THE MORMONS, A FILM BY HELEN WHITNEY In its pre-release write-up of the documentary film, The Mormons, the PBS website suggested that “Mormons have always had a peculiar hold on the American imagination, but few know who the Mormons actually are, or who they claim to be, and their story is one of the great …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2007
MORMONISM’S ‘MITT MOMENT’
MORMONISM’S ‘MITT MOMENT’ Even more than the 2002 Salt Lake City Winter Olympics did, Mitt Romney’s early success in his run for President of the United States has brought media and water-cooler attention to Mormon teachings and practice. Polls revealing in some cases that a third or more potential voters would have strong hesitations in …
‘WHAT KIND OF A BEING IS GOD?’ EMBODIMENT AND THE KING FOLLETT DISCOURSE
‘WHAT KIND OF A BEING IS GOD?’ EMBODIMENT AND THE KING FOLLETT DISCOURSE The LDS doctrine of deity differs radically from the traditional Christian concept of the Trinity, and this difference is a major point of contention between Mormons and other Christians. But LDS scriptures themselves present many points of conflict with the Church’s official …
CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE: THE MAINSTREAMING OF THE MORMON IMAGE THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS
CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE: THE MAINSTREAMING OF THE MORMON IMAGE THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS The Public Affairs office of the LDS church plays an important role in expressing and clarifying the Church’s position on various matters, especially “moral issues.” I analyze the substantive and rhetorical issues in the press releases issued by the Church …
BOOK PANEL: MORMONISM IN DIALOGUE WITH CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIES
BOOK PANEL: MORMONISM IN DIALOGUE WITH CONTEMPORARY CHRISTIAN THEOLOGIES Mormonism in Dialogue with Contemporary Christian Theologies, edited by David L. Paulsen and Donald W. Musser (forthcoming, Mercer University Press) represents an important moment in the history and development of Mormon theology. It brings some of the most important voices in contemporary Christian theology including David …
TRUE STORIES: TELLING IT SLANT IN FICTION AND POETRY
TRUE STORIES: TELLING IT SLANT IN FICTION AND POETRY Consider the following: A lawyer with a divine client and a bone to pick with the Father of Lies. A housewife whose daily routine stirs the dust of human detritus, thrust to the eye of a storm. Party guests whose requests to use the bathroom hide …
SL07132: IMAGE AND REALITY: THE MANY FACES OF MORMON WOMEN
IMAGE AND REALITY: THE MANY FACES OF MORMON WOMEN The concept of face invites us to consider several contrasting pairs that define face: appearance vs. reality, public vs. private, open vs. hidden, engaged vs. withdrawn, present vs. past, and ideal vs. real. What are the stereotypes about Mormon women, and how well do these images …
MORNING REFLECTIONS WHILE STANDING ON ONE FOOT
MORNING REFLECTIONS WHILE STANDING ON ONE FOOT “The way we spend our days is, of course, the way we spend our lives.” , ANNIE DILLARD How do we stay in touch, in daily touch, with what is most essential? What basic instruction would you give yourself to reflect on, for perhaps one minute a day? …
THE WORD OF GOD DIVIDES ASUNDER
THE WORD OF GOD DIVIDES ASUNDER The U.S. Episcopal Church is experiencing a schism. The underlying dividing issue is what constitutes the “sure word of God.” Marcus Borg frames the different perceptions of God’s Word in an “earlier” and “emerging” paradigm. Using Borg’smodel, I suggest that what is happening in the Episcopal Church is also …
MAKING WITNESSES: THE BOOK OF MORMON’S SECULAR STRENGTH
MAKING WITNESSES: THE BOOK OF MORMON’S SECULAR STRENGTH Cardboard characters. Improbable plots. Simulated Elizabethan syntax. If, as asserted by many readers and literary critics, these terms accurately characterize the Book of Mormon, how do we account for its remarkable power to regenerate lives and foster the development of a dynamic community? Inquiring into its literary, …