Latter-Day Lore: Mormon Folklore Studies

"Latter-day Lore "gathers nearly thirty seminal works in Mormon folklore scholarship from its beginnings in the late nineteenth century to the present in order to highlight the depth, breadth, and richness of that scholarship. This examination of LDS folklore studies reveals theoretical, methodological, and topical shifts that also reflect shifts in the field at large. Areas for future research are also suggested.The thorough introduction by the volume editors elucidates the major influences, tensions, and questions shaping the study of Mormon folklore. The book is divided into six parts according to major thematic and topical patterns. The extensive introductory essays preceding each of the six parts provide invaluable historical, cultural, and theoretical contexts to frame the studies that follow: society, symbols, and landscape of regional culture; formative customs and traditions; the sacred and the supernatural; pioneers, heroes, and the historical imagination; humor; and the international contexts of Mormon folklore.While exploring the ground that scholars have covered over the past century, Eliason and Mould also illuminate those areas of LDS folklore that have been understudied, exposing fertile areas for future research. Providing the most up-to-date and comprehensive survey of Mormon folklore studies available, "Latter-day Lore "is an indispensible resource for students, scholars, and readers interested in folklore, Mormon studies, anthropology, sociology, literature, and religious studies.

About the Author :
Eric A. Eliasonis a professor of English at Brigham Young University and the chaplain for the 1st Battalion 19th Special Forces of the Utah National Guard. He is the author of "The J. Golden Kimball Stories "and "Mormons and Mormonism: An Introduction to an American World Religion."""Tom Mould is an associate professor of anthropology and director of PERCS, the Program for Ethnographic Research and Community Studies at Elon University. He is the author of "Choctaw Tales," "Choctaw Prophecy: A Legacy of the Future "and "Still, the Small Voice: Narrative, Personal Revelation, and the Mormon Folk Tradition. "

Review :
"I am completely enamored of this book! It is not only an excellent compilation of key essays over the course of Mormon folklore studies, but it also contributes much in the way of original interpretation and commentary. This book will become a trusted reference and standard in the fields of Mormon folklore, religious studies, and folkloristics."--Elaine Thatcher, coeditor of "Cowboy Poets and Cowboy Poetry "