Cutting-Edge Latter-day Saint Research, September 2024

There are other chastity loopholes that are more recent developments. One example would be soaking, or the act of placing a penis into a vagina, but not making any movements. Those who practice soaking consider it to not be “true” sex because there is no thrusting and supposedly no orgasming (Levine, 2023). While this is a trending buzzword for Mormons, specifically Mormon college campuses, it can be assumed that this practice is taking place in other religions as well.

Park, Benjamin E. “The Unlikely Alliance of Mormonism and Christian Nationalism.” Journal of Media and Religion (2024): 1-11.

American members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are typically seen as politically conservative and proponents of Christian natioanalism. However, this has not always been the case. This essay provides a historical overview of how the Mormon tradition evolved from being dissenters from America’s patriotic imagination to some of its most adamant promotors. I also highlight the paradoxes at the heart of the current cultural alliance between devout Latter-day Saints and evangelical activists.

Leverage, Megan. “Exalting Blackness in Wynetta Willis Martin’s: Black Mormon Tells Her Story.” Nova Religio 28, no. 1 (2024): 34-55.

Black and Mormon were seemingly irreconcilable identities during the priesthood/temple ban against people of African descent (c. 1852–1978). But in 1966, Wynetta Willis Martin converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And in 1972, Martin published Black Mormon Tells Her Story. In this book, Martin interwove her African American and LDS identities in a powerful way. Challenging anti-Black racism in the LDS community, Martin produced a new story about Black Mormon identity: past, present, and future. Previously underestimated as a problematic book, this article retheorizes Black Mormon Tells Her Story, emphasizing Martin’s agency in race-making. This article extends Judith Weisenfeld’s theory of Black new religious movements to analyze a “religio-racial narrative” authored by a Black member of the predominantly white LDS Church. Demonstrating how Martin positively reconstructed the meaning of Blackness, this article fills a gap in the scholarship on Mormon racial construction.

A’Hearn, Casey Logan. “The Public’s Response to the Book of Mormon: A Critical Phenomenology of Scripture.” Postscripts: The Journal of Sacred Texts, Cultural Histories, and Contemporary Contexts 15, no. 1 (2024): 49-68.

When the Book of Mormon was published in March 1830, it represented a textual shift from the Bible as the representation of sole scriptural truth to the possibility of the Book of Mormon as an equal contender. Within the New York newspaper scene, the Book of Mormon was constructed as a novel false scripture as well as a true culmination of prophecy by competing parties. Within these parties, social actors presented interesting rhetorical dynamics between the establishment of authority and competing Christian canons. Both parties use scripture – the Bible and the Book of Mormon – as tools to navigate the world. One party uses the Bible to argue that the Book of Mormon stands in opposition to an established Christian canon. The other argues that the Book of Mormon is a fulfilment of prophecy made necessary by the Bible. This paper explores the clash of authoritative discourses between those who understood the Book of Mormon as scripture and those who did not. Nevertheless, both groups insist on taking “scripture” seriously. Reading the archive with critical phenomenology, I argue that the publication of the Book of Mormon represents a historical moment where the identity formations of nineteenth-century Americans relied on a discourse of authority mediated through competing canons.

Furr, Kelly N., and Daniel Gutierrez. “Counseling Best Practices for Helping Mormon Clients.” Counseling and Values69, no. 2 (2024): 187-207.

Mormons, or members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (cjclds) have unique religious and cultural practices. Counselors must fulfill a baseline level of cultural competence (knowledge, awareness, skills) and the ability to practice with cultural humility to be effective with this population. Mormon beliefs and teachings can have both positive and negative effects on mental health. This article will review the strengths and cultural norms of Mormon spirituality and explore challenges related to Mormon spirituality, including issues lgbtq+ believers may face. This article will also provide suggestions for how to apply aservic guidelines to working with this demographic.

Thompson, Keith. “What Does the Gathering of Israel Mean to Descendants of Joseph in New Zealand?.” International Journal for the Study of New Religions (2024).

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand (variously described hereafter as “the Church,” “the LDS Church,” “Latter-day Saints” and adjectivally as “LDS”) was a small European institution from its inception in the 1850s until the indigenous Maori peoples began to join in large numbers between 1882 and 1895. Those converts completely changed the Church and outnumbered the European membership ten to one by the end of the nineteenth century. That change in the character of the Church’s membership has been studied as a sociological phenomenon, but subjective explanations—how the Church explains that massive growth—have not received detailed consideration. This article therefore involves hermeneutic treatment. It notes the previous sociological analysis, but explains where the indigenous Maori people fit into the theology of the LDS Church. While it recognizes that the authenticity of the Book of Mormon remains a “hotly contested” topic, this article does not engage in that contest. The point of this article is to understand the relevant LDS theology from the inside out.

