2011 St. George, Utah Conference
Call for Papers
From Cotton to Cosmopolitan:
Local, National, and Global Transformations in Mormon History

The forty-sixth annual conference of the Mormon History Association will be held May 26-29, 2011, at the Dixie Center in St. George, Utah. The 2011 theme, “From Cotton to Cosmopolitan: Local, National, and Global Transformations in Mormon History,” evokes both the specific history of St. George and environs, and Mormonism as a religious tradition more generally. (more…)

As you might be able to tell from my recent posts, I have recently been contemplating historical theory and the historian’s craft, especially as it relates to Mormon history. I am particularly interested in historiographic methods that have not, as of yet, been adopted in Mormon studies. (See here, for instance.) Today, after reading Jill Lepore’s evocative essay “Historians Who Love Too Much: Reflections on Microhistory and Biography,” I am contemplating the benefits of microhistory.[1] (more…)

[What follows is the gist of the introduction from my paper "Celestial Family Organization: The Developing Nature of Mormon Conceptions of Heaven, circa 1840s," presented at the 2010 MHA Conference.]

This post begins with a seemingly unrelated starting point: the debate over the legacy of Kantian philosophy in 1790s Germany. Philosopher Johann Gottlieb Fichte, in defense of his interpretation of Kantian idealism, argued for a distinction between “the inventor” of an ideological system, and “his commentators and disciples.” Fichte explained,

The inventor of a system is one thing, and his commentators and disciples are another…The reason is this: The followers do not yet have the idea of the whole; for if they had it, they would not require to study the new system; they are obliged first to piece together this idea out of the parts that the inventor provides for them; [but] all these parts are in fact not wholly determined, rounded and polished in their minds…

Fichte continued by explaining “the inventor proceeds from the idea of the whole, in which all the parts are united, and sets for these parts individually…The business of the followers,” on the other hand, “is to synthesize what they still by no means possess, but are only to obtain by the synthesis.”[1]

The specifics of Kantian philosophy that Fichte was debating hold little importance to us, but the tension he outlines between an “inventor” and “disciple” plays an important correlating role in the development of early Mormon thought, just as it does with any movement that boasts an innovative founder. (more…)

As a grad student, one’s life is composed almost entirely with books. While all books are at least in some part formative of how one thinks and understands one’s field, most are somewhat forgettable beyond the pages of notes taken for future reference. However, every once in a while there’s a book that not only stands out from the rest but leaves a deep impression on how one views the historical craft. For me, Annette Gordon-Reed’s Hemingses of Monticello: An American Family (W. W. Norton & Company, 2008) is one of those books. (more…)

[To continue my attempt to post something without much work on my part, what follows is the introduction to my recent article, just put online by the Intermountain West Journal of Religious Studies. I post this also to encourage other graduate students to consider submitting to IMW Journal in the future; while it is a student-run production, it boasts an impressive academic review board with professional and respected scholars to help improve your submission; I received great feedback on my earlier drafts that significantly improved the article. To view the articles from the most recent issue, as well as to see submission guidelines,  click here.]

“An angel of God never has wings,” proclaimed Joseph Smith in 1839, just as the LDS Church was establishing itself in what would come to be known as Nauvoo, Illinois. (more…)

To get a better understanding of the cultural milieu of early Mormonism, one might need to make an extra trip to Yale’s Beinecke Library. And read French.

Damrosch, Leo. Tocqueville’s Discovery of America. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2010. xxi + 227 pp. Illustrations, maps, endnotes, index. Hardback: $27.00; ISBN 978-0-374-27817-5. (more…)

[The following is the introduction to my recently published article in Dialogue. I post it here with three goals in mind: 1) To get any feedback/corrections/accusations on the article, as well as to provide discussion for anyone else who finds the topic as fascinating as I do. 2) To fulfill my guilt and anxiety to post something of substance here, but doing so without much work on my part. 3) To remind everyone what a great resource Dialogue is, and how awesome they are for strengthening their online presence. For those who haven't done so yet, go to their website right now and subscribe and/or donate!] (more…)

A conference sponsored by the Latter-day Saint Council on Mormon Studies, and
the Joan B. Kroc Institute for International Peace Studies at the University of Notre Dame

Held at Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA
March 18-19, 2011 (more…)

You’ve probably noticed a dearth of posts recently. I can only offer this as an excuse: end-of-semester busyness, recovering from the semester, vacationing, and….gearing up for MHA this weekend.

