A few weeks ago, Ben published a round up of the best books published in Mormon History in 2014. This week, we are publishing a list of the forthcoming books. There are some amazing books coming out this year. Paul Reeve has already published his long awaited Religion of a Different Color as a Kindle Book. A hardback book will be out within a month. Thomas Carter’s emphasis on the material world offers a fascinating change of pace from the work that is usually published within Mormon history. His book promises to help us understand how Mormon theology affected the physical settlement of Utah. Signature Books was unable to produce a list of forthcoming books but as you will see, provided some interesting rumors.
John Whitmer Books
Ron Romig, Eighth Witness: The Biography of John Whitmer (early 2015)
University of Oklahoma Press
David Conley Nelson, Moroni and the Swastika: Mormons in Nazi Germany (February 2015)
Oxford University Press
Paul Reeve, Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness (Kindle, already out; Hardcover, February 2015)
Oxford Handbook on Mormonism ed. Phillip Barlow and Terryl Givens (early 2015)
The Prophet and the Reformer: The Letters of Brigham Young and Thomas L. Kane ed. Matthew Grow and Ronald Walker (June 2015)
University of Minnesota Press
Thomas Carter, Building Zion: The Material World of Mormon Settlement (March 2015)
University of Illinois Press
Michael Hicks, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir: A Biography (March 2015)
Documentary History of the Priesthood Ban ed. Newell Bringhurst and Mart Harris
University of Utah Press
Mormon Women in Historical and Contemporary Perspectives ed. Matt Bowman and Kate Holbrook (late 2015 or early 2016)
Deseret Book Company
David Witchurch and Richard Holzapfel. My Dear Sister: Letters Between Joseph F. Smith and His Sister Martha Ann
Greg Kofford Books
Stuart Parker, History through Seer Stones: A Hundred Years of Mormon Pasts
Kyle Walker, William B. Smith: In the Shadow of a Prophet
Carmen Smith and Talana Hooper, Lot Smith: Utah Hero, Arizona Colonizer
Mormonisms: A Documentary History, 1844 — 1860 Ed. Christine Elyse Blythe and Christopher James Blythe
William Victor Smith, Textual Studies of the Doctrine and Covenants: The 1843 Revelation on Marriage
Jesper Paulsen, The History of the Danish Latter-day Saints
James M. McLachlan, William H. Chamberlin and the Quest for a Mormon Theology
Signature Books
Signature is trying to iron some things out still, but an unnamed source was willing to say that the long awaited three biographies of Joseph Smith will be released in 2015 along with Quinn’s third volume of the Mormon Hierarchy series titled “Corporate Power.”
UPDATE: the good folks at Signature Books have sent the following:
Next years lineup. I have no details beyond this. Some Love: Poetry in Seven Books by Alex Caliero
Island Adventure: The Hawaiian Mission of Francis A. Hammond, John J. Hammond, editor
Dream House on Golan Drive, by David G. Pace (fiction)
Fresh Courage Take: New Directions by Mormon Women, Jamie Zvirzdin, editor (essays)
Joseph Smith: A Life of Paradox, Beginnings, 1805-1831, by Richard S. Van Wagoner
Joseph Smith: A Life of Paradox, Conflict, 1831-1839, by Scott G. Kenney
Joseph Smith: A Life of Paradox, Apotheosis, 1839-1844, by Martha Bradley-Evens
Thirteenth Apostle: the Diaries of Amasa M. Lyman, 1831-1877
The Mormon Hierarchy: Corporate Power, by D. Michael Quinn
Salt Lake City School of the Prophets, 1867-1874, Devery S. Anderson, editor.
So much to look forward to!
Comment by Saskia — January 8, 2015 @ 5:51 am
Could anyone remind on the details for the Signature JS biographies – authors, how they will be divided?
Comment by Craig M. — January 8, 2015 @ 6:36 am
Craig: it might have changed since then, but when I last heard it was Richard Van Wagoner doing pre-Kirtland, Scott Kenney doing pre-Nauvoo, and Martha Bradley doing the Nauvoo period.
Looks like it should be a fun year!
Comment by Ben P — January 8, 2015 @ 7:40 am
Thanks for the rundown, Amanda. I’m anxious for Paul’s book, especially, but also several of the other forthcoming titles.
One other book folks might be interested in is _The Lively Experiment Religious Toleration in America from Roger Williams to the Present_, ed. Chris Beneke and Christopher Grenda (Rowman Littlefield) which features an excellent essay on “The First Mormon Moment: The Latter-Day Saints in American Culture 1940-65? by our very own Cristine Hutchison-Jones. It’s scheduled for release in March, I believe.
Comment by Christopher — January 8, 2015 @ 7:50 am
Also, everyone should already be subscribed to JMH, but those who haven’t done so yet should do it ASAP, because the next issue (celebrating MHA’s 50th anniversary) may be the most important “book” of the year!
Comment by Ben P — January 8, 2015 @ 7:53 am
The JMH is also doing a special issue on race that should be fantastic!
Comment by Amanda — January 8, 2015 @ 7:55 am
Thanks Ben.
