PROVO — The Mormon History Association is holding its 50th annual conference this week, and for this landmark occasion, it returns to Provo, Utah, one of the cultural centers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where it has convened on three previous occasions.

In fact, the theme of this year’s gathering is “Mormon Cultures/Cultural Mormons,” a concept that “emphasizes the diversity of expression that has shaped Latter-day Saint history,” wrote Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, this year’s association president, in the conference program.

“We invite you to explore the dynamic byways as well as the prominent monuments of the Mormon past and to look beyond familiar corridors into vital new sites of growth.”

The association convenes Thursday through Sunday at the Utah Valley Convention Center, 220 W. Center Street, in Provo.

Registration is now limited to onsite and will be available Wednesday from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday from 7 a.m to 5 p.m.

As reflected in the conference theme this year, the association, which is independent and nondenominational, has an eclectic appeal, welcoming Mormon history enthusiasts of stripes and persuasions. Officers and staff of the LDS Church History Department are extensively involved and supportive. So are members of other churches and faith traditions who trace their origins to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and those who profess no religion at all.

It was Leonard J. Arrington, LDS Church historian from 1972 to 1982, who helped to establish the Mormon History Association and served as its first president. One of six panel presentations at this year’s conference will honor Arrington’s legacy.

Board member Jonathan Stapley said the Mormon History Association was formally organized Dec. 28, 1965, at the American Historical Association meeting in San Francisco, and, for the first seven years, it operated as an affiliate of the AHA.

Then, in 1972, it became an independent organization with its own annual conferences and publications. Today, it has some 2,000 members.

Events this year include the association’s birthday party at the opening reception Thursday evening.

The Membership Luncheon Friday will feature a panel discussion of “the culture of the early Mormon History Association.”

Sessions that may be of interest to Latter-day Saints include a presentation chaired by Richard E. Turley Jr. on Friday in which panelists will discuss the immigration to and settling of the Great Basin.

Other sessions will focus on insights from the Joseph Smith Papers, the dynamics of scriptural canonization in the church, the Relief Society, pioneer temples in the church and the new international history efforts of the church in Mexico.

In the opening plenary session Friday, Colleen McDannell, a University of Utah professor of religious studies, will discuss the Relief Society, Catholic nuns and the creation of hospitals in Utah.

The Smith-Pettit Lecture on Saturday, given by Margaret Jacobs, University of Nebraska-Lincoln professor of history, will deal with the history of Mormon adoption of American Indian children in the late 20th century by focusing on a high-profile court case.

On Saturday, the presidential address by Ulrich will deal with 19th century anti-Mormon tales about women fleeing with departing federal troops in order to escape the horrors of polygamy, but will also touch on lesser-known stories about women who fled legal marriages to become plural wives.

The traditional Sunday morning devotional of the conference this year features a special musical work commissioned to commemorate the Mormon History Association, “The Sum of Every Praising Voice,” composed by Daniel Carter.

Preconference tours Thursday include a visit to the LDS Motion Picture Studio and Provo and the LDS Motion Picture /studio South near Goshen, a workshop in historical editing hosted by the Harold B. Lee Library at BYU, a Utah County women’s history tour and a pioneer museums tour.

In a postconference tour, “Exploring the Fringes of Cultural Mormonism,” visitors will travel to the small community of Rocky Ridge, the historic Tintic District and Delta for a glimpse into 21st century communal living, polygamy and geographical isolation. The tour will include a visit to the Topaz Camp where Japanese Americans were interned during World War II.

For more information on the conference and details about pricing and schedules go to the website at mormonhistoryassociation.org.

Email: rscott@deseretnews.com