Both the Book of Mormon and the Game of Thrones present personal struggle against the backdrop of violent war narratives, differing only in level of explicit graphic detail. Both use the symbol of the steel sword as that which enforced good. Both are tragedies. The true heroes in both are those who are internally transformed …
Speaker: Tom Kimball
The Epistemology of Two Different Questions: What Do I Think Will Make Me Happy vs. What Is True?
Many formerly faithful Mormons leave the church because it no longer makes them happy, or they discover it is not true, or both. They often face a spiritual crisis affecting their jobs, their relationships, their ethics, and their mental health. Sometimes they become confused and lose faith in their own ability to sort out what …
Graffiti and the Kirtland Temple
Tom Kimball has worked as a volunteer handyman and tour guide at the Kirtland Temple since 2016. At some point, he began actively looking for and logging the existing graffiti in the temple. Some of it is likely from teens gathered in the bell tower over a 1920’s RLDS reunion campout, but some of it …
History Derailed William Law And His Detractors
This paper explores stories about William LawÑJoseph Smith’s one-time second counselor who became co-editor of the Nauvoo Expositor. These sometimes dubious narratives, such as those found among the descendants of Charles Stoddard, serve to elevate the family’s status by disparaging Law who quickly became a villain after the death of the Prophet. Tom Kimball, D. …
SL10373: Men and the Priesthood: Taking on the Feminine
Some feminists insist that they want equality in the priesthood while others just want to have a say in their culture. Before we brand an all-male priesthood as inherently bad, let’s step back and take a second look at some possible positive aspects of an all-male priesthood—as well as some of the drawbacks of such …
SW09018:
NPR’s syndicated show, “This I Believe” features short essays by people from all walks of life who share the core values that ground them. in this session, Sunstone friends use this basic format to speak about ideas within Mormonism or the wider spiritual world that animate their faith journey and help them feel at home …
SL09253 Oh My Heck! Don’t Tell Anyone You Haven’t Read That Book!
Wondering what to read? Come argue with Tom Kimball, Signature Books’ marketing nerd and outgoing book review editor for the Journal of Mormon History, about the best books on various subjects. Tom will critique the best books on biography, documentary, contemporary issues, polygamy, regional studies, apologetics, and Mormon fiction. What looks good, what looks bad, …
SL09331 Panel: The Transformation of Mormon Publishing
With an explosion in self-publishing, the steamrolling power of Amazon.com, and the demise of the trade show, publishing in America doesn’t look like it did even ten years ago. There has been a tremendous democratization of the publishing process almost across the board, which is exciting news for most authors. But in Mormonism, the consolidation …
SL09362 Panel: This I Believe
Sunstone friends and supporters share short belief statements modeled on the NPR show. Rhonda L. Callister, Rory T. Swensen, Thomas D. Parkes, Margaret Blair Young, Clay Whipkey, Lorie Winder, Kaimipono (Kaimi) Wenger, Tom Kimball, Mark England
ANOTHER ‘DAWNING OF A BRIGHTER DAY?’: MORMON LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY
ANOTHER ‘DAWNING OF A BRIGHTER DAY?’: MORMON LITERATURE IN THE 21ST CENTURY In his seminal essay, “The Dawning of a Brighter Day: Mormon Literature After 150 Years” (BYU Studies, 1982), Eugene England celebrated the “major blossoming of a mature Mormon literature” that was then taking place. Now, at the turn of the new century, several …