Thursday, November 30, 2006

Brigham Young and Joseph Smith included in Most Influential List


LDS duo on list of top 100 in nation

Smith and Young are among tally of most influential Americans
By Carrie A. Moore
Deseret Morning News

As scholars continue to examine the impact of America's homegrown
religious figures, a panel of historians has placed both Joseph Smith
and Brigham Young on its list of the 100 Most Influential Americans of
all time.

The list is the cover story in the December issue of Atlantic
magazine, and ranks Joseph Smith — "the founder of Mormonism,
America's most famous homegrown faith" — at No. 52, and his successor
as LDS Church president — Brigham Young — at No. 74.
"What Joseph Smith founded, Young preserved," the magazine
said, "leading the Mormons to their promised land." (See the list at
www.theatlantic.com/doc/200612/influentials)
The top four people on the list are all past U.S. presidents,
in order: Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and
Franklin D. Roosevelt.
Though the list is dominated by presidents, America's Founding
Fathers and politicians, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young join Mary
Baker Eddy — the founder of Christian Science (No. 86) and theologians
Jonathan Edwards (No. 90) and Lyman Beecher (No. 91, father of Harriet
Beecher Stowe, No. 41) as those most recognized for their religious
influence.
Martin Luther King Jr., a black minister, was the only
religious leader in the top 10, listed at No. 8. While the magazine
notes that no one did more to further racial equality, King's
religious role wasn't mentioned specifically, though the church served
as his bully pulpit for social change.
William Lloyd Garrison, also a preacher whose newspaper, "The
Liberator," became "the voice of abolition" in the 19th century,
ranked 46th.
The 10 historians who came up with the list — four of them
Pulitzer Prize winners — also cast votes for other religious figures
who failed to make the list, including Catholic Bishop Fulton Sheen,
missionary and Methodist leader Francis Asbury, 19th century
evangelist Dwight Moody and his 20th century counterpart, Billy
Graham.
Many of the panelists are political historians, but at least
two of them have written about or researched the early history of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to Jan Shipps,
president of the American Society of Church History and a longtime
scholar of Mormonism.
Mark Noll, a professor of history at the University of Notre
Dame, preceded Shipps as president of ASCH and specializes in
religious history. Gordon Wood, professor of history at Brown
University, presented a keynote lecture on the early history of the
LDS Church at the Mormon History Association more than two decades
ago, she said.
Joseph Smith, Brigham Young and Mary Baker Eddy were selected
because they led indigenous American religions, Shipps said. "I think
they should all appear there, but I think there are other (religious
figures) that should also appear," including Asbury, John Winthrop,
Roger Williams and William Penn.
King's listing was appropriate, she said, though "you can't
think of him as anything other than a religious figure. He made civil
rights a religious mantra. That's the biggest movement to come out of
the black church." Other luminaries listed without reference to their
religious influence include Ralph Waldo Emerson (No. 33), William
Jennings Bryant (No. 36), John Dewey (No. 40) and William James (No.
62), Shipps said.
While Joseph Smith is a certainty, if she were casting a
ballot, "I'm not sure that I would have kept Brigham Young if I'd had
to choose between him and Roger Williams." She'd also choose Penn over
Eddy. "The Christian Science movement was important for a long time,
but it's really pretty small now."
Shipps said Graham is "clearly a more important figure in 20th
century America than Elvis Presley," who ranked 66th. "I know rock and
roll was important, but so was Billy Graham. They were drawing the
same kinds of huge crowds."
When asked if he was surprised by the listing of Joseph Smith
and Brigham Young, Richard E. Turley Jr., managing director of the LDS
Church's family and church history department, said, "Yes and no. Yes,
in the sense that I sometimes wonder whether people are as familiar
with (them) and their importance as they ought to be. No, in that we
see a growing understanding of their significance."
Had the list been compiled a decade ago, Turley said it's
likely that "one or both would have appeared, but there's no question
that with passage of time, their significance becomes better
understood by historians in general in the U.S., and this was a list
created by historians."
Unlike Graham, whose ministry has only spanned recent decades,
the two early LDS leaders have had "a dramatic impact for more than a
century and a half that continues not only in the United States, but
worldwide," Turley said. "There are many who make a significant impact
for a period of time, but the historical impact of that person is
measured not by the moment, but by the passage of time."
He said the LDS Church's yearlong bicentennial commemoration of
Joseph Smith's birth in 2005 "certainly had something to do with it"
and predicted scholarly attention to the founding of the LDS faith —
which now numbers more than 12 million worldwide — will continue to
grow.

Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios

Kieth Merrill on the formation of AAMPS
link: http://www.ldsfilm.com/index.shtml
---------------

IF YOU OWNED A MAJOR MOVIE STUDIO WHAT MOVIES WOULD YOU MAKE?

Is it possible that you can change the world of motion pictures?

Yes, you can! That is the heart of my unequivocal message. There are two facts of enormous importance that make it possible.

70% of the audience who go to movies say that Hollywood does not reflect their values. The audience is the most important part of the motion picture industry. For these reasons, on Friday November 17, 2006, I announced the creation of AUDIENCE ALLIANCE MOTION PICTURE STUDIOS.

AAMPS is a motion picture production company founded upon and supported by a broad ALLIANCE of people who love movies�the AUDIENCE�from the more than 140 million movie-goers who say Hollywood is out of touch with their values. It is an ALLIANCE of people like you who love going to movies but are sick and tired of getting unexpectedly ambushed by those one or two gratuitous scenes that ruin an otherwise good film. It is a grand ALLIANCE of families who want more of those wonderful �feel-good-again�� motion pictures with heart, humor and great stories that embrace virtues and values.

By joining hands and exercising our will, we can make Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios a major motion picture producer and a significant new source of motion pictures�outside the Hollywood system�that embrace the virtues and values increasingly missing in today�s entertainment.

Today is also the launch date of the Audience Alliance Academy of Motion Pictures. This is the membership organization that allows every moviegoer and member of the general audience to become directly involved in changing the way movies are made and in making an enormous difference in the world. Members of the Audience Alliance Academy actually help select the movies they want to see, the stories they want to hear and the values they embrace. What�s more, they participate in the process from beginning to end, to the extent that suits their personal interests.

Audience Alliance Academy combines the importance of a single ticket into the collective power of a vast alliance of people who love movies.

Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios is an international film enterprise that includes managers, designers, professional services and private investors. The motion pictures developed and created by AAMPS will be produced by a diverse corps of talented writers, producers, directors, actors and filmmakers ranging from �the good guys� in the mainstream heart of Hollywood to the best and the brightest of the rising young generation of talented filmmakers and performers.

I also announce today�having spent my entire professional life to date in the movie business�that I have made an exclusive and long-term commitment to serve as the Chief Creative Officer of Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios. But if you love movies as much as I do, then YOU are the most important part of my announcement today. The Audience Alliance Academy is now officially accepting members. I invite YOU to become a member and to do it now. If you hurry you will likely be given the status of �The Founder�s Circle� and that has significant additional benefits for the future.

Here�s the good news! For about the cost of a movie ticket a month you can exercise your economic and creative power to make a difference in the world of feature motion pictures.

AAMPS is a positive powerful force dedicated to using movies�the most marvelous medium ever imagined� for positive purposes. Complaining, boycotting, lamenting and �throwing the baby out with the bath water� by assailing Hollywood is NOT the way to win the battle in the war on culture and values. The ONLY answer is being proactive and positive and doing your part to create and support a powerful new source of feel-good-again movies. �

As a member of this Academy, YOU are an essential part of making that happen. The target is one million members. That is less than one half of one percent of our adult moviegoer audience, but that is enough to make AAMPS a major motion picture studio � a powerful influence that will change the motion picture business�and the world. Remarkably, since DEVELOPMENT is the most crucial aspect of getting good films made, AAMPS will be powerful and productive on the basis of its core membership from the beginning�and gain strength and capacity as the membership grows to full potential.

The virtues and values matrix of AAMPS transcends religious and political boundaries. These are the fundamental values of the human family. Movies from AAMPS are about �entertainment� not �messages� but that said, millions of people will be thrilled by the great stories unfolding on movie screens around the world and impacted by the virtues and values they embrace.

