AuthorCast
AuthorCast #55: This Month in Mormon Studies June 16 2017
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.
Highlights from this month include: MHA 2017, barbecue, Book of Mormon as literature, Joseph Smith: Monogamist?, LGBT history in Utah, new history of the Church, and David Bokovoy's mustache.
In the News
Passing of Nathan Ulrich
Passing of Charles S. Peterson
Administrative changes at Maxwell Institute
On the Blogs
Ardis Parshall, "The Sailor and the Apostle: 'The Thinking Has Been Done'?"
Ben Park, "LDS Church Distances Itself from Boy Scouts: Some Thoughts"
Matt B, "Ted Chiang, 'Arrival,' Mormons, Science Fiction, Angels, Time Travel, Sex, Free Will, The Tower of Babel, and the Secular: A Roundtable"
Michael Austin, "The Chosen People are Always Wrong"
Michael Austin, "Scripture as Genre"
Steve Evans, "Book Review Roundup"
Blair Hodges, "Troubling the Old Stories with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich"
Juvenile Instructor Summer Book Club Update
Jeff Turner, "The End of the Gathering: Mormonism and Immigration Regulation"
Grant Shreeve, "The Book of Mormon Gets the Literary Treatment"
Digital Content
Joseph Smith Papers updates
Signature Books updates at Archive.org
Podcasts
LDS Perspectives: "A Heavenly Mother - Rachel Steenblik and Caitlin Connolly"
LDS Perspectives: "Joseph's Seer Stones - Michael Hubbard MacKay"
LDS Perspectives: "Tough Questions about Mormon Polygamy - Brian and Laura Hales"
Year of Polygamy: "The Succession Crisis"
Year of Polygamy: "Lorenzo Snow"
Faith Matters: "Conversations with Terryl Givens"
Recent Book Releases
Joseph Smith Papers: Documents, Vol 5 (Church Historian's Press)
Seth Anderson, LGBT Salt Lake (Arcadia)
Joseph M. Spencer and Jeremiah John, Embracing the Law: Reading Doctrine and Covenants 42 (Maxwell Institute)
Mark D. Ogletree, No Other Success: The Parenting Practices of David O. McKay (BYU RSC)
Papers/Articles
Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, "A New Voice from the Past: The Council of Fifty Minutes"
Brady Winslow, "Irregularities in the Work of the Nauvoo Lodge: Mormonism, Freemasonry, and Conflicting Interests on the Illinois Frontier"
Brian C. Hales, "Joseph Smith: Monogamist or Polygamist?"
Colby Townsend, "Behold Other Scriptures I Would That Ye Should Write: Malachi in the Book of Mormon"
Joseph Spencer, "Isaiah 52 in the Book of Mormon: Notes on Isaiah's Reception History"
Conferences and Events
Faith Matters: "New Perspectives on Joseph Smith and Translation"
Mormon Scholars in the Humanities
Mormon Transhumanist Association
JSP Documents, Vol 5 release event at Benchmark Books
Mormon History Association 2017 Conference
Sunstone 2017 SLC Symposium
FairMormon 2017 Conference
John Whitmer Historical Association 2017 Conference
Book of Mormon Studies Conference
Call for Papers/Applications
2018 Church History Symposium
2018 Mormon History Association Conference
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AuthorCast #43: This Month in Mormon Studies May 01 2017
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.
Highlights from this month include: Blogs becoming independent presses, Mormon studies nerds filing briefs in the U.S. Court of Appeals, Marlin K. Jensen and insider baseball, summer book club, temple ships and Ouija boards, and big words like indigeneity!
