Journal of Mormon History Volume 17 Issue 1 Article 1 1991 Journal of Mormon History Vol. 17, 1991 Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/mormonhistory Part of the Religion Commons Recommended Citation (1991) "Journal of Mormon History Vol. 17, 1991," Journal of Mormon History: Vol. 17 : Iss. 1 , Article 1. Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/mormonhistory/vol17/iss1/1 This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Journals at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in Journal of Mormon History by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Journal of Mormon History Vol. 17, 1991 Table of Contents TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR REFLECTIONS --Taking Stock: The Mormon History Association after Twenty-five Years Davis Bitton, 1 --A Community of Heart Paul M. Edwards, 28 --In Praise of Amateurs Leonard J. Arlington, 35 • --"Feme Covert": Journey of a Metaphor Carol Cornwall Madsen, 43 • --The Mormon Message in the Context of Maori Culture Peter Lineham, 62 • --Hiram Clark and the First LDS Hawaiian Mission: A Reappraisal Donald R. Shaffer, 94 • --Waging Holy War: Mormon-Congregationalist Conflict in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Hawaii M. Guy Bishop, 110 • --John Hyde, Jr., Mormon Renegade Lynne Watkins Jorgensen, 120 • --"Many Mansions": The Dynamics of Dissent in the Nineteenth-Century Reorganized Church Roger D. Launius, 145 • --The Odyssey of a Latter-day Prophet: Wilford Woodruff and the Manifesto of 1890 Thomas G. Alexander, 169 • --Would-Be Saints: West Africa before the 1978 Priesthood Revelation James B. Allen, 207 This full issue is available in Journal of Mormon History: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/mormonhistory/vol17/iss1/ 1 JOURNAL OF MORMON HISTORY TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE JOURNAL OF MORMON HISTORY TWENTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY ISSUE JOURNAL OF MORMON HISTORY VOLUME 17, 1991 CONTENTS TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR REFLECTIONS Taking Stock: The Mormon History Association after Twenty-five Years Davis Bitton 1 A Community of Heart Paul M. Edwards 28 In Praise of Amateurs Leonard J. Arlington 35 "Feme Covert": Journey of a Metaphor Carol Cornwall Madsen 43 The Mormon Message in the Context of Maori Culture Peter Lineham 62 Hiram Clark and the First LDS Hawaiian Mission: A Reappraisal Donald R. Shaffer 94 Waging Holy War: Mormon-Congregationalist Conflict in Mid-Nineteenth-Century Hawaii M. Guy Bishop 110 John Hyde, Jr., Mormon Renegade Lynne Watkins Jorgensen 120 "Many Mansions": The Dynamics of Dissent in the Nineteenth-Century Reorganized Church Roger D. Launius 145 The Odyssey of a Latter-day Prophet: Wilford Woodruff and the Manifesto of 1890 Thomas G. Alexander 169 Would-Be Saints: West Africa before the 1978 Priesthood Revelation James B. Allen 207 DESIGN by Warren Archer. Cover: Abstraction of the window tracery, Salt Lake City Seventeenth Ward. Manuscript scanning and support services by Signature Books Typesetting by Deseret Book © 1991 Mormon History Association TWENTY-FIFTH YEAR REFLECTIONS TAKING STOCK: THE MORMON HISTORY ASSOCIATION AFTER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS Davis Bittorf WHAT I OFFER HERE is not "the one true" history of the Mormon History Association, nor the "intimate" history based on interviews that Maureen Beecher presented in her presidential address of five years ago, and mercifully not a list of officers, papers, and awards (although they appear in the ap- pendix). This is Davis Bitton's angle of vision on the Mormon History As- sociation-not the whole truth, certainly, but hopefully worth considering. If it is in part a paean to our accomplishments, I have also added a bit of seasoning by recognizing some problems that may not be as conspicuous as our successes. Officially organized at the annual meeting of the American Historical Association in San Francisco in December 1965, the Mormon His- tory Association approaches its quarter century mark in December 1990. Surely the time is ripe for a survey and an evaluation.2 Let us start with a larger context. Since at least the organization of the Royal Society of London in 1660, the forming of associations has been one evidence of coming-of-age for different human activities. The general pattern proceeds something like this: individuals had been studying certain subjects 1 Davis Bitton, professor of history at the University of Utah, is a past president of the Mormon History Association. This paper was presented at the Mormon History Association annual meeting, June 1990, at BYU-Hawaii in Laie, Oahu. 2 Previous histories of MHA's history include Davis Bitton, "The Mormon History Association, 1965-1971," MHA Newsletter, No. 20 (15 January 1972); Leonard J. Arrington, "Reflections on the Founding and Purpose of the Mormon History Association," Journal of Mormon History 10 (1983): 91-104; Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, "Entre Nous: An Informal Hisory of MHA," Jour- nal of Mormon History 