David Charles and Dr. James A. Toronto, Church History and Doctrine
With the assistance of a 1999 ORCA scholarship, I was able to make significant progress in understanding LDS Church history in the Middle East during the period 1880-1950. My work was divided between four separate but related projects, each of which will receive brief mention here. The first of these projects are the journals of Joseph W. Booth, long-time missionary in the Middle East, which were the focus of my ORCA proposal. Since receiving the scholarship in January, I have continued proofreading the journal typescripts with my wife, the first step in preparing them for publication. I have also continued to gather background materials for placing the journals in their historical context and have identified a number of relevant sources. Although my collection of materials is not yet comprehensive, I am satisfied with the recent progress.
The wealth of data collected has prompted me to search for opportunities to publish and present my findings in shorter topical studies, while continuing work on the mammoth journal publication project. With help from my faculty mentor, Dr. James Toronto, I have been able to find and profit from several such opportunities. In June of this year, for example, I published a lengthy article on missionary travel experiences in the Middle East. This was a valuable experience in organizing a large amount of material and presenting it in an interesting and coherent way. The article received the award for this year¡¦s ¡§Best undergraduate paper in Mormon History¡¨ from the Mormon History Association.
This summer, I participated in the MHA¡¦s annual conference, held in Denmark, and presented a paper on another aspect of my research: the influence of several European-born missionaries in the Middle East who labored there between 1884 and 1909. The conference was a daunting but rewarding experience. I met several persons interested in my work who helped me further focus and refine it.
After returning home to Utah, I went back to work on that presentation, revising and expanding it into an honors thesis. My ORCA advisor agreed to serve as my thesis advisor. The thesis was submitted in mid-August and defended shortly thereafter. It received the ranking ¡§superior.¡¨ I am now implementing the suggestions I received at the defense, and will turn in the final version within the next few weeks. In the meantime, I have moved to Oxford, England, for graduate studies, and can unequivocally state that I have greatly benefited from the ORCA scholarship program. It has helped me in three areas in particular: forging lasting, productive relationships with faculty members; understanding the ways and means of scholarship; and making my own contribution to a field of interest to me.