Q: When did the program of using youthful males as missionaries become the norm within Mormonism?

Q: I am frustrated because lots of searching through the books I have, including the Mormon Encyclopedia, is not telling me when the program of using youthful males as missionaries became the norm within Mormonism. An article in the Encyclopedia mentions that initially the missionaries were usually married men who left their families for an unknown period. I know that the earlier format for studies with people by the young missionaries was published about 1960. But when did the two-by-two youthful ones originate, and what were the patterns between the “first generation” married men and the when the study format was published? If you know the answers to this set of questions I would be most grateful to have them, please.

A: Several members of the MSSA responded to this question.

Jan Shipps wrote:

In my own general research, the first mention I saw of the shift to young men came not long before World War II. I know that at the first of the war in Europe, the First Presidency was very much concerned about making sure that the American missionaries in Germany and other parts of continent could get home safely. There were lots of questions about whether missionaries would be drafted during World War II. But that does not tell us a lot.

Jonathan Stapley wrote:

The chapters in Mormonism: A Historical Encyclopedia by Reeve and Parshall on “Mormonism and Transition” and “Missiology” may be helpful.  Additionally, Payne’s article on sister missionaries in New Scholarship on Latter-day Saint Women in the Twentieth Century will also be helpful.

David Heap wrote:

My mother was a missionary in the Northern States Mission around 1953, 54. She said there were a few married elders, called because of Korea. But she understood that was the last of them, and that early on the McKay Administration decided to end the calling of married brethren to serve missions. I am not sure on what basis she said that (she is now deceased)–whether it was common knowledge, or whether she learned from President McKay himself or his son, who was my mother’s uncle.

faculty position at BYU-Idaho

There is a faculty position open in Sociology at BYU-Idaho.  Here’s the description from the website:

Full-time Faculty – Sociology
Academic Office
Faculty
Teach core sociology courses in a comprehensive sociology program. Assignments could include theory, research methods, and statistical analysis. Teach general courses in inequalities and institutions, with an open emphasis. Additional responsibilities include advising students and other department and university assignments. Throughout their careers, all BYU-Idaho faculty are expected to actively pursue professional development opportunities in teaching and learning and ongoing scholarly development within their discipline.
Doctorate in Sociology preferred; master’s degree required with the stipulation that continued employment will be based upon the completion of a doctorate degree. Applicants must have a demonstrated commitment to and evidence of excellence in teaching. Applicants must be members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and eligible for a temple recommend.
To be determined by department chair.
08-16-2011
Dependent on education and experience.
11-12-2010
01-16-2011
Resume
Cover Letter
Transcript 1
Curriculum Vitae
Letter of Reference 1
Letter of Reference 2
Letter of Reference 3
Other Document
Transcript 2
Transcript 3
Original transcript of degrees earned is required and must be mailed by the university to the following address:
Mr. Kelly T Burgener
Associate Academic VP for Instruction
210 KIM
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg ID 83460-1690
Peggy P. Clements
210 KIM
Academic Office
BYU-Idaho
Rexburg ID 83460-1690
208-496-1140
clementsp@byui.edu

SYMPOSIUM TO EXPLORE MORMON MEDIA STUDIES

SYMPOSIUM TO EXPLORE MORMON MEDIA STUDIES

Public invited at no charge to attend Nov 11-12 symposium

PROVO, Utah – Oct. 21 – A first-ever symposium, “Mormon Media Studies: Across Time, Space, and Disciplines,” will be held at the Brigham Young University campus November 11 and 12, 2010.

Featured keynote speaker will be Dr. Terryl Givens, professor of literature and religion at the University of Richmond.  Dr. Givens will speak on the subject of “Fraud, Philanderers and Football:  Negotiating the Mormon Image.”

The conference will also include over 30 academic paper presentations on Mormons and the media; panel discussions on Mormon bloggers, Church public relations, Mormon film and more; and film screenings, documentaries and discussions.  “Lunch and a Movie” and “Night at the Movies” film screenings will be held at noon and in the evenings featuring rare and unique Mormon-themed films.

