During the past several decades, sociologists and scholars in Religious Studies have created an additional category, “new religious movements,” to use in the study of religion. This category is proving extremely useful not only in the consideration of new movements in modern times but also in examining the coming into being of such world traditions …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2010
SL10134: Are we moving toward wholeness? Women and the Feminine in Mormonism
Wholeness, balance, and inclusiveness characterize maturity. This panel will consider the relationship of both the masculine and the feminine and women and men in the LDS Church. Are feminine and masculine principles, values, and perspectives balanced in Church teachings and structures? Does the Church encourage and provide resources for the spiritual development of both men …
SL10175: Eternal Perdition? Bureaucratic Limbo? The Theological Ramifications of Excommunication
The Church Handbook of Instructions explains in detail the mechanics of excommunication but says little about its theological import. Our panelists, several of whom have been excommunicated, will explore the theological and spiritual ramifications of this ultimate Church sanction. Why does excommunication not require a ritual? If blessings are “restored” to an excommunicated person who …
SL10254: Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil vs. Tree of Life
Lehi’s dream tells us that the Tree of Life represents the Love of God. What the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil represents is less clear. What is in opposition to the Love of God? A clue comes from Adam’s behavior and feelings once he tasted the fruit. He experienced guilt, fear, and shame. …
SL10314: Dating Fanny Alger: The Nature, Timing, and Consequences of an Early Polygamous Relationship
Fanny Alger left Joseph and Emma Smith’s home pregnant and under Emma’s wrath in the middle of the night. The incident set Kirtland on fire with rumors of the prophet’s adultery—or was it polygamy? Some scholars argue that the relationship was an 1835 affair, too early for polygamy, others that it was an 1833 marriage. …
SL10353: Faith in the Midst of the Difficulties of Life
We extol childlike faith, but for most people, faith continually seeks deeper understanding, wisdom, and application. Mature faith comes through both loss and gain, often at a high cost that can either build or destroy. From desert places of doubt to mountaintop experiences with the Divine, this testimony of maturing faith and deepening relationship with …
SL10376: Faith and Narrative
Recent decades have witnessed a rising interest in what has been dubbed “narrative theology.” The Christian message, many theologians have pointed out, is not an argument but a story, and stories instead of propositional truth claims rest at the heart of the tradition. An engagement with these narratives has the potential to transform not only …
SL10091: The Fate of New Religious Movements when They Are No Longer New
During the past several decades, sociologists and scholars in Religious Studies have created an additional category, “new religious movements,” to use in the study of religion. This category is proving extremely useful not only in the consideration of new movements in modern times but also in examining the coming into being of such world traditions …
SL10135: A Walking Contradiction: Partly Truth and Partly Fiction
Four Mormon storytellers wade into the narrative swamp, looking for flashes of light and shadow, story and allegory, doubt and belief—and emerge with tales to tell. Physical objects and details assume an almost holy importance: A bottle of vitamins (Centrum Silver for Women), a jar of peanut butter, a container of ashes, inheritance documents, a …
SL10201: Wrestling Jacob’s Angel: On Trials and Maturing Faith
The story of Jacob’s wrestling match with an angel is puzzling at best; Martin Luther famously said that all men hold this story to be the most difficult Bible passage to understand. I approach the story within the larger context of Jacob’s life and suggest that the angel may be a metaphor for trials and …