Announcing Change in Plans for MHA 2021

Due to the COVID pandemic, we regret that once again it will not be possible to hold a large, indoor conference in Rochester, New York, as planned. We are excited, however, to announce new plans for a hybrid conference, including both online programming and a smaller, in-person conference at the Utah Olympic Park, a historic and largely outdoor venue in Park City, Utah, June 10-12, 2021. To protect participants’ health, we will adhere to social distancing and mask-wearing requirements in place at that time; we also anticipate many participants will have been vaccinated. For those who prefer not to attend in person, we are delighted to include an engaging digital version of the conference. Registration and further details for both components of the hybrid conference will soon be available at mormonhistoryassociation.org.

The new theme for this year’s conference, “Restoration, Reunion, and Resilience,” incorporates the “Restoration” aspect of the originally planned theme for Rochester, focusing on historical explorations of the Restoration, while also highlighting the restorative aspect of reuniting again in a glorious outdoor setting in the wake of a global pandemic. Few sites reflect resilience more than Park City. Though Mormon settlement and the mining industry dislocated Ute Indians from what was a summer hunting and gathering place, the Utes remain resilient as a people of Utah. After a multi-decade silver mining boom swelled Park City’s population to nearly what it is today, by 1950 mining revenues had dropped, mines shut down, miners put out of work, and Park City became practically a ghost town. In 1963, nearly 100 years after silver’s discovery in the area, Park City’s last surviving mining corporation received federal funding to revitalize the town. The former miners built a gondola, converted aerial trams used for hauling ore into chairlifts, and restored Park City as a boomtown again through its silver-powdered ski industry. Today, thousands from around the globe visit Park City each year for its beautiful outdoor recreation and its internationally renowned Sundance Film Festival. Next year will mark the 20th anniversary of the Salt Lake Olympic Winter Games, when Park City welcomed the world to its venues where nearly half the events were held, including at the Utah Olympic Park where MHA will hold its own event this year. Against this historic backdrop, the conference will rejuvenate attendees both in-person and virtually through renewed friendships and shared intellectual interests.

“Restoration, Reunion, and Resilience” will explore history in varying communities, generations, and geography. While COVID-19 has restricted our being together geographically, presenters  have transcended boundaries ranging from the Restorationist movement’s founding in New York, extending throughout North America, to the global south, the African continent, eastern Europe, and beyond. Conference sessions will examine the formation of sacred texts, exploring processes, literary methods, and more. Other sessions will commemorate various key anniversaries, including in women’s suffrage and in the geographic expansion of Mormonism. While some sessions focus on historic events and figures, other sessions use that history as a lens through which to examine the present state of Mormon Restoration movements. 

Participants will have access to a variety of content, whether on-site or remotely, including livestreaming and other live virtual events. We invite you to join us for this restorative conference, no matter where you’ll be participating from throughout the world.

Jenny Lund, President
Anne Berryhill and Joseph Stuart, Program Committee Co-chairs
Barbara Jones Brown, Executive Director