RadioWest, KUER FM 90
Monday, April 30, 2007
"The Mormons"
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of America's fastest
growing religions, and its influence circles the globe. A new documentary
produced by award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney ("Faith and Doubt at Ground
Zero," "John Paul II: The Millennial Pope") explores the richness,
complexities, and controversies of the Mormon story. Doug returns April 30th
with Helen Whitney and the new American Experience documentary "The Mormons."
********
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.
Friday, April 27, 2007
PBS: "The Mormons"
http://www.pbs.org/mormons/
PBS will air "The Mormons" on Monday Apr 30th, and Tuesday May 1st. In Utah it will show at 8:00 PM on both KUED 7, and KBYU 11.
This four-hour documentary brings together FRONTLINE and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE in their first co-production to provide a searching portrait of this fascinating but often misunderstood religion. Produced by award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney ("Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero," "John Paul II: The Millennial Pope"), the film will explore the richness, the complexities, and the controversies of the Mormons' story as told through interviews with leaders and members of the church, with leading writers and historians, and with supporters and critics of the Mormon faith.
PBS will air "The Mormons" on Monday Apr 30th, and Tuesday May 1st. In Utah it will show at 8:00 PM on both KUED 7, and KBYU 11.
This four-hour documentary brings together FRONTLINE and AMERICAN EXPERIENCE in their first co-production to provide a searching portrait of this fascinating but often misunderstood religion. Produced by award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney ("Faith and Doubt at Ground Zero," "John Paul II: The Millennial Pope"), the film will explore the richness, the complexities, and the controversies of the Mormons' story as told through interviews with leaders and members of the church, with leading writers and historians, and with supporters and critics of the Mormon faith.
Thursday, April 26, 2007
Satan is behind illegal immigration, Utah County Republican claims
http://www.sltrib.com/portlet/article/html/fragments/print_article.jsp?articleId=5756635&siteId=297
Satan behind illegal immigration, Utah County Republican claims
By Todd Hollingshead
The Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Lake TribuneArticle Launched:04/26/2007 10:54:14 AM MDTPosted: 10:54 AM- Satan has a plan to destroy the United States, and his most crafty method is the invasion of illegal immigrants.
Or so says one Utah County Republican delegate.
District 65 Chairman Don Larsen submitted a resolution to be discussed at Saturday's Utah County Republican Convention that opposes the devil's plan to destroy the country by stealth invasion of illegal immigrants.
"In order for Satan to establish his 'New World Order' and destroy the freedom of all people as predicted in the Scriptures, he must first destroy the U.S.," Larsen's resolution states. "The mostly quiet and unspectacular invasion of illegal immigrants does not focus the attention of the nations the way open warfare does, but is all the more insidious for its stealth and innocuousness."
Larsen's resolution calls for the closing of national borders to illegal immigrants so as to "prevent the destruction of the U.S. by stealth invasion."
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Fwd: The "definitive" BOM map
THE DEFINITIVE MESOAMERICAN BOOK OF MORMON LANDS MAP
40 years in the making
Book of Mormon–Mesoamerican Historic Geography
An Introduction to Book of Mormon History
by V. Garth Norman, Archaeologist
30-page Booklet with Annotated Scriptural Gazetteer & Lexicon Notes
http://www.ancientamerica.org/library/media/HTML/7hvlmli5/book%20of%20mormon%20map.htm
Monday, April 23, 2007
Mormon joins raunchy housemates
http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/story/0,23663,21599845-10388,00.html
Mormon joins raunchy housemates
April 22, 2007 08:18am
IN a first for Big Brother, a chaste, non-drinking Mormon will be one of the contestants this year.
Rebecca, 23, says she has never drunk alcohol or worn a bikini, usually prerequisites for female contestants in the series, entering its seventh series tonight.
|Mormons, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, refrain from any involvement in delinquent, deviant, or anti-social behaviour.
Viewers will be looking on with curiosity to see if Rebecca can survive. Is it possible for her to win? "Absolutely," she said.
This series, hosted by Gretel Killeen, will feature older housemates rather than the young and voluptuous team from last year's house.
The contestants include a lawyer, a real estate agent and a 32-year-old truck driver. The NSW contestants are personal trainer Emma, 24, retail assistant Kara, 18, and Harrison, a 20-year-old carpenter.
Executive producer Kris Noble also promises that viewers will identify with someone in the house. "They will be quite different this year," Mr Noble said.
Big Brother will put its latest batch of contestants in lockdown for the Gold Coast house tonight.
"It's an isolated outing for them," Mr Noble said.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
New polygamy book debuts
http://blogs.sltrib.com/plurallife/2007/04/new-polygamy-book-debuts.htm
The Polygamy Files:
The Tribune's blog on the plural life
The Polygamy Files:
The Tribune's blog on the plural life
New polygamy book debuts
That comes from someone who has his one bonafides: Todd Compton, author of '''In Sacred Loneliness,'' a chronicle of the wives of Joseph Smith.
The new book is ''Doing the Works of Abraham: Mormon Polygamy, Its Origins, Practice and Demise." Hardy will be signing copies Friday night from 5-7 p.m. at Benchmark Books, 3269 S. Main Street, Ste. 250, in Salt Lake City. I plan to go.
I've read several chapters of Hardy's book and was enthralled, especially with the footnotes. They are extensive but a terrific source of explanatory detail that really enrich the documentary history he weaves together.
In the footnotes to chapter 9, I learned, for example, that the Oct. 8 edition of The Salt Lake Tribune derisively referred to the 1890 Manifesto advising LDS Church members to cease plural marriage as ''The Pronunciamento.''
The Woman's Exponent, a church publication, described it as a "letter." The Deseret News said it made its point "poorly."
Hilarious.
Here's a question: Is it possible to cover the topic of polygamy in a historical perspective in under 400 pages.
Hardy's book weighs in at 448 pages.
Brian C. Hale's book on fundamentalist Mormons, which has just been issued in final form, tallies 524 pages.
Todd Compton's book? 788 pages.
It is not about polygamy, but for the record Michael Quinn's book, ''The Mormon Hierarchy," contains 720 pages.
Those four books alone practically require their own book shelf. And getting through them? Well, they are not exactly in the tote 'em to the pool category.
Still, I'm reading them. Every single type-filled page.
An Advocate for Women: The Public Life of Emmeline B. Wells, 1870–1920
 | |||
 Price: $29.95 | An Advocate for Women: The Public Life of Emmeline B. Wells, 1870–1920 Carol Cornwall Madsen In her fifty years as a public figure, Emmeline B. Wells edited the Woman's Exponent, represented Latter-day Saint women in national women's organizations, courageously defended her religion in the halls of Congress, and helped mitigate anti-Mormon sentiments, all before becoming Relief Society General President in 1910 at age eighty-two. Her mediating efforts won friends inside and outside LDS circles and earned her a sculpted bust placed in a niche in the Utah state Capitol. The simple inscription speaks volumes: "A Fine Soul Who Served Us." "Emmeline Wells left indelible footprints not only in Utah—where she had a close working relationship with five church presidents—but on the national stage, including interviews with four U.S. Presidents, one in her own home. . . . Madsen broadens and deepens what she began in her award-winning dissertation [on Wells's life and work] to provide the full, engaging story of this woman who both chronicled and made history. Wells encouraged and inspired the women of her day. With Madsen's eloquent retelling, Emmeline's accomplishments may now inspire those of our own age, too." |
2007 FAIR Conference
Announcement
2007 FAIR CONFERENCE
2007 FAIR CONFERENCE
On Thursday August 2 and Friday August 3 we will be holding our annual
FAIR Conference at the South Towne Exposition Center in Sandy, Utah.
Some of our excellent speakers this year include:
* Richard Turley. Richard has recently been involved with new
studies and a book on the Mountain Meadows Massacre. He has
discovered new information on this tragic event.
* Steven L. Olsen. Assistant managing director of the Family and
Church History Department, Steven will be discussing "Are the
Church Archives Closed?" Is there really a top-secret collection
of Church historical documents that casts doubt on the
beginnings of the Church? Can Church history really be studied
or do we just get the whitewashed version?
* Larry Morris. Writer and editor with FARMS, Larry will be
speaking on "The Cowdery Controversies." This will include many
of the questions related to Oliver Cowdery including issues of
Book of Mormon production, his testimony and his witness.
* Brian Hauglid. Brian will be speaking on "Whence the Book of
Abraham? A Case Study for Re-Thinking LDS Apologetics." The Book
of Abraham is often the subject of apologetic questions and
Brian hopes to answer some of those questions for the believer.
* John L. Sorenson. Professor emeritus of anthropology at BYU,
Dr. Sorenson will be talking about the Book of Mormon and "The
Trajectory of Book of Mormon Studies." John is well known for
his trailblazing studies in the Book of Mormon, including the
theoretical mapping of Book of Mormon locations.
* David Bokovoy. With degrees in near-eastern and Judaic studies,
David will be speaking on that great Book of Mormon mystery:
understanding Isaiah. His presentation is titled "Isaiah in the
Book of Mormon: The Things of Joseph and the Things of the Jews."
* Craig Foster and Steven Mayfield will be speaking on the history
of anti-Mormon protestors.
