CFP: GLOBAL MORMON STUDIES 2023 CONFERENCE, ONLINE ONLY

“This prison . . . . of a crooked, broken, scattered, and imperfect language”

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Forthcoming Books in Mormon History/Studies 2023

Start saving your pennies now; this promises to be a banner year!

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2022 in Review: Article and Book Highlights

This is my third year(!) doing this recap and I decided to limit listing five for each category. There are many more worthy of consideration. This list is reflective of my own interests and I want folks to add more publications in the comments.

Also, I’ll tell you who I think is going to win MHA awards if you Venmo me enough an Austin SLAB (IYKYK). Topics and works are in alphabetical order and are not an indication of rank.

Global Mormonism

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Review: *Restorations: Scholars in Dialogue from Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints* (BYU Religious Studies Center, 2022)

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.

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Launch Event: Eliza R. Snow and Emmeline B. Wells Papers

Links to:

Eliza R. Snow Papers
Emmeline B. Wells Papers

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 Years and At the Pulpit: Key Documents in Latter-day Saint Women’s History as collections in these “journals of discourse.”

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Zoom Event: Imperial Zions, with Amanda Hendrix-Komoto (November 7, 2022)

Juvenile Instructor is pleased to host an author event with Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, who will discuss her book Imperial Zions: Religion, Race, and Family in the American West and the Pacific (University of Nebraska Press, 2022). Cristina Rosetti will be the moderator.

The event will take place at 7:30 PM MDT on November 7, 2022.

Make plans to attend! You can register for the event HERE.

Virtual Event: Dialogue Night: Women in Global Church History

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. 

REGISTER HERE

Postdoctoral Positions: John C. Danforth Center

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.

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CFP: Voices of Latter-day Saint Women in the Pacific and Asia (due November 1, 2022)

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.

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Job: Editor for The Journal of Mormon History

The Mormon History Association is conducting a search for the editor of the Journal of Mormon History. The editor of the journal determines the content, solicits submissions, oversees peer review, works with submitting authors in performing substantive and stylistic content editing, and coordinates with a JMH production staff and the University of Illinois Press to ensure that quarterly issues of the journal are published according to deadline and within budget. The editor has full editorial control of the journal but reports to the MHA Board of Directors in maintaining a high-quality product that serves as the flagship publication for the organization. The Mormon History Association is particularly interested in mid-career and senior scholars with experience in the history of the Mormon tradition but will consider submissions by all qualified applicants. 

The person chosen to be the editor will be appointed to a part-time four-year term beginning in December 2022, renewable at the discretion of the MHA Board of Directors. They will serve as co-editor until August 2023, when Jessie L. Embry will complete her term.  

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