Mormon Studies Review
Editor: Cristina Rosetti and Joseph R. Stuart
DETAILS
Current Volume: 12 (2025)
Issued Annually (Spring)
ISSN: 2156-8022
eISSN: 2156-8030
About
The Mormon Studies Review (Review) tracks the vibrant, varied, international, and interdisciplinary academic engagement with Mormon institutions, lives, ideas, texts, and stories. It chronicles and assesses the developing field of Mormon studies with review essays, book reviews, and roundtable discussions related to the academic study of Mormonism. The Review offers scholars and interested non-specialists a one-stop source for discussions of current scholarship on Mormonism, ranging across disciplines and gathering voices from a broad cross-section of the academy, both LDS and non-LDS.
Indexes
Academic Search Alumni Edition, Academic Search Complete, Academic Search Elite, Academic Search Premier, Academic Search Ultimate, ATLA Religion Database, Brepols, MLA International Bibliography, TOC Premier
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
Click here to subscribe.
| Individuals: | 1 Year |
| Online Only | $20 |
| Print + Online | $35 |
| Institutions: | 1 Year |
| Print Only | $67 |
| Online Only | $88* |
| Print + Online | $105* |
| *Institutional 'Online Only' and 'Print + Online' subscriptions must be purchased through the Scholarly Publishing Collective. | |
Non-U.S. Postage: $10 Canada/Mexico, $15 Other Non-U.S. Locations
Single Issues: $25
Back Volume: $25
ONLINE + PRINT ADVERTISING
The print ad rates for all our titles can be found in the 2025 journals catalog/rate card.
Editors
Co-Editors
Cristina Rosetti
Independent Scholar
Quebec, Canada
Joseph R. Stuart
Assistant Professor of History
Brigham Young University
Contact
Mormon Studies Review, c/o Benjamin E. ParkBox 2239, Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, TX 77431
MormonStudiesReview@gmail.com
Editorial Advisory Board
- Henri Gooren, Professor of Anthropology, Oakland University
- Esiteli Hafoka, College Lecturer, Stanford University
- Michael Ing, Professor of Religious Studies, Indiana University Bloomington
- Farina King, Horizon Chair of Native American Ecology and Culture and Associate Professor of Native American Studies, University of Oklahoma
- K. Mohrman, Clinical Teaching Track Associate Teaching Professor of Ethnic Studies, University of Colorado Denver
- Hazel O’Brien, Lecturer in Sociology, South East Technological University Waterford
- Brittany Romanello, Faculty Associate, Arizona State University
- Nancy Ross, Associate Professor of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences, Utah Tech University
- Daniel Stone, Research Archivist, Detroit, Michigan
- Shinji Takagi, Professor Emeritus of Economics, Osaka University
- Christine Talbot, Professor of Gender Studies, University of Northern Colorado
- David Walker, Associate Professor of Religious Studies, University of California Santa Barbara
- Arcia Tecun, Assistant Professor of Antropology, Utah Valley University
PDF Policy
PDFs are permitted and issued for the following:
- Tenure dossier.
- Special workshops the author is moderating.
- Other requests to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- All PDFs will include a statement of copyright and a provision that the articles will not be photocopied, distributed, or used for purposes other than the terms agreed to by UIP.
Preprints are permitted for:
- University repositories; UIP requires a publication statement to be posted along with the preprint.
- Some journals have their own established policies and procedures for preprints. Please be sure to first check their respective Web sites before sending your request.
Postprints are permitted for:
- Non-profit archives and repositories; Articles must be at least one year old. UIP requires a publication statement to be posted along with the postprint and a link back to the journal of publication's home page on the UIP website.
- Personal and commercial Web sites; Articles must be at least three years old. UIP requires a publication statement to be posted along with the postprint and a link back to the journal of publication's home page on the UIP website.
Please contact the Intellectual Property Manager for more information.
Please send all requests to:
Angela Burton
Intellectual Property Manager
UIP-RIGHTS@uillinois.edu
Submissions
Most contributions to the Mormon Studies Review are solicited by its editors. The timetable and guidelines for each type of contribution (Forum Essays, Review Essays, Book Reviews, and Reviews of Resources and Primary Sources) are listed below. The editors are open, on a limited basis, to considering unsolicited submissions that match the Review’s intended quality and scope. Interested authors should send an email query to MormonStudiesReview@gmail.com.
TIMETABLE FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS
First drafts due: April 1
Manuscripts back to author: May 15
Final pre-copyediting drafts due: June 15
Issue Printed: January 1
GUIDELINES FOR ALL SUBMISSIONS
Manuscripts should be written in Microsoft Word (doc, docx) and follow the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style on capitalization, punctuation, hyphenation, numbers, quotations, and citations. For a detailed style guide, see the MSR Style Guide.
