MWHIT Scholarship (due May 1)

Book Review: Shields, Divergent Paths of the Restoration, 5th Edition

Thanks to K. Pollock for this helpful review!

Shields, Steven L. Divergent Paths of the Restoration: An Encyclopedia of the Smith–Rigdon Movement. 5thed. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2021. 1030 pp. Forward, bibliography, appendix, index. eBook: $9.99.

With an updated encyclopedia spanning 1,030 pages and around 500 entries, Steven L. Shields fifth edition of Divergent Paths of the Restoration: An Encyclopedia of the Smith–Rigdon Movement is a valuable scholarly resource. The book is too large for print, and publisher Signature Books is offering an affordable eBook-only version. While some may be tempted to skip the introductory pages, Shields lays out important principles for interpreting his book in a “Begin Here” section. Read it! Divergent Paths is not simply a book tracing how churches broke off from other churches. Shields uses the term “expression” as a neutral term for groups and/or individuals with unique perspectives about the Restoration and works to avoid taking sides.

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Call for Applicants: Mormon Studies Publication Workshop

On Thursday, June 2, 2022, the Fifth Annual Mormon Studies Publication Workshop will be held at Utah State University. You can read more about the 2017 meeting at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis here.

The workshop helped create a sense of community among young scholars from various institutions and disciplines while providing helpful feedback for developing projects. Workshopped papers from the past three years have become parts of books published by (or under contract with) Oxford University Press, University of Nebraska Press, and Routledge University Press; the Journal of Religion, the Journal of Mormon History, Church History: Studies in Christianity and Culture, completed dissertations, and other distinguished venues.

The workshop, “Frames: Scholarly Writing and Personal Introductions,” will be held Thursday, June 2 from 10:00 AM AM-3:30 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 interested in Mormon Studies in any discipline may apply to participate in the workshop. Women, people of color, independent scholars, and other underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply. Participants should be physically present in Logan, UT, to participate in the workshop.

To apply, please send the following application materials to joseph dot stuart at Utah dot edu and klwright at Princeton dot edu:

• Name and Email
• CV
• A 100-150-word description of what your scholarly/academic work on Mormonism entails
• Confirmation that you will be in Logan, UT

Anyone that does not submit each part of the application will not be considered for participation.

THE WORKSHOP:

This year, we will discuss the work and art of writing sharp introductions to scholarly work and framing one’s scholarship on Mormonism within larger academic fields. We will then examine introductions to scholarly articles and books to discuss what we might away from their examples and how to improve our own work.

After our morning discussion and the provided lunch, we will how to frame one’s scholarship in an elevator pitch and discuss the state of the field. There will be no peer review of writing this year.

Applications are due on April 20, 2022, and acceptance or rejection notices will be sent out by April 27, 2022. Please help us spread the word by social media and word-of-mouth!

Call for Papers: 2022 Joseph Smith Papers Conference [UPDATED]

From our friends at the Joseph Smith Papers Project:

UPDATE: We have extended the deadline for proposals to March 14, 2022. Notifications of acceptance will still be sent out on March 21.
To commemorate the release of volumes 12, 13, and 14 of the Documents series, the Joseph Smith Papers Project will host the sixth annual Joseph Smith Papers Conference on September 9, 2022, in Salt Lake City, Utah. In the event that COVID-19 conditions prevent holding an in-person conference, digital options will be offered. The theme of the conference is “Texts and Contexts in Nauvoo.”

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Publication: Revelations and Translations, Volume 5: Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon was vital to early Latter-day Saint religious life.[1] It also functioned as a sign to early converts that Joseph Smith was a prophet.[2] It fed the day-to-day lives of Saints who read its words, naved their children Lachonius, and borrowed bits and phrases from its passages in letters and sermons, but also served as proof to outsiders that Mormonism was true.

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Call for Applicants: TT Job(s) in American Religion and Politics at the John C. Danforth Center (WUSTL)

See full call here!

The John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis invites applications for one or more open rank, tenure track positions in American religion and politics. The search committee welcomes applications from scholars from a variety of fields and disciplines including, but not limited to, African and African-American Studies; Anthropology, Asian American Studies; Hispanic Studies; History; Islamic Studies; Jewish Studies; Law; Literature; Philosophy; Political Science; Religious Studies; Security Studies; Sociology; Theology; and Women/Gender/Sexuality Studies.

