Mormon studies
Encyclopedia
Mormon studies is the interdisciplinary
academic study of the beliefs, practices
, history and culture
of those known by the term Mormon
and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement
whose members do not generally go by the term "Mormon". The Latter Day Saint movement includes not only The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) but also the Community of Christ
(CC) and other groups, as well as those falling under the umbrella of Fundamentalist Mormonism.
Mormon studies is predominantly historical
and a branch of American studies
—yet, because of growth trends, more than half of the movement's adherents live outside the U.S., making it a subset of Latin American studies
, Pacific studies
, Canadian studies
, and European studies
, as well. In addition to general historians, scholars with expertise in such fields as social anthropology
and women's studies
contribute or concentrate in Mormon studies as well. Mormon studies academics often present their researches not only at standard academic forums but at more broadly popular gatherings—whether devotional, socially activist, or of some other nature. Likewise, some who are not trained academically in history or another social science, conduct and present Mormon-studies research of note.
Although some scholars' studies of Mormonism are primarily apologetic, either pro- or counter- Latter Day Saint faith claims, those whose work best characterize the field stand apart from claims in either direction and, even if they analyze Latter Day Saint beliefs or theology from a personal standpoint of Mormon-belief, of another religious belief, or of no religious beliefs at all, they couch their views in terms of encouraging cross-faiths and Mormon–"secular" understanding.
Among prestigious awards in the field are the Leonard J. Arrington Award, presented by the Mormon History Association
for "distinguished and meritorious service to Mormon history" and its Woodward Award for outstanding International Mormon history. Whereas many scholars drawn to the field share a background in the religion itself, the MHA's Thomas L. Kane Award is presented each year usually to a non-Mormon historian in recognition of work seen as building bridges between Mormons and other communities.
Some of the individuals with recognized expertise in the field are listed below.Note: In consideration of space, do not include members of LDS movement denominations' overall leadership. (Dallin H. Oaks is listed for work he published prior his becoming a member of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve.)
Interdisciplinarity
Interdisciplinarity involves the combining of two or more academic fields into one single discipline. An interdisciplinary field crosses traditional boundaries between academic disciplines or schools of thought, as new needs and professions have emerged....
academic study of the beliefs, practices
Beliefs and practices of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints focuses its doctrine and teaching on Jesus Christ; that he was the Son of God, born of the virgin Mary, lived a perfect life, performed miracles, bled from every pore in the Garden of Gethsemane, died on the cross, rose on the third day, appeared...
, history and culture
Culture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
A culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, reflecting the cultural impact of basic beliefs and traditions of the church, distinguishes church members, practices, and activities...
of those known by the term Mormon
Mormon
The term Mormon most commonly denotes an adherent, practitioner, follower, or constituent of Mormonism, which is the largest branch of the Latter Day Saint movement in restorationist Christianity...
and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
whose members do not generally go by the term "Mormon". The Latter Day Saint movement includes not only The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) but also the Community of Christ
Community of Christ
The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
(CC) and other groups, as well as those falling under the umbrella of Fundamentalist Mormonism.
Mormon studies is predominantly historical
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and a branch of American studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
—yet, because of growth trends, more than half of the movement's adherents live outside the U.S., making it a subset of Latin American studies
Latin American Studies
Latin American studies is an academic discipline dealing with the study of Latin America and Latin Americans.-Definition:Latin American studies critically examines the history, culture, politics, and experiences of Latin Americans in Latin America and often also elsewhere .Latin American studies...
, Pacific studies
Pacific studies
Pacific studies is the study of the Pacific region across academic disciplines such as anthropology, archeology, art, economics, geography, history, linguistics, literature, music, politics, or sociology....
, Canadian studies
Canadian Studies
Canadian Studies is a Collegiate study of Canadian culture, Canadian languages, literature, Quebec, agriculture, history, and their government and politics. Most universities recommend that students take a double major and French, if not included in the course...
, and European studies
European studies
European studies is a field of study offered by many academic colleges and universities that focuses on current developments in European integration....
, as well. In addition to general historians, scholars with expertise in such fields as social anthropology
Social anthropology
Social Anthropology is one of the four or five branches of anthropology that studies how contemporary human beings behave in social groups. Practitioners of social anthropology investigate, often through long-term, intensive field studies , the social organization of a particular person: customs,...
and women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
contribute or concentrate in Mormon studies as well. Mormon studies academics often present their researches not only at standard academic forums but at more broadly popular gatherings—whether devotional, socially activist, or of some other nature. Likewise, some who are not trained academically in history or another social science, conduct and present Mormon-studies research of note.
Although some scholars' studies of Mormonism are primarily apologetic, either pro- or counter- Latter Day Saint faith claims, those whose work best characterize the field stand apart from claims in either direction and, even if they analyze Latter Day Saint beliefs or theology from a personal standpoint of Mormon-belief, of another religious belief, or of no religious beliefs at all, they couch their views in terms of encouraging cross-faiths and Mormon–"secular" understanding.
Among prestigious awards in the field are the Leonard J. Arrington Award, presented by the Mormon History Association
Mormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
for "distinguished and meritorious service to Mormon history" and its Woodward Award for outstanding International Mormon history. Whereas many scholars drawn to the field share a background in the religion itself, the MHA's Thomas L. Kane Award is presented each year usually to a non-Mormon historian in recognition of work seen as building bridges between Mormons and other communities.
Independent
- Utah State UniversityUtah State UniversityUtah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
's Program of Religious Studies
- Arrington Chair of Mormon History and Culture, est. 2007
- Claremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
's School of Religion
- Claremont Graduate University
- Hunter Chair of Mormon Studies, est. 2008
- Utah Valley University
- University of WyomingUniversity of WyomingThe University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
Denominationally affiliated
- Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
Religious Education (Provo, Utah; Rexburg, IdahoBrigham Young University–IdahoBrigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and transitioned from a junior college to a four-year institution in 2001, known for the greater part of its...
; Laie, Hawaii campuses; and also the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern StudiesBrigham Young University Jerusalem CenterThe Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies , situated on Mount Scopus in Jerusalem, Israel, is a satellite campus of Brigham Young University , the largest religious university in the United States...
)
- For LDS religious instruction. (Advanced historical research is conducted instead at the LDS Church History LibraryChurch History LibraryThe Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah houses materials chronicling the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, which institution, incidentally—along with places such as BYU's Harold B. Lee LibraryHarold B. Lee LibraryThe Harold B. Lee Library , located in Provo, Utah, is the main academic library of Brigham Young University, the largest religious and second-largest private university in the United States. The library has approximately of shelving for the more than 6 million items in its various collections, as...
and the Huntington Library—holds historical materials important to Mormon studies.)- Fuller Theological Seminary's School of Intercultural Studies
- Department at multi-denominational Protestant Christian seminary that has occasionally held seminars on Evangelical–Latter-day Saint dialogue and comparative theology
- Graceland UniversityGraceland UniversityGraceland is not ranked by U.S. News & World Report, being deemed a Tier 3 institution. It is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission as a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.-Housing System:...
