Treating episodes of sexual transgression in the lives of Church leaders is necessary if we harbor any hope of realizing truthful, hence faithful, biographies. This presentation explores reasons for approaching such unapproachable subjects with examples from the lives of four Church officials, including Albert Carrington and Richard R. Lyman. Gary James Bergera
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2005
Reading Lolita In Tehran, Reading Pride And Prejudice In Taichung: Literature As Resistance To Spiritual And Political Oppression And As An Aid To Spiritual Growth
Reading Lolita in Tehran explores how reading forbidden works of literature can be a soul-saving act of resistance to spiritual and political oppression. Latter-day Saints are advised to seek knowledge out of the best books and encouraged to believe that the church will one day have its Shakespeare’s and Miltons. Panelists will explore the relationship …
Leaders Of The Restoration And Their Subsequent Fates: Examples From Scandinavia And Mexico.
Gary Horlacher will present a theoretical model of leadership and illustrate it with examples of key persons who established Mormonism in Scandinavia. Esteban Obregón will focus on Plotino Rhodakanaty, the first member and branch president in central Mexico. The Scandinavian and Mexican examples illustrate the characteristics of charismatic leaders in the establishment of the gospel …
Depicting The Afterlife: New Evidence That Supports And Challenges LDS Understandings Of Eternal Life
Hypnotherapist Michael Newton has written three books describing the afterlife that have excited many Latter-day Saints who note striking similarities in attitudes toward such things as eternal progression and the purpose of mortality. But Newton’s reports also problemetize other aspects of Mormonism’s detailed description of the afterlife. Tom L. Davies, Lisa Tensmeyer Hansen
Mormon Mantras
In Eastern spiritual traditions, mantras are practiced to assist persons in overcoming mindless, conditioned behavior and to align themselves with the divine. Do some Mormon cultural “mantras”, repetitive phrases and ideas that organize the internal lives of many Latter-day Saints, serve the same liberating function, or do they, at times, inhibit individual spiritual growth? Are …
Joseph Smith And The Plurality Of Gods: ‘I Can Show It From The Bible.’
‘I Can Show It From The Bible.’ In one of Joseph Smith’s two most famous discourses on polytheism, he insisted he could “show it from the Bible.” Can a plurality of Gods be shown from the so-claimed monotheistic Bible? If it can be shown from the Bible, should the doctrine become scripture? What could an …
A Church Observed: Chapter II
Are Mormons a self-hating people, just as, arguably, blacks and women once were? We believe they are. Can self-hating people take either compliments or criticisms to heart, and be affected by them? We believe they can’t. David G. Pace, Cheryl Pace
For The Strength Of Gay Youth, by Aaron Cloward
Aaron Cloward’s 7500-word guide, For the Strength of Gay Youth, includes frank discussions on some of the most serious issues facing young gay Mormons, from how to deal with family and depression to what to do about the Internet, dance clubs, and dating. The guide also includes a lengthy section on sexuality. Panelists will critique …
What We Can Learn From The Handwriting Of Joseph Smith And Other Church Leaders? What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?
How does graphology work? This presentation will teach the basics of graphology, share an analysis of the handwriting of Joseph Smith Jr., and encourage participants to apply the techniques to their own handwriting. Julie Lauper-Cook
The Language Of The Spirit, Or Give Up The Ghost And Get The Spirit
Try to differentiate between “Holy Ghost” and “Holy Spirit.” The formulation with “ghost” becomes more archaic with each passing year. I will note trends regarding this translation conundrum and offer recommendations for general usage as well as for future translations of Church literature. Marvin H. Folsom