* Terryl Givens. Terryl is the acclaimed author of two classic
apologetic books that every LDS household should own: "By the
Hand of Mormon" and "The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and
the Construction of Heresy." He will be speaking on understanding
outside traditions on the pre-existence.
* Blake Ostler. A returning presenter for FAIR, Blake will be
speaking on spiritual experiences as the basis for belief and
commitment.
This is just a small sampling. There will be others speaking, as well.
(We wouldn't dream of leaving out Dan Peterson.) We are also planning
a panel discussion on the future of anti-Mormonism. Of course, at this
early date we must include the disclaimer that speakers and talk
titles are not guaranteed and are subject to change.
This year¹s conference is not one to be missed. The regular price to
attend this two-day conference is $59.95, but to encourage people to
sign up early (and to keep our volunteers from having a heart attack
trying to handle last minute sign-ups), you can register for only
$49.95 between now and the end of May. This earlybird registration fee
is a non-refundable donation, allowing you to attend all sessions on
both days for a discounted price. You can find out more information
about signing up here:
Saturday, April 21, 2007
The William E. McLellin Papers, 1851 - 1880
Forthcoming June 2007
STAN LARSON AND
SAMUEL J. PASSEY, EDITORS
Hardback. 608 Pages. / 1-56085-144-9 / $39.95
During his long life, William E. McLellin moved from one Mormon faction to another, searching for absolute truth but sympathizing with dissenters in each new group. In fact, he was a genuine, if ill-tempered, intellectual among Joseph Smith's less academically oriented original twelve apostles, and his writings illuminate the founding period of Mormonism. Ironically, the items in this compilation were discovered because document forger Mark Hofmann claimed to have found "apple crates full" of such material. In fact, Hofmann had found nothing, but the publicity surrounding the claim led to the discovery of the McLellin papers. This collection is introduced and contextualized by the editors and contributors, including former RLDS Church Historian Richard P. Howard, Salt Lake Tribune reporter Dawn House, Brigham Young University Professor Thomas G. Alexander, and AHA award-winning historian D. Michael Quinn.
Stan Larson is Curator of Manuscripts at the J. Willard Marriott Library, University of Utah. Among his published works are Prisoner for Polygamy: The Memoirs and Letters of Rudger Clawson; Quest for the Gold Plates: Thomas Stuart Ferguson's Archaeological Search for the Book of Mormon; and Working the Divine Miracle: The Life of Apostle Henry D. Moyle .
Samuel J. Passey, an archivist at the Marriott Library, recently received his MLS degree from the University of North Texas. He juggles work, family (he and wife, Samantha, have two children), church (he teaches Sunday school), and further research.
Catholics alter doctrine on unbaptized children
http://www.cleveland.com/living/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/living/1177158846152080.xml&coll=2
Catholic Church shifts its thinking on limbo
Report cites hope' for unbaptized infants
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Nicole Winfield Associated Press
Vatican City -- Pope Benedict XVI has revised traditional Roman
Catholic teaching on so- called "limbo," approving a church report
released Friday that said there was reason to hope that babies who die
without baptism can go to heaven.
Benedict approved the findings of the International Theological
Commission, which issued its document on limbo in Origins, the
documentary service of Catholic News Service, the news agency of the
American Bishops' Conference.
"We can say we have many reasons to hope that there is salvation for
these babies," said the Rev. Luis Ladaria, a Jesuit who is the
commission's secretary-general.
Catholics have long believed that children who die without being
baptized are with original sin and thus excluded from heaven, but the
church has no formal doctrine on the matter. Theologians have long
taught, however, that such children enjoy an eternal state of perfect
natural happiness, a state commonly called limbo, but without being in
communion with God.
Pope John Paul II and Benedict had urged further study on limbo, in
part because of "the pressing pastoral needs" sparked by the increase
in abortion and the growing number of children who die without being
baptized, the report said.
In the document, the commission said there were "serious theological
and liturgical grounds for hope that unbaptized infants who die will
be saved and brought into eternal happiness."
It stressed, however, that "these are reasons for prayerful hope,
rather than grounds for sure knowledge."
Ladaria said no one could know for certain what becomes of unbaptized
babies since Scripture is largely silent on the matter.
Catholic parents should still baptize their children, as that
sacrament is the way salvation is revealed, the document said.
The International Theological Commission is a body of
Vatican-appointed theologians who advise the pope and the Vatican's
Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Benedict headed the
Congregation for two decades before becoming pope in 2005.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
BYU Alternative Commencement
>>> "Spencer Kingman" <10497795@uvlink.uvsc.edu> 4/18/2007 3:36 AM >>>
Dear Faculty and Staff of UVSC,
Last month, Brigham Young University invited Vice President Dick Cheney to
speak at the school's April 26 commencement. Because many students, faculty,
alumni, and community members feel that Cheney represents neither their
standards nor those of the university, graduating seniors at BYU have formed
a group called BYU Students for Alternative Commencement. Students at UVSC,
including myself, are aiding their efforts to organize an event protesting
and countering the Vice-President's visit.
The swell of opposition to Vice-President Cheney in Utah County has received
national and international attention. Already, on April 4, protests on the
campus of BYU involved several hundreds of BYU students and faculty.
Furthering this momentum, we are planning an alternative commencement
ceremony. The details of this event are still in negotiation. We have
secured venues, only to have them canceled the same day by administrators
higher up the ladder. Likely speakers include former Amnesty International
director Jack Healey, former U.S.
Senate candidate Pete Ashdown, and citizen activist Ralph Nader.
Sponsoring a large event with distinguished speakers on such short notice is
very time-consuming and costly. In order to bring our speakers out to Utah
and secure a venue we have to raise several thousand dollars in less than
ten days. Through hard work and many generous donors we've already been able
to secure a significant amount in a few short days, but we still need your
help. Please support us by making a donation through Paypal* at
www.byualternativecommencement.com, or by sending cash or check payable to
the "Gene and Charlotte England Education Fund" at Zion's Bank, 1060 North
University Ave. Provo, UT 84604. A donation from you will make it possible
for us to accomplish our goal, and 100% of it will directly support this
event.
Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions, ideas,
or if you know anyone who might be interested in contributing.
We also encourage you to learn more on our website, tell your friends about
the alternative ceremony, and attend on April 26th. Thank you so much for
your consideration and for helping make this event possible. I want to
apologize for any inconvenience or irritation this solicitation may have
caused.
Sincerely,
Spencer Kingman
Member of BYU Students for Alternative Commencement & UVSC United for Peace
and Justice
207 S 600 E
Provo, UT 84606
(646) 407-8427 Mobile
spencerkingman@riseup.net
Dear Faculty and Staff of UVSC,
Last month, Brigham Young University invited Vice President Dick Cheney to
speak at the school's April 26 commencement. Because many students, faculty,
alumni, and community members feel that Cheney represents neither their
standards nor those of the university, graduating seniors at BYU have formed
a group called BYU Students for Alternative Commencement. Students at UVSC,
including myself, are aiding their efforts to organize an event protesting
and countering the Vice-President's visit.
The swell of opposition to Vice-President Cheney in Utah County has received
national and international attention. Already, on April 4, protests on the
campus of BYU involved several hundreds of BYU students and faculty.
Furthering this momentum, we are planning an alternative commencement
ceremony. The details of this event are still in negotiation. We have
secured venues, only to have them canceled the same day by administrators
higher up the ladder. Likely speakers include former Amnesty International
director Jack Healey, former U.S.
Senate candidate Pete Ashdown, and citizen activist Ralph Nader.
Sponsoring a large event with distinguished speakers on such short notice is
very time-consuming and costly. In order to bring our speakers out to Utah
and secure a venue we have to raise several thousand dollars in less than
ten days. Through hard work and many generous donors we've already been able
to secure a significant amount in a few short days, but we still need your
help. Please support us by making a donation through Paypal* at
www.byualternativecommencement.com, or by sending cash or check payable to
the "Gene and Charlotte England Education Fund" at Zion's Bank, 1060 North
University Ave. Provo, UT 84604. A donation from you will make it possible
for us to accomplish our goal, and 100% of it will directly support this
event.
Please feel free to get in touch with me if you have any questions, ideas,
or if you know anyone who might be interested in contributing.
We also encourage you to learn more on our website, tell your friends about
the alternative ceremony, and attend on April 26th. Thank you so much for
your consideration and for helping make this event possible. I want to
apologize for any inconvenience or irritation this solicitation may have
caused.
Sincerely,
Spencer Kingman
Member of BYU Students for Alternative Commencement & UVSC United for Peace
and Justice
207 S 600 E
Provo, UT 84606
(646) 407-8427 Mobile
spencerkingman@riseup.net
Monday, April 16, 2007
Curriculum Feedback and Evaluation Committee
Apparently this survey is closed now. Perhaps it was a hoax.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The Curriculum Feedback and Evaluation Committee is made up of volunteers who have been called and set apart to assist the Curriculum Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Our purpose is to collect feedback about Church Curriculum products from members of the Church around the world.
The staff of the Curriculum Department wants to know how members of the Church are using the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church books. We would like to have as many members as possible give us feedback, but we are not permitted to use Church membership records to create e-mail lists. Therefore, we ask that you click the link below and take the short survey yourself, then forward this e-mail to as many faithful members of the church as you have e-mail addresses for.