- Graceland University
- Non-denominational university affiliated with the Community of ChristCommunity of ChristThe Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints , is an American-based international Christian church established in April 1830 that claims as its mission "to proclaim Jesus Christ and promote communities of joy, hope, love, and peace"...
. Teaches religion classes and is connected with the denomination's seminary.- Latter-day Saint Institutes of ReligionInstitute of ReligionInstitutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Latter-day Saint Institutes of Religion
- Offers religious instruction to LDS students, often at locations adjacent to institutions of higher learning
- Southern Virginia UniversitySouthern Virginia UniversitySouthern Virginia University is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia that promotes standards and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while not being owned nor operated by the Church...
- Southern Virginia University
- Small liberal arts academic institution operated by members of the LDS Church
Other institutions
- Association for Mormon LettersAssociation for Mormon LettersThe Association for Mormon Letters is a nonprofit founded in 1976 to promote quality writing "by, for, and about Mormons." The broadness of this definition of Mormon literature has led the AML to focus on a wide variety of work that has sometimes been neglected in the Mormon community...
- Church History Department of the LDS Church
- European Mormon Studies Association
- Foundation for Apologetic Information & ResearchFoundation for Apologetic Information & ResearchThe Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research is a non-profit organization that specializes in Mormon apologetics and responds to criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . FAIR is made up of volunteers who seek to answer questions submitted to its web site...
- John Whitmer Historical AssociationJohn Whitmer Historical AssociationThe John Whitmer Historical Association "is an independent scholarly society composed of individuals of various religious faiths who share a lively interest in ......
- Mormon Historic Sites FoundationMormon Historic Sites FoundationThe Mormon Historic Sites Foundation is an independent organization that seeks to contribute to the memorialization of sites important to the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
- Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology
- Sunstone Education Foundation
Multi-volume document compilations
- History of the ChurchHistory of the ChurchHistory of the Church is a semi-official history of the early Latter Day Saint movement during the lifetime of founder Joseph...
- 7 volumes, published 1902–1912; B.H. Roberts, editor (affil., LDS)
- The Joseph Smith PapersThe Joseph Smith PapersThe Joseph Smith Papers is a project researching, collecting, and publishing all manuscripts and documents created by, or under the direction of, Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. The documents will be published with transcriptions and annotations online and in...
- The Joseph Smith Papers
- Multi-volume, published 2008–on (jointly affil., LDS / US National Historical Publications and Records Commission)
- Journal of DiscoursesJournal of DiscoursesThe Journal of Discourses is a 26-volume collection of public sermons by early leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . The first editions of the Journal were published in England by George D. Watt, the stenographer of Brigham Young...
- Journal of Discourses
- 26 volumes of LDS sermons, published 1854–1886 (affil., LDS; non-"canonical")
Brief reference works
- Encyclopedia of MormonismEncyclopedia of MormonismThe Encyclopedia of Mormonism is a semi-official encyclopedia for topics relevant to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(1992) - Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (2000)
- Mormonism: A Historical EncyclopediaMormonism: A Historical EncyclopediaMormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia designed for a general readership about topics relating to the History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, edited by W. Paul Reeve and Ardis E. Parshall. Reeve is a professor of history at the University of Utah and Parshall...
(2010)
Journals
- BYU StudiesBYU StudiesBYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(affil., LDS) - The Claremont Journal of Mormon Studies
- Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
- Element: a Journal of Mormon Philosophy and Theology
- Exponent II — Quarterly feminist magazine
- International Journal of Mormon Studies
- Journal of the Book of Mormon and Other Restoration Scripture (affil., LDS)
- The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal
- Latter Day Saint movement history journal, founded by CC members
- Journal of Mormon History
- Mormon Historic Sites FoundationMormon Historic Sites FoundationThe Mormon Historic Sites Foundation is an independent organization that seeks to contribute to the memorialization of sites important to the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
's Mormon Historical Studies - Mormon Studies Review (affil., LDS)
- Restoration Studies — CC history journal (jointly affil., CC / John Whitmer Historical AssociationJohn Whitmer Historical AssociationThe John Whitmer Historical Association "is an independent scholarly society composed of individuals of various religious faiths who share a lively interest in ......
) - Sunstone: Mormon Experience, Scholarship, Issues & ArtSunstone MagazineSunstone is a magazine published by the Sunstone Education Foundation, Inc., a 501 nonprofit corporation, that discusses Mormonism through scholarship, art, short fiction, and poetry. The foundation began the publication in 1974 and considers it a vehicle for free and frank exchange in The Church...
Publishers
- Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
- Brigham Young University PressBrigham Young University PressBrigham Young University Press is the university press of Brigham Young University .-History:Brigham Young University Press was formed in 1967 through the consolidation of BYU's various publishing activities into one central organization....
- Brigham Young University Studies
- Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon StudiesFoundation for Ancient Research and Mormon StudiesThe Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies is an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. The group is formally part of the Neal A...
(FARMS) - Religious Studies CenterReligious Studies CenterThe Religious Studies Center is the research and publishing arm of the Religious Education program at Brigham Young University , sponsoring scholarship on Latter-day Saint culture, history, scripture, and doctrine.-History:...
- Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
(affil., LDS)
- Deseret Book
- Additional imprints: BookcraftBookcraftBookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
and Covenant- Foundation for
[LDS] Apologetic Information & ResearchFoundation for Apologetic Information & ResearchThe Foundation for Apologetic Information & Research is a non-profit organization that specializes in Mormon apologetics and responds to criticism of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . FAIR is made up of volunteers who seek to answer questions submitted to its web site... - Herald HouseHerald HouseHerald House or Herald Publishing House is the publishing division of the Community of Christ in Independence, Missouri. It publishes books, periodicals and other materials at the direction of the First Presidency. Its history dates back to the publication of a church periodical called the True...
(affil., CC) - John Whitmer Books
- Signature BooksSignature BooksSignature Books is a press specializing in subjects related to Utah, Mormonism, and Western Americana. The company was founded in 1980 by George D...
- Utah Lighthouse
[Evangelical] Ministry (independent, Christian "anti-MormonAnti-MormonAnti-Mormonism is discrimination, persecution, hostility or prejudice directed at members of the Latter Day Saint movement, particularly The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
" research ministry) - CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions)CESNURCESNUR , is an organization based in Turin, Italy. It was established in 1988 by a group of religious scholars from universities in Europe and the Americas, working in the field of new religious movements. Its director is the Italian sociologist and attorney Massimo Introvigne...
(Centro studi sulle nuove religioni) - Christian Research InstituteChristian Research InstituteThe Christian Research Institute is an Evangelical Christian apologetics ministry. It was established in October 1960 in the state of New Jersey by Walter Martin . In 1974 Martin relocated the ministry to San Juan Capistrano, California. The ministry's office was relocated in the 1990s near Rancho...
