Mormon Arts

Arts – Music – Poetry – Cinema – Television

Books of Interest to the LDS Nerd

September 6, 2011 | 18 comments
By
Books of Interest to the LDS Nerd

A few of these are forthcoming, a few have appeared recently. I am compelled to read them all, as soon as I can get to them. Now Available Charles Harrel,“This Is My Doctrine”: The Development of Mormon Theology (Kofford Books) “In this first-of-its-kind comprehensive treatment of the development of Mormon theology, Charles Harrell traces the history of Latter-day Saint doctrines from the times of the Old Testament to the present.” I have my doubts that someone who does not equally control original Biblical sources and LDS history, as well as the vast amounts of secondary literature on historiography, exegesis,... Read more »

The Look of Temples

August 22, 2011 | 33 comments
By
The Look of Temples

This weekend I got to drive past the Ogden Utah Temple, which is currently surrounded by a high fence as it undergoes a major renovation. While there is nothing new with renovating a Temple, as far as I can tell, this is the first time that the outside appearance of a Temple has had such a significant change. What does this mean? Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »

Mormon filmmaker explores sex and singleness at Duck Beach

May 4, 2011 | 8 comments
By
Mormon filmmaker explores sex and singleness at Duck Beach

The topic of sex and the Mormon single is a perennial favorite in the bloggernacle, and recently it has drawn national attention as well. No treatment of the topic would be complete without a look at the Duck Beach phenomenon, an informal annual gathering of east coast LDS singles in North Carolina that is equal parts Jersey Shore and Temple Square. LDS filmmaker Stephen Frandsen (my cousin) and his production company Big Iron Productions have trained a thoughtful lens on this singular affair, and are currently in the process of financing and producing a documentary exploring its relevance. We’re... Read more »

Influence, Reflecting Badly and Mormon Culture

April 29, 2011 | 34 comments
By
Influence, Reflecting Badly and Mormon Culture

The news yesterday that artist Jon McNaughton had pulled his artwork from the BYU Bookstore led me to ponder once again the influence that Church-owned businesses and institutions have on Mormon Culture. While these institutions seem focused on how what they carry and produce reflects on themselves and, ultimately, the Church, I worry that the variety of books, art, music and other Mormon cultural materials aren’t as available as they should be. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »

Home Waters: Overview

December 7, 2010 | 4 comments
By
Home Waters: Overview

George Handley’s Home Waters: A Year of Recompenses on the Provo River (University of Utah Press, 2010) practices theology like a doctor practices CPR: not as secondhand theory but as a chest-cracking, lung-inflating, life-saving intervention. Home Waters models what, on my account, good theology ought to do: it is experimental, it is grounded in the details of lived experience, and it takes charity – that pure love of Christ – as the only real justification for its having been written. It is not afraid to guess, it is not afraid to question, it is not afraid to cry repentance,... Read more »

BYU Man Whose Grades Your Grades Could Be Like

July 15, 2010 | 44 comments
By

This promotional video from BYU’s Harold Lee Library is so well done it deserves it’s own post at Times & Seasons.   That’s how good it is. 84 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Cemetery in Carrol County

July 3, 2010 | 2 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Cemetery in Carrol County

After retirement, my father turned to family history and temple work to fill his time.  Most of this work has focused on researching ancestors from Virginia and North Carolina.  I took this photo at a cemetery in Carrol County, VA, near the the birthplace of my father’s grandparents.  My father is shown in the picture.  While in the cemetery he was able to locate headstones of people for whom he had completed temple work.  It was the first and only time that my father has visited this place that has taken so much of his attention. As a side... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Joseph’s Birthplace Memorial At Dusk

June 28, 2010 | 4 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Joseph’s Birthplace Memorial At Dusk

“I was born in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and five, on the twenty-third day of December, in the town of Sharon, Windsor county, State of Vermont.” Joseph Smith History 1:3 By Gary Boatright Jr. ___ This picture is part of our ongoing series highlighting Mormon images. Comments to the post are welcome; all comments should be respectful. In addition we invite you to submit your own images to the Mormon Image series. Other images in the series can be found here. Rules and instructions, including submissions guidelines, can be found here. 4 people like... Read more »

Unique Outreach by the Rochester Stake

June 25, 2010 | 40 comments
By

This week, the Rochester Stake in New York is sponsoring a special performance of Carol Lynn Pearson’s Facing East, to be followed by a fireside featuring a discussion led by the Rochester Stake President. Notably, the performance is being directed by Jerry Argetsinger, who was the long-time director of the Hill Cumorah Pageant throughout the 90s, and costume design is being handled by Gail Argetsinger, a Tony award-winning costume designer who designed and supervised the construction of thousands of pageant costumes during the 90s. For those unfamiliar with Facing East, it is the story of a Mormon couple who... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Brothers

