Thanks to Christopher for answering a few questions about editing JMH! You can read the original post at the US Religion Substack.

What led you to apply to become the editor of The Journal of Mormon History?

• The Mormon History Association, which sponsors the Journal of Mormon History, has long been one of my scholarly homes. It served as my introduction to the historical field: as an undergraduate history major, I presented my first conference paper at MHA’s annual conference in 2007 and published one of my first peer-reviewed articles in the Journal (in 2011). Even as my own immediate research interests expanded during graduate school and my early professional career to include the broader history of religion in early America, I remained active in MHA, attending its conference each year, serving on its board, and co-chairing the program committee for the annual conference. Editing the Journal of Mormon History was an enticing possibility, allowing me to remain not only involved in the subfield, but also to shape its future, especially as it neared its 50^th anniversary of publication (the first issue of 2024 will mark that anniversary). As the field of Mormon Studies has grown in both size and disciplinary scope, I hope to maintain and grow JMH, reaffirming its place as the premiere scholarly outlet for Mormon history.

What topics are underrepresented in Mormon history that present opportunities to contribute to the field?

• As many readers of Religion in US History likely know, Mormon history is thriving as a field of historical inquiry, and has grown increasingly diverse in its range of topics and more sophisticated in its methodological approaches. Scholarship dealing with race, gender, sexuality, and the Mormon past has increased in both quantity and quality, but more still remains to be done. There is also much work to be done on the history of Mormonism internationally, ranging from studies of Latter-say Saint missions and missionaries to local expressions of Mormonism, and how those are shaped by the religious politics of the U.S./intermountain West and the regional cultures of locations around the globe. But I’m an intellectual pluralist here: as the RiAH’s “blogfather” Paul Harvey once quipped, “I’m pretty much interested in the history of everything.” Within the scope of the Journal of Mormon History, I am interested in all aspects of the Latter Day Saint past (including not only Latter-day Saints, but all individuals, institutions, practices, and ideas that trace their lineage to Joseph Smith and the movement(s) he began).  

What is the role of topic-and-tradition-specific history journals like JMH in the field(s) of American religious history?

• I would like to think there’s some synergy here. When I researched and wrote an article on the politics of race and religion in the first Mormon mission to Jamaica in 1853 in Religion & American Culture, I benefitted greatly from reading several excellent articles published in JMH on 19^th century Mormon missions, the history of Mormonism and race, and more. It was a better article because of that earlier research published in a topic-and-tradition specific journal like JMH. But our aim isn’t only to solicit and publish scholarship narrowly of interest to Mormon history scholars. I want to publish the very best research in the field of Mormon history, whether that comes from veterans in the field, newcomers who encounter in their research on something else some interesting aspect of the Mormon past, or independent scholars and lay historians who bring an unrivaled passion to their research. Forthcoming issues of the Journal thus include topics ranging from Mormonism and Christian nationalism to Lutherans and Mormon interactions in 1850s Denmark, and from early Mormon genealogical practices to why century Latter-day Saint church president Joseph Fielding Smith rejected the possibility of space flight and what it says about anti-modernism and religion in the mid-20^th century United States.

What are the benefits of publishing an article on Mormon history in a field-specific journal like the Journal of Mormon History rather than a journal with a wider topical frame? 

• The Journal of Mormon History has a wide and engaged readership. MHA has more than 2000 dues-paying members, and all of them receive each issue of the journal. It is also accessible on JSTOR and elsewhere, extending its reach beyond MHA’s membership. And we know, from anecdotal evidence and self studies, that people who subscribe to the journal read the journal. One of Mormon history’s greatest strengths has always been the interest and passion its participants have. That means people actively read Mormon history and take a (sometime intense) interest in new research in the field. So one benefit is a fairly wide readership. The second benefit is that we can promise authors a thorough review of their articles by experts in the particular topics of Mormon history they’ve written about. Some of those reviewers are experienced academics in Mormon Studies; others are independent scholars who know the archival material in various repositories better than just about anyone. This combination ensures submitted articles will be thoroughly vetted and, when accepted for publication, be better as a result of the review and editorial process.
  
  In addition, we pay many of those who publish in JMH. My editorial predecessors and friends Jessie Embry and Christopher Blythe introduced an initiative that offers a $500 honorarium “for all scholars publishing in the JMH for the first time, as well as for all those whose professions do not include a research component. This includes contingent faculty, community college faculty, students, and independent scholars.”
  
  Finally, we offer a mentorship program for graduate students and first-time authors, “in which JMH board members and other volunteer mentors offer to read papers and provide feedback preparatory to submitting an article for publication.”

How has working as an editor made you a better writer?

• This remains to be seen, I think. I’m still somewhat new on the job. But a senior colleague once counseled me that the best writers are often the busiest readers. And I think (and hope) that not only reading but editing others’ writing has made me a more thoughtful critic of my own. I see some habits and tendencies in submitted and accepted articles that I favor in my own writing. I also see aspects of others’ writing that I admire and seek to incorporate into my own.

Anything else you’d like to share?

• Yes. I’m excited to use this forum to announce the launch of the Journal of Mormon History podcast, the inaugural episode of which will appear alongside the publication of the Journal’s first issue in 2024. The podcast will be hosted by me, and include a brief overview of the newest issue’s contents, plus a short interview with an author of one of the articles in that issue. The podcast will be available on YouTube and major podcast platforms.