You love a grand challenge? This is it! Join us in this bold adventure. For about the cost of a movie ticket a month (around ten bucks) you can become a full-privilege member of the Audience Alliance Academy. You can tell us the movies you want made. You can enable them to be produced. You can send a message to Hollywood that you are disappointed� even outraged�by their persistent disregard for traditional values. There�s a lot more to it of course, but this is the key. You really can change the motion picture world for good.

I am pleased to announce that the first production from Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios is the movie adaptation of Jason Wright�s best selling book, "Christmas Jars." This book has changed lives. The movie is sure to do the same. World famous script consultant Linda Seger has said of the screenplay, �'Christmas Jars' is the next great Christmas Classic motion picture in the tradition of, "It�s A Wonderful Life," "Miracle on 34th Street," "A Christmas Carol," and "A Christmas Story.'� Read the book this Christmas. Watch the movie next Christmas. In the meantime go into the MEMBERS ONLY access and read the script, give us your feedback and then participate in the making of the movie.

AAMPS and the Audience Alliance Academy train is moving. We want you on board. We need you to help us with the other outstanding movies that must be made. Each of the films from AAMPS will be selected and developed in accordance with the members� interests, tastes and cater to the traditional values and virtues of the majority of the international movie-loving audience. Be part of that!

Of all the movies I�ve ever made and the significant projects I�ve done, Audience Alliance is the most important because it goes so far beyond the impact of a single film or the influence of a single moviemaker.

Join us in this bold motion picture adventure.

Please follow my ten simple steps below. Each is within your power. If you do, you will be playing your part in changing the world of motion pictures for good.

Recognize the degree to which Hollywood is out of touch with your values. There is a great gulf between you and the values of the Hollywood power club. �Hollywood� means different things to different people. There are a lot of fine folks who work in the industry. There are a limited number of good and a few terrific films. Despite these exceptions; however, the mainstream movie industry continues to push an agenda that denies God, demeans womanhood, offends decency, caters to the gay and lesbian lobby, and generally violates our divine nature. The gulf will never be bridged. To hope otherwise is wishful thinking.

Realize who has the real power in the motion picture industry. Through the power of your one ticket, it is YOU and not the movie moguls that really own the motion picture industry � though you probably don�t realize it. Hollywood ignores the audience. You � the audience � are the most important part of the industry. You hold all the power in your hands � a ticket to the theater in one hand � and a DVD to watch at home in the other. The best kept secret in the business is simply this: you OWN the business! Get ready to take control.

Read everything in this message. Then go to http://www.audiencealliance.com/. Register your name and email address so you can be first in line when we "open the doors" of the Audience Alliance Academy. We will send you an email and welcome you. You can ask us questions. We'll reply. When the Academy doors do open, you will be able to look at the breadth of topics and genres represented in the log lines of the 40 movie projects already in the Story Department. Drama. Comedy. Westerns. Modern and Period. Inspirational. You can suggest your own ideas.

Read the frequently asked questions section. Go exploring. Get educated about our mission and how you can be truly influential at the heart of the movie-making process. As a member you will receive free or at-cost copies of the movies that you help us select and produce, but there are many other benefits of membership in the Audience Alliance Academy.

Evaluate the declaration of standards, values and virtues for Audience Alliance Motion Pictures. Send us an email, and we will send you by return email our VIRTUES AND VALUES MATRIX. You will find a clear and irrevocable statement of our commitment. What we will do.and what we won't do. Does this statement match your values? How important would it be to you to know that Academy Award winning, Emmy Award winning, and other highly recognized and credentialed people will embrace and include these standards for every motion picture produced.both on the set and on the screen.

Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios is not affiliated with any political or religious ideology. Our virtues and values matrix is based upon the fundamental values basic to family, goodness and belief in God.however defined or understood. Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios will produce movies in all genres for general audiences around the world. (LDS readers please note: Audience Alliance is not aligned with and will not produce films in the so-called genre of "Mormon Cinema.")

Believe that the power of your one ticket can make all the difference. This enterprise has been formed and the creative team has been assembled to do the job. Believe that your $10 month when combined with others can really make a massive difference. The majority of your membership fees will go towards the making of the movies you want to see, and the balance will be used to enhance the value and power of your membership. Believe that the time has come to act. Register now!

Share the responsibility. There is an axiom that is perfect for this moment, �If not us--who? If not now-- when?� We all love to complain about Hollywood, their lack of values and the movies we wish they would make. AAMPS movies will be created by seasoned mainstream filmmakers and actors � as well as the best and the brightest of the rising talent, wherever they may be � who share our confidence that it is possible to make great movies without ambushing the audience with those inevitable scenes that can ruin an otherwise great film.

How often have we said, "A great film except for a couple of scenes�? AAMPS will achieve its goals and reach the full power and impact of its mission in direct accord with membership numbers and the rate of growth. The cost per member has been set as low as absolutely possible so no one is excluded, and everyone can help make this happen. But that means our strength and power must be in numbers. We need everyone. We need YOU! Don�t leave it to others. Inspire them to join with you but YOU are the key!

Help imagine the next great feel-good-again movie that everybody loves. Help imagine YOU as part of the movie-making process. Help imagine a motion picture studio that measures its movies by story and virtue. Help imagine the power of your one ticket. Help imagine the power of a million moviegoers just like you who want to make a difference. Help imagine the question, �If I owned a major motion picture studio, what movies would I make?� Help imagine you as a member of the Audience Alliance Academy.

Find out how you can actually OWN the studio. Can you OWN a movie studio? Yes, that�s the plan. Became a member today and plan to remain a member. When membership numbers reach critical mass we propose to offer shares in AAMPS and we propose that there be preferential timing in the offering of any proposed shares to existing, long-term members. Our intention is to turn the studio back over to you. (Please read the qualifying notice at the end of this document.)

Exercise your power. Make a decision to act. Make a difference. Some ask why AAMPS is so vital, and why it will work. The simple fact is that it is almost impossible for a producer (Hollywood mainstream or otherwise) to get a film with virtues and values through the greedy, grueling green-light gauntlet of Hollywood. AAMPS is already becoming a welcomed destination for producers, writers and directors who have great stories and great films that everyone will love and that do not ambush anyone with language, sexual content and violence. It has been startling to discover how many "outside" insiders there are in Hollywood. We are almost surprised but excited that mainstream Hollywood producers, tired of producing R-rated garbage, are already embracing AAMPS and asking to be put "at the top of the list" for consideration by members of the Audience Alliance Academy. You are the one who can empower that to happen. Stick with us. This announcement is a kind of preliminary "family and friends" launch of Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios and the Audience Alliance Academy.

Early in 2007 AAMPS will roll out to the world. There are significant benefits to being among the Founder�s Circle, so we hope you will join us and then be prepared to stick with us to the inevitable triumphs ahead.

Visit the Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios registration page. Register now so you can be among the first members. We will be opening the web portal very soon at www.audiencealliance.com. You can change the world for $10 month.

The statement above about �owning the studio� is a statement of intent and at this early stage we cannot be bound to or guarantee to you any detailed future financial model. This means that legally nothing in this paragraph should be taken as a solicitation to invest in the company or a financial scheme. At this stage and until further notice we are a membership organization. Your member benefits do not include an interest in the revenue or assets of AAMPS or a return on your subscription fees. Member benefits are non-financial and are limited to ancillary benefits such as copies of DVDs, participation rights in the film making process and other non-financial benefits as listed on the website from time to time. Your participation rights will be limited to creative direction and will not allow you to vote on financial matters. Any future offer of shares or debentures will be done in strict accordance with the legal requirements of each State and Nation in which offers are made. This is not an offering memorandum or a financial product disclosure statement.)


Wednesday, November 29, 2006

Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Winter 2006


Volume 39 No. 4 / Winter 2006 (entire contents viewable at http://www.dialoguejournal.com/store/?id=173)
Levi S. Peterson, editor

Is Joseph Smith Relevant to the Community of Christ?
by Roger D. Launius, pg. 58

How Missionaries Entered East Germany: The 1988 Monson-Honecker Meeting
by Raymond M. Kuehne pg. 107

Perseverance amid Paradox: The Struggle of the LDS Church in Japan Today
by Jiro Numano, pg. 138 (article available online at http://www.dialoguejournal.com/excerpts/3904.pdf).


