Whether There Be One God or Many: A Unified Interpretation of Joseph Smith’s God Concepts During his lifetime, Joseph Smith asserted contradictory godhead concepts. Conservative scholars downplay these contradictions by asserting that the Mormon god-concept has never changed while others argue that Joseph abandoned his earlier orthodox Trinitarianism in favor of a heterodox polytheism. Neither …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2008
Does the BYU ‘Honor Code’ Honor Mormon Values?
Does the BYU ‘Honor Code’ Honor Mormon Values? BYU is the production house of next-generation Mormonism. Perhaps feeling the pressure of this expectation, the university places great emphasis on the standards and principles that distinguish it from other universities. The Honor Code is often cited as a document that safeguards the values of both the …
What Are the Requirements for Exaltation in Latter-day Saint Teachings?
What Are the Requirements for Exaltation in Latter-day Saint Teachings? In this session, I review the views on requirements for exaltation in the celestial kingdom from the days of Joseph Smith Jr. to the present. Some surprises emerge from this history. For example, what are the criteria to obtain the second level of glory in …
Emma Smith as Shaman
Emma Smith as Shaman In recent years, much has been spoken and written about Joseph Smith and shamanism. But many people would be surprised to learn of the shamanic elements in the life of Emma Smith. While much has been published about male shamanic traditions, this session will explore the lesser-known forms and traditions of …
We’ll Make the Air with Music Ring!
We’ll Make the Air with Music Ring! In Mormon Country, Wallace Stegner noted as characteristic of Mormons settling the Great Basin, ‘still they came, and they came singing.’ In this sing-your-own session, we’ll explore the American musical roots of early LDS hymnody, from the Bay Psalm Book and New England fuguing tunes to The Sacred …
Violence in the Scriptures: Rene Girard and Mormonism
Violence in the Scriptures: Rene Girard and Mormonism An overview of Rene Girard’s mimetic theory of human culture will be presented with emphasis on an important corollary, the nonviolence of God. Several Biblical texts will be used to illustrate Girard’s theory. Then selected texts from the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of …
Zion 2.0: Building the Kingdom in an Online, LinkedIn, Open Source world
Zion 2.0: Building the Kingdom in an Online, LinkedIn, Open Source world The young people of today are a web-savvy, plugged-in, multitasking generation. Immersed in media, they employ social networks on a scale never before seen. They are more connected and technically sophisticated than any previous generation-a fact that is changing social dynamics and the …
Are We Still Gods in Embryo? The Mormon Doctrine of Human Deification
Are We Still Gods in Embryo? The Mormon Doctrine of Human Deification Expounded by Joseph Smith and famously summarized by Lorenzo Snow, the LDS doctrine of human deification has, since the 1840s, presented several soteriological and cosmological difficulties. Openly celebrated, elaborated, and contested by generations of Mormon thinkers, the doctrine has today become nearly invisible …
A Warning to the Rising Generation: Allowing Religiosity to Reign over Spirituality
A Warning to the Rising Generation: Allowing Religiosity to Reign over Spirituality Even though the theme of this conference addresses spirituality, there may be some value in exploring the tendency to confuse it with religiosity. What is the difference between the two? Can a person be religious and not spiritual; or spiritual and not religious? …
Mapping Book of Mormon Historicity Debates: Historical and Social Perspectives
Mapping Book of Mormon Historicity Debates: Historical and Social Perspectives This presentation is designed to orient attendees in the debates over whether the Book of Mormon is an ancient document. This presentation identifies historical developments that affect how and when this debate has unfolded and applies theoretical frameworks from the sociology of knowledge to explain …