12 (1985): 43-52. Journal of Mormon History or problems; working in complete isolation was then succeeded by some personal networking through correspondence and travel; then finally, per- ceiving the advantages of regular meetings and published transactions to acquaint members with advances in research, formal organization occurs. Following this pattern, all of the major scientific disciplines had their orga- nizations by the twentieth century, as did the newer professions of history, anthropology, sociology, and others. As if by some kind of geometric Mal- thusian progression, the process never reaches a point of finality; rather the disciplines continue to divide and subdivide. The generation following World War II was remarkably fertile in spin- ning off new historical societies.1 There were new organizations for traditional fields (Renaissance Society of America 1954), organizations for the new area studies (American Studies Association 1951, African Studies Association 1957), and the application of social science methodologies to such traditional sub- jects as religion (Society for the Scientific Study of Religion 1949, British Association for the Study of Religions 1954, Religious Research Association 1959). Concomitant with the new organizations (and driving librarians and university budget officers crazy) were new periodicals. Again we have the mix of traditional history {American Benedictine Review 1950, Annals of the French Revolution 1978); newer ethnic and area interests (Black Scholar 1969, American Indian Quarterly 1974); comparative history {Comparative Studies in Society and History 1959); and self-conscious considerations of theory and methodologies {History and Theory I960, Historical Methods Newsletter 1967). The so-called "new social history," which already had been building up momentum prior to World War II, especially in France, now broke out in journals such as Feminist Studies 1972, Psychohistory Review 1972 Journal of 'Family History 1976, and Environmental Review 1976. The gathering of Mormon historians at San Francisco in 1965 and the founding of the Mormon History Association was therefore but a specific example of what was happening with many other groups during the same generation. Even some of the challenges and tensions were simply the Mor- mon version of what occurred in other associations. I shall return to these, but first let us bring into focus what the MHA has done. For one thing, we have kept going. It is a fact of life that many scholarly 'The World of Learning, 1987 (37th ed; London: Europa Publications, 1987). DAVIS BITTON/TAKING STOCK: AFTER TWENTY-FIVE YEARS 3 societies, like many small businesses, do not have a long life. Consult the lists of periodicals; you find more than a few that start with high hopes and then, because of insufficient response or the fading enthusiasm of the foun- ders, simply stop appearing. So mere survival for twenty-five years is not bad. Besides, we have grown. To gain a sense of this process we can of course simply cite figures. Less than a hundred members at the beginning. Something like seven hundred now. I would call attention to the nature of our meetings. Look at an early program. Then look at one today. From two or three or more presentations, in sequence so that everyone could hear everything, we have moved to multiple, conjoint sessions. As a participant in new organizations dedicated to medieval and Renaissance studies, to the Reformation, and to French history, I can report that MHA has simply moved in its own way through the stages of life common to professional societies. There has been leadership. Somehow, it has been possible to find twenty-five different individuals able and willing to serve as president of the association. Looking over the line-up, I find myself saying with what I hope is wholesome pride, "No mean list of people, these!" And it does not appear that the possibility of leaders is about to expire. As yet, a recycling of past presidents has not been necessary. Even more important than the president—again, this is true of most organizations-is the supporting staff, especially the permanent secretary if there is one. We should be grateful, then, for the faithful, competent man- agerial skills of Dello Dayton, Reed Durham, Ken Godfrey, Larry Porter, Jessie Embry, and Susan Fales. Let us admit it: without them, or someone doing what they have done, the Mormon History Association would long since have fallen flat. As just one example, when it came time to compile the appendix material, the indefatigable Susan Fales had already done it. There are other unsung heroes. Let me mention only the program and local arrangements chairpersons. Programs like the marvelous one last year in Quincy, Illinois, or like the one this year in Hawaii do not just happen. Behind them are many months of planning and attention to detail. Three developments over the years deserve special mention. One has been the establishment of awards. This means of giving recognition to quality work in Mormon history started with simply a best book and a best article award.