Mormon belief in an early Christian apostasy suggests a couple of historiographic projects that are, I think, doomed to failure, but there might be an alternative Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
LDS Newsroom
- Mormon Leaders Discuss Helping Hands Efforts With Connecticut Governor May 18, 2012
- Church Honored in Spain for Blood Drive Promotion May 18, 2012
- British Singing Sensation Katherine Jenkins to Perform at Pioneer Day Concert May 17, 2012
- Like Jabari Parker, Thousands of Mormon Youth Attend Seminary May 17, 2012
- Manaus Brazil Temple Opens To the Public May 16, 2012
- Connecticut and Indiana Mormon Temple Renderings Released May 16, 2012
- Ground Broken for Provo, Utah’s Second Temple May 12, 2012
- Pacific Mormon Helping Hands Come to the Aid of Their Neighbors May 11, 2012
- Released for Mother's Day: Bible Video Depicts Mary, Mother of Jesus May 11, 2012
- Mormon Story: Journalist Describes It Well May 10, 2012
Posts Tagged ‘ Mormonism ’
Mormon identity and culture
The following is part of a larger study on the concept of “gospel culture”, which I have been working on. In a previous post I presented the question “How American is the Church?”, which yielded very interesting comments. For the present post I excerpted some further parts on culture and Mormon identity, with various questions to the reader. 1 person likes this post. Like Unlike Read more »
The Gospel of Kristine
As we’re all told in Sunday School, “Gospel” means “good news.” And it’s certainly good news that T&S emeritus (and current BCC) blogger Kristine Haglund is going to be taking over as editor of Dialogue. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Easter Weekend, by Eugene England
Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
The God We Hold Hostage
The Garden of Eden story doesn’t have a point. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Forging a Life
Although she had immigrated to Boston, the story of Misha Defonseca didn’t get nearly as much press last week in the U.S. as it did in Europe, when she joined a long line of self-confessed fakes Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Mormons and Evolution
Elder Packer’s article in this month’s Ensign closes with some thoughts on Evolution that have the potential to stir up a debate on the issue within the Church after several relatively quiet years. 3 people like this post. Like Unlike Read more »
Theology and the Public Square in Utah
The Salt Lake Tribune recently ran a column written by Grant Palmer arguing that Christian salvation turns not on the performance of ordinances but rather on an ethical life. Theologically speaking, the article (as Dave has pointed out nicely) is a pretty pedestrian, anti-sacramental, and essentially Protestant reading of the New Testament. The really interesting question raised by the article is not its theology, but rather what it is doing on the editorial page of an mainstream, secular newspaper. I think that we can safely dismiss the notion that the column was published because the Trib has taken it... Read more »
The Church Historian’s Press and the Argument in Favor of Mordred
The Church issued a press release today annoucing the creation of a “Church Historian’s Press” to handle the publication of the Joseph Smith Papers. (The press release also mentioned “works related to the church’s history and growth.”) I am not quite sure what the rationale for this is. Previous volume of the papers were published by Deseret Book, which did a nice enough job, although of late the physical publication standards at Deseret Book have been falling. Perhaps the new imprint is to insure library quality production values. Maybe it just reduces administrative hassle to have the production done... Read more »
Thomases
The name Thomas has a tortured history in Mormonism. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Mormon scholars dominate the Globe
At least, Melissa Proctor does. Today’s Boston Globe has a very nice article about her new Mormonism class at Harvard Divinity School, along with some good discussion about the trends in Mormon studies generally. Congratulations, Melissa! Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Mormon Law and Islamic Law
Mormonism, so goes a well-worn trope, is more into orthopraxis than orthodoxy. That is, we tend to care more about right conduct — e.g. loyalty to the kingdom, keeping covenants, following commandments, etc. — than right belief — e.g. the precise nature of divine progression or the correct location of Kolob. This raises the question, however, of why Mormonism hasn’t really developed any sort of a formal jurisprudence. Looking at church courts in the nineteenth century and comparing Mormon “law” to Islamic law sharpens the issues Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Interpretation: Latter-day Saint Perspectives
Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Little Zions
Today was our stake conference, and we had a visiting general authority: Elder Terrence C. Smith, one of the North American Area Seventies. His talk was one of the finest, most doctrinally insightful sermons I’ve ever heard at a stake conference. But what really caught me came in the first minute of his talk. He’s Canadian, specifically an Albertan, and he mentioned being from a little town “that’s probably 90% LDS.” That’s interesting, I thought. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
How American is the Church?
(The following is an excerpt from a larger study on the concept of “gospel culture”, which I have been working on. I hope that comments will help me correct and refine this aspect on Americanness). For the past few decades, in their efforts at internationalization, church leaders have stressed that this is “not an American Church”, but an international, universal Church. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Pagan Mormonism
Someone pseudonymmed Spengler wrote an anti-Mormon column too trifling to bother with until I was reminded that some people believe anything they read about Mormons. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Call for Papers
Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Should Mormons Hate Huckabee?