In the News
Firm Foundation Expo and bad science
BCC Press; See also
Ben Park in Newsweek; See also
Signature Books digital archives project
Jana Riess The Next Mormons survey: trust gap
On the Blogs
Vincenzo di Francesca: Cultural Impediments in the Way of His Baptism
Mormon Scholars Opposed to Refugee and Immigrant Ban
Embracing the Chaos and Diversity of Mormonism's Past: Laurie Maffly-Kipp's MHA Presidential Address
Mormon Interpreter: Looking Back, Almost Five Years On
“Providing intellectual and devotional frameworks” (Nibley Fellow Reflections)
Looking Deeper Into Joseph Smith's First Vision: Imagery, Cognitive Neuroscience, and the Construction of Memory
An Evening With Elder Marlin K. Jensen
My Thoughts on Patrick Mason's Miller Eccles Presentation
BCC Press Q&A for academic historians
The Third Annual Summer Book Club: A House Full of Females
Podcasts
LDS Women at the Pulpit - Jenny Reeder and Kate Holbrook
Tithing and the Law of Consecration - Steven C. Harper
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich and “A House Full of Females”
Darron Smith interviews on Gospel Tangents
Richard Bennett interviews on Gospel Tangents
On the Erasure of Native Americans from the Book of Mormon Conversation: Thomas Murphy
Kava, Culture, Indigeneity and Mormonism: Daniel Hernandez
God, the Image of God, Theosis, Sex and Godly Creation: Blair Ostler
Recent Book Releases
Steven Peck, Science the Key to Theology: Volume One: Preliminaries (BCC Press); See also
Reid L. Neilson and Nathan N. Waite, eds., Settling the Valley, Proclaiming the Gospel: The General Epistles of the Mormon First Presidency (Oxford University Press)
Carol Cornwall Madsen, Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History (University of Utah Press)
Published Articles
Brian Hauglid, “Book of Abraham and Translating the Sacred”
Robin Scott Jensen, “The Joseph Smith Papers and the Book of Abraham”
Christopher Blythe, “The Church and Kingdom of God: Ecclesiastical Interpretations of the Council of Fifty”
Conferences and Events
Reid Neilson and Nathan Waite at Benchmark Books
2017 UVU Mormon Studies Conference on YouTube: Thurs sessions, Friday sessions
Sunstone Symposium in Southern Utah
2017 Association for Mormon Letters conference; AML Book Awards, Fundraiser
Sunstone Symposium in Boise
2017 Mormon History Association Registration
2017 Sunstone Symposium SLC
2017 FairMormon Conference
2017 JWHA in Nauvoo
Call for Papers/Applications
The International Society of Landscape, Place and Material Culture
AuthorCast #42: This Month in Mormon Studies April 03 2017
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.
In the News
Dr. Robert Rees appointed chair of Mormon studies at GTU
Community of Christ announces three new World Church Historians
Joseph M. Spencer named editor of JBMS
George Q. Cannon digitization update (sort of)
175th Anniversary of the Articles of Faith
Richard Turley honored by Mormon Historic Sites Foundation
Signature Books newspaper digitization at Archive.org
JSP creates index to Joseph Fielding Smith's Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith
On the Blogs
William Law’s Amazing (and Suspect) Diary
Florence Smith Jacobsen: Saving Our Material Heritage
Eugenics and the Intellectual Underpinnings of Mormonism in the Alt-Right
Fake News, Leaked Documents, and the Book of Mormon
Also check out: Extra! Extra! Read All About It!: The Fake News of 1859
Seers and Stones: The Translation of the Book of Mormon as Divine Visions of an Old-Time Seer
Why Evolution and LDS Thought are Fully Compatible: Overcoming our Suspicions of Science
Denver Snuffer's teachings to be canonized
The good and bad of studying history
Paul Reeve wrote the race essay
The Relief Society 175th Anniversary–A Sermon
Five People Who Helped Found the Relief Society
Podcasts
Mark Lyman Staker on Gospel Tangents
The Three Witnesses–Larry Morris on LDS Perspectives
In Brigham Young's Words–Gerrit Dirkmaat and LaJean Carruth on LDS Perspectives
New Perspectives on Joseph Smith and Revelation on Mormon Matters
Also: Faith Matters
Women at the Latter-day Saint pulpit, with Jennifer Reeder and Kate Holbrook on MIPodcast
Recent Book Releases
Devery Anderson's Mississippi Freedem Summer Kickstarter
Patrick Q. Mason, What is Mormonism? A Students Introduction (Routledge)
Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall, eds., Dime Novel Mormons (Greg Kofford Books)
Published Papers
William Davis, “Reassessing Joseph Smith Jr.’s Formal Education”
Conferences and Events
Book of Mormon Conference (formerly Book of Mormon Archaeological Foundation)
Mormon Transhumanist Association 2017 conference
Mormon History Association 2017 conference
Kate Holbrook at Benchmark Books for At the Pulpit release event
Call for Papers/Applications
Neal A. Maxwell Institute Summer Seminar
Surveying Trends in the Field: Mormon History and Mormon Studies in the Modern Academy
AuthorCast #40: This Month in Mormon Studies March 01 2017
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.
