Telos

What Telos is for

A workshop for ideas
on their way somewhere.

Telos is an open space for young adults interested in Mormon studies to practice serious writing, receive generous editing, and publish work they are proud to stand behind.

Why we exist

Practice before the stakes get higher.

Good scholarly writing is learned by doing it: drafting, being misunderstood, revising, and trying again. Telos makes room for that process to happen in public.

  1. 01

    Write something real

    Move an idea out of your notes and into an argument another person can read, question, and remember.

  2. 02

    Learn revision

    Work with an editor, sharpen the claim, strengthen the evidence, and discover what the piece is actually trying to become.

  3. 03

    Prepare for the next room

    Build the habits and confidence to approach more established journals when your work is ready for them.

Choose your starting place

One publication, two speeds.

The Journal

For the argument you are ready to finish.

Themed issues of essays, research articles, translations, and reviews. Longer editorial work, formal citations, and a stable publication you can share.

Read the Journal

The Forum

For the idea you need to try out loud.

Shorter reflections, responses, and questions between issues. Still edited and thoughtful, but quicker, more conversational, and open to experiment.

Visit the Forum

The longer view

Telos is not the finish line.

We hope it is a useful first editorial room: a place to develop the craft and confidence that can eventually carry your work toward established venues such as the Journal of Mormon History, BYU Studies, or broader journals in religious studies and history—including journals published by scholarly houses such as Brill.

Those publications are examples, not partners or promised outcomes. The point is to become a better writer before you knock on the next door.

StartA question you cannot leave alone
PracticeDraft, edit, publish with Telos
ContinueCarry the next piece farther

A few honest answers

Is this for me?

Do I have to be a student?

No. Telos is for young adults and emerging writers, whether you are enrolled, recently graduated, working outside the academy, or finding your own route into Mormon studies.

Do I need to already sound academic?

Not at all. Bring a serious question, honest curiosity, and a willingness to revise. We care more about helping you think clearly than whether you already know every convention.

Should I send this to the Journal or the Forum?

The Journal is for developed arguments, research, translations, and reviews gathered into themed issues. The Forum is for shorter reflections, responses, and ideas you want to test in public.

Is Telos peer reviewed?

Telos is edited, but it is not a formal peer-reviewed or institutionally sponsored journal. That is intentional: this is a serious workshop and publication space where newer writers can practice the editorial process before higher-stakes venues.

Can this help me publish somewhere else later?

That is one of our hopes. We can help you develop your craft, but every journal has its own prior-publication rules. If you have a future venue in mind, tell us early so we can consider whether Telos should publish the piece, a shorter precursor, or something different.