• Part 1: Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich discusses the importance and of history and personal narrative within religious traditions and John Dehlin discusses the evolution of Mormon Stories and the role it plays in the lives of listeners and community members.
• Part 2: Joanna Brooks talks about changes in spiritual narrative scripts over time and how telling personal stories affects community development. Conference attendees share their personal stories in an open-mic format.

Dr. Ulrich is a historian of early America and the history of women and a university professor at Harvard University.  Ulrich’s innovative and widely influential approach to history has been described as a tribute to “the silent work of ordinary people”—an approach that, in her words, aims to “show the interconnection between public events and private experience.”  Her books include: Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History (2007), Yards and Gates: Gender in Harvard and Radcliffe History (2004), The Age of Homespun: Objects and Stories in the Creation of an American Myth (2001), All God’s Critters Got a Place in the Choir, a collection of essays coauthored with the Utah poet Emma Lou Thayne (1995), A Midwife’s Tale: The Life of Martha Ballard based on her diary, 1785–1812 (1990), and Good Wives: Image and Reality in the Lives of Women in Northern New England, 1650-1750 (1982).

Joanna Brooks is a national voice on Mormon life and politics and an award-winning scholar of religion and American culture.  The author of The Book of Mormon Girl:  Stories from an American Faith, she is a senior correspondent for the on-line magazineReligionDispatches.org and has been named one of “50 Politicos to Watch” by Politico.com.

Featuring Benji Schwimmer, Jana Riess, Andrew Ainsworth, Peter Breinholt and Bengt Washburn!!!

A Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose can be found at the end of this page.

Mormon Stories 2012 Inaugural Art Show Submission Form (pdf)
Professional and amateur categories available

Schedule of Events for the 2012 Salt Lake City MS Regional Conference

FRIDAY, June 15th

6:00 – 10:00 p.m. Potluck and Dance
Hot coals, tableware, meat, hotdogs, buns, condiments, chips and drinks will be provided. If you’re not from out of town, bring a side dish or dessert to share. If you’ve traveled a long way or can’t find the time to cook, just come!
Suggested Donation: $3/person or $7/family
Please bring your donation to the event. All are welcome regardless of ability to pay.

SATURDAY, June 16th

Wasatch Presbyterian Church
1626 S 1700 East, Salt Lake City
Standard Price: 37.00
Registrants may pay less or more, depending on ability to pay. Free admissions available. All are welcome regardless. See registration section below for details.

10:00 a.m. Art Show and Reception – Mix and Mingle

12:00-1:30 p.m. FIRST SESSION
Conducting: Katrina Anderson
Non-traditional Prayer:
Musical Number: Peter Breinholt
Keynote Speaker: Jana Riess
Keynote Speaker: Andrew Ainsworth
Musical Number: Peter Breinholt

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Break/Mingle/Art Show

2:00 – 3:30 p.m. SECOND SESSION
Conducting:
Musical Number:
Community Speaker: Michael Fife
Community Speaker: Stephanie Lauritzen
Keynote Speaker: Benji Schwimmer

3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Break/Mingle/Art Show

4:00 – 5:15 p.m. STORY SHARING MEETING
Conducting:
Musical Number:
Story Sharing
Congregational Hymn:
Traditional Prayer:

Mormon Stories Story Sharing Meetings are conducted in the tradition of Mormon testimony meetings. The microphone is open for all attendees to share their thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Those who currently identify with the Mormon faith tradition, those who identified with it in the past and all others are encouraged to share regardless of level of belief or activity.

5:30 p.m. Pizza and comedian Bengt Washburn

Sunday, June 17th

Meet at Temple Square for Music and the Spoken Word

* Special performance by Peter Breinholt to be announced.

__________________________________________________________________________

Registration:

The standard Saturday conference price is $37. If you cannot pay $37, please select $10, $20 or $25 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who cannot pay $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. All are welcome regardless.

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the buttons below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

__________________________________________________________________________

Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose:

Mormon Stories conferences seek to be safe spaces where community members can express themselves authentically regardless of activity level in the Mormon Church or belief in any particular ideology. They do not attempt to persuade attendees to subscribe to any specific belief system or to make any specific life decisions. Rather, they intend to be places where community members of disparate beliefs can gather together to share personal life experiences. Traditional believing members, fundamentalists, apologists, atheists, agnostics, community members who adhere to other religions, women, men and people of all sexual orientations are equally welcome and have an equal standing in the community.

Conferences are convened in the spirit of the Mormon Stories Shared Values:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

John’s “Why Mormons Question” presentation with visuals:

Part 1 – John Dehlin, Scott Gordon, Rosemary Avance:

Part 2 – Panel Discussion:

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

• Powerpoint for Part 1
• Powerpoint for Part 2
• Powerpoint for Part 3
• Powerpoint for Part 4
• (No Powerpoint used in Part 5)

A Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose can be found at the end of this page.

Schedule of Events for the 2012 Denver MS Regional Conference

FRIDAY, MAY 18th

6-9 p.m. Fridate Potluck 
5010 Persimmon Ln, Castle Rock, CO 80109
Please bring an entree or dessert to share!

SATURDAY, MAY 19th

Faith Lutheran Church,
303 Ridge Road, Castle Rock

11:45 am. – 12:00 noon Toddler, Children & Teen Rooms open, allowing time for families to  settle children into kids’ activities, if desired.

12:00 – 1:30 p.m. First Session 
Conducting: Brooke McLay
Teaching Devotional: Kerry Lynn  & Jason Howard
Moment of Silence/Personal Meditation
Keynote Speaker: John Dehlin Our Common Ground/The Purpose and Power of MS
Community Speaker: Mandi Brown Bagley A Well-Grounded Family
Youth Panel: My Mormon Story with Haze Bagley, Andrew McLay, Rebecca McLay, Madison Howard, Sadie Howard

1:30 – 2:00 p.m. Break/Mingle – snacks provided

2:00 – 3:30 p.m. Second Session 
Conducting: Emily Bankhead
Community Speaker: Heather Lundwall My Mormonism as Christian–How My LDS Upbringing Shapes My Current Worldview
Community Speaker: Esteban Cencerrado Lee O’Neal My Mormonism as an Agnostic–How My LDS Upbringing Shapes My Current Worldview
Community Speaker: Sean Lindsay My Mormonism as an Buddhist–How My LDS Upbringing Shapes My Current Worldview”
Community Speaker: Marlene Milner Identity, Peace, and Purpose
Community Speaker: Eldon Kartchner Understanding Grief
Community Speaker: John McLay The Journey by

3:30 – 4:00 p.m. Break/Mingle

4:00 – 5:15 p.m. Story Sharing Meeting
Conducting: Ally Burwell Warner
Musical Number: Jen Cameron Kartchner
Story Sharing
Congregational Hymn: Love One Another
Closing Prayer

Mormon Stories Story Sharing Meetings are conducted in the tradition of Mormon testimony meetings. The microphone is open for all attendees to share their thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Those who currently identify with the Mormon faith tradition, those who identified with it in the past and all others are encouraged to share regardless of level of belief or activity.

