Who was the real Joseph Smith, Jr.? Over the past two centuries, he has been portrayed as a great spiritual leader, a prophet, a religious charlatan, and a deeply unstable person. Was he a divine conduit or a mountebank? A caring leader or crafty seducer? Biographers and believers continuously have sought the “real” man beneath …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2005
Godwrestling: What The Physical Trials Of The Prophets Jacob And Joseph Smith Teach Us About The Mormon Doctrines Of Dualism, Redemption, And Revelation
The Genesis account of Jacob’s all-night wrestle with an angel has traditionally been lumped together with athletic myths of other religious figures such as Elijah, Mohammed, and Job. But a comparison with the physical trials of Joseph Smith allows for a literal interpretation of the event and provides great insight into several LDS doctrines. Rick …
A Philosophical Testimony
How does Mormonism fit within the larger religious landscape? This presentation discusses how I as a student of philosophy and religion am able to be an honest skeptic and still have a testimony of the Gospel. Gerald E. Jones, Brian Birch
True To The Faith, The New Mormon Doctrine?
With the July 2004 publication of True to the Faith: A Gospel Reference, the Church has taken another step toward a unified body of authoritative doctrine, something members can rely upon with complete confidence that “this is what we believe.” This paper samples entries from this under-advertised but significant work. Lavina Fielding Anderson, D. Jeff …
A Sunstone Town Meeting
Hear a report from the Sunstone staff and board members on the foundation’s finances, subscription efforts, and new projects. Learn about future plans and how you can become involved. Please bring your questions and suggestions! Sunstone Staff and Board of Directors
Watching Through The Window: Depicting The Tarring And Feathering From Emma’s Perspective
In a four-part illustration of what might have been the longest night of Joseph and Emma’s marriage, I seek to capture the emotions swirling in Emma as she witnessed the near-murder of her husband. I will show the pieces in my series, discuss the source material collected in the research process and the artistic license …
En Route: A Journey of the Spirit
Retracing his spiritual odyssey, Jack Newell weaves a colorful tapestry that includes a religiously diverse extended family, his Methodist upbringing in rural Ohio, and baptism into the Mormon Church when he was twenty-three years old—in the era of David O. McKay’s leadership and High B. Brown’s liberal influence. Proceeding through a series of inspiring experiences …
Good Guys In Disguise: Characters With Soiled Reputations Not Justified By The Biblical Context
The Bible is full of stories of people, David, Samson, Balaam, Thomas, Judas, of mixed reputation. Let’s consider Samson and Thomas. Samson’s reputation as a self-centered, hedonistic, prideful, egotist is at odds with God’s behavior toward him. Thomas, the doubter, seems to warn us against doing as he did and possibly meriting the same reproof …
The New Missionary Discussions And The Future Of Correlation
In promoting new lessons and teaching techniques, “Preach My Gospel,” the new guide for missionaries, also enacts changes in the content and mechanism of correlation, Church leaders’ efforts to ensure uniformity and sound doctrine in LDS discourse. What can we discern about leaders’ concerns from a careful examination of the new missionary discussions? John-Charles Duffy, …
Will LDS Humanitarianism Wow The World? Projects That Could Change The World And The Church
Is one of the missions of the Church to improve human life on earth? We think so. And though most challenges currently lie beyond the abilities of the Church to solve for now, we submit that they are not beyond its will. This session suggests projects that might offer very promising starts, as in providing …