Ron Esplin

Dr. Ronald K. Esplin is the managing editor of The Joseph Smith Papers project and the former director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History at Brigham Young University (BYU).

Biography

Esplin served as a missionary in the Central American Mission, when that mission not only included all the countries from Guatemala to Panama, but also had Colombia within its borders.

Esplin holds degrees from the University of Utah and the University of Virginia.

In 1972 Esplin was planning to start a teaching career as an Institute instructor. He was recruited to work for the summer under Church Historian Leonard J. Arrington doing a search and study of Brigham Young's papers in the church archive. He remained working in the Church History Archives until 1980 when Church Commissioner of Education Jeffrey R. Holland announced that Esplin and his colleagues would come to Brigham Young University with Holland who was appointed university president. [ [http://deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=QNLCBEAZMEDF&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=10&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES Mormontimes.com article accessed May 14th, 2008] ] Esplin received a Ph.D. from BYU with his doctoral dissertation being entitled "The Emergence of Brigham Young and The Twelve to Mormon Leadership, 1830-1841". [ [http://sc.lib.byu.edu/bibliographies/brighamyoung.php BYU Special Collections ] ]

By 1984 Esplin was director of the Smith Institute and he helped Dean C. Jesse to get "The Papers of Joseph Smith: Volume 1" published in 1984. Esplin was also involved in the decision to entirely revamp the project. In 2001 he left BYU and took over as director of the papers project full time. However from 2001-2005 the project was operating at BYU. In 2005 it relocated to the Church Archives in Salt Lake City.http://deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=QNLCBEAZMEDF&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=10&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES]

Esplin's research has focused on the early period of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints particularly the role of Brigham Young during the presidency of Joseph Smith. Esplin was among the contributors to the "Atlas of Mormonism" [http://deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=QNLCBEAZMEDF&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=62&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES] and the "Encyclopedia of Mormonism" [Ludlow, Daniel H., "Church History: Selection from the Encyclopedia of Mormonism", p. XV] . Esplin was also one of fourteen editors working on the project under Daniel H. Ludlow. [http://deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=QNLCBEAZMEDF&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=95&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES]

Besides directing the Smith Institute, Esplin also taught classes in Church History at BYU.

As director of the Joseph Smith papers project Esplin has been working to make it so that once the papers come out they are available in many libraries around the world.

Esplin has also served as the president of the Mormon History Association from 2006–2007. [http://deseretnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=QNLCBEAZMEDF&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=6&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES] [ [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=caff9209df38b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 explnatory note on author, "Ensign", March 1993, p. 44] ] [cite web|title=Past MHA Presidents|publisher=Mormon History Association|url=http://www.mhahome.org/about/past_presidents.php|accessdate=2008-07-21]

Esplin has seven children and has served in such callings as a counselor in a bishopric and as a Sunday School teacher. [ [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=55d7aeca0ea6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 author explanation note, "Ensign", October 1982, p. 51] ]

Published works

Articles

* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=4c01d7630a27b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "A Place Prepared in the Rockies", "Ensign", July 1988, p. 7]
* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=caff9209df38b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "Fire in His Bones" a sketch on Brigham Young, "Ensign", March 1993, p. 44]
* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=181527cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "God Will Protect me till my work is done", "Ensign", Augus 1989, p. 16]
* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=a80767700817b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "Brigham Young in England", "Ensign", June 1987]
* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=62606a4430c0c010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "Hyrum Smith: The Mildness of a Lamb, The integrity of Job", "Ensing", February 2002, p. 30]
* [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=55d7aeca0ea6b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 "Utah's First Thanksgiving", "Ensign", October 1982, p. 49-51]

Notes

External links

* [http://www.ldsfilm.com/docu/AmericanProphet.html Listed as contributor] to the PBS documentary ""