 In 1974 Durham took a year off as Institute Director to work on a book in the church's 16-volume sesquicentennial history to be published in 1980.In the Mormon History Association (MHA) Durham served as its eighth president, from 1973–74, and second executive secretary, from 1969–71.While he was president, the MHA launched the "Journal of Mormon History", whose inaugural issue received criticism from some CES personnel for an article by Jan Shipps about Joseph Smith.