- University of Utah PressUniversity of Utah PressThe University of Utah Press is the independent publishing branch of the University of Utah and is a division of the J. Willard Marriott Library. Founded in 1949 by A. Ray Olpin, it is also the oldest university press in Utah...
- Foundation for
- Apologetics ministry founded by Walter Ralston Martin, "father of the Christian Counter-cult Movement"
Selected list of past scholars
Individuals from a variety of cultural or philosophical standpoints produced prolific Mormon-themed research, scholarship, or their popularization, in an era now past. Then, beginning in the decade of the 2000s, Mormon studies finally came into its own as an independent field of study when the sub-discipline became featured by then at a few academic institutions in the Western United States.Some of the individuals with recognized expertise in the field are listed below.Note: In consideration of space, do not include members of LDS movement denominations' overall leadership. (Dallin H. Oaks is listed for work he published prior his becoming a member of the LDS Quorum of the Twelve.)
19th-century compilers of Mormon histories or essays
- Thomas BullockThomas Bullock (Mormon)Thomas Bullock was a Mormon pioneer and a clerk in the Church Historian's Office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Bullock was born in Leek, Staffordshire, England...
(1816–1885) - William Clayton (1814–1879)
- Appleton Milo HarmonAppleton Milo HarmonAppleton Milo Harmon was an early member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a leading pioneer of the emigration to Salt Lake City and the settlement of Utah Territory. Harmon was born in Conneaut Pennsylvania, the son of Jesse Pierce Harmon and Annie Barnes, he married Elmeda...
(1820–1877) - Edward TullidgeEdward TullidgeEdward Wheelock Tullidge was a literary critic, newspaper editor, playwright, and historian of Utah Territory.-Biography:...
(1829–1894) - L. John NuttallL. John NuttallLeonard John Nuttall was a private secretary for Brigham Young, John Taylor, and Wilford Woodruff and was a member of the Council of Fifty who kept a detailed journal of the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.Nuttall was born in Liverpool, England and emigrated to...
(1834–1905) - Edward H. AndersonEdward H. AndersonEdward Henry Anderson was a Latter Day Saint missionary, leader, writer and editor.Anderson is the author of the biography The Life of Brigham Young. The book is an account written sixteen years following Brigham Young's death in 1877...
(1858–1928)
- Journalist. Biographer of Brigham YoungBrigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
- Nephi AndersonNephi AndersonChristian Nephi Anderson was a prolific LDS author and the most well-known from the "Home Literature" period of LDS fiction. His most successful work was his first novel, Added Upon , but his writing career also included short stories, poetry, and non-fiction...
(1865–1923)
- Nephi Anderson
- Mormon author of fiction and non-fiction
Opening "modern," 20th-century field
- Andrew JensonAndrew JensonAndrew Jenson, born Anders Jensen, was a Danish immigrant to the United States who acted as an Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for much of the early-twentieth century...
(1850–1941)
- Assistant
[LDS] Church Historian- B. H. Roberts (1857–1933)
- Assistant Church Historian of the LDS Church 1902–1933. Made first attempts to shift from apologetics to a professional historical approach.
- John Henry EvansJohn Henry EvansJohn Henry Evans was an early-20th century Mormon educator and writer, most known for his 1933 biography Joseph Smith, An American Prophet, published by Macmillan.-Biography:...
(1872–1947) Latter-day Saints University
- John Henry Evans
- Biographer, various early LDS leaders
- LeRoy R. HafenLeRoy R. HafenLeRoy Reuben Hafen was a historian of the American West and a Latter-day Saint. For many years he was a professor of history at Brigham Young University .-Biography:...
(1893–1985) – University of DenverUniversity of DenverThe University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
; Brigham Young - Bernard DeVotoBernard DeVotoBernard Augustine DeVoto was an American historian and author who specialized in the history of the American West.- Life and work :He was born in Ogden, Utah...
(1897–1955) – NorthwesternNorthwestern UniversityNorthwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
; HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
- LeRoy R. Hafen
- Preeminent writer-historian of the American West sometimes writing on Mormon subjects
- Juanita BrooksJuanita BrooksJuanita Pulsipher Brooks was an American historian and author, specializing in the American West and Mormon history, including books related to the Mountain Meadows massacre, to which her ancestor Dudley Leavitt was sometimes linked.-Biography:Born Juanita Leone Leavitt, Brooks was born and raised...
(1898–1989)
- Juanita Brooks
- Independent. Also served as a dean at Dixie Junior College
- Paul Dayton BaileyPaul Dayton BaileyPaul Dayton Bailey was the owner/publisher of Westernlore Press and a writer of many books himself that focused on the Western American experience and, in particular, Latter-day Saint history.- Early years :...
(1906–1987)
- Paul Dayton Bailey
- Journalist. Author of histories of about Mormon pioneers
- Samuel W. TaylorSamuel W. TaylorSamuel Woolley Taylor was an American novelist, scriptwriter and historian.- Biography :Taylor was born in Provo, Utah to Janet "Nettie" Maria Woolley and John W. Taylor, the son of John Taylor, the late president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
(1907–1997)
- Samuel W. Taylor
- Novelist and screenwriter who authored the Mormon-themed humorous novel Heaven Knows Why! in 1979
- Lowell L. BennionLowell L. BennionLowell Lindsay Bennion was an American educator and counselor. Early in his career, Bennion focused much of his efforts on fellow members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , but he sought to benefit all people in his reach.Bennion was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, the son of...
(1908–1996) – Salt Lake City's LDS Institute of ReligionInstitute of ReligionInstitutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Lowell L. Bennion
- Sociology of religion. Ecumenical outreach, practical philosophy
- Wallace StegnerWallace StegnerWallace Earle Stegner was an American historian, novelist, short story writer, and environmentalist, often called "The Dean of Western Writers"...
(1909–1993) – University of Wisconsin; HarvardHarvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
- Wallace Stegner
- Writer-historian called "The Dean of Western Writers," sometimes writing on Mormon topics
- Ivan J. BarrettIvan J. BarrettIvan Junius Barrett was an American author, professor, and historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
(1910–1999) – Brigham Young - Hugh NibleyHugh NibleyHugh Winder Nibley was an American author, Mormon apologist, and professor at Brigham Young University...
(1910–2005) – Brigham Young
- Ivan J. Barrett
- Known as the father of LDS Apologetics
- W. Cleon Skousen (1913–2006)
- BYU religion professor, 1967–1978. Prolific popularizer among LDS of its theology. (Also an influential, conservative American Constitutionalist and faith-basedFaith-basedThe term faith-based is a neologism , mostly current in US English, to describe any organization or government idea or plan based on religious beliefs, specifically Christian beliefs....
political theorist)- Brigham D. Madsen (1914–2010) – University of Utah
- Historian
- Dale MorganDale MorganLowell Dale Morgan , generally cited as Dale Morgan or Dale L. Morgan, was an American historian, accomplished researcher, biographer, editor, and critic. He specialized in material on Utah history, Mormon history, the American fur trade, and overland trails...
