For decades before he entered the First Presidency at age 61, Utah native J. Reuben Clark had been pro-war in philosophy and actions. As chief legal adviser in the US State Department, he even wanted to jail all pacifists. Despite this background, he played a different role in Mormon leadership circles by becoming a puzzling …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2011
Controversies In Joseph Smith’s Polygamy: Comparing The Opinions Of Experts
This presentation will examine the views of authors such as Fawn Brodie, Daniel Bachman, Lawrence Foster, Richard S. Van Wagoner, Todd Compton, D. Michael Quinn, Michael Marquardt, and George D. Smith regarding controversial issues in Joseph Smith’s polygamy such as: Whether he was married to Fanny alger in Kirtland? Whether any of his plural marriages …
Passive Aggression Among Latter-Day Saints: Evidence From The Wasatch Front
When people experience disagreements or conflict,passive aggression is one of at least five possible response options. Research shows that it is generally a poor, unconstructive strategy, and is also a less common response among the US population at large. However, for Latter-Day Saints born and raised along the Wasatch Front, the passive-aggressive response appears to …
Around The Table: Increasing Unity And Community Among Mormon Women
How can Mormon women who care about gender issues transcend cultural tensions that hamper positive change? In January 2011, The Round Table launched a conversation about Mormon women’s identity among representatives of various organizations. In their panel presentation, participants will highlight the tangible and intangible products of their separate and combined projects and discuss what …
Embodying Gender: How Mormon Material Culture Reflects And Shapes Gender Perceptions
Mormonism defines both gender and embodiment as fundamental. Beliefs about gender are embodied in the physical objects, resources, spaces, and structures which Mormons create and use to carry out the work and life of the Church. Mormon material culture not only reflects gender beliefs but also influences the ways in which gender is perceived. This …
Was The
The consensus of many lDS scholars now is that the land described in the Book of Mormon is largely confined to Mesoamerica. However, an examination of internal clues from the book itself and non-Mormon scientific evidence for pre-Columbian sea voyages to the New World together with South american geological changes suggest that ecuador and nearby …
Exploring The Book Of Mormon In America’s Heartland: A Visual Journey Of Discovery
Exhaustive new research has led to a reexamination of evidence supporting the Book of Mormon’s historicity in the “Heartland” of North America rather than Mesoamerica. The evidence is robust and based upon a hierarchical pattern of evidence beginning with scriptural prophecies and promises, followed by statements of Joseph Smith, geographic passages, and evidence from modern-day …
Basketball Under The Steeple: The Strange Design Of Mormon Chapels
Mormon chapels create sacred space and, through their design and composition, communicate subtle messages about what and whom the Church values. The influence of Mormon chapels on the worship experience will be compared with architecturally created sacred spaces from other religious traditions. The design of Mormon church buildings and the size, placement, and furnishings of …
Success In The Borderlands
All of us in the Borderlands of the Church must eventually face the issues of: when, to whom, and how to disclose our situation. Past studies suggest that almost all Borderlanders are in the closet to some extent and that a large share have not told their spouses the whole story. A panel of D. …
Do They Still Teach That?
The song “I Believe” from the Tony award-winning musical The Book of Mormon mentions familiar, obscure, and even contested Mormon doctrines. This panel is a riff of sorts on ideas enumerated in the song, from the foundational belief that God created the universe and sent his son to die for our sins to the idea …