In this episode, we are joined by Russell Stevenson, author of For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830–2013, published in 2014 and the winner of the Best Book Award from the Mormon History Association in 2015. We discuss the the academic field of an Africanist as well as how For the Cause of Righteousness fits in with both Mormon history as well as the comparative black history genres; and what For the Cause of Righteousness adds to the scholarly discussion on race within Mormonism. About the book: This book broaches one of the most sensitive topics in the history of Mormonism: the story of the LDS community’s turbulent relationship with the black population. For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global History of Blacks and Mormonism, 1830-2013 promises to tell a story of how an American religious community could wander through the rocky landscape of American racial politics, all while hoping to hold onto its institutional integrity in the face of attacks from both within and without. Drawing on a rich array of archival documents and oral testimonies, For the Cause of Righteousness suggests that understanding race and Mormonism requires far more than watching the movements of well-dressed men on North Temple; it calls for understanding the dynamics of global Mormon communities ranging from Mowbray to Accra, from Berkeley to Rio Di Janeiro. But as any historian will say, primary sources matter. Thus, For the Cause of Righteousness offers up not only a narrative history of the global black Mormon community but also an anthology of primary source transcripts: letters, newspaper articles, and speech transcripts, all in hopes that readers might take one more step toward understanding a story that simultaneously inspires, troubles, and urges Latter-day Saints into understanding a provincial religion that has reached global proportions. Preview the volume here. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month!   In the News Sunday School Supplement on Mormon Women Project JSP “Firsthand Accounts of the First Vision” video Ordain Women “Where We Stand” documentary “Understanding Church History by Study and by Faith” in Ensign Passing of B. Carmon Hardy   On the Blogs “Previewing 2017: Looking Ahead to Forthcoming Books in Mormon History” by Ben Park “Year in Review ... 1975, That Is” by Tona H “A Note of Discord? The Mormon Tabernacle Choir at Trump's Inauguration” by Joseph Stuart “What is 'Early' Mormon History?” by Christopher “George Q. Cannon Journals” by Richard Dilworth Rust “Scripture and Historical Context: A Contemporary Example” by Nathaniel Givens “Look Back at 2016 With the Tarefic Wheaties Awards”   Podcasts Maxwell Institute Podcast: “Standing Apart, or Reconsidering the 'Great Apostasy,'” featuring Miranda Wilcox and John Young Year of Polygamy: “Married to Warren Jeffs” LDS Perspectives Podcast: “Curriculum and Correlation with David B. Marsh”   Recent Book Releases  Joseph Smith Papers, Joseph Smith's Revelations: A Doctrine and Covenants Study Companion from the Joseph Smith Papers e-book (Church Historian's Press) Janiece Johnson and Jenny Reeder, The Witness of Women: Firsthand Experiences and Testimonies from the Restoration (Deseret Book Company)   Book Reviews by Brandt Holly Welker, ed., Baring Witness: 36 Mormon Women Talk Candidly about Love, Sex, and Marriage Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835–1870 (Knopf)   Recent and Upcoming Events Utah Valley Historical Society explores impact of the former RLDS Church in Utah "Enamored but Ambivalent: Mormonism and 20th Century New Media" lecture at University of Utah   Call for Papers/Applications  Marlin K Jensen Mormon Studies and Artist in Residence Program at University of Utah 2018 Church History Symposium     Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the month of November! Special guest: Stephanie Lauritzen from Signature Books.   In the News Maxwell Institute film Passing of Edward Kimball By Common Consent tribute Maxwell Institute Visiting Fellows D. Todd Christofferson invocation on Senate floor  Salt Lake Tribune coverage Retirement of "To Young Men Only" pamphlet Revelations in Context Sunday School supplement Gospel Topics Essays added to Sunday School lesson manual On the Blogs Ben Park, "2016 in Retrospect" Christian Anderson, "Heavenly Parents at Conference" Jessica Finnegan, Kari Waters, and Nancy Ross, "What are Mormon feminists trying to do?" Nancy Ross review of One Hundred Birds Taught Me to Fly Fair Mormon interviews: Braving Isaiah with Joseph M. Spencer Translating with Seer Stones with Michael Hubbard McKay The Book of Mormon: A Closer Look with Brant Gardner Emma Smith "An Elect Lady" with Matthew J. Grow Steve Evans Book Review Roundup Ashley Mae Hoiland "For many years my voice shook" Johnathan Stapley, "Tools for teachers 2017" Recent Book Releases  Donald Faber, James Jesse Strang: The Rise and Fall of Michigan's Mormon King (University of Michigan Press) Scott Hales, The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl, Part One (Greg Kofford Books) Richard S. Van Wagoner, Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet: 1805–1830 (Smith-Pettit Foundation) Recent and Upcoming Events "Intellectual Life of Mormonism" final panel at University of Utah Call for Papers  2017 Mormon Theology Seminar 2017 Mormon Scholars in the Humanities     Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

