Devin DeVore

The Changeling (1980) absolutely traumatized me. Last year I showed it to my (at the time) 12 year-old son and he made fun of me afterwards.

Every Latter-day Saint reading this headline

I’m mad about today. I’m mad that justices can’t do the bare minimum to uphold the Constitution. I’m mad that the law and our history, which I have dedicated so much of my life to, is an inconvenience than an inheritance to many. I’m mad that the academy, which I love, rewards and enables it.

Had a great time at the most recent Mormon History Association Conference, where I presented on the relationship between President Andrew Johnson and the Latter-day Saints in Territorial Utah.

Tonight’s dumb napkin cartoon…

I listen to heartbreaking stories from clients every day who are trying to survive while waiting for benefits, and struggling even after they get SSI because all they get is less than $1,000/month. This policy will devastate disabled adults and their families. www.propublica.org/article/trum...

These screenshots are just a few of the many insane courses WVU plans to offer that will serve as nice incubators for far-right-wing indoctrination. www.wcwvu.org/courses?fbcl...

Some course descriptions for the Fall 2026 offerings of the Washington Center for Civics, Culture, and Statesmanship at West Virginia University

I cannot think of anything more bleak than the idea that 20-year-old tech bros were using artificial intelligence to decide what humanities research was worth funding. I also do not know how to make it more clear that this administration is actively working to erase history.

This DOGE boy dissolved my Fort Negley grants, taking money earmarked for descendant-led archaeology and oral history collection because he was given power that indulged the fact that he is too arrogant to see the value in the histories of Black Tennesseans and how they have shaped ALL of the US.

This is absolutely the most depressing article that I’ve read in a real long time. nymag.com/intelligence...

Just discovered that Mormon missionaries have been utilizing the “flirt to convert” method since at least 1843! From “The Post,” a Knoxville, TN paper dated April 18, 1843.

This past Thursday I had the wonderful opportunity to help judge papers written by students throughout East TN. The students chose their own topics based on the theme “Revolution, Reaction, Reform in History,” and the students who participated should be proud of their submissions.

Last night I attended an amazing lecture by @kendradboyd.bsky.social where she discussed her recent book “Freedom Enterprise: Black Entrepreneurship and Racial Capitalism in Detroit.” I very much look forward to reading it!

As a current graduate student at UTK, I pray this doesn’t pass considering the damaging repercussions it will have on current and future faculty and students. My legislature is really working hard to tank anything and everything of value my state has to offer. www.wvlt.tv/2026/02/11/t...

Fantastic piece by historian W. Paul Reeve noting how what is happening in Minnesota echoes Latter-day Saint history, and the traps we fall into by ignoring that history. religionnews.com/2026/02/02/w...

Absolute insanity. www.reuters.com/world/europe...

How I have felt since starting grad school last semester.

Considering how terrible things have become with all things related to immigration, I don't think the stars could have aligned any better for what I am sure will be a necessary reading to better understand our current moment.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but wouldn’t this be considered socialism? truthsocial.com/@realDonaldT...

Reading today’s headlines about Greenland are that much more infuriating when considering all of this could have been so easily avoided if we held those who instigated January 6th accountable.

I have little faith that SCOTUS will hold that birthright citizenship is protected under the 14th Amendment. But it goes without saying how massive the implications will be if they uphold Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship. www.bbc.com/news/article...

For folks (and journalists) who want to search the Oversight Committee email texts, I made a database for searching the 20k text files: splendorous-chaja-f79791.netlify.app

Reading “That Noble Dream” for class when I came across this passage: “A sociologist writing the history of sociology…remains, from the historian’s point of view, an amateur, no different in principle from an untrained Mormon writing the history of Mormonism.”… I can’t help but feel attacked.

In March 2026 the Church Historian's Press will release a collection of sermons from Eliza R. Snow, a key female figure in early LDS history. Jennifer Reeder is a phenomenal historian, and 2026 is looking be a good year for LDS primary sources. www.churchhistorianspress.org/article/news...

Unless you are in the trenches of disability law, I don’t know if people fully realize just how destructive these proposals will end up being. www.propublica.org/article/soci...

I'm shaking almost too hard to type. I entered SLC airport and heard screams and cries for help. I could see people gathered around, watching. I sped over to discover this woman face down on the floor, four grown men pushing her down, while she cried "HELP ME" and pled for her child.

Meawhile TX is suing Tylenol. apnews.com/article/texa...

Great piece articulating why Trump demolishing the East Wing is so distressing. www.deseret.com/politics/202...

Listening to Kevin Brown’s talk in General Conference reminded me of @ccjones.bsky.social’s excellent article on early Latter-day Saint missionary efforts in Jamaica. Early missionary attitudes towards Jamaicans juxtaposed with Brown’s conviction of the gospel leave much to reflect upon.

An important advisory from AAUP. The advisory contains information for immediate support, tips for engaging with social media, and online digital tools. www.aaup.org/news/advisor...

Reading “The Chinese Must Go” for class one day and then hearing about 450 S. Koreans being detained in GA the next really hits home at how dystopian everything feels. And that’s before taking into account today’s SCOTUS decision lifting the stay against immigration raids in LA.

Spending my Labor Day preparing for class when I came across this in my readings. There’s some real Hunger Games vibes going on there, and reading this on a day set aside to celebrate labor unions and the working class makes it especially salient. “The Monied Metropolis” by Sven Beckert, pg. 255

I’m tired of children continuing to be placed on a sacrificial altar to appease the false god that is the NRA. I’m tired that we continue to offer nothing more than thoughts and prayers to a God that continually weeps because we refuse to do anything about it. www.cbsnews.com/minnesota/ne...

Watching video today of ICE agents roaming the streets of American cities and reading about the anger and fear of Bostonians during the Fugitive Slave crisis is a reminder of why it is so important that the institutions charged with interpreting the past be allowed to do so without interference.

I don’t think anything better exemplifies the current historical landscape than the episode from King of the Hill’s new season where everyone ignores Hank’s efforts to share historical tidbits about George Bush because they are too busy listening to Dale’s wild conspiracy theories.

This reminds me of my LDS (Mormon) pioneer heritage. Except my ancestors fled to Utah to escape the US after their leader was murdered, and where the federal govnt spent the next 50 years persecuting them until they abandoned their religious practices. So what heritage are they referring to?

The UFW can confirm farm workers were critically injured yesterday during chaotic raids in Ventura County, CA. Other workers, including US citizens, remain unaccounted for. UFW staff is on the ground supporting impacted families. Our full statement below. ⬇️ 1/

Just awful, awful news. Kerrville was the first area I served in on my LDS mission to TX. Such an amazing area full of amazing people. I pray they find those that are missing and everyone else remains safe. www.usatoday.com/story/news/w...

Great piece by @marthasjones.bsky.social. It highlights why the recent SCOTUS decision is so problematic while also underscoring why originalism is such a terrible legal theory in both its reasoning and application. www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnb...

A law student at the University of Florida writes a paper for a class discussing originalism, arguing that “We the People” in the Constitution’s preamble only refers to white people, among other things. His paper earned him an award. www.nytimes.com/2025/06/21/u...

Utah deserves better than Mike Lee. His comments concerning the horrific shootings in MN were disgusting and unbecoming for both a senator and, most importantly, a Latter-day Saint. www.deseret.com/opinion/2025...

The only king that should be allowed to claim sovereignty in this country is Burger King.

Just wrapped up attending my first Mormon History Association Conference. The presentations were fantastic and all the scholars and historians I met were incredibly friendly and encouraging. Left with a renewed excitement to further engage with the field of Mormon history.