5:30 p.m. Family Picnic & Family Games at Park
Please bring chips, fruit & veggies, or drinks to share with the crowd! We’ll provide hot dogs, buns & paperware.

SUNDAY, MAY 20th

Family 5K & Fun Run

9 a.m.- 12:00 noon
Come ready to run, walk, bike and/or just enjoy the morning with a group of like-minded journeyers. Muffins and juice provided.

All activities will convene on the playground of:
Rhyolite Regional Park
1701 Crystal Valley Pkwy
Castle Rock, Co 80104

__________________________________________________________________________

Registration:

The standard Saturday conference price is $37. If you cannot pay $37, please select $10, $20 or $25 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who cannot pay $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. All are welcome regardless.

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the buttons below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

__________________________________________________________________________

Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose:

Mormon Stories conferences seek to be safe spaces where community members can express themselves authentically regardless of activity level in the Mormon Church or belief in any particular ideology. They do not attempt to persuade attendees to subscribe to any specific belief system or to make any specific life decisions. Rather, they intend to be places where community members of disparate beliefs can gather together to share personal life experiences. Traditional believing members, fundamentalists, apologists, atheists, agnostics, community members who adhere to other religions, women, men and people of all sexual orientations are equally welcome and have an equal standing in the community.

Conferences are convened in the spirit of the Mormon Stories Shared Values:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

Jim also began his own company in the art dealership world, and has worked primarily with Russia for the past 20 years. During that time he also founded the Jim Dabakis Educational Foundation which has helped bright students from all over the world continue their education in the United States. He is also one of the original founders of both Equality Utah and The Utah Pride Center.

Never one to stay uninvolved, before becoming Chair, he had been active in helping many of our Elected Democrats in this state achieve office.  This is his Mormon story.

• 1st General Session: Joseph Broom conducted, psychologist Lee Beckstead discussed his perspective on the Mormon LGBT journey, David Zabriskie shared his original composition called “Pioneers” based on a Carol Lynn Pearson poem of the same name, and Carol Lynn Pearson spoke on the Gay and Lesbian Mormon’s “Hero’s Journey.”
• 2nd General Session: Noted author and LGBT activist Jimmy Creech speaks, and a panel including Bill Bradshaw, Carol Lynn Pearson, and Julia Hunter is moderated by John Dehlin.
• 3rd General Session: Conference attendees share their stories.
• 4th General Session: Allen Miller conducts.  LDS bishop Kevin Kloosterman, Episcopal Reverend Canon Mary June Nestler, and Reverend Jimmy Creech share their perspectives on church and LGBTQ issues.  Julia Hunter performs on the violin.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

We are excited to launch the pilot a new podcast and set of resources located at MormonTransitions.org.  The purpose of this project is to support LDS church members who are navigating difficult Mormon-related transitions.

In today’s episode, Joanna Brooks and Brian Johnston join John Dehlin to provide an overview of navigating a Mormon faith transition.

with Natasha Helfer Parker and Dan Wotherspoon

A Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose can be found at the end of this post.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Those interested may wish to make a reservation to attend the April open house for the new Kansas City Missouri Temple. Natasha Helfer Parker has a few extra tickets for the Friday 9:00 p.m. tour. Email natasha.parker@sbcglobal.net if you’re interested in attending with the group.

Other historical sites of interest:
The Community of Christ Headquarters
Adam-ondi-Ahman
Liberty Jail
Far West
Harry Truman Library

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Conference Schedule

Friday, April 13th, 2012

6:30 p.m.
The home of Nathan and Nikki Goodson
3914 Harrison Street
Kansas City, MO 64110
Potluck
FREE and open to the public

Saturday, April 14, 2012

12:00 to 6:30 p.m.
Stone Church
1012 W Lexington Ave
Independence, MO 64050
Standard price: $37

Attendees may pay less or more, depending on ability to pay.
Free admissions available. See registration section below for details. All are welcome.

12:00 Meet and Greet
Education building behind the church

12:45-1:30 p.m. 5-minute walk to the Community of Christ Temple where we have been invited as a group to lead the “Daily Prayer for Peace” for the people of Gambia.

1:45-3:00 p.m. Session One
Conducting: Carolyn Hogue Gertsch
Speaker: Natasha Helfer Parker – Identity: Forming It, Losing It, Reinventing It
TED-style talk: Kim Marvin Rangitsch – Laughter Freshens the Air when Life Stinks

3:00-3:30 p.m. Break/Mingle

3:30-4:45 p.m. Session Two
Conducting: Luke Williams
TED-style talk: Carolyn Hogue Gertsch – Change: Learning to Deal with Anger and Frustration
TED-style talk: Lorée Clark – My Spiritual Journey
Speaker: Dan Wotherspoon – What Mormonism Looks like to Me

4:45-5:15 p.m. Break/Mingle

5:15-6:30 p.m. Story Sharing Meeting
Sanctuary
Conducting: Natasha Helfer Parker
Musical Number: Nathan and Nikki Clark Goodson
Story Sharing
Congregational Hymn: Let us Oft Speak Kind Words to Each Other
Pianist: Nikki Clark Goodson
Prayer: Luke Williams

Mormon Stories Story Sharing Meetings are conducted in the tradition of Mormon testimony meetings. The microphone is open for all attendees to share their thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Those who currently identify with the Mormon faith tradition, those who identified with it in the past and all others are encouraged to share regardless of level of belief or activity.