(1914–1971)
- Dale Morgan
- Influential independent Utah historian
- Fawn Brodie (1915–1981)
- Critical, psychobiographerPsychobiographyPsychobiography aims to understand historically significant individuals such as artists, political leaders, and so on, through the application of psychological theory and research...
of Joseph Smith. Became UCLA professor- Leonard J. ArringtonLeonard J. ArringtonLeonard James Arrington was an author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his many influential contributions to the field.-Biographical background:Arrington was born in Twin Falls,...
(1917–1999) – Utah State Agricultural College; BYU; LDS Church Historian, 1972–1982
- Leonard J. Arrington
- Economist. Known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History."
- Richard D. PollRichard D. PollRichard Douglas Poll was an American historian, academic, author and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . His liberal religiosity influenced his notable metaphor about "Iron Rod" vs. "Liahona" LDS Church members. -Biography:Poll was born in Salt Lake City, where he lived...
(1918–1994) – Brigham Young; Western Illinois UniversityWestern Illinois UniversityWestern Illinois University is a public university founded in 1899 as Western Illinois State Normal School. Like many similar institutions of the time, Western Illinois State Normal School focused on teacher training for its relatively small body of students. As the normal school grew, it became... - Paul R. CheesmanPaul R. CheesmanPaul Robert Cheesman was an American archeologist and a professor of religion at Brigham Young University .-Biography:...
(1921–1991) – Brigham Young
- Richard D. Poll
- Archeologist
- Stanley B. KimballStanley B. KimballStanley Buchholz Kimball was a historian at Southern Illinois University. He was an expert on eastern European history but also wrote on Latter-day Saint history, specifically his ancestor Heber C...
(1926–2003) – Southern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois UniversitySouthern Illinois University is a state university system based in Carbondale, Illinois, in the Southern Illinois region of the state, with multiple campuses...
- Stanley B. Kimball
- Scholar of Eastern European history and also of Utah pioneer history
- Truman G. MadsenTruman G. MadsenTruman Grant Madsen was an emeritus professor of religion and philosophy at Brigham Young University and director of the Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. He was a prolific author, a recognized authority on Joseph Smith, and a popular lecturer among Latter-day...
(1926–2009) — Brigham Young
- Truman G. Madsen
- Homiletic biographer of Joseph Smith, Jr.
- Harold SchindlerHarold SchindlerHarold Moroni "Hal" Schindler was an American journalist and historian, known for his articles and books on the American west...
(1929–1998)
- Harold Schindler
- Utah journalist. Biographer of Orrin Porter Rockwell
- Carlfred BroderickCarlfred BroderickCarlfred Bartholomew Broderick was a 20th-century psychologist and family therapist, a scholar of marriage and family relations at the University of Southern California, and an author of several books...
(1932–1999) – University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
- Carlfred Broderick
- Psychologist, family therapist and popular author. Also wrote a handful of pieces in publications intended for an LDS audience
- Helen B. Andelin (1932–2006) – LDS Relief SocietyRelief SocietyThe Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...
- Helen B. Andelin (1932–2006) – LDS Relief Society
- Popular author. Studied home economicsHome EconomicsHome economics is the profession and field of study that deals with the economics and management of the home and community...
at BYU. Taught women's classes in her local LDS ChurchRelief SocietyThe Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...
, expanding materials prepared for this purpose into Fascinating WomanhoodFascinating WomanhoodFascinating Womanhood is the title of a book written by Helen Andelin in 1963. The book recently went into its sixth edition, published by Random House...
(1963)- Eugene EnglandEugene EnglandGeorge Eugene England, Jr. , usually credited as Eugene England, was a Mormon writer, teacher, and scholar. He founded Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, the oldest independent journal in Mormon Studies, with G. Wesley Johnson in 1966 and cofounded the Association for Mormon Letters in 1976...
(1933–2001) — Brigham Young
- Eugene England
- Founder, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
- Valeen Tippetts AveryValeen Tippetts AveryValeen Tippetts Avery was an American biographer and historian best known for her work on Western American and Latter Day Saint history...
(1936–2006) – Northern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona UniversityNorthern Arizona University is a public university located in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States. It is accredited by the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, and has 39 satellite campuses in the state of Arizona. The university offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.As of...
- Valeen Tippetts Avery
- Historian specializing in women's studiesWomen's studiesWomen's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
. Biographer of Emma Hale SmithEmma Hale SmithEmma Hale Smith Bidamon was married to Joseph Smith, Jr., until his death in 1844, and was an early leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, during Joseph Smith's lifetime and afterward as a member of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints...
- Jerald Tanner (1938–2006)
- Independent, Evangelical pamphleteer and provocateur that, with his wife Sandra (born 1941), documented such things as what he believed to be historical LDS doctrinal changes
Of preeminence
- Thomas G. AlexanderThomas G. AlexanderThomas Glen Alexander is an American historian and academic who is professor emeritus from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, where he was also Lemuel Hardison Redd, Jr. Professor of Western History and director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies.-Biography:Alexander was born in...
– Brigham YoungBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
- Lemuel Hardison Redd, Jr. Professor of Western History
- James B. AllenJames B. Allen (historian)James Brown "Jim" Allen is an American historian of Mormonism and was an official Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972–1979.-Biography:...
– BYU; Assistant[LDS] Church Historian
- James B. Allen
- Co-founder, Mormon History Association
- Philip BarlowPhilip BarlowPhilip Layton Barlow is a Harvard-trained scholar who specializes in American Religious History, religious geography, and Mormonism. In 2007 he became the country’s first full-time professor of Mormon studies at a secular university by being appointed as the Leonard J...
– Utah State UniversityUtah State UniversityUtah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.... - Richard BushmanRichard BushmanRichard Lyman Bushman is an American historian and Gouverneur Morris Professor of History emeritus at Columbia University. He is currently the Howard W. Hunter Visiting Professor in Mormon Studies at Claremont Graduate University...
– Claremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
; ColumbiaColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the... - Ronald K. EsplinRon EsplinDr. Ronald Kent Esplin is the managing editor of The Joseph Smith Papers project and the former director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University .- Biography :...
– Brigham Young; LDS Church History LibraryChurch History LibraryThe Church History Library in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah houses materials chronicling the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Philip Barlow
- Director, The Joseph Smith PapersThe Joseph Smith PapersThe Joseph Smith Papers is a project researching, collecting, and publishing all manuscripts and documents created by, or under the direction of, Joseph Smith, Jr., the founder of the Latter Day Saint movement. The documents will be published with transcriptions and annotations online and in...
project- Terryl GivensTerryl GivensTerryl Lynn Givens is professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond where he holds the James A. Bostwick Chair in English...
– University of RichmondUniversity of RichmondThe University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate... - Marlin K. JensenMarlin K. JensenMarlin Keith Jensen has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1989 and has been the official Church Historian and Recorder of the church since 2005. He is the 19th man to hold that calling since it was established in 1830.- Biographical background...
