JWHA Newsletter. Upcoming Conference Venues Announced. Kirtland 2007 Voree 2008 Nauvoo 2009 Amboy Voree Kirtland 2007.

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1 JWHA Newsletter The John Whitmer Historical Association No. 78 3rd Quarter 2006 Upcoming Conference Venues Announced N E B R A S K A Winter Quarters 2004 Clitherall M I N N E S O TA Preparation Kanesville Manti Adam-ondi-Ahman Liberty I O W A Lamoni Far West Quincy Black River Falls Beloit Amboy 2010 Independence 2006 M I S S O U R I W I S C O N S I N Voree 2008 I L L I N O I S St. Louis Plano Nauvoo 2009 Springfield 2005 Beaver Island M I C H I G A N Covington K E N T U C K Y O H I O O N TA R I O Hiram Kingston Palmyra Kirtland 2007 Monongahela N E W Fayette Y O R K Colesville Harmony P E N N S Y L V A N I A Upcoming Conference Recent Conference Other Latter Day Saint history site Kirtland 2007 Voree 2008 Nauvoo 2009 Amboy 2010 Kirtland was the headquarters of the early church from and is the site of the first Latter Day Saint temple. Kirtland includes many other Mormon-era buildings and the new Temple Visitor Center will open prior to our conference. Voree was established as a Stake and a gathering place by James J. Strang. After he was mortally wounded on Beaver Island, Strang was returned to Voree where he died. Voree is the location of numerous Mormon-era buildings and sites. Nauvoo is a perennial favorite location for our conferences. Many JWHA members fondly remember the 2002 Nauvoo conference as one of the best in the association s history will see JWHA return to Nauvoo will be the 150th anniversary of the 1860 Conference in Amboy where Joseph Smith III assumed the presidency of the New Organization of the Latter Day Saint church. We will hold our 2010 conference in the Amboy/Plano region.

2 Page The John Whitmer Historical Association Historic Conference Shatters Records TThe 34th Annual Meeting of the John Whitmer Historical Association proved to be a historic occasion, resulting from the participation of a large number of leaders of Latter Day Saint (Restoration) movement leaders. Participants included: Community of Christ Grant McMurray, former Prophet/President Dale Luffman, Apostle Alan Tyree, former counselor in the First Presidency Roy H. Schaefer, former Apostle The Church of Jesus Christ (with Headquarters in Monongahela, Pennsylvania) Paul Benyola, Apostle Paul Liberto, Apostle The Church of Jesus Christ (Alpheus Cutler) Stanley Whiting, President Church of Christ (Temple Lot) Bill Sheldon, Apostle Church of Christ The Church with the Elijah Message Paul Savage, Apostle Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (James J. Strang) Bill Shepard, Wingfield Watson Trustee Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints Fred Larsen, Prophet/President Lee Kilpack, Apostle Independent Restoration RLDS Branches Rudy Leutzinger, Elder Principle Voices (Mormon Fundamentalist Advocacy Group) Anne Wilde, Founder To our knowledge, never before has such a group of diverse leaders of the Latter Day Saint movement been gathered together in a single conference. In addition to presentations on groups whose leaders were represented, participants were treated Grant McMurray delivered the Annual Sterling M. McMurrin Lecture in the Auditorium of the Truman Memorial Building. to sessions on David Whitmer and the Church of Christ (Whitmer), Amasa Lyman and the Church of Zion, William Smith and his church, Lyman Wight and his church, Joseph Morris and the Church of the First Born, George J. Adams and his church/colony in Palestine, and R.C. Evans and the Toronto Schism in the RLDS church. New Records Eighty-five people participated in this year s conference as Presenters, Panelists, Responders or Chairs, topping last year s impressive showing of sixty-four participants. In addition, 202 attendees registered for the conference a significant increase over last year s total of 126 registered attendees and eclipsing the previous record attendance figure of 160, set at the memorable Nauvoo Conference in Awards Melvin C. Johnson was awarded JWHA s 2006 Smith-Pettit Best Book Award for Polygamy on the Pedernales: Lyman Wight s Mormon Villages in Antebellum Texas, 1845 to Richard Clothier won the 2006 Best Article Award for his Different