6:45 p.m. Meet at a Ophelia’s Inn for Dinner – pay your own way
201 N Main Street
Independence, MO
461-4525

Sunday, April 15th, 2012

Tour with the community as desired

_____________________________________________________________________________

The standard Saturday conference price is $37. If you cannot pay $37, please select $10, $20 or $25 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who cannot pay $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. All are welcome regardless.

Missouri Conference Registration

Option 1 – $10.00 USD Option 2 – $20.00 USD Option 3 – $25.00 USD Option 4 – Standard Price – $37.00 USD Option 5 – $50.00 USD Option 6 – $75.00 USD Option 7 – $100.00 USD

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the button below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________

Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose:

Mormon Stories conferences seek to be safe spaces where community members can express themselves authentically regardless of activity level in the Mormon Church or belief in any particular ideology. They do not attempt to persuade attendees to subscribe to any specific belief system or to make any specific life decisions. Rather, they intend to be places where community members of disparate beliefs can gather together to share personal life experiences. Traditional believing members, fundamentalists, apologists, atheists, agnostics, community members who adhere to other religions, women, men and people of all sexual orientations are equally welcome and have an equal standing in the community.

Conferences are convened in the spirit of the Mormon Stories Shared Values:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

Discount parking coupon

Speakers will address the topic of:

Using personal narratives to create spaces where Mormons of all levels of orthodoxy can interact authentically

Friday, April 27, 2012

7:00 p.m.
The Home of Paul and Kimberly Carlile
19 Broad Street
Belmont, MA 02478
FREE and open to the public

Join Joanna Brooks for a Bad Mormon Desserts party in the home of Paul and Kimberly Carlile. Bring your favorite (or least favorite) Mormon dessert and listen to Joanna read excerpts from her new memoir The Book of Mormon Girl. The reading will be followed by an informal Q & A.

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Saturday, April 28, 2012

12:00 noon to 4:00 p.m.
First Parish Cambridge
3 Church Street, Harvard Square
Cambridge, MA 02138
Standard price: $37

Attendees may pay less or more, depending on ability to pay.
Free admissions available. See registration section below for details. All are welcome.

11:30 a.m. Meet and Greet

12:00 noon to 1:30 p.m. – First Session
Conducting: Liz Hammond
Musical Number:
Non-traditional prayer:  Anne Peffer
Keynote Speaker: Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
Speaker: John Dehlin

1:30 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. – Break/Mingle with refreshments

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. – Second Session
Conducting: Danielle Kristine Mooney
Speaker: Joanna Brooks
Musical Number:
*Story Sharing
Congregational Hymn:
Traditional Prayer: Thom Goodsell

*Mormon Stories Story Sharings are conducted in the tradition of Mormon testimony meetings. The microphone is open for all attendees to share their thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Those who currently identify with the Mormon faith tradition and those who identified with it in the past are encouraged to share regardless of level of orthodoxy.

___________________________________________________

Sunday, April 29th, 2012 – Social

10:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
Meet at Eastgate MIT, Penthouse Lounge
60 Wadsworth St.
Cambridge, MA
FREE and open to the public

___________________________________________________

Registration:

The standard Saturday conference price is $37. If you cannot pay $37, please select $10, $20 or $25 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who cannot pay $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. All are welcome regardless. Children may attend at no cost, but snacks are not allowed in the sanctuary.

Boston Conference Registration

Option 1 – $10.00 USD Option 2 – $20.00 USD Option 3 – $25.00 USD Option 4 – Standard Price – $37.00 USD Option 5 – $50.00 USD Option 6 – $75.00 USD Option 7 – $100.00 USD

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the button below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose:

Mormon Stories conferences seek to be safe spaces where community members can express themselves authentically regardless of activity level in the Mormon Church or belief in any particular ideology. They do not attempt to persuade attendees to subscribe to any specific belief system or to make any specific life decisions. Rather, they intend to be places where community members of disparate beliefs can gather together to share personal life experiences. Traditional believing members, fundamentalists, apologists, atheists, agnostics, community members who adhere to other religions, women, men and people of all sexual orientations are equally welcome and have an equal standing in the community.

Conferences are convened in the spirit of the Mormon Stories Shared Values:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

• Part 1: John Dehlin talks about the costs and benefits of having difficult conversations about Mormonism with family and friends.
• Part 2: Dan Wotherspoon delivers a presentation called: “Make Love AND War!: Maintaining Positive Relationships During Faith Transitions—A Spiritual Framing.”  For an extended version of this presentation, click here.

1. Sexual allegations made against Joseph Smith during his early years
2. The story of William and Jane Law, and
3. An update on Grant’s resignation from the LDS church

Warning: The material on this podcast is very sensitive and will likely be considered offensive by traditional LDS church believers.  Please do not listen if your faith is tender, or if you are seeking to avoid any critical discussion of Joseph Smith or the LDS church.

Finally, to listen to our original interview with Grant Palmer please click here.

The “Circling the Wagons” Statement of Purpose can be found at the bottom of this page.

Printable Conference Pamphlet (pdf)
Neighborhood Guide – Transportation, Lodging, Restaurants (pdf)

Friday April 20, 2012 – 7:00 to 9:00 p.m.

Opening Social
Williams Residence
2501 N Lincoln St.
Arlington, VA 22207
Program: A Carol Lynn Pearson poetry reading followed by the story of her inspiration for No More Goodbyes: Circling the Wagons around our Gay Loved Ones.
No children 12 and under, please.
Appetizers and drinks will be served.
Cost of food: $7

A brief choir practice will be held after the social. All who are interested in singing may email Randall at randst27@yahoo.com.

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Saturday, April 21st, 2012 – 11:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Main Conference
Community of Christ
3526 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Parking available on Massachusetts Ave and surrounding side streets
Last-minute questions: Call Gabe at (703) 314-7986
Standard Conference Price: $37 (Registrants may pay less or more, depending on ability to pay. See registration section below for details.)

11:00 a.m.-12 noon – Potluck Brunch
Please bring one side dish or dessert. Meat, drinks and tableware will be provided.

