Steven L. Olsen

Steven L. Olsen is Master Curator of the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, where he has worked his full career of more than four decades creating museum exhibits, restoring historic sites, and leading organizational change. He publishes widely in the fields of Latter-day Saint studies and museum studies and frequently presents at scholarly and professional conferences.

Major projects completed under his leadership include the permanent exhibits “A Covenant Restored: Historical Foundations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” and “Presidents of the Church” at the Church History Museum; the historic site restorations “Joseph and Lucy Mack Smith Farm and Sacred Grove” and “Book of Mormon Historic Publication Site” (western New York), “Historic Kirtland” and “John and Else Johnson Home” (northeast Ohio), “Cove Fort” and “Brigham Young Winter Home” (Utah); and the Church History Library in Salt Lake City.

Olsen holds a PhD in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago. He also earned an AM degree in cultural anthropology from the University of Chicago and a BA degree from Brigham Young University.

He has been president or board member of a variety of state, regional, and national professional service organizations.

He and his wife, Kathi, are the parents of five children.