Event: Southwest Symposium 2004

IN SEARCH OF HER: WOMEN AND DIVINE FEMININE

Renewed interest in women’s spirituality has caused many to turn their hearts again to the search for Heavenly Mother, the Goddess, or any number of faces of female deity. In this session, two prominent authors and lifelong sojourners in the quest to know the female face of God will share their experiences along this journey …

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WHORING, POLYGAMY, OR FRIENDSHIP? MORMONISM AND THE OTHER RELIGIONS

Recent discussions of the diversity of religions have centered on three stances toward another’s religion—exclusivity, inclusivity, and plurality—and I have found examples of Mormons who approach other religions through each of those lenses. But my larger goal in this paper is to outline a new approach to interacting with other religions that suggests ways that …

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STAGES OF FAITH: A MORMON ENCOUNTER

I used to believe a Latter-day Saint who reads Mormon histories, studies LDS theology, attends weekly meetings, and seriously considers the implications of what it all means, had two alternatives: either move toward fundamentalism or become agnostic. enter into my life James Fowler’s book, Stages of Faith: The Psychology of Human Development and the Quest …

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FINDING FULFILLMENT ON THE MORMON MARGIN

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 …

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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 …

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