12 noon-1:30 p.m. – Keynote Session
Mitch Mayne: Navigating the co-centric circles of being Mormon and gay
Carol Lynn Pearson: The hero’s journey of the LGBT Mormon & where we go from here

1:30-2:00 p.m. – Break/Mingle

2:00-3:00 p.m. – Breakouts

1. Navigating the Issues of Homosexuality and Same-Sex Attraction While Going to Church
2. Marriage Equality and what it Means for LGBT Mormons and their Families
3. Being Lesbian and Mormon

3:00-3:30 p.m. – Break/Mingle

3:30-4:30 p.m. – Second Session
Jeanne Gramick: What helps (and hurts) when resolving sexual, religious and social conflicts
Alanna Miller Farnsworth: A parent’s journey to understanding homosexuality/SSA
Julia Hunter: Authenticity as a Mormon lesbian
Premier of the Mormon Stories It Gets Better video

4:30-5:00 p.m. – Break/Mingle

5:00-6:15 p.m. – Story Sharing Meeting

6:30-7:30 p.m.- Dinner Catered by Cafe Rio, cost of dinner included in registration fee.
Informal Q & A of the day’s speakers

Donations and registration fees pay for speaker airfare, facility rentals, administrative costs and food. It is difficult for Mormon Stories to cover conference costs. Donors interested in helping ensure that Circling the Wagons conferences remain sustainable may inquire about ways to help carry the financial burden by emailing Anne at MormonStories@gmail.com. Tax-deductible donations made at the “donate” button below will go directly towards conference expenses.

________________________________________________________________________________

Sunday, April 22nd, 2012 – 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 noon

Interfaith Services
Community of Christ
3526 Massachusetts Avenue NW
Free and open to the public
________________________________________________________________________________

Registration:

The standard registration price of $37 will cover the cost of Saturday’s conference and Saturday’s catered meal. The price of Friday night’s dinner is not included. If your budget prevents you from paying $37, please select $10, $20 or $30 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who does not have $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. We want to have you there. Your participation is more important to us than your pocketbook. All are equally welcome. Please come.

The cost of Friday night’s meal is $7. If you plan to attend the Friday night social, please select ‘Friday’s Food’ in the drop down menu below. If you can not pay for Friday’s food, please email Anne at MormonStories@gmail.com so that we can make sure to order enough to fill your stomach. Again, all are equally welcome regardless of ability to pay.

Those wishing to register for both Friday and Saturday (at the standard price) may select the final option.

Washington DC “Circling” Conference

Option 1 – $10.00 USD Option 2 – $20.00 USD Option 3 – $30.00 USD Option 4 – Standard Price – $37.00 USD Option 5 – $50.00 USD Option 6 – $75.00 USD Option 7 – $100.00 USD Friday’s Food – $7.00 USD Standard Price & Friday’s Food – $44.00 USD

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the button below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

Donations and registration fees pay for speaker airfare, facility rentals, administrative costs and food. It is difficult for Mormon Stories to cover conference costs. Donors interested in helping ensure that Circling the Wagons conferences remain sustainable may inquire about ways to help carry the financial burden by emailing Anne at MormonStories@gmail.com. Tax-deductible donations made at the “donate” button above will go directly towards conference expenses.
________________________________________________________________________________

“Circling the Wagons” Statement of Purpose

The goal of the Mormon Stories “Circling the Wagons” conference is to create a space where LGBTQ or SSA individuals and their families and allies can gather to acknowledge, explore and honor shared experiences. No issues strike more deeply than who we love and how we understand and honor God. These issues carry an especially profound weight in Mormon communities and have been the source of a great deal of misunderstanding, judgment and hurt. Consequently, gay Mormons are deeply divided over how to address same-sex attraction and negotiate the choices they face.

In convening this conference, we are inviting LGBTQ Mormons and their families and allies to step beyond historic divisions to establish a shared space where all who have ever self-identified as Mormon and have experienced same-sex attraction can speak truthfully and respectfully. Mormon Stories and the Open Stories Foundation are hosting this conference as an expression of our longstanding commitment to LGBTQ issues and in the spirit of our “Shared Values”:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

We welcome all who wish to participate in a spirit of fellowship and openness, with condemnation for none and compassion for all, in the hopes that all will experience personal renewal and discover a basis for common ground in our shared heritage.

Mormon Stories conferences seek to be safe spaces where community members can express themselves authentically regardless of activity level in the Mormon Church or belief in any particular ideology. They do not attempt to persuade attendees to subscribe to any specific belief system or to make any specific life decisions. Rather, they intend to be places where community members of disparate beliefs can gather together to share personal life experiences. Traditional believing members, fundamentalists, apologists, atheists, agnostics, community members who adhere to other religions, women, men and people of all sexual orientations are equally welcome and have an equal standing in the community.

The Boise conference will be a traditional Mormon Stories conference featuring keynote speakers, TED-like talks, and a Mormon Stories testimony or “Story Sharing” meeting. Boise will also host the full release of the “Why Mormons Question” survey data. Plan to hear from Joanna Brooks, John Dehlin, Maxine Hanks, Scott Holley, and Michael Carpenter.

Saturday, March 17th, 2012
Time: Meet and greet begins at 11:30. Conference begins at noon.
Location: Center for Spiritual Living
10464 W Garverdale Ct. Boise, ID 83704

Standard conference price: $25 (Registrants may pay less or more, dependent on ability to pay. See registration section below for details.)

12:00-1:45 p.m. Opening Session
Conducting: Rebecca Johnson
Non-traditional prayer:
Musical Number: Lachelle Hansen Smith – O Refresh Us by John Faucett and Murray Boren
Keynote Speaker: Joanna Brooks
Speaker: John Dehlin
Town Hall Q and A with Joanna Brooks, John Dehlin and Anne Peffer

1:45-2:15 p.m. Break/Mingle

2:15-3:45 p.m. Mid-afternoon Session
Conducting: Sean Trueman
Keynote Speaker: Maxine Hanks – Embracing Diversity
TED-like talk: Michael Carpenter
Unveiling of the “Why Mormons Question” Survey Data: Scott Holley

3:45-4:15 p.m. Break/Mingle Snacks will be provided

4:15-5:30 p.m. “Story Sharing” Meeting
Conducting: Brittany Ursenbach Walker
Musical Number: Elizabeth Leavitt Heiner – Homeward Bound
Story Sharing
Traditional Prayer:

6:00 p.m. Meet at a restaurant for dinner
Casa Mexico
10332 Fairview Ave, Boise, ID
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Registration:

The standard registration price of $25 will cover the cost of Saturday’s conference. The price of Saturday night’s dinner is not included. If your budget prevents you from paying $25, please select $10, $15 or $20 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $30, $50, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who does not have $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. We want to have you there. Your participation is more important to us than your pocketbook. Please come.