In the News
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich on NPR's Fresh Air
Neylan McBaine, “As potters at the wheel, let us shape Utah from inside and outside” in SL Trib
Henry J. Eyring named president of BYU-Idaho
Updates to Joseph Smith Papers website
On the Blogs
“More Thoughts on Mormons and Muslims” by Paul Reeve
“The Modern Mormon Athletic Image” by Ben Park
“The Complexities of History in The Ensign” by Ben Spackman
“The Dance of Discourse” by Hannah Jung
Profile on Greg Kofford Books at AML by Andrew Hall
“Canon as Context: Insights from the Bible Wars” by Mike Austin
Recent Book Releases
Scott Hales, The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part Two (Greg Kofford Books)
Devery S. Anderson, Ed., Salt Lake School of the Prophets, 1867-1883 (Signature Books)
Reid L. Neilson and Nathan N. Waite, eds., Settling the Valley: Proclaiming the Gospel: The General Epistles of the Mormon First Presidency (Oxford University Press)
Jennifer Reeder and Kate Holbrook, eds., At the Pulpit: 185 Years of Discourses by Latter-day Saint Women (Church Historian's Press)
Book Reviews by Brandt
Ann Taves, Revelatory Events: Three Case Studies of the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths (Princeton University Press)
Events
Faith and Knowledge Conference
Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology
Kate Holbrook speaking at Tabernacle
Call for Papers/Applications
Joseph Smith Papers Conference
AuthorCast #36—This Month in Mormon Studies, November 2016 December 20 2016
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the month of November!
Special guest: Stephanie Lauritzen from Signature Books.
In the News
Maxwell Institute Visiting Fellows
D. Todd Christofferson invocation on Senate floor
Retirement of "To Young Men Only" pamphlet
Revelations in Context Sunday School supplement
Gospel Topics Essays added to Sunday School lesson manual
On the Blogs
Ben Park, "2016 in Retrospect"
Christian Anderson, "Heavenly Parents at Conference"
Jessica Finnegan, Kari Waters, and Nancy Ross, "What are Mormon feminists trying to do?"
Nancy Ross review of One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly
Fair Mormon interviews:
Braving Isaiah with Joseph M. Spencer
Translating with Seer Stones with Michael Hubbard McKay
The Book of Mormon: A Closer Look with Brant Gardner
Emma Smith "An Elect Lady" with Matthew J. Grow
Steve Evans Book Review Roundup
Ashley Mae Hoiland "For many years my voice shook"
Johnathan Stapley, "Tools for teachers 2017"
Recent Book Releases
Donald Faber, James Jesse Strang: The Rise and Fall of Michigan's Mormon King (University of Michigan Press)
Scott Hales, The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part One (Greg Kofford Books)
Richard S. Van Wagoner, Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet: 1805–1830 (Smith-Pettit Foundation)
Recent and Upcoming Events
"Intellectual Life of Mormonism" final panel at University of Utah
Call for Papers
2017 Mormon Scholars in the Humanities
AuthorCast #34 — This Month in Mormon Studies, September 2016 November 11 2016
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events!
Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.
In the News
Postdoctoral fellow and lecturer position at The University of Virginia
Maxwell Institute Executive Committee and Advisory Board
On the Blogs
The Beleagured Progress of LDS Women
SMPT Annual Meeting notes here, here, and here
The Sacrament: a (somewhat speculative) liturgical genealogy
Michael MacKay on changing views that seemed set in stone
If Not 1890, What Year Did Mormonism Change the Most?
Recent Book Releases
Foundations of the Restoration: 45th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, edited by Craig James Ostler
Joseph M. Spencer, The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record
Richard S. Van Wagoner, Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830
At Sword's Point, Part 2: A Documentary History of the Utah War, 1858-1859, edited by William P. MacKinnon
Recent and Upcoming Events
The Intellectual Life of Mormonism, Lecture 3
David F. Holland lecture at Maxwell Institute (video)
Roundtable Discussion for The Vision of All (video)
Call for Papers
Mormon Scholars in the Humanities 2017 conference
AuthorCast #32 — This Month in Mormon Studies, September 2016 October 13 2016
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events!
Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.
