Judging Process

Submissions will be judged by area, with each area having a panel of judges. The judges will come from different areas of the region and be familiar with a range of cultural and language backgrounds.

Judging Criteria

In this worldwide competition, we want to discover and elevate diverse Latter-day Saint voices and perspectives that have been underrepresented in existing historical narratives about Latter-day Saints. We encourage submissions that feature women, children, diverse family structures, various socioeconomic backgrounds, or members of racial, ethnic, or language groups that are not often represented in Church media. Histories of local congregations with distinctive cultures, traditions, or shared experiences are also encouraged.

Judges evaluate the work based on two main criteria:

Originality and historical significance. The submission is creative or original in its approach to the subject of the narrative, introducing new characters, perspectives, and interpretations that add to or change existing understanding. The submission draws on unique sources that shed new light on the subject in a way that revises and expands existing Latter-day Saint narratives. Overall, the work stands out from other works in its distinctive voice, memorability, and historical value.
Stylistic and technical merit. The submission combines strong storytelling and historical accuracy within the chosen medium (print, oral storytelling, research article, and so on). All primary sources and scholarly secondary literature are of the highest quality, with appropriate references. Together, the content, medium, and research method effectively share the overall message. The story is presented in a way that is easy for others to access and understand.

Rubrics

To aid consistency in evaluating submissions, all submissions within a competition region will be evaluated according to a rubric. Below are links to the rubrics for the four categories so you can see how peer reviewers and judges will be evaluating your submission.

Local History

Personal or Family History Narrative

Rising Generation History Project

Research Article

Get Expert Help

The Church History Department is hosting a series of free virtual workshops to help competition participants improve their research and writing skills.

Learn more and sign up