Description

In the history and development of Mormonism, nothing has been quite as striking and impactful as Mormonism’s complicated relationship with the United States government and its historical ambitions of establishing a post-American, socio-political project they called Zion. Due to a long history of assimilation, Mormonism is now often called “the most American religion” and known for its conservative politics, as well as its support for secular liberal democracies. It is hard for many to see a direct continuity between Mormonism’s historical ambitions and its current status.

This lecture, from members of a contemporary Mormon organization that espouses radical politics and adheres to a revolutionary political program, will assess the historical status of radical Mormon politics and their development, laying out the continuity of Mormonism broadly to its past, as well as the continuity between Mormons with radical political aspirations today and the radical politics in Mormonism’s past. We will highlight little-known facts and movements in Mormonism’s history that have attempted to update a radical past to a contemporary radicalism, as well as opposition and institutional retrenchment seen in Mormon denominations.

Nathan McLaughlin is a graduate student at Union Theological Seminary, pursuing a Masters of Arts in Religion. His interests include ethics, postsecular theory, liberation theology, Mormonism, modern American Christianity, Marxism, Existentialism, critical approaches to Sacred Texts, and issues of gender, race and class. He is a practicing Latter-day Saint, as well as a member of Mormons with Hope for a Better World and the Democratic Socialists of America.

Aaron Johnson is an organizer with Mormons with Hope for a Better World, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a BYU alumnus, and a library clerk. He believes that political activism on a systemic level is the imperative path of discipleship for all Christians who are serious about creating a better life for all God’s children.

Camille Perkins is an activist and organizer and a member of the Steering Committee of Mormons with Hope for a Better World. She is a practicing Latter-day Saint who believes deeply in community work and outreach.