Mormon feminists sense that the current “Mormon Moment” offers a good time for activism that draws attention to LDS women’s issues on a large scale. But what kind of act could match the significance of this “Mormon Moment”? Many feminists, myself included, have long argued that priesthood is the central issue for women in the …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2012
WHY THE CHURCH WORKS BETTER IN CERTAIN KINDS OF PLACES (AND NOT IN OTHERS)
It’s probably obvious that the way we “do” church organizationally works better in some places than others. What may be less obvious but more important is that a highly formal and a highly uniform way of organizing local congregations actually works better in certain kinds of places. This presentation will illustrate this observation, propose some …
VOTER TURNOUT AND VOTING TRENDS AMONG LDS GENERAL AUTHORITIES, STAKE PRESIDENTS, AND BISHOPS IN UTAH
The high profile of politicians such as Mitt Romney, and Harry Reid (D-NV), Senate Minority Leader, combined with the LDS Church’s involvement in California’s 2008 Proposition 8, and the Church’s influence on Utah’s new immigration laws, followed by a still more recent declaration of political neutrality and subsequent encouragement to Utah Latter-day Saints that they …
TEMPLE ARCHITECTURE FOR A MODERN AGE: A 40TH ANNIVERSARY PERSPECTIVE ON THE OGDEN AND PROVO TEMPLES
When the Ogden and Provo Temples were dedicated in 1972, they were unlike any previous temples. Popular reaction to their unconventional designs was mixed at best. While many people accepted the buildings without question, others found them unattractive. An evaluation 40 years after their dedication will explore the origin of the Ogden/Provo temple designs. The …
THE HEALTH CARE CRISIS: A GOSPEL PERSPECTIVE
According to President Obama’s deficit panel, “Federal health care spending represents our single largest fiscal challenge,” revealing the “awful truth … that Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid now eat up all federal reserves.” However, during the October 2005 General Conference, we were taught that the gospel of Jesus Christ can provide “solutions to the ills …
MITT, MORMONISM, AND THE JEWISH OBJECTION (AMONG OTHERS)
Bible Christians say Mitt Romney is a cultist. Because he transported the family dog on top of the family car, various animal rights groups question whether he should be permitted to own a dog, much less become president. The Tea Party says he’s insufficiently conservative while the poor say he’s too rich. And now B’nai …
MITT ROMNEY AND THE CARTOONISTS: A 2012 UPDATE
A 2008 SUNSTONE Symposium session examined the range of political cartoons featuring Mitt Romney during the 2008 Republican primary race. Romney, now the party’s 2012 candidate, has been the subject of hundreds of political cartoons since 2008, but especially in 2011–12. This session looks at a selection of these cartoons and considers their role in …
HOW THE BOMB CORRUPTED THE WORLD AND MORMONS AND NATIVE AMERICAN SHAMANS CAN HELP SAVE IT
The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), created by the Manhattan Project during WWII, is the birthplace of the atomic bomb and is notably Mormon friendly. Many consider it the original source of the corruption of science, while other laboratory and community leaders of good intent in Los Alamos ignore or deny charges of corruption. This …
THE COST OF DISCIPLESHIP: DIMENSIONS OF A MATURE MORMON FAITH, PART II
This is a continuation of a 2010 Symposium session exploring the dimensions of Christian/Mormon discipleship. Building on ideas about faith and doubt, courage and honesty, and imagination and love, this session considers such additional dimensions of discipleship as empathy, compassion, kindness, holiness, peacemaking, a commitment to counter suffering and injustice, and an openness to all …
DIVINE DISENCHANTMENT: TRANSITIONS AND ASSISTING THOSE IN RELIGIOUS MIGRATION
Reliable social science statistical data indicates that thousands of Latter-day Saints leave the LDS Church each year. Over time, these individuals adopt a variety of irreligious and religious pathways as a result of their prior Mormon experience. Although the social scientific literature includes material that sheds light on religious affiliation, disaffiliation, and reaffiliation, this material …