Utah Historical Quarterly 76:2 (Spring 2010)/Review of Post-Manifesto Polygamy: The 1899-1904 Correspondence of Helen, Owen, and Avery Woodruff

I’ll be quoting the “In This Issue” section and then, with the kind permission of the UHQ editorial staff, I will be reproducing here my review of Lu Ann Taylor and Phillip A. Snyder, eds. Post-Manifesto Polygamy: The 1899-1904 Correspondence of Helen, Owen, and Avery Woodruff which appears in this issue. I reproduce it partially because it was printed with an error in one of my parenthetical references. The reference as published is, “(see Carmon Hardy, Solemn Covenant: The Mormon Polygamous Passage, 372).” What I wrote was, “(see Carmon Hardy, Doing The Works of Abraham: Its Origin, Practice, and Demise, 372).”

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Women in the Academy: Jennifer Lane

Our third participant in this series, Jennifer Lane, is associate professor of Religious Education at BYU-Hawaii, where she has taught since 2002. She recently presented a paper titled “Subjection, Mastery, and Discipleship” at the seventh annual meeting of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology. Jennifer’s interview reflects an academic path that has had some unexpected turns. However, along the way she has been supported by remarkable scholars, both male and female. She looks forward to responding to your questions and comments.

Education: BA (History, minor in Philosophy, BYU); MA (Ancient Near Eastern Studies, BYU); PhD (Religion, with an emphasis in History of Christianity, Claremont Graduate University)

How did you become interested in your area (s) of expertise/specialization?

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New Blog: Religion in the American West

Juvenile Instructor readers will be interested in the recently-launched group blog, Religion in the American West.

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A Kingdom of Priests: Progress and Patronage in Early Mormonism’s Heaven

[In the spirit of transparency, I admit that what follows is an attempt to use the JI as a sounding board for ideas from my upcoming MHA presentation. Critiques are greatly appreciated.]

In 1787, after spending the last two decades of his life working toward American independence and a new form of democratic government, Benjamin Franklin noted that ?there is a natural inclination in mankind for a kingly government.?[1] He was speaking in Philadelphia to the framers of the Constitution, many of whom had grown disillusioned with the potential for radical social movement the early American republic had experienced, and envisioned their own natural aristocracy as the pinnacle of society.[2] Less than a half-decade later, Philadelphia became the location of the most recent of at least a dozen publications of the satirical novel The History and Adventures of Joseph Andrews. Written by British author Henry Fielding, Joseph Andrews mocked the aristocratic foundations of the eighteenth century, especially its ?whole ladder of dependence,? and the novel?s printing success in post-Revolutionary America demonstrates the culture?s acceptance of radical Whig philosophy that revolted against a fixed social status.[3]

Laurel Thatcher Ulrich on Mormon Women, Quilts, and Identity in 1857

For those of you who don’t subscribe to American Historical Review, you missed out on a wonderful treat in their first issue of this year. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, pulitzer-prize winning historian and professor at Harvard University, published some of the earliest fruits from her recent work on Mormon history in the nineteenth century (for more background on Ulrich, see here).

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Noah’s Curse on Canaan Redux: How Ham Got to Africa

In September of last year, I blogged about recent biblical scholarship that attempts to unlock the riddles presented by Genesis 9, which describes Noah’s curse upon his grandson, Canaan. Based on the work of John Sietze Bersgma and Scott Walker Hahn,

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Reasonable Faith

My grandmother is on my mind.

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The Joseph Smith Papers: Job Notice!!

From Mark Ashurst-McGee:

Historian/Documentary Editor, Joseph Smith Papers Website-1000209

Description

The Joseph Smith Papers is engaged in producing a comprehensive electronic edition of Joseph Smith documents featuring complete and accurate transcripts with both textual and contextual annotation for publication at the josephsmithpapers.org website.  (Publication in letterpress form of selected document series will complement the website.)  The scope of the project includes Joseph Smith’s original correspondence, revelations, journals, historical writings, sermons, legal papers, and other documents.  Besides providing the most comprehensive record of early Latter-day Saint history they will also provide insight into the broader religious landscape of the early American republic.  The Joseph Smith Papers Project is ready to hire a historian/documentary editor with the appropriate academic training, research and writings skills, and technological acumen to edit Joseph Smith’s papers.

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Reflections from a Historian Lost in a Divinity School: Or, What Rudolf Otto and Thomas Paine Taught me about the Study of Religion

Part IV in the JI?s ongoing series on secularism and religious education

I feel honored (and intimidated) to continue a worthwhile discussion on the relationship between secularism and religion in academia. While Taylor, Matt, and Ryan have each provided poignant contributions that explore the ideas, tensions, and environments of this issue, my post is designed more as a reflection on my own experience.

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Event Notice: Mark Staker Lecture and Book Signing at Benchmark Books, April 14, 2010

Spend an Evening with an Author

We are excited to announce the arrival of Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations by Mark L. Staker, published by Greg Kofford Books. We will have the author at our store to speak about and sign his book on Wednesday, April 14, 2010. Mark will be here from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., speaking at 6:00, and will answer questions and sign books before and after that time.

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