Seeking participants from outside the Latter Day Saint tradition to be in an academic study about their experiences at Joseph Smith Jr. era historic sites (since 2021) operated by the LDS Church. It seeks to fill a gap where there is little collected about multi-faith experiences at early Mormon sites. It is anonymous, and someone can either do an interview or type their answers. This study has been IRB approved by Missouri State University (Springfield, Missouri).
Consortium of Historians of Idaho and its Periphery (CHIP) Inaugural Conference
Dear Friends and Colleagues,
We are excited to announce the formation of CHIP, the Consortium of Historians of Idaho and its Periphery. This new organization is dedicated to the history of Idaho and its connections to the broader Intermountain West region. CHIP’s founders seek to create a dedicated space to explore the complex historical dynamics of the Gem State, while serving to foster community among the many far-flung professionals whose work connects to Idaho history.
Our inaugural meeting will take place at Idaho State University in Pocatello, ID, on Saturday, September 19, 2026. We invite proposals for presentations on research related to the history of Idaho and the region, broadly construed. The conference is open to interested faculty, graduate students, library and archival professionals, and public historians.
From friends of the blog Ben Crosby and Isaac Richards:
We are pleased to announce that Latter-day Eloquence: Two Centuries of Mormon Oratoryis now available for pre-order through the University of Illinois Press website. Use the code S26UIP for 30% off. This landmark anthology collects fifty-five speeches, each of which is introduced and contextualized by a qualified scholar, including several notable experts from Latter-day Saint studies and Mormon history.
“Latter-day Eloquence is spectacularly successful in disclosing the workings of the Latter-day Saint oratorical tradition—a species of the prophetic voice not confined to general conference addresses. Whether you are a student of history, letters, rhetoric, or psychology, or simply a thoughtful layperson wishing to understand this movement’s range and potency, this collection might be one of the few 700-page tomes you want on your shelves. Read from the beginning, it tells a story—but it can as easily be read backwards or selectively.” – Philip L. Barlow, coeditor of The Oxford Handbook of Mormonism
The Tanner Humanities Center at the University of Utah continues to support emerging scholarship in the field of Mormon Studies through its Graduate Research Fellowship in Mormon Studies. The fellowship was the first of its kind in the United States and provides a year of funding for a doctoral student whose research focuses on the history, beliefs, and culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints or other religious groups that trace their origins to Joseph Smith Jr.
This is a reminder of the upcoming April 6, 2026 deadlines for the Call for Papers, Student Conference Scholarships, and Award Nominations for John Whitmer Historical Association’s 2026 Annual Conference in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on September 24-26, 2026.
Thanks to Amy Tanner Thiriot for conducting this interview and giving us permission to publish it! Thanks, too, to Jenny Lund, for her time and answers!
Please share some general background about yourself. Where are you from? What’s your general background? How are you connected to the field of Mormon or Latter-day Saint history?
I was born and raised a non-Mormon in a very Mormon Salt Lake City. An interest in family history and the discovery that most of my ancestors had come to the West as Latter-day Saint converts eventually led me to studying the Church’s history and converting at the age of sixteen, much to the dismay of my family. My studies sparked a lifelong interest in the history of the Latter-day Saints.
The Mormon Social Science Association welcomes presenters and guests to our One-Day Conference at Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah. Sessions will be followed by Q&A conversations.
The Mormon Social Science Association welcomes paper submissions for our annual One-Day Conference at Utah Tech University in St. George, Utah on Friday, April 17, 2026.
In addition to paper sessions, there is time and space for research posters from undergraduate and graduate students. Poster proposals should include a title and abstract and specify that it is a poster presentation. Details in the submission form below.
Submissions close: March 15, 2026.
The MSSA invites submissions on all topics relevant to the social scientific study of Mormonism:
Latter-day Saints hold strong beliefs about connecting to their ancestors. This manifests in many ways, including a desire to better understand these ancestors and to perform sacred ordinances on their behalf. The genealogical work done by Latter-day Saints is represented by the millions of records digitized and preserved on familysearch.org, countless volunteer hours to assist those who desire a stronger connection to their family, and the vast rhetoric of family heritage and history over Latter-day Saint pulpits and within classrooms. But this family history work is also dependent upon technology, including print technology. How did the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disseminate information about family history? What printed forms were required to be filled out to submit a name for temple ordinances? How did print connect ever increasing families with each other? Print and print history sheds light on the fascinating history of genealogical efforts within the church.
The Church History Library in Salt Lake City will hold an all-day workshop on the history of Latter-day Saint print and genealogy to be held Friday, April 3, 2026. Led by three BYU scholars—Amy Harris, Christopher Cannon Jones, and Joseph R. Stuart—participants will explore the trends, technology, and printing history of genealogy, family history, and LDS temple work. They will also explore historical implications of investigating such source material as cultural artifacts. This workshop will include hands-on analysis of print materials, including family group sheets, family association newsletters, lesson manuals, church produced magazines and books, and ephemera spanning the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Participants will explore new ways of approaching and analyzing such sources.
Glen Larson on CFP: Book of Mormon: “Please add me to your mailing list. Thanks”
Mark Staker on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Jenny was always generous in sharing her knowledge. She was not only an exceptional educator (who also taught her colleagues along the way), but she…”
Kathy Cardon on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “I worked in the Church's Historical department when Jenny was in the Museum. I always enjoyed our interactions. Reading this article has been a real…”
Don Tate on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Very well done and richly deserved! I am most proud of Jenny and how far she has come with her life, her scholarship, and her…”
Recent Comments
Glen Larson on CFP: Book of Mormon: “Please add me to your mailing list. Thanks”
Mark Staker on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Jenny was always generous in sharing her knowledge. She was not only an exceptional educator (who also taught her colleagues along the way), but she…”
Gary Bergera on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Jenny's great. Thanks for posting this.”
Kathy Cardon on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “I worked in the Church's Historical department when Jenny was in the Museum. I always enjoyed our interactions. Reading this article has been a real…”
Don Tate on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Very well done and richly deserved! I am most proud of Jenny and how far she has come with her life, her scholarship, and her…”
Ben P on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “My favorite former boss and respected current historian!”