Re-imagining Nephi
A Review of Michael D. and Laura Allred's The Golden Plates: Volumes 1–3
by Colin Austin pg. 252

Re: Richard Dutcher Interview

I nominate Richard Dutcher sit on the correlation committee. 

:-)

On 11/28/06, Lorin Lords <lords@xmission.com > wrote:
Excellent observation:  "...Mormons whose religious outlook seems to be focused more on God's justice than on God's mercy..."   Sometimes I think the former belong to "The Church of Moses of Latter-Day Pharisees".

Lorin Lords


CB wrote:
Following are excerpts from an interview with the father of Mormon film, Richard Dutcher in Christianty Today  You can read the entire review here:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/richarddutcher.html
---

You ended up at Brigham Young, so I assume you became a Mormon somewhere along there?

Dutcher: I was 8 when my mother married this Mormon guy, and it was like, "Well, we're going to be Mormons now." But whenever I was with my mother's family, we'd attend Pentecostal services. And my real father's family were Baptists. So we kind of hopped all around.

It's strange to be a part of different faith communities. Pentecostal preachers were trying to save me from Mormonism. And Mormon leaders thought any other religion was a waste of time. But as a kid, I didn't feel any need to really make a choice one way or the other. And I even feel less so as an adult.

But you ended up settling in the Mormon church?

Dutcher: My wife and kids predominantly attend the LDS church, but I'm so busy that I'm really not active in that community any more. I travel so much, and I find myself just choosing whatever service appeals to me that week. When I'm in Burbank, I attend a Catholic church. And I've recently noticed a Greek Orthodox church across the street, so I'll probably hit that too.

...

When you say "Mormon movies," do you just mean movies by, about, and for Mormons? Or are they for a wider audience?

Dutcher: Well most of the Mormon filmmakers are delusional; they think their films would appeal to a larger audience. Lifetime Mormons who've never been outside of Utah have no idea what would make a film cross over to another community. They have such a limited view of the religious world, they just don't have a clue how to make a film that might appeal to other people.

My idea of Mormon cinema would be films that take a deep, probing look into Mormonism—its history, doctrine, contemporary life, to explore things that were pretty much untapped. But that's certainly not what Mormon cinema became. It became something so much more superficial and meaningless.

...

God's Army did well in theaters, but States of Grace didn't. Why?

Dutcher: To me, it was by far a better film than God's Army, but we couldn't give tickets away. I think it's because people thought it was going to be just another crappy Mormon movie.

Sounds like you're up against quite a perception problem.

Dutcher: Yes, that's the battle I've been fighting in the Mormon community. Word's gotten out that my films are a little edgier than the others, and have a little more depth and are actually about something. And I think the Mormon community just doesn't have reverence or respect for art. It certainly doesn't understand film as an art form. So there's a big educational curve that has to take place before the Mormon community will start taking film seriously.

...

I read a quote from someone who likes your films because you don't just do "movies about the Osmond twins." What's he mean by that?

Dutcher: I think most Mormon films are expressions of "the Mormon aesthetic," and have very little to do with anything at the heart of Mormonism. I mean they're really not about doctrine or history; there's really no thought put into it. It's just simply a trifle, a piece of entertainment, something that won't offend.

The Mormon community, by and large, judges their films based on what's not in them—if there's no nudity, no violence, and no harsh language, then it must be a good film. I try to point out the lack of logic to that, where we should be judging film based on what IS in it—good acting, story, craft, some thought, some theme. But I think most of the cinematic expressions coming out of the Mormon community are just, "Let's not offend. Let's do something the preacher won't get mad about," rather than telling the stories that have to be told, and exploring the territory that has to be explored.

...

Many evangelicals think Mormonism is a far-out sect or even a cult. Why do you think many evangelicals feel that way?

Dutcher: I think the problem is that a lot of Mormons don't understand their own religion. I think this film has been judged very harshly by Mormons whose religious outlook seems to be focused more on God's justice than on God's mercy. And I think that's where I think the real breakdown occurs between evangelicals and Mormons, because as much as the Mormons want to say they believe in the grace of Jesus Christ, there's still at the fundamental core of Mormonism this psychology of needing to earn salvation.

Salvation by works?

Dutcher: Exactly. It's very much there. A lot of Mormons who saw States of Grace rejected it simply because they felt that it preached easy forgiveness—which if they'd look, that's what their own doctrine teaches anyway. But that's where the difference is, between the actual doctrines of Mormonism and the psychology of contemporary Mormonism. It has crept into the Mormon psychology that if you sin … the idea of repentance … [Dutcher pauses.]

I'm trying to be very careful here. But I tried to address some of this thinking in the film—like when the father [of a Mormon missionary] says he'd rather have his son come home in a casket than come home dishonored. I mean, that is such an expression of traditional Mormon psychology—that it would be better to have a child dead than to have a child who made a major moral mistake.

In some ways, that's what this film was about. It's about saying, "If Christ is central to Mormonism, what does that mean?" That was something I was grappling with and studying.

...

Dutcher: He's talking about the rules for missionaries.

That you can't help a homeless person?

Dutcher: That you can't have anybody in your apartment except other missionaries.

There's nothing in the Bible that would imply that. Is there something in the Book of Mormon that would support such a rule?

Dutcher: Absolutely not. In fact, it would be quite the opposite. The Book of Mormon is right in line with the Bible as far as that. The idea would be absolutely, be a good Samaritan, take care of him. But if you follow the missionary rules, it often could prevent you from doing acts of Christian service. So it's one of those ironies.

Your publicist told me the label of "Mormon filmmaker" will disappear with your next movie, Falling, coming in 2007. Why would that film convince people to drop the label?

Dutcher: Probably because the Mormon community itself will probably disown me (laughs). But it's just a film with deeply spiritual Christian and Mormon themes, but it speaks that message in … Well, basically it violates the Mormon aesthetic in pretty much every way possible. It's on the street, it's violent, it's edgy. For those to whom their sensibilities are more important than the message, it's probably going to offend a large percentage of those people. It's about a lapsed Mormon, and I wanted to depict that truthfully. It will definitely be rated R.

...



Tuesday, November 28, 2006

Richard Dutcher Interview

Following are excerpts from an interview with the father of Mormon film, Richard Dutcher in Christianty Today  You can read the entire review here:

http://www.christianitytoday.com/movies/interviews/richarddutcher.html
---

You ended up at Brigham Young, so I assume you became a Mormon somewhere along there?

Dutcher: I was 8 when my mother married this Mormon guy, and it was like, "Well, we're going to be Mormons now." But whenever I was with my mother's family, we'd attend Pentecostal services. And my real father's family were Baptists. So we kind of hopped all around.

It's strange to be a part of different faith communities. Pentecostal preachers were trying to save me from Mormonism. And Mormon leaders thought any other religion was a waste of time. But as a kid, I didn't feel any need to really make a choice one way or the other. And I even feel less so as an adult.

But you ended up settling in the Mormon church?

Dutcher: My wife and kids predominantly attend the LDS church, but I'm so busy that I'm really not active in that community any more. I travel so much, and I find myself just choosing whatever service appeals to me that week. When I'm in Burbank, I attend a Catholic church. And I've recently noticed a Greek Orthodox church across the street, so I'll probably hit that too.

...

When you say "Mormon movies," do you just mean movies by, about, and for Mormons? Or are they for a wider audience?

Dutcher: Well most of the Mormon filmmakers are delusional; they think their films would appeal to a larger audience. Lifetime Mormons who've never been outside of Utah have no idea what would make a film cross over to another community. They have such a limited view of the religious world, they just don't have a clue how to make a film that might appeal to other people.

My idea of Mormon cinema would be films that take a deep, probing look into Mormonism—its history, doctrine, contemporary life, to explore things that were pretty much untapped. But that's certainly not what Mormon cinema became. It became something so much more superficial and meaningless.

...

God's Army did well in theaters, but States of Grace didn't. Why?

Dutcher: To me, it was by far a better film than God's Army, but we couldn't give tickets away. I think it's because people thought it was going to be just another crappy Mormon movie.