Boise Conference Registration

Option 1 – $10.00 USD Option 2 – $15.00 USD Option 3 – $20.00 USD Option 4 – Standard Price – $25.00 USD Option 5 – $30.00 USD Option 6 – $50.00 USD Option 7 – $100.00 USD

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the button below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

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Mormon Stories conferences are convened in the spirit of the Mormon Stories Shared Values:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

Matt’s blog can be found at: LDS Church Growth.

Some of the findings of the report include:

• Mormons were 1.4% of the U.S. adult population in 2008, a proportion unchanged since 1990.
• The Mormons of Utah are the only religious group in the U.S. today that comprises a numerical majority of a state‘s population (57% of Utah).
• Mormons remain the most geographically isolated and uniquely distributed American religious group (only 19% are found east of the Mississippi River).
• The Mormon population increase 1990-2008 was more modest than claimed by the LDS Church.
• ARIS data shows that apostasy rates are rising among young men in Utah. There is a growing gender imbalance and surplus of women as a result.
• There are regional differences among Mormons on several socio-demographic variables. Mormons outside of Utah are different to heritage Mormons in Utah.
• Utah Mormons in 2008 had significantly larger households than Mormons elsewhere (4.2 persons per household in Utah vs. 3.7 persons per household elsewhere), suggesting that the traditional norm of large families endures in Utah.
• Mormon women are more likely to be housewives and less likely to work full-time than other American women.
• The period 1990-2008 saw rising prosperity with above average increases in household income among Mormons in Utah.
• In 2008 Mormons had very high rates of voter registration (90% in Utah). Mormons are more than twice as likely to be Republicans (59%) than non-Mormon Americans (27%).

Dr. Ryan Cragun is an Assistant Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa in Tampa, Florida and Research Associate at the Institute for the Study of Secularism in Society & Culture, Trinity College. His research interests include: secularization, religious change, Mormonism, and religious independents/seculars. His current research is looking at several ways in which secular society interacts with religious fundamentalism.

“In this first-of-its-kind comprehensive treatment of the development of Mormon theology, Charles Harrell traces the history of Latter-day Saint doctrines from the times of the Old Testament to the present. He describes how Mormonism has carried on the tradition of the biblical authors, early Christians, and later Protestants in reinterpreting scripture to accommodate new theological ideas while attempting to uphold the integrity and authority of the scriptures. In the process, he probes three questions: How did Mormon doctrines develop? What are the scriptural underpinnings of these doctrines? And what do critical scholars make of these same scriptures? In this enlightening study, Harrell systematically peels back the doctrinal accretions of time to provide a fresh new look at Mormon theology.”

Charles R. Harrell (Ph.D., manu­facturing engineering, Unive­rsity of Denmark) is an associate professor in Brigham Young University’s School of Technology, where he is the graduate coordinator for the manufacturing systems program. In addition to teaching and advising students, he oversees student projects aimed at improving business operations. He recently led a humanitarian project to build electricity-generating playground equipment in Ghana. He is also founder and director of ProModel Corporation, which is a leading provider of simulation software and has authored several books on the use of simulation to improve business processes. In addition to his professional activities, Charles is an ardent theological hobbyist and has published articles on Mormon theology in BYU Studies, The Encyclopedia of Mormonism, and Studies in the Scriptures. He also taught seminary and institute for many years. Charles and his wife, Yvonne, are the parents of five children and live in Orem, Utah

Friday Evening, February 17th, 2012
Time: 7:00 p.m.
Cost of food: $7

Catered dinner and “Bad Mormon Desserts” party with Joanna Brooks. Bring your favorite Mormon dessert and listen to our lovely Joanna read excerpts from her newly released The Book of Mormon Girl. Once the green jello with shredded carrots is gone, John Dehlin will lead a panel on the topic of “Finding happiness in and out of the church” featuring Phoenix locals JulieAnn Shaw, Jodiane Goodman, Zach Cooley, and Renee Clancy. Finally, the floor will be opened for an informal Q&A with Joanna and John.

Saturday, February 18th, 2012
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Valley Unitarian Universalist
6400 W Del Rio St. Chandler, AZ 85226
Standard conference price: $37 (Registrants may pay less or more, dependent on ability to pay. See registration section below for details.)

A traditional Mormon Stories conference featuring keynote speakers, TED-like talks, a panel discussion, and a traditional Mormon Stories testimony or “Story Sharing” meeting. Plan to hear from Margaret Toscano, Jared Anderson, Joanna Brooks, John Dehlin, Matt Long, J. Seth Andersen, James Rogers and a few other Phoenix locals. Music by Lincoln Wright.

9:30 – 10:45 a.m. Opening Session
Conducting: Holly Williams Allred
Quote and Moment of Silence: Shari Gunther Trexler
Musical Number: Lincoln Wright
Speaker: Jared Anderson
Keynote Speaker: Margaret Toscano

10:45-11:15 p.m. Break/Mingle – Food will be available.

11:15-1:00 p.m. Mid-afternoon Session
Conducting: Emily Adair
TED-like talk: John Dehlin
TED-like talk: Anne Peffer
TED-like talk: Matt Long
TED-like talk: James Rogers
TED-like talk: J. Seth Andersen – Time Machines, Cemeteries, and the Desert

1:00-1:30 p.m. Break/Mingle – Food will be available.

1:30-2:45 p.m. “Story Sharing” Meeting
Conducting: Kendahl Millecam
Musical Number: Lincoln Wright
Story Sharing
Musical Number: Mark Steed accompanied by Ben Allred on the guitar
Closing Prayer: Karen Merrell

Saturday Evening, February 18, 2012
6:00 p.m. – Meet at a restaurant for dinner. Food included in Saturday registration price.

Sunday, February 19, 2012
11:00 a.m. – Meet at Gilbert Riparian Preserve
2757 East Guadalupe Road, Gilbert, AZ 85234

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Registration:

The standard registration price of $37 will cover the cost of Saturday’s conference. The price of Friday night’s dinner is not included. If your budget prevents you from paying $37, please select $10, $20 or $30 from our drop-down menu. If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who does not have $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission. Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay. We want to have you there. Your participation is more important to us than your pocketbook. Please come.

