Sunstone/Dialogue Boards, BCC Folks, LDS Bloggers, Friends and Family,
Below is what I'm calling my "Thoughtful Faith Modern Mormon Manifesto"
(for
lack of originality). Consider it a proposed 1st draft
blueprint for what we might do collectively in the
Sunstone/Dialogue/Bloggernacle
realms over the next 10 years. I've also copied
it to my web site for future easy reference.
This will take at least 15-30 minutes to read. If you think
you might
not have time or interest in reading below, check out the following
before you make that decision:
A recent podcast
I created last night with Greg Prince, co-author of David O. McKay and
the Rise of Modern Mormonism (right-click
and choose save-as to download and listen)
A small video
I created to illustrate, rather crudely, what can be done w/ video if
we come together (also
right-click and choose save-as to download and watch--does
require broadband internet to download)
A list
of LDS podcasts that are already popping up, along w/ their
accompanying blogs
A draft attempt at a Mormon Studies
Wiki (which you will understand more once you read the
article below)
Did that help? Was I able to at least convince you to give me
at least 15 more minutes?
If not, I totally understand. Please feel free to COMPLETELY
ignore....I am including you only because you may end up hearing about
some
of this over time (as family or friend, or as we try to
implement?).
But you might also decide that you want
to play a part.
Also, as far as the
Dialogue/Sunstone boards go, I'm sure I've left a ton of people off the
list, so please
forward liberally as you so desire (or not, as the case may be).
OK.....to begin, I have a few questions to ask all Sunstoners,
Dialoguers, and Bloggernacle'ers....and generally anyone who considers
them self a "thinking Mormon" or a "liberal Mormon" or even an "open
Mormon"...
What's our
Purpose?
Do
we, as somewhat open-minded, somewhat thoughtful LDS folk, have a
unifying purpose? And is this purpose actually productive--or
are
we just
engaging in mental #$@! (if you will pardon the expression)?
While I am no
expert, I suspect that Sunstone and Dialogue in the 80's and early 90's
may have lost focus on this purpose a bit, and this may have led
to the Sunstone or Dialogue "stink", as Dan has referred to it at
times. While I believe that this damage IS reparable, I also
believe that we can never
afford to let this happen again.
I know the answer from my perspective. My purposes are as
follows:
To encourage a "dialing up" of the intellect as a part of the overall
development of LDS folk (acknowledging that it's only a part, but still
a very important part)
To
create a community which will act as a "safety net" or "safe house" for
all the thousands
of LDS folk who each day stumble onto anti-Mormon literature, or
anti-Mormon web sites, or even just factual church history...which
begins to lead them out of the church, and into a life that is
potentially self-destructive, and familially (I know that's not a
word) and socially destructive
as well. I don't hate or even begrudge the leaders of these
"anti-" sites/movements. In reality, I respect them a great
deal
(some of them are cc'd here). A wise man once said, "A
skeptic is
an idealist who has been burned". Another said that "Atheism
is
often born out of integrity." As people seek to find truth,
and become
disappointed or disillusioned, they abandon all hope/faith in one fell
swoop.
But there are ways to know the "facts" and "history", warts and all,
and even to see the social pitfalls of the Church, while still deciding
that staying in the
Church is the best path for further enlightenment and
service. Most of
you are living testaments to this idea. And just like many of
you have
helped me through this maze, I now want to turn around and help
others
find this path, just like Ted Lyon, and Bill Bradshaw, and Clayton
White, and Lynn England, and
Leonard Arrington, and T. Edgar Lyon, and Lowell Bennion, and Lamond
Tullis, and Richard Poll, and Eugene England, and Michael Quinn, and
Lavina
Fielding Anderson, and Grant Palmer, and my Mom and Dad and wife, and
countless others have helped me to do over time. This is my
goal--and
I believe that this is your goal as well (most of you, anyways).