– LDS Church Historian - Armand MaussArmand MaussArmand Lind Mauss is an American sociologist specializing in the sociology of religion. He is professor emeritus of Sociology and Religious Studies at Washington State University, is the most often published sociologist in the twentieth century of works on the Mormons, and is broadly recognized...
– Washington State UniversityWashington State UniversityWashington State University is a public research university based in Pullman, Washington, in the Palouse region of the Pacific Northwest. Founded in 1890, WSU is the state's original and largest land-grant university...
; Claremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles... - D. Michael QuinnD. Michael QuinnDennis Michael Quinn is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a professor at Brigham Young University from 1976 until his resignation in 1988. At the time, his work concerned church involvement with plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto, in which...
– Brigham YoungBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
; after 1988, independent - Jan ShippsJan ShippsJo Ann Barnett "Jan" Shipps is an American historian specializing in Mormon History, particularly in the latter half of the 20th century to the present. Shipps is generally regarded as the foremost non-Mormon scholar of the Latter Day Saint movement, having given particular attention to The...
– Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis
- Terryl Givens
International Mormonism
- R. Lanier BritschR. Lanier BritschRalph Lanier Britsch was a history professor at Brigham Young University who specialized in the history of missionary work by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , particularly in the Pacific Islands and Asia.- Biography :...
– Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
- Historian of LDS missionaryMormon missionaryThe Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
work, especially in the South PacificOceaniaOceania is a region centered on the islands of the tropical Pacific Ocean. Conceptions of what constitutes Oceania range from the coral atolls and volcanic islands of the South Pacific to the entire insular region between Asia and the Americas, including Australasia and the Malay Archipelago...
English professors, successful local or national authors, journalists
- Will BagleyWill BagleyWill Bagley is a historian specializing in the history of western United States. Bagley has written about the fur trade, overland emigration, American Indians, military history, frontier violence, railroads, mining, and Utah and the Mormons....
- Independent historian of Utah history
- Orson Scott CardOrson Scott CardOrson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
– Southern Virginia UniversitySouthern Virginia UniversitySouthern Virginia University is a liberal arts college located in Buena Vista, Virginia that promotes standards and values of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while not being owned nor operated by the Church...
- Orson Scott Card
- Prolific, popular author (science fiction, fantasy, and biblical historical fiction novels; non-fiction books on creating fictional characters; polical commentary). Professor of creative writing. Columnist at Mormon TimesMormon TimesMormon Times was a website and newspaper insert containing news and information for and about members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . According to mormontimes.com, it has moved back to Deseret News....
on LDS-theme subjects- John DehlinJohn DehlinJohn P. Dehlin is the creator of several Mormon-themed podcasts, blogs and web sites. John worked for several years in various positions at Microsoft, and served for a few years as the Director of the OpenCourseWare Consortium for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He was an influential...
- John Dehlin
- Author of blog and video-weblog popularizing Mormon studies
- Richard DutcherRichard DutcherRichard Alan Dutcher is an American independent filmmaker who produces, writes, directs, edits, and frequently stars in his films. Well known among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for his early Mormon-themed productions, Dutcher has been called “The Father of Mormon...
- Richard Dutcher
- Filmmaker on predominantly LDS topics
- John C. Hamer – Independent historian
- Journal editor. Co-author, books about Community of Christ history and about LDS movement schisms. Blogger about Latter Day Saint movement topics
- Robert KirbyRobert Kirby (humor columnist)-Biography:Kirby was born into a military family. After completing high school he served a two-year mission in Uruguay for his church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he learned to speak Spanish. Upon his return he pursued a career in law enforcement. His first work as a...
- Robert Kirby
- Salt Lake City newspaper columnist (the Tribune) who comments in a humorous vein often on LDS subjects
- Jon KrakauerJon KrakauerJon Krakauer is an American writer and mountaineer, primarily known for his writing about the outdoors and mountain-climbing...
- Jon Krakauer
- Popular non-fiction author. Wrote Under the Banner of Heaven (2003)
- William P. MacKinnonWilliam P. MacKinnonWilliam P. MacKinnon is the author of At Sword's Point: A Documentary History of the Utah War to 1858. MacKinnon has published over thirty articles on the history of the American West. In 2008, the Mormon History Association awarded MacKinnon its Thomas L. Kane Award. An independent historian and...
– Independent historian
- William P. MacKinnon
- Businessman. Historian of the Utah WarUtah WarThe Utah War, also known as the Utah Expedition, Buchanan's Blunder, the Mormon War, or the Mormon Rebellion was an armed confrontation between LDS settlers in the Utah Territory and the armed forces of the United States government. The confrontation lasted from May 1857 until July 1858...
- Grant H. PalmerGrant H. PalmerGrant H. Palmer is an American educator best known for his controversial work, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, which led directly to his disfellowshipment in 2004 from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
- Grant H. Palmer
- LDS high school level religious instructor; after 1988, ecumenical prison chaplain. Popularizer of Mormon studies
- Ardis E. ParshallArdis E. ParshallArdis E. Parshall is a historian, freelance researcher specializing in Mormon history, a blogger and a columnist for the Salt Lake Tribune. Her history blog is Keepapitchinin. Parshall co-edited with Paul Reeve Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia, published in 2010 by ABC-CLIO.- External links :*...
– Independent historian
- Ardis E. Parshall
- History blogger and Salt Lake City newspaper columnist. Co-editor of Mormonism: A Historical EncyclopediaMormonism: A Historical EncyclopediaMormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia designed for a general readership about topics relating to the History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, edited by W. Paul Reeve and Ardis E. Parshall. Reeve is a professor of history at the University of Utah and Parshall...
(2010)- Boyd Jay PetersenBoyd PetersenBoyd Jay Petersen is a biographer of Hugh Nibley, a professor at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University, and a former candidate for the Utah House of Representatives.-Biography:...
– Brigham Young
- Boyd Jay Petersen
- Biographer of Hugh NibleyHugh NibleyHugh Winder Nibley was an American author, Mormon apologist, and professor at Brigham Young University...
- Levi S. PetersonLevi S. PetersonLevi Savage Peterson is a Mormon biographer, essayist and fictionist whose best-known works include the seminal biography of Juanita Brooks, his own autobiography and his novel The Backslider, "standard for the contemporary Mormon novel". He was born and reared in the Mormon community of...
– Weber State UniversityWeber State UniversityWeber State University is a public university located in the city of Ogden in Weber County, Utah, USA. It was founded in 1889 and is a coeducational, publicly supported university offering professional, liberal arts and technical certificates, as well as associate, bachelor's and master's degrees...
- Levi S. Peterson
- Novelist–memoirist. Biographer of Juanita BrooksJuanita BrooksJuanita Pulsipher Brooks was an American historian and author, specializing in the American West and Mormon history, including books related to the Mountain Meadows massacre, to which her ancestor Dudley Leavitt was sometimes linked.-Biography:Born Juanita Leone Leavitt, Brooks was born and raised...
- Gregory A. PrinceGregory PrinceGregory A. Prince is an American pathology researcher, businessman, author, and historian of the Latter Day Saint movement.-Biography:Prince was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. After graduating as valedictorian from Dixie College Gregory A. Prince (born 1948) is an American pathology...