The cost of Friday night’s catered meal is $7. If you plan to attend the “Bad Mormon Desserts” party, please select ‘Friday’s Food’ in the drop down menu below.

Phoenix Conference Registration

Option 1 – $10.00 USD Option 2 – $20.00 USD Option 3 – $30.00 USD Option 4 – Standard Price – $37.00 USD Option 5 – $50.00 USD Option 6 – $75.00 USD Option 7 – $100.00 USD Friday’s Food – $7.00 USD Standard Price & Friday’s Food – $44.00 USD

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the button below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

Questions can be directed to Scott Rowley at americanteek@gmail.com or Kendahl Millecam at kmillecam@gmail.com.

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose:

Mormon Stories conferences seek to be safe spaces where community members can express themselves authentically regardless of activity level in the Mormon Church or belief in any particular ideology. They do not attempt to persuade attendees to subscribe to any specific belief system or to make any specific life decisions. Rather, they intend to be places where community members of disparate beliefs can gather together to share personal life experiences. Traditional believing members, fundamentalists, apologists, atheists, agnostics, community members who adhere to other religions, women, men and people of all sexual orientations are equally welcome and have an equal standing in the community.

Conferences are convened in the spirit of the Mormon Stories Shared Values:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

Part 1: Growing up in the LDS Church and Serving as an LDS CES Seminary and Institute Teacher

Part 2: Ceasing to Believe in the LDS Church as a CES Seminary and Institute Teacher

Part 3: The Decision to Resign from the LDS Church as a CES Seminary and Institute Teacher

Part 4: How the LDS Church Education System (CES) Harms the Church and Its Members

In this episode John and Zilpha Larsen interview John Dehlin.

For a limited time Greg Kofford Books is offering The Gift and Power: Translating the Book of Mormon at a 20% discount.  To get the discount, type in “MSTORIES” (all in caps) as the discount code.

Brant A. Gardner earned his M.S. in anthropology (specializing in Mesoamerican ethnohistory) from the State University of New York at Albany. He is the author of the six-volume Second Witness: Analytical and Contextual Commentary on the Book of Mormon. He has presented papers at the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (FAIR), the Book of Mormon Archaeological Symposium, and Sunstone. His other published works include chapters in Estudios de Cultura Nahuatl and Symbol and Meaning beyond the Closed Community: Essays in Mesoamerican Ideas, and articles in the FARMS Review, Sunstone, and Meridian Magazine. Brant and his wife, Valerie, have four children and eleven grandchildren.

Friday Evening, January 20th, 2012, 6:00 p.m.
4807 Yorkshire Street, Sugarland, TX, 77479

Dinner and a LIVE! John Dehlin Mormon Stories interview of Houston’s Bill Prince. Bill will tell the story of his family’s experiences when they learned about the connection between Mormonism and Masonry while he was serving in his stake presidency during the 80s. Ice cream sundaes will be served.

Saturday, January 21st, 2012, 11:00 a.m
Grace Lutheran Church
2515 Waugh Drive
Houston, TX

A traditional Mormon Stories conference featuring keynote speakers, TED-like talks, a panel discussion, a Mormon Stories testimony or “Story Sharing” meeting and a light dinner (included in the cost of registration). Plan to hear from Dan Wotherspoon, John Dehlin, Heather Olson Beal, Brent Beal, Jason Moore, Lee Prince, Matthew Nokleby and a few other Texas locals.

11:00 a.m. Meet and Mingle

12:00-1:15 p.m. Opening Session
Conducting: Ashley Merback
Opening Prayer:
Musical Number:
Speaker: John Dehlin
Keynote Speaker: Dan Wotherspoon

1:15-1:45 p.m. Break/Mingle

1:45-3:15 p.m. Mid-afternoon Session
Conducting: Amanda Nokleby
TED-like talk: Lee Prince – I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible that you may be mistaken
TED-like talk: Matthew Nokleby – It gets better: navigating a mixed-faith Mormon marriage
TED-like talk: Jason Moore
Panel: Heather Olson Beal, Brent Beal, Jacob Brown – Conversations with our children

3:15-3:45 p.m. Break/Mingle

3:45-5:00 p.m. “Story Sharing” Meeting
Conducting:
Musical Number: Amanda Nokleby, Erin Hill, Kim Cooper Johnson
Story Sharing
Musical Number:
Closing Prayer:

5:15 p.m. Barbeque Dinner

Sunday, January 22nd, 2012
A late-morning meet-up at either Discovery Green Park, pending weather.
1500 McKinney St, Houston, TX, 77010

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Registration:

The standard registration price of $37 will cover the cost of attendance Friday and Saturday as well as Saturday’s dinner.  The price of Friday night’s dinner is not included.  If your budget prevents you from paying $37, please select $10, $20 or $30 from our drop-down menu.  If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50, $75, or $100. Conference registrations are not tax-deductible. Anyone who does not have $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission.  Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay.  We want to have you there.  Your participation is more important to us than your pocketbook.  Please come.

Admission for Friday and Saturday:

Option 1 – $10.00 USD Option 2 – $20.00 USD Option 3 – $30.00 USD Option 4 – Standard Price – $37.00 USD Option 5 – $50.00 USD Option 6 – $75.00 USD Option 7 – $100.00 USD

If you would prefer, instead, to make a tax-deductible donation, please use the button below. Admission to the conference will be gifted to conference donors. No minimum donation necessary.

To request childcare during Saturday’s conference, please contact Jennifer Parrish Livingston at jenniferpl@yahoo.com. All other questions can be directed to Ashley Merback at ashleymerback@gmail.com.

___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________

Mormon Stories Conferences Statement of Purpose:

Mormon Stories conferences seek to be safe spaces where community members can express themselves authentically regardless of activity level in the Mormon Church or belief in any particular ideology. They do not attempt to persuade attendees to subscribe to any specific belief system or to make any specific life decisions. Rather, they intend to be places where community members of disparate beliefs can gather together to share personal life experiences. Traditional believing members, fundamentalists, apologists, atheists, agnostics, community members who adhere to other religions, women, men and people of all sexual orientations are equally welcome and have an equal standing in the community.

