Of the making of conversion stories there is no end. There is, however, a surprising lack of non-conversion stories. In particular, when a person has been immersed in Mormon studies for as long as I’ve been, how have I escaped the waters of baptism? This paper takes a kind but firm look at the several …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2009
SL09224 Violent Grammar of the Atonement [Partial]
There is a saying that Joshua Madson
SL09271 Panel: Religious Tribalism in the Larger Society
From the perspective of the religious traditions in which they were raised, panelists will discuss various dimensions of the question of religious tribalism as it has existed and as it has interacted with the larger society (however each panelist may choose to define each). Discussion among panelists will be followed by Q&A with the audience. …
SL09331 Panel: The Transformation of Mormon Publishing
With an explosion in self-publishing, the steamrolling power of Amazon.com, and the demise of the trade show, publishing in America doesn’t look like it did even ten years ago. There has been a tremendous democratization of the publishing process almost across the board, which is exciting news for most authors. But in Mormonism, the consolidation …
SL09365 “Initiation Into Goddess-hood With Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom”—an Archetypal Journey for Women Seeking Their Life’s Quest
This paper will describe the fivefold stages for women’s initiation. Eve as the mother of all living, is first. Second, Sarah, Abraham’s wife presents the second challenge with her marriage and family relationships. Third is Mary the Mother of Jesus. Mary Magdalene is the fourth challenge in what she represents. Finally, Zion as the mother …
SL09161 Drat! Mythed Again: The Strange Persistence of Certain Questionable Teachings in Today’s Mormonism [Partial]
For mainstream Latter-day Saints to foul up occasionally on doctrinal questions is no big deal. We all do it. But when a questionable teaching originates from the Church’s top leaders, it becomes a larger problem. That’s because in today’s Church, we tend to treat concepts as true merely because they come from the prophet, First …
SL09225 Sidney Rigdon: The Baptist Years (1817–1830)
For most of his public ministry, Joseph Smith’s closest advisor was former Baptist minister and evangelist Sidney Rigdon. The prophet was uncomfortable with public speaking while the Baptist was a seasoned orator and the leader of the largest group of converts. Sidney was named Joseph’s spokesman at their first meeting. What attracted him to the …
SL09273 Panel: Community of Christ Principles of Church History: A Turning Point and a Good Example?
Unlike the Community of Christ, the LDS Church has no formally defined history principles, but it does have fairly clear positions enunciated by officials on various levels toward various historical events and attitudes. This panel discusses the origins and implementation of these nine principles in the Community of Christ with particular attention to the questions: …
SL09332 Panel: Remembering the Longfellow Chapel
Participants will reflect on the meaning of the Cambridge Chapel situated on Longfellow Park just outside Boston. For generations of Latter-day Saints, this meetinghouse represented the center of their faith, spirituality, and community. Panelists will consider the meaning of sacred space, the role of undergraduate and graduate education in Mormon identity, the nature of Latter-day …
SL09371 Panel: Do Mormons Dream of Monstrous Gods? Interpreting Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight Myth
Mormon mom and BYU grad Stephenie Meyer created a myth so compelling, her Twilight series sold 42 million books worldwide and migrated to the movie screen and grossed $188 million. As the bestselling fiction author of 2008, Meyer is the biggest publishing phenomenon since J.K. Rowling. She has sold more books than any Mormon author …