3 The John Whitmer Historical Association Page Drummers: The Diverse Hymnody of the Reorganization, which was published in Volume 32, Issue 1 (Spring 2006) of the Journal of Mormon History. Paul M. Edwards was presented with the JWHA Lifetime Achievement Award. Highlights The strength of the program was such that it is difficult to pick out highlights. Grant McMurray s Sterling M. McMurrin Lecture, entitled Reflecting on the Evolving Faith and Culture of the Community of Christ was extremely well received by the membership. Numerous members have already requested printed copies of the address, which we hope to make available in advance of its publication in the 2007 JWHA Journal. Everyone who attended the Distinguished Senior Scholar Memorial honoring Val Avery s legacy will certainly agree with JWHA founding president Bob Flanders who declared it the most fitting elegy he had ever heard presented. Outgoing past president Jan Shipps presented what she believed Val might have said. Other moving tributes were presented by Barbara Bernauer, Alma Blair and Bill Russell. JWHA s new connection with members of The Church of Jesus Christ (with Headquarters in Monongahela, Pennsylvania) was cemented with a plenary address by Apostle Paul Benyola and Church Historian Larry Watson. Many members commented positively on Benyola s refreshingly open and frank discussion of some of the tough issues facing Restoration leaders. The walking tours of the Temple area of Independence were particularly popular. Attendees split into four groups and toured the headquarters buildings of the Church of Christ (Temple Lot), the Church of Jesus Christ (Alpheus Cutler) and the Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as well as the Temple Archives of the Community of Christ, where they viewed a number of key artifacts from the early church. On Sunday morning at the Conference Center of the Remnant Church, Steve Shields, author of The Divergent Paths of the Restoration, presented his reflections on his lifelong study of the Latter Day Saint movement. His address was followed by an interdenominational Latter Day Saint service with hymns and readings drawn from many of the diverse traditions of the movement. The JWHA membership gathered for a reception Thursday night honoring Vickie Speek and her new book: God Has Made Us a Kingdom : James Strang and the Midwest Mormons.

4 Page The John Whitmer Historical Association The September JWHA Board Meeting was held in the old Joint Council room of the Auditorium. The outgoing JWHA Presidency Alex Baugh, Newell Bringhurst, and Jan Shipps posed in the place historically occupied by the RLDS First Presidency. New Elections and Officers The 2006 Business Meeting was held during our Annual Conference in Independence, at noon on Saturday, September 30. Barb Walden was elected as President-Elect. Bill Shepard was elected to succeed himself on the Board and Erin Jennings was elected to fill a seat vacated by outgoing Board Member, Margie Miller. The membership elected outgoing Past President Jan Shipps to chair the 2007 Nominating Committee. Also elected to the Nominating Committee were R. Jean Addams, Barry Murphey, Margaret Rastle and Robert Wallace. A Board action named Jeanne Murphey to chair the Bylaws Committee consisting of herself, Ron Romig and Mike Marquardt. The Committee will suggest amendments to the Bylaws which will be published in the Newsletter for consideration of the membership in advance of our 2007 Spring Banquet. Members may also propose their own amendments, which must be submitted to the Editor of the Newsletter prior to Jan. 15, 2007 in order to be published. The Board as presently constituted is: Alex Baugh, President Barb Walden, President-Elect Newell Bringhurst, Immediate Past President Bill Russell ( ) Jeanne Murphey ( ) Mike Marquardt ( ) Greg Kofford ( ) Erin Jennings ( ) Bill Shepard ( ) John Hamer, Executive Secretary Mike Karpowicz, Executive Secretary Billie Young, Endowment Fund Treasurer JWHA Newsletter The JWHA Newsletter is published quarterly by and for the benefit of the members of the John Whitmer Historical Association. (This quarter s Newsletter was delayed.) 2006 by JWHA. All rights reserved. Visit us at John Hamer, Editor and Production Director Mike Karpowicz, Copy Editor Please send letters and notices to the editor: John Hamer, 1710 South Blvd., Ann Arbor, MI or by at JHamer@Annuitech.com.