Conferences are convened in the spirit of the Mormon Stories Shared Values:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking. We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience. We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings. We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation. In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

In this episode Jana discusses: her early years being raised by secular parents, her conversion to God/Christianity, and her ultimate conversion to Mormonism.  We also discuss with Jana her new book, “Flunking Sainthood.”

A very dear friend (who happens to still value his membership in the LDS Church) is being threatened with a stake disciplinary council for holding a regional Mormon Stories conference, and for his involvement in his regional MS Facebook community. Consequently, we’re gathering testimonials from people who feel like their local Mormon Stories Facebook community and/or regional conferences have helped them stay active in the LDS Church.

If you have a quick “testimony” or story to share with this good brother’s stake president, please comment below.  Also, if you have time and are willing/able to cull this link for past testimonies shared that could be helpful here, please feel free to help out.  In a day or two we’ll compile them all and send them on to his stake president…hopefully in time to prevent an unfortunate decision for our friend.

To be clear — the goal here is to help this good brother and friend retain his membership.

Thanks in advance.

John and the Open Stories Foundation Board

(Note: For the record, Mormon Stores does not have an explicit goal of leading people in or out of the church, but instead to support people in their LDS-reltaed journeys/transitions, wherever they may end up. For more on Mormon Stories’ shared values statement, click here.)

1) the value that this community has played in their lives, and
2) the lessons they have learned about how to successfully run such a community.

If you are interested in joining a Mormon Stories Support Community in your area, please click here. If you are interested in starting a new community, please email Anne at MormonStories@gmail.com.

Joanna Brooks, Brian Johnston and I (along with other Mormon Stories friends) are collaborating on pulling together some content (articles, books, podcasts, etc.) to help people who are struggling in an LDS faith transition.  At this early stage, we just want to know what types of questions or problems you would most value having us try address.

Please use this blog post to list questions/topics that would be most valuable to you.

This is super important, so thanks in advance.

John, Joanna, Brian and Team

Jennifer offers online courses on sexuality as well, which can be found here.

Sources for SLC Women’s Presentation.

Finlayson-Fife, J. (2002).  Sexual Agency in Patriarchal Culture: The Case of Mormon Women.  Boston College.  UMI: Ann Arbor, MI. 

McCarthy, B. & McCarthy, E. (2003).  Rekindling Desire: A Step by Step Guide for No-Sex and Low- Sex Marriages Brunner-Routledge: New York

Perel, E. (2006). Mating In Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence.   Harper Collins Publishers.

Schnarch, D. (2009).  Passionate Marriage:  Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships.  W.W.Norton & Co.: New York.

Schnarch, D. (2011).  Intimacy and Desire: A waken the Passion In Your Relationship.    Beaufort Books:  New York

While we understand that nuance and context are sometimes difficult to capture in news articles, we are worried that some of the framing in this SL Tribune article (especially the headline) might give the wrong impression about LDS Bishop Kevin Kloosterman’s talk on homosexuals in the LDS Church, which was given on 11/6/2011 during the Mormon Stories “Circling the Wagons” conference in Salt Lake City, UT in support of our LDS LGBT brothers and sisters.

Consequently, the full audio and transcript of Kevin’s talk have been included below, to give people the chance to read/hear what Kevin was trying to communicate.  In addition, Joanna Brooks has conducted a very thorough (and excellent)  interview with Kevin here.

For the record — (John here) — I did not in any way interpret this talk (including the use of the word “atrocity”) to be an attack specifically on the LDS Church, its leadership, its policies, or on the general general LDS church membership  – but on ALL OF US IN SOCIETY….LDS and non-LDS alike.

Also for the record, I don’t have any reason to believe that Bill Boram (or his editors) intended to mislead anyone….theirs was perhaps a reasonable interpretation.  But to me, the headline doesn’t adequately capture (and potentially miscommunicates) the spirit of what Kevin was saying, and could potentially cause ecclesiastical problems for Kevin, which we think would be a terrible reward for Kevin’s courageous, heartfelt acts this weekend.

We love and support you, Bishop Kloosterman.  You are a man of love and courage.

===============

Good morning, brothers and sisters. My straight brothers and sisters, and my
gay and lesbian, and transgendered brothers and sisters.

You and I know that I can’t speak on behalf of the church tonight, but I can
speak on behalf of myself. I want to tell you, if you leave here not
remembering anything I have to say, remember this: I’m sorry. Deeply, deeply
sorry.

Brother Miller got one thing wrong with me. I have not been a long-time
advocate for the cause. I’m a recent convert. [audience laughter] A lot of
people have asked me why I’m here today, and as I said yesterday, I have not
had a situation where LGBT issues have come to the forefront for me personally
in my marriage, in my family, in my extended family, as a bishop, and of
course one of our good sisters yesterday reminded me to include the word
“yet”.

Over the past year, I have felt promptings from the Spirit that I needed to
learn all I could about these issues. To listen, finally, to many of your
stories. Some of them I’ve read in books. Some of them I’ve read on the
Internet. And as I took the time to listen and as I took the time to learn, I
began to have a mighty change of heart.

But it was not without some pain. As you know very well, the stories that have
been written, your own stories, are extremely painful. Some have called it a
tragedy. I call it an atrocity, what has happened. And as I read these stories
and as I learned more about these issues, I began to see the emotional wounds
and the scars that many of you still have today. And I seem to ask the
question, “Where did you get these wounds?” and unfortunately the answer was,
“In the house of my friends.”

And when I felt that answer, I grieved and wept as any parent would for their
own child. It felt like I could not be comforted. I felt like I was about to
lose everything. I threw Carol Lynn Pearson’s book across the room at one
point, because I couldn’t read it anymore. There was one section that was so
hard that I wept in front of my children and they asked me, “Why are you
crying?” And I couldn’t give them a good answer, except to say that I read
something very sad.

When I read about the three recent attacks here in Utah, I knew that I could
no longer just sit on the fence. I knew I could no longer just shake my head
and pass by on the other side of the road, like a Levite or a priest. I knew I
had to do something. I knew I had to say something. I didn’t know what to do,
and I’m grateful that I was able to contact John Dehlin and Anne, and they told
me about this conference, and I felt that I needed to be here, and that’s why
I’m here.

