Association for Mormon Letters conference

The Association for Mormon Letters will hold its annual conference on April 21st at Utah Valley University. The theme of the conference is: "Going Forth Into All the World: Mormon Literature in an International Church." Keynote speaker will be Elder John H. Groberg, Emeritus Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose LDS mission was the subject of the film The Other Side of Heaven. Panelists will talk about various authors and LDS film and literature throughout the world.

Joseph Smith's 1st plural wife becomes part of political wrangling

Excerpts of "The Story Behind Lawrence O'Donnell's Apology to Mormons" by Michael Scherer, Time 2012 Swampland
--
MSNBC host Lawrence O'Donnell apologized Wednesday night for inaccurate comments he made a week earlier about the origins of the Mormon church. "I am truly sorry if I said something inaccurate about Joseph Smith..."

"This Is My Doctrine": The Development of Mormon Theology

" .. no one interested in Mormon teachings should ignore the vast amount of information in this book.  It used to be that books about Mormon doctrine were either prescriptive, by Mormon theologians, saying what the correct doctrine was, or critical, by critics of Mormonism, saying why Mormon doctrine (as they understood it) was false.  This book is of neither kind, and will be of great worth to both sides.  I know of no other book like it. ..."

Review

=====

Title: "This Is My Doctrine": The Development of Mormon Theology

Author: Charles R. Harrell

Reviewed by Richard Packham for the Association for Mormon Letters

Gay Mormon Panel at BYU

Excerpts of "BYU's Gay Mormon Panel a Huge Success, Overflow Crowds Turned Away", TrevorAntley.com
--
[On April 4 at] Brigham Young University, a panel of three self-identified homosexual students and one bisexual student talked openly regarding their struggles with their sexuality and how they have coped with their same-gender attraction along with their Mormon faith. ...  "Everything you wanted to know about being gay at BYU but were too afraid to ask."

...The university-sanctioned panel-discussion for gay, lesbian, and bisexual BYU students was met with perhaps more success than its organizers anticipated.

BYU students "It Gets Better" video

Below are excerpts of "Gay Mormon students at BYU come out in Web video," Associated Press. Following these excerpts are links to individual videos from which the BYU 'It Gets Better' video was made. 

--

Students from a strict Mormon college that prohibits "homosexual behavior" have launched a Web video aimed at reassuring other gay and lesbian youth struggling with their faith and sexual orientation.

Church unhappy with BBC interview of Elder Holland

The BBC has produced and aired a documentary on Mormonism and Mitt Romney. "The Mormon Candidate" will air in the U.S. later this year. BBC reporter John Sweeney interviewed Elder Jeffery R. Holland of the Quorum of Twelve, a church spokesman, polygamists, Mitt Romney's cousin, disaffected Mormons and others for the production. 

Mormon History Association: Calgary Conference

Mormon History Association Conference

"Mormonism In Its Expanding Global Context: Invitations to New Interpretations and Understanding"

DATES: June 28-July 1, 2012
PLACE: MacEwan Conference and Event Centre, University of Calgary, Canada

JSP provides additional context to D&C 130

One of a series of diagrams of observed "signs of the
times" recorded  in  Joseph Smith's journal shortly
before the concepts of D&C 130 were taught

One of the more interesting sections of the Doctrine and Covenants are "items of instruction" presented by Joseph Smith while visiting Ramus, Illinois. Just over a year before his death, Joseph Smith was teaching concepts that would further distinguish Mormonism from other religions. He had already removed the barrier between the spiritual and physical by defining spirit as imperceptible physical matter, and by placing God physically in time and space. But in April, 1843, he further solidified a theological foundation of materialism by stating that God's place of residence was a "Urim and Thummin" resembling a globe of glass and fire; that God's body is made of physical material including "flesh and bones" and that God is living in time, albeit in a time reference not associated with earth.

These, and other ideas taught in Ramus were eventually added to the Doctrine and Covenants as section 130, a rare example of concepts from informal teachings being canonized.

While these doctrines are familiar to Latter-day Saints, new information regarding the circumstances from which these instructions were taught have been made available in The Joseph Smith Papers: Journals Volume 2 (Jv2). 

Exploration of Experiences and Psychological Health of Same-sex Attracted Latter-day Saints

Selections from "Exploration of Experiences and Psychological Health of Same-sex Attracted Latter-day Saints," a Utah State University Research Project based on a survey of 1,635 LGBTQ Latter-day Saints.