To apply, send a letter of application, along with a curriculum vitae, through Interfolio HERE. A list of three references should also be submitted, along with a scholarly writing sample. Nominations may be sent to the same address. The search committee will begin reviewing applications as early as March 15, 2022, and will continue doing so until the search is complete. For more information, see http://rap.wustl.edu/.

Call for Applicants: Mormon Studies Pre-Doc Fellowship

LINK TO MORE INFORMATION AND APPLICATION

Eligibility

The Tanner Humanities Center will award a graduate fellowship in Mormon Studies for the 2022-2023 academic year. The fellowship encourages, in all facets, the scholarly explorations of any religious tradition which traces its roots to Joseph Smith Jr., its people, values, history, culture, and institutions. This fellowship is designed to enable doctoral students of unusual ability and achievement to engage 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 2022).

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Job Ad: 19th and 20th Century Mormon and Americana Catalog Librarian at BYU

Job Title:  19th and 20th Century Mormon and Americana Catalog Librarian, may be filled with a visitor

Job Category:  CFS Professional 

Desired start date:  9/1/2022

Posting close date: 3/5/2022

Required Degree:  MLS from an ALA-accredited institution.

Experience:  

In-depth knowledge of the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other aspects of the Latter-day Saint movement, and the history of Utah and the West (preferred: graduate degree in history)

Reading knowledge of multiple languages preferred

Knowledge and skills in applying cataloging and classification standards

Knowledge of special collections librarianship

Duties/Expectations:

Performs cataloging and catalog maintenance in both the local integrated system and OCLC. Creates and enhances OCLC master records as necessary and contributes original cataloging directly to OCLC.

Performs descriptive cataloging (according to the cataloging standard Resource Description and Access [RDA]), subject/genre cataloging, and classification of materials in all formats for the Americana and Mormon collections in the HBLL.

Publishes significant and original contributions relevant to the library profession and/or the world of academic scholarship in Mormonism and Western history.

Contributes subject authority work as needed through the SACO program.

For a copy of the full job description please email library_hr@byu.edu

Information required at the time of application – Please list the individual contact information for each of your three recommenders on the faculty application. At some point during the selection process they may be contacted to submit their letters of reference electronically

Document(s) required at the time of application – Please attach your updated Curriculum Vitae and cover letter to the faculty application.

Brigham Young University is an equal opportunity employer. All faculty are required to abide by the university’s honor code and dress and grooming standards. Preference is given to qualified candidates who are members in good standing of the affiliated church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 

Equal Opportunity Employer: m/f/Vets/Disability

JWHA CFP and Student Travel Funding

On September 18, 2022, the John Whitmer Historical Association will celebrate its 50th anniversary, honoring a half century of promoting the study of Restoration history. JWHA will gather at the Community of Christ Temple in Independence, Missouri, September 15-18, to celebrate the golden anniversary.

Interested in attending or learning more? Read more about the event and see the 50th Anniversary Call for Papers. This year’s conference registration is available at a special discount. JWHA accepts papers on historical, cultural, and theological studies of the Latter Day Saint/Mormon movement.

Are you a student needing funding to attend? Applications for conference scholarships are open to both undergraduate and graduate students. JWHA conference scholarships include the following: cash reward, registration fees waived, banquet tickets provided, and free membership the following year.

Scholarship amounts vary from year to year, depending upon available funding. Successful applicants must present their papers at the annual JWHA conference. Winners will need to attend the conference Thursday evening through Saturday to help with various activities. Appy and read more about JWHA scholarships.

Proposals and conference scholarship applications are due April 6, 2022.

Questions? Email: jwha@jwha.info

Visiting Assistant Professor of Religious Studies (Indigenous Traditions)

Location

Clinton, NY

Open Date

Dec 17, 2021

Description

The Religious Studies Department at Hamilton College seeks applicants for a Visiting Instructor or Assistant Professor for a one-year leave replacement in indigenous studies beginning July 1, 2022. Candidates with ABD will be considered, although candidates with a PhD are preferred. The department seeks applicants with a specialization in an indigenous tradition in the Americas, with a capacity to teach other indigenous traditions in a comparative perspective. Additional interests include indigeneity theory, gender construction, and the global indigenous rights movements. Discipline is open, but candidates should display a capacity to engage perspectives on religion (traditions, lifeways) in an interdisciplinary undergraduate program. The candidate appointed to this position will teach five courses during the year.

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