Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2007

SL07091: SMITH-PETTIT LECTURE- THE MAKING OF THE MORMONS, OR MY FOUR YEARS AS A STRANGER IN THE STRANGE LAND OF MORMONISM

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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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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 …

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