LDS Radio station stands behind Limbaugh

Excerpts of "LDS Church-Owned Radio Station Stands By Rush Limbaugh" by Joanna Brooks, Religious Dispatches
 --
No other religiously-owned or affiliated radio network in the country airs Rush Limbaugh—except the LDS-owned Bonneville International.

Jane Manning, black Mormon pioneer

Jane Manning James

Excerpts of  "See Jane pray — remembering a black Mormon pioneer and her decades of devotion," Peggy Fletcher Stack, Salt Lake Tribune

--
"Jane" is Jane Manning James, a friend of Mormon founder Joseph Smith and his wife, Emma. James was also a servant in the LDS prophet's Mansion House. In 1894, she was "sealed" to Mormonism's first couple "not as their spiritual child but as their eternal 'servitor,' " Mueller notes.

Chronology of events leading to black men being restricted from the priesthood

BYU Professor Randy Bott's controversial comments to the Washington Post earlier this week elicited a response by the church which said in part:

"For a time in the Church there was a restriction on the priesthood for male members of African descent.  It is not known precisely why, how, or when this restriction began in the Church but what is clear is that it ended decades ago. Some have attempted to explain the reason for this restriction but these attempts should be viewed as speculation and opinion, not doctrine. ... We condemn racism, including any and all past racism by individuals both inside and outside the Church."

The following chronology provides a sense of events leading to the establishment of the priesthood ban.

First Presidency letter on Baptisms for the dead

Feb 29, 2012: Letter to be read in Sacrament Meetings

Complete translation of the Joseph Smith Papyri published

 The relationship between the Book of Abraham and the Joseph Smith Egyptian papyri continues to receive scholarly attention from the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. For a century now, professors and LDS students from this leading institute of Egyptian studies have analyzed and debated the papyri and its relationship to Joseph Smith's translation. The translation was called "The Book of Abraham" and incorporated into the Pearl of Great Price which became the fourth foundational scripture of the LDS church.

Considered one of the country's foremost Egyptian scholars, Dr. Robert Ritner is the latest University of Chicago Egyptologist to turn his attention to the papyri. His book, The Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri: A Complete Edition, includes the first ever complete translation of the papyri.

Utah legislators concerned about Martin Luther King plates

"Utah Afraid License Plates Honoring Martin Luther King May Support Abortion" by Robin Marty, care2.com

• --

Usually when it comes to controversies over license plates and choice issues, the instigating factor are "Choose Life" plates being created by the states, with donations going to fund religious, anti-abortion crisis pregnancy centers.

But in Utah, an abortion debate is being fought over a different type of plate — one honoring the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

1 in 9 republican voters are Mormon

Note that this stat is based on 2008 exit polls. If Mitt Romney runs in the November election, it is likely this ratio will increase. Letters were read in Mormon wards this month encouraging political involvement.

Excerpts of "Mormon voters wary of too much public support for Romney" by  Sandhya Somashekhar, Washington Post

--

In 2008, Mormons made up about 11 percent of the Republican primary electorate, according to exit polls. Though they are not a large group nationally — about 2 percent of the U.S. population — they are overwhelmingly conservative and are more likely to vote than other groups.

Radical new theory of first Americans arriving by boat

Excerpts of "Radical theory of first Americans places stone-age Europeans in Delmarva 20,000 years ago" by Brian Vastag, Washington Post

--

When the crew of the Virginia scallop trawler Cinmar hauled a mastodon tusk onto the deck in 1970, another oddity dropped out of the net: A dark, tapered stone blade, nearly eight inches long and still sharp.

Forty years later, this rediscovered prehistoric slasher has reopened debate on a radical theory about who the first Americans were and when they got here.

Baptism for the dead continues to draw attention

Baptism for the dead continues to draw attention to the LDS temple practice allowing Mormons to be baptized for deceased individuals.


The latest parodies of the issue comes from Comedy Central's Stephen Colbert, who performed a mock posthumous conversion of Mormons to Judaism.

Anne Frank re-baptized for the dead

Below are two stories related to baptism for the dead of Holocaust victim Anne Frank.  The Huffington Post story reports the baptism of Anne Frank last Saturday.  Also included is the strongest statement yet by the L.D.S. church, threatening discipline to any of its members who continue such baptisms.

Mormon Conferences

Excerpt of "5 Mormon Studies Conferences," Jana Riess, ReligionNews

• At the Crossroads Again: Mormon and Protestant Encounters in the 19th and 21st Centuries
• Sunstone Ohio
• "Circling the Wagons" conference for LGBTQ/SSA Mormons, Their Families, and Friends --