This is an excerpt from the original Sunstone 2015 presentation, Four View of Joseph Smith: Historians Debate the Prophet Puzzle.
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2015
Who Was Flady
While searching for my great grandmother’s origins, I discovered my mother’s unknown ethnic heritage, and learned about a part of early Utah history I had known nothing about. Tonya Reiter
Author Meets Critics How To Read The Bible And Still Be A Christian
This session sets out to examine the tensions of biblical Christianity and how it interacts with Mormonism, the modern age, and social justice.along with the author of How to Read the Bible and Still be a Christian, John Dominic Crossan. John Dominic Crossan, Joshua Madson, Sheila Taylor, George D. Smith, R. Dennis Potter
Our Two Different Minds Neurobiological Psychological And Spiritual Implications
We all have two different minds neurobiologically: One driven by the fearful, judgmental brain amygdala, and the other centered in the wise, reasonable prefrontal cortex (which connects intimately with parts creating compassion). They are different minds because they compete with each other on functional scanning: when one is activated, the other is inhibited. Amygdala overdrive …
Triangles Of Shame Adoption Within Mormonism
Mormonism has a unique relationship with adoption that culminates in the doctrine and ordinance of sealing. While powerful in its eternal implications, many of the root ideas surrounding this doctrine are problematic to the psychological, emotional, and physical health of persons involved in the adoption triangle: adoptee, birth parents and adoptive parents. This paper identifies …
Of One Heart And Mind Unity And Pluralism In Mormonism
This presentation draws on scripture, the teachings of Church leaders (such as President Uchtdorf’s general conference address encouraging diversity), and scholarship (such as Standing Apart: Mormon Historical Consciousness and the Concept of Apostasy) to examine the creative tension between unity and diversity within Mormonism and to propose a model for thinking about a pluralistic unity …
Testimony And Disagreement In Mormonism
Clearly, testimony plays a central role in Mormonism. Does it play an epistemic role? And if so, what is it? Is this role justified? This paper will argue that the primary role for testimony in Mormonism is deference to the testimonies of the Church leadership. I will argue that this role for testimony in religious …
The State Of Queer Activism In Zion
This panel will discuss the activities of being a faith organizer in Wyoming, particularly her work leading up to the 2015 legislative session that saw the narrow defeat of the non-discrimination bill in Wyoming. Sara will discuss her interactions with Catholic, Evangelical, and Mormon faith leaders, what she learned about the state of discourse in …
Immigration Mormon Humanitarian Perspectives
The panel will raise questions about the LDS community’s engagement with immigration debates and share personal narratives from the front lines of the political, legal, and humanitarian battlefront. The founders of Torchlight Legal will discuss how they are applying Silicon Valley innovation to the legal needs of asylum seekers. Two leaders in the immigrant youth …
Mormons And The Equal Rights Amendment
This is a panel discussion on the history of Mormons and the Equal Rights Amendment. It will feature discussion on the current state of the ERA, and how some Mormons are planning to push toward its enactment. S. Mark Barnes, Chelsea Shields, Anissa Rasheta