At the end of the essay, include a two- or three-sentence biographical blurb with your name, affiliation, and latest publication or work in progress.
Submit an electronic copy of the manuscript via email to MormonStudiesReview@gmail.com. It will then be reviewed by the Review editorial staff, and any substantive revisions will be negotiated with you at that time. Thereafter, your submission will be copyedited and sent back for your final approval.
The editors reserve the right to reject manuscripts that do not conform to the critical standards of the journal.
GUIDELINES FOR SPECIFIC TYPES OF SUBMISSIONS
Forum Essays
Forum essays typically appear at the beginning of the Mormon Studies Review. They are designed to offer different, and at times competing, perspectives on a broader scholarly question. Contributions should offer sophisticated, nuanced, and provocative analysis that is drawn from the author’s background, outlook, and expertise. Authors are encouraged to be brief in their assessment of past work and particular examples so that most space can be dedicated to the field’s future and possibilities. Because each volume’s Forum aims to cover a single theme and there is bound to be overlap, we request that each contributor remain fairly close to the subtopic agreed upon with the Review staff. Contributions should include a brief title.Forum essays should be between 3,000 and 3,500 words, including notes; ideal contributions come to the point quickly and develop their discussion efficiently. While critical thinking is expected, original research for Forum Essays is not mandatory.
Review Essays
Review essays are often, though not always, based on one or several related books that merit an in-depth discussion or that might serve as an entry point for broader analysis. Our criteria for choosing review essay topics—content, method, perspective, originality, and significance—are evolving and flexible. Most essays are solicited, though we are open, on a limited basis, to considering unsolicited submissions that match our intended quality and scope. Interested authors should contact the Mormon Studies Review editors to explore possible review topics.Essays should offer both a thorough summary of the book or books in question, and a critical evaluation of them in the context of existing literature. Each essay should have a title that differs from the book(s) under review and that reflects the essay’s theme and approach. Because readers of the Review come from many disciplines and backgrounds, reviewers should make it a priority to clearly explain the book’s or books’ broader significance both inside and outside its/their subfield. In most cases, the book(s) under review should be used as a touchstone from which to engage broader issues or developments within the relevant discipline(s).
Review essays should be between 3,000 and 4,000 words, including notes; reviews of a single monograph should tend toward the former limitation, and reviews of edited collections or multiple books should tend toward the latter. Because of space limitations, we expect authors to stay within their word allotment. Deviations from the suggested word count should be preauthorized by the Review editorial staff.
At the top of the manuscript, include the essay’s title, your name, and information for the book(s) under review, as in this example:
Your Name, Title of Essay; reviewing: (1) Richard Lyman Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 740 pp., with index. $35.00 hardcover, $18.95 paperback. (2) Reid L. Neilson and Terryl L. Givens, eds., Joseph Smith Jr.: Reappraisals after Two Centuries. New York: Oxford University Press, 2009. 284 pp., with index. $99.95 hardcover, $24.95 paperback.
When quoting directly from the book(s) under review, cite the page numbers in parentheses following the quotation or at the end of the sentence and before the period. When citing other works, include reference information in footnotes formatted according to the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style (currently the 18th edition). Use italics rather than underlining for emphasis and for titles of works to be set in italic type.
Disciplinary Essays
Disciplinary essays aim to accomplish one of two things: first, to assess the development of a disciplinary field, as viewed through the lens of how it treats Mormonism. This approach typically works when a field has frequently, if not always consistently, utilized themes or characters from Mormonism, which allows the scholar to trace the broader contours of the field’s development.Second, the disciplinary essay may posit how a disciplinary field could integrate Mormonism, or Mormon themes, stories, or figures, into its studies in order to explore new ideas. This particular approach may be useful when a field has either ignored Mormonism in the past, or underutilized elements of the Mormon tradition.
These essays work best when they approach the topic from a broad angle, often raising more questions than they provide answers. They do not need to be grounded in primary research, but they should be conversant with relevant scholarly literature. They may use particular books, articles, or Mormon material as case studies, but should not be narrow enough to be confused with a book review, or even a review essay.
The two primary audiences for the disciplinary essays are, first, scholars within the field under examination, and second, scholars who are involved in adjacent fields. Reaching the latter audience will require the author to briefly explain the traditional parameters and methods of the field in question.
Disciplinary essays should be between 3,000 and 4,000 words, including notes. Because of space limitations, we expect authors to stay within their word allotment. Deviations from the suggested word count should be preauthorized by the Review editorial staff.
