Mark Ashurst-McGee
Encyclopedia
Mark Roscoe Ashurst-McGee (born 1968) is an American
historian of the Latter Day Saint movement
and editor for the Joseph Smith Papers project.
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in New Jersey
. His wife Angela was a fellow
of Western American Literature (an academic journal), a teacher of college English, a freelance editor for the Joseph Smith Papers, and currently runs the résumé
writing service Red Rocket Résumé. They have five children.
Ashurst-McGee received a B.A.
and B.S.
from Brigham Young University
(BYU) in 1994, and an M.A.
in History from Utah State University
(USU) in 2000. His master's thesis on Joseph Smith's religious development won the Reese History Award from the Mormon History Association
. He then pursued his doctorate in history at Arizona State University
(ASU), where he also worked on a project for American Indian
history and culture. His dissertation was on Joseph Smith's early social and political thought, and won the Gerald E. Jones Dissertation Award from the Mormon History Association. Through this training, he became a "specialist in documentary editing conventions and transcription methodology." A BYU professor of religious education and colleague in the Joseph Smith Papers Project, Steven C. Harper
, stated Ashurst-McGee "probably knows the field of documentary editing better than anybody that I know."
. He also worked as an editor for Deseret Book
and published articles with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
(FARMS) and the Mormon History Association
.
When FARMS printed a coordinated critique of Grant Palmer's controversial 2002 book, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
, Ashurst-McGee wrote one of the five critiques published in the FARMS Review. The other reviewers were James B. Allen
, Davis Bitton
, Louis Midgley, and Steven C. Harper
.
Ashurst-McGee is a member of the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Along with Richard L. Jensen
and Dean C. Jessee
, he co-edited the first volume to be published from the series, which was on the early journals of Joseph Smith
. Released in 2008, the book became very popular and sold very quickly, prompting expanded additional printings. In 2009, it received the Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award (Mormon History Association) and a Special Award in Textual Criticism and Bibliography (Association for Mormon Letters
). Ashurst-McGee is expected to edit future volumes of Smith's papers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
historian of the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint Historians
Historians of the Latter Day Saint movement are a diverse group of historians writing about Mormonism. Historians devoted to the History of the Latter Day Saint movement may be members of an LDS faith or non-members with an academic interest...
and editor for the Joseph Smith Papers project.
Biographical background
From 1988 to 1990, Ashurst-McGee served a missionMissionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
. His wife Angela was a fellow
Fellow
A fellow in the broadest sense is someone who is an equal or a comrade. The term fellow is also used to describe a person, particularly by those in the upper social classes. It is most often used in an academic context: a fellow is often part of an elite group of learned people who are awarded...
of Western American Literature (an academic journal), a teacher of college English, a freelance editor for the Joseph Smith Papers, and currently runs the résumé
Résumé
A résumé is a document used by individuals to present their background and skillsets. Résumés can be used for a variety of reasons but most often to secure new employment. A typical résumé contains a summary of relevant job experience and education...
writing service Red Rocket Résumé. They have five children.
Ashurst-McGee received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
and B.S.
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU) in 1994, and an M.A.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in History from Utah State University
Utah State University
Utah State University is a public university located in Logan, Utah. It is a land-grant and space-grant institution and is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities....
(USU) in 2000. His master's thesis on Joseph Smith's religious development won the Reese History Award from the Mormon History Association
Mormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
. He then pursued his doctorate in history at Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
(ASU), where he also worked on a project for American Indian
Native Americans in the United States
Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples in North America within the boundaries of the present-day continental United States, parts of Alaska, and the island state of Hawaii. They are composed of numerous, distinct tribes, states, and ethnic groups, many of which survive as...
history and culture. His dissertation was on Joseph Smith's early social and political thought, and won the Gerald E. Jones Dissertation Award from the Mormon History Association. Through this training, he became a "specialist in documentary editing conventions and transcription methodology." A BYU professor of religious education and colleague in the Joseph Smith Papers Project, Steven C. Harper
Steven C. Harper
Steven Craig Harper is a professor of church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University .-Biography:Harper is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He earned his B.A. in history from BYU in 1994, an M.A. in American history from Utah State University in 1996, and a...
, stated Ashurst-McGee "probably knows the field of documentary editing better than anybody that I know."
Mormon studies
In 1999, Ashurst-McGee was an intern in the Church Archives of the LDS Church. After his time at ASU, he joined the staff of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. He also worked as an editor for Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
and published articles with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies
The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies is an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. The group is formally part of the Neal A...
(FARMS) and the Mormon History Association
Mormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
.
When FARMS printed a coordinated critique of Grant Palmer's controversial 2002 book, An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins
An Insider's View of Mormon Origins is a 2003 book on the origins of Mormonism written by Grant H. Palmer, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who is a retired Church Educational System instructor and Institute director with a master's degree in history.Palmer's stated...
, Ashurst-McGee wrote one of the five critiques published in the FARMS Review. The other reviewers were James B. Allen
James B. Allen (historian)
James Brown "Jim" Allen is an American historian of Mormonism and was an official Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972–1979.-Biography:...
, Davis Bitton
Davis Bitton
-External links:*...
, Louis Midgley, and Steven C. Harper
Steven C. Harper
Steven Craig Harper is a professor of church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University .-Biography:Harper is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He earned his B.A. in history from BYU in 1994, an M.A. in American history from Utah State University in 1996, and a...
.
Ashurst-McGee is a member of the Joseph Smith Papers Project. Along with Richard L. Jensen
Richard L. Jensen
Richard Louis Jensen is an American historian who specializes in the study of 19th-century Latter Day Saint history in Europe and of 19th-century European Latter Day Saint immigrants in the United States....
and Dean C. Jessee
Dean C. Jessee
Dean Cornell Jessee is a historian of the early Latter Day Saint movement and leading expert on the writings of Joseph Smith, Jr.-Biography:...
, he co-edited the first volume to be published from the series, which was on the early journals of Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
. Released in 2008, the book became very popular and sold very quickly, prompting expanded additional printings. In 2009, it received the Steven F. Christensen Best Documentary Award (Mormon History Association) and a Special Award in Textual Criticism and Bibliography (Association for Mormon Letters
Association for Mormon Letters
The Association for Mormon Letters is a nonprofit founded in 1976 to promote quality writing "by, for, and about Mormons." The broadness of this definition of Mormon literature has led the AML to focus on a wide variety of work that has sometimes been neglected in the Mormon community...
). Ashurst-McGee is expected to edit future volumes of Smith's papers.