Sounds like you're up against quite a perception problem.

Dutcher: Yes, that's the battle I've been fighting in the Mormon community. Word's gotten out that my films are a little edgier than the others, and have a little more depth and are actually about something. And I think the Mormon community just doesn't have reverence or respect for art. It certainly doesn't understand film as an art form. So there's a big educational curve that has to take place before the Mormon community will start taking film seriously.

...

I read a quote from someone who likes your films because you don't just do "movies about the Osmond twins." What's he mean by that?

Dutcher: I think most Mormon films are expressions of "the Mormon aesthetic," and have very little to do with anything at the heart of Mormonism. I mean they're really not about doctrine or history; there's really no thought put into it. It's just simply a trifle, a piece of entertainment, something that won't offend.

The Mormon community, by and large, judges their films based on what's not in them—if there's no nudity, no violence, and no harsh language, then it must be a good film. I try to point out the lack of logic to that, where we should be judging film based on what IS in it—good acting, story, craft, some thought, some theme. But I think most of the cinematic expressions coming out of the Mormon community are just, "Let's not offend. Let's do something the preacher won't get mad about," rather than telling the stories that have to be told, and exploring the territory that has to be explored.

...

Many evangelicals think Mormonism is a far-out sect or even a cult. Why do you think many evangelicals feel that way?

Dutcher: I think the problem is that a lot of Mormons don't understand their own religion. I think this film has been judged very harshly by Mormons whose religious outlook seems to be focused more on God's justice than on God's mercy. And I think that's where I think the real breakdown occurs between evangelicals and Mormons, because as much as the Mormons want to say they believe in the grace of Jesus Christ, there's still at the fundamental core of Mormonism this psychology of needing to earn salvation.

Salvation by works?

Dutcher: Exactly. It's very much there. A lot of Mormons who saw States of Grace rejected it simply because they felt that it preached easy forgiveness—which if they'd look, that's what their own doctrine teaches anyway. But that's where the difference is, between the actual doctrines of Mormonism and the psychology of contemporary Mormonism. It has crept into the Mormon psychology that if you sin … the idea of repentance … [Dutcher pauses.]

I'm trying to be very careful here. But I tried to address some of this thinking in the film—like when the father [of a Mormon missionary] says he'd rather have his son come home in a casket than come home dishonored. I mean, that is such an expression of traditional Mormon psychology—that it would be better to have a child dead than to have a child who made a major moral mistake.

In some ways, that's what this film was about. It's about saying, "If Christ is central to Mormonism, what does that mean?" That was something I was grappling with and studying.

...

Dutcher: He's talking about the rules for missionaries.

That you can't help a homeless person?

Dutcher: That you can't have anybody in your apartment except other missionaries.

There's nothing in the Bible that would imply that. Is there something in the Book of Mormon that would support such a rule?

Dutcher: Absolutely not. In fact, it would be quite the opposite. The Book of Mormon is right in line with the Bible as far as that. The idea would be absolutely, be a good Samaritan, take care of him. But if you follow the missionary rules, it often could prevent you from doing acts of Christian service. So it's one of those ironies.

Your publicist told me the label of "Mormon filmmaker" will disappear with your next movie, Falling, coming in 2007. Why would that film convince people to drop the label?

Dutcher: Probably because the Mormon community itself will probably disown me (laughs). But it's just a film with deeply spiritual Christian and Mormon themes, but it speaks that message in … Well, basically it violates the Mormon aesthetic in pretty much every way possible. It's on the street, it's violent, it's edgy. For those to whom their sensibilities are more important than the message, it's probably going to offend a large percentage of those people. It's about a lapsed Mormon, and I wanted to depict that truthfully. It will definitely be rated R.

...


"Mormon"

The church has discouraged the use of the term "Mormon" for some time now (see http://www.lds.org/newsroom/showrelease/0,15503,4028-1-4497,00.html ).  However it is reapplying for ownership of the term "Mormon" via  trademark  (see http://portal.uspto.gov/external/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1I1/.cmd/ad/.ar/sa.gov.uspto.tow.actions.DetailViewAction/.c/6_0_CH/.ce/7_0_1JJ/.p/5_0_1CH/.d/0?isSubmitted=true&details=&SELECT=US+Serial+No&TEXT=78161091# ), even though an earlier application was rejected.  It is also berating other churches who believe in Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon for calling themselves "Mormon" and asking the media to not call these  groups "Mormon" (see http://www.cnw.ca/fr/releases/archive/November2006/21/c7327.html).  At the same time the church doesn't appreciate it when others won't call them Christian.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

Church loses English Temple Tax Exemption Case

Top judges ruled against the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter-Day
Saints, saying the temple did not qualify for a rates exemption –
because it can only be used by selected Mormon believers and is not "a
place of public religious worship."

The Appeal Court decision is a bitter blow to the Church whose 6,300
square metre temple is just one of a number of very large buildings set
amidst 15 acres at Temple Way, adjacent to the M61 motorway.

Lord Justice Neuberger said that, for Mormons, their temples are
considered the "Houses of the Lord and the most sacred places on earth."

At the Appeal Court, the Church challenged a decision of the Lands
Tribunal that its Chorley temple did not qualify for exemption from rates.

But, dismissing the appeal, Lord Justice Neuberger said: "The activities
carried out in the temple, far from 'relating to the organisation of the
conduct of public religious worship,' are in reality 'acts of ritual
worship carried out in private'."

He said the characteristics of the Mormon faith "cannot warrant a
departure from the terms of the Local Government Finance Act 1988."

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Creationist Museum Soon to Open


http://www.guardian.co.uk/religion/Story/0,,1946370,00.html
So what's with all the dinosaurs?

The world's first Creationist museum - dedicated to the idea that the
creation of the world, as told in Genesis, is factually correct - will
soon open. Stephen Bates is given a sneak preview and asks: was there
really a tyrannosaurus in the Bible?

Monday November 13, 2006
The Guardian

Just off the interstate, a couple of junctions down from Cincinnati's
international airport, over the state line in rural Kentucky, the
finishing touches are being put to an impressive-looking building.
When it is finished and open to the public next summer, it may, quite
possibly, be one of the weirdest museums in the world.

The Creation Museum - motto: "Prepare to Believe!" - will be the first
institution in the world whose contents, with the exception of a few
turtles swimming in an artificial pond, are entirely fake. It is
dedicated to the proposition that the account of the creation of the
world in the Book of Genesis is completely correct, and its mission is
to convince visitors through a mixture of animatronic models, tableaux
and a strangely Disneyfied version of the Bible story.

Its designer, Patrick Marsh, used to work at Universal Studios in Los
Angeles and then in Japan before he saw the light, opened his soul to
Jesus, and was born anew. "The Bible is the only thing that gives you
the full picture," he says. "Other religions don't have that, and, as
for scientists, so much of what they believe is pretty fuzzy about
life and its origins ... oh, this is a great place to work, I will
tell you that."

So this is the Bible story, as truth. Apart from the dinosaurs, that
is. As you stand in the museum's lobby - the only part of the building
approaching completion - you are surrounded by life-size dinosaur
models, some moving and occasionally grunting as they chew the
cud.Beside the turtle pool, two animatronic, brown-complexioned
children, demurely dressed in Hiawatha-like buckskin, gravely flutter
with movement. Behind them lurk two small Tyrannosaurus Rexes. This
scene is meant to date from before the Fall of Man and, apparently,
dinosaurs.

Theological scholars may have noticed that there are, in fact, no
dinosaurs mentioned in the Bible - and here lies the Creationists'
first problem. Since there are undoubtedly dinosaur bones and since,
according to the Creationists, the world is only 6,000 years old - a
calculation devised by the 17th-century Bishop Ussher, counting back
through the Bible to the Creation, a formula more or less accepted by
the museum - dinosaurs must be shoehorned in somewhere, along with the
Babylonians, Egyptians and the other ancient civilisations. As for the
Grand Canyon - no problem: that was, of course, created in a few
months by Noah's Flood.

But what, I ask wonderingly, about those fossilised remains of early
man-like creatures? Marsh knows all about that: "There are no such
things. Humans are basically as you see them today. Those skeletons
they've found, what's the word? ... they could have been deformed,
diseased or something. I've seen people like that running round the
streets of New York."

