This presentation concerns the LDS Church Public Relations Department’s attempt to shift the blame for the Church’s past racism onto the Lord. The presenter critiques Elder Todd Christofferson’s recent attempt to shift onto Church members the responsibility of distinguishing Church leaders’ opinions from binding doctrine; Toscano claims that he was excommunicated almost 19 years ago …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2012
LOOK TO THE WEST: MORMONISM AND THE MASONIC WORLD VIEW
During sweeping social change of the 1820s, Americans became increasingly disenchanted with Freemasonry as a kind of secular priesthood. The William Morgan affair (1826) led to an anti-Masonic movement fueled by fears that a free society could not thrive in the presence of secret organizations. Anti-masons argued that masons formed a secret combination bound by …
READINGS FROM AND DISCUSSION OF FIRE IN THE PASTURE
The publication of Fire in the Pasture, an anthology of poetry by LDS poets, calls for a celebration, a reading, and a discussion of where Mormon poetics may be headed in the twenty-first century. We’ll hear from poets featured in the anthology and consider its significance in LDS literary history. R. A. Christmas, Tyler Chadwick, …
SURVEY SAYS: DATA ANALYSIS OF SEXUAL ORIENTATION CHANGE EFFORTS IN FORMER AND CURRENT LDS CHURCH MEMBERS
Analysis of data from 1600 respondents to an online survey has provided a wealth of information about the experiences of LGBT LDS, including early perceptions of sexual difference, self-assessment of sexual orientation, intense efforts to cope with, understand, or change orientation through ecclesiastical counseling, psychotherapy, increased personal righteousness (and other interventions), and relationships to the …
HAVE WE COME A LONG WAY? REVIEWING WOMEN AND AUTHORITY ON ITS 20TH ANNIVERSARY
Women and Authority: Re-emerging Mormon Feminism made a splash when published in 1992. On its 20th anniversary, panelists will discuss how they first encountered the book, their thoughts upon reading it, how it influenced their thinking about women’s issues in the Church, and how it has continued to be a useful volume in their personal …
PILLARS OF MY FAITH
This is perennially SUNSTONE’s best-attended session. Hear speakers share the events and concepts that animate their religious lives; a little soul baring, a little spiritual journey, a little intellectual testimony bearing. This reflective night is about the things that matter most, plus spirited congregational hymn-singing. Don Bradley, Maxine Hanks
LDS LATINOS AS A POLITICAL FORCE
“Latino” is an umbrella term covering a diverse group of national, ethnic, and racial backgrounds that collectively accounts for more than one in six Americans. Spread across the political spectrum and operating at every level of government, Latinos cannot be counted on to vote as a bloc, but their collective support can make or break …
CONFRONTING ROMNEY IN THE STREETS: GRASSROOTS RESISTANCE TO CAPITALISM AND THE MORMON 1%
As US progressives, anarchists, pacifists, queers, feminists, immigrants, and other agitators challenge US empire alongside a revitalized global justice movement, radical Mormons face the challenges and opportunities of pioneering a distinctively Mormon resistance. In this session, we’ll discuss the many kinds of direct action that challenge empire: artwork, riots, dance, strikes, fasting, sabotage, and prayer. …
BELIEVING THE BOOK OF MORMON: HUME AND HISTORY, FICTION AND FAIRY TALES
Part I: Most Latter-day Saints read the Book of Mormon as a historical narrative. As David Hume predicted, they feel a strong connection to the actors and events, which helps them internalize the doctrines. But when some Saints lose their faith in the historicity of the Book of Mormon, they feel compelled to abandon it …
IS RELIGION REALLY UNDER SIEGE IN THE US?
What should we make of recent claims that religion is somehow being driven out of the “public square”? What is the public square and what are the legal rules and—equally important—the ethical considerations governing public expression on religious issues? When should individuals, organizations, and businesses have a right to claim an exemption from neutral laws …