5 The John Whitmer Historical Association Page Joyce Ann Shireman, L ong-time Dakota, and a retired Associate Professor at Coe College, Cedar Rapids, Iowa. JWHA member Joyce Shireman died Saturday September 23, 2006 at the West Point Care Center in Ft. Madison, Iowa. She was born on May 3, 1940 in Ft. Madison, the daughter of Glen and Genevieve Cooper Richardson. On November 18, 1967 Joyce married Larry D. Shireman in Independence, Missouri. She received her Nursing Diploma in 1962 from Independence Sanitarium and Hospital School of Nursing and her AA Degree from Graceland University. She received her BSN from the University of Kansas, her MS in Nursing from Ohio State University and her PhD in Education from the University of Iowa. She was the Assistant Professor and Coordinator of the Medical-Surgical Nursing Division within the College of Nursing at the University of North Joyce was the Site Coordinator at the Joseph Smith Historic Site in Nauvoo, Illinois and the Pastor of the Community of Christ congregation in Ft. Madison. She was a 4th generation member of the Community of Christ, former Pastor of the Cedar Rapids congregation and past counselor to the District President. Joyce was a member of the Nauvoo Historical Society and was the Secretary of the Nauvoo Chamber of Commerce. She was also an active member of JWHA and finished her last term on the JWHA board last year. Joyce is survived by her husband, Larry, her son David Shireman of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and her grandson, Xander Shireman. Upcoming JWHA Conferences Our 2010 Conference will be held in the area of Amboy, Illinois, in commemoration of the sesquicentennial of the conference in which Joseph Smith III assumed the presidency of the New Organization of the Latter Day Saint church. The existing 1972 historical marker (left) refering to Mormons in Amboy is less than optimal. JWHA would like to explore the prospect of sponsoring a new historical marker to be dedicated during the sesquicentennial. Upcoming Conference Dates 2007 September Kirtland, Ohio 2008 September Voree, Wisconsin 2009 September Nauvoo, Illinois 2010 September Amboy, Illinois Establishing our conference dates and venues ahead of time will allow JWHA to reserve appropriate meeting spaces, hotels and restaurants and also will allow JWHA to lock in the best rates for our members.

6 Page 6 The John Whitmer Historical Association Become a Sustaining Member For the past few years, JWHA has been operated as a loss financially. The regular annual membership cost of 25 (22.50 with the MHA joint member discount) has not always been sufficient to cover the costs of producing, printing and distributing the Journal, four quarterly newsletters and administering the association. Likewise, the incredibly low cost of our conference registeration (56 last year for members who registered on time), has often meant that the conferences have likewise operated at a loss for the association. To cover such losses in the operating budget, the association has occasionally been forced to make distributions from its Endowment Fund. While having such a cushion is a wonderful thing, most members will surely agree that covering operating shortfalls is not the most desirable use for Endowment Fund reserves. The Executive Secretary team is doing everything possible to reduce operating costs. For example, printing Volume #26 of the Journal through our new print-on-demand press allowed JWHA to reduce the overall printing cost while simultaneously increasing the size of the journal (346 pages over last year s 245 pages) and printing the cover in full color. However, even with these cost reductions, increasing revenue is essential to continue JWHA s important missions. Rather than implementing a general increase in the annual dues, outgoing President Newell G. Bringhurst has issued a challenge to JWHA s members to renew their membership this year at the Sustaining level (75) or the Patron level (200). Citing the importance of JWHA and its work at the final board meeting of his presidential year, Newell pledged to renew his membership at the Sustaining level and challenged the other board members to do likewise. Incoming President-Elect Barb Walden has already responded to Newell s challenge and renewed her membership at the Sustaining level. JWHA President Alex Baugh reiterated Newell s challenge to the membership at the annual business meeting. I challenge any member who values JWHA and who is able, said Alex, to please consider promoting the association by renewing at the Sustaining or Patron levels of membership. JWHA would like to recognize and thank George Woloch who purchased a Lifetime Membership this year and also James Blan who renewed his membership at the Sustaining level.

7 The John Whitmer Historical Association Page 7 JWHA Membership Renewal Form If a notice to renew your membership appears above your name and mailing address of this newsletter (see page 12), please take this opportunity to renew your membership in the John Whitmer Historical Association and also your membership in the Mormon History Association. Name Address City, State, Zip Phone Spouse (List if your spouse is registering for a Spouse Membership) Membership Levels JWHA s Bylaws provide for Sustaining, Patron and Lifetime Memberships for members who wish to make an additional tax-deductable contribution to the association. Regular Membership Full Membership in the organization with a subscription to the quarterly newsletter and annual journal and full voting rights at the annual meeting. Spouse Membership Same as above except that the spouse shares the subscriptions. Student Membership Full Membership is offered at a reduced rate to encourage students to join the association. Sustaining Membership Sustaining Members are full members who provide an extra donation to help sustain the association s important initiatives and programs. Patron Membership Patron Members are helping JWHA with its long-term goals of growth and increased professionalism. Patrons will be invited to sit with the JWHA Presidency and keynote speakers at the Patrons Dinner during the Annual Meeting. Lifetime Membership Through a one-time-only generous donation, a Lifetime Member s name is permanently updated on JWHA s membership rolls. JWHA Membership New Member: Regular Membership Spouse of Member Student Membership Sustaining Membership Patron Membership Lifetime Membership Please add postage for Foreign Membership MHA Membership New Member: Regular Membership Spouse of Member Student Membership Institutional Membership Sustaining Membership Patron Membership Donor Membership Please add postage for Foreign Membership JWHA Subtotal MHA Subtotal Less 5.00 for combined JWHA & MHA membership Membership Total Total amount enclosed Renewing Member: , Renewing Member: Make checks payable to JWHA and send them to: John Whitmer Historical Association c/o Mike Karpowicz 1710 South Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI

8 Page 8 The John Whitmer Historical Association John Whitmer Books Order Form John Whitmer Books Check each box to indicate the books you would like to order and total the cost: Matthew Bolton, Apostle of the Poor: The Life and Work of Missionary and Humanitarian Charles D. Neff (18 including shipping) Quantity: Books Subtotal: JWHA Journal Check each box to indicate the Journals you would like to order and total the cost: Vol. 4 (15) Vol. 5 (15) Vol. 6 (15) Vol. 7 (10) Vol. 8 (10) Vol. 9 (10) Vol. 10 (10) Vol. 11 (10) Vol. 12 (10) Vol. 13 (10) Vol. 14 (10) Vol. 15 (10) Vol. 16 (10) Vol. 17 (10) Vol. 18 (10) Vol. 19 (10) Vol. 20 (10) Vol. 21 (15) Vol. 22 (20) Vol. 23 (25) Nauvoo (25) Vol. 24 (25) Vol. 25 (25) Vol. 26 (25) Journal Subtotal: JWHA Lecture Audio Cassettes Check each box to indicate the audio cassettes you would like to order and total the cost: #2: Grant McMurray, History and Mission in Tension: A View from Both Sides. (8) #3: Richard Howard, The Quest for Traces of a Peace Gene in Restoration History. (8) #4: Barbara Bernauer, Gathering the Remnants: Establishing the RLDS Church in Southwest Iowa. (8) #5: Lavina Fielding Anderson, Mormonism s First Mother Lucy Mack Smith. (8) #6: Edward Warner, Historiography: From Sacred Fudge to Christ Centered Boredom. (8) #7: Mario DePillis, Christ Comes to Jackson County: The Social Meaning of Mormon Millennialism. (8) #8: Paul Edwards, Beating Plowshares into Swords: The Community of Christ and War. (8) #9: Alma Blair, The Faithful Historian: Odysseys of Mind and Spirit. (8) Cassette Subtotal: Total Enclosed: Make checks payable to JWHA and send them to: John Whitmer Historical Association c/o Mike Karpowicz 1710 South Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI Name Address City, State, Zip Phone #10: Steve LeSueur, Community of Christ and the Search for a Useable Past. (8) #11: Phillip Barlow, Transformation in Context: Mormonism, the Community of Christ, and Religion in America. (8) #12: Robert Flanders, Nauvoo on My Mind. (8) #13: Robert Remini, A Non-Mormon s Interpretation of Joseph Smith. (8) #14: Michael Riggs, Benign Voyeur: Twenty-four Years of Third Party Observations on the Ever-changing Community of Christ Church. (8) #15: Michael Quinn, To Whom Shall We Go?: Historical Patterns of Restoration Believers With Serious Doubts. (8) #16: Biloine Young, Religion s Shifting Sand and Mormonism s Unsteady Footing. (8) #17: Thomas Murphy, Sin, Skin, and Seed: Mistakes of Men in the Book of Mormon. (8)

