Jeffrey G. Cannon is a Research Associate at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, where his current project explores African readings of scripture through their use of the Book of Mormon. More broadly, his research focuses on local manifestations of Christianity and their relationship to the worldwide church. He has a PhD in world Christianity from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in church history and church polity from the University of Pretoria, and a BA in political science from Brigham Young University, where he also completed a minor in African studies. Previously, he was an archivist for the Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, specializing in historical images. His work has appeared in edited collections, peer-reviewed journals, and online publications.
Education
- Ph.D., World Christianity, University of Edinburgh, 2021
- Thesis: “Church of Scotland Periodicals and the Shaping of Scottish Opinion Regarding South African Apartheid and the Central African Federation”
- M.A., Church History and Church Polity, University of Pretoria, 2015
- B.A., Political Science, emphasis in international politics, minor in African Studies, Brigham Young University, 2004
- A.A.S., General Studies, emphasis in behavioral and social sciences, Brigham Young University—Idaho, 2001
Journal Articles
- With Richard E. Turley, Jr., “A Faithful Band: Moses Mahlangu and the First Soweto Saints,” BYU Studies Quarterly 55, no. 1 (2016), 8–38.
- “Mormonism’s Jesse Haven and the Early Focus on Proselytising the Afrikaner at the Cape of Good Hope, 1853–1855,” Dutch Reformed Theological Journal 48, nos. 3 and 4 (2007), 446–56.
Book Chapters and Articles
- “Religious Freedom in Apartheid South Africa: The Latter-day Saint Experience,” in Latter-day Saints and Religious Liberty: Historical and Global Perspectives, eds., John C. Thomas and Robert T. Smith (Provo: Religious Studies Center, 2023).
- “The Image as Text and Context in Early Mormon History,” in Foundational Texts of Mormonism, eds. Mark Ashurst-McGee, Robin Scott Jensen, and Sharalyn D. Howcroft (New York: Oxford University Press, 2018).
- “All Things Must Be Done in Order: D&C 28, 43,” in Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants: Including Insights from The Joseph Smith Papers, ed. Matthew S. McBride (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016), 15–19.
- “Build Up My Church: D&C 18, 20, 21, 22,” in Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants: Including Insights from The Joseph Smith Papers, ed. Matthew S. McBride (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016), 29–32.
- “Oliver Cowdery’s Gift: D&C 6, 7, 8, 9, 13,” in Revelations in Context: The Stories Behind the Sections of the Doctrine and Covenants: Including Insights from The Joseph Smith Papers, ed. Matthew S. McBride (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2016), 50–53.