SMITH-PETTIT LECTURE- THE MAKING OF THE MORMONS, OR MY FOUR YEARS AS A STRANGER IN THE STRANGE LAND OF MORMONISM The spiritual landscape is my instinctive journalistic beat. I am drawn to radical spiritual commitments, and so naturally, Latter-day Saints interest me. For me, making documentaries is an elaborate creative and spiritual project, one of …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2007
SL07152: STORIES FROM ‘THE BORDERLANDS’
STORIES FROM ‘THE BORDERLANDS’ Most of us at this symposium are in the LDS “Borderlands” in one way or another, and we’ve all had interesting, funny, or troubling experiences. We’ve also overcome difficulties and challenges (or we wouldn’t be here!). After the designated presenters share some of their experiences, we invite audience members to share …
THE MORMON RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE: INSIGHTS AND INTERPRETATIONS FROM A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TESTIMONIES AMONG CHURCHES OF THE RESTORATION
THE MORMON RELIGIOUS EXPERIENCE: INSIGHTS AND INTERPRETATIONS FROM A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF TESTIMONIES AMONG CHURCHES OF THE RESTORATION ROY JOHNSON and EUGENE KOVALENKO
THE YOGA OF CHRIST
THE YOGA OF CHRIST Abstract In my recent SUNSTONE article, “The Yoga of Christ,” I share my experience of discovering a profound harmony between Yogic philosophies and the teachings of Jesus. Through the image of the “yoke of Christ,” which I define as a full embodying of the principles and practices of divine communion and …
HEALING THE MORMON ENVIRONMENTAL IMAGE
HEALING THE MORMON ENVIRONMENTAL IMAGE Despite abundant doctrines that suggest that Mormons should have a deep responsibility for the care and preservation of nature, they have been accused, not without cause, of being uninterested in environmental concerns. I explore some of the reasons why this perception might be so entrenched both in and out of …
HOW DOES THE FLDS CHURCH DIFFER FROM THE LDS CHURCH?
HOW DOES THE FLDS CHURCH DIFFER FROM THE LDS CHURCH? With Warren Jeffs and various forms of Mormon fundamentalism in the news these days, it’s important to understand the key differences between these churches and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I examine ten of these points of divergence and their significance in …
SL07101: FAITH, DOUBT, AND BELIEF: THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF TESTIMONY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND TODAY
FAITH, DOUBT, AND BELIEF: THE EPISTEMOLOGY OF TESTIMONY IN THE NEW TESTAMENT AND TODAY This devotional considers various New Testament stories to explore the nature of doubt, belief, testimony, and how we know what we think we know. MICHAEL VINSON
SL07153: MORMONISM AND ANARCHISM: CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE
MORMONISM AND ANARCHISM: CONVERGENCE AND DIVERGENCE The consistent application of the principles expounded in Mormon scripture should lead a person to sympathize with anarchism. Both ideologies look forward to the abolition of government and the building of a socialist society based on free association and cooperation. Attempting to argue such a case seems perplexing, given …
WHY MY GRANDDAUGHTERS TURNED METHODIST
GARY STEWART and D. JEFF BURTON
STORYTELLING IN ZION
STORYTELLING IN ZION When stories are told in institutional Mormon contexts, they stray from conventional storytelling in two ways. (1) The Joseph Campbell story structure always starts with a hero who must find an “elixir” to heal either an ailing community or him/herself, an elixir that can be found only outside the community, both spatially …