June 23, 2010 | 3 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Brothers

We’ve been teaching our oldest son Peter that he’s a big brother to our younger son Jeremy.  When Peter learned that Joseph Smith also had a big brother, he fell in love with the concept.  Now whenever we go somewhere church-related, he asks, “Will there be a picture of Joseph and Hyrum?” By Robert Gibbons ___ This picture is part of our ongoing series highlighting Mormon images. Comments to the post are welcome; all comments should be respectful. In addition we invite you to submit your own images to the Mormon Image series. Other images in the series can... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Hand in Hand on Temple Square

June 18, 2010 | 4 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Hand in Hand on Temple Square

Walking hand in hand with my family on Temple Square in April 2009. Taking our one year old daughter for the first time was very special, and as we walked I looked around to ask someone to take our picture. We were alone. As I looked at our shadows, I thought that was a much more powerful image; for me, it invokes the feeling of moving forward and facing the future together. This is my favorite photo from that trip. By Christy D. ___ This picture is part of our ongoing series highlighting Mormon images. Comments to the post... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Mormon Helping Hands

June 2, 2010 | 2 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Mormon Helping Hands

About 800 Members of the Sacramento California Stake and their friends donated more than 2,000 man-hours at the City of Sacramento’s William Land Park, which has seen its finding cut by 60 percent in recent years and its maintenance staff trimmed from 22 to seven employees. Volunteers focused on numerous work projects, including historic trail restoration, power-washing of park amenities, landscape maintenance, specialized gardening, and the cleaning out of the park’s three ponds. The volunteer service in Land Park has an estimated value of more than $70,000. by John S. McKinney ___ This picture is part of our ongoing... Read more »

Renewed Call for Photo Submissions

May 27, 2010 | no comments
By

Since instituting the “A Mormon Image” series last fall, our submissions have slowed from a glut to a trickle.  As a result, we thought we would issue a new call for photographs to be considered for inclusion in the series. The instructions for submissions can be found here and the images we have featured since kicking off the series can be viewed here. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Nauvoo Temple at First Light

May 24, 2010 | 12 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Nauvoo Temple at First Light

The Nauvoo Temple at about 4:15 in the morning.  I was up watching the equipment for the pageant and saw the Temple at the first early light. 4 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Apostle and Cowboy

May 21, 2010 | 10 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Apostle and Cowboy

Elder George Albert Smith at Sundown Ranch in Aripine, Arizona (1941). 3 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

This Mormon Life

April 24, 2010 | 17 comments
By
This Mormon Life

Several weeks ago the NPR program This American Life aired a stunning segment on Gordon Gee, the Latter-day Saint President of Ohio State University, and his daughter Rebecca. The segment revolved around a series of letters Gordon’s late wife Elizabeth wrote to their daughter as she was dying of cancer.  Rebecca was 16 at the time of her mother’s death, and the letters were to be given to her each year on her birthday for thirteen years. Rebecca, however, gradually drifted from the Church, while the letters from her devout mother focused heavily on the deep yearnings she had... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Apostle and Grandfather

April 18, 2010 | 3 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Apostle and Grandfather

Elder Spencer W. Kimball holding a grandchild, circa 1972 (Courtesy of Ed Kimball) 6 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Never Too Old for Trunk or Treat

April 7, 2010 | 6 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Never Too Old for Trunk or Treat

As I dressed my 3 year old in her Halloween costume for the ward trunk or treat, she asked “and mom, what are you going to be?”  Oh, I’m too old for this stuff, I thought.  Then as we walked in that night, I saw this 70 year-old clown and realized, we’re never too old to feel like a kid again. by Dana Willard of 88 Miles Per Hour ___ This picture is part of our ongoing series highlighting Mormon images. Comments to the post are welcome; all comments should be respectful. In addition we invite you to submit... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Saturday Afternoon Session

April 5, 2010 | 6 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Saturday Afternoon Session

By Craig M. 2 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Temple Lovers

April 1, 2010 | 2 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Temple Lovers

The night after we buried my mother, in a hill at the foot of the Wasatch from where her second favorite temple can be seen. Her favorite was Logan, where she was sealed to my father, who would soon follow her to the grave. 3 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Elijah

March 30, 2010 | 5 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Elijah

The most recent baptism in our family. I wish I had a similar photo of our daughter, but, of course, I wasn’t in the change room with her. 1 person likes this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Baby in the Cupboard

March 28, 2010 | 5 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Baby in the Cupboard

Looking for some yummy snacks among the #10 cans. Good luck! 1 person likes this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Ye are the Light of the World

March 26, 2010 | 3 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Ye are the Light of the World

The Los Angeles temple at night. 1 person likes this post. Like Unlike Read more »

A Mormon Image: Grandparents

March 25, 2010 | 5 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Grandparents