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB226A3UET652
This online survey will be closed on Monday, May 7, 2007. Please respond before then. Should you have questions about this survey or the responsibilities of the committee, please contact us at cur-research@ldschurch.org
Thank you for your feedback and your faithful service!
Curriculum Feedback and Evaluation Committee
50 E. North Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84150
Kieth Merrill On Kieth Merrill
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/218036/1/
Kieth Merrill: Dutcher comments showed arrogance
KIETH MERRILL
Richard Dutcher's "parting words" to Mormon cinema -- and with it any
lingering allegiance to the LDS Church -- would be laughable if it
weren't so tragic. There is an old adage that suggests: "Never dignify
stupidity with a response." I should listen.
But hey! Dutcher flips off the films at the Legacy Theater and those
of us who created them.
My pointed retort is at the end of this note -- and Dutcher deserves every word.
With his latest tirade, Dutcher has become a wonderfully ugly poster
child for the pitfalls of Mormons who want to play in the movie
business but don't take seriously the warnings of scripture, prophets
and GOD -- that seeking "the honors of men" and "riches of the world"
are paths into darkness. Read apostasy. Dutcher's pompous
pronouncement is perfectly timed to spice up my commencement address
to the wannabe Mormon filmmakers in the BYU Department of Fine Arts
and Communications. [Friday, April 27, 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.]
I can't wait.
Dutcher has made five movies. One is pretty good. One is OK. The
others are mediocre, depending on your tolerance. The "rave reviews"
he loves to post on his Web site come from the same folks who praised
"The Departed" -- but Hollywood and its critics have long since
ignored redeeming social value as a criteria of quality and
entertainment that inspires as a measure of true brilliance.
The condescending tone and pretentious arrogance of this guy is
unbelievable. No self-image problem here. Or is it in fact the
opposite? Dutcher's reaction to his own failure and rejection by the
Mormon audience has obviously prompted him to take the stance that
everybody is out of step but him.
All of this started with Dutcher's second film, "Brigham City." When
Mormons stayed home rather than line up as they had for "God's Army"
-- and even dared suggest that the movie was "dark, disturbing and
inaccurate" rather than recognizing some deeper dimension of "honesty
revealed through edginess" -- Dutcher called the audience
unsophisticated, unenlightened, provincial and too narrowminded to see
themselves according to his unique genius. When Larry Miller pulled
funding for his Joseph Smith movie and no wealthy LDS stepped up with
the $10 million Dutcher wanted, he must have put a Post-It note on his
mirror: "Get even." Or more likely, "They just don't recognize my
greatness."
Based on a conversation with someone who read Dutcher's "Joseph Smith"
script, we can all be grateful he never made that film. I met Dutcher
in his early years. He said all the right things about "never needing
to step outside our wonderful Mormon culture to tell great stories."
But to me he always seemed oddly out of sync with Mormonism even way
back then.
Dutcher's presumptuous ascension to the podium (Why does "Rameumptom"
spring to mind?), plunking a crown upon his own head and admonishing
"Mormon movie-makers" to be all that they can be (stating nothing but
the obvious, of course), must be his last grand effort to make sure
that every Mormon knows he is the only one worthy of giving such sage
advice. He wants to make sure we feel the pain of his leaving by
reminding us that since no one else approaches his superior talent and
vision he is the only one qualified to speak with wisdom and
experience.
He sounds as though he honestly believes that anybody gives a rip that
he's "leaving Mormon cinema" and will no longer "have the honor to
make these movies." Give me a break! The guy's lost it! Apparently,
unchecked arrogance is even better than Red Bull to synthesize
feelings of worth and self-assurance.
If Dutcher was an unusual talent, notable because of significant
acclaim or considered a brilliant filmmaker by the only board of
critics that matters -- the audience -- then his haughtiness might be
tolerable and his advice worth a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. But
even Mormons rejected his last two films. And his latest offering,
"Fallen Angel," is so raunchy, according to some who worked on the
film, that it may never open in Utah. Well, it will open in Park City
and maybe even get to Sundance, where films celebrating the slimy
underbelly of society are inevitably hailed as genius instead of
hogwash.
Think about it: This guy has never made a movie that anybody cared
about since "God's Army," and that film only rose to fame and profit
on the hot air of newness, not greatness. On the day he announces that
"the private answers to the questions I have asked in my prayers, and
in my films, have led me on an unexpected journey, a spiritual path
which may ultimately prove incompatible with Mormon orthodoxy," he
suddenly presumes to be the high priest of Mormon moviemakers and
anoints himself the omniscient young shadow of Martin Scorcese.
Good, Richard. So your ultimate goal is to make a demented and
despicable film like "The Departed" that is perfectly crafted and wins
you an Oscar but assaults every virtue, value and sensibility you've
ever known? You should have taken the insurance money when your
building burned down and gone into real estate.
You honestly have to wonder if there was an open bottle of airplane
glue around when Dutcher shared this bit of wise counsel with the
rising generation of LDS filmmakers: "Passionately adhere to the
guideline that it is better to tell an R-rated truth than a G-rated
lie."
Does Dutcher honestly feel trapped between those two extremes? It is
possible he doesn't really know that between "an R-rated truth" and a
"G-rated lie" there is a vast and untapped treasure trove of wonderful
characters and stories that both tell the truth and entertain.
Oh. And you can do movies as G-rated truth by the way.
Or how about this line: "Stop trying to make movies that you think the
General Authorities would like." What? Is that what "Single's Ward,"
"RM," "Church Ball," "Baptists at the Barbecue" and myriad other
Mormon movies have been going for?
It is of course a great relief to know that the church has been a
"useful stepping stone" for Dutcher on his personal "spiritual
journey." I am gratified that he found a few fragments of LDS doctrine
useful in his creative quest so he can move to new and higher levels
of enlightenment. What is it the scripture says? Humility should be
easy for us because we are fools before God.
Not this guy!
I predict that Richard Dutcher will (1) find a niche by dropping
deeper into the darkness of the hard-R market; (2) become a companion
of commiseration with Neil LeButte; or (3) disappear altogether. On
the other hand he may become a pawn of the anti-Mormons who are now
making DVDs and passing them out door to door. How about "God's Army
Gone South"?
Even though, according to Dutcher, our movies at the Legacy Theater --
"Legacy" and "The Testaments" -- "squandered their chance to be
powerful" and didn't leave viewers "weak in the knees, their minds
reeling, their spirits soaring" when compared to his own unprecedented
brilliance and talent, I will press on in good faith and endure the
"limitations" of LDS virtues, values and sensibilities.
I am proud to say that every project in development at a new venture,
Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios, embraces traditional
standards and tells the truth.
Here is the truth. More people have been inspired by "Mr. Krueger's
Christmas," moved to tears during "Legacy" and walked out of "The
Testament" with spirits soaring than the total number of people who
have ever bothered to go to Richard Dutcher's movies combined. Your
arrogance makes me bite my tongue to keep from turning a somber
"goodbye" into a cheerful "good riddance."
° ° °
OK. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. Count to 10. Sleep on it. Too late.
Having erupted with what I confess is an emotional response to Richard
Dutcher's assault on the films at the Legacy Theater -- and ignoring
the wisdom of writing but not sending in the same fit of passion -- I
return to add a final reflective note.
I have carried the vision of Spencer W. Kimball with me since he spoke
these words: "Our moving picture specialists, with the inspiration of
heaven, should tomorrow be able to produce masterpiece(s) that will
live forever, written by the great artists, purified by the best
critics and that should run for months in every movie center and cover
every part of the globe in the tongue of the people. It remains for
inspired hearts and talented fingers yet to reveal themselves. They
must be faithful, inspired, active church members to give life and
feeling and true perspective to a subject so worthy." (Address given
to BYU faculty and staff 1967)
Perhaps my anger is in truth deep sorrow. A sense of loss. The
ultimate great loss to Richard Dutcher and his family by his departure
from the church. The great loss of a truly talented filmmaker from the
league of "inspired hearts and talented fingers" seen in vision so
many years ago.
Kieth Merrill is an Academy Award-winning movie writer, director and producer.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A6.
Kieth Merrill On Richard Dutcher
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/218036/1/
Richard Dutcher's "parting words" to Mormon cinema -- and with it any
lingering allegiance to the LDS Church -- would be laughable if it
weren't so tragic. There is an old adage that suggests: "Never dignify
stupidity with a response." I should listen.
But hey! Dutcher flips off the films at the Legacy Theater and those
of us who created them.
My pointed retort is at the end of this note -- and Dutcher deserves every word.
With his latest tirade, Dutcher has become a wonderfully ugly poster
child for the pitfalls of Mormons who want to play in the movie
business but don't take seriously the warnings of scripture, prophets
and GOD -- that seeking "the honors of men" and "riches of the world"
are paths into darkness. Read apostasy. Dutcher's pompous
pronouncement is perfectly timed to spice up my commencement address
to the wannabe Mormon filmmakers in the BYU Department of Fine Arts
and Communications. [Friday, April 27, 8 a.m., 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.]
I can't wait.
Dutcher has made five movies. One is pretty good. One is OK. The
others are mediocre, depending on your tolerance. The "rave reviews"
he loves to post on his Web site come from the same folks who praised
"The Departed" -- but Hollywood and its critics have long since
ignored redeeming social value as a criteria of quality and
entertainment that inspires as a measure of true brilliance.
