JOHN WHITMER HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION<BR> 2003 Annual Meeting<BR>Far West, Missouri Area

“Mormonism and the Culture of Frontier Violence on the American Frontier”

2003 JWHA Program Report


Friday afternoon concurrent session- chaired by Clair Vlahos:
The Origin of the Remnant Church," presentation by Frederick N. Larsen
"Zion Established in Lamoni," paper by William D. Russell.
Photos courtesy Bob Wallace

Featured Presenters:

Thursday, September 25, 2003
7:30 p.m., Sterling McMurran Lecture

The Thursday evening Sterling McMurrin Lecture featured Dr. D. Michael Quinn. His lecture was entitled "To Whom Shall We Go?: Historical Patterns of Restoration Believers With Serious Doubts."

D. Michael Quinn
Photos courtesy Bob Wallace

  D. Michael Quinn is a former professor of history at Brigham Young University. His accolades include the Samuel F. Bemis, the George W. Egleston, and the Frederick W. Beinecke prizes; Best Book and Best Article awards from the Mormon History Association; "Outstanding Teacher" by vote of graduating BYU seniors; and invitations to lecture at the University of Paris's Fondation de la Maison des Sciences de l'Homme and other similar venues. He is the author of J. Reuben Clark: The Church Years; Early Mormonism and the Magic World View; The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power; The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power; and Same-Sex Dynamics Among Nineteenth-Century Americans: A Mormon Example. He is the editor of The New Mormon History: Revisionist Essays on the Past and a contributing author to American National Biography; Faithful History: Essays on Writing Mormon History; Fundamentalisms and Society: Reclaiming the Sciences, the Family, and Education; Reader's Encyclopedia of the American West; Under an Open Sky: Rethinking America's Western Past; and Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism. His research honorariums include grants from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the American Council of Learned Societies, the Henry E. Huntington Library, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Mrs. Giles Whiting Foundation and Yale University.

    Plenary Sessions: Will Bagley
Valeen Tippetts Avery and Jan Shipps
Special Guest Presenters: Bill Hartley, Alex Baugh, Steven LeSueur, H. Michael Marquardt

Will Bagley spoke on: "Only the Truth is Good Enough": The Historiography of a Massacre


Will Bagley

Will Bagley is an independent historian and newspaper columnist for The Salt Lake Tribune. He is editor of the Arthur H. Clark Co. series "Kingdom in the West: The Mormons and the American Frontier." The Western Writers of America gave his latest work, Blood of the Prophets: Brigham Young and the Mountain Meadows Massacre, this year's Spur Award for best non-fiction book on a nineteenth-century subject.

Bagley's Blood of the Prophets also received this year's JWHA Best Book Award.


    Former JWHA Presidents Barbara Bernauer and Billie Young at the 2002 meeting in Nauvoo
    - Photos Courtesy Bill Main
SPECIAL ISSUE OF THE JWHA JOURNAL
NAUVOO 2002 PRESENTATIONS

    You may still order your copy of the 2002 Special Nauvoo Edition of the JWHA Journal. This special issue contains transcripts of most of the presentations and comments given at the JWHA Nauvoo 2002 Annual Meeting. It was published in addition to the regular JWHA Journal that each member normally receives as a membership benefit.
    For the first time, a special issue of the JWHA Journal includes a CD-Rom recording of two sessions: "The Singing Saints- A Festival of Hymns and History," produced by Richard Clothier for the Sunday closing session, and D. Michael Quinn's address, "National Culture, Personality, and Theocracy in the Early Mormon Culture or Violence." Quinn is the Beinecke Senior Fellow at Yale University, 2002-2003. Most CD players will be able to play the Festival portion of the recording. Quinn's presentation, on an MP3 file, can be heard by playing the CD on a computer.
    Total cost per volume, including the enhanced CD, is $25.

  Name_______________________________

  Mailing Address:

  Number of copies?

  Cost per copy $25.00 (U.S. funds)
  (includes shipping and Handling)

  TOTALS__________

  Send order care of Ken Mullekin
  (address below).

  For information about the upcoming 2003 meeting contact:

  Executive Secretary Ken Mullekin, c/o Heritage Plaza, 1034 West Lexington Ave., Independence, MO 64050; Phone: 816- 461-6578


Past Executive Director Norman and Barbara Bernauer celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with JWHA friends.