9 The John Whitmer Historical Association Page 9 Parley P. Pratt Conference Call for Papers The University of Arkansas Fort Smith is sponsoring a conference on April 20-21, 2007, entitled Religion and Reaction: The Life, Times, and Legacy of Parley Parker Pratt. The conference is timed to commemorate the bicentennial of Pratt s birth and the sesquicentennial of his death in Arkansas. The conference s keynote speaker will be acclaimed historian Jan Shipps, Professor Emerita of History and Religious Studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and past president of JWHA. Topics for presentation may include, but are not limited to: Religious persecution and violence Religious controversies in the press Missions, especially to native peoples New theologies and religious traditions Parley P. Pratt, author, missionary, apostle The Pratt conference committee encourages papers and sessions in the scholarly tradition as well as innovative and interactive sessions. The committee recognizes the importance of engaging the audience in a compelling manner; thus proposals for panels, roundtables, poster or photo sessions, performances, films, and other appropriate formats are welcome. Presentations may vary from twenty minutes to longer sessions and prospective presenters should specify their desired time frame. Proposals should be submitted electronically to dsiler@uafortsmith.edu or mailed to Pratt Conference, 2222 Park Ridge Drive, Van Buren, AR Submissions should be received by January 1, 2007 and should include the following information: A complete mailing address, , phone number, and affiliation for each participant, A prospectus or abstract of no more than 250 words for each presentation, A vita of approximately 500 words for each presenter. For more information on the conference, visit John Whitmer Books Update Last fall, JWHA announced the creation of a new imprint called John Whitmer Books to serve as a vehicle for the publication of studies in Latter Day Saint history. At our annual business meeting, JWHA Executive Secretary Mike Karpowicz reported that a sufficient number of copies of John Whitmer Books first title, Apostle of the Poor: The Life and Missionary Work of Apostle and Humanitarian Charles D. Neff had sold to cover the costs of the editing and printing. Having tested and proven the viability of the venture, JWHA s Publications Committee has voted to add to the John Whitmer Books catalog. Two manuscripts are currently under consideration: (1) Homosexual Saints: The Community of Christ Experience, edited by William D. Russell, and (2) an illustrated history of the Kirtland Temple. In order to facilitate distribution of John Whitmer Books titles, JWHA will add the capacity to take credit card orders on its website JWHA.info and it will explore the possibility of selling books through Amazon.com. In other news, the Board authorized JWHA Executive Secretary John Hamer to meet with Herald House and the Community of Christ leadership to explore the prospects of allowing John Whitmer Books to reprint Herald House history titles that are no longer available. A meeting of the parties occured on October 2 in which this concept was discussed. Herald House and the church appear open to the possibility. JWHA s Publications Committee will now review possible titles which have gone out of print, assessing them for need and viability as John Whitmer Books reprints.

10 Page 10 The John Whitmer Historical Association NEXT YEAR S CONFERENCE Among Latter Day Saints & Other American Groups Communal Experiments OUR 2007 CALL FOR PAPERS Kirtland, Ohio, site of the first Latter Day Saint Temple, was also where Joseph Smith and his followers experimented with a communal economy during the 1830s. It is therefore fitting that our Kirtland conference next year explore this theme. However, participants may propose papers and panels on any aspect of Latter Day Saint history or communalism. Conference sessions will be held at the new Kirtland Temple Visitors Center and the Community of Christ Church. Send proposals to proposals@jwha.info A Coordinated Conference of JWHA and CSA, Sept , 2007 J O H N W H I T M E R HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION COMMUNAL STUDIES ASSOCIATION

11 The John Whitmer Historical Association Page 11 Construction is proceding on the new Kirtland Temple Visitor Center which will be one of the venues for our 2007 Conference. Site Director Barb Walden reports that the center should be completed by the end of 2006.

12 Page 12 The John Whitmer Historical Association APOSTLE of the POOR The Life and Work of Missionary and Humanitarian CHARLES D. NEFF By Matthew Bolton From humble beginnings as a Midwestern American farmboy, Charles D. Neff went on to participate in the fundamental transformation of the Community of Christ, from a small provincial sect centered in the Midwestern plains, to a worldwide church spanning over 50 nations. His missionary work in Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, India, Nigeria, Liberia, and Kenya challenged him to rethink the church s theology opening it to the voices of other cultures and confronted him with the horrific realities of massive poverty. Deeply affected by the terrible conditions he saw in the developing world, he founded several humanitarian organizations, including Outreach International, and dedicated his life to bringing relief, release and dignity to the world s poor. John Whitmer Books Place your order today using the form on page 9 or visit JWHA.info This apostle was not merely an important church leader, he was an indefatigable humanitarian and campaigner for world peace I was blown away by the work. Jan Shipps, author of Sojourner in the Promised Land Attend Our Spring Banquet Next March & Our Sept Kirtland Conference! John Whitmer Historical Association c/o John Hamer 1710 South Blvd. Ann Arbor, MI