Lasting
Impact, vs. "Archive-o-rama":
Towards
this purpose, what can we do to make our collective
contributions/efforts more
permanent/lasting/impactful....vs. becoming written, rewritten, and
regurgitated ad infinitum, not to mention forgotten....and then
archived and lost in magazine
piles and blog archives over
time?
Now that we know the basic facts about the black issue, the polygamy
issue, the Book of Abraham issue, the "Peep Stone/Magic" issues, or the
1st vision issue.....and
hundreds of people each day are
discovering these issues for the first time....how do we
connect them
with the existing facts/articles that have already been written....and
save them AND US the
time of having the same tired conversations over
and over again? This
is what FARMS and FAIR are trying to do, but I'm not convinced that
being apologetic (though tough to define) is the way to go.
I do believe that WE can do this, if we unify, prioritize it, and
do it
right. But right now, much of this super-important history and knowledge
is resting
in the fortress of magazine archives, old blog archives/threads, and
impenetrable web site catalogues.
New Media,
New Formats and the Generation Gap: Over the past 35
years, we've
made some progress with the written word, Internet, and now blogs, but
how can new technologies, and new formats, help us achieve 1
& 2 to an even greater extent than it has thus far?
We know
that there is a "generational issue" with
subscribers and participants in Dialogue and Sunstone being largely
"chronologically
gifted" (shall we say). So how do we reach out to the "new
generation"? How do we penetrate not just academics, but
college
students, and young married couples, BEFORE they stumble on the wrong
things and spiral into destruction (as they are doing now in decently
large numbers)? Are there new media, and new
formats, that can take the facts and truths behind Sunstone, Dialogue,
and the Bloggernacle and blast them into the mainstream?
For me, the most critical elements to this mosaic are the following:
Community,
Community, Community:
At the end of the day, people are healed, and hearts are mended, on a
person-to-person, heart to heart basis. But how do struggling
LDS
thinkers connect with other like-minded folk? Certainly not
through candid discussion at
church. And Sunstone Symposium comes only once a year (if
you're lucky enough to live near one).
So where do many searching LDS folk turn for community? They
go
straight to the
Internet, where they find materials and coversations that are
often as dogmatic and one-sided as those they experienced within
church...just at the other end of the spectrum (anti-Mormon, you could
say). As a result, they leave the church, but simply
trade religions...LDS, for anti-LDS....and often (though not always)
this "conversion" does not lead to increased happiness and
fulfillment.
It's true that a few blogs have popped up to fill this void...but it
would be great if the thoughtful, faithful, non-apologetic LDS folks
had a consolidated, unified community to go to, just as ex and
post-Mormons have today. But where is that community?
For me, the community cannot be left to the Internet alone. Blogs and email lists can
provide some great community, but I am a firm
believer that the issues of trolls, anonymity, the anti-Mormon
phenomenon,
along with the often coarse discourse that can accompany the "shield"
of distance....will always make web communities a little bit inferior
to plain old human social interaction. We are human, after
all......no matter how "cyber" or "cyborg" we become.
So
what if every major geographic area w/ critical mass of LDS folk had a
"community
group" called "A Thoughtful Faith", or "Mormons with Questions", that
was advertised across all our collective web sites, blogs, and written
publications, and in the local papers?
This is how grass roots movements start. This is how
communities
get built. IN PERSON. I love the Internet, but in
my
opinion, the personal connection is irreplaceable. I will be
working with others to start a pilot group in Logan, UT, and I would
love others to volunteer to start something similar in their areas.
Level of Discourse:
I hate to say it, but the prose and length in Dialogue and
Sunstone, as well as in many Bloggernacle posts, are not very
accessible to young, or average LDS folk. The level of the
conversation is just too elevated. There are names, and
dates,
and events, and issues, and facts that are just plain ASSUMED to be
known...that an average LDS person simply does not know, or even know
that they should know. Then there is the "stink" issue...that
I
believe is "over-come-able"...but only with time--and until that
happens, there are legion who won't touch Sunstone/Dialogue purely
because of the murky name/reputation/"brethren denunciation".
