This is the first time that JWHA annual conference has been held in the state of Texas where we will be meeting near historical sites related to apostle Lyman Wight and his followers. The conference committee has been working hard to organize a memorable and eventful conference! Here are a few highlights from sessions:
- Newly discovered correspondence between Lyman Wight and Wilford Woodruff
- Mormon Racial Practices and Policies
- Restoration Trails from South Asian Trails
- The Hawley Family in Texas, and their role in the Mountain Meadows Massacre
- Evangelism and Church Planting
- Emma and Joseph’s Kirtland, Ohio Home
- Mormon Women and Reproductive Medicine in early Utah
- Latter Day Saints in Space
- The Role of the Lord’s Supper in the RLDS Church
- Hawn’s Mill Archaeological Investigations
Some additional highlights include a sunrise memorial at the Zodiac historic site. Matthew J. Grow will present the Richard P. Howard lecture Thursday night, where he will address “The Council of Fifty and Latter-day Saint Interest in Texas.” Our plenary speakers include Melvin C. Johnson, presenting on “Wightite Trails Through Texas Dust,” and Thomas W. Murphy, who will discuss “An Iroquois Influence on Joseph Smith.”
This year’s annual conference also features two bus tours, a Friday night Trolley tour and self-guided walking tour. While we have scheduled the bus tours concurrently, we will use the time on the bus to share information from the other tour. One bus tour will feature the Mormon Mill and Wightite cemetery near Marble Falls north of Fredericksburg, including the Falls on the Colorado and Fort Croghan Museums. The second bus tour will highlight the community of Bandera to the south of Fredericksburg, including the Bandera Tragedy Tree, the Frontier Times Museum, and other elements of Texas history and cowboy culture. The Trolley Tour will feature Fredericksburg highlights. While the walking tour of Fredericksburg will self-guided, a local expert will provide an overview of the community and recommendations for exploring the town.
Sunday’s Hymn Fest Historic Hymns of the Restoration, including Lyman Wight’s 1847 Hymnal.
We are looking forward to seeing all of you in Fredericksburg this September! RSVP for the fun, register today!