For more information about the Symposium, or to pre-order lunch for the event, visit the Symposium web site at http://ce.byu.edu/cw/mmstudies/.

Lunch can also be ordered by calling 801–422–8925.

(See flyer here.)

16th Annual Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture

Sixteenth Annual Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture

Sponsored by:

Special Collections & Archives; Merrill-Cazier Library; The Leonard J. Arrington Lecture and Archives Foundation; College of Humanities and Social Sciences; and Utah State University

The lecture is free and open to the public. Call 435-797-2663 with questions.

Susan Arrington Madsen and Carl Arrington Present

“A Paper Mountain: The Extraordinary Diary of Leonard James Arrington”

The people of the Great Basin Kingdom are not often likely to witness a scholar, father, friend, mentor and Latter-day Saint of the stature of Leonard James Arrington. Along the way, Leonard Arrington was writing about all of these experiences in a diary—a diary that would eventually occupy 26 linear feet on the shelf at USU Special Collections. The record includes some 60,000 pages – roughly two pages per day for all of his eighty-three years until his death in 1999. The diary reveals in gritty detail not just his adventures as a church historian, but the history of many Cache Valley characters. It also provides a treasure-trove of information on his personal trials, triumphs, and disappointments, along with his joys as a friend, father, and scholar. This presentation provides a sampler of stories, hidden deeds, private opinions about public controversies, and insights into a man who was hailed variously as a genius, a dangerous menace, a valiant friend, and a wise father.

Susan Arrington Madsen grew up in Logan where she graduated from Utah State University with a degree in journalism. During her years at USU, she was awarded an internship with the LDS Church Magazines, wrote for the USU student newspaper as a senior staff writer, and wrote more than 40 articles for Collier’s Encyclopedia Yearbooks. Susan currently lives in Hyde Park, Utah.

Carl Arrington, the second son (middle child) of Leonard and Grace Arrington, was born in Logan, Utah, in 1951. He grew up in Cache Valley attending Adams Elementary, Logan Junior High, Logan High, and Utah State University. Carl currently works as a freelance writer and media consultant. He lives in New York City.

All college students are invited to participate in a writing competition in conjunction with this lecture. Cash awards will be given.

Location:

Thursday, September 23, 2010, at 7 pm
Logan LDS Tabernacle
50 N. Main, Logan, Utah

(see attached flyer)

Call for Papers: Mormon Media Studies: Across Time, Space, and Disciplines

CALL FOR CONFERENCE PAPERS AND PANELS
Sponsored by BYU Department of Communications, BYU Broadcasting, and BYU Studies
In Conjunction with the 50th Anniversary of BYU Broadcasting

November 11 & 12, 2010
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, USA
http://ce.byu.edu/cw/mmstudies

“Mormon Media Studies: Across Time, Space, and Disciplines”
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members have been highly visible in the media in recent years, and also have been actively engaged in the production of media content. While circumstances and technologies have changed over time, the media always have been central to the Mormon experience, and to the interface of Mormonism with societies, institutions, and individuals. This first-ever interdisciplinary Mormon Media Studies Symposium will focus on the academic study of all aspects of Mormons and the media, in the present as well as the past. (The term “media” is used broadly to encompass print and electronic media, books, film, etc.)

Submission of Paper and Panel Proposals
Academics, practitioners, and students are invited to submit competitive papers or panel proposals about any aspect of Mormons and the media. Papers and panels may be broadly interdisciplinary; international perspectives are encouraged; all rigorous scholarly methodological frameworks and theories are welcome. Audio-visual presentations (with rigorous analysis) and short films are welcome. Papers recently presented or published elsewhere may be considered (provide full information). Submissions (which will be peer-reviewed) may be made in three categories: Full Papers; Presentation Papers; and Panels. Full papers should be approx. 6,000-8,000 words. They will be considered by BYU Studies for possible publication (if the author wishes). (They must be adapted for a 20-25 minute presentation.) Presentation papers should be approx. 3,000 words. They may be accepted to presentation, panel, or poster sessions. Panel proposals should be approx. 2-3 pages. They should include panel topic and relevance, and panel members’ names, titles, and contact information. For all submissions, include title and short abstract (100 words), author’s full name, title or student status,
and contact information. Identifying information should appear only on the cover page.