– Independent historian
- Gregory A. Prince
- Medical pathologist. Biographer of David O. McKayDavid O. McKayDavid Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
- Robert A. ReesRobert A. ReesRobert A. Rees is an educator, scholar and poet. Since 1998 he has been Director of Education and Humanities at the Institute of HeartMath in Boulder Creek, California. Rees conducts training and does workshops throughout the United States.- Current :Rees's social commentary on Glenn Beck.* “,” ...
– University of California-Los Angeles
- Robert A. Rees
- Book of Mormon studies
- Jana RiessJana RiessJana Kathryn Riess is an American writer and editor.Reiss' writings have focused on American religions, usually on organized movements such as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and The Church of Christ, Scientist.-Background:Reiss was born in the US midwest, one of two children...
- Jana Riess
- Religion reporter and publishing house editor
- Peggy Fletcher StackPeggy Fletcher StackPeggy Fletcher Stack is an American journalist, editor, and author. Stack has been the religion writer for the Salt Lake Tribune since 1991.- Biography :...
- Peggy Fletcher Stack
- Religious studiesReligious studiesReligious studies is the academic field of multi-disciplinary, secular study of religious beliefs, behaviors, and institutions. It describes, compares, interprets, and explains religion, emphasizing systematic, historically based, and cross-cultural perspectives.While theology attempts to...
, with her undergraduate degree in family science. Salt Lake City religion reporter (the Tribune)- Jonathan A. Stapley – Independent historian
- Chemist and businessman
- Terry Tempest WilliamsTerry Tempest WilliamsTerry Tempest Williams , is an American author, conservationist and activist.Williams’ writing is rooted in the American West and has been significantly influenced by the arid landscape of her native Utah in which she was raised...
– University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
- Terry Tempest Williams
- Author of works with localized ecological and Mormon ethnological features
- Margaret Blair YoungMargaret Blair YoungMargaret Blair Young is an American author, filmmaker and writing instructor affiliated with Brigham Young University.- Biography :Young is married to English professor Bruce Young...
– Brigham YoungBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
- Margaret Blair Young
- Mormon African American history
- Wm. Robert WrightWm. Robert WrightWilliam Robert Wright is an American attorney and biographer of David O. McKay. With Gregory Prince, he is the co-author of the book David O...
- Wm. Robert Wright
- Lawyer. Biographer of David O. McKayDavid O. McKayDavid Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
- Brady UdallBrady UdallBrady Udall is an American novelist. In 2010, he was appointed Writer-in-Residence of Idaho, a position he will hold until 2013.-Biography:Udall grew up in a large Mormon family in St. Johns, Arizona. He graduated from Brigham Young University and later attended the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the...
- Brady Udall
- Novelist often using Latter Day Saint movement themes
Trained historians
- Mark Ashurst-McGeeMark Ashurst-McGeeMark Roscoe Ashurst-McGee is an American historian of the Latter Day Saint movement and editor for the Joseph Smith Papers project.-Biographical background:...
– Brigham Young; LDS Church History Department - Alexander L. BaughAlexander L. BaughAlexander L. Baugh is a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University . He has largely written on the history of the Latter Day Saint movement in the 1830s Missouri period, but has also written on such topics as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Great...
– Brigham Young
- Expert on the Mormon Missouri War of 1838
- John L. BrookeJohn L. Brooke-Life:Brooke graduated from Cornell University in 1975, and from the University of Pennsylvania, with an M.A. and Ph.D. in 1982.He taught at Franklin & Marshall College, Amherst College, and Tufts University.He most recently teaches at Ohio State University....
– Ohio State UniversityOhio State UniversityThe Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
- John L. Brooke
- Author of The Refiner's Fire: The Making of Mormon Cosmology, 1644-1844
- Stanford CazierStanford CazierStanford Orson "Stan" Cazier was an American educator, university administrator and scholar. He was president of California State University, Chico from 1971–1979 and Utah State University from 1979–1992.-Biographical background:...
– California State University, ChicoCalifornia State University, ChicoCalifornia State University, Chico is the second-oldest campus in the twenty-three-campus California State University system. It is located in Chico, California, about ninety miles north of Sacramento...
; Utah State UniversityUtah State UniversityUtah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.... - Richard O. CowanRichard O. CowanRichard Olsen Cowan is a historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a professor in the Church History Department of Brigham Young University . He is one of the longest-serving BYU faculty and the longest-serving member of the Church History Department ever.-Biography:Cowan...
– Brigham Young - Reed C. DurhamReed C. DurhamReed Connell Durham, Jr. is a historian of the Latter Day Saint movement and former director of the Institute of Religion in Salt Lake City, Utah for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
– LDS Institutes of ReligionInstitute of ReligionInstitutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... - Jessie L. Embry – Brigham Young
- Stanford Cazier
- Oral historian
- Scott H. FaulringScott H. FaulringScott Harry Faulring is an American historian and document editor connected with the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He has published with both the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies and Signature Books.- Biography :Faulring was born in the...
– Brigham Young - Arnold K. GarrArnold K. GarrArnold Kent Garr is the chair of the department of Church history and Doctrine in the Religious Education Division of Brigham Young University . He was also the lead editor of the Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History....
– Brigham Young
- Scott H. Faulring
- Lead editor, Encyclopedia of Latter-day Saint History (2000)
- Grant HardyGrant HardyGrant Hardy is a professor of history and religious studies at the University of North Carolina, Asheville and a scholar who has written on the history of pre-modern China as well as examinations of the Book of Mormon as literature....
– University of North Carolina Asheville
- Grant Hardy
- Book of Mormon studies
- William G. HartleyWilliam G. HartleyWilliam George Hartley is an American historian and author. He had written many books primarily on family history research, histories of specific families and 19th-century Latter-day Saint history.-Biography:...
– LDS Church History Department: Brigham Young - Andrew H. HedgesAndrew H. HedgesAndrew H. Hedges was, from 1995-2009, a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University and a co-editor of the Joseph Smith Papers....
– Brigham Young - Marvin S. HillMarvin S. HillMarvin Sidney Hill is a retired professor of American history at Brigham Young University and a historian of the Latter Day Saint movement.- Biography :...
– Brigham Young; YaleYale UniversityYale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States... - Daniel Walker HoweDaniel Walker HoweDaniel Walker Howe is a historian of the early national period of American history and specializes in the intellectual and religious history of the United States. He is Rhodes Professor of American History Emeritus at Oxford University in England and Professor of History Emeritus at the University...
– Oxford; University of California, Los AngelesUniversity of California, Los AngelesThe University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
- William G. Hartley
- Author of What Hath God Wrought: the Transformation of America, 1815–1848 (2007)
- Richard L. JensenRichard L. JensenRichard Louis Jensen is an American historian who specializes in the study of 19th-century Latter Day Saint history in Europe and of 19th-century European Latter Day Saint immigrants in the United States....