Comment by Craig M. — January 8, 2015 @ 8:06 am
And will have a after-20-years retrospective roundtable on John Brooke’s Refiner’s Fire! Will be a banner year for JMH.
Comment by Ben P — January 8, 2015 @ 8:06 am
I heard that Quinn’s third book (“Corporate Power”) was supposed to come out in 2014 discussing the LDS Church and finances. Looks like it was delayed a bit. Still will be very interesting to see what he has to say.
Comment by brandt — January 8, 2015 @ 8:07 am
Signature has ten titles planned for next year, including fiction and poetry. We’re finalizing specific release dates, but the three volume Joseph Smith biography is correct. Volume one is by Richard Van Wagoner, volume two by Scott Kenney, and volume three by Martha Bradley-Evans. Quinn’s volume three is also planned, which will focus on corporate wealth. There are also documentary volumes planned for the Amasa Lyman journals and correspondence and the Francis A. Hammond Hawaiian missionary diaries.
Some of these titles will come out in 2016, and of course, the usual caveat applies: titles are subject to change 😉
Comment by John Hatch — January 8, 2015 @ 9:04 am
The Church Historian’s Press will also be publishing two books from the Joseph Smith Papers: the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon and the third (and final) volume of Joseph Smith’s journals, 1843-44. The printer’s manuscript will be released on August 3 and the journal will be released on November 30.
Here’s the full information on the books:
Skousen, Royal, and Robin Scott Jensen, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 3: Printer?s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon. Vol. 3 of the Revelations and Translations series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin and Matthew J. Grow. Salt Lake City: Church Historian?s Press, 2015.
Hedges, Andrew H., Alex D. Smith, and Brent M. Rogers, eds. Journals, Volume 3: May 1843?June 1844. Vol. 3 of the Journals series of The Joseph Smith Papers, edited by Ronald K. Esplin and Matthew J. Grow. Salt Lake City: Church Historian?s Press, 2015.
Comment by Matt — January 8, 2015 @ 11:12 am
Matt @11–What about the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon?
Comment by Gary Bergera — January 8, 2015 @ 1:49 pm
Gary: The decision was reached the the printer’s manuscript would be published first (out of order when looking at the creation of the two manuscripts) because the printer’s contains the entire text, while the original is incomplete. The publication of the original will follow the Printer’s manuscript in a few years.
Comment by Robin — January 8, 2015 @ 2:34 pm
Thanks, Robin.
Comment by Gary Bergera — January 8, 2015 @ 3:01 pm
Google Hits for “Oxford Handbook ? Mormonism”
?=”on”: 6
?=”to”: 536
?=”of”: 1330
?=”for”: 4
The good money’s on “of”.
Comment by Nathan Whilk — January 9, 2015 @ 11:56 am
“The good money?s on ?of?.”
I’m corrected on that every few months, and I always forget.
Comment by Ben P — January 9, 2015 @ 1:24 pm
I’m interested as to how Signature’s planned volumes on Joseph Smith to contribute to our understanding of him that other biographies/books haven’t, or if the volumes will be more of a compiling of information to make it more assemble.
Comment by Katherine — January 9, 2015 @ 2:35 pm
So is Van Wagoner going to become the Tupac Shakur of Mormon studies?
Comment by Samuel J. — January 9, 2015 @ 6:42 pm
The three-volume Joseph Smith biography is a project of the Smith-Pettit Foundation. That each volume is written by a different author encourages a perspective of viewpoints. Also, each author has more pages to devote to a particular time period which should allow for greater detail, context, etc.
Richard Van Wagoner completed his volume before his untimely death in October 2010. Such was his work that very little, if any, adjustments to the text will need to be made.
Comment by Gary Bergera — January 10, 2015 @ 9:16 am
Robin,
Is the printer’s manuscript going to be contained in one volume? I thought I had heard at one point it would likely be two. Will there be pictures of the entire manuscript with transcriptions on the opposite page, or is it just transcriptions?
Comment by John — January 10, 2015 @ 7:22 pm
Any word about Don Bradley’s “Lost 116 Pages” from Kofford? http://gregkofford.com/products/the-lost-116-pages
I think I remember hearing that it was almost done a couple years ago.
Comment by Rich JJ — January 10, 2015 @ 10:15 pm
I second the inquiry of Rich JJ.
Comment by Riley — January 11, 2015 @ 9:02 am
Thanks, Gary Bergera!
And Rich JJ, Kofford has the answer in their latest post:
http://gregkofford.com/blogs/news/16505796-2015-a-preview
I believe this topic is a part of Brandley’s Master’s thesis for a history degree.
Comment by Katherine — January 13, 2015 @ 7:39 pm
Another to be published this year from Oxford:
Mormon Feminism: Essential Essays, edited by Joanna Brooks, Rachel Hunt Steenblik, and Hannah Wheelwright.
Comment by Rachel — January 15, 2015 @ 12:34 am
Happy to hear that’s nearing completion, Rachel! Really looking forward to that volume.
Comment by Ben P — January 15, 2015 @ 8:44 am