Nothing can dent the designer's zeal as he leads us gingerly through
the labyrinth of rooms still under construction, with bits of wood,
and the odd dinosaur head occasionally blocking our path. The light of
keenness shines from the faces of the workers, too, as they chisel out
mountain sides and work out where to put the Tree of Life. They greet
us cheerily as we pass.

They, too, know they are doing the Lord's Work, and each has signed a
contract saying they believe in the Seven Days of Creation theory.
Mornings on this construction site start with prayer meetings. Don't
think for a minute that this is some sort of crazy little
hole-in-the-corner project. The museum is costing $25m (£13m) and all
but $3m has already been raised from private donations. It is
strategically placed, too - not in the middle of nowhere, but within
six hours' drive of two-thirds of the entire population of the US.
And, as we know, up to 50 million of them do believe that the Bible's
account of Creation is literally true.

We pass the site where one day an animatronic Adam will squat beside
the Tree. With this commitment to authenticity, I find myself asking
what they are doing about the fig leaf. Marsh considers this gravely
and replies: "He is appropriately positioned, so he can be modest.
There will be a lamb or something there next to him. We are very
careful about that: some of our donors are scared to death about
nudity."

The same will go for the scene where Eve is created out of Adam's rib,
apparently, and parents will be warned that little children may be
scared by the authenticity of some of the scenes. "Absolutely, because
we are in there, being faithful to scripture."

A little licence is allowed, however, where the Bible falls down on
the details. The depiction of a wall-sized section of Noah's Ark is
based, not on the traditional picture of a flat-decked boat, but one
designed by navy engineers with a keel and bows, which might, at
least, have floated. "You can surmise," says Marsh. When you get
inside, there's nifty computer software telling you how they fitted
all the animals in, too.

The museum's research scientist, Dr Jason Lisle, has a PhD in
astrophysics from the University of Colorado at Boulder. He realised
he was a Christian while he was an undergraduate, but didn't spread it
around: "People get very emotional about the issue. I don't believe we
should ever be obnoxious about our faith. I just kept quiet." And how
did he pass the exams? "I never lied, but if I was asked a question
about the age of the universe, I answered from my knowledge of the
topic, not my beliefs."

The museum's planetarium is his pride and joy. Lisle writes the
commentary. "Amazing! God has a name for each star," it says, and:
"The sun's distance from earth did not happen by chance." There is
much more in this vein, but not what God thought he was doing when he
made Pluto, or why.

Now, we are taken to meet Ken Ham, the museum's director and its
inspiration. Ham is an Australian, a former science teacher - though
not, he is at pains to say, a scientist - and he has been working on
the project for much of the past 20 years since moving to the US.
"You'd never find something like this in Australia," he says. "If you
want to get the message out, it has to be here."

Reassuringly, on the wall outside his office, are three framed
photographs of the former Australian cricket captain Steve Waugh -
"cricket's never really caught on over here" - and inside, on his
bookshelves, is a wooden model of a platypus. On top of the shelves is
an array of fluffy poodle toys, as well as cuddly dinosaurs. "Poodles
are degenerate mutants of dogs. I say that in my lectures and people
present them to me as gifts."

Ham is a large man with a chin-hugging beard like an Old Testament
prophet or an old-fashioned preacher, both of which he is, in a way.
He lectures all over the world and spent a month in Britain earlier in
the summer spreading the message to the faithful in parish halls from
Cornwall to Scotland. "We want to try to convince people using
observational science," he says. "It's done very gently but
forthrightly. We give both sides, which is more than the Science
Museum in London does."

This is true in that the Creation museum does include an animatronic
evolutionist archaeologist, sitting beside a creationist, at one
point. But there's no space for an animatronic Charles Darwin to fit
alongside King David and his harp.

On the shelf behind Ham's desk lie several surprising books, including
Richard Dawkins' latest. "I've skipped through it. The thing is,
Dawkins does not have infinite knowledge or understanding himself.
He's got a position, too, it's just a different one from ours. The
Bible makes sense and is overwhelmingly confirmed by observable
science. It does not confirm the belief in evolution."

But if you believe in the Bible, why do you need to seek scientific
credibility, and why are Creationists so reluctant to put their
theories to peer review, I ask?

"I would give the same answer as Dawkins. He believes there is no God
and nothing you could say would convince him otherwise. You are
dealing with an origins issue. If you don't have the information, you
cannot be sure. Nothing contradicts the Bible's account of the
origins."

We wander across to the bookshop, which, far from being another
biblical epic, is done up like a medieval castle, framed with heraldic
shields and filled with images of dragons - dragons, you see, being
what dinosaurs became. It is full of books with titles such as
Infallible Proofs, The Lie, The Great Dinosaur Mystery Solved and even
a DVD entitled Arguments Creationists Should Not Use. As we finish the
tour, Ham tells us about the museum's website, AnswersInGenesis.org.
They are expecting 300,000 visitors a year. "You've not seen anything
yet," he says with a smile.

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Mormon Tabernacle Choir receives "Mother Teresa" award


Mormon Tabernacle Choir receives "Mother Teresa" award
LAST UPDATE: 11/19/2006 7:28:30 PM
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=608015

SALT LAKE CITY - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir was honored with the
"Laureate
of the Mother Teresa Award" Sunday for "edifying the world through
inspirational choral performances and recordings."

"This is the only choir I know that has touched the entire world with
its
beauty," said Dan Paulos, director of the St. Bernadette Institute of
Sacred
Art, which gives out the award. "There are a lot of choirs out there,
but
none so remarkable. It's a gift of God and it should be shared with the
world."

Reverend Joseph Mayo, Rector of the Cathedral of the Madeline awarded
the
Choir the honor at 10 a.m. after the Music and the Spoken Word
broadcast.
Mac Christensen, president of the choir, and Craig Jessop, music
director,
accepted the award on behalf of the Choir.

The Mother Teresa Awards were created to honor those who beautify the
world
through their unique gifts and talents. The award is a statuette of a
modernized Mother Teresa, and was created by R.S. Owens Company of
Chicago,
who produces the Oscars for the Academy Awards.

Other Laureates of the Mother Teresa Award include Pope John Paul II,
Maya
Angelou, Andrea Bocelli, President Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Elie
Wiesel
and others.

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir originated in the mid-19th century as the
first
pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints arrived in
the
Salt Lake Valley. Since then, the choir has become world-renowned
through
its many recordings, tours and weekly TV and radio broadcast, Music and
the
Spoken Word, the longest-running continuous network radio broadcast in
the
world.

For more information about the Mother Teresa Award please visit
www.motherteresaawards.com.

------=_Part_69902_8558285.1164036110237
Content-Type: text/html; charset=WINDOWS-1252
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
X-Google-AttachSize: 2182

<p><font class="storyheadline">Mormon Tabernacle Choir receives
&quot;Mother Teresa&quot; award</font><br><font class="smalltease">LAST
UPDATE: 11/19/2006 7:28:30 PM</font></p><a
href="http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&amp;sid=608015">
http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&amp;sid=608015</a><br><p><font
class="storytext">SALT
LAKE CITY - The Mormon Tabernacle Choir was honored with the
&quot;Laureate
of the Mother Teresa Award&quot; Sunday for &quot;edifying the world
through
inspirational choral performances and recordings.&quot; <br>
<p><br>&quot;This is the only choir I know that has touched the entire
world
with its beauty,&quot; said Dan Paulos, director of the St. Bernadette
Institute of Sacred Art, which gives out the award. &quot;There are a
lot of
choirs out there, but none so remarkable. It's a gift of God and it
should be shared with the world.&quot; <br><br>Reverend Joseph Mayo,
Rector
of the Cathedral of the Madeline awarded the Choir the honor at 10 a.m.
after the Music and the Spoken Word broadcast. Mac Christensen,
president of the choir, and Craig Jessop, music director, accepted the
award on behalf of the Choir. <br><br>The Mother Teresa Awards were
created to honor those who beautify the world through their unique
gifts and talents. The award is a statuette of a modernized Mother
Teresa, and was created by R.S. Owens Company of Chicago, who produces
the Oscars for the Academy Awards. <br><br>Other Laureates of the
Mother Teresa Award include Pope John Paul II, Maya Angelou, Andrea
Bocelli, President Jimmy Carter, Nelson Mandela, Elie Wiesel and
others. <br><br>The Mormon Tabernacle Choir originated in the mid-19th
century as the first pioneers of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints arrived in the Salt Lake Valley. Since then, the
choir has become world-renowned through its many recordings, tours and
weekly TV and radio broadcast, Music and the Spoken Word, the
longest-running continuous network radio broadcast in the world.
<br><br>For more information about the Mother Teresa Award please visit
<a
href="http://www.motherteresaawards.com/">www.motherteresaawards.com</a>.
</p></font>
</p>

------=_Part_69902_8558285.1164036110237--

Church begins participating in Religion Blog

Church news release: Church Participates in Religion Blog
Newsweek and The Washington Post, 17 November 2006

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will participate
regularly in a new religion blog - a joint project by Newsweek and
The Washington Post. Panelists respond weekly to a question on a
religious topic, which is then opened to the public for additional
comment.

