Russell Stevenson

RUSSELL STEVENSON is an independent historian and the author of two books on Latter-day Saint history: Black Mormon: The Story of Elijah Ables (2013) and For the Cause of Righteousness: A Global His￾tory of Blacks and Mormonism (Greg Kofford, forthcoming), the fi rst book to explain the development of Mormon racial thought from a global perspective. He has also authored articles for the Journal of Mormon History as well as for the American National Biography ency￾clopedia series (Oxford University Press, forthcoming). Stevenson has been interviewed by RadioWest, Mormon Stories, and Feminist Mormon Housewives. He currently lives in Salt Lake City.

Articles

Manly Virtue: Defining Male Sexuality in Nineteenth-Century Mormonism

Sexuality in antebellum America constituted a set of contradictions. Men should be steely, resolved, and assertive; women ought to be reserved, flighty, and, under the right conditions, sexually explosive. As historian Karen Lystra has observed, “There are no sexual absolutes. Sexual experience is time-bound,” a fact that holds true for the Mormon experience as well. 

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Podcasts

Dialogue Lectures #25 w/ Russell Stevenson

In the 25th Dialogue podcast, Russell Stevenson looks at Nigeria and the Africanization of Mormon Identity. Read more

Reading Mormon Horror: A Dialogue Film Review of Heretic

Join Dialogue editor Taylor Petrey and a dynamic panel of scholars and advocates as they explore the 2024 A24 film Heretic, a chilling and thought-provoking entry into the world of Mormon-themed horror. This special Dialogue… Read more