It probably doesn’t have much cross-over appeal. But if we’re talking about writing great novels for Mormons, then it doesn’t have to. And if we’re talking about simply writing great literature, well, it really won’t matter who the intended audience is. I’m not a sixteenth century Londoner, but I can still appreciate and enjoy Shakespeare. Do I get as much from it as the intended audience? Probably not. But there’s plenty there to be had by all.

If we create great literature (or film, or any art form) then it won’t matter that it’s by Mormons for Mormons. It will leak into the world anyway, even if we try to stop it. It may not become a roaring flood, but it will still effect people.

I think that one of the reasons that non-North American L.D.S. studies could prove interesting is by seeing what genuine conflicts those Saints face and how their religious faith engages with those conflicts. I think that a couple of the reasons that the Church grows so rapidly in some third world lands is that life there is sometimes prettry horrendeous, and that the many people there are looking for something much better. (Contrast that growth with the relatively flat growth in such peaceful places as Denmark.)

By way of comparison, life in America and places like much of Western Europe, looks pretty mellow. While it is possible to write great litterature in an outwardly mellow environment, the level of difficulties in a thirld world country can sometimes bring conflict between good and evil into sharper focus.

Orson Scott Card’s Lost Boys has been mentioned previously in regard to the portrayal of evil, but I also think its very relevant to the discussion of the development of Mormon literature.

Of course, many of Card’s novels are filled with Mormon themes and ideas (the Alvin Maker fantasy series is based on the life of Joseph Smith, the Homecoming series is based on the Book of Mormon), but Lost Boys is the one that comes closest to being what we generally think of as an LDS novel, because it deals with a modern-day LDS family.

Lost Boys is only barely a fantasy novel (although sometimes classified as horror). The speculative fiction part of it is apparent only in a small part of the book. Most of the book is about a very real Mormon family dealing with real-life issues. Mormon beliefs are not just tacked on to give the characters a community identity — they are infused throughout the novel. It is a book that could not have been written by anyone who was not a believing Mormon, yet it is still accessible to people outside our faith.

Of course, when it comes to LDS authors, Orson Scott Card is essentially in a class by himself. But I think any discussion of the development of LDS novels needs to include Lost Boys.

If I may clarify, I’m not talking about a literary tradition per se, but rather a social/religious/cultural tradition. In reading Jane Austen one never senses a disconnect between the content and the culture out of which it grows.

I agree with both of your points. Indeed, I would like to see our writers become thoroughly soaked in the best that the world has to offer and then bring forth works that reflect their deepest sensibilities. I think this would result in powerful uncompromised works.