{"id":47296,"date":"2024-05-30T04:00:53","date_gmt":"2024-05-30T10:00:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/?p=47296"},"modified":"2025-05-28T20:26:47","modified_gmt":"2025-05-29T02:26:47","slug":"cutting-edge-latter-day-saint-research-may-2024","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/2024\/05\/cutting-edge-latter-day-saint-research-may-2024\/","title":{"rendered":"Cutting-Edge Latter-day Saint Research, May 2024"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sorrell, Sydney A., G. Tyler Lefevor, Samuel J. Skidmore, Rachel M. Golightly, and Kyrstin NL Searle. “Understanding How Religiousness Shapes Perceptions of Compulsive Sexual Behavior.” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy<\/i> (2024): 1-16.<\/strong><\/p>\n

In the present study, we test the model of moral incongruence by examining whether moral disapproval of pornography mediates the relationship between organizational religious activity and self-reported CSB and whether the frequency of viewing pornography moderates the relationship between moral disapproval and self-reported CSB in two samples: a general population sample and a sample of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (\u201cMormons\u201d). Analyses revealed that, among both samples, frequency of pornography viewing moderated the indirect effect of organizational religious activity on perceived CSB via<\/i> morally disapproving of pornography. Specifically, moral disapproval of pornography mediated the relationship between organizational religious activity and compulsive sexual behavior when participants viewed pornography approximately monthly or more (mean and +1 SD among the general population sample, +1 SD among the Latter-day Saint sample). Findings suggest that individuals who attend worship services more frequently are more likely to perceive their pornography viewing as compulsive at higher frequencies of usage \u2013 even when their frequency of pornography viewing is unlikely to be associated with actual functional impairment \u2013 and that this distress is better understood in relation to experiences of moral incongruence.<\/p>\n

Gull, Bethany, and Ryan T. Cragun. “\u201cI Know That Goes Against My Religion\u201d: Explaining Intrafaith Religious Dissent in Latter-Day Saint Views on Abortion with Religious Reflexivity.” Review of Religious Research<\/i> (2024): 0034673X241248462.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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While there are a number of studies that note religious individuals do not adhere pre- cisely to the formal doctrines and policies of their faith, few prior studies have attempted to explain why religious individuals dissent from their religion\u2019s official posi- tions. We draw on a religious reflexivity framework with a mixed-methods approach to data collection. The quantitative data is from a survey of Utah residents (n = 1,909) and provides a rough estimate of the percentage of Mormons who do not hew perfectly to the official position of the religion. The qualitative interviews (n = 20) illustrate that the members who hold more permissive attitudes toward abortion are aware of their dis- sent and articulate clear reasons for it. Members who hold more restrictive attitudes appear to be unaware that their views are more extreme than their religion\u2019s teachings. Yet, both more and less restrictive groups tend to use their religion\u2019s teachings\u2014 interpreted through varied moral systems\u2014to justify their dissent.<\/p>\n

Stanley, Joseph A., Josh Stevenson, and Wendy Baker-Smemoe. “The Missionary Voice: Perceptions of an emerging register.” Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America<\/i> 9, no. 1 (2024): 5701-5701.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Abstract. In this paper, we report on what we are calling \u201cMissionary Voice,\u201d or a particular way of speaking characteristic to missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The first study elicits perceptions of Missionary Voice by Latter-day Saints in the Intermountain West without reference to any particular recording or person. We find a complex, multifaceted indexical field as well as potential linguistic features, uses for Missionary Voice, and speculative origins. In the second study, we play audio clips and ask listeners to identify the missionaries among them. While people did no better than chance at the task, we zero in on certain speakers and compile a tentative list of acoustic correlates of Missionary Voice. As this is the first study on the language of Latter-day Saint missionaries, we open more questions than we answer, but we hope to show that Missionary Voice is very much a part of Latter-day Saint culture.<\/p>\n