What follows are one-to-two paragraph abstracts of the MHA papers being presented by Juvenile Instructor contributors; as you’ll notice, for some reason they bunched all but one of us at the Friday 2pm slot (granted, three of us are on the same panel). It should also be noted that Chris Jones is responding to the session that Matt B. is a part of. There are numerous other bloggernacle celebrities taking part in the conference, enough so that it would make a list quite long. (more…)

Staker, Mark Lyman. Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith’s Ohio Revelations. Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2009. xlii + 694 pp. Illustrations, maps, endnotes, appendix, bibliography, index, scripture index. Hardback: $34.95; ISBN 978-1-58958-113-5.

Reading through this 600-page text, one fact becomes crystal clear: Mark Staker has read, considered, and contextualized every document that has any relevancy to Mormonism’s Kirtland experience. Likely multiple times. He is not exaggerating when he writes that he “tried to piece together as thoroughly as possible the events connected with significant Mormon sites in Ohio” (xiii)—and “thoroughly” is nowhere near a strong enough word. His meticulous scholarship is a rare achievement in Mormon studies, and the broad range of sources listed in his (50 page) bibliography is a testament to the extent of his research. Though he rightly notes that this is not a “comprehensive history of the Kirtland period” (xl) because it does not touch on all important aspects of the decade—especially religious and ecclesiastical developments of the mid 1830s—one can only imagine the depth and length a “comprehensive history” in his hands would entail! (more…)

Hot off the press. [or from my inbox]

Mormon Engagement with the World Religions: Perspectives and Possibilities with the Abrahamic Religions
The Mormon Chapter of the Foundation for Interreligious Diplomacy
Held at the University of Southern California
June 11-12 (more…)

[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] (more…)

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). (more…)

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. (more…)

Hot off the press. (Or, passed along from JI’s friend Jacob B.) This looks fantastic.

What is Mormon Studies?

Transdisciplinary Inquiries into an Emerging Field

Claremont Mormon Studies Student Association

Spring 2010 Conference (more…)

Taken from here. Looks like a great time.

2010 Restoration Studies Symposium

Thursday, April 8

All Thursday events will take place at the Graceland University/Independence Campus, 1401 West Truman Rd., in Independence, Missouri.

(1) 7:00 – 8:30 pm — Welcome and Wallace B. Smith Lecture, Plenary Session

“Who is a Christian? The Perspective of Ecumenical Christianity.”

Presenter: Don Compier

(2) 8:30 – 10:00 pm — Opening Reception, First Floor Lobby

You are invited to attend an opening reception with refreshments in honor of the publication of Volume XI of Restoration Studies.

(more…)

Taken from here. (the link is found on the left.)

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE

9:00–10:00 A.M.
Opening
SPE AKER
Richard Lyman Bushman Joseph Smith and the Routinization of Charisma (more…)

If our New Year’s resolution had been to add another extraordinarily gifted blogger, then we would have already achieved our goal. Ardis S. has been providing fascinating details of a heretofore neglected topic (LDS perceptions of the Civil Rights Movement) for nearly a year now (see here archive here). Her innovative research and scholarly wit have left us no choice but to make her attachment to the blog more permanent—plus, whenever you have a chance to associate with a Cambridge-bound historian, you gotta do it. On a personal note, I’ve had the privilege of knowing Ardis not only as a budding historian but also as a wonderful friend and engaging Latter-day Saint; we were both students during the last semester of the Joseph Smith Academy in Nauvoo, Illinois (a now-defunct BYU study program).

Here is how Ardis describes herself:

I recently graduated from Brigham Young University with a bachelor of arts in History. This fall, I will attend the University of Cambridge, where I will study British perceptions of the US civil rights movement. I am currently an intern at the Church History Library. My research interests include the intersections between race, gender, and social history, and within LDS history I am particularly interested in race and the LDS Church.

Please join us in giving a hearty welcome to Ardis S.!

[While I sit in the Pisa Airport finishing my Sunday School Lesson for tomorrow, I couldn't help but share a point of convergence between the lesson and my recent scholarly research (I am currently working on the Christian response to Thomas Paine in the 1790s). What follows is not a fully drawn-out, or perhaps even thought-out, post, but rather a half-baked idea worthy of nothing more than a footnote for tomorrow's SS class.]

The 1790s represented drastic change for western civilization. On one side of the Atlantic, the early American republic was beginning to forge into a stable nation; on the other side, an early-embraced revolution was evolving into dangerous anarchy in France. (more…)

[Continued from Part I]

I sincerely appreciate the three respondents participating in this forum. I’m sure all the readers will agree that all three portions are well-written and enlightening.

Although these  three are well-known around the bloggernacle, here are brief introductions: Robin Jensen is an editor for the Joseph Smith Papers Project, recently received his second master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and his name can be found on the cover of the recent Revelations and Translations vol. 1. Samuel Brown is currently an Assistant Professor of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Division Associate, Medical Ethics and Humanities, University of Utah. Jordan Watkins, theoretically a contributor here at JI, is a PhD candidate in history at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. (more…)