For the first time in American history, a Mormon had a serious shot of making it to the highest office in the land. But no more: Mitt Romney has pulled out of active competition for the Republican nomination and thus for the presidency. How should us Mormons feel about that? Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
The role of individuality in narratives about Mormonism
Some conversations I’ve had in the past months have touched on the idea of individuality. The concept can play surprisingly different roles in people’s narratives about Mormonism. For instance, some good friends who I’ve known for many years are in the process of leaving the church. Conversations with them sometimes discuss the idea of individuality. I would paraphrase some of their assertions along these lines: “Aspects of church doctrine and culture — important among them, the multiplicity of rules on everything from earrings or tattoos to alcohol, tithing, church attendance, and so on — force a type of conformity... Read more »
President Hinckley and Mormon Memory
In Religious Literacy, Stephen Prothero considers the decline of religious knowledge in America, much of which relates to the failure of institutions (family, school, church, university) to maintain a “chain of memory” that transmits religious knowledge from one generation to the next. President Hinckley helped Mormonism avoid this failure. Mormon memory is alive and well. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Mormonism’s Poisoned Theodicy
Consider two theological claims. First, a severely mentally retarded child has her retardation because in the premortal world she was an exceptionally valiant spirit and her current disability means that all that was necessary was for her to receive a body and then go straight on to eternal exaltation, worlds without number. Second, in this life blacks were denied the priesthood prior to 1978 because they were not valiant in the premortal conflict with Satan. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Call For Papers: Mormons in the Political Arena
Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
From the Archives: How Joseph Smith Restored Greek Religion
I’ve been thinking of late about immortality and Mormonism. My question is whether or not you can be a Good Mormon and a Good Homeric Hero. I am unclear on the answer, but Moroni and John Taylor seem to suggest that for at least one Good Mormon being a Homeric Hero was just fine. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
If You Don’t Like Mormons, Mitt Flip-Flops
A Vanderbilt study suggests voters who are bigoted against Mormons are more likely to believe that Mitt Romney is a flip-flopper. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Mistrust and Verify
A reader asks me to expand on a recent comment regarding historians and histories of Mormonism. I do so realizing that it may wrongly be interpreted as personal; my purpose is to illustrate the causes for my earlier evaluation and to demonstrate the value of questioning claims that don’t quite “feel” right. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
Utah Historical Quarterly: Utah War Issue
“One hundred and fifty years ago a federal army of nearly two thousand soldiers under the command of Col. Albert Sidney Johnston huddled in their makeshift quarters at Camp Scott near the ruins of Fort Bridger in southwestern Wyoming to wait out the bitter winter and prepare to march into the Salt Lake Valley later in the spring of 1858.” 1 person likes this post. Like Unlike Read more »
The Silent Core of Mormonism
Mormon theology and practice centers ultimately on the temple, and yet the temple is a subject on which Mormons are especially secretive and reticent. Therein lies one of the central ironies and challenges facing any Mormon trying to really explain how Mormonism works to an outsider. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
What is it about Mormons? Maybe history can teach us.
I first ran across Noah Feldman’s writing last year when I read his personal essay “Orthodox Paradox†in the New York Times Magazine. Be the first to like. Like Unlike Read more »
“This Thing Was Not Done in a Corner”
I was delighted when Noah Feldman accepted my invitation to give the keynote address at Princeton’s Mormonism and American Politics conference because I knew he’d offer a thoughtful and sophisticated outsider’s perspective on these issues. His latest NYT piece, a polished and updated version of his conference remarks, is even more that that, however. In challenging what Feldman calls the “soft bigotry†against Mormonism, still surprisingly so widespread, while at the same time effectively raising legitimate issues for Latter-day Saints to wrestle with themselves, Feldman’s piece does what few other articles on Mormonism have been able to do and... Read more »
The Greatness of Their Stumbling Block
And the Gentiles are lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and have stumbled, because of the greatness of their stumbling block, that they have built up many churches; nevertheless, they put down the power and miracles of God, and preach up unto themselves their own wisdom and their own learning Second Nephi 26:20. This is another post about the Feldman article. But if you want to sing Feldman’s praises and take issue with his Mormon critics, go here. If you want to defend his observation that from the secular standpoint mainstream Christianity has its share of the... Read more »
Conferences and Events
- Duck Beach Mini-Conference
- Seminar on B.H. Roberts’ "Seventy’s Course in Theology"
- Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR) Conference
- BYU Education Week
- BYU Idaho Education Week
- Sperry Symposium
- Utah State Historical Society Conference
- John Whitmer Historical Association Annual Meeting
- Association for Mormon Letters Annual Meeting
- LDS Semi-Annual General Conference
Calls for Papers
- Brazilian Mormon Studies Conference
- Colloque international sur le mormonisme (International Conference on Mormonism)
- LDS Association of Mormon Counselors and Psychotherapists
- Mormon Media Studies Symposium
- Sunstone Kirtland
- Sunstone West
- Sunstone Symposium: MORMONS AND MORMONISM AS A POLITICAL FORCE
- BYU Religious Education Student Symposium
- RESTORATION STUDIES SYMPOSIUM
- Claremont Mormon Studies Student Association