---
Michael Otterson "On Faith" panelist has served as director of media
relations for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since
1997. As senior spokesman for the church, Otterson has worked with
most major publications, TV and radio networks, and other news media
in the United States and overseas on issues ranging from the 2002
Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City to the Church's burgeoning
international growth and diversity.

His posts and related discussion can be read here:
http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/michael_otterson/archives.html

Friday, November 17, 2006

Hinckley on War

President Gordon B. Hinckley gave an anti-war speech at BYU Tuesday, Oct 31st. Speaking of war Hinckley said, : "From traveling through Vietnam during the war, to visiting numerous military cemeteries around the world, he says he has been affected by the all the wars in his lifetime.

President Gordon B. Hinckley: "As I have visited these various cemeteries, I have reflected first, on the terrible cost of war. What a fruitless thing it so often is and what a terrible price it exacts."

http://www.ksl.com/?nid=148&sid=608015

Thursday, November 16, 2006

Banned from the Bible

The History Channel
Sunday, November 26, 2006

8-10pm -- Banned from The Bible -
In a 2-hour special, we scrutinize ancient writings
that didn't "make the cut" in the battle to create a
Christian Bible in the new religion's first few
centuries. Biblical archaeologists and scholars
examine why they were left out and if others might yet
be found. Beginning with the little-known Life of Adam
and Eve, we also peruse the Book of Jubilees, the Book
of Enoch, the Gospel of Thomas, the Protevangelium of
James, the Gospel of Mary, the Gospel of Nicodemus,
and the Apocalypse of Peter.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

Facing East

RadioWest on KUER FM 90
Thursday, November 16, 2006
Facing East

Carol Lynn Pearson knows all to well the pain that can arise in the conflict of
religion and new social realities. Twenty years ago, she wrote the seminal
book, Goodbye, I Love You, about her 12-year temple marriage to her gay
husband. Now, she has created a new play called Facing East, which follows an
upstanding Mormon couple dealing with the suicide of their gay son. Plan B
Theatre Company opens the work this week, and Pearson joins Doug for a
conversation about how society and religious communities deal with
homosexuality.

********

Join us for RadioWest weekdays at 11:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. on KUER FM 90. Links
to books and other resources related to this topic is available on-line at
<http://kuer.org> This program will also be available on-line for 6 weeks
following its broadcast.

Please note: Program descriptions do not necessarily reflect a complete or
final list of program guests. Due to the nature of live programs, topics are
subject to change without notice.

If you received this e-mail from another source and would like to receive
RadioWest's program announcements, subscribe at
<https://www.lists.utah.edu/wws/subscribe/radiowest >

Monday, November 13, 2006

Sociology of Mormonism


Ever wondered what a class on the sociology of Mormonism would be
like? You can view Professor Armand Mauss's syllabus for the course
taught a Claremont College here.

http://www.mormonsocialscience.org/files/SocMormonsCourse-Claremont.pdf

A launch for book of Mormon humor


A launch for book of Mormon humor
By Lynn Arave
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,650206072,00.html

Deseret Morning News
The latest take on Mormon humor is at bookstores this fall —
"The Mormon Tabernacle Enquirer: LDS News, Advice and Opinion."
A launch party is planned for the new book Thursday at 7 p.m.,
at Sam Weller's Zion Bookstore. The party will feature a Jell-O and
casserole competition, with the grand prize being a trip to Moab.
The new book is a compilation, done by the staff of the Sugar
Beet (an LDS version of the satirical publication The Onion), of their
best efforts. The book is edited by Christopher Kimball Bigelow,
co-author of "Mormonism for Dummies" and co-founder of The Sugar Beet.
A review of the book by Publishers Weekly stated:
"If a mature religion is one that can laugh at itself, then
Mormonism is growing up ... Bigelow and his staff of Sugar Beet
writers, whose identities are hidden behind ultra-Mormon pseudonyms,
ferret out the delicious humor tucked away in Mormonism's quirkiest
doctrines and cultural extremes ... readers will find the Enquirer's a
tie-loosening, glue-gun-melting pleasure."
The Sugar Beet Web site says:
"The ranks of the heretofore slim world of LDS satirists
(dominated by cartoonists Pat Bagley and Calvin Grondahl and columnist
Robert Kirby) have been swelled by the next generation: this
compilation of ruthlessly funny articles is as irreverent as the
Mormon Tabernacle Choir is decorous."
Some sample headlines from the book are:

• "SpongeBob receives mission call."

• "BYU offers scrapbooking degree."

• "Gladys Knight to release 'Midnight Train to Kolob."'

• "Vegas win attributed to obeying the law of tithing."

• "Hofmann forges letters from self."

• "Arnold Friberg body-building program announced."

• "Three Nephite identities revealed" (the Bee Gees).

• "Elvis Presley accepts posthumous baptism."

• "Log flume ride announced for Nauvoo."

• "Members urged to store a year's supply of entertainment."

• "Zions Bank offers financing for scrapbookers."

• "Boston resident finally convinced co-workers he has only one wife."

• "Provo man votes Democrat 'just to see what it feels like."'

• "MTC now powered by its own methane."

Published by Pince-Nez Press of San Francisco, the book sells
for $14.95 and is 165 pages long. Ordering details are also available
on the Sugar Beet Web site, sugar-beet.blogspot.com/ or at
www.pince-nez.com.

E-mail: lynn@desnews.com

Sunday, November 12, 2006

Support Mike Quinn

link: http://www.supportmikequinn.net/
                                                         
Eugene Kovalenko The D. Michael Quinn Fund: A Progress Report
By Eugene Kovalenko
October 2006

Dear donors and potential supporters of the D. Michael Quinn Fund:

It has been 6 months since the Wall Street Journal article put our friend and brother on its front page and embarrassed him before the world. Within days, a few of us began a support group in his behalf to get him back into the Mormon Studies saddle where he belongs, so that he would be independent of intimidating pressures. We established the D. Michael Quinn Fund in a bank in New Mexico that accepted the challenge to take an out of state account. Mike was not optimistic that anything would come of it at the beginning, but he appreciated the gesture.

First Goal

I'm pleased to report that, thanks to the few generous folks who stepped up to the plate , our first goal, to get Mike debt free, has been largely achieved (not quite, but close). There have been 16 individual donors to date (of the thousands of hits to the website). The smallest donation was a widow's mite of $1 and the largest was a generous $12,000. As the administrator of the account, I am the only person (besides the bank) who knows the names of donors, and I will be writing a separate bcc financial report to each by the end of next week (to those for whom I have addresses).

The bank account information needed to send donations can be found on http://www.supportmikequinn.net/how for those of you who wish to join this small stalwart band of courageous first contributors. If you can, we ask that you schedule a regular monthly amount so that Mike can work without interruption and distraction.

Second Goal

Our next goal is to provide Mike with a reliable and continuous income stream. When we asked for suggestions on how we might do this, there were two creative and practical suggestions:
  1. Pay Pal account. I think more people will donate to Michael Quinn's account if a Pay Pal account is set up. It can be set up in 48 hours and it can be another, but not the only option. I can make a Pay Pal payment is less than one minute, but to write out a check and mail it off to a bank, that was put on my to do list 2 weeks ago and still has not been done. I am not the only person in this situation. [Note: you can set up a Pay Pal account so that it makes automatic deposits the DMQ Fund on a regular basis.]