Also,
the articles are often far too long,
or detailed, for the average LDS reader. Don't get me wrong...Dialogue
and Sunstone have an irreplaceable place in Mormonism....and
they should
not try to be all things to all Mormons or they will lose current
subscribers as well....but NEITHER publication will
have as broad a penetration as they wish if left to their own
devices. If they don't "raise up a 'thoughtful seed' " now,
they will have little to no subscribers later.
There needs to be some "ramp"
that brings people up to the Dialogue/Sunstone level. Call it
"Sunstone 101" or "A Thoughtful Faith 101". Perhaps
this can be done completely on line, or perhaps with a new written
publication, or even a multimedia DVD series. This is where
my "20
Things All
Honest, Thoughtful Mormons Should Know about Mormonism, And Why They
Shouldn't Make You Want to Leave the Church"
book/web site/podcast/video series idea comes into play. To
make
this happen, we will likely need to organize, and use some sort of Wiki
software to make this happen (see here and here
for examples...the second being my own early experiment). If
we
don't do this, or something like it, we will continue to see thousands
each year leap directly from LDS activity into complete and total
inactivity/apostasy. There must be a safety net/ramp to help
people navigate towards the Dialogue/Sunstone levels.
So here are some ideas on how we can "raise up a thoughtful, faithful
generation".....
Multimedia:
The written word is super important, but we all know that the MTV and
XBox generations are far more
audio and video-centric, and the written text just isn't going to
achieve the penetration that multimedia well. To this end, we
need the following types of things.....
Spread
the Blog Love/Religion:
For those of you interested in all things LDS, but who don't look at an
RSS reader daily, and peruse the
LDS Bloggernacle, SHAME ON YOU. If you're still in sin,
here's how
you repent:
Go get some young person who knows computers to
help you, and have them do the following:
Import my "OPML" or
Subscriptions:
Once you have your RSS reader installed and running, you can import my
own personal library of LDS blog subscriptions. The OPML file is
attached to this email (which needs to be imported into the software
listed above). GO DO THIS NOW!!!!!!!!!!
Podcasts:
For people
who don't have the time, or desire to read, but have time to drive in
their
car, or mow the lawn, or exercise, we can reach them through
audio (podcasts). There are several podcasts out
there.....for a list,
check out this
little web site I just created.
A "Best
of Sunstone" podcast, that
features a new Sunstone Symposium mp3 each week. With
Sunstone's
help, I can get this started within the week, because the content
already exists, and his hosted. We just need to create the
RSS
feeds, and advertise them.
A
podcast about interviewing very interesting LDS folk/thinkers.
I did my first episode of these last night, and interviewed Gregory
Prince about his David O. McKay book. While my interviewing
style
is VERY sophomoric, and I did not have the time to prepare like I would
have liked, I still think this was a really, really valuable
interview. Right-click here
and select "save as" to download and check it out. Greg did a
phenomenal job last night...and I know this, because my wife listened
to it today, and loved it.
Dedicated
Sunstone/Dialogue Podcasts:
These podcasts can map to the latest published issues and upcoming
symposia, and can dig deeper into authors/issues/topics as
desired. The goal, in addition to the goals stated originally
above, will be to ultimately drive increased subscription rates, as
well as symposium and community attendance higher.
A
Podcast Purely about Mormon Stories: I've
started another podcast here,
or you can access the first audio file directly from here.
The purpose is just to let LDS folks tell their stories.
Admittedly my own mission story is the only episode thus far...but I
hope to grow this into lots of stories, and not just audio, but video
as well. Anyway, feel free to check it out if you'd
like. I
have received some positive feedback from it.
Your
LDS podcasts goes here. :)
CREATING a podcast is
SUPER easy, and
virtually free. All you need is: a computer, a broadband
connection to the Internet, a combination microphone/ear phone like this
, some free recording software like
this , and if you want to interview or join with other
people in your conversation, this
program
called Skype will help (it lets you do high-quality chat over the
Internet long-distance for FREE). Oh...it doesn't hurt to
have
something interesting to say. :)
The rest is easy (but I won't go into it here).
