Mormon History Association Conference 2015

Whoops- I actually wrote this post a few weeks ago, but totally forgot to publish, so it is finally here! Sorry. Also, in case you aren't following my other blog, I wrote another post a few weeks ago as well, talking about how I'm relieved that I'm not neurotic after all. Please check it out HERE. Thanks!

The Mormon History Association (MHA) held their 50th anniversary conference a few weeks ago at the newly-constructed Utah Valley Convention Center in Provo Utah, and I had the opportunity to participate in it. I had put together a panel, Mormonism Meets Asia, and was one of the presenters.

There were hundreds of people there. I felt lost at times, but thank goodness much of it involved going to presentations (so no speaking to others), eating (again, no speaking), and participating in a special choir for the Sunday morning devotional (singing is not speaking). Of course there were those "awkward" socializing sessions, but most people feel awkward about these things anyway. Sometimes, you just got to do what you got to do, even if it means being the green newcomer who has to introduce her/himself over and over again, and get left out at times. 

It also helped that on the second day of the conference I saw an old friend of mine. It was wonderful to catch up with her again, and we attended to a few sessions together. She's starting a PhD program in the Fall, and I was like, "Let me tell you about the mistakes I made as a graduate student, and hope you do not make the same mistakes, and have a 100x better experience than I did!" Seriously, if anyone knows of a new PhD student in the humanities, please send them to me for pre-graduate school pep talks. 

Anyway, back to the conference. Despite the awkward times, it was an enjoyable experience overall. I had received funding to stay in the hotel next to the convention center (Marriott), and thus could go back and forth with ease (i.e. naps in the afternoon). It was the first time I had stayed in a professional hotel by myself, and relished watching Food Network on cable TV, only to be disappointed that the show lineup for Food Network now is so lame and repetitive. Anyway, the room itself was clean and spacious, though nothing fancy. Can't complain since it was free! 

The first day was spent going on a Mormon women's history tour around Utah county, where we visited various former Relief Society Halls, historic homes in Provo, the Provo city cemetery, the Springville Museum of Art, and had a delicious Zupas-catered lunch. I was amazed that there were Relief Society Halls still standing, though in various states of disrepair. One of them had been converted to a car dealership (yuck!) while another is now a shed in someone's yard! Imagine that, having a Relief Society hall in your backyard... I also learned that Provo has some beautiful historic homes still standing, and it was cool to drive by and learn about their histories. Wish I knew about them when I was an undergraduate. We visited the graves of the first two female missionaries, Amanda Inez Knight and Lucy Jane (Jennie) Brimhall, at the cemetery, and was thrilled to learn about their mission calls and experiences. I absolutely love the tour, despite the cost ($85!), and am glad that the organizers pushed for it (it was almost cancelled!). 

I presented my paper the second day, and didn't realize that I was such a slow reader. I was only on page 4 (10 pages total) when the chair of the panel held up the "5 Minutes Left" sign. WHAT?!?!?! Sad that I had to rush through the remaining pages, which was the meat of my presentation. But I still managed to get my main points across, and based on what people told me afterward, I think they liked the paper. I also received good feedback which will be incorporated into my dissertation. 

Third day, more presentations and socializing. I also took the opportunity to meet up with Provo friends at night. Fourth and final day (Sunday), we had a special music devotional. For the final song, volunteer MHA participants joined with the Utah Baroque Ensemble and sang a specially commissioned choir piece commemorating the association's 50th Anniversary. I kept having second thoughts about joining the choir because the piece was HARD! Definitely not a song for an amateur choir. But I'm glad I stuck with it, because it turned out good. The devotional was also spiritually uplifting, and it was wonderful to hear testimonies borne through music and song. 

I'm glad I went, and hope to attend again next year (depends on funding...it's always about the money). I will say this though, I never felt so Asian/ non-white in my life. During the women's history tour, we filled up an entire bus, and I was the only non-white there. There wasn't even a Latina or Polynesian woman. In another instance, at the graduate student reception, I was one of the few racial minorities present, while the remaining 40(?) were white. I also noticed that the panels on International Mormonism were assigned smaller rooms. It's understandable since the topic is 1) still new, and 2) there is still much history to do examining U.S. Mormon history. We are only just beginning to get out of the 19th century and into the 20th century, so don't even talk about going outside the United States' borders. 

However, I think this is a reflection of how much more there is to do when it comes to Mormon history. There is a HUGE need for more diversity, both in terms of historians and in terms of historical topics. The interest is there though, because some of the sessions on International History filled up quickly, and left late-comers standing. Hopefully this will encourage more people to explore this topic.