” (…formerly the Mormon Pacific Historical Society Conference) Call for Proposals:
The Department of Religious Education and The Faculty of Culture, Language & Performing Arts at Brigham Young University-Hawaii announce the 2023 Church History in the Pacific & Asia Conference. The Conference will be held March 3–4, 2023 on the BYU-Hawaii Campus in Laie, Hawaii. This year’s conference will specifically consider stories, achievements and voices of women who have shaped, refined and helped realize the Latter-day Saint experience in the Pacific and Asia.
We invite scholars and rigorous studiers of Church History to submit proposals specifically addressing the theme of “Voices of Latter-day Saint Women in the Pacific and Asia.” Proposals should consist of a brief abstract (no more than 500 words) and a current CV or description of your experience. Proposals may be sent to eric.marlowe@byuh.edu. Deadline for the submission of proposals is November 1, 2022. Notification of acceptance will be given by November 15, 2022. Following the conference, selected papers will be considered for publication by the Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian & Pacific Studies at BYU-Hawaii. Please address any questions to Eric Marlowe eric.marlowe[ at] byuh.edu, 808-675-3643.
Display of Book of Mormon Original Manuscript – 1:30 pm Panel presentation: “Complexities of Conservation, Imaging, and Piecing together the Fragments of the Original Manuscript of the BoM for the Joseph Smith Papers,” by Emiline Twitchell, Tyler Thorsted, and Robin Jensen Church History Library, Salt Lake City
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Join the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for a virtual career day event and explore exciting career opportunities with the Church History Department.
Do you have a passion for Church history? Are you a history student who wants to work in your field? Join us for a virtual career day info session, interact with current employees from the Church History Department, and learn about potential career paths and upcoming internships.
The Faith and Knowledge Conference was established in 2007 to bring together Mormon graduate students (a member of any Restoration church) in religious studies and related disciplines in order to explore the interactions between religious faith and scholarship. During the past seven conferences, students have shared their experiences in the church and the academy and the new ideas that have emerged as a result. These papers and conversations provided thought-provoking historical, exegetical, and theoretical insights and compelling models of how to reconcile one’s discipleship with scholarly discipline.
I haven’t read a book as historiographically disruptive to Mormon Studies as K. Mohrman’s Exceptionally Queer: Mormon Peculiarity and U.S. Nationalism. Covering 1830 to the present, it covers a much longer period than most monographs on Mormonism. In addition to a longer framing, Mohrman employs queer feminist theory, queer of color critique, critical ethnic studies, and other methodological tools to reveal what Mormonism’s “peculiarity” (or lack thereof) tells about what it means to be American. The book’s rich examination of Mormonism’s place in the United States and also for what Mormonism’s being defined as “peculiar” reveals about the biopolitics of American exceptionalism. In short, Mohrman argues that Mormonism is not exceptional, and in fact, shows what it means to be American across time in U.S. history.
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.”