Since 1948, when Fawn Brodie’s No Man Knows My History made Joseph Smith’s story the central element in academic accounts of Mormon beginnings, both LDS and non-Mormon authors have described LDS beginnings as a new religious movement (NRM) with a charismatic leader. In this address, Jan Shipps will return to the Kirtland part of the …
Tag: non-Mormon
ALL APOLOGIES: THE ROLE OF APOLOGETICS IN MORMONISM AND MORMON STUDIES
The recent shakeup at BYU’s Maxwell Institute sent ripples throughout the Bloggernacle and raised questions about what the changes mean to groups such as FARMS, FAIR, and to Mormon apologetics in a larger context. What is the role of apologetics in general—both in and beyond Mormonism? Do Mormon apologists use similar stances or tactics as …
Gentiles, Temples, and Respect for Sacred Space: Problematics for the Non-Mormon Scholar of Mormonism
LDS temples are enigmatic and problematic for non-Mormons, especially for non-Mormon scholars of Mormonism. Most information about temples—their history, use, theological significance, sociological and psychological importance—is readily available from Mormon Studies scholars and even the church itself, and temples are open for public tours before dedication. On the other hand, aspects of temple ceremonies, in …
Braving the Borderlands: Strange Tales from the Borderlands
By D. Jeff Burton D. Jeff Burton is an author and a former member of the Sunstone Board of Directors. In this column, I share some unusual—and sometimes troubling—experiences and observations from four Borderlanders. I’ve changed the names of the first three. To respond, please send an email to jeff@eburton.com. I will forward your messages …
SL10374: Panel: Where is Your Faulkner? Mormon Fiction and America
As a non-Mormon writer for the PBS film, The Mormons, Jane Barnes found no novels about the Saints’ place in America. Her paper “Notes Toward a New Mormon Fiction,” asks questions about this absence, starting with the whereabouts of a Mormon Sound and Fury or My Antonia. How can Mormon writers look at their experience …
DC09007: Panel: New Directions in Mormon History
In recent years, Mormon history has become a higher profile area of study, benefiting from the attention of rising numbers of non-Mormon academics as well as groundbreaking scholarly achievements by Church members. This increased attention has propelled Mormon studies in new directions: new disciplines, methodologies, and questions have deeply enriched our knowledge of the Mormon …
SW09003: Teen Marriage Age in Mormon Polygamy and in American Culture: What Was the Norm?
The raid on the Folds compound in Texas has brought polygamy to national attention and in particular the Folds tendency for older men to marry young teens as polygamous wives. This has caused some non-Mormon observers to point out that in his mid-thirties, Joseph smith married teenage girls, including a 14-year-old. Conservative Mormons responded that …
MORMON NOVELS: What Does Fiction Show us About Ourselves?
For a century now, Mormon novels have examined every aspect of Mormon life. The novelists, both Mormon and non-Mormon, have developed stories that hinge on something to do with our history and/or culture. How much do they reflect what we really are, and how much is total fiction? Do novels, in some way, come closer …
Exporting Utah’s Theocracy Since 1975: Mormon Organizational Behavior and America’s Culture Wars
Exporting Utah’s Theocracy Since 1975: Mormon Organizational Behavior and America’s Culture Wars Contrary to most theocracies, Mormon Utah has always required democratic participation for its theocracy. Two major transitions bracketed the twentieth-century manifestation of Utah Mormon theocracy. Beginning in the 1890s, Utah’s democratic theocracy had to confront significant political dissent from faithful Mormons and to …
FELLOW TRAVELERS ALONG THE WAY: Observations of a Gentile/Non-Mormon; Observations of a Josephite
FELLOW TRAVELERS ALONG THE WAY Jan Shipps, Paul Edwards