The John Whitmer Historical Association’s 2026 Annual Conference will be held September 24–26, 2026, at the Mid-America Center in Council Bluffs, Iowa. The conference promises three days of engaging scholarship, lively discussion, and opportunities to explore the diverse traditions of the Restoration movement.
It opens with the Richard P. Howard Lecture by Matthew Breay Bolton, whose presentation, “Nuclear Colonialism and the Ambivalent Church,” examines the relationship between Community of Christ leaders and the legacy of French nuclear testing in Polynesia. Friday evening’s Presidential Address by Matthew L. Harris, “What the Present Owes the Past,” will reflect on the moral and ethical responsibilities historians bear in writing Latter Day Saint history.
Among the conference’s featured events is a distinguished publishers’ panel bringing together Ken R. Mulliken (JWHA Journal), Christopher Cannon Jones (Journal of Mormon History), Justin Dyer (BYU Studies), Seth Bryant (John Whitmer Books), and Barbara Jones Brown (Signature Books). Together, these editors and publishers will discuss the future of Restoration scholarship, publishing opportunities, peer review, manuscript development, and public engagement.
A major theological highlight is the discussion of Grant Underwood’s acclaimed Latter-day Saint Theology among Christian Theologies. Underwood will be joined by distinguished Christian scholars Kyle Beshears (Baptist), John Christopher Thomas (Pentecostal), and D. William Faupel (Episcopal) in a rare interfaith dialogue exploring the place of Latter-day Saint thought within the broader Christian intellectual tradition.
Another signature event addresses one of the most important questions facing Restoration traditions today. The panel, “Who Leaves and Who Stays? Patterns of Latter-day Saint Disaffiliation and Retention,” brings together Jana Riess, Ryan T. Cragun, Justin Dyer, and Jeffrey Dotson to examine changing patterns of belief, belonging, retention, and religious identity among contemporary Latter-day Saints. Drawing on their extensive research into religious change, demographics, and lived experience, the panel promises valuable insights into one of the defining religious trends of the twenty-first century.
Among the conference’s most anticipated scholarly conversations is an author-meets-critics session on Thomas W. Murphy’s Unsettling Scripture: Iroquois and the Book of Mormon. Murphy will be joined by Elise Boxer, Amanda Hendrix-Komoto, and Paul DeBarthe in a discussion of Indigenous history, scripture, identity, and historical memory.
Attendees will also enjoy an advance screening of Patrick Bishop and Joseph Brickey’s documentary Brother Joseph Again: Restoring the Likeness of Joseph Smith Jr., followed by a discussion of the forthcoming documentary and book project.
Beyond the formal sessions, attendees can participate in a Saturday morning Hymn Fest led by Rebecca Roesler and Nancy Ross, celebrating both historic and contemporary Restoration hymnody. Conference participants may also choose a Saturday afternoon tour exploring the women of early Omaha with a visit to Omaha’s historic Union Station.
Additional presentations by Newell G. Bringhurst, David J. Howlett, John C. Hamer, Nancy Ross, Casey Paul Griffiths, Brian C. Hales, and many others ensure a rich and diverse program. From theology and biography to Community of Christ hymnody, religious identity, and emerging technologies, the 2026 JWHA Conference offers an exceptional opportunity to engage the past while exploring the future of Restoration studies.
Registration is now open. To learn more about the conference, view registration options, and reserve your place, visit the JWHA 2026 Conference Registration Page.
— Nancy Ross and Eric Paul Rogers
Program Co-Chairs