Reeve, W. Paul, Christopher B. Rich, and LaJean Purcell Carruth. This Abominable Slavery: Race, Religion, and the Battle over Human Bondage in Antebellum Utah. Oxford University Press, 2024.

On July 22, 1847, a group of about forty refugees entered the Salt Lake Valley. Among them were three enslaved men, two of whom shared the religion, Mormonism, that had caused them to flee. The valley was also home to members of the Ute tribe, who would sometimes barter captive women and children to Spanish colonizers. Thus, the question of whether the Latter-day Saints would accept or reject slavery in their new Zion confronted them on the day they first arrived. Five years later, after Utah had become an American territory, its legislature was prodded to take up the question then roiling the nation: would they be slave or free?

George D. Watt, the official reporter for the 1852 legislative session, reported debates and speeches in Pitman shorthand. They remained in their original format, virtually untouched, for more than one hundred and fifty years, until LaJean Purcell Carruth transcribed them. In this eye-opening volume, Carruth, Christopher Rich, and W. Paul Reeve draw extensively on these new sources to chronicle the session, during which the legislature passed two important statutes: one that legally transformed African American slaves into “servants” but did not pass the condition of servitude on to their children and another that authorized twenty-year indentures for enslaved Native Americans.

This Abominable Slavery places these debates within the context of the nation’s growing sectional divide and contextualizes the meaning of these laws in the lives of Black enslaved people and Native American indentured servants. In doing so, it sheds new light on race, religion, slavery, and unfree labor in the antebellum period.

Brady, Jane D. “The BYU Folklore of Hugh W. Nibley.” In Colloquium Essays in Literature and Belief, pp. 515-28.

No abstract, chatGPT summary:

The document titled The BYU Folklore of Hugh W. Nibley by Jane D. Brady delves into the folklore surrounding Hugh W. Nibley, a revered figure at Brigham Young University (BYU). The folklore centers around Nibley’s life, his intellectual brilliance, his contributions to both academia and the LDS Church, and his eccentricities. Brady’s work explores how these stories about Nibley have taken on legendary status at BYU, often portraying him as a hero, iconoclast, eccentric professor, spiritual guide, and defender of the faith.

The folklore illustrates the admiration the BYU community has for Nibley, not just for his academic achievements—such as being fluent in over twenty languages and his scholarship in ancient scripture—but also for his unconventional behaviors and his critique of societal norms, even within the academic and religious realms. Nibley’s legacy is shaped by a mixture of verifiable facts and myth, with the stories emphasizing the BYU community’s values, aspirations, and desires for heroes like Nibley who transcend ordinary expectations.

These narratives, though sometimes embellished, serve important social functions by reinforcing shared values and providing inspiration within the community. Through the retelling of Nibley’s stories, the BYU community constructs a collective identity that reflects their own beliefs, aspirations, and admiration for Nibley’s intellect and unorthodox ways.

Wright, Robert R., Melissa Wilson, Christian Nienstedt, Carson Ewing, Andres Rodriguez, Cade Anderson, Natalie Johnson, and Lindsay Johnson. “Quality Dating and Wellness Among a Religious College Student Population: A Mixed-Methods Approach.” Psi Chi Journal of Psychological Research 29, no. 3 (2024).

Growing concerns for loneliness, social isolation, and the health of young adults point to the importance of the dating context. This study aimed to identify and examine quality dating experience (QDE) and poor dating experience (PDE) relative to the well-being of religious college students identified as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including gender differences. Focus group (n = 58) and online survey (n = 515) participants came from introductory psychology courses at a large religious institution. A mixed-methods design was used to qualitatively identify quality and poor dating themes and then, using these themes, examine the dating experience using quantitative data from an online survey questionnaire. Focus group thematic analyses revealed patterns of gender similarity (e.g., compatibility, safety concerns, hyper-focus on marriage) and disparity (e.g., monetary value, date activity details) for both QDE and poor dating experience (PDE). Quantitative survey results highlighted substantial relationships between QDE, PDE, and wellness variables including mood, life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, anxiety, stress, loneliness, physical health symptoms, and perceived peer support. Interestingly, men had statistically stronger (p < .05) relationships between PDE and 3 health variables: depressive symptoms, peer support, and interpersonal conflict. This suggests that men may have more adverse health profiles than women when undergoing PDEs in a more traditional religious context. Results supported QDE and PDE as influential variables that go beyond the simple metric of dating frequency to capture a more comprehensive perspective of health among religious college students, including gender differences.

