I’m not sure what the worshippers at my church thought when I announced at the end of Mass, ‘I’ll be away this week, communing with the Saints.’ I was not sure what to expect myself. After several years of personal interest in Mormon history, the fact that one of the members of my congregation is an MHA member convinced me it was time to join MHA and to attend the convention in Provo, my first such attendance.
“Returning, I am left with three ‘senses’: A sense of how little I know. Not a bad thing – a sense of humility is the prerequisite for all true learning. After all my reading and pilgrimages in connection with the history of the Saints, the banquet of topics spread out before me brought home how I had just begun with the appetizers of Mormon history, a history not my own. A lifetime of study and reflection waits ahead.
“A sense of wonder. As a Catholic priest, I study Mormon history because it seems to be an unfolding of Pentecost and the saga of the early Christians all over again. I came away from the convention with a renewed perception that what I tell people about the Catholic Church is true also for this people: it’s not just a Church, it is a culture and a way of life. To see, in the panoply of matters discussed, how this faith has pervaded every aspect of the lives of its adherents, renews my appreciation of how necessary it is for my own Church to develop and maintain its culture.
“A sense of belonging and not belonging. There was never a question of feeling unwelcome at the gathering of MHA. Everyone was gracious and inviting. I was happy to win the banquet centerpiece, the portrait of the Prophet Joseph Smith etched in glass, which I display now in my office at the headquarters of the Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle. Sitting under the trees at Manti, listening to Paul Anderson enthusiastically describe the glories of the renovation of the temple there, I wanted to say, ‘I can’t wait to go inside’ – but I know I can’t. Alongside the perduring graciousness, there is the realization that I will remain one who cannot enter fully into the culture of a people for whom this history is family history. That is an important perspective to bring to Mormon history. Looking forward to Killington, I am grateful there is room under the MHA tent for the sojourner as well as the resident.”
Father Paul Pluth, Seattle, Washington

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Historians like archives. They are usually quiet spaces filled with old letters, books, broadsides, diaries, and other types of handwritten or printed materials. I have spent many hours in these wonderful places researching the past, basking in the solitude of discovery and learning. Many historians, in fact, would rather be researching in dusty archives than writing in sterile offices.
"Traditionally, documents have been the historian’s diet. Recently, however, a growing number of scholars have found great meaning and value in the study of material artifacts. Historical objects, things you can hold and examine, are increasingly working their way into the writings and sources of historians. I have even dabbled in the study of material culture myself in graduate school.We will conclude the conference on Sunday with our worship service in the historic Provo Tabernacle.
"So I was excited to learn that material culture would feature prominently at the Provo conference. And it did. My eyes were opened to the value of studying quilts, pots, ceramics, seer stones, Native American gorgets, and various forms of art. I was impressed how so many presenters attempted to use historical artifacts, rather than just relying on traditional historical sources to buttress their arguments and illuminate their claims. I was invited to touch and feel evidence in several of the sessions I attended as it was passed around the room. This was a new experience for me at a historical conference.
"The Provo conference was also meaningful to me because of the number of younger students and scholars who participated on the program and attended the proceedings. I appreciated the efforts of many senior scholars who said hello and made an effort to make me and my younger peers feel welcomed. At the second annual student reception, several distinguished historians shared their thoughts on the future of Mormon Studies and hints for graduate school with us students. I know they had many other obligations to fulfill and lots of other friends to visit with but they spent their evening with us. And we appreciated their company.
"Kudos to MHA for once again organizing a wonderful conference and for making all feel at home. I’m beginning to worry less and less about the “graying” of the Mormon History Association as I see the promise the younger generation holds."