Video:
Finally, I am a HUGE believer that video will be both the downfall
(pornography), and savior (see below) of us all.
If we REALLY want to touch hearts, and penetrate the masses, we will
need to do it through video. But where is Mormonism's Ken
Burns? I have a personal goal to try to become
this, someday...but who knows if I'll get there...but maybe one of you
will!!!!!
It turns out that video is SUPER easy to do (if you have some time),
and to illustrate this, I created (just as an experiment) an
example. Click here
and
select "save as" if you have a broadband connection to
download.
It's a short video of an experience I had w/ a young "to be" missionary
on the way to the MTC regarding the black issue. I think you will find
it interesting, if nothing else.
But the point is, TEXT AND AUDIO IS NOT ENOUGH!!!! Imagine
the power if we could:
Create a video library of LDS Thinking Pioneers
like Levi
and Armand Darius Gray and Quinn and Lavina and Prince etc. to capture
their
stories and teachings on video, for future generations. WE
NEED
TO CAPTURE THESE FOLKS BEFORE THEY DIE! How bitter I am that
I
never got to watch Arrington or Bennion or England lecture, in person,
and feel of their warmth. Let's not do the same to future
generations.
From
these videos as source materials, a ton of video documentaries could be
developed, that tell honest, but faithful LDS
History, or teach good principles, in an entertaining, uplifting,
inspiring way. I know that Darius and Margaret are working on
a
comprehensive, yet honest video documentary of the "LDS/Black"
issue.
Imagine what else could be done??!!!! Gregory--How about a
video
biography/documentary to supplement your David O. McKay book (or any
other book you might write in the future?). How about a
really good
video documentary on the historical life of Joseph Smith? If
we can
make the leap from Internet to movie screen and/or TV.....the impact
could be HUGE. All we need to do is start this, and I know
the latter
will follow. I know the basics, so who wants to
learn? Maybe a
Sunstone workshop for next year?
Create a video library of LDS Digital Storytelling,
that
allows genealogy and the "spirit of Elijah" to be about more than just
names, and dates, and places...but instead to be about PASSING STORIES
AND TRUTHS DOWN GENERATIONS via video. Who really will read
their
great grandfather's history? But who will watch a good, 2
hour
video on him?
And the best part of all is....all you need to do
this is
a video camera, a decent microphone, and a computer to make this happen
(along with a story or a vision or some knowledge, of course).
Finally, if I don't do anything else this year, we
MUST organize a Sunstone
Film Festival
for next year. Not only will this give audience/voice to the
new
generation of LDS filmmakers, but it will hopefully bring new blood
into this community. And it's SUPER easy/cheap to just
include a few
more projectors/screens in each symposium room. Please,
please, please
someone help me make this happen.
And now, to my last point.....
Organize, Organize,
Organize (maybe even divide and conquer):
The final point I want to make is the following: (and if you made it
this far, remind me that I owe you an ice cream next time you see me).
To do this, we will all need to combine forces and
ORGANIZE. Of course we can continue to do our own things
(publications, blogs, etc), but if we can unify as
well as federate, we can put all our collective writing and thinking
and talking efforts towards a common, unifying, and PRODUCTIVE
goal...vs. just more and more and more writing and talking that ends up
in a magazine pile or in a blog archive.
-----------------------------------------
Please think about this, and consider for yourselves whether you think
this is a pursuit worth doing. Perhaps you are already doing
it. Or
perhaps you think I am crazy. Or perhaps you like these
ideas, but
have no clue if they are actually doable.
As for me, I can already taste these things coming to
fruition. So
what I want to know is, who wants to be a part? Who's in?
(ok...ok....I know I tend to get overly-excited, or overly-dramatic at
times. Call it (somewhat) youthful irrational
exuberance). :)
Regardless, I'd love to know your thoughts. And
Steve/Aaron....this is
what I'd love to blog about, if you think it's worthwhile on
BCC. :)