JWHA hosted its first digital event “Metamorphosis: Scattered and Gathered Saints Emerge After Crises” on September 19th. The event started with the annual Awards Ceremony, recognizing the outstanding books and articles of 2019. In addition to recognizing excellent written scholarship, George and Camilla Smith were honored with the President’s award, recognizing their life-long commitment to Restoration scholarship. The Awards Ceremony is posted on the JWHA Facebook page.
Following the awards, the annual Business Meeting commenced. The membership confirmed Myra Elliot and Casey Griffiths as new members of the Board of Directors, replacing Dan Kelty and Scott Esplin who have fulfilled their three-year terms. The membership also passed two changes to the bylaws of the organization. The recording of the Business Meeting, as well as the minutes, can be found on the JWHA website.
The digital event featured Dr. David Howlett and Dr. Jane Hafen (Taos Pueblo).
Dr. Howlett presented “The Story of the ‘Evacuees’: A Filipino Congregation, a Cold War Insurgency, and the Development of the First RLDS NGO, 1972-1974.” This presentation was based on numerous oral histories Howlett collected. Dr. Jane Hafen’s presentation “Nor any manner of -ites: American Indians and Mormons” focused on a decolonialization of the Book of Mormon.
The event ended with a virtual hymn sing, celebrating three historical hymns that united the scattered saints in music.
The digital event has been recorded so that participants can now go back and view the event at their convenience. Links to the following sections have been sent to the email of each registrant: The Award Ceremony, the Business Meeting, and the Presentations.
For any additional feedback on the event, please send comments and suggestions to jwha@jwha.info.