The condescending tone and pretentious arrogance of this guy is
unbelievable. No self-image problem here. Or is it in fact the
opposite? Dutcher's reaction to his own failure and rejection by the
Mormon audience has obviously prompted him to take the stance that
everybody is out of step but him.
All of this started with Dutcher's second film, "Brigham City." When
Mormons stayed home rather than line up as they had for "God's Army"
-- and even dared suggest that the movie was "dark, disturbing and
inaccurate" rather than recognizing some deeper dimension of "honesty
revealed through edginess" -- Dutcher called the audience
unsophisticated, unenlightened, provincial and too narrowminded to see
themselves according to his unique genius. When Larry Miller pulled
funding for his Joseph Smith movie and no wealthy LDS stepped up with
the $10 million Dutcher wanted, he must have put a Post-It note on his
mirror: "Get even." Or more likely, "They just don't recognize my
greatness."
Based on a conversation with someone who read Dutcher's "Joseph Smith"
script, we can all be grateful he never made that film. I met Dutcher
in his early years. He said all the right things about "never needing
to step outside our wonderful Mormon culture to tell great stories."
But to me he always seemed oddly out of sync with Mormonism even way
back then.
Dutcher's presumptuous ascension to the podium (Why does "Rameumptom"
spring to mind?), plunking a crown upon his own head and admonishing
"Mormon movie-makers" to be all that they can be (stating nothing but
the obvious, of course), must be his last grand effort to make sure
that every Mormon knows he is the only one worthy of giving such sage
advice. He wants to make sure we feel the pain of his leaving by
reminding us that since no one else approaches his superior talent and
vision he is the only one qualified to speak with wisdom and
experience.
He sounds as though he honestly believes that anybody gives a rip that
he's "leaving Mormon cinema" and will no longer "have the honor to
make these movies." Give me a break! The guy's lost it! Apparently,
unchecked arrogance is even better than Red Bull to synthesize
feelings of worth and self-assurance.
If Dutcher was an unusual talent, notable because of significant
acclaim or considered a brilliant filmmaker by the only board of
critics that matters -- the audience -- then his haughtiness might be
tolerable and his advice worth a box of Krispy Kreme doughnuts. But
even Mormons rejected his last two films. And his latest offering,
"Fallen Angel," is so raunchy, according to some who worked on the
film, that it may never open in Utah. Well, it will open in Park City
and maybe even get to Sundance, where films celebrating the slimy
underbelly of society are inevitably hailed as genius instead of
hogwash.
Think about it: This guy has never made a movie that anybody cared
about since "God's Army," and that film only rose to fame and profit
on the hot air of newness, not greatness. On the day he announces that
"the private answers to the questions I have asked in my prayers, and
in my films, have led me on an unexpected journey, a spiritual path
which may ultimately prove incompatible with Mormon orthodoxy," he
suddenly presumes to be the high priest of Mormon moviemakers and
anoints himself the omniscient young shadow of Martin Scorcese.
Good, Richard. So your ultimate goal is to make a demented and
despicable film like "The Departed" that is perfectly crafted and wins
you an Oscar but assaults every virtue, value and sensibility you've
ever known? You should have taken the insurance money when your
building burned down and gone into real estate.
You honestly have to wonder if there was an open bottle of airplane
glue around when Dutcher shared this bit of wise counsel with the
rising generation of LDS filmmakers: "Passionately adhere to the
guideline that it is better to tell an R-rated truth than a G-rated
lie."
Does Dutcher honestly feel trapped between those two extremes? It is
possible he doesn't really know that between "an R-rated truth" and a
"G-rated lie" there is a vast and untapped treasure trove of wonderful
characters and stories that both tell the truth and entertain.
Oh. And you can do movies as G-rated truth by the way.
Or how about this line: "Stop trying to make movies that you think the
General Authorities would like." What? Is that what "Single's Ward,"
"RM," "Church Ball," "Baptists at the Barbecue" and myriad other
Mormon movies have been going for?
It is of course a great relief to know that the church has been a
"useful stepping stone" for Dutcher on his personal "spiritual
journey." I am gratified that he found a few fragments of LDS doctrine
useful in his creative quest so he can move to new and higher levels
of enlightenment. What is it the scripture says? Humility should be
easy for us because we are fools before God.
Not this guy!
I predict that Richard Dutcher will (1) find a niche by dropping
deeper into the darkness of the hard-R market; (2) become a companion
of commiseration with Neil LeButte; or (3) disappear altogether. On
the other hand he may become a pawn of the anti-Mormons who are now
making DVDs and passing them out door to door. How about "God's Army
Gone South"?
Even though, according to Dutcher, our movies at the Legacy Theater --
"Legacy" and "The Testaments" -- "squandered their chance to be
powerful" and didn't leave viewers "weak in the knees, their minds
reeling, their spirits soaring" when compared to his own unprecedented
brilliance and talent, I will press on in good faith and endure the
"limitations" of LDS virtues, values and sensibilities.
I am proud to say that every project in development at a new venture,
Audience Alliance Motion Picture Studios, embraces traditional
standards and tells the truth.
Here is the truth. More people have been inspired by "Mr. Krueger's
Christmas," moved to tears during "Legacy" and walked out of "The
Testament" with spirits soaring than the total number of people who
have ever bothered to go to Richard Dutcher's movies combined. Your
arrogance makes me bite my tongue to keep from turning a somber
"goodbye" into a cheerful "good riddance."
° ° °
OK. TAKE A DEEP BREATH. Count to 10. Sleep on it. Too late.
Having erupted with what I confess is an emotional response to Richard
Dutcher's assault on the films at the Legacy Theater -- and ignoring
the wisdom of writing but not sending in the same fit of passion -- I
return to add a final reflective note.
I have carried the vision of Spencer W. Kimball with me since he spoke
these words: "Our moving picture specialists, with the inspiration of
heaven, should tomorrow be able to produce masterpiece(s) that will
live forever, written by the great artists, purified by the best
critics and that should run for months in every movie center and cover
every part of the globe in the tongue of the people. It remains for
inspired hearts and talented fingers yet to reveal themselves. They
must be faithful, inspired, active church members to give life and
feeling and true perspective to a subject so worthy." (Address given
to BYU faculty and staff 1967)
Perhaps my anger is in truth deep sorrow. A sense of loss. The
ultimate great loss to Richard Dutcher and his family by his departure
from the church. The great loss of a truly talented filmmaker from the
league of "inspired hearts and talented fingers" seen in vision so
many years ago.
Kieth Merrill is an Academy Award-winning movie writer, director and producer.
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A6.
Richard Dutcher on Mormon Film
http://www.heraldextra.com/content/view/217694/
Good filmmaking is the only thing that will save Mormon cinema.
Six years ago, most of you were frustrated, aspiring filmmakers. You
hadn't yet made a film. Thanks to the energy surrounding the Mormon
cinema explosion, you've now made a film. Or two. Or three.
You've all had to endure the heat of criticism and the harshness of
the marketplace. Hopefully, you've been refined by the fire, but not
destroyed by it. I'll always remember the first scathing review for
"God's Army." It was a blistering attack from a critic in Phoenix. You
grow scars. It gets easier. Believe me.
Let's talk frankly: Some of your films were not very good. So what? My
first film, "Girl Crazy," was not very good either. Neither were the
early films of Martin Scorcese, Brian DePalma, etc. So much of
filmmaking is craft. Craft has to be learned. We're all, hopefully,
getting better with each film. That's the goal.
Those of you who have recently finished your first films have now been
through a graduate school more demanding and more educational than
that of any university in the world. Use it. Don't turn your back on
it. Make more films, and show us all what you've learned. Mormonism
needs excellent filmmakers.
Why is Mormon cinema dying? This is no great mystery. Diminishing
quality has brought diminishing returns.
As you know, it's a lot harder now than it was in 2002 to book a
Mormon film into a movie theater or to get the DVD on the shelf at the
local media store. Have there been too many movies in the marketplace?
Of course not. Is the market glutted? Far from it. There have been too
many badly-made films in the marketplace, too few good ones.
A sharp increase in quality will bring an increase in box office.
Increased box office will breathe new life into Mormon cinema. It's
that simple.
Your only job now: Create works of quality. Dedicate yourselves to the
pursuit of excellence, to the highest degree of craftsmanship you can
achieve.
You now know, by first-hand experience, how hard it is to make a good
movie. You know the risks, the hardships, the dedication, the battles
required even to make a bad film. Why not make a good one instead? If
you want to play in the major leagues (or even in the minors) you have
to be good at the game.
Film is the most powerful and most influential art form in the history
of mankind. We must treat it with the reverence and the respect it
demands. Very few in its entire history have cared to use it for any
purpose other than to pass a few hours in harmless entertainment and
to make a few bucks. Frankly, that's what many of you have tried to
do. Who can blame you? Perhaps you didn't understand its potential.
Wouldn't it be amazing if the Mormon community did what nobody else in
the world seems interested in doing: exploring human spirituality,
human truth in film? Expand the vocabulary of film, learn to do things
on the broad white canvas of a movie screen that no one has yet
imagined.
The church would never allow shoddy, inexperienced architects and
builders to create one of its temples. In its sacred commitment to
excellence, the church searches for and employs those with the
necessary talents, non-Mormons and Mormons alike. Some day, church
leaders also will understand the power and potential of film. The
cinema of a movement as great as Mormonism must be directed by great
artists, not by inexperienced committees. Imagine the potential of
images to convey the deepest, most sacred doctrines of Mormonism.
