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Announcements and Events

Part-Time Work in SLC: Benchmark Books

By January 31, 2018


Benchmark Books is looking to fill a position that includes bookkeeping, packaging and shipping orders and general customer service. If you?d like to be part of a bookstore that just finished it?s thirtieth year in business and are familiar with LDS books and culture then please contact Chris Bench (info@benchmarkbooks.com) and please pass this on to friends that might be interested.


State-of-the-Field and Publication Workshop: Mormon Studies

By January 29, 2018


Last year, Kris W. and I hosted a Mormon Studies Publication Workshop at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis.

The workshop helped to create a sense of community among young scholars from a variety of places and disciplines while providing helpful feedback for developing projects. We were especially glad to receive so many excellent submissions on race, gender, and sexuality and were grateful to the Danforth Center for hosting scholars from California to Massachussetts. You can read more about the meeting here.

This year we will host another workshop on June 6, 2018 as a pre-conference option at the Mormon History Association conference in Boise, Idaho. The workshop, “Beyond the New Mormon History: Trends and Methodologies,” will be held Thursday, June 6 from 9 AM-5 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 that is interested in Mormon Studies in any discipline may apply to participate in the workshop. Women and less represented groups are especially encouraged to apply and will receive preference in the selection process. The paper you propose to present must touch on Mormonism in some way (comparative studies are welcomed). Participants should be physically present in Boise to participate in the workshop.

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Call for Papers: 2018 JSP Conference on Translation

By January 24, 2018


From our Friends at the Joseph Smith Papers:

In 2018, the Joseph Smith Papers Project will release volume four of the Revelations and Translations Series, consisting of Book of Abraham manuscripts and related documents. To celebrate the publication of this volume, the project is sponsoring a conference on the topic of translation and Latter-day Saint history on October 26, 2018, at the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. We invite proposals for scholarly papers related to Joseph Smith and translation for this conference. Papers could cover subjects such as the concept of translation in the nineteenth century, Latter-day Saint or nineteenth-century understandings of ancient languages, the production of Latter-day Saint scripture or biblical translation/revision. We encourage papers that utilize the Revelations and Translations series of the Joseph Smith Papers to illuminate the ministry and work of Joseph Smith, how Joseph Smith and other Saints understood the gift of translation, and the methods behind specific translation projects.

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The Marlin K. Jensen Mormon Studies Scholar and Artist in Residence Program at the Tanner Humanities Center

By January 23, 2018


The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah is proud to offer its annual fellowship in the name of Marlin K. Jensen.  Our Marlin K. Jensen Scholar and Artist in Residence Program hosts prominent scholars with expertise in Mormon Studies or renowned artists who explore the relationship between faith and art in their work.

Marlin Keith Jensen was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), serving as the official Church Historian and Recorder from 2005 to 2012. During his tenure, Jensen built bridges between the Mormon Church and the academy and worked to give the Church’s History Department international range, make its holdings more accessible to researchers, and publish primary materials.  Jensen was made an emeritus general authority in 2012.

The fellowship is flexible in terms of time commitment and tasks.  Applicants are asked to submit a clear plan for their time as fellow, up to a semester in length, which broadens our campus and community’s understanding of Mormonism, its people, and institutions.  Academic as well as independent scholars are encouraged to apply.

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Graduate Fellowship in Mormon Studies at the Tanner Humanities Center, University of Utah

By January 23, 2018


The Tanner Humanities Center will award a graduate fellowship in Mormon Studies for the 2018-19 academic year. The fellowship encourages, in all facets, the scholarly explorations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its people, values, history, culture, and institutions.  This fellowship is designed to enable doctoral students of unusual ability and achievement to engaging 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 2018).

Fellows will receive a stipend of $20,000 and a private office with computer and telephone in the Center. Fellows may retain other forms of internal and external support that do not interfere with their dissertation work.

Applications may be found at https://thc.utah.edu/fellowships/mormon-studies.php.  The deadline for all materials is March 1, 2018.  Please send applications and letters of recommendation to Beth James, Associate Director, at beth.james@utah.edu.

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Heaven & Earth: Mormonism and the Challenges of Science, Revelation and Faith (Conference at UVU February 22nd-23rd, 2018)

By January 21, 2018


The conference is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Brian Birch at brian.birch@uvu.edu or Boyd Petersen at boyd.petersen@uvu.edu 

The relationship between science and religion has been among the most fiercely debated issues since the Copernican revolution displaced traditional wisdom regarding the nature of the cosmos. Some have argued  for a sharp division of labor while others have sought to harmonize spiritual and empirical truths. From its beginnings, Mormonism has wrestled with the implications of modern science and has produced a variety of  theological responses. This conference will explore the landscape of Mormon thought as it relates to the relationships between science, theology, scriptural narratives, and LDS authoritative discourse. It will also examine abiding questions of faith, reason, and doubt and the reactions against the intellectualizing forces that bear on the truth claims of Mormonism.

Thursday, February 22 UVU Classroom Building (CB-511)

1:00-2:15 Eugene England Memorial Lecture

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“In My Father’s House Are Many Mansions”: Black Mormon Pioneer Experiences An Evening with Amy Tanner Thiriot

By January 17, 2018


From the LDS Church Museum’s website:

The first black members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were a vital part of the early history of the Church. They served missions and shared the gospel. As the Church moved west, they helped build Nauvoo and Winter Quarters and drove wagons across the plains to the Salt Lake Valley. Once in the valley, they helped rescue the stranded Willie and Martin handcart companies, built roads and communities, and raised families in the Mormon settlements of the West.

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The New LDS First Presidency: Historical Notes and Contexts

By January 16, 2018


Thanks to Brother X for this post!

As expected, Russell M. Nelson was set apart as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His counselors are Dallin H. Oaks and Henry B. Eyring were selected as First and Second Counselors, respectively.

I am a historian. I do not predict the future. Latter-day Saints view every calling as from the Mouth of God. I do not disparage that. As an active LDS I believe in that. I am merely pointing out lines of thought. So please no comments about this being political.

With that in mind, there are some interesting things to think about with this new First Presidency:

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Succession in the LDS Presidency: Past and Present

By January 3, 2018


President Thomas S. Monson, sixteenth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, passed away last night surrounded by family in his Salt Lake City home from effects related to aging. We share our sympathy and support for his family and all those affected by his death, notably sixteen million or so Latter-day Saints.

There will be time for historical retrospectives at a later date. At this time, I thought it would be helpful to review how an LDS Church President is called and sustained by the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. This section is taken from the Mormon newsroom, I would encourage you to read the rest here. At the bottom of this post, I’ll share some helpful links on the historical development of succession in the LDS Church.

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Happy New Year! Here Are a Few Things We Are Going to do This Year

By January 1, 2018


Happy New Year from all of us at Juvenile Instructor! We enjoyed bringing you historical argument, book reviews, announcements, and our summer book club in 2017. We have several more exciting plans for 2018.

  • New authors with historiographical expertise in areas we have neglected
  • Roundtables on new books in Mormon history (including J. Stapley’s and Colleen McDannell’s new books)
  • A series of posts on beginning to write a dissertation
  • A series of posts on turning dissertations into books
  • Q&As with scholars that teach Mormon history, from that that identify as Mormon historians and those that do not
  • A March Madness-style bracket on the best articles in Mormon history

Be sure to follow us on social media or via email for updates! Following us on social media helps other to find us and helps us spread the word of news and notes from the world of Mormon history.

LINK TO SIGN UP FOR EMAIL NOTIFICATIONS OF POSTS

FACEBOOK

TWITTER

SUMMER BOOK CLUB

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