Frequently Asked Questions

Absolutely! Latter-day Saints from all backgrounds are welcome to enter any of the contest categories. Professional historians who are not Latter-day Saints are also welcome to enter the Academic Research Article category. The Church History Department we host free research and writing workshops online in March and April 2026 if you would like to develop your skills.

History is a story that shows change over time. There are two elements to good history: good primary sources and good analysis. Primary sources are sources produced during the time period you are studying—for instance, if you are studying something that happened in the 1960s, you will look for letters, Church activity records, photographs, newspapers, or oral history interviews from the 1960s. Gather primary sources that help you to understand the experiences of those who were living in that time. Then write about their stories in a way that others who did not experience that history can understand. Provide historical context. For instance, maybe a political upheaval at the time made the situation more tense, or maybe that area was just recovering from a destructive hurricane. Historical context helps readers today better understand the significance of a historical story. Your analysis should link events together to create a story that shows the overall significance of a particular Latter-day Saint experience, event, or moment in history. There are many different ways to do this. Please see the guidelines page and the judging rubric. We are also offering free Introduction to Historical Sources workshops online in March and April 2026.

Local historic focuses on a place, like a town, or a historic Church building or site. A personal or family history narrative is more focused on a person, family, or group of people.

Yes. You can write about the stories of others as long as they give you written permission to use their name and story.

No. This is not a historical fiction competition. All stories must be true and based on real facts and sources. The strongest entries will be supported with evidence, such as well-documented primary sources and facts and dates that can be independently verified.

Yes. Video or audio submissions are accepted for all categories except the Academic Research Article. Examples of video or audio submissions might include a video of you telling a story, an oral history interview with someone who remembers historical events, or a tour of a local site that is significant to Church history.

Yes, you can include photos in your story. Photos should help tell the story and include explanations. Please include references or relevant privacy permissions for any photographic images you use that you do not own yourself. Your submission will be judged equally whether or not you have photos.

The Rising Generation History Project is the only category with an age restriction, 16–26 year olds. All other categories are open to all ages. Participants under the age of 18 should submit via their parent, legal guardian, or teacher.

Yes. If you are originally from a region in the competition, you can enter—even if you live in another country now. Your submission must still be about the competition region.

Yes, but you cannot win a cash prize. You may still receive a certificate of commendation for exceptional work. You will also have our heartfelt thanks for being someone committed to building knowledge of Church history in this region!

No. Think about the significance of individual voices in the scriptures—even though authors like Nephi or Jacob didn’t think much of their writing, today we value their individual styles. We want to hear your own voice and ideas. AI writing is not allowed.

A local jury will evaluate your submission according to a judging rubric.

Local History: $250
Personal or Family History: $250
Rising Generation History Project: $250
Academic Research Article: $500
For more information, see the prizes page.

This is a way to acknowledge the amount of time, effort, and expertise to compete in that category.

High-quality submissions may be published in Church media outlets such as the Liahona, For the Strength of Youth, the Friend, ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and Area and stake-level websites or publications. If your submission is selected for official publication, we will contact you for additional permission before publishing in one of these outlets.