  The 2003 meeting was held at Camp Doniphan, featuring the Far West, Missouri, area.

  Community of Christ Historian Dr. Mark A. Scherer accepted the gavel as JWHA President (2003-2004) at the 2003 Annual Meeting.

  Dr. Scherer served as Program Chair for the 2003 annual meeting. President-elect Jan Shipps is already hard at work planning next year's gathering to be held in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area. Many conference activities will center on the Spatial and Metaphorical Geography of the Restoration. Tours of historic sites in the Far West area on Saturday afternoon also highlighted the meeting.


Andrew Bolton led a session on "Violence and Non-violence among the Early Mormons and the Pursuit of Peace Today."
Photos courtesy Bob Wallace

    New Best Book Award

    The John Whitmer Historical Association is proud to announce that a new cooperative effort has been reached enhancing and enriching the Best Book Award presented annually. Through the generosity of the Smith-Pettit Foundation of Salt Lake City, a grant of $1,000 will be given annually to the author of the book judged to be the best book written and published during the current year. This began with the 2001 award.
    The Smith-Pettit Foundation is a private foundation dedicated, through its activities, to supporting scholarly Mormon studies. Gary Bergera, a member of JWHA since 1987 is the new managing director of the foundation. JWHA is grateful for the kind and generous offer making this award possible.


Maurice Draper discussed Paradigm Shifts: The Joint Council Seminars of the 1960's"

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John Whitmer- JWHA Namesake


    Billie Young, 2003 President; Mark A. Scherer, Program Chair

2003 Conference Program, Thursday, 25-Sunday, 28 September 2003

FAR WEST, MISSOURI AREA
"Mormonism and the Culture of Violence on the American Frontier."

    In first session on Friday, September 26th at 8:30 in the Mini-Conference Chamber, Vickie Cleverly Speek delivered a paper entitled: "Sarah Wright Strang Wing: From James Strang's Wife to Well Known Utah Physician." Barbara Walden presented a second paper, "Cassie Kelley of Kirtland at the end of the Nineteenth Century," held in the Mini-Conference Chamber.
    In an alternate setting at the same time and held in the lower assembly room of the main lodge, a panel comprised of Andrew Bolton, Jim Junke, Paul Edwards and John Menzies discussed "Violence and Nonviolence Among the Early Mormons and the Pursuit of Peace Today."
    At 10:15, in a second concurrent session located in the Mini-Conference Chamber, Bryon Andreason presented: Ideology, Politics and the Conditions for Violence in the Illinois of Stephen Douglas and Joseph Smith. Bill Shepard shared this session with his paper: "Stealing in Mormon Nauvoo: An Overview." In the other concurrent session in this time slot, Todd Compton addressed: "The Wrong Indians: Jacob Hamblin and Mormon-Navajo Violence." Melvin Johnson shared this session, presenting: "Militia Colonel Lyman A. Wight: A Study in Divided Loyalty in the Missouri-Mormon Civil War, 1838-1839," held in the lower lodge.
    A plenary session in the lower lodge began the afternoon session at 1:15 with Will Bagley presenting: "Only the Truth is Good Enough: The Historiography of a Massacre." In the afternoon concurrent session at 3:30, in the lower lodge, Robert Briggs presented, "Bagley Book Critique" "Perspectives and Problems: A careful Review of Several Authors Attempts to Explain the 'Why' of the Mountain Meadows Massacre." The second paper of this session was by Melvin Smith. In the alternate setting in the mini-conference room, Frederick N. Larsen presented, "The Origin of the Remnant Church" and William D. Russell presented, "Zion Established in Lamoni."
    After dinner, a round tame discussion was held at 7:30 in the lower lodge on the topic, "Missouri Mormon Danites." The panel consisted of Bill Hartley, Steven LeSueur, Alex Baugh and D. Michael Quinn. Mike Riggs chaired the session.
"Paradigm Shifts: The Joint Council Seminars of the 1960's" was the topic of the first session on Saturday. This was held in the lower lodge at 8:30 a.m. Presenters were Robert B. Flanders and Richard Howard, with Mark A. Scherer in the chair.
    In the alternate setting of the mini-conference room, Edward Warner, Paul Edwards and Don Compier formed a panel to discuss, "Mormon Historiography." A third setting in the south Mini-lodge had H. Michael Marquardt presenting a paper on "Judge Austin A. King's Preliminary Hearing: Joseph Smith and the Mormons on Trial." And a second paper was presented by David Howlett as a reaction to Richard Howard's earlier work on the RLDS Church and the issue of polygamy. Concurrent sessions in the mini-conference room featured Adam Mueller, "RoyCheville, Grant McMurray and the End of Lineal Priesthood." "The Latter Day Saints of St. John, KS." was given by Gary R. Entz.
A bus tour on Saturday afternoon found Harland M. Hawley presenting a paper on, "Pierce Hawley" at the C.C. Rich Log House property near Far West, followed by David Hawley presenting, "In Search of the Haun's Mill Well" at Haun's Mill. A box lunch was provided on the bus.
    Saturday Evening featureed the annual banquet in the dinning hall of the lodge at 6:30 p.m. Following the meal, we moved to the lower lodge to see the awards presented for the Smith-Pettit Best Book for 2003, the Best Article Award for 2003 and the Life-Time Achievement Award. Biloine Young gave the Presidential Address entitled, "Religion's Shifting Sand and Mormonism's Unsteady Footing."
    Sunday morning concluded our sessions with Jan Shipps presenting, "Telling the Whole Story of Mormonism" at 8:30 a.m. in the lower lodge followed by a closing Worship Service with Tom Morain.
    As is plainly seen, this proved to be an outstanding array of presentations with distinguished speakers.

