There are a growing number of scholars, both young and old who are becoming concerned with this hitherto neglected regional history.
The main editor and compiler of this site is David M. Morris, PhD Candidate, reading Victorian Mormon History. His motivation and awareness came at an early age, recognising a neglect in local Mormon expericences throughout Europe with a preference for a more American centric position. This pursuit has been sustained through undergraduate, graduate and now post-graduate levels. He with Ronan James Head and Kim B. Östman are the founding organisers of the European Mormon Studies Association. (www.euromormonstudies.com)
Acknowledgement is given to other contributors such as Gary Horlacher, PhD. who formerly published his work through www.ldsep.org and has kindly donated his collection and work to this effort. In time, much of Dr. Horlacher's research of Denmark will be publsihed on a future site that deals with the European experience.
Appreciation is extended to John E. Wiles who before his death amassed a large collection of microfilm, documents and papers that will enable narratives to be written about people and places that have not yet been represented.
Other contributors bios will appear periodically. Although a number of people have been ideitified above as contributing in this endeavour many more unnamed people are providing information and data. On account of the amount that is currently available it may well be some time, even years before all of the information is considered and dealt with appropriately.
Objectives and Stages
The British Mormon Historical Society was formally organised in August 2006, although its informal origination was many years prior. The objective of this endeavour is to provide sources and narrative account s of the Latter-day Saints in the British Isles. This goal includes publishing primary sources, such as diaries, journals, minutes and notes of the British Mission. Further to this where permissable is to include extracts or approved copies of published journal articles, books and commentary. Finally the eventual goal is to provide narratives on the units, conferences, mission, people and places, this of course is a long term endeavour.
The first stage will be to place relevant documents and sources on the website in order to set the framework, and at the same time provide sources for other researchers.
The second stage will be to apply the extant historiography.
The third and final stage is to write and publish the narratives of the Saints in and from around Britain. This will be the most audacious effort, for writing about just one area might take years. In this endeavour it will be built up slowly. In this early stage the fraework is being set, particulalry using Andrew Jensen's work listing the conferences, and units. Before a narrative can be written it goes without saying, that it is imperative that we know that it existed!
These stages may well all be simultaneously ongoing, but it will years before satisfactory work will be accomplished, especially in the sense of addressing the shortcomings of current writing, or lack thereof. This endeavour is not intended to be a sole endeavour but the collobartion of many.
|
About Us