– Brigham Young; LDS Church History Department
- Richard L. Jensen
- 19th-century European Mormonism; LDS converts' immigration to U.S.
- Dean C. JesseeDean C. JesseeDean Cornell Jessee is a historian of the early Latter Day Saint movement and leading expert on the writings of Joseph Smith, Jr.-Biography:...
– LDS Church History Department; Brigham Young - Glen M. LeonardGlen M. LeonardGlen Milton Leonard is an American historian specializing in Mormon history.- Background :Leonard is a native of Farmington, Utah. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Utah. For a time he was managing editor of Utah Historical Quarterly. He has taught at both Brigham Young...
– Brigham Young; Utah State UniversityUtah State UniversityUtah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.... - L. Jackson Newell – University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
; Deep Springs CollegeDeep Springs CollegeDeep Springs is a private, all-male , alternative college in Deep Springs, California, in the United States. A two-year college, the institution currently aims for a student body size of 26, though the number is occasionally lower... - Robert V. ReminiRobert V. ReminiRobert Vincent Remini is a historian and a professor emeritus at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He is the author of numerous works about President Andrew Jackson and the Jacksonian Era....
– University of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of Illinois at ChicagoThe University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
- Dean C. Jessee
- Biographer of a number of notable Americans, including Joseph Smith, Jr.
- Richard E. Turley, Jr.Richard E. Turley, Jr.Richard Eyring "Rick" Turley, Jr. is an American historian and genealogist, and the Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-Biography:...
– Assistant[LDS] Church Historian - Grant UnderwoodGrant UnderwoodGrant Revon Underwood is a historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a professor at Brigham Young University...
– Brigham Young - Dan VogelDan VogelDaniel Arlon Vogel is the author of a number of books related to early Mormon history. He is a former member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, an atheist and a skeptic.- Joseph Smith biography :...
– Independent historian
- Richard E. Turley, Jr.
- Biographer of Joseph Smith, Jr.
- David J. WhittakerDavid J. WhittakerDavid Jay Whittaker is a Mormon historian and bibliographer. He has authored or co-authored seven books and about fifty scholarly articles. He was the curator of Western and Mormon history manuscripts for the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library of the Harold B. Lee Library. He was also a...
– Brigham Young; LDS Church History Department
- David J. Whittaker
Specialists in women's studies
- Lavina Fielding AndersonLavina Fielding AndersonLavina Fielding Anderson is a Latter Day Saint scholar, writer, editor, and feminist. Anderson holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Washington...
– Independent historian
- Feminist. Among scholars involved in a 1993 LDS controversy
- Claudia Bushman – ColumbiaColumbia UniversityColumbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
; Claremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate UniversityClaremont Graduate University is a private, all-graduate research university located in Claremont, California, a city east of downtown Los Angeles...
- Claudia Bushman – Columbia
- Historian
- Kathryn M. DaynesKathryn M. DaynesKathryn M. "Kathy" Daynes is a professor of history at Brigham Young University and a historian of Mormonism, specializing in Mormon polygamy. She was president of the Mormon History Association in 2008-2009....
– Brigham Young
- Kathryn M. Daynes
- Historical Mormon polygamyPolygamyPolygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
- Jill Mulvay DerrJill Mulvay DerrJill Mulvay Derr was an American history professor at Brigham Young University and the director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History, as well as the president of the Mormon History Association....
– Brigham Young - Kristine HaglundKristine HaglundKristine Haglund is the current editor of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, a current or former permablogger at By Common Consent and Times and Seasons, and noted Mormon historian and cultural commentator. She has suggested that the "experience of independent Mormon publishing sector [can...
- Jill Mulvay Derr
- Mormon-themed blogger. Editor since 2009 of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon ThoughtDialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought is an independent quarterly journal of "Mormon thought" that addresses a wide range of issues on Mormonism and the Latter Day Saint Movement....
- Carol Cornwall MadsenCarol Cornwall MadsenCarol Cornwall Madsen is an emeritus professor of history at Brigham Young University where she was a research historian with the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History. She also served as associate director of BYU's Women's Research Institute...
– Brigham Young - Margaret Merrill Toscano – University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
- Laurel Thatcher UlrichLaurel Thatcher UlrichLaurel Thatcher Ulrich , is a historian of early America and the history of women and a university professor at Harvard University...
– Harvard
- Carol Cornwall Madsen
- Preeminent historian of early American women's history. Also, occasional essayist on the topic of LDS feminism
Other specialists
- David H. BaileyDavid H. BaileyDavid Harold Bailey is a mathematician and computer scientist. He received his B.S. in mathematics from Brigham Young University in 1972 and his Ph.D. in mathematics from Stanford University in 1976...
– Lawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryLawrence Berkeley National LaboratoryThe Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory , is a U.S. Department of Energy national laboratory conducting unclassified scientific research. It is located on the grounds of the University of California, Berkeley, in the Berkeley Hills above the central campus...
- Mathematician. Editor, Science Meets Religion website
- Robert H. BriggsRobert H. BriggsRobert H. Briggs is a Fullerton, California, lawyer and independent historian. , Briggs's area of historical research related to violence in frontier Utah, in particular the Mountain Meadows Massacre of 1857....
- Robert H. Briggs
- Lawyer. Violence in pioneer Utah
- John E. ClarkJohn E. ClarkJohn Edward Clark is an American archaeologist and academic researcher of pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. he holds a position as professor of anthropology at Brigham Young University , and is also the director of the New World Archaeology Foundation.Clark pursued undergraduate and...
– Brigham Young
- John E. Clark
- ArchaeologistArchaeologyArchaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
. Book of Mormon studies- Robert S. Clark
- Lawyer. Co-author, Journal of the Trail
- Todd M. ComptonTodd ComptonTodd Merlin Compton is an American historian in the fields of Mormon history and Classics.- Biographical background :Compton is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who lived for a number of years in Santa Monica, California. He has served an LDS mission to Ireland...
- Todd M. Compton
- Trained classicistClassicsClassics is the branch of the Humanities comprising the languages, literature, philosophy, history, art, archaeology and other culture of the ancient Mediterranean world ; especially Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome during Classical Antiquity Classics (sometimes encompassing Classical Studies or...
; independent Mormon historian- Steve EvansSteve Evans (lawyer and blogger)Stephen D. "Steve" Evans is an American lawyer and Mormon blogger, known best for his role in the founding and administration of By Common Consent, one of the largest, longest-running, and most prominent, LDS-themed blogs....
- Steve Evans
- Lawyer and specialist in new mediaNew mediaNew media is a broad term in media studies that emerged in the latter part of the 20th century. For example, new media holds out a possibility of on-demand access to content any time, anywhere, on any digital device, as well as interactive user feedback, creative participation and community...
. Mormon-themed blogger and essayist- James E. FaulconerJames E. FaulconerJames E. Faulconer is an American philosopher, a Richard L. Evans Professor of Philosophy at Brigham Young University, and the former dean of Undergraduate Education and chair of the Philosophy Department at BYU....