This photo was taken the week before we moved across the country and left all of our family back home.   Just a warm summer evening, feeding the ducks with Grandma and Grandpa, and enjoying the experience.  I never understood why people said it was great to be a grandparent, until I became a parent myself.  Though some days as a young mom seem rough rather than fun, I cherish the moments that I get to kiss their warm cheeks, hug their small bodies, and then out of the blue they say “I love you mom”.   When my little ones... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Joy On A Cattle Truck

March 20, 2010 | 4 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Joy On A Cattle Truck

This is a group of mostly single Latter-day Saints from D.C. and elsewhere who are on their way to volunteer in a remote Guatemalan village in the Polochic Valley– one of the poorest in the world.  Many of the villagers from this area are themselves Latter-day Saints. The volunteer work done be this group consisted of a variety of  humanitarian building projects, educational workshops and medical service. This photograph shows just one of several cattle trucks that transported the group to the village. This volunteer trip was recently featured in Meridian Magazine. by Juanita Verma ___ This picture is... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Sweaters for the Penguins

February 18, 2010 | 13 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Sweaters for the Penguins

The sweaters that these penguins are wearing are designed to save their lives after oil spills off of the Australian coast. They were knitted by Aussie Relief Society sisters. Who says that LDS service projects aren’t fun? (And as Nate asked last time: Who got to put them on the penguins?) (Picture courtesy of LDS Newroom; originally linked in this prior T&S post.) This picture is part of our ongoing series highlighting Mormon images. Comments to the post are welcome; all comments should be respectful. In addition we invite you to submit your own images to the Mormon Image... Read more »

A Mormon Image: Weighing Eternity

February 17, 2010 | 16 comments
By
A Mormon Image: Weighing Eternity

An oft-quoted passage from our Bible Dictionary states that “only the home can compare with the temple in sacredness.” This statement has been concretely validated in the birth of our children. No experience I have ever had has compared in holiness with our experiences of welcoming our children into this world and into our home. For me, this picture captures a great deal of what my faith is. The baby, a few minutes old, is being weighed. In the mirror you see my wife (taking the picture), myself, our baby, and the midwife mediator who helped us bring our... Read more »

Church + Music = Fun

January 25, 2010 | 39 comments
By
Church + Music = Fun

Music is a wonderfully enriching part of church life, both in worship services themselves and in church culture generally. It’s a blessing in many, many ways—including ways that are light-hearted and fun. Forgive me, then, for sharing the following not-so-serious and rather random stories with a musical twist. (1) The ward where I grew up was blessed with a strong number of musically talented individuals, including organists, choristers, and singers. One of those in the chorister rotation was an older gentleman who was a retired professional musician. I’ll always be grateful to him for giving me one of my... Read more »

Letting Go

January 22, 2010 | 6 comments
By
Letting Go

Thanks so much for all the fun. Before departing, I leave this layered perspective on parenthood and then return you to your regular T&S, already in progress. 5 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

Sacred Spaces, Holy Ground

January 20, 2010 | 9 comments
By
Sacred Spaces, Holy Ground

We, the children of our Heavenly Father, naturally make places where we can draw closer to Him. Almost all of us do it- in some way- all over the world. The thoughts and efforts we put into these holy places reflect our theology, values, hopes and desires. 7 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »

WELCOME

Times and Seasons is a place to gather and discuss ideas of interest to faithful Latter-day Saints.

Notes from All Over

  • Bowman on how Mormons (hence Romney) think of the poor(James)
  • LDS statement issued in response to 9th Circuit opinion holding Prop 8 unconstitutional(Dave)
  • Scalzi on Romney: “When I don’t vote for him, his being a member of the LDS church won’t be a part of it.” (Kaimi)
  • Mormon numbers are not adding up (Dave)
  • MSNBC interviews LDS historian Matt Bowman (Dave)
  • (Gasp!) Mitt Romney baptizes dead people!(Kaimi)
  • The Mormon Lit Blitz (Dave)
  • “You can start by listening, absorbing, and deciding that you will no longer dismiss someone else’s experience just because you have not had that same experience yourself.” (Kaimi)
  • GOP candidates & (Christian) common good(James)
  • Romney Thumps Gingrich in Florida(Alison)
  • At the SL Trib: “Mormons tackling tough questions in their history” (Dave)
  • NYT debate on Mormonism (Laurie Maffly Kipp, Jana Riess, others)(James)
  • Mormonism, the religion of the American West. Or not. (Dave)
  • Ron Paul appealing to Mormons?(James)
  • “What is this, a fabric store?”(Ben S.)
  • Doubt and the Creed(James)
  • Uh oh — four out of five ESPN pannelists see Jimmer as the most disappointing rookie of the year so far.(Kaimi)
  • Jay Leno sued over Mitt Romney joke (Dave)
  • Funeral potatoes in the New York Times. (Kaimi)
  • Everybody must get Stone. (Kaimi)

    • Blogroll

    RSS Conferences and Events

    RSS Calls for Papers

    Lost your password?