The legalization of marijuana and other cannabis-related substances have long been a source of moral and medical controversy. This panel will make a case for why allowing research and use of the drug is a moral imperative. Andrew Jolley Emilie Campbell Ryan McKnightl
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2017
Mormonism and the Limits of Political Neutrality
Though the LDS Church claims political neutrality, this has not necessarily been the case in practice. Taking a case study approach, this presentation argues that the institutional LDS Church did indeed influence the political sphere in the 20th and 21st centuries through its involvement with the Equal Rights Amendment, Proposition 8, and the October 2016 …
Joseph Smith, the Entrepreneur
Steve Jobs was a flawed man, both personally and professionally in a lot of ways, but he was also one of the most successful CEOs in history. He and others like him have transformed the world with their visions of change and innovation. This panel will explore Joseph Smith as a religious and spiritual innovator …
Radio Heaven and Hell: Being a Talk Show Host in a Mormon State
This panel will discuss the experiences of two popular radio personalities in Utah. Both Mormon, each will describe their journeys into radio as well as their Mormon journey inside and outside the church. Richard (Richie T) Steadman Bill Allred
Mormons and Heroin Use
For some, religion is a balm of relief; for others it is a barbed wire of entrapment. How have some people sought relief from religious pain in narcotics? How can narcotic abuse and cultural Mormonism lead people into an ongoing state of suffering? How can one more constructively live in relation to and within Mormonism, …
Mormon Generations: What New Research Tells Us about Four Generations of Current and Former Latter-day Saints
Millennials, GenXers, Baby Boomers, and the Silent Generation. What do they have in common, and where do they diverge? This session looks at research findings from the nationally representative Next Mormons survey, conducted in late 2016. Which generation of Latter-day Saints has the largest number of children? Which has the strongest belief in God and …
Helping Mormonism Move from Patriarchy toward Partnership
Carol Lynn Pearson and therapist Julie deAzevedo Hanks relate their experiences in discovering that patriarchy is not a given, but is a historical construct, and one that is in process of giving way to a much more sustainable and enlightened paradigm: partnership. How can this shift be accomplished in the solid patriarchy we know as …
Muslims and Mormons المسلمين والمورمون
This panel will discuss the personal expereinces of Muslim immigrants who have moved to a predominantly Mormon state. Zahraa Albaghdady, Cassie Hard, Nada al-Amin
In Christ: Mormonism and the Paradox of NonDuality
NonDuality is a concept used to describe the mystery of existence and being and of one’s conscious relationship with and in God. Is there a place for nondual understandings within Mormonism, which is arguably one of the most dualistic religions on the planet? Is it possible that the scriptural expressions, “I shall know…as…I am known” …
The Witch Doctor in the Sky: The Acholi, Mormonism, and Mental Health
During a one-year volunteer position with THRIVEGulu, an NGO with a mission of healing trauma in victims of the 20+ year war in Northern Uganda, this presenter lived among three cultures, the LDS culture, the Western mental health culture, and the Acholi culture. The interplay, clashes, connections, and confusions among these three cultures highlight the …