In this paper, I discuss my own journey through life as a dedicated, faithful Mormon who eventually chose to remain on the margins in terms of my callings and participation. I also relate my position to the broader literature on those who are marginalized and refer to traditional meanings of being marginalized as well as …
Event: Southwest Symposium 2004
THE LATTER-DAY SAINTS AND OTHER MINORITIES IN NINETEENTH CENTURY AMERICA: A POSTCOLONIAL APPROACH
The paper describes postcolonialism as a research approach and examines case studies of nineteenth-century dispossession and forfeiture of rights among Hispanics, Indians, and Blacks in America from a postcolonial perspective. A fourth case study examines dispossession and forfeiture of rights among the Mormons in the same era. Was nineteenth-century territorial Utah a “colonial site,” and …
50,000 Malnourished LDS Children? How Can We Help?
The LDS Church has 375,000 faithful less-developed country (LDC) members living in absolute poverty, 50,000 malnourished children from faithful families, 5300 annual cases of severe preventable disability among faithful member (mostly children), and 900 annual preventable deaths at a Robert A. Rees, Polly Sheffield, Brad Walker, Lorenzo Graycoa
Latter-day Saint Responses to Mel Gibson’s
Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ is destined to become one of the most viewed as well as one of the most controversial movies in the history of film. Some have hailed it as “a film of overwhelming power and passion” which “draws us toward Christ’s full humanity like no film before” and as …
TOWARD A DIALOGUE BETWEEN MORMONISM AND PROCESS THEOLOGY
Many Latter-day Saints and process theologians have noted similarities between the theological flavor of Mormonism and process thought, yet a vigorous dialogue between the two has yet to develop. In this session, two Mormon philosophers share their personal journeys with process ideas, what they’ve incorporated into their personal theologies, and what they believe are the …
PANEL. FACT IN FICTION? CRACKING ‘THE DA VINCI CODE’
Last year, The DaVinci Code swept other books aside in sales as well as cultural impact. The plot consumed readers while its esoteric information piqued widespread curiosity and its religious themes struck a universal nerve—with the divine feminine, hidden in history, art, and culture, now emerging from obscurity. The book sparked a mass infatuation with …
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY FROM UTAH TO CALIFORNIA: WAGON TRAVEL FROM THE CITY OF SAINTS TO THE CITY OF ANGELS
This paper surveys the Latter-day Saint use of the historic trail often called the Mormon trail to Southern California. In 1848, the Mormon Battalion was the first ever to akte wagons over the route. In 1851, the largest emigrant company ever, 437 people, traveled the trail to found San Bernardino, with many others following later. …
Unfinished Business: Closing the Racial Divide
During the years since the 1978 policy change on the priesthood, and especially during the past decade or so, many initiatives have been undertaken by the Church and its members, black and white, to reach across racial boundaries and to create a genuine brotherhood and sisterhood among the different races and ethnic groups. Most of …
The Difficult Balancing Act of a Born-Again Mormon
Two years ago, I launched an effort that has now resulted in a website, , and a forthcoming book. Through sharing parts of my personal spititual journey and path, I will explain why I believe the fundamental truth of the need for genuine Shawn Aaron McRaney, Janet Brigham
PANEL. JON KRAKAUER’S ‘UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN’
Jon Krakauer’s book Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith received astounding media attention and scrutiny even weeks before its release, including two statements from LDS leaders that condemned the book as historically inaccurate and critical of all people of faith. This panel seeks to examine Krakauer’s depiction of fundamentalist Mormonism, mainstream …