Bruno, Cheryl L., and John S. Dinger. Come Up Hither to Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering<\/i>. Greg Kofford Books, 2024.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Come Up Hither to Zion: William Marks and the Mormon Concept of Gathering<\/em>delves deep into the life of William Marks, a devoted follower of Joseph Smith and a key figure in the early history of the Latter Day Saint movement. Marks’s journey from a descendant of Puritan settlers to a fervent convert to Mormonism is a fascinating exploration of faith, community, and the quest for spiritual truth. As Marks navigates the tumultuous landscape of early Mormonism, readers are taken on a gripping journey through pivotal moments such as the banking crisis in Kirtland, the expulsion of Saints from Missouri, and the clandestine practice of plural marriage. However, Marks’s story goes beyond mere historical events; it is a testament to the enduring struggle to define one’s place within a religious tradition while attempting to balance devotion to the faith, interpersonal relationships, and personal integrity.<\/p>\n

After the death of Joseph Smith, Marks found himself at the center of a power struggle among various groups claiming succession. His interactions with Brigham Young, James Strang, and others illuminate the diverse interpretations of Mormon doctrine and the differing visions of what Zion should be. From his involvement in defining moments in Mormonism to his break with Young and eventual ordination to the First Presidency of the Reorganized Church, Marks’s life encapsulates the challenges and complexities of early Latter Day Saint history. Through meticulous research and insightful analysis, Come Up Hither to Zion<\/em>\u00a0sheds light on the intricate tapestry of beliefs and practices that shaped Marks’s spiritual journey and offers a compelling exploration of the Mormon concept of gathering as both a physical and philosophical endeavor.<\/p>\n

Bowen, Matthew L. “\u201cThat They May Once Again Be a Delightsome People\u201d: The Concept of Again Becoming the Seed of Joseph (Words of Mormon 1: 8 and Mormon 7: 4\u20135).” The Interpreter.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Abstract: In Words of Mormon 1:8, Mormon declares, \u201cAnd my prayer to God is concerning my brethren, that they may once again come to the knowledge of God, yea, the redemption of Christ; that they may once again be a delightsome people.\u201d The
\nexpression \u201cthat they may once again\u201d plausibly reflects the Hebrew idiom wayy\u00f4sip\u00fb or
\nwayy\u00f4sip\u00fb ?\u00f4d. Mormon\u2019s apparent double-use of the wayy\u00f4sip\u00fb (?\u00f4d) idiom in Words of
\nMormon 1:8 (or some Nephite scribal equivalent), like 2 Nephi 5:2\u20133, recalls language in
\nthe Joseph story (Genesis 37:5, 8). The original Lamanite covenant, as an extension of the
\nAbrahamic covenant, involved the complete abandonment of fraternal hatred and the
\nviolent means through which they had given expression to it (see Alma 24:12\u201313; 15\u201318);
\nMormon declared that a similar commitment would again be necessary when the
\ndescendants of Lehi (\u201cthe remnant of this people who are spared,\u201d Mormon 7:1) were
\nrestored to the covenant in the future (Mormon 7:4\u20135). Thus, Mormon\u2019s prayer\u2014in the
\ntradition of the prayers of Nephi, Enos, and others\u2014is that the descendants of the
\nLamanites (and Nephite dissenters) would, through iterative divine action, regain their
\ncovenant identity as the seed of Joseph and partakers of the Abrahamic covenant.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sorrell, Sydney A., G. Tyler Lefevor, Samuel J. Skidmore, Rachel M. Golightly, and Kyrstin NL Searle. “Understanding How Religiousness Shapes Perceptions of Compulsive Sexual Behavior.” Journal of Sex & Marital Therapy (2024): 1-16.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10403,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2968],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-47296","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-latter-day-saint-literature-review"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47296","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10403"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=47296"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47296\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50252,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47296\/revisions\/50252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=47296"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=47296"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=47296"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}