  2. Here is his blockbuster idea for a virtual academic chair: The "DNA Mormon" Chair in Mormon Studies (working title) The Wall Street Journal article discussed how university programs on Mormon Studies refuse to hire Michael Quinn. Why not create our own chair of Mormon Studies? It does not need to be connected with any university at this point; it could be created with a Foundation we create. This way we do not need to ask permission or beg. If Michael were the chair of the foundation, he could receive a stipend for this.
I will appreciate your input in developing these ideas.

Sincerely,

Eugene Kovalenko   

Saturday, November 11, 2006

Mormonism on Wikipedia

Wikipedia has become a very good source for information regarding Mormonism.  Below is a list of articles currently available.
-----------------------------



List of articles about Mormonism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In an effort to bring together pages on various religions, below is a list of articles that are about or reference Mormonism topics.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_articles_about_Mormonism

See also: Wikipedia:WikiProject_Latter_Day_Saint_movement .


Supercategories of Mormonism

Christianity, Gospel, Religion, Religion in the United States, Restorationism

 Category:Mormonism (in general as a religion)

Church of Christ (Mormonism), Latter-day Saint, Latter Day Saint, Latter Day Saint movement , Mormon, Mormonism, Mormonism and Christianity, Mormonism and Freemasonry, Mormonism and Judaism, Restorationist (Church of Christ-Elijah), Saint

Category:Latter Day Saint denominations

Aaronic Order, Apostolic United Brethren, Apostolic United Order, Church of Christ (Bickertonite), Church of Christ (Cutlerite), Church of Christ (Temple Lot), Church of Christ (Whitmerite), Church of Jesus Christ (Bickertonite), Church of Jesus Christ in Zion, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite), Church of Jesus Christ, the Bride, the Lamb's Wife, Church of Christ with the Elijah Message, Community of Christ, Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Kingston clan, New Covenant Church of God, Pentecostal Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Remnant Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Restoration Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Restored Church of Jesus Christ, Rigdonite, Sons Aumen Israel, True Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, True & Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days

Category:Organizations related to Mormonism

Bonneville International, Brigham Young University, Deseret Book, Deseret Management Corporation, Deseret Morning News, Excel Entertainment Group, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS), Intellectual Reserve, Israel Revealed, John Whitmer Historical Association, KSL-TV, Mormon History Association, Mormon Apologetics, Signature Books

Topics that reference Mormonism

Accounts of pre-mortal existence, American exceptionalism, Anthropomorphism, Argument from nonbelief, Ark of the Covenant , Arianism, Baptismal clothing, Breastplate, British Israelism, Christian countercult movement , Christian denominations, Church of Scientology, Cunning folk, Disciples of Christ, Egbert Bratt Grandin , Fate of the unlearned, Freemasonry, Henotheism, Millerites, Modesty, Mystery religion, Non-Christian perspectives on Jesus, Other perspectives on Jesus, Purported cults, Scientology, Scientology controversy , Survivalism, Shudra, Temple robes, Urim and Thummim, Whore of Babylon, Edmunds-Tucker Act

Category:Latter Day Saint doctrines, beliefs, and practices

Adamic language, pre-Columbian trans-oceanic contact, Angel, LDS Apostates, Authority_and_the_Church_of_Jesus_Christ_of_Latter-day_Saints , Blood atonement, Celestial Kingdom, Chosen people, Christian eschatology, Christian view of marriage, City of Zion (Mormonism), Continuous revelation, Ecumenical council, Exaltation (Mormonism), Excommunication, Fast Sunday, fast offering, Gentile, Great Apostasy, Homosexuality and Christianity, Israelite, Kolob, Temple garment, Holy of Holies (LDS), Native American, Outer darkness, Plan of Salvation, Plural marriage, Polygamous Mormon fundamentalists, Pre-existence, Restoration (Mormonism), Satan, Seer stone, Separation of church and state, Son of Perdition, Spiritual wifery, Telestial Kingdom, Temple Garment, Terrestrial Kingdom, Testimony, Urim and Thummim, Word of Wisdom, Word of Wisdom (Latter-day Saint)

Category:Latter Day Saint doctrines regarding deity

Adam-God theory, Creator god , Elohim, Exaltation, God, God and gender, God the Father, Godhead (Christianity) , Godhead (Mormonism), Heavenly Mother, Henotheism, Holy Spirit, Jesus, Jesus Christ as the Messiah, Nontrinitarianism , Omnipotence, Trinity, Theosis

Category:Latter Day Saint ordinances, rituals, and symbolism

Anointing of the Sick, Baptism, Baptism for the dead, Blood atonement Eternal Marriage, Marriage, Infant baptism, Light of Christ, Ordinance (Mormonism), Patriarchal blessing, Rebaptism (Mormonism), Sacrament meeting, Sacrament (Mormonism), Sealing (Mormonism),Temple, Temple (Mormonism),

Category:Latter-day Saint religious clothing

Baptismal clothing, Temple garment, Temple robes,

Category:Latter Day Saint hierarchy

Aaronic Priesthood, Anointed Quorum, Apostle, Apostle (Mormonism), Apostolic Succession , Bishop, Bishop (Mormonism), Chapel, Choir, Church of Christ, Clergy, Deacon, Deacon (Mormonism), Elder (Mormonism), First Presidency, General Authority, High Council (Mormonism), High Priest (Mormonism), World Church Leadership Council (Community of Christ), Melchizedek priesthood, Missionary, Patriarch (Mormonism), Patriarchal Priesthood , Presiding Bishop, Presiding Patriarch (Mormonism), President of the Church (Mormonism), President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Priest, Priesthood, Priesthood (Mormonism), Priesthood Correlation Program, Primary Association, Prophet, Quorum (Mormonism), Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Quorums of the Seventy, Relief Society, Stake (Mormonism), Teacher (Mormonism) , Ward (Mormonism)

Category:General Conferences of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

174th Semiannual General Conference, LDS Conference Center, General Conference (Mormonism)

Category:Mormonism and controversy

Anti-Mormon, Controversies regarding The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Common Latter-day Saint perceptions , Cultural Mormons, Jack Mormons, Practicing Cultural Mormons , New Order Mormons

Category:Latter Day Saint texts

Apocrypha, Articles of Faith, Articles of the Church of Christ , Book of Abraham, Book of Commandments, Book of Mormon, Book of Moses, Doctrine and Covenants , Encyclopedia of Mormonism, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, Jesus the Christ (book by James E. Talmage), Joseph Smith-History, King Follett Discourse, Lectures on Faith, Nauvoo Expositor, Peace Maker (pamphlet) , Pearl of Great Price (Mormonism), Sacred text, Scriptures, Book of Jasher, Standard Works, The_Wentworth_Letter, The Word of the Lord Brought to Mankind by an Angel, Word of Wisdom

Mormonism and the Bible

Bible, Biblical canon, Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, King James Only Movement, King James Version of the Bible, New Testament, Old Testament

Category:Book of Mormon

Book of Mormon, Book of Mormon chronology, Book of Mormon topics, Curelom, Gadianton robbers, Egbert Bratt Grandin, Paanchi (Book of Mormon), Record of the Nephites, Secret combination, Sword of Laban

Category:Book of Mormon people

Ammaron, Ammon (Book of Mormon) , Book of Mormon rulers, Captain Moroni, Coriantumr, Enos (Book of Mormon), Ether (Book of Mormon) , Gadianton robbers, Ishmael (Book of Mormon), Jaredite , Jesus Christ (Ministry to the Americas), Joseph (Book of Mormon), King Noah , Korihor, Laban (Book of Mormon), Laman and Lemuel, Lamanite, Lamoni, Limhi, List of Book of Mormon groups, List of Book of Mormon people, Mosiah, Mulek, Nephite, Paanchi (Book of Mormon), Sam (Book of Mormon), Sariah, Sons of Mosiah, Various Book of Mormon people, Zedekiah, Zeniff, Zoram

