WHAT IS SPIRITUAL WELL-BEING? CORE PRINCIPLES BASED ON STRESS RESILIENCE AND HEALTH SCIENCE We yearn for spiritual well-being. But what is it? And how could one prove proposed answers? Surprisingly, answers lie in studies of stress-related illness. Four well-proven principles of stress resilience, with powerful health effects, are primarily spiritual. Interestingly, the same principles underlie …
PATHS TO PERSONAL REVELATION: METHODS TO MY MADNESS, OR ‘WHAT’S A REGRESSION?’
PATHS TO PERSONAL REVELATION: METHODS TO MY MADNESS, OR ‘WHAT’S A REGRESSION?’ Joseph Smith stated that the vision of the celestial kingdom was received “while we meditated,” and Harold B. Lee admonished, “Don’t get so busy that you don’t have time to meditate. . . . Christ may be nearer than we have knowledge.” Several …
MAKING WITNESSES: THE BOOK OF MORMON’S SECULAR STRENGTH
MAKING WITNESSES: THE BOOK OF MORMON’S SECULAR STRENGTH Cardboard characters. Improbable plots. Simulated Elizabethan syntax. If, as asserted by many readers and literary critics, these terms accurately characterize the Book of Mormon, how do we account for its remarkable power to regenerate lives and foster the development of a dynamic community? Inquiring into its literary, …
CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE: THE MAINSTREAMING OF THE MORMON IMAGE THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS
CONTINUING EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SPHERE: THE MAINSTREAMING OF THE MORMON IMAGE THROUGH PUBLIC RELATIONS The Public Affairs office of the LDS church plays an important role in expressing and clarifying the Church’s position on various matters, especially “moral issues.” I analyze the substantive and rhetorical issues in the press releases issued by the Church …
IT’S NOW OR NEVER: HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE PLANETS TO ALIGN?
IT’S NOW OR NEVER: HOW MUCH LONGER DO I HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE PLANETS TO ALIGN? Okay, here is another “there are two types of people in the world” observation: There are those who are waiting for life to happen, and there are those who make life happen. In LDS culture, I hear people …
PILLARS OF MY FAITH
PILLARS OF MY FAITH Sunstone is at an important crossroads, resulting in a new, board-approved strategic plan. We’re very pleased to share this vision with you and to have you join with us in creating Sunstone’s future. This is Sunstone’s perennially best-attended session. Hear speakers share the events and concepts that animate their religious lives; …
KISSING THE DAMNED: EMBRACING A QUEER-POSITIVE SEXUALITY IN THE HEART OF ZION
KISSING THE DAMNED: EMBRACING A QUEER-POSITIVE SEXUALITY IN THE HEART OF ZION Much has been explored about the conflicts that arise from being gay and being Mormon. The stigma of shame has often led many LGBT members to experience their sexuality in shadow, cheating on spouses, meeting on the “down-low,” and drug abuse. However, years …
THE PERSISTENCE OF POLYGAMY IN THE CONTEMPORARY MORMON CHURCH
THE PERSISTENCE OF POLYGAMY IN THE CONTEMPORARY MORMON CHURCH When widower Russell M. Nelson, the LDS church’s point person for the Defense of Marriage Amendment, remarried in the temple in 2006, four days after defining marriage as “the union between one man and one woman,” activists balked, creating a website, EMOVENELSON.NET, and dubbing him a …
Musical Performance NEW & IMPROVED MORMON BLUES AND GOSPEL
Musical Performance NEW & IMPROVED MORMON BLUES AND GOSPEL We’re B-a-a-c-k! With a blast from the past and a larger cast. Featuring a myriad of new, original material, including “Chiasmus Blues,” “Done Us Wrong Blues,” and “Utah Valley PTA.” Plus new arrangements of old favorites, such as “Just a Closer Walk With Thee,” “No Depression …
HOW MORMONS HAVE HELPED PERPETUATE THE WAR IN IRAQ: WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP END IT
HOW MORMONS HAVE HELPED PERPETUATE THE WAR IN IRAQ: WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP END IT By being more influenced by partisan politics than by prophetic pronouncements, Mormons have been among the strongest and most persistent supporters of the war in Iraq. Rather than denouncing war and proclaiming peace as God calls us to …