Book Reviews
Book reviews are typically focused on a single work, though at times it may be appropriate to include several books in a joint review. Our criteria for choosing books for review—content, method, perspective, originality, and significance—are evolving and flexible. Most reviews are solicited, though we are open, on a limited basis, to considering unsolicited submissions. Interested authors should contact the Mormon Studies Review staff to explore possible book reviews.A book review should attempt a comprehensive analysis of the work (or works) in question. It should examine the strength of the work’s arguments, originality, and place within broader literature. Because Review readers come from many backgrounds and disciplines, authors should prioritize clear explanation of the strengths and significance of the books they review.
Book reviews should be between 1,500 and 2,000 words, including notes, if there are any; reviews of a single monograph should tend toward the former limitation, and reviews of edited collections or multiple books should tend word the latter. Because of space limitations, we expect authors to stay within their word allotment. Deviations from the suggested word count should be preauthorized by the Review editorial staff.
At the top of the manuscript include information for the book(s) under review, as in this example:
Richard Lyman Bushman, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. 740 pp., with sources cited and index. $35.00 hardcover, $18.95 paperback.
When quoting directly from the book(s) under review, cite the page numbers in parentheses following the quotation or at the end of the sentence and before the period. When citing other works, include reference information in footnotes formatted according to the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. Please keep footnotes to a minimum. Use italics rather than underlining for emphasis and for titles of works to be set in italic type.
Reviews of resources and primary sources
Reviews of resources and primary sources are typically focused on a single item, though at times it may be appropriate to include several books or other sources in a joint review. A review of a resource or primary source should orient Review readers to the source and consider the source’s strengths and weaknesses, particularly for use in research and classroom teaching. Because Review readers come from many background and disciplines, authors should prioritize clear explanation of the strengths and significance of the sources they review.Reviews of resources and primary sources should be approximately 1,000 words, including notes, if there are any; when the review includes multiple sources, authors should negotiate a higher word limit with Review editorial staff well in advance of submitting a first draft.
At the top of the manuscript include information for the source(s) under review.
For books, follow the example given above for book reviews; for other types of sources, please consult with Review editorial staff. When quoting directly from the source(s) under review, use in-text parenthetical citations following the quotation or at the end of the sentence and before the period. When citing other works, include reference information in footnotes formatted according to the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. Please keep footnotes to a minimum. Use italics rather than underlining for emphasis and for titles of works to be set in italic type.
Featured Articles
Mormons and Politics in New Zealand
Peter Lineham
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/mormstudrevi.8.2021.0036?refreqid=excelsior%3A5e89d21390cf3ea4ee9242d95da0bc3c
Global Mormonism in Political Context
Laurie F. Maffly-Kipp
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/mormstudrevi.8.2021.0023?refreqid=excelsior%3A526e1126e60fef02cfe1d4144560e43b
Margarito Bautista, Mexican Politics, and the Third Convention
Elisa Eastwood Pulido
https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5406/mormstudrevi.8.2021.0048?refreqid=excelsior%3A83acf23499f91a79ed18fbb457df62e1
Does Being Liberal Push Some Members Out of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?
Jana Riess; Benjamin Knoll
https://doi.org/10.5406/mormstudrevi.8.2021.0068
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/msr/article/doi/10.5406/mormstudrevi.8.2021.0068/276706/Does-Being-Liberal-Push-Some-Members-Out-of-the
Lamanite Visual Contributions to Mormon Culture: Redface and Read Facing Me
Angelo Baca
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/msr/article/doi/10.5406/21568030.11.01/385804/Lamanite-Visual-Contributions-to-Mormon-Culture
Temples and the Visual Culture of the Reorganization
Seth L. Bryant
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/msr/article/doi/10.5406/21568030.11.02/385788/Temples-and-the-Visual-Culture-of-the
Contemporary Temple Art and Landscapes of the Sacred
Colleen McDannell
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/msr/article/doi/10.5406/21568030.11.03/385790/Contemporary-Temple-Art-and-Landscapes-of-the
The Paris and Rome Temples of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints: Two Examplars of the Fledgling Inculturation of Mormonism
Christian Euvrard; Bernadette Rigal-Cellard
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/msr/article/doi/10.5406/21568030.11.04/385782/The-Paris-and-Rome-Temples-of-the-Church-of-Jesus
Spectacular Mormon Politics: Sonia Johnson and the ERA in “The Society of the Spectacle”
Christine Talbot
https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/msr/article/doi/10.5406/21568030.12.04/393573/Spectacular-Mormon-Politics-Sonia-Johnson-and-the
