Originally commissioned as part of the sixteen-volume sesquicentennial series on Church history, and thirty years in the making, Glen Leonard’s highly anticipated history of Nauvoo has finally arrived. This panel of historians and careful readers will discuss this book and its contribution to our understanding of this pivotal time in Mormon history. Devery S. Anderson, …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2002
Ostracize, Condole, or Congratulate: What to do When Missionaries Come Home Early
Missionaries who return early from their missions for any reason face an unusual problem of re-entry into conventional Mormon life. The panel will address questions such as: What percentage of missionaries return early? Why do missionaries who are given an honorable release for medical reasons still feel stigmatized? Should missionaries who return early simply because …
”To Mourn with Those That Mourn”: A Humorist’s Serious Thoughts on a Christian Duty
Since the events of 11 September, I have had several opportunities to mourn. I’ve mourned with my friends and fellow Americans who lost loved ones in the terrorist attacks. I’ve mourned with colleagues, friends, and ward members who have lost loved ones from more natural causes. I’ve also mourned with friends over the loss of …
Defending Zion: George Q. Cannon and he California Mormon Newspaper Wars of 1856–1857
“Hang ’em up, like pirates!” That conclusion regarding the Mormons, reached by the editor of the Sacramento California American, echoed the sentiments of many California newspapers during the critical years of 1856–1857. Drawing on both pro- and anti-Mormon sources, this presentation will replicate, through dramatic reading and commentary, some of the more inflammatory newspaper wars …
Joseph Smith and the Text of Genesis
Joseph Smith and the Text of Genesis Twice, Joseph Smith completely reworked the opening chapters of Genesis, once in the Book of Moses, and once again in the Book of Abraham. Then, in two discourses delivered in his final months, he again made significant modifications to the first verse of Genesis. This paper compares Joseph’s …
Our Adventures Among the Mormons: A Chat with Candadai (Sesh) Seshachari
Our Adventures Among the Mormons: A Chat with Candadai (Sesh) Seshachari For more than thirty years, Candadai and Neila Seshachari have made notable contributions to cultural affairs among the Mormons of Utah. They were, for example, the only non-Mormons ever elected to the presidency of the Association for Mormon Letters, a position which Sesh (as …
How High Is Up? Blue Skying in the Literary Stratosphere
Fiction and poetry take a flyer in a stratosphere and at-risk level that demands correlation of heart, humor, and intellect. This session brings together for the first time the wildest writers of two states, Idaho’s undomesticated Gino Sky and the irrepressible Alex Caldiero (Oeem via Sicily) and pairs them with poet Paul Swenson and award-winning …
Old Testament Studies: The Deuteronomist De-Christianizing of the Old Testament; Isaiah as a Lens to the Other Books of the Old Testament
The Deuteronomist De-Christianizing of the Old Testament KEVIN CHRISTENSEN, B.A., English, San Jose State University. In a 1980 Sunstone article, Melodie Moench Charles described “The Mormon Christianizing of the Old Testament,” citing several “distinguishing features of the Old Testament theology” that are “relatively consistent and are irreconcilable with Mormon commentary on the Old Testament.” Following …
Author Meets Critic: The Mormon Question
While many Latter-day Saints know about polygamy and its importance in Mormon doctrine and history, few know about its effects on the world outside of Mormonism. As Sarah Barringer Gordon writes, polygamy had a profound influence on constitutional law and political theory that left a powerful legacy on religious life, that is, “Americans are free …
The Rough and Ready Baptism Period in Japan
From 1979 to 1981, requirements for Japanese convert baptisms were loosened and area administrators pressured mission presidents to increase the number of baptisms. The result was a large number of converts who mostly left the Church. Are there still scars from this policy? How do converts from this period feel? How about the members called …