On 15 March 2009, HBO’s series Big Love depicted parts of the LDS temple endowment ceremonies. Although Deseret News editor Joel Campbell called the portrayal “religious pornography,” and a campaign was launched to boycott HBO, some Mormons felt the depiction was in good taste—even inspiring. We will shift away from the HBO depiction to explore …
Speaker: David C. Knowlton
SL09271 Panel: Religious Tribalism in the Larger Society
From the perspective of the religious traditions in which they were raised, panelists will discuss various dimensions of the question of religious tribalism as it has existed and as it has interacted with the larger society (however each panelist may choose to define each). Discussion among panelists will be followed by Q&A with the audience. …
Lost in the Translation: Mormon Culture and the Myth of the Perfect Language
Lost in the Translation: Mormon Culture and the Myth of the Perfect Language In 1974 the LDS Church created the Translation Sciences Institute. The ultimate goal was to design a computer capable of translating the gospel to perfection. Partially inspired by the myth of the Perfect Language, some church leaders said that the day was …