Deadline: Papers and panel proposals must be submitted by June 30, 2010 in Word or PDF formats as an e-mail attachment to Dr. Sherry Baker at: sherry_baker@byu.edu.

See complete Call for Papers here.

Q: What research needs to be done on the psychology of Mormons?

Q: I’m about to begin an honors thesis in psychology and am interested in using an LDS sample. I’m not abreast of the literature, and was wondering if there were some interesting findings in the research examining latter-day saints? Perhaps you could point me to a good review? Alternatively and probably more useful, have you as an expert researcher identified any anomalies or gaps in LDS research? Another way of looking at this may be – if you yourself could have a psychological study done examining some aspect of Mormons, what would you be most interested in examining? Any suggestions no matter how vague or fantastic would be really appreciated. Lastly, I have leanings myself towards studying recently returned missionaries on some aspect of adjustment/subsyndromal PTSD. Potentially with a view to proposing a sort of “RM-MTC” for vulnerable rm’s.
I’m wondering how feasible this research proposal sounds, or if anything like this has been done with missionaries in the past, and whether the church needs to approve a study such as this…

A: Here are the answers from the MSSA…

Michael Nielsen offered the following:

There is very little psychological work examining post-mission life, or even mission life, for that matter. I recall a few articles dealing with this topic in general.  I’d encourage you to consider framing it as post-mission adjustment, or something similar, rather than PTSD, as PTSD will likely be perceived by some who could benefit from the research as denigrating the mission experience, or as suggesting a prejudice against missions even if it is not intended. This can adversely affect your ability to get a good sample, as well as the potential to publish the results later.  If your library has access to the PsycInfo database, you may be able to locate helpful studies by combining “religio*” and “adjustment”, and narrowing down the resulting list. Don’t include LDS or Mormon unless you really need to focus on specifically Mormon elements.  You might also try the Sommervogel Archive (http://www.division36.org/sommervogel.html), which is an index of religion research that has little overlap with the PsychInfo database.  (For instance, searching Mormon in Sommerogel yields results from religion journals, sunstone, and other things not indexed in PsycInfo.)  By maintaining a sufficiently broad conceptual base, not limiting your research to Mormonism specifically, you should be able to find a good body of literature to build on.

Armand Mauss offered the following:

Here are some suggestions, whether or not you are able to do a survey for your honors thesis:
1) Get a copy of the large bibliography, Studies in Mormon History, 1830-1997, compiled by Allen, Walker, and Whittaker (U. of Illinois Press, 2000), and go to the final section, “A Topical Guide to Published Social Science Literature,” where you will find an overview of what sociological and psychological studies have been done (up to about a decade ago). Some of these works were based on surveys but most were not. Nevertheless, you  can see what sorts of topics have already been addressed. Some studies of missionaries are included.

2) Get a copy of Heaton, Bahr, and Jacobson, A Statistical Profile of Mormons: Health, Wealth, and Social Life (Edwin Mellen Press, 2004). From this book you can see what survey data sets are in the public domain and potentially available for secondary analysis. Most of them require the researcher to cull out Mormon subsamples from the larger data sets. Heaton et al. can probably tell him how to do this, and how to get access to the data sets. They might already be on file at BYU.

3) Go to the ARDA website and see what kinds of data are available on Mormons in that archive. My own 40-year-old surveys are on file there, which could at least give him examples of the kinds of questions that have been successfully used in studying Mormon populations.  Other ARDA data sets contain LDS data aggregated at the congregational or county level, etc. See this and this.