Look at the movies that play on the screen of the theater in the
Joseph Smith Memorial Building. These films are the introduction of
Mormonism to hundreds of thousands of people from across the globe.
Shouldn't these be the most powerful films on the face of the earth?
For whatever reason -- nepotism, ignorance ... who knows? -- this
opportunity is squandered. Why not share with visitors the beauty and
power of Mormonism, rather than treating them to polite, remedial and
not-so-factual recitations of Mormon History and scripture? Viewers
should leave those films weak in the knees, their minds reeling, their
spirits soaring. Film has the power to do that.
Mormonism desperately needs excellent filmmakers who understand the
language of cinema, the eloquence of images.
As for commercial Mormon cinema, LDS artists sometimes complain that
more church members should support their efforts. Nonsense! Mormon
film should not be supported. It must not and cannot exist on the
charity of the audience. And certainly not on the charity of
investors.
No art should have to be supported. If it is high quality, if it is
compelling, if it is something that people want, they will buy it.
They will seek it out. If Mormon cinema has to be supported in order
to survive, it shouldn't survive.
A few parting words: I urge you to put the moronic comedies behind
you. If you're going to make comedies, at least make them funny.
Perhaps you should leave the mockery of Mormons to the anti-Mormons.
They've had a lot more experience and, frankly, they do a better job.
Reach higher. Don't just "make a movie." Make the movie. If you knew
you only had two years to live, and that you could only make one more
movie, what movie would it be? What do you want your children to
understand? What do you want to understand before you die?
Family films? Forget that nonsense. There are so many well-behaved
people of every religion on the planet who are eager and capable of
producing such films. Mormons have something different, unique,
vitally important to offer. Dedicate yourselves to making substantial
films of elevated craft, undeniable artistry and potent themes.
In my experience, those who wave the flag of "family films" are
usually those who have discovered that they lack anything valuable to
say, the talent to say it, and the ability to compete in the
marketplace. They are looking for a popular cause to compensate for
(and to excuse) their lack of ability.
Concentrate on the presence of positives in your films, not merely the
absence of negatives. Focus more on the presence of good acting,
writing and cinematography and less on the absence of profanity,
women's breasts and gunfights. Passionately adhere to the guideline
that it is better to tell an R-rated truth than a G-rated lie.
Stop trying to make movies that you think the General Authorities
would like. General Authorities buy very few movie tickets. Make films
that the rest of the human family will enjoy. Stop being afraid that
if you put something "edgy" in your films then maybe you won't get any
important callings. Who cares? Someone else can be in the bishopric or
the Relief Society presidency, but no one else can make those films,
those very personal films, that only you can make.
Communities don't create great artists. Great artists, like great
businessmen, are self-made. Recognize this. It will strengthen you
against your community's occasional lack of understanding.
Grasp your potential. Begin the exploratory marriage of Mormonism and
film. Combine the unknown depths of Mormonism with the untapped
potential of film. The result will be the films the world needs.
I cannot tell you how much I have cared, and still care, about this
movement. My love for the future of Mormon cinema has driven me to a
passion that has expressed itself not only in my films, but (as you
know) in bouts of public anger at filmmakers who, I believed, were
killing a beautiful, unprecedented opportunity and a limitless
potential. Miraculously, that opportunity and that potential still
exist. It's just a little harder to see right now.
If this sounds like a farewell address ... well, it is.
Mormon doctrines are powerful and beautiful and have given great
meaning to my life for more than 30 years. I'm sure they will always
continue to inform not only my future work as a filmmaker, but also my
private spiritual journey. But it does not appear that it will be my
honor to make some of these films that the LDS community so
desperately needs.
As many of you know, I am no longer a practicing member of the church.
The private answers to the questions I have asked in my prayers, and
in my films, have led me on an unexpected journey, a spiritual path
which may ultimately prove incompatible with Mormon orthodoxy. This
understanding has brought me some of the most profound surprises and
also the deepest sadness of my life. It is very hard for me to say
goodbye to something that I love.
Who knows? Maybe, like Oliver Cowdery (to whom I've always felt an
uncommon kinship), my travels will someday lead back to Mormonism and
to this effort. Such an end would be beautiful and, in a strange way,
an answer to my prayers. But I don't know. One fundamental thing I
have learned over the past few years is a genuine humility regarding
my spiritual beliefs.
I know that some of you will not understand my decisions. Please know
that I will always be not only a great friend to the Mormon community,
but also one of its strongest defenders.
My brothers and sisters, I respectfully leave Mormon cinema in your
capable -- and now seasoned -- hands. I hope that someday I will hear
a few of your names mentioned in the company of the handful of
filmmakers who have dared to explore human spirituality in film:
Bergman, Bresson, Tarkovsky, Dreyer, Ozu, etc. One of my greatest
hopes, of course (in true competitive spirit), is that one day my name
will be at the very top of that list.
May God bless you in your individual and collective efforts. And may
Mormon cinema one day achieve its powerful and beautiful potential.
May it be "the praise and glory of the whole earth."
Richard Dutcher is the writer/director of "God's Army," "Brigham
City," States of Grace" and the upcoming films "Falling" and "Evil
Angel."
This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page A6.
BYU changes honor code language on gays
http://honorcode.byu.edu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=3599&Itemid=46 43
BYU has modified the Honor Code in response to sexual orientation issues. The previous version said:
BYU has modified the Honor Code in response to sexual orientation issues. The previous version said:
Advocacy of a homosexual lifestyle (whether implied or explicit) or any behaviors that indicate homosexual conduct, including those not sexual in nature, are inappropriate and violate the Honor Code.
Violations of the Honor Code may result in actions up to and including separation from the University.
The new version clarifies "advocacy" and goes into more detail about sexual orientation — even acknowledging that sexual orientation is a real thing:
Brigham Young University will respond to homosexual behavior rather than to feelings or orientation and welcomes as full members of the university community all whose behavior meets university standards. Members of the university community can remain in good Honor Code standing if they conduct their lives in a manner consistent with gospel principles and the Honor Code.
One's sexual orientation is not an Honor Code issue. However, the Honor Code requires all members of the university community to manifest a strict commitment to the law of chastity. Homosexual behavior or advocacy of homosexual behavior are inappropriate and violate the Honor Code. Homosexual behavior includes not only sexual relations between members of the same sex, but all forms of physical intimacy that give expression to homosexual feelings. Advocacy includes seeking to influence others to engage in homosexual behavior or promoting homosexual relations as being morally
Forthcoming: The Mormon Church on Trial, Transcripts of the Reed Smoot Hearings
Forthcoming August 2007
Transcripts of the Reed Smoot Hearings
MICHAEL HAROLD PAULOS, editor
Hardback. 800 pages. / 1-56085-152-X / $49.95
Senator George Hoar of Massachusetts asked LDS President Joseph F. Smith if members could question his revelations and still remain in good standing. Smith responded that many Mormons doubted plural marriage and yet "were not cut off." But the Senate learned the church hierarchy was still secretly promoting polygamy and wondered whether Senator-elect Reed Smoot (R-Utah) was suited for office given his position as an LDS apostle. Smoot's election resulted in an intense, four-year scrutiny of Mormons beginning in 1904. For those who have wondered about the testimony delivered before the Senate investigating committee, the following unexpurgated transcripts contain the most important verbal exchanges, annotated with fascinating behind-the-scenes material, including previously unpublished letters, journal entries, and newspaper articles.
Forthcoming Book: Nauvoo Polygamy
Forthcoming December 2007
"... but we called it celestial marriage"
GEORGE D. SMITH
families offered them lodging, as did the Whitneys, whose five year-old daughter, Sarah Ann, and her eleven-year-old neighbor, Mary Elizabeth Rollins, would later play a role in Mormon polygamy. The Smiths soon moved in with the Johnsons, where Joseph met fifteen-year-old Marinda Nancy. In 1836, seven-year-old Helen Mar Kimball attended school near the Smith home. Each of these girls, whom Joseph met during the 1830s, would later marry him in the 1840s gathering place of Nauvoo, Illinois, on the east bank of the Mississippi River. In this thoroughly researched and documented work, the author shows how the prophet introduced single and married women to this new form of "celestial marrige"—a "favor" granted to the elect men of Nauvoo. Through their journals, letters, and affidavits, the participants tell their stories in intimate detail—before polygamy was forcibly abandoned and nearly forgotten.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Utah State Historical Quarterly - #75-2
Volume 75, Number 2 (Spring 2007 Issue)
Spring 2007 Quarterly Cover
Spring 2007 Quarterly Cover
ARTICLES
"...I am not and never have been a polygamist": Reed Smoot's Speech
before the United States Senate, February 19, 1907
By Michael Harold Paulos
The Baron Woolen Mills: A Utah Legend
By Rebecca Andersen
The Beginnings of The Journal of Discourses: A Confrontation Between
George D.Watt and Willard Richards
By Ronald G. Watt
Leo Haefeli, Utah's Chameleon Journalist
By Val Holley
"Leftward March": 1930s Student Liberalism at the Utah State
Agricultural College
By Robert Parson
IN THIS ISSUE
One hundred years ago the Panic of 1907 threatened the well-being of
the United States as bank failures, widespread layoffs, and a severe
dip in industrial production portended a serious economic depression
for the country. On the eve of that crisis the United States Congress
was preoccupied with the controversial seating of Utah's Republican
Senator Reed Smoot.The four year struggle to seat Smoot after his
election to the United States Senate in 1903 was one marked by intense
controversy, religious and political zeal, and a drawn-out debate on
the qualifications, conduct, and beliefs of an individual elected to
the Senate.