Julie A. P. Frederick. Anti-Nephi-Lehi Mothers: What They Taught Their Stripling Sons. BYU Studies Volume 63:3.

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The document you uploaded, titled “Their Mothers Taught Them: What They Taught Their Stripling Sons” by Julie A. P. Frederick, explores the story of the stripling soldiers in the Book of Mormon and the significant role their mothers played in shaping their spiritual strength. The document emphasizes that these young men, also known as the “stripling warriors,” were influenced by their mothers’ teachings, specifically on faith in God and obedience to His commandments. The text draws from several passages in the Book of Alma to highlight how the mothers’ faith and lessons on trusting in God’s power of deliverance were deeply ingrained in their sons, leading them to act with great courage and resolve in battle.

The author critiques common modern depictions of the stripling soldiers as overly muscular and warrior-like, arguing that these images distort their true nature as young, spiritually strong individuals, likely in their early teenage years. The document also traces the history of the mothers as members of the Anti-Nephi-Lehi people, who made a covenant to never shed blood and faced significant persecution and violence because of their faith. These mothers likely lived through their people’s conversion, migration, and resettlement in Nephite territory, which were formative experiences that they passed on to their sons.

In addition to analyzing the significance of the stripling soldiers’ age and appearance, the document also places the mothers in the broader context of Book of Mormon history, noting that their teachings on faith and divine deliverance were instrumental in helping their sons survive and thrive in battle. The stripling soldiers’ belief in their mothers’ teachings was so strong that they did not doubt God would preserve them, a faith that was realized when none of them perished in battle, despite many being wounded.

Overall, the document is a thoughtful examination of how the spiritual teachings of the mothers of the stripling soldiers were a key factor in their sons’ remarkable faith and courage in the face of overwhelming odds.

Stephen Cranney and Joshua Coates. Temple Marriages Are Less Likely to End in Divorce: Insights from the B. H. Roberts 2023 Current and Former Latter-day Saint Survey. BYU Studies Volume 63:3.  

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The document “Temple Marriages Are Less Likely to End in Divorce” by Stephen Cranney and Joshua Coates discusses the divorce rates among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, focusing on temple marriages. The authors investigate whether temple marriages are indeed less likely to end in divorce, based on data from the 2023 B.H. Roberts Current and Former Latter-day Saint Survey (2023 CFLDS Survey).

Key Insights:

1. Historical Context: Previous divorce rate statistics for temple marriages were often outdated, based on data from the 1970s and 1980s. Earlier reports suggested a 6% to 10% divorce rate, but these figures were derived from small or old surveys.
2. New Data: The 2023 CFLDS Survey, with a sample size of around 1,675 respondents, provides current data, showing that temple marriages today have a divorce rate in the range of the mid-teens to low twenties, significantly lower than the national average of approximately 50% for first marriages.
3. Divorce Rates by Marital Status:
   • Temple marriages: Around 14% of first-time temple marriages end in divorce, according to weighted estimates from the survey.
   • Civil marriages later sealed in the temple: Divorce rates for couples who married civilly and were later sealed in the temple were slightly higher, at around 16%–23%.
   • Marriages never sealed: Divorce rates are much higher for couples who never married in the temple, ranging from 38% to 93%, depending on the group.
4. Age Factor: Divorce rates increase with age, with the percentage of temple divorces rising to 20% for those in older age groups (60–79 years).
5. Temple Marriage Impact: The study supports the idea that temple marriages offer a protective effect against divorce, even for former members of the Church. However, for former members, the divorce rates for temple marriages were higher, but still lower than those who were never sealed in the temple.
6. Causality and Limitations: While the data suggests a strong correlation between temple marriages and lower divorce rates, the authors caution that the study does not prove causality. There may be other factors, such as religiosity and selection effects, that contribute to marital stability.

Conclusion:

Temple marriages are indeed less likely to end in divorce compared to civil marriages, but the divorce rate is higher than earlier estimates. The study highlights the enduring protective effect of temple sealings on marital stability, though this effect is slightly diminished among former Church members.

Stanford Carmack. Book of Mormon Grammar and Translation. BYU Studies Volume 63:3.

The document “Book of Mormon Grammar and Translation” by Stanford Carmack explores the linguistic and grammatical peculiarities of the Book of Mormon. Carmack examines how the nonstandard grammar found in the text is not indicative of Joseph Smith’s personal language use or a simple imitation of the Bible, but instead aligns with patterns found in early modern English (roughly 1500-1700).