4) Finally, it might be in your interest to contact the Research Information Division (RID) in Salt Lake City to see if they have any leads for him. Their own data would be proprietary, but they might be able to point him to studies they know of that would be available to him. I know, for example, that RID participated in the recent Congregational Surveys done by the Hartford Seminary (which I think are included in the ARDA archive), so even RID data collected for those surveys might be available. (If you want contact information for some of the RID researchers, let me know.)

Andrew Miles offered the following:

Glad to hear you are interested in studying Mormons!  In my experience, there aren’t that many social scientific studies specifically about Mormons, though that has been changing in recent years.  The problem is that most big data sets have very few Latter-day Saints in them, and so researchers on religion usually can’t look at patterns for LDS apart from other religious groups.  That means that whatever you do, you’ll probably have to collect your own data.

In terms of gaps in the literature . . . Well, most research that I’m familiar with on Mormons is historical or cultural.  That means that most psychological or social psychological questions that might be unique to Mormons probably have not been explored.  I think you could expand your RM study to include other stressors as well.  For instance, being single in a family-oriented church might be seen as a type of chronic stressor, and being called into a demanding church position such as bishop or stake president might similarly provoke stress.  These could lead to psychological distress, but might also be counterbalanced by support and coping resources that exist in the LDS church as well.  If you wanted to take a comparative approach, you could look at mental health among LDS and another religious (or non-religious) group.

Q: What empirical research exists on African American women and the challenges they face as a black member of the LDS Church?

Q: I was wondering if you might be able to send me some information on where I can find empirical studies and data, so that I may further my research.  I want to focus on African American women challenges  of being Mormon, and how traditional (black) practices and customs differ from that of Mormon culture.  I was wondering if you might be able to send me some information on where I can find empirical studies and data, so that I may further my research. I want to focus on African American women challenges  of being Mormon, and how traditional (black) practices and customs differ from that of Mormon culture.

A: Two members of the MSSA responded to this question.

Armand Mauss suggested the following:

I would refer Teameaka to the websites www.blacklds.org and www.ldsgenesisgroup.org to start with, so that she can explore what resources and contacts she might encounter there. Then for knowledgeable individual people, she should contact the following:

  • Lillian Glover (lglover318@yahoo.com), who is coordinator for African American Affairs in southern California
  • Marvin Perkins (perkinsmc@sbcglobal.net), who has his own Outreach Program for LDS African Americans
  • Margaret Young (margaret_young@byu.edu), who (with Darius Gray) is author of a trilogy that explores the history of LDS African Americans, including a number of women, such as Jane Manning James.

Other resources :

  1. The hour-long PBS documentary “Nobody Knows” deals with the history of African American Mormons, based on the research of Margaret and Darius. Margaret can tell Teameaka how to get access to that documentary.
  2. The BYU Redd Center for Western Studies has a collection of more than 200 “oral histories” transcribed during the 1980s from interviews with black LDS members, men and women.
  3. Professor Stephen C. Finley (scfinley@lsu.edu ), a young professor of Religious Studies at Louisiana State University is just starting a book project on black Latter-day Saints and how they articulate their ethnic and religious identities. He has been collecting data from various sources, including the libraries in Utah, and is very knowledgeable about them. I think he would be very helpful, and there might be opportunities for collaboration there (he is black but not LDS).

Anyway, all that would be a good start. I don’t know of any special sources about LDS African American women, but these sources I have mentioned would include material on women, as well as on men.

Richard Stamps also made a recommendation:

I suggest you check out Jerri A. Harwell’s book “Leaning on Prayer” 2004, from Spring Creek Book Company, Provo, Utah. You may wish to contact her (jharwell@mymail.slcc.edu). I think she is teaching at Salt Lake Community College. She is also well connected with the Genesis Group for Black members. A very nice lady.