Smoot was challenged because of his position as a member of the Quorum
of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints and unresolved issues regarding the continuation of Mormon
polygamy.The climax of the battle came on February 19, 1907, when
Smoot defended himself in an impassioned speech that addressed the
issues of polygamy, separation of church and state, and states'
rights. Just what impact the speech had on the final vote is unclear,
but in the end the United States Senate voted forty-two to
twenty-eight to permit Smoot to take his seat. He was elected to four
more terms, serving as a senator until 1933. Our first article for the
Spring 2007 issue includes the text of Smoot's 1907 speech and an
overview of the four-year challenge to his seating in the Senate.
Our second article on the Baron Woolen Mills looks at one of Utah's
pioneer industries that began as a component of the nineteenth century
United Order movement launched in Brigham City under the leadership of
Lorenzo Snow in the 1860s. As the cooperative movement came to a
close, the Brigham City Woolen Mill did not cease, but carried on as
part of the emerging Utah economy under the leadership of an English
Mormon convert, James Baron and his descendants. The Baron Woolen
Mills remained a viable part of the economy of the Intermountain West
until near the end of the twentieth century.
One of the most valuable resources for students of Utah in the
nineteenth century and the Utah phase of Mormonism is the Journal of
Discourses published twice a month in Liverpool, England, from 1854 to
1886.The twenty- six volumes contain 1,438 speeches given by
fifty-five people including 390 speeches by Brigham Young. It is
ironic that this valuable
collection grew out of a labor dispute between two Mormon stalwarts—
Willard Richards and George D.Watt. Our third article examines the
circumstances that led to the publication of the Journal of Discourses
while revealing much about the nature of employment and compensation
in pioneer Utah. Leo Haefeli was also a part of Utah's early
publishing history, earning his living as a schoolteacher and as a
writer for local newspapers. Born in Switzerland where he was educated
in a Catholic seminary, Haefeli immigrated to the United States and
worked for a German-language newspaper in New York City. Just how he
found his way to the Swiss settlement in Midway is not clear, but once
there he became a member of the Mormon faith in 1875 and spent the
rest of his life in Utah. Haefeli demonstrated an unusual talent for
languages. His command and use of the English language was unexcelled
by contemporary British or American writers. His skill in
translating German and French writings into English was exceptional.
Haefeli became a warrior in the pro-Mormon/anti-Mormon newspaper
battles of the last decades of the nineteenth century. Haefeli was not
a stalwart but switched sides as circumstances changed and
opportunities arose. As our fourth article for this issue reveals, the
appellation Utah's
chameleon journalist fits the charismatic Haefeli.
Our final article for this issue also deals with the topic of
journalism and writing as it examines the writings and activities of a
group of students at Utah State Agricultural College in the 1930s
whose liberal legacy is unveiled under the provocative title,"Leftward
March."
BOOK REVIEWS
Levi S. Peterson. A Rascal by Nature, A Christian by Yearning: A
Mormon Autobiography
Reviewed by William A. Wilson
John P. Hatch, ed. Danish Apostle:The Diaries of Anthon H. Lund, 1890-1921
Reviewed by Davis Bitton
Melvin C. Johnson. Polygamy on the Pedernales: Lyman Wight's Mormon
Villages in Antebellum,Texas, 1845 to 1858
Reviewed by Newell G. Bringhurst
Kenneth W. Merrell. Scottish Shepherd: The Life and Times of John
Murray Murdoch, Utah Pioneer
Reviewed by Jessie L. Embry
Jeffrey E. Sells, ed. God and Country: Politics in Utah
Reviewed by Douglas D. Alder
Colleen Whitley, ed. From the Ground Up: The History of Mining in Utah
Reviewed by Richard V. Francaviglia
Duane Smith.A Time for Peace: Fort Lewis Colorado, 1878-1891
Reviewed by Edward J. Davies
Tom Rea. Devil's Gate: Owning the Land, Owning the Story
Reviewed by Ann Chambers Noble
Thursday, April 12, 2007
The Jesus Tomb
— New scientific evidence, including DNA analysis conducted at one of
the world's foremost molecular genetics laboratories, as well as
studies by leading scholars, suggests a 2,000-year-old Jerusalem tomb
could have once held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and his family.
the world's foremost molecular genetics laboratories, as well as
studies by leading scholars, suggests a 2,000-year-old Jerusalem tomb
could have once held the remains of Jesus of Nazareth and his family.
The findings also suggest that Jesus and Mary Magdalene might have
produced a son named Judah.
The DNA findings, alongside statistical conclusions made about the
artifacts — originally excavated in 1980 — open a potentially
significant chapter in Biblical archaeological history.
A documentary presenting the evidence, "The Lost Tomb of Jesus," will
premiere on the Discovery Channel on March 4 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The
documentary comes from executive producer James Cameron and director
Simcha Jacobovici.
Discovery has set up a special Web site, www.discovery.com/tomb, to
provide related in-depth information and to allow viewers to come to
their own conclusions about the entire matter.
The Church on the upcoming PBS documentary: "The Mormons"
SALT LAKE CITY 2 April 2007 PBS is keeping a tight lid on the
forthcoming four hours of documentary television that it is calling
"The Mormons" – due to air on April 30 and May 1 on the PBS network.
forthcoming four hours of documentary television that it is calling
"The Mormons" – due to air on April 30 and May 1 on the PBS network.
Very few people outside of PBS itself have seen excerpts, and their
reactions vary depending on what they have seen as well as their prior
expectations.
The documentaries – two hours on American Experience on April 30 and a
further two hours the following evening on Frontline – constitute what
is believed to be the most searching look at the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints in US television history.
Award-winning television producer Helen Whitney describes it as "a
complex film, a respectful film, but not an uncritical film."
Among hundreds of people interviewed for the film were Church leaders,
historians, academics, active members, former members and critics.
They address a wide range of topics, from the foundation of the Church
through to its worldwide operations today.
Helen Whitney told the Deseret Morning News that one of her prime
objectives was to remove stereotypes of the Church.
"I hope that most of the stereotypes — ideally, all of them — will be
blown away," she told the newspaper. "Because so many of them are just
based on ignorance. Ignorance about Mormon history, ignorance about
Mormon theology. Ignorance."
Whitney said that the Church had responded favorably to requests for
access to Church leaders and Church premises.
"The Church did not endorse the film. I had total independence," she
said. Church officials had no role in scripting, filming, financing,
or approving the content of the production.
A few scholars, including some who appear in the documentary, have
seen substantial parts of the program.
Their initial reaction: Church leaders and members are
extraordinarily eloquent in explaining the tenets of their faith. The
film is not superficial, which is often a criticism leveled at
television coverage.
However, some raised concern about what they feel is a
disproportionate amount of time given to topics that are not central
to the Church's faith. For instance, polygamy comes in for extensive
treatment in the first program, including substantial attention to
present-day polygamous groups that have nothing to do with today's
Church. The time devoted to portrayals of modern fundamentalist
polygamy seems inconsistent with the filmmaker's stated purposes of
getting inside the LDS experience, and of exploding, rather than
reinforcing, stereotypes.
Other scholars criticize what they say is an imbalance in the
treatment of some topics, particularly the events at Mountain Meadows
in 1857. One said the film provides a distorted and highly unbalanced
account of Brigham Young and the Mountain Meadows Massacre alike.
Michael Purdy of the Church's Public Affairs Department has followed
the Whitney documentary closely for the past three years.
"The big question that members of the Church are asking is whether
these programs will come close to capturing the essence of how
Latter-day Saints define and see themselves," he said.
"Will members look at these films and say, 'yes, that's me.' Or will
they look at it and say, 'even after four hours, they missed the
point.' It comes down to both content and context and it is important
that those closest to the faith see themselves in the portrayal."
Either way, extensive post-broadcast discussion of the programs in the
news media and on blogs is likely at a time that the Church is already
a topic of rising media interest. The Church expects to participate in
those discussions through its Newsroom web sites and also in public
media forums.
Mormon-Run PAC Aims to Broaden Its Reach
Mormon-Run PAC Aims to Broaden Its Reach
By: Kenneth P. Vogel
April 11, 2007 05:25 PM EST
A new congressional campaign group could piggyback on Mitt Romney's
apparent success in rounding up political cash from first-time Mormon
contributors.
Neither the website nor filing papers for the Eagle Political Action
Committee, or Eagle PAC, mentions Mormons. But those familiar with the
PAC say one of the reasons Rep. Chris Cannon (R-Utah), a Mormon,
created it this year was to solicit money from Mormons for
distribution to Republican congressional candidates.
That has never been tried before, said Cannon's congressional chief of
staff, Joe Hunter, who registered the group as a leadership PAC with
the Federal Election Commission on his own time.