Key Insights:

1. Nonstandard Grammar: The Book of Mormon contains many instances of nonstandard grammar, which would have been considered incorrect by the standards of Joseph Smith’s time. However, Carmack argues that these features align with early modern English grammar, not the American English of Joseph’s era.
2. Revealed Words: Contrary to the belief that Joseph Smith received only the ideas of the text and put them into his own words, Carmack suggests that the wording was revealed to Joseph Smith. This is based on the idea that Joseph would not have produced the particular grammatical forms in the Book of Mormon, such as archaic constructions that were unfamiliar to him.
3. Early Modern English Patterns: The grammar of the Book of Mormon includes features like the heavy use of the verb “did” for past tense, personal relative pronouns (e.g., “they which”), and subordinate clauses starting with “after that.” These constructions are most commonly found in English texts from the 1500s and 1600s, but not in later English, which was more familiar to Joseph.
4. Combined Archaism: The text includes a combination of older linguistic forms that are not typical of biblical imitation or Joseph Smith’s dialect. These patterns argue against Joseph being the source of the specific word choices and grammar. For example, the use of the subordinate “after that” followed by “did” in past-tense clauses is rare in modern texts but prevalent in early modern English.
5. Bad Grammar as Evidence: What has often been criticized as “bad grammar” in the Book of Mormon, such as plural forms like “they was” or verb inflections like “remaineth” in non-third-person singular contexts, is argued to be evidence of early modern English influences, rather than errors by Joseph Smith.
6. Joseph’s Editing: Carmack notes that Joseph Smith’s later editing of the Book of Mormon for grammar in 1837 and 1840 showed inconsistencies, suggesting that he did not fully understand the linguistic features of the text he dictated, further supporting the argument that the text was revealed to him rather than composed by him.

In conclusion, Carmack’s study offers a detailed linguistic analysis that supports the theory that the language of the Book of Mormon was not a product of Joseph Smith’s own grammatical tendencies or imitation of the King James Bible, but rather reflected earlier forms of English, pointing to a revealed origin for the text.

Philip Abbott. Tasting God’s Light: Saints and the Spiritual Senses. BYU Studies Volume 63:3.

The document “Tasting God’s Light: Saints and the Spiritual Senses” by Philip Abbott explores the concept of sensory perception in spiritual experiences, particularly within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Abbott examines how various cultures, both ancient and modern, understand and describe spiritual experiences through different senses, challenging the assumption that sensory knowledge is universally constant.

Key Themes:

1. Cultural Variations in Sensory Perception: Different cultures have varying numbers and functions of senses, which influence how people perceive and interpret spiritual experiences. Western epistemology typically identifies five senses, but this is not universal.
2. Changes in Sensory Priorities: Over time, societies have shifted in how they value different senses. For instance, sight has become increasingly prioritized in Western culture over the last 300 years, linked to scientific knowledge and the “medical gaze.”
3. Spiritual Perception and Sensory Models: Abbott highlights how spiritual experiences in various cultures have been described through sensory metaphors. In Latter-day Saint culture, spiritual communication is often conceptualized as auditory (e.g., “hearing the still, small voice” or “feeling the Spirit”), but this is not the only way spiritual experiences can be understood.
4. Synesthesia in Spiritual Experiences: The article delves into the phenomenon of synesthesia—where one sense triggers another, such as hearing colors or tasting sounds—as a way to understand divine communication. Ancient Jews and early Christians often described spiritual experiences through synesthetic metaphors, such as “seeing” sounds or “tasting” light.
5. Historical and Scriptural Context: Abbott draws from biblical texts, the Book of Mormon, and ancient Christian writings to explore how sensory metaphors have been used to describe encounters with the divine. For example, the “still, small voice” in 1 Kings 19 and synesthetic descriptions of theophanies (divine appearances) in both the Old Testament and the Book of Mormon are examined as examples of how spiritual experiences are conveyed through blended sensory perceptions.
6. Shift in Latter-day Saint Discourse: The paper notes a shift in the modern Latter-day Saint Church’s focus from visual metaphors (like those in Joseph Smith’s visions) to auditory metaphors, as seen in initiatives like “Hear Him,” which emphasize hearing Christ’s voice.

Overall, the document explores how different cultures and religious traditions use sensory metaphors to describe spiritual experiences, emphasizing that spiritual communication transcends ordinary sensory perception. The use of synesthesia highlights the transcendence of divine encounters, where human senses blend to convey a fuller understanding of the divine.

Wayne Crosby and W. Tyson Thorpe. Preserving History: The Progression of Recordkeeping in the Church. BYU Studies Volume 63:3.

