Program Chair Bill Shepard and his committee—Robin Jensen, John Quist, Ron Romig, Bill Russell, Jan Shipps, Vickie Speek, and Barbara Walden—are pleased to announce the program for our 36th annual meeting, held this September 25-28 near Old Voree in Burlington, Wisconsin.

 

Thursday, September 25

Conference Registration, 1:00 PM – 7:00 PM

The registration desk and Thursday’s events will take place at the main lodge of the Alpine Valley Resort.

JWHA Business Meeting (JWHA members only), 7:00 PM – 7:45 PM

(1) Sterling M. McMurrin Lecture (Plenary), 8:00 PM – 9:15 PM

"Darwinism, Creationism, and the Mormon Experience," Presenter: Roger D. Launius

 

Friday, September 26

Conference Registration, 8:00 AM – 12:00 noon

The registration desk and Friday’s events will take place at the main lodge of the Alpine Valley Resort.

Book Sales, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

A number of book vendors will attend with their latest publications. Please support the vendors by frequenting the book room.

(2A) Mormon Schismatics: William Smith and Joseph Morris (concurrent), 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

"Strangite Apostle and Patriarch: William B. Smith’s Transitory Alliance with James J. Strang," Presenter: Kyle R. Walker

"Reviving the Millennial Kingdom: Mormons, Morrisites, and Massacres, 1856-1862," Presenter: Seth Bryant

(2B) Four Mormon Major Party Presidential Candidates (concurrent), 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

"Three Major Party Mormon Presidential Candidates: George Romney, Morris Udall, and Orrin Hatch, 1968 to 2000," Presenter: Newell G. Bringhurst

"Mitt Romney, the 2008 Vice-Presidential Selection Process, and the Continuing Impact of the Mormon Question," Presenter: Craig L. Foster

(2C) Kirtland Temple in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries (concurrent), 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

"RLDS General Conference of 1883 held at Kirtland, Ohio," Presenter: Kevin Bryant

"Framing Early Twentieth-Century Mormon Pilgrimage: Photography, Contestation, and Kirtland Temple," Presenter: David J. Howlett

(3A) Two Pictorial Presentations: Alexander H. Smith and the Temple Lot (concurrent), 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon

"Alexander H. Smith, Illustrated," Presenter: Ronald E. Romig

"A Pictorial History of the Temple Lot," Presenters: Alexander Baugh and R. Jean Addams

(3B) The First Converts and a Comparison of Early Mormon and Non-Mormon Cultures (concurrent), 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon

"First Convert Harvest Along the NY/VT Border," Presenter: Allen LeBaron

"Fuel for the Fire: A Comparison of the Mormon and Non-Mormon Cultures in Hancock County," Presenter: Debra J. Marsh

(3C) Strangites: Evangelizing Nauvoo and Developing Their Organization (concurrent), 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon

"‘Thou Must Acknowledge the Appointment of His Successor’: An 1846 Strangite Mission to Nauvoo," Presenter: Jared Tamez

"Mormonism in Print: Newspapers, Strangism, and Latter Day Saint Communities," Presenter: Robin Scott Jensen

(4) Lunch Book Panel Considers The Journey of a People: The Era of Restoration 1820-1844 (plenary), 12:00 noon – 1:30 PM

Although the first volume of Mark A. Scherer’s new history of the Community of Christ will not be available for sale by the time of the conference, a panel of readers including Roger D. Launius and Ronald K. Esplin and two others (TBA), will give their reactions to the manuscript. Mark A. Scherer will be on hand for a response.

(5A) The Church of Christ on the Temple Lot (concurrent), 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

"A Prophet Disowned: Granville Hedrick’s Evolving Interpretation of Joseph Smith," Presenter: Jason R. Smith

"The Church of Christ (Temple Lot) and Their Quest to Build a Temple in Zion," Presenter: R. Jean Addams

(5B) Strangites: Their Practice of Polygamy and Struggles to Survive after Beaver Island (concurrent), 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

"Strangite Polygamy," Presenter: John W. Quist

"Expulsion of Strangites from Beaver Island and Their Struggles to Survive as a Religion," Presenter: Vickie Cleverley Speek

(5C) The Church of Jesus Christ with Headquarters in Monongahela, Pennsylvania (concurrent), 2:00 PM – 3:30 PM

