MSSA News

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new Mormon research journal: The Journal of Latter-day Saint Missiology

The Journal of Latter-day Saint Missiology is a free peer reviewed online journal which will be e-published biannually starting in December 2008 with the purpose of promoting original missiology research and to foster scholarly discussion and critical practical analysis from a variety of perspectives. Topics covered will include growth, retention, internationalization, member-missionary work, policy, and other practical matters related to LDS missionary work.

I am soliciting relevant original articles for e-publication. Articles should be prepared in standard scholarly format and should range from 4,000-12,000 words. I will pay a $500 stipend to the author of any article accepted for publication, with an additional $500 prize ($1000 total) awarded to the author of the best article in each issue.

Research grants of up to $2,000 will be offered for qualifying original missiology research projects which can demonstrate a need for additional funding, with half paid in advance and half paid upon receipt of a final manuscript. Four grants are available per year.

If you are interested in being a peer reviewer, please let me know.

Please contact the editor below if you are interested in submitting and article or for any additional information.

David Stewart
Cumorah Foundation
cumorah.com

update 7-10-2008: the journal now has a website: http://cumorah.com/ldsmissiology.html

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Q: Do you know anyone who could give a lecture comparing Protestantism and Mormonism?

A: We have as members or know a number of people who are well-suited to give a lecture on comparative religions – specifically comparing the LDS to traditional Protestant Christians.

  • Jan Shipps, PhD; emeritus professor from Indiana-Purdue University at Indianapolis – One of the most obvious choices is Jan Shipps, who was both recommended by others and emailed me herself to let me know that she has prepared this exact lecture and given it before to both Methodists and Lutherans. She is also a life-long Methodist and has studied the LDS for “half a century.” She would be an ideal candidate for the lecture you are proposing.
  • Brian Birch, PhD; professor at Utah Valley State College – According to two members of the MSSA, Professor Birch was recently at Claremont Graduate University working on a book comparing LDS theology with that of traditional Christendom. He, too, would be an ideal candidate for such a lecture/presentation.
  • Robert L. Millet, PhD; professor at BYU – Armand Mauss suggested Robert L. Millet would be a good candidate for such a talk. He’s a professor of Ancient Scripture and has his PhD in Religious Studies.
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Q: What are “children of record” and are they included in the total membership of the LDS?

Q: Does the officially reported membership number of the LDS religion include “children of record”?  In other words, as of 2007, the LDS religion reports 13,193,999 members.  Does that number include children of members younger than 8, or are they excluded from that number?

A: Several members of the MSSA who are in positions to know exactly how this works informed us that it is as follows: Children of members (a.k.a. “children of record”) are included in the total head count of LDS members up to the age of 9. They are supposed to be baptized after they turn 8, but those who get to 9 without baptism are dropped from membership.

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MSSA serves as expert source for news story on polygamist raid

The Mormon Social Science Association was contacted by a foreign reporter looking for someone knowledgeable about polygamy from a social scientific perspective.  The reporter was directed to Michael Nielsen, a long-time MSSA member who is currently doing research on polygamy.  Michael Nielsen’s thoughts on the developing story were incorporated into the news article, which is available here.  This is a great illustration of how the MSSA website is reaching out to a broader audience to share the knowledge and expertise of the membership.

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Vernon’s Sociology of Mormonism

While Glenn M. Vernon was not the first sociologist to analyze Mormonism, he was arguably the first to attempt to organize the social scientific study of the LDS church into a specific field of inquiry. This 1975 text was used in his sociology of Mormonism classes at the University of Utah, and it contains a wealth of social science data on a variety of subjects. While many of the studies are dated, they give important insights into Mormon thinking and behavior in the era just before the internationalization of the faith began to accelerate. Hence, for anyone interested in the history or development of Mormon thought, Vernon’s work is a veritable treasure trove.

Download it here.