The PAC will solicit funds from donors of all faiths who support small
government, individual freedom and national security, Hunter stressed,
adding that the concept predates Romney's bid for the Republican
presidential nomination. But Hunter acknowledged the group could
benefit from what campaign finance analysts say was the unprecedented
ability of Romney, a Mormon who was the governor of Massachusetts, to
tap Mormons on his way to raising a GOP-field-leading $21 million in
the first three months of the year.
"The two were not connected, but I think the result is probably
mutually beneficial," Hunter said. Though campaigns consider Mormons
frequent -- and largely Republican -- voters and volunteers, Hunter
conceded Mormons, who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, are not known as big donors.
"I don't think it's going to be that difficult to motivate people,
because in recent elections many people of the LDS faith have been
very active politically," Hunter said. "And Mitt Romney's candidacy is
probably breaking some new ground" in terms of political giving.
Romney's inaugural federal fundraising report is due next week. But it
won't provide quantifiable metrics about how many Mormons contributed,
or how much they gave, since campaigns are required to report only the
names, occupations, employers and addresses of donors who gave more
than $200.
The goal of Eagle PAC, which will start fundraising later this year,
is to spread Mormon political contributions across campaigns, said a
Mormon church member familiar with the PAC's creation.
"If it only goes to other Mormon candidates, that doesn't accomplish
that much," said the church member, who did not want to be seen as
speaking for the PAC. "Any community that wants its voice to be heard,
unless you're being heard by people who are not members of your
community, you're not being effective."
Hunter said Eagle PAC will support viable Mormon candidates for
Congress. But he and the church member said the PAC probably could get
a better return by funding non-Mormon candidates who are ideologically
synched with Mormon values.
"You can't expect to have 40 members of Congress or 20 members of
Congress if you have 2 percent of the population," the church member
said.
There are at least 15 Mormons in Congress, 12 Republicans and three
Democrats, according to Americans for Religious Liberty.
The Mormon church member said, "You support people who believe in the
same values you do, or at the very least, if you can't find any who
are true believers, you support people who pander to your values."
Ideally, the member said, Mormons who write their first checks to
Romney will continue giving and some will give enough to be invited to
events for high-dollar donors. "This is not just about giving to a
politician. It's about networking with other people who gave," the
member said.
There are plenty of wealthy Mormons with a history of political
contributions, including brothers J. Willard and Richard Marriott of
the hotel family, who last year gave more than $380,000 to Romney's
state-based PACs.
But most Mormons don't make enough to give the maximum $4,600 donation
-- technically $2,300 for the primary election and $2,300 for the
general -- to federal campaigns, said J. Quin Monson, an assistant
political science professor at Brigham Young University in Provo,
Utah.
"The average Mormon is stretched pretty thin," said Monson, a Mormon
who co-authored a chapter on Mormon participation in U.S. politics for
a book set to be published this year by Georgetown University Press.
Citing large families and the 10 percent tithe Mormons are expected to
give their church, Monson said, "It's not the first thing on their
list to donate politically. It's never really been something that's
been pushed by the church either. The church has made a big deal of
pushing people to vote and to run for office but not" to give
political donations.
Eagle PAC has realistic expectations for Mormon giving, Hunter said.
"The idea is not to garner massive individual contributions, it's
massive numbers of contributions," he said. "You're not talking about
$2,000 givers, you're talking about $200 givers."
And the PAC's board seems well positioned to tap into any surge of
Mormon contributors prompted by Romney's run.
Bart Marcois, a former energy official in the first Bush
administration, organized the Republican National Committee's LDS
outreach program before the 2004 election, the first such concerted
effort.
Steve Turley is a city councilman in Provo, Utah.
Ron Kaufman, the only non-Mormon on the board, is an executive at the
influential Washington lobbying firm Dutko Worldwide. A Republican
National committeeman from Massachusetts, he was an adviser to the
elder Bush and a key early backer of Romney.
Bill Simmons, a Mormon church member from Utah, was a top
congressional aide before becoming a Dutko executive. He helped Romney
network with influential Mormons in Washington.
The church member familiar with Eagle PAC's creation said Simmons was
tapped for the board because of his connections in heavily Mormon
Utah. And Monson said Marcois would be "a big help" for the PAC
because of his connections.
Mormons form a tight-knit community, grounded in overlapping networks
that run through the church, social groups and church-owned Brigham
Young University.
But the church, driven partly by its tax-exempt status, strictly
prohibits the use of its membership lists, property and other
resources for political purposes.
Monson said the church has become particularly sensitive about the
policy because Romney's candidacy. And Kim Farah, a church spokeswoman
acknowledged his campaign is clearly increasing the church's profile
and "raising questions about Mormonism.''
"Whether this will have a positive or negative impact on the church
remains to be seen,'' she said. "It is our hope that, as people learn
more about our faith, negative stereotypes will be disspelled, and
there will be a greater understanding of who we really are as
Christians.''
Cannon recognizes and respects the church's line on politicking, and
believes there are ways to engage Mormon donors without crossing it,
Hunter said. Cannon might try to recruit other Mormon congressmen to
sign onto Eagle PAC, Hunter said. "At the end of the day, it is his
leadership PAC, but certainly there have been and will be discussions
with other LDS members."
A former finance chairman for the Utah Republican Party, Cannon has
dabbled with innovative fundraising techniques, but he is not known as
a particularly prolific fundraiser.
In the run-up to the 2000 election, he created a leadership PAC to
help defend the House members who managed the impeachment trial of
President Bill Clinton. The House Managers PAC contributed about
$77,000 in that election. But it now owes more than $80,000, according
to its most recent FEC filing.
Cannon also had a 527 group, Western Leadership Fund, established in
2001 to contribute to state and local candidates. The group, which
hasn't reported any activity to the IRS in more than three years, was
originally steered by David Safavian, Cannon's former chief of staff.
Safavian left Cannon's office for a job in the Bush administration and
was sentenced to 18 months in prison for covering up his dealings with
disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.
Carrie Sheffield contributed to this report.
Monday, April 09, 2007
Debate: Is God Necessary for Ethics?
DEBATE: Is God Necessary for Ethics?
YES: Mark Hausam, Elder at Christ Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City,
Instructor of Philosophy, Utah Valley State College
NO: David R. Keller, Associate Professor of Philosophy, Utah Valley State
College
MODERATOR: Deen Chatterjee, Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of
Utah
WHERE: Orson Spencer Hall Auditorium, University of Utah
WHEN: Friday, April 13, 7-9 p.m.
After the formal debate between Hausam and Keller, the audience is invited
to join the discussion!
Cosponsored by the Christ Presbyterian Church and the Humanists of Utah
Free and Open to the Public
For more information:
mhausam@hotmail.com
Christ Presbyterian Church (801) 250-5403
Humanists of Utah (801) 486-4209
___________________________________________________________
Debate over God and Ethics Comes to Utah
http://www.sltrib.com/faith/ci_5611968
By Peggy Fletcher Stack
The Salt Lake Tribune
For centuries, people have been asking what God has to do with morality. The
question has become even more urgent in today's pluralistic world, where
religious groups vie with one another and with their secular counterparts
over what is right. Recent books have fueled the simmering controversy.
Richard Dawkins' The God Delusion and Sam Harris' Letter to a Christian
Nation critique religion, while Francis Collins' The Language of God, as
well as books by Alister McGrath, defend its importance and validity in the
world.
Next week, the debate comes to Utah. Mark Hausam, elder at Christ
Presbyterian Church in Salt Lake City, will square off at the University of
Utah against David Keller, professor of philosophy at Utah Valley State
College in Orem, on the topic, "Is God necessary for ethics?" The debate is
co-sponsored by Christ Presbyterian and the Humanists of Utah. Hausam, who
also teaches philosophy at UVSC, believes ethical standards could not exist
without God.
"Without God, there can be no objective standard of morality, no real,
objective right or wrong, good or bad, no such thing as human rights,"
he argues. "Nothing, including human beings, has intrinsic value. We are
left with only our own human needs and desires, combined with the
circumstances and consequences [social, physical, etc.] of this life, in a
world without design, without purpose."
Theists look to sacred texts such as the Bible to offer God's perspective on
life's thorniest questions - when does life begin, when is it right to end a
life, what is sex for, how should men and women relate, how should we care
for the Earth, etc.
Humanists, on the other hand, believe that taking God out of the equation
makes ethical choices more, not less, valuable. "If theists adhere to
standards of morality, they do so for reasons extrinsic to morality itself,
that is, God's will," Keller says. "If atheists adhere to standards of
morality, they do so for reasons intrinsic to morality itself, that is,
because doing so is valuable in and of itself."
There are unethical theists, and ethical atheists, Keller says, but if two
people act exactly the same way, the behavior of the atheist is more
laudable, he reasons, because he's doing the right thing for its own sake,
not to please God.
The only value of religion, he says, is to use notions such as "fear of
divine retribution" to motivate those who are not capable of acting
ethically on their own.
Deen Chatterjee, philosophy professor at the U., will moderate the debate
from a neutral perspective. "It's an especially important topic right now,
because of the way the world is going," says Chatterjee, who has taught
several courses on God, faith and reason. "Long gone are the days when
separate religious groups could live in their own ways."
Theists and atheists agree on many moral values, he says, the question
involve methodology and sources. Who or what dictates right and wrong?