In the News
Deseret News: Top 10 Treasures in the Church History Library
Daily Herald: Mountain Meadows Massacre's John D. Lee trial records now online
On the Blogs
Flunking Sainthood: Why I still need ‘Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought’
“Not Even Close: Faculty Gender Balance at the BYUs.”
“The Changing Forms of the Latter-day Saint Sacrament”
“Notes from the Council of Fifty Minutes Launch Event.”
The Mormon Council of Fifty: What Joseph Smith’s Secret Records Reveal
Joseph Smith Papers Council of Fifty minutes offers view of LDS Church in Nauvoo
Scholarly Inquiry: Nicholas Frederick
The CES Podcast (for the rest of us)
“An Orthodox Theology of Heavenly Mother… and a Caveat.”
The Joseph Smith Papers: Administrative Records, Council of Fifty. Church Historian’s Press.
Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, edited by Patrick Mason and John Turner. Oxford.
Mormonism and the Making of a British Zion by Matthew L. Rasmussen. U of U Press.
Joseph Smith's Seer Stones, Michael Hubbard MacKay & Nicholas J. Frederick. BYU RSC Press.
Thirteenth Apostle: The Diaries of Amasa M. Lyman, 1832-1877, Scott H. Partridge (Editor). Signature.
The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901-1968 by Shinji Takagi. Greg Kofford Books.
Upcoming Conferences and Events
Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology annual meeting
Call for Applicants: Neal A. Maxwell Institute Summer Seminar
Also mentioned in Times & Seasons
The Intellectual Life of Mormonism Fall Panel Discussion Series
AuthorCast #30 — This Month in Mormon Studies, July 2016 August 05 2016
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events! Our special guest this month is Brittany Mangleson from Project Zion Podcast.
Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.
In the News
Radio West interview with Greg Prince
BYU Mormon Studies conversation group
Internship with Church Historic Sites
On the Blogs
Jana Reiss, "Can Mormon women be witness to priesthood ordinances?"
Margaret Blair Young, "Race and Mormonism–2016 Edition (the less coy version)"
Aaron Brown, "Does the LDS Church Believe the Priesthood Ban was of Divine Origin or Not?"
Ardis Parshall, "A Stealthy Return to Bad Practices of the Past"
David G., "Heavenly Ledgers and Ghostly Specters: Two Recent Articles"
Blair Hodges, "For the church in Russia, sustaining doesn't mean agreeing"
Emily Grover, "Sister Wives of the Traveling Pants: Confronting My Polygamous Ancestry"
Joseph Stuart, "Death and the Historian's Empathy"
Recent Book Releases
Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall, eds., Boadicea; The Mormon Wife: Life-Scenes in Utah
Julie M. Smith, ed., Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22
Stephen L. Prince, Hosea Stout: Lawman, Legislator, Mormon Defender
Scholarly Journals
Journal of Mormon History, Vol 42, No. 3 (July 2016)
Recent and Upcoming Events
Richard Bushman Colloquium now available online
2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium videos
2016 Sunstone SLC Summer Symposium
Daniel Stone's forthcoming biography William Bickerton
BYU New Testament Commentary Conference
Upcoming Events and Call for Papers
2017 Mormon History Association Conference, call for papers
2016 Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology Seminar
2016 John Whitmer Historical Association Conference
AuthorCast #28 - This Month in Mormon Studies, June 2016 June 28 2016
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) along with guest Stephen Smoot (Book of Mormon Central) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events!
“It's like Car Talk for Mormon studies!” - Someone online somewhere, probably
Check out Book of Mormon Central
See Stephen Smoot's segment on the Conan O'Brien Show
In the News
Sherman Fleek received the Secretary of Army Award for Valor
Check out Sherman L. Fleek's book, Saints of Valor
James Talmage's diaries digitized
On the Blogs
Brother Guy Consolmagno's keynote at 2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium
“Was Joseph Smith Ever Convicted of a Crime?” by John Dinger
“A rare contradiction in terms”: Mormonism Racism and the Utah Jazz by Christopher
“Early Mormons and Mass Poisoning" by Christopher Smith
Digitizania! by Tod R.
“On doing Mormon theology as a non-Mormon” by Bridget Jack Jeffries
“A Reaction to the New Leonard Arrington Book” by Julie Smith
“Reassassing Robert Flanders’s NAUVOO: KINGDOM ON THE MISSISSIPPI, Fifty Years Later” by Ben P.
