Blinding Ourselves to What Rodin Would See In 1997, an exhibition by Auguste Rodin at the Brigham Young University of Art sparked considerable controversy. A brief consideration of the controversy can tell us much about Mormon attitudes toward art, intellectual openness, and the more superficial aspects of nudity and sex. Robert Christensen, Mark England
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2001
The Spirit of Africa
The Spirit of Africa This paper will present an overview of the countries I’ve visited, a historical perspective, and the impact and visibility of the Church in Africa. I will also give my persona impressions, memorable encounters, and testimony. Catherine A. Nesbit
Reconciling the Utah Tax Code with LDS Scripture: ‘Equality’ vs. the Income Gap
Reconciling the Utah Tax Code with LDS Scripture: ‘Equality’ vs. the Income Gap Latter-day revelation states that ‘it is not given that one man should possess that which is above another” (D&C 49:20). And the Book of Mormon instructs us to freely impart of our substance to the poor (Mosiah 4:16-21), even to the extent …
The Fred E. Curtis Papers: LDS Church Surveillance of Fundamentalist Mormons, 1937-1954
The Fred E. Curtis Papers: LDS Church Surveillance of Fundamentalist Mormons, 1937-1954 Fred E. Curtis (1900-1967), an LDS bishop in the Hawthorne Ward, Granite Stake, was given a special assignment by the First Presidency in the 1930’s to observe 20th-century Mormon holdouts in his vicinity who continued to believe in, preach and/or practice plural marriage. …
Fighting Homophobia: Two Parents Can Make a Difference
Fighting Homophobia: Two Parents Can Make a Difference What happens when the parents of ‘perfect LDS family” must accept the reality of their youngest child’s homosexuality? They will share their journey from ignorance, isolation, and fear to understanding and human advocacy. Robert Steffensen, Kathryn Steffsen, Ted Packard, Kay Packard
Violence in the Book of Mormon
Violence in the Book of Mormon Sandwiched between the Book of Mormon’s many faith-promoting stories are tales of beheading, kidnapping, torture, rape, murder for gain, patricide, and other acts of violence. This presentation will explore some of Mormonism’s violent tales and examine these stories in light of different theorists’ work on violence and how it …
Pillars of My faith
Pillars of My faith Arthur R. Bassett, Andi Pitchers Davis, Mary Ann Morgan, Nadine Hansen
Our Hands are Clean, Our Hearts are Pure: Are We Too Anal-Retentive to Care for the Poor
Our Hands are Clean, Our Hearts are Pure: Are We Too Anal-Retentive to Care for the Poor In his book, Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time, renowned scholar Marcus J. Borg shares the results of his research on the historical Jesus. He examines the ‘purity system” of the Jewish social world, and contrasts it …
Punishment for Crime–How Much is Enough?: A Religious Perspective on the Philosophies of Criminal Punishment
Punishment for Crime–How Much is Enough?: A Religious Perspective on the Philosophies of Criminal Punishment Against the backdrop of America’s record prison population, recent public debate over severe sentencing policies, and high-profile cases of capital punishment, representatives of several religious faiths explore the issue of punishment for crime. The focus will be on religious answers …
‘Exploring Mormon Thought: The Attributes of God’
‘Exploring Mormon Thought: The Attributes of God’ In the first volume of a planned series of works on Mormon thought, Blake T. Ostler explores Christian and Mormon notions about God. In it, he provides an overview of the most influential Christian notions of deity, exploring themes and resources within this discourse that might be helpful …