"Both sides will say the other side is dangerous," Chatterjee says. "I plan
to challenge them both."
Monday, April 02, 2007
Newsweek - stats on religion
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17879317/site/newsweek/
WEB EXCLUSIVE
The latest NEWSWEEK poll shows that 91 percent of American adults surveyed believe in God—and nearly half reject the theory of evolution.
WEB EXCLUSIVE
By Brian Braiker
Newsweek
March 30, 2007 - A belief in God and an identification with an organized religion are widespread throughout the country, according to the latest NEWSWEEK poll. Nine in 10 (91 percent) of American adults say they believe in God and almost as many (87 percent) say they identify with a specific religion. Christians far outnumber members of any other faith in the country, with 82 percent of the poll's respondents identifying themselves as such. Another 5 percent say they follow a non-Christian faith, such as Judaism or Islam. Nearly half (48 percent) of the public rejects the scientific theory of evolution; one-third (34 percent) of college graduates say they accept the Biblical account of creation as fact. Seventy-three percent of Evangelical Protestants say they believe that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years; 39 percent of non-Evangelical Protestants and 41 percent of Catholics agree with that view.
Although one in ten (10 percent) of Americans identify themselves as having "no religion," only six percent said they don't believe in a God at all. Just 3 percent of the public self-identifies as atheist, suggesting that the term may carry some stigma. Still, the poll suggests that the public's tolerance of this small minority has increased in recent years. Nearly half (47 percent) of the respondents felt the country is more accepting of atheists today that it used to be and slightly more (49 percent) reported personally knowing an atheist. Those numbers are higher among respondents under 30 years old, 62 percent of whom report knowing an atheist (compared to just 43 percent of those 50 and older). Sixty-one percent of the under-30 cohort view society as more accepting of atheists (compared to 40 percent of the Americans 50 and older).
Still, it is unlikely that a political candidate would serve him or herself well by declaring their atheism. Six in ten (62 percent) registered voters say they would not vote for a candidate who is an atheist. Majorities of each major party — 78 percent of Repulicans and 60 percent of Democrats — rule out such an option. Just under half (45 percent) of registered independents would not vote for an atheist. Still more than a third (36 percent) of Americans think the influence of organized religion on American politics has increased in recent years. But the public is still split over whether religion has too much (32 percent) or too little (31 percent) influence on American politics. Democrats tend to fall in the "too much" camp (42 percent of them, as opposed to 29 percent who see too little influence) as Republicans take the opposite view (42 percent too little; 14 percent too much). In the poll, 68 percent of respondents said they believed someone could be moral and an atheist, compared to 26 percent who said it was not possible.
Mormon Letters meeting, April 7 at UVSC
http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660207509,00.html
Deseret Morning News, Saturday, March 31, 2007
Mormon Letters meeting set for April 7 at UVSC
OREM — The 2007 annual conference of The Association for Mormon Letters will be Saturday, April 7, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Computer Science Building at Utah Valley State College.
This event is free and open to the public.
The conference will feature papers and panels on many aspects of Mormon literature. This year's focus is on children's and young adult fiction, and the featured speaker will be Rick Walton, noted children's book author.
The only cost will be for those who plan to attend the awards luncheon.
Sunday, April 01, 2007
LDS singles are delaying marriage
http://www.desnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660207425,00.html
Deseret Morning News, Friday, March 30, 2007
LDS singles are delaying marriage
Growing trend mirrors national census data
By Nicole Warburton and Leigh Dethman
Deseret Morning News
...
While no known published studies have been done about the age of
first marriage in the LDS faith, both local LDS leaders and singles
say more and more young Latter-day Saints are getting married at an
older age.
The average age of first marriage for LDS Church members is
approximately 23, said Jason Carroll, assistant professor of marriage,
family and human development at Brigham Young University.
That may not sound old, but the LDS Church teaches that marriage and
family are an important part of progression both now and in the
afterlife. Young adults in the faith traditionally married as early as
18 during the last half of the 20th century.
Nationally, the average age of first marriage jumped from 20 for
females and 23 for males in 1960 to 25 and 27 in 2000, respectively,
according to the most recent Census data.
If the present trend continues, some national demographers believe
that fewer than 85 percent of current young adults will ever marry,
according to the National Marriage Project at Rutgers University.
The study found that nationally, men don't commit because they want
to avoid divorce and want to enjoy the single life. Foremost, it said
the availability of sex outside the bond of marriage and enjoying the
"benefits of having a wife by cohabitating" were the top reasons for
delaying the commitment to marry.
August Miller, Deseret Morning NewsNo statistics about cohabitation
rates are available for Latter-day Saints, who are taught abstinence
before marriage and fidelity afterward.
"By and large, except for a few exceptions, an LDS emphasis on
marriage and family during young adulthood is unique," both within
society at large and in faith traditions as a whole, Carroll said.
For some Latter-day Saints like Bonella, the delay in marrying was
not for a lack of trying. But church leaders say many singles appear
to be following national trends of delaying marriage by avoiding
traditional dates, such as a one-on-one evening, where a man calls a
woman and asks her out.
Instead, singles are "hanging out" with members of the opposite sex
in a group setting and searching the Internet for dates.
Top church leadership declined official comment for this story. But
recent addresses to LDS faithful seem to indicate a growing concern
about LDS young adults and marriage.
During spring commencement at BYU in 2005, Elder Earl C. Tingey,
then a member of the presidency of the Seventy, called on singles to
take on the adult responsibilities of marriage and family. He referred
to an article in Time Magazine that called singles who avoid marriage
"'twentysomething Peter Pans' who never 'grow up,"' preferring to play
and work after college graduation.
Last October, LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley told BYU
students that college was one of the best times to find a spouse.
Earlier that month, during the general conference of the church, he
urged males to get an education and catch up to women who are
"exceeding young men in pursuing educational programs."
But perhaps the strongest example was a May 2005 talk by Elder
Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve. He gave what Carroll calls
a landmark address about dating that "gave teeth" to observations that
singles were not dating as their parents and grandparents had done,
following national trends.
"The average age at marriage has increased in the last few decades,
and the number of children born to LDS married couples has decreased,"
Elder Oaks said. He cited "cultural tides" such as divorce, and
negative attitudes about child-bearing, as reasons for a decline in
dating and postponement of marriage.
His counsel to young church members: "It's marriage time. That is
what the Lord intends for his young adult sons and daughters."
Scott Stanley, co-director of the Center for Marital and Family
Studies and a research professor of psychology at the University of
Denver, said in an e-mail interview that he is "sure Mormons are
following the trend in culture," as Elder Oaks suggested.
Stanley said studies show people are marrying later in life because
of an emphasis on career and personal growth before marriage, and also
a general fear of failure in marriage.
Aaron Wang, a 29-year-old engineer who left the LDS Church in his
early 20s, said he sees no purpose in getting married at this point in
his life. He lives with his girlfriend and considers cohabitation a
precursor to marriage.
"I've seen the unhappiness that marriage leads to at this age," Wang
said. "I have friends who have done the marriage thing in their 20s,
and they're getting divorces, and it's causing a lot of heartache. To
me, it doesn't make a lot of sense."
According to Carroll, one out of three young adults in the United
States agree with the following statement: "One sees so few good or
happy marriages that one questions it as a way of life." Another study
shows that about 62 percent of couples who get married in the United
States live together before marrying to test the compatibility of
their relationship.
LDS Bishop Jon Hale, who oversees a ward of LDS singles between the
ages of 18 and 31, said he believes selfishness is the reason many
singles postpone marriage. Instead of focusing on finding a spouse,
many singles want to get an education, travel and "find themselves"
before getting married, he said.
"When it comes down to it, the scriptures say that if a person will
lose their life, they will find it," Bishop Hale said. "I'm so
concerned that kids are trying to find their lives that they've lost
it."
"Satan's done a good job misdirecting a lot of people," he said.
Other bishops also point to pornography, misplaced priorities,
advances in technology and a shift in traditional gender roles, where
women are now more dominant in both dating and educational pursuits.
Christian Crook, 29, said he has accomplished everything he wanted
to do before getting married. He's traveled widely, finished graduate
school and has a good job — yet he's still not married.
"I'd like to be married, but I'm OK being single and that's part of
the problem. I'm comfortable," said Crook, who attends an LDS singles
ward in Salt Lake City.
When asked if he was deliberately avoiding marriage, Crook said,
"That's what the empirical evidence would suggest." Minutes later, he
added, "I'll get married when I'm good and ready."
Caprene Thompson, 31, said she has tried to focus her life on
service, filled with interesting, fulfilling activities and people.
She's been engaged and has had several serious relationships, but none
has resulted in marriage.
"I'm not sad and depressed," Thompson said about her single status.
"I do want to get married. I do look very much forward to having
children and family. And I am happy to give up career when it does
happen. But now I have to live life and support myself and not just
sit around."
For singles like Thompson and Crook, local church leaders say the
best advice they can give is to not get overwhelmed if they're not
married yet, and to "lose themselves" in service, friendship and
wholesome activities.
But leaders say singles shouldn't stop looking for a marriage partner, either.
"You know better. You have been better trained," Elder Tingey told
BYU graduates in 2005. "You have an eternal view of life that helps
you see beyond and through the shallowness and emptiness of allowing a
self-centered adolescent period following college graduation.
"We expect more from you."
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