“Free Book, or What I learned at MHA” by Meg Stout
“The Ammonites Were Not Pacifists” by Duane Boyce
“Mormon founder turned over priesthood keys to women, says Deseret Book author” by Jana Reiss
Check out Fiona Given's article, “The Perfect Union of Man and Woman” in Dialogue.
Latest Book Releases
Reid L. Neilson and Mark Mellville, eds., A Historian in Zion: The Autobiography of Andrew Jenson, Assistant Church Historian
Jack Harrell, Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism
Thomas F. Rogers, Let Your Hearts and Minds Expand: Reflections on Faith, Reason, Charity, and Beauty
Read Stephen Smoot's full review
Martha Bradley Evans, Glorious in Persecution: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1839-1844 (Also mentioned in previous episode)
Recent and Upcoming Events
MHA 2016 session highlights:
Sexual violence in Missouri panel
Council of Fifty Minutes panel
MHA 2016 Awards:
Leonard J. Arrington Award given to Michael Quinn
Best Book
Paul Reeve, Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness (University of Utah Press)
Honorable Mention: Thomas Carter, Building Zion: The Material World of Mormon Settlement (University of Minnesota Press)
Best Biography
Ronald Romig, Eighth Witness: The Biography of John Whitmer (John Whitmer Books).
Honorable Mention: Michael Hicks, The Mormon Tabernacle Choir: A Biography (University of Illinois Press)
Best Documentary Editing
Royal Skousen and Robin Scott Jensen, eds. Revelations and Translations, Volume 3: Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon (Church Historian’s Press)
Best First Book
David Hall, A Faded Legacy: Amy Brown Lyman and Mormon Women’s Activism, 1872-1959 (University of Utah Press)
For a complete list of Awards, click here.
2016 Mormon Theology Seminar Conference
Check out J Stuart's write-up in Juvenile Instructor
Greg Prince’s author event at Benchmark Books now on YouTube
Looking ahead:
Julie Smith at Writ & Vision July 21st for two forthcoming releases: Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21–22 and As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture.
2016 Sunstone Summer Symposium July 27-30 at the University of Utah.
AuthorCast #24 - This Month in Mormon Studies! June 03 2016
This Month in Mormon Studies is a new series co-hosted by Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report). In this engaging and lighthearted series, Brian and Brandt will be discussing the latest going's-on in the field of Mormon studies. From news and blog highlights to new book releases and upcoming events, this monthly series is not to be missed. Subscribe today!
See the links below for more information about topics discussed in the episode:
Subscribe to the Mormon News Report.
In the News
Spencer Fluhman named director of Maxwell Institute
Historian Ronald Walker passed away at age 76
George D. Smith receives honorary Doctorate from University of Utah
First edition of Book of Mormon to be part of Library of Congress
On the Blogs
Juvenile Instructor Book Club for Summer 2016 - Mormon Enigma
Harmonized First Vision accounts in CES broadcast (times & Seasons)
Matthew Grow’s touching tribute to Ronald Walker @ BCC
Re-examining and re-evaluating the Gospel Topics essays by Mary-Ann at W&T
Steve Taysom interviewed by Matt Bowman on craft of biography writing
Latest Book Releases
Adam Miller, Future Mormon: Essays in Mormon Theology
Kate Holbrook and Matthew Bowman, eds., Women and Mormonism: Historical and Contemporary Perspectives
Gregory A. Prince, Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History
Matthew C. Godfrey, et al., eds., Joseph Smith Papers: Documents, Vol. 4: April 1834 - September 1835
Martha Bradley-Evans, Glorious in Persecution: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1839-1844
Patrick Q. Mason, ed., Directions for Mormon Studies in the Twenty-First Century
Laura Hales, ed., A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine & Church History
Read Brandt Malone's interview with Laura Hales on the Cultural Hall Podcast.
Upcoming Events
Mormonism in Religious Studies workshop at University of Utah
Mormon History Association 2016 Conference in Snowbird, UT
Mormon Women's History Initiative Team (MWHIT) sponsoring a fundraising bazaar at MHA.
Greg Prince author event at Benchmark Books, June 8
Greg Prince author event at Writ & Vision, June 9
Adam Miller author event at Writ & Vision, June 14
Jack Harrell author event at Writ & Vision, June 28
Matthew Godfrey speaking on Zion's Camp at Temple Square Assembly Hall, June 23