– Brigham Young
- James E. Faulconer
- Philosopher; holds BYU's Richard L. EvansRichard L. EvansRichard Louis Evans was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , the president of Rotary International , and the writer, producer, and announcer of Music and the Spoken Word for forty-one years .He received a BA and MA from the University...
Chair of Religious Understanding- Russell Arben Fox – Friends UniversityFriends UniversityFriends University is a private non-denominational Christian university in Wichita, Kansas.Friends University was founded in 1898. The main building was originally built in 1886 for Garfield University, but was donated in 1898 to the Religious Society of Friends by James Davis, a St. Louis...
- Russell Arben Fox – Friends University
- Political scientistPolitical sciencePolitical Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. Blogger and essayist on LDS-related themes- Avraham GileadiAvraham GileadiAvraham Gileadi is a religious historian and former university professor. A Latter-day Saint Hebrew scholar and literary analyst, Gileadi specializes in the Book of Isaiah. He is also one of the September Six, who were excommunicated from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1993...
– Brigham YoungBrigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
; after 1993, independent
- Avraham Gileadi
- Hebraist. LDS apologticsMormon apologeticsMormon apologetics is the systematic defense of Mormonism against its critics. Notable Latter-day Saint apologists include early church leaders such as John Taylor, B. H. Roberts, James E. Talmage and modern scholars such as Hugh Nibley, Orson Scott Card, and Jeff Lindsay...
, theological research- Darius GrayDarius GrayDarius Gray is an African-American Latter-day Saint speaker and writer.Gray was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the mid-1960s and then attended Brigham Young University for a year...
– Independent historian
- Darius Gray
- African-American studies
- Danny JorgensenDanny JorgensenDanny Lynn Jorgensen is an American professor at the Department of Religious Studies of the University of South Florida, for which he also served as chair from 1999 to 2006....
– University of South FloridaUniversity of South FloridaThe University of South Florida, also known as USF, is a member institution of the State University System of Florida, one of the state's three flagship universities for public research, and is located in Tampa, Florida, USA...
- Danny Jorgensen
- Religious studies
- Bradley H. Kramer
- LDS-themed blogger seeking socio-cultural anthropology doctoral degree
- Louis C. MidgleyLouis C. MidgleyLouis C. Midgley is a retired professor of political science at Brigham Young University. Since his retirement he has been closely involved with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, writing many book reviews, articles, and book chapters defending The Church of Jesus Christ of...
– Brigham Young
- Louis C. Midgley
- Political scientist. Active in LDS apologetics
- Dallin H. OaksDallin H. OaksDallin Harris Oaks is an American attorney, jurist, author, professor, public speaker, and religious leader. Since 1984, he has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
– University of ChicagoUniversity of ChicagoThe University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
; Brigham Young (later, LDS Apostle)
- Dallin H. Oaks
- Lawyer. American legal history pertaining to Joseph Smith, Jr.
- Nathan B. OmanNathan OmanNathan Bryan "Nate" Oman is a legal scholar and educator. In 2006, he became an assistant professor at The College of William & Mary Law School. In 2003, Oman founded Times & Seasons, An Onymous Mormon Blog.- Biography :...
– William & Mary
- Nathan B. Oman
- Law. Early LDS ecclesiastical jurisprudenceEcclesiastical courtAn ecclesiastical court is any of certain courts having jurisdiction mainly in spiritual or religious matters. In the Middle Ages in many areas of Europe these courts had much wider powers than before the development of nation states...
- Steven L. Peck – Brigham Young
- Biologist. Author-essayist on various Mormon-themed subjects
- Daniel C. PetersonDaniel C. PetersonDaniel C. Peterson is a professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University and currently serves as editor-in-chief of BYU's Middle Eastern Texts Initiative. He is a member of the executive council of the Neal A...
– Brigham Young
- Daniel C. Peterson
- Near Eastern studies. Book of Mormon studies
- Julie Marie Smith – Austin, TexasAustin, TexasAustin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, LDS Institute of ReligionInstitute of ReligionInstitutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Julie Marie Smith – Austin, Texas
- LDS-themed blogger; biblical theologianBiblical TheologyBiblical theology is a discipline within Christian theology which studies the Bible from the perspective of understanding the progressive history of God revealing Himself to humanity following the Fall and throughout the Old Testament and New Testament...
- John W. WelchJohn W. WelchJohn Woodland "Jack" Welch is an LDS law and religion scholar who currently teaches at the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University .- Biography :...
– Brigham Young
- John W. Welch
- Law. Editor since 1991 of BYU StudiesBYU StudiesBYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Kaimipono D. Wenger – Thomas Jefferson School of LawThomas Jefferson School of LawThomas Jefferson School of Law, or TJSL, is an independent law school in San Diego, California. It offers a Juris Doctor, and three Master of Laws programs, including one that is exclusively online, as well as a combined J.D./M.B.A. with San Diego State University...
- Kaimipono D. Wenger – Thomas Jefferson School of Law
- Law. LDS-themed blogger
See also
- Archaeology and the Book of MormonArchaeology and the Book of MormonSince the publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830, both Mormon and non-Mormon archaeologists have studied its claims in reference to known archaeological evidence...
- BloggernacleBloggernacleThe Mormon blogosphere is the Mormon portion of the blogosphere...
- Kirtland Egyptian papers authorship controversy
- LDS fictionLDS fictionLDS fiction is an American niche market of fiction novels featuring themes related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
- Linguistics and the Book of MormonLinguistics and the Book of MormonAccording to most adherents of the Latter Day Saint movement, the Book of Mormon is a 19th century translation of a record of ancient inhabitants of the American continent, which was written in a script which the book refers to as "reformed Egyptian." This claim, as well as virtually all claims to...
- Mormon apologeticsMormon apologeticsMormon apologetics is the systematic defense of Mormonism against its critics. Notable Latter-day Saint apologists include early church leaders such as John Taylor, B. H. Roberts, James E. Talmage and modern scholars such as Hugh Nibley, Orson Scott Card, and Jeff Lindsay...
- Mormonism and history
- Mormonism: A Historical EncyclopediaMormonism: A Historical EncyclopediaMormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia designed for a general readership about topics relating to the History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, edited by W. Paul Reeve and Ardis E. Parshall. Reeve is a professor of history at the University of Utah and Parshall...
- New Mormon historyNew Mormon historyNew Mormon history refers to a style of reporting the history of Mormonism by both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars which departs from earlier more polemical styles of history...
- The Mormons (PBS documentary)
External links
Programs, organizations, and events- Claremont Graduate University's School of Religion: Mormon Studies
- BYU Harold B. Lee Library: Mormon Studies Resources
- Brigham Young University: Religious Education: Church History and Doctrine
- Mormon Studies at Utah Valley University
- University of Wyoming: Program of Religious Studies' "Latter-day Saints & Their World" Series
- Utah State University: Program in Reglious Studies
- John Whitmer Historical Association: Annual Meetings
- MormonConferences.org, a calendar for Mormon Studies events