Reid L. Neilson, Carrboro, North Carolina

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Conference attendees Glen Leonard, Rick Turley, Bill MacKinnon and Ron Walker

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For me, MHA 2004 opened in the bowels of Brigham Young University’s Harold B. Lee Library, at L. Tom Perry Special Collections. The ‘stuff’ of history served as an appropriate backdrop, as documents, rare books, photographs, artifacts, and poems form the work of history and critical analysis in which we are about to embark.
“Location and physical architecture meant everything. From the shadow of majestic Mt. Timpanogos and the tunnel of trees along the Provo River for the first annual Dean May Memorial Run. . .to dinner at the restored Brigham Young Academy building; from nineteenth-century structures of Sanpete County, to the Gothic steeples of the Provo Tabernacle, the sites and spirits of the past mingled with the present. . . it was a delight to peer around the columns of the Academy ballroom to watch Laurel Thatcher Ulrich’s presentation and to examine carefully the repieced Fourteenth Ward quilt.
" Location meant more than the mere physical presence of curious architecture; the commingling of people created a whole new locality for me. As a fledgling scholar, my heart jumped to be on the same bus as Kathryn Daynes and hear her talk about plural marriage in Sanpete County, or to look across the banquet room and catch a glimpse of Maureen Ursenbach Beecher at the next table. People whose names appear on the covers of the books and in the journals lining my shelf or whom I met at MHA last year, have become friends. I loved listening to Jan Shipps talk excitedly about her experience at the graduate student reception. To have Laurel Ulrich attend my session and make meaningful comments on my paper was a personal highlight I will never forget. And to participate in conversations extending well beyond the walls of scheduled sessions meant that I had actually entered the scholarly discussion my graduate professors had described.
"The Cultural Landscape of MHA 2004 was physical as well as personal. With seasoned scholars, students, and history buffs, I re-discovered a connection with people who share a similar passion for Mormon history. In that spirit of camaraderie, I found the energy to press forward in the work and to draw upon the relationships I’ve forged.”

Jenny Reeder, Provo, Utah

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MHA in Provo gave me a myriad of special experiences. I was especially looking forward to spending ‘A Day With Porter Rockwell’ because of family connections to the old codger. My husband’s great-great-grandfather was a station boy for ‘Old Port’ in Lehi. Michael Molen also herded cattle for Port on the summer range of Castle Valley. We brought our two grandchildren, Rachel and Daniel, along on the field trip in hopes they might feel a connection to their past. I think they did.
“Sanpete County also has a connection to my Danish ancestry and my mother grew up in Axtell, now only a ghost of the community that once existed. It was a treat to be invited into the homes of Spring City; especially Orson Hyde’s former home. The aroma of fresh baked chocolate chip cookies filled the air enticing us in to hear the story of the modern owners. Spring City really does allow us to look through a time tunnel to a world many of us know only superficially. Paul Anderson shared some of the harrowing and wonderful experiences of remodeling the Manti Temple. I certainly have a greater reverence for that marvelous edifice. My husband’s ancestor, John Lowry helped settle Manti and my mother was baptized in the Manti Temple.
“Freezing on the steps of the Provo Tabernacle as we sang ‘O My Father’ will be remembered in future MHA meetings.
“Oh yes, I attended sessions as well. Jill M. Derr always enlightens me with new insights and glimpses into a Church that in many ways is unrecognizable today. L. Gilbert Bradshaw gave me a new perspective on the importance of the temple ritual to many early Saints. What an interesting list of ‘Holy Places’ for receiving those rites so unique to the Mormon people.
“Have you thought of the DUP Museum in SLC as ‘Utah’s Attic’? Kari Main took us on a visual tour of the relics kept there and left us wondering if DUP’s declining membership will be able to continue the memory-keeping mission they adopted in 1901
“Lynde Mott ‘wowed’ us with her detailed Sarah Kimball costume and beautiful paintings of the Nauvoo Relief Society women. What a privilege to enjoy such a visual feast up close.
“I missed seeing the Jorgensens as well as Tony and Marilyn Larson. We were shocked to learn that Tony passed in June after a struggle with cancer.
“I always return home from MHA with an expanded understanding of our common restoration history as well as memories of new acquaintances. Hats off to the planning committee for another memorable event.”
Julie Molen, Auburn, Washington