Category:Book of Mormon artifacts

Breastplate, Liahona, Rameumptom, Seer stone, Urim and Thummim

Category:Book of Mormon places

Bountiful (Book of Mormon), Lehi-Nephi, Nahom, Zarahemla

Category:Book of Mormon prophets

Abinadi, Alma the Elder, Alma the Younger, Ether (Book of Mormon) , Helaman,Helaman, son of Helaman, Jacob (Book of Mormon), Jarom, King Benjamin, Lehi (Book of Mormon), List of Book of Mormon prophets, Mahonri Moriancumer, Mormon (prophet), Nephi, Omni (Book of Mormon), Samuel the Lamanite

Category:Book of Mormon studies

Archaeology and the Book of Mormon, Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Golden Plates, Linguistics and the Book of Mormon, Reformed Egyptian

Category:Books of the Book of Mormon

116 pages (Mormonism), First Book of Nephi, Second Book of Nephi, Book of Jacob, Book of Enos, Book of Jarom, Book of Omni, Words of Mormon, Book of Mosiah, Book of Alma, Book of Helaman, Third Book of Nephi , Fourth Book of Nephi, Book of Mormon (Mormon's record), Book of Ether, Book of Moroni, Large Plates of Nephi , Small Plates of Nephi

Category:Latter Day Saint periodicals

Elders' Journal, Ensign (magazine), Evening and Morning Star, Journal of Discourses, Messenger and Advocate, Relief Society Magazine, Times and Seasons, Woman's Exponent, Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought

Category:History of the Latter Day Saint movement

1890 Manifesto, Amboy Conference, Authoritarianism and Mormonism, Beehive, Blacks and Mormonism, Burned-over district, Cart, Council of Fifty, Culture of the United States, Danite , Deseret, Deseret alphabet, Execution by firing squad, Extermination Order (Mormonism), First Transcontinental Railroad (North America), First Vision, Forgery, Free love, Gallatin Election Day Battle, Haun's Mill Massacre, History of Christianity, History of the Americas, History of the United States, History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, History of the Latter Day Saint movement, Honeybee, Indian Placement Program, Joshua tree, Kirtland Safety Society, Miracle of the Gulls , Mormon Battalion, Mormon handcart pioneers, Mormon Pioneer, Mormon Reformation, Mormon Trail, Mormon War, Mountain Meadows Massacre, Nauvoo Legion, Nauvoo Expositor, Persecution of Christians , Polygamy, Priesthood Correlation Program , Rigdon's July 4th Oration, Salamander Letter, Salt Sermon, School of the Prophets, Second Great Awakening, Succession crisis (Mormonism), Transcendental Generation, United States religious history University of Deseret, Utah War , Women and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Zelph, Zion's Camp

Significant dates in Mormonism

  • December 23, 1805 - birth of Joseph Smith
  • Spring of 1820 - Joseph Smith, age 14, claims to be visited by God and Jesus
  • September 21, 1823 - Moroni The Angel visits Joseph Smith
  • September 22, 1823 - Joseph Smith is shown the gold plates for the first time
  • January 18, 1827 - Joseph Smith marries Emma Hale.
  • September 22, 1827 - Joseph Smith receives the gold plates.
  • May 15, 1829 - John The Baptist The Angel bestows the Aaron Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery
  • June 1829 - Peter James and John The Angels bestow the Melchizedek Priesthood upon Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery
  • March 26, 1830 - 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon published in Palmyra, New York
  • April 6, 1830 - Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints founded in Fayette, New York
  • 1832
  • November 13, 1838 - birth of Joseph Fielding Smith
  • June 27 1844 - Joseph and Hyrum Smith murdered in a jail in Carthage, Illinois
  • August 8, 1844 - Quorum of Twelve is created as the leading body of the Mormon Church
  • February 10, 1846 - Many Mormons begin their migration from Nauvoo, Illinois to Great Salt Lake
  • July 24, 1847 - Brigham Young arrives in Salt Lake Valley; Salt Lake City established
  • 1857 - Mormons abandon Las Vegas
  • October 6, 1890 - Wilford Woodruff issues the "Manifesto" halting polygamy.
  • 1904 - Joseph F. Smith issues a "Second Manifesto" against polygamy
  • 1957
  • January 12
  • February 10
  • March 24
  • April 6
  • June 1
  • June 9
  • June 27
  • July 24
  • August 8
  • August 29
  • September 11
  • September 21
  • September 24
  • December 5
  • December 23
  • 19th century

Court decisions regarding Mormonism

Category:Significant places in Mormonism

Adam-ondi-Ahman, Alberta, Arizona, Auditorium (Community of Christ), Beaver Island, Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center, Brigham Young University of Hawaii, Burlington, Wisconsin, Caldwell County, Missouri, Chihuahua (state), Culture of Mexico, Davis County, Utah, Demographics of Greece , Demographics of Kiribati, Demographics of Mexico, Demographics of Niue, Demographics of Palau, Demographics of Swaziland, Demographics of the Marshall Islands, Downtown (Salt Lake City), Far West, Missouri, Finger Lakes, Fort Bridger, Hiram, Ohio, Independence, Missouri, Jackson County, Missouri, Kane County, Utah, Kirtland, Ohio, Laie, Hawaii, Las Vegas, Nevada, LDS Church Office Building, LDS Conference Center, Los Angeles, California, Missouri, Morgan County, Utah, Nauvoo, Illinois, Palmyra, Platte River, Rich County, Utah, Salt Lake Assembly Hall , Salt Lake City, Utah, San Bernardino, California, Seagull Monument, Sharon, Vermont, State of Deseret, St. James Township, Michigan, University of Utah, Utah, Utah Territory, Voree, Wisconsin, Zion

Category:Latter Day Saint temples

Bern Switzerland Temple, Cardston Alberta Temple, Chicago Illinois Temple, Endowment House, Freiberg Germany Temple, Hamilton New Zealand Temple, Idaho Falls Idaho Temple, Independence temple, Kirtland Temple, Kona Hawaii Temple, Laie Hawaii Temple , Las Vegas Nevada Temple, Logan Utah Temple, London England Temple, Los Angeles California Temple, Manti Utah Temple, Mesa Arizona Temple, Nauvoo Illinois Temple, Nauvoo Temple, Oakland California Temple, Ogden Utah Temple, Provo Utah Temple, Raleigh Temple,Salt Lake Temple, São Paulo Brazil Temple, Seattle Washington Temple, St. George Utah Temple, Temple Lot, Temple Square, Tokyo Japan Temple, Vernal Utah Temple , Washington D.C. Temple, Nuku alofa Tonga Temple, Jordan River Utah Temple, Orlando Florida Temple, Atlanta Georgia Temple, Apia Samoa Temple

Category:Latter Day Saints

Category:Historians of the Latter Day Saint movement

Category:Notable people in Latter Day Saint history

Category:Mormon pioneers

Category:Latter Day Saint leaders

Category:Presidents of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Category:Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Category:Latter Day Saint art and culture

Boy Scouts of America, C.C.A. Christensen, Mormon actors, fireside, Jack Mormon, Jello Belt, LDS cinema, LDS fiction, Pioneer Day, Saints Unified Voices, Sunstone Magazine, Undergarment

Category:Portrayals of Mormons in popular media

"Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes" (Tony Kushner), A Study in Scarlet (Arthur Conan Doyle ), Brigham Young (movie), Go Ask Alice (Beatrice Sparks), "If This Goes On—" ( Robert A. Heinlein), Jay's Journal (Beatrice Sparks), Latter Days, L. E. Modesitt, Jr., The Man with 80 Wives , Orgazmo, The Other Side of Heaven, South Park episode 411: "Probably", South Park episode 712: "All About the Mormons?", Lost Boys (Orson Scott Card), St Albion Parish News, The Memory of Earth (Orson Scott Card)

Category:Latter Day Saint music

Collection of Sacred Hymns (Kirtland, Ohio), If you could hie to Kolob, Joy to the World (Phelps), Maren Ord, Mormon folk music, Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Music of Utah, O My Father (hymn), The Spirit of God Like a Fire Is Burning

Category:Latter Day Saint films

Category:Genealogy

Family History Library, GEDCOM , Genealogy