The document “Preserving History: The Progression of Recordkeeping in the Church” by Wayne Crosby and W. Tyson Thorpe discusses the evolution of recordkeeping practices within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The authors emphasize the importance of maintaining local records to capture the diverse experiences of church members worldwide. These records help historians understand how church members live the gospel in different circumstances.

Key Points:

1. Historical Background: Since the church’s organization in 1830, recordkeeping has been essential, as commanded by the Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 21:1. Over the years, local congregations were instructed to keep meeting minutes and submit reports to church headquarters, a practice that has evolved several times due to the church’s growth.
2. Evolution of Recordkeeping: Initially, local units submitted written minutes and reports to church headquarters. From 1925 to 1984, historical reports were standardized and submitted annually. However, participation rates were inconsistent, leading to changes in submission methods. By 2000, units submitted reports to their stakes, which then forwarded them to church headquarters.
3. Challenges with Annual Histories: Despite the value of these reports, leaders often found the process of submitting annual histories cumbersome, and the reports were rarely read by local members after submission. There was a need for an updated system that would encourage easier and more consistent submissions.
4. New Local Unit History Tool (2024): In response, the Church History Department launched a new tool in 2024 that allows units to submit stories as events happen throughout the year, instead of compiling an annual report. The tool provides a user-friendly template that guides leaders through the process of submitting detailed stories, complete with tags, summaries, and media attachments like photos. Once approved, these stories become part of the unit’s record and are preserved for future research.
5. Impact and Benefits: By mid-2024, over 56,000 stories from 91 countries had been submitted through the new tool. These stories capture important faith-building events, such as acts of service, missionary efforts, and personal spiritual experiences. The new approach helps members stay connected through shared memories and makes local history more accessible and meaningful to current and future members.
6. Future Research: The new system will provide a rich source of historical data for future research, allowing historians and members to reconstruct the lived experiences of church units across the globe. The Church History Library continues to provide access to older records, including meeting minutes and manuscript histories, which can be valuable for family history or academic research.

In summary, the article highlights how the church has adapted its recordkeeping practices over time to better capture the rich diversity of experiences among its members. The new tool makes it easier for local units to document their histories, helping to preserve these stories for future generations.

Greg McKeown. What Jesus Didn’t Do: The Discipled Pursuit of Less. BYU Studies Volume 63:3.

The document “What Jesus Didn’t Do: The Discipled Pursuit of Less” by Greg McKeown explores the principle of essentialism from both a spiritual and practical perspective, particularly within the context of discipleship in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. McKeown argues that the pursuit of less, or essentialism, is about focusing on what truly matters in life—especially relationships with God, family, and others—while eliminating distractions and nonessentials.

Key Themes:

1. Essentialism Defined: Essentialism is the discipline of focusing on what is truly important, eliminating the nonessential, and making execution effortless. This contrasts with nonessentialism, where individuals spread their efforts too thin, trying to do everything without prioritizing effectively.
2. The Example of Christ: McKeown highlights that Jesus Christ, during His earthly ministry, modeled essentialism. He focused on what mattered most—His divine mission and relationships—while deliberately choosing not to do certain things that others expected of Him (e.g., becoming a political Messiah, healing everyone, or preaching to all people). Christ’s example teaches that not everything needs to be done and that we must prioritize relationships and essential service.
3. The Personal Journey: McKeown shares personal stories and examples to illustrate how the overcommitment to nonessential tasks can lead to burnout, strained relationships, and a loss of focus on what truly matters. He contrasts this with stories of individuals who learned to prioritize what matters most in life—family, faith, and key relationships.
4. The “Graceful No”: The ability to say no to nonessential demands is crucial to living an essentialist life. McKeown encourages readers to discern, through the guidance of the Spirit, which activities to eliminate, enabling them to focus their energy on those that strengthen their eternal relationships and help them achieve their highest goals.
5. Practical Steps for Essentialism: The document outlines steps to practice essentialism, including regular reflection, eliminating nonessentials, and simplifying life’s processes to make what is most important easier to accomplish. McKeown suggests practical tools like personal quarterly off-sites, making disproportionate deposits in relationships, and identifying one’s true priorities.
6. Eternal Perspective: McKeown ties essentialism to eternal truths, emphasizing that what matters most are eternal relationships, particularly our relationship with God. He references teachings from Latter-day Saint leaders to underscore that putting God and family first simplifies life and aligns us with our eternal purpose.

In conclusion, McKeown’s work advocates for a life centered on essentialism, where individuals consciously choose to focus on relationships and eternal goals, guided by the teachings and example of Jesus Christ. By eliminating distractions and nonessential tasks, disciples can live more meaningful, purpose-driven lives.