The candidacy of Mitt Romney in 2008 and 2012, and those of other candidates such as Rick Santorum and Michelle Bachmann, has raised the question of whether a political candidate’s religious beliefs should be a campaign issue. Do constitutional provisions regarding “no religious test” and “no establishment of religion” mean religion should be irrelevant when …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2012
PODCASTING FROM THE EDGE: THREE YEARS WITH MORMON EXPRESSION
John and Zilpha Larsen have been the hosts and directors of the Mormon Expression podcast. They will reflect on their experiences and misadventures as amateur podcasters in the Mormon digital underground and share their observations on the growth and culture of the ex-Mormon world through the online medium. John Larsen, Zilpha Larsen
THE ONCE AND FUTURE BEE PRIESTESS
This session will examine the emblem and symbol of bee/hive, noting the connections between bees and their hives as symbolic of the feminine divine and a matriarchal society, the ancient bee priestess as shaman, and the idea of contemporary Mormon woman as bee priestess. It also examines the connections between the nineteenth- century restoration movement …
TWO-PAPER SESSION ON B. H. ROBERTS
Part I: In 1908 and 1909, B.H. Roberts learned that some high-level LDS leaders continued to sanction secret polygamous marriages despite the two Manifestos forbidding the practice. Roberts compared this situation to president Smith’s “whisper campaign” supporting the Republican Party in violation of the Church’s policy of political neutrality. At the October 1909 General Conference, …
BRANDING MORMONISM: THE EVOLUTION SINCE THE 1970S
The current “Mormon Moment” didn’t merely happen. The Church has used the tools of modern corporatism to brand itself since the mid-1970s. The presentation will trace the development of branding the Church, beginning with the first corporate identity program in 1975, to the sophisticated use of social media in 2012. The far-reaching program of managing …
FINDING YOUR MORMON SHAMAN: CONNECTING WITH THE EARTH AND NATURE TO RECEIVE PERSONAL REVELATION
A shaman is a healer who works in the unseen world of angels and spirit and uses ceremony in nature to gain a greater connection with God, the earth, and the elements. These are practices and talents inherent in ancient and modern prophets. Early members of the Church practiced these skills openly for personal revelation …
STRUCTURAL ROLES AND THE ROUTINIZATION OF CHARISMA: A SOCIAL NETWORK ANALYSIS OF THE MORMON SUCCESSION CRISIS OF 1844
On 27 June 1844, Joseph Smith was assassinated, leaving behind several claimants to leadership with no clear process for selecting a successor. Using archival data, we reconstruct the complex network of relations that existed among 76 members of the early LDS Church hierarchy. This includes a mapping of formal ties within and between priesthood quorums …
THE VAGINA TESTIMONIES
In 1996, Eve Ensler’s play The Vagina Monologues explored the role of female genitalia in female empowerment, individuality, and sense of self. Her later work evolved to address women’s body images and violence against women. A 2001 SUNSTONE session entitled “Sacred Spaces: Mormon Women’s Faith and Sexuality” and nicknamed “the Mormon Vagina Monologues” featured LDS …
SINS OF OMISSION: SPINNING THE MISSIONARY EXPERIENCE
An LDS mission is commonly called “the best two years” of one’s life. Most missionaries understand the difficulties, pressure to perform, mission politics, boredom, depression, emotional demands, and physical hardships of a mission. However, there is an unwritten rule never to speak negatively about one’s mission. Consequently, homecomings are typically uplifting pep talks, and candid …
HELP! MY SPOUSE IS (SELECT ONE): A) TRUE-BELIEVING MORMON, B) EX-MORMON, C) UNSURE
The aftermath of one partner’s change in beliefs might threaten a marriage or eventually result in divorce. This session will present some key concepts from Sunstone’s Wednesday workshop for couples who have experienced the religious switching or “apostasy” of one partner. Key findings on religious conflict in marriage will also be discussed, as well as …