The Mormon History Association (MHA) is an independent,

non-profit organization A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of

Mormon Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field. MHA was founded in December 1965 at the

American Historical Association The American Historical Association (AHA) is the oldest professional association of historians in the United States and the largest such organization in the world. Founded in 1884, the AHA works to protect academic freedom, develop professional s ...

(AHA) meeting in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

under the leadership of

Latter-day Saint Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into several ...

and

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the stu ...

Leonard J. Arrington Leonard James Arrington (July 2, 1917 – February 11, 1999) was an American author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his man ...

. In 1972, MHA became an independent organization with its own annual conferences and publications. ''The Journal of Mormon History'', the official biennial publication of the association, began publication in 1974. MHA also publishes the quarterly ''Mormon History Newsletter'' and is an affiliate of both AHA and the

Western History Association The Western History Association (WHA), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, was founded in 1961 at Santa Fe, New Mexico by Ray Allen Billington et al. Included in the field of study are the American West and western Canada. The Western Histor ...

. MHA "welcome all who are interested in the Mormon past, irrespective of religious affiliation, academic training, or world location." It is not affiliated with the LDS Church and was founded by people who support no religious beliefs. Its members are composed of people both within and without

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) and the

Community of Christ The Community of Christ, known from 1872 to 2001 as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS), is an American-based international church, and is the second-largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. The churc ...

, including those who reject

Mormonism Mormonism is the religious tradition and theology of the Latter Day Saint movement of Restorationist Christianity started by Joseph Smith in Western New York in the 1820s and 1830s. As a label, Mormonism has been applied to various aspects of t ...

Presidents

MHA presidents are recognized contributors to the field of Mormon history and serve for one year.

''Journal of Mormon History''

Since 1974, MHA has produced the ''Journal of Mormon History'', an

academic journal An academic journal or scholarly journal is a periodical publication in which scholarship relating to a particular academic discipline is published. Academic journals serve as permanent and transparent forums for the presentation, scrutiny, and d ...

in the field of

Mormon studies Mormon studies is the interdisciplinary academic study of the beliefs, practices, history and culture of individuals and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement, a religious movement associated with the Book of Mormon, though not ...

. From the founding of MHA until 1974, '' Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' was a principal venue for articles on Mormon History written by MHA members. A DVD archive of past issues of the journal is available at MHA's web site.

List of editors

Mormon History Association Awards

Among the awards presented by the association are: the

Award "for distinguished and meritorious service to Mormon history" – named for the MHA's founder, and father of

New Mormon history New Mormon history refers to a style of reporting the history of Mormonism by both Mormon and non-Mormon scholars which departs from earlier more polemical or faith-based styles of history. Rather than presenting material selectively to either pro ...

; Best Book Award; Best First Book; Best Documentary or Bibliography; Best Biography; an award for an outstanding International Mormon history; an award for an outstanding history of a Mormon family (or grouping of families in one community).

References

External links

Official website (new)

DigitalCommons.USU.edu/MormonHistory

Official website (old)

Awards given by the MHA

Digitized archive of the ''Journal of Mormon History''
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mormon History Association 1965 establishments in California *Mormon History Association Historical societies in Utah History organizations based in the United States Latter Day Saint organizations Mormon studies Organizations based in Utah Organizations established in 1965 Non-profit organizations based in Utah