In honor of Gene England’s 88th birthday on the 22nd of this month, this session will honor Gene’s life and teachings with interviews between his widow, Charlotte England, and several of her close friends and longtime peers of Gene’s. One conversation will discuss an evening Jim McConkie spent with Charlotte when he apologized for his …
Event: Salt Lake Symposium 2020
A Faith Journey through the Music of Mumford and Sons
Come experience the highs and lows of a faith journey through the music and lyrics of Mumford and Sons. Some songs capture the feelings of a relationship that works for a time, as you purely hold on to your truth. Others talk about something that calls you away from this first truth, and you become …
The Making of a Modern Day Prophet
In this session I will explore the Life and Testimony of Gerald W. Peterson, Sr. The details of his life and how he became a modern day Prophet have mostly been known by his family and followers. I will explore his faith transition from Christian to Latter-Day Saint to Prophet. This session will provide rare …
How Evangelical Critics View Mormon Origins
Continuing Ryan Wimmer’s theme from the 2018 Sunstone Symposium of why Evangelicals fail to convert Mormons, we turn to how Joseph Smith and Mormon origins compare to fundamentalist Christianity historically. Evangelicals frequently use dichotomies such as Mormonism vs. Biblical Christianity, Joseph Smith vs. the Bible, etc., highlighting the inconsistencies between the two. This presentation argues …
“They have lost their love”: Grief and Tragedy in the Book of Mormon
This paper examines the grief Moroni expresses at the conclusion of the Book of Mormon and argues that it renders the work as a whole a tragedy, as the term is defined by the philosopher Stanley Cavell. Cavell suggests in several works that tragedy is closely associated with both alienation and skepticism, that it is …
To the Mother in Heaven in Grief and Gratitude
In 1994 I published my first essay on the Mother in Heaven, “Toward a Mormon Theology of God the Mother,” which led to my excommunication from the LDS Church in 1Although this continues to be a source of grief in my life, I am grateful for the scriptures revealed by Joseph Smith. They have been …
The Metaphysics of Suffering
Everyone, no matter how privileged or poor, will inevitably come face-to-face with tragedy. How can we make sense of all the pain and suffering in our world, especially when so much of it seems random or unfair? As a hospice chaplain, the presenter has ministered to people asking these same questions, and as someone whose …
Mormon or Ex-Mormon?: How About a Third Choice?
It feels like the choice is to stay or go, to be Mormon or ex-Mormon. Why do we have to accept this binary? There are a lot of other choices that don’t entail giving up your Mormon identity. Go on sabbatical. Hold fast to your Mormonism—just make it your own. And don’t let anyone tell …
The Sexual “What If” Syndrome: Grieving our Sexual Development
Many people who transition from orthodox Mormonism to either post or nuanced positions often revisit their sexual development journey as a youth and young adult. They often feel like many decisions were co-opted by the standards of the Church and are dealing with grief, anger, feelings of betrayal and the “what if?” syndrome. These “what …
How Is the Church Really Doing?: Some Uncorrelated Statistics
The LDS church releases loads of statistics, and they imply many more. This is a brief (and possibly entertaining) look at the LDS Church’s demographic profile and how its may need to change in order to meet future demands. Information is drawn from official reports and almanacs. Comparisons will be made with other churches and …