Program Schedule

John Whitmer Historical Association Meeting

"Mormonism and the Culture of Violence on the American Frontier"

 

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 25, 2003

 

Time                                        Location                                                                                Event

 

3:00 pm                        Mini-Conference Center                                     
JWHA Board Meeting

 

5:00-7:00 pm               Lower Lodge                                                              Registration

       7:30 pm                       Lower Lodge
    Mark Scherer, Program Chair —Welcome, Announcements, Introduction of theme, and then President Biloine Young—Introduction of D. Michael Quinn, Sterling McMurrin Lecturer D. Michael Quinn,"'To Whom Should We Go?':  Historical Patterns of Restoration Believers With Serious Doubts"

                       
       Lodge Dining Hall
                                      Reception 

 

 

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2003

8:30-9:45 am  CONCURRENT SESSION

Session   Location                       Title of Presentation                                          Speaker                                   Chair                            Commentator

 

A1       Mini Conference            "Sarah Wright Strang Wing:                           Vickie Cleverley Speek  Becca Loving              William Shepard

Center                          From James Strang's Wife to

                                                Well Known Utah Physician"        

 

A2                                           "Cassie Kelley of Kirtland at the               Barbara Walden                                                          Lachlan Mackay

End of the Nineteenth Century"                       

 

B1          Lower Lodge A PANEL DISCUSSION:                                   Andrew Bolton, Jim Junke, Diane Kyser

"Violence and Non-violence among the            Paul Edwards, John Menzies           

                                                Early Mormons and the Pursuit of               

                                                Peace Today"                                                

 

 

 

10:15-11:30 am  CONCURRENT SESSION

Session   Location                       Title of Presentation                                          Speaker                                   Chair                            Commentator

 

A1       Mini Conference            "Roy Cheville, Grant McMurray and             Adam Mueller                          William D. Russell             Brett Jagger

Center                          the End of Lineal Priesthood"                        

 

A2                                           "The Latter Day Saints of                                   Gary R. Entz

St. John, Kansas"                                               

 

B1        Lower Lodge              "The Wrong Indians: Jacob Hamblin             Todd Compton                      Barbara J. Bernauer             Eric Paul Rogers

And Mormon-Navajo Violence"                               

 

B2                                            "Militia Colonel Lyman Wight: A                       Melvin Johnson

                                                Study in Divided Loyalty in the

Missouri-Mormon Civil War, 1838-1839"              

 

 

11:45-1:00 pm   LUNCH

 

Lodge Dining Hall

1:15-3:00 pm   PLENARY SESSION

Location                                   Title of Presentation                                          Speaker                                   Chair                           

 

Lower Lodge                           "Only the Truth is Good                           Will Bagley                          Ron Romig                         

                                                Enough: The Historiography

                                                Of A Massacre"                                           

 