"Completing the Work of the Restoration after the Death of Joseph Smith," Presenter: Paul Benyola

"Sidney Rigdon and the Succession to the Nauvoo Church Corporation," Presenter: John Hamer

(6A) Modern Prophets and Book of Mormon Archaeology (concurrent), 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

"Revelation in the Latter Day Saint Movement: Prophets, Seers, and Revelators in the Modern Era," Presenter: Steven L. Shields

"Rejecting the Renaissance: The Problems with Book of Mormon Archaeology," Presenter: C. Robert Mesle

(6B) Latter Day Saints in Wisconsin during the Fragmentation Period (concurrent), 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

"Zenas H. Gurley Sr.: Religious Experience and the Formation of the Reorganization," Presenter: Clare D. Vlahos

"The Quest for Mormons in the Lead Mines of Wisconsin," Presenter: Daniel M. Kelty

(6B) The Joseph Smith Papers Project in Print (concurrent), 4:00 PM – 5:30 PM

"Compiling and Publishing the Joseph Smith Papers," Presenters: Ronald K. Esplin and Robin Scott Jensen

(7) JWHA Awards Dinner and Address (plenary), 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

"The Ambiguous History of Us-Versus-Them in the Mormon Experience," Presenter: D. Michael Quinn

The JWHA Awards Committee will present the awards.

 

Saturday, September 27

Conference Registration, 8:00 AM – 12:00 noon

The registration desk and Saturday’s sessions will take place at the main lodge of the Alpine Valley Resort. The tour will meet the buses at Alpine Valley and then head for sites in Old Voree.

Book Sales, 8:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Remember to make your book purchases.

(8A) Sex and Conflict in New Religious Movements (concurrent), 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

"Sex and Conflict in New Religious Movements: A Comparison of the Antebellum Oneida Community under John Humphrey Noyes and the Mormons under Joseph Smith and After," Presenter: Lawrence Foster

"The Puzzlement of Polyandry: Joseph Smith’s sealing to Legally Married Women," Presenter: Brian C. Hales

(8B) First Encounters with the Gold Plates: The Angel and the Caractors (concurrent), 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

"The Caractors (Anthon) Transcript: 1844-The Year of Validation," Presenter: Blair B. Bryant

"Who Was the Angel Who Appeared to the Young Joseph Smith? Nephi or Moroni," Presenter: Paul D. Savage

(8C) Zion’s Camp Blessing and William E. McLellin (concurrent), 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

"‘Thou Wast Willing to Lay Down thy Life for Thy Brethren:’ Zion’s Blessings in the Early Church," Presenter: Benjamin E. Park

"William E. McLellin: Disgruntled Apostle or True Believer in Original Mormonism?" Presenter: William D. Russell

(9A) Book Panel Examines Bill Russell’s Homosexual Saints: The Community of Christ Experience (concurrent), 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon

Panelists: Brian C. Hales, D. Michael Quinn, and TBA.

Response: William D. Russell

(9B) An Introduction to Mormonism (concurrent), 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon

"An Introduction to Mormonism," Presenter: Jan Shipps

This introduction is especially recommended for those new to Mormon studies who will be joining us for the tour later this afternoon.

(9B) Mormon Fundamentalism (concurrent), 10:30 AM – 12:00 noon

"The 1944 and 1953 Raids on Mormon Fundamentalists and Their Impact on the Foundation of Fundamentalist Mormon Enclaves in Montana," Presenters: Eric Paul Rogers and Joseph Jessop

(10) Tour of Old Voree (plenary), 12:30 PM –
3:30 PM

Buses will take our tour group from Alpine Valley to the sites in and around Old Voree, including the Hill of Promise, the old Mormon Cemetery, the Voree-era homes, the old Strangite church, as well as historic markers and monuments.

Guide: Bill Shepard

(11) Presidential Banquet (plenary), 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

"Prophet, Seer, and Tour-Guide: The Power of Place in the Latter Day Saint Traditions." Presenter: Barbara Walden

 

Sunday, September 28

(12) Hymn Festival (plenary), 9:30 AM – 10:30 AM

Brian Hales, Alma Blair, and Alex Baugh will lead us in a hymn festival at the Strangite church at 1330 Spring Valley Road, Burlington, WI.