In this episode, we chat with Scott Hales, author and illustrator of The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl. About the book: Fifteen-year-old Enid Gardner is a self-proclaimed “weird Mormon girl.” When she isn’t chatting with Joseph Smith or the Book of Abraham mummy, she’s searching for herself between the spaces of doubt and belief. Along the way, she must grapple with her Mormon faith as it adapts to the twenty-first century. She also must confront the painful mysteries at the heart of her strained relationship with her ailing mother. This edition of The Garden of Enid: Adventures of a Weird Mormon Girl recasts the award-winning webcomic as a two-part graphic novel. With revised and previously unpublished comics, it features the familiar story that captivated thousands online, yet offers new glimpses into Enid’s year-long odyssey. Preview the volume here. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events! Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.   In the News Postdoctoral fellow and lecturer position at The University of Virginia Maxwell Institute Executive Committee and Advisory Board   On the Blogs The Beleagured Progress of LDS Women SMPT Annual Meeting notes here, here, and here The Sacrament: a (somewhat speculative) liturgical genealogy Michael MacKay on changing views that seemed set in stone On the Dating of Moroni 8-9 If Not 1890, What Year Did Mormonism Change the Most? The JST at the JSP   Recent Book Releases  Foundations of the Restoration: 45th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, edited by Craig James Ostler Joseph M. Spencer, The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record Richard S. Van Wagoner, Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830 At Sword's Point, Part 2: A Documentary History of the Utah War, 1858-1859, edited by William P. MacKinnon   Recent and Upcoming Events The Intellectual Life of Mormonism, Lecture 3 David F. Holland lecture at Maxwell Institute (video) Roundtable Discussion for The Vision of All (video) Sunstone Northwest 2016   Call for Papers Mormon Scholars in the Humanities 2017 conference Mormon Theology Seminar 2017   If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

In this episode, we bring Joseph M. Spencer back for a conversation about his newest book, The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record, part of the Contemporary Studies in Scripture series published by Greg Kofford Books.   About the book: In The Vision of All, Joseph Spencer draws on the best of biblical and Latter-day Saint scholarship to make sense of the so-called “Isaiah chapters” in the first two books of the Book of Mormon. Arguing that Isaiah lies at the very heart of Nephi’s project, Spencer insists on demystifying the writings of Isaiah while nonetheless refusing to pretend that Isaiah is in any way easy to grasp. Presented as a series of down-to-earth lectures, The Vision of All outlines a comprehensive answer to the question of why Nephi was interested in Isaiah in the first place. Along the way, the book presents both a general approach to reading Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and a set of specific tactics for making sense of Isaiah's writings. For anyone interested in understanding what Isaiah is doing in the Book of Mormon, this is the place to start. Preview the volume here. Join us on Thursday, October 27th for a special author round table event at Writ & Vision in Provo, UT with Joseph Spencer, Adam Miller, Sharon Harris, and Nicholas Frederick. The discussion starts at 7:00 pm and is free to the public. For those who aren't able to make it in person, Greg Kofford Books will be livestreaming the discussion on our Facebook page. If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events! Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.   In the News Deseret News: Panel discusses the intellectual Mormon legacy of Nibley, Bennion, McMurrin and Arrington Deseret News: Top 10 Treasures in the Church History Library Daily Herald: Mountain Meadows Massacre's John D. Lee trial records now online On the Blogs “Dialogue, and Me, at 50” Flunking Sainthood: Why I still need ‘Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought’ “Not Even Close: Faculty Gender Balance at the BYUs.” “Gender & Employment at BYUs” “The Changing Forms of the Latter-day Saint Sacrament” “Notes from the Council of Fifty Minutes Launch Event.” The Mormon Council of Fifty: What Joseph Smith’s Secret Records Reveal Joseph Smith Papers Council of Fifty minutes offers view of LDS Church in Nauvoo Scholarly Inquiry: Nicholas Frederick LDS Perspectives Podcast. “Assessing the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Introduction to the Historiography of their Acquisitions, Translations, and Interpretations.” The CES Podcast (for the rest of