3:30-4:45 pm   CONCURRENT SESSION

Session   Location                       Title of Presentation                                          Speaker                                   Chair                            Commentator

 

A1       Lower Lodge              "Critique of Blood of the Prophets"              Robert Briggs                           Margie Miller

 

A2                                           "Perspectives and Problems: A Careful             Melvin T. Smith

Review of Several Authors Attempts to

Explain the 'Why' of the Mountain

Meadows Massacre"                                               

 

B1        Mini Conference            "The Origin of the Remnant Church"                        Frederick N. Larsen                Clare Vlahos

Center

 

B2                                            "Zion Established in Lamoni"                       William D. Russell

 

 

 

5:30-7:00 pm  DINNER

 

Lodge Dining Hall

7:30-9:00 pm   PLENARY SESSION

Location                                   Title of Presentation                                          Speaker                                               Chair                           

 

Lower Lodge                           ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION             William Hartley, Steven LeSueur,                      Michael Riggs   

                                                "Missouri Mormon Danites"                                   Alex Baugh, D. Michael Quinn

 

 

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2003

8:30-9:45 am  CONCURRENT SESSION

Session   Location                       Title of Presentation                                          Speaker                                   Chair                            Commentator

 

A1       Lower Lodge              A PANEL DISCUSSION:                                   Robert B. Flanders                   Mark A. Scherer

"Paradigm Shifts:                                                Maurice L. Draper                       

The Joint Council Seminars                                    Richard P. Howard

Of the 1960's"                                                 Donald D. Landon

 

 

B1        Mini Conference            A PANEL DISCUSSION:                                   Edward Warner, Paul                Edward Warner

Center                          "Mormon Historiography"                                     Edwards, Don Compier

           

 

C1       Mini Lodge              "Judge Austin A. King's Preliminary                   H. Michael Marquardt                    W. B. "Pat" Spillman            William Main

Assembly Area             Hearing: Joseph Smith and the                                                                                                                                                                                                 Mormons On Trial"                                                     

 

C2                                           "Memory, Prophets, and Polygamy:              David Howlett                                               

                                                The RLDS Church and American

                                                Religious Transformations in the

                                                Late Twentieth Century"                                  

 

 

10:15-11:30 am  CONCURRENT SESSION

Session   Location                       Title of Presentation                                          Speaker                                   Chair                            Commentator

 

A1       Lower Lodge              A PANEL DISCUSSION:                                   Craig Foster                          Newell Bringhurst

                                                John Krakauer, Under the Banner             William Russell                                     

                                                Of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith               William Morain

                                               

 

B1        Mini Conference            "Ideology, Politics, and the Conditions             Bryon Andreason                    Joyce Shireman             Marshall Hamilton

Center                          For Violence in the Illinois of Stephen

Douglas and Joseph Smith."                                                                      

 

B2                                            "Stealing and Violence in Mormon                   William Shepard

Nauvoo: An Overview"                                   

 

 

11:45-12:30  pm

Lower Lodge                                                                                BUSINESS MEETING      

 

 

LUNCH ARRANGEMENTS

Pick up box lunch at the bus loading area.  Those on the tour ate lunch on the bus.       

 

 

1:00-5:30 pm   BUS TOUR and SITE PAPERS

Location                                                                                                           Speakers                                                        

 

Charles C. Rich Cabin   and Pierce Hawley Property                                   Michael Riggs, Harland M. Hawley

 

Haun's Mill Historic Site                                                                  David Hawley, Paul DeBarthe

 

 

6:30 pm   BANQUET AND PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS

Location                                                                                                                                                          

 

Lodge Dining Hall                  Presidential Banquet

 

Lower Lodge                           Presidential Address:    "Religions' Shifting Sand and Mormonism's Unsteady Footing"           Biloine Young

 

 

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2003

8:30-9:45 am  PLENARY SESSION

  Location                     Title of Presentation                                                      Speaker                                                           Chair

 

 Lower Lodge              "Telling the Whole Story of Mormonism"                Jan Shipps                                                  Richard P. Howard

 

 

 

Worship Service  10:00-11:00am

Location                                                                                                           Speaker                                                                      

 

Lower Lodge                                                                                       Tom Morain

 

  Mark Scherer and Robert Remini at the 2002 Nauvoo Annual Meeting