John Whitmer Historical Association
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The John Whitmer Historical Association (JWHA) is, according to its own account, "an independent scholarly society composed of individuals of various religious faiths who share a lively interest in the history of the [Latter Day Saint] Restoration Movement."
JWHA was founded on September 18, 1972 by fourteen historians and scholars associated with the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (RLDS) now called the Community of Christ. These founding members (in alphabetical order) were Alma Blair, Paul Edwards, Robert Flanders, Barbara Higdon, Barbara Howard, Richard Howard, Larry Hunt, Warren Jennings, Gerald Kruse, Mark McKiernan, W. Grant McMurray, Gordon Mesley, William Russell, Geoff Spencer, and Pat Spillman.
As written in "The Origin of the John Whitmer Historical Association" from The John Whitmer Historical Association Journal, (1981): p. 63, the organization's founding goals were:
- To create a professional association that is predominantly Midwestern in focus, taking advantage of the associational and friendship networks of persons of RLDS background.
- To collect and preserve publications, documents, manuscripts, and other valuable materials relating especially to the history of the Reorganization.
- To facilitate communication among the various persons and agencies that serve the generic Mormon historical community: the LDS Church Historian's office, the RLDS Church Historian's office, the Mormon History Association, various public and private libraries that have and collect Mormon materials, especially in the Midwest, and the persons who write Mormon history, especially the history of the RLDS, the churches of the dispersion, and the early Midwest period of Mormon history.
- To draw into the fellowship of the association persons who may share many of its concerns, but not be themselves members of the Reorganized Church – especially such persons who live in the Midwest.
- To infuse the spirit of renewal in the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and in the larger fellowship of Christians, into the work of the historians of Mormonism and the perspective which they carry to their work.
- To enhance and facilitate the marvelous and fruitful association which has developed in the past few years with many friends in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The organization takes its name from John Whitmer, the first official historian of the Latter Day Saint movement.
Although founded by scholars associated with the Community of Christ, JWHA has always been open to all scholars. Past presidents include historians who were practicing members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as well as historians unaffiliated with the Latter Day Saint movement.
JWHA hosts an annual conference each September where historians of the movement present papers and speak in discussion panels. JWHA also hosts a biennial banquet with a keynote speaker, traditionally held prior to the Community of Christ's biennal World Conference. The association also publishes an annual journal called the John Whitmer Historical Association Journal. As of 2005, JWHA had over 500 members, split primarly between the Midwest and the Mormon cultural zone in the West.
In 2004–2005, the president of JWHA is Jan Shipps, well-known historian of Latter Day Saint movement.
External link
- Official website of JWHA (http://www.jwha.info/)