us) “An Orthodox Theology of Heavenly Mother… and a Caveat.” Recent Book Releases The Joseph Smith Papers: Administrative Records, Council of Fifty. Church Historian’s Press. Out of Obscurity: Mormonism since 1945, edited by Patrick Mason and John Turner. Oxford. Mormonism and the Making of a British Zion by Matthew L. Rasmussen. U of U Press. Joseph Smith's Seer Stones, Michael Hubbard MacKay & Nicholas J. Frederick. BYU RSC Press. Thirteenth Apostle: The Diaries of Amasa M. Lyman, 1832-1877, Scott H. Partridge (Editor). Signature. The Trek East: Mormonism Meets Japan, 1901-1968 by Shinji Takagi. Greg Kofford Books. Upcoming Conferences and Events Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology annual meeting Call for Applicants: Neal A. Maxwell Institute Summer Seminar Also mentioned in Times & Seasons The Intellectual Life of Mormonism Fall Panel Discussion Series   If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

In this episode, we bring back Julie M. Smith to discuss her latest release, As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture, available now! In this unique volume, fictionalized dialogues between the various voices of scripture illustrate how differences and disagreements are not flaws of the texts but are rather essential features of the canon. These creative dialogues include Abraham and Job debating the utility of suffering and our submission to God, Alma and Abinidi disagreeing on the place of justice in the Atonement, and the authors Mark and Luke discussing the role of women in Jesus’s ministry. It is by examining and embracing the different perspectives within the canon that readers are able to discover just how rich and invigorating the scriptures can be. “A model for a new, Jewish-informed way of reading scriptures with rich potential for Latter-day Saint audiences. One that embraces complexity rather than fleeing from it; an approach that values nuance and richness over simplicity and closure. Highly recommended.” — Fiona Givens, co-author of The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections On the Quest for Faith and The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life Preview the volume here. Read a Q&A with Julie M. Smith.  If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events! Our special guest this month is Brittany Mangleson from Project Zion Podcast. Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.   In the News Radio West interview with Greg Prince BYU Mormon Studies conversation group Passing of Linda Hunter Adams Internship with Church Historic Sites On the Blogs Jana Reiss, "Can Mormon women be witness to priesthood ordinances?" Margaret Blair Young, "Race and Mormonism–2016 Edition (the less coy version)" Aaron Brown, "Does the LDS Church Believe the Priesthood Ban was of Divine Origin or Not?" Ardis Parshall, "A Stealthy Return to Bad Practices of the Past" David G., "Heavenly Ledgers and Ghostly Specters: Two Recent Articles" Blair Hodges, "For the church in Russia, sustaining doesn't mean agreeing" Emily Grover, "Sister Wives of the Traveling Pants: Confronting My Polygamous Ancestry" Joseph Stuart, "Death and the Historian's Empathy" Recent Book Releases Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall, eds., Boadicea; The Mormon Wife: Life-Scenes in Utah Julie M. Smith, ed., Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22 Stephen L. Prince, Hosea Stout: Lawman, Legislator, Mormon Defender Scholarly Journals Journal of Mormon History, Vol 42, No. 3 (July 2016) Recent and Upcoming Events Richard Bushman Colloquium now available online 2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium videos 2016 Sunstone SLC Summer Symposium Latter-day Seekers Daniel Stone's forthcoming biography William Bickerton Wheatley Summer Seminar BYU New Testament Commentary Conference Upcoming Events and Call for Papers 2016 FairMormon Conference 2017 Mormon History Association Conference, call for papers 2016 Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology Seminar 2016 John Whitmer Historical Association Conference   If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts

In this episode, we join a live event for Jack Harrell’s release of Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism that took place at Writ & Vision rare books and fine art in Provo, UT on June 28th.   Related AuthorCasts: Episode # 25 — Interview with Jack Harrell Episode #27 — Jack Harrell Reads “Making Meaning as a Mormon Writer”   For our next live event, we will be trying something new: Facebook Live. Join us on Thursday, July 21st as Julie M. Smith, Joseph M. Spencer, and Benjamin Peters discuss Julie's two new releases: Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22 and As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture. This event is co-sponsored by Greg Kofford Books and Neal A. Maxwell Institute. It is free to the public and will begin at 7 p.m. Click here for more details and watch our Facebook Page around 7 p.m. on July 21st for a live feed.   If you cannot see the audio controls, your browser does not support the audio element Download Subscribe in Pocket Casts