And I still have a lot to learn. Today as we stood in, uh, prepared to go into
the Tabernacle to hear music and the spoken word, I had the opportunity to
talk with one of my gay brothers who flew in from North Carolina. He asked me
why I came here, and I told him what I’m telling you. I said, the straight
members of the church have a lot of repenting to do. Repenting is not
necessarily a dirty word. It’s Greek, it means to change your thoughts. And
we need to change our thoughts. And he told me, “We all need to. We’ve all got
to do that.” He said, “I’ve got a lot of resentment and bitterness in me.” And
I said, “Well, we as straight members of the church need to repent and we need
to make restitution, and maybe the healing can move along a little quicker for
all of us.”

So where did I turn for peace? I fled to the Savior. I fled to Him who
descended below all things. He has been my source of comfort and strength and
confidence, and without Him I don’t know that I would be standing before you
today.

I have been praying to understand this issue for myself. I went to a sacred
place and I pondered the creation. In my mind I could see the different
creations of God, different animals. A bear, a tiger, a lion, a giraffe, an
eagle. And I thought, or the thought came to me, “Who would want to make an
eagle be a giraffe? Who would want a tiger to be a bear? Who would want a
horse to become a lion?” And at that point, I received the comfort and the
strength that I needed, and I knew that I could come here and I could speak to
you today.

I will do all I can personally to make Zion a real place. Zion is not lost. It
begins with one person at a time. It begins with one relationship at a time.
And the only thing I can say to those of you who have been so patient, and
have gone through so much, is for you to watch and look for any small changes
with your loved ones, with your wards, with your leaders. And encourage them
in this repentance process.

I want to bear my testimony to you that I know that God lives. I know thet
Jesus is the Christ. And I know that we truly are, all of us, straight, gay,
lesbian, transgendered, queer, our Heavenly Father’s children, and that we do
have heavenly parents who love us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

We would like this conference to be open to everyone; it is important that no one be excluded because the cost of the conference exceeds his or her ability to pay.  As Mormon Stories is a small, nonprofit organization with limited funds and is not presently able to cover speaker airfare, facility rentals and administrative costs without charging admission, we have decided to allow registrants to choose the price that best matches their own budgets.  We encourage you pay the registration amount that you feel most accurately reflects the right registration cost for you personally.

The standard registration price for the main Saturday event (session 3) is $38.  If your budget prevents you from paying $38, please select $10, $20 or $30 from our drop-down menu.  If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50 or $75.  Anyone who does not have $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission.  Donors interested in sponsoring or subsidizing the conference may also contact Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com.  Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay.  We want to have you there.  Your participation is more important to us than your pocketbook.  Please come.

The conference will be divided into four sessions.  Registration for each session is separate.  The main portion of the conference will take place on Saturday and is listed as session 3 below. Sessions 1 and 2 are seen as supplementary and are scheduled for Friday afternoon and evening respectively.  Session 1 is intended for those who would like a more personal experience.  Session 2 is a potluck social event. Session 4 is an interfaith religious service and will be free of charge.

Those wishing to be filmed for the Mormon Stories It Gets Better Project (footage will be taken by Kendall Wilcox) may contact Julia Hunter for an appointment.  Filming will take place during the conference. All interested in singing with the conference chorus (see below) may contact Mark Packer.  A “Circling the Wagons” Statement of Purpose can be found at the end of this post.

More Details below.  Click here to register:

Conference Registration Options (per person)

Friday Afternoon Workshop $28.00 Friday Evening Potluck $7.00 Saturday Main Event (Regular) $38.00 Saturday Main Event ($10) $10.00 Saturday Main Event ($20) $20.00 Saturday Main Event ($30) $30.00 Saturday Main Event ($50) $50.00 Saturday Main Event ($75) $75.00

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Session 1: Workshop with Carol Lynn Pearson and Bill Bradshaw

Carol Lynn Pearson and Bill Bradshaw will share their wisdom on the topic of  How to Navigate the Issues Surrounding Homosexuality and Same-Sex Attraction as a Latter-day Saint. Carol and Bill will each deliver a short presentation then attendees will be given time to share personal experiences and ask specific questions.  Topics such as mixed-orientation marriages, how to support SSA or LGBTQ family members, and ways to personally deal with SSA within Mormonism will be open for discussion.

Date: Friday, November 4, 2011

Time: 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.

Place: The library of The McGillis School located at 668  S 1300 East in Salt Lake City.

Preregistration: $28.

Session 2: Potluck with Jim Dabakis

We’ve got the cultural hall reserved…. so come join us for some good ole socializing and friend-making.  A generous donor has offered to provide us with barbeque pork or beef sandwiches (yummmm).  Attendees should bring a salad, a dessert, a bag of chips or some soda.  Once our stomachs are round and we’ve had our fill of chatting, John Dehlin will interview Jim Dabakis in traditional Mormon Stories style.  Admission fees will go towards the costs of the facility rental and the recording of the Dabakis interview.

Date: Friday, November 4, 2011

Time: 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.

Place: The dining hall of The McGillis School located at 668  S 1300 East in Salt Lake City.

Preregistration: $7. Walk-ins will pay $10.  Please register now so that our donor will know how much food to bring.

Session 3: Main Conference

Get ready for a day full of intellectual stimulation, inspiration, practical advice and community.  We’ll begin with a speech by the Salt Lake City therapist Lee Beckstead to be followed by a keynote from our beloved Carol Lynn Pearson.  Following their addresses, attendees will select a breakout session of choice.  We’ll break for lunch then meet back to hear from Jimmy Creech, a former Methodist minister known for his book Adam’s Gift: A Memoir of a Pastor’s Calling to Defy the Church’s Persecution of Lesbians and Gays, to be followed by a panel moderated by John Dehlin featuring Carol Lynn Pearson, Bill Bradshaw, Jim Dabakis and Renee Galliher on the topic of Where then shall we go: what does the future hold for LGBTQ Mormons? We’ll finish off the day with a Mormon Stories open mic “testimony meeting.”  If there’s money left over once the costs of the conference have been covered, we’ll have pizza delivered so that we can spend our last few minutes together chowing down.

A full tentative schedule can be found below.

Date: Saturday, November 5, 2011

Time: 8:00 a.m to 7:30 p.m.  (Registration and gathering begins at 8:00 a.m. The first session will begin at 9:00.)

Place: The First Baptist Church of Salt Lake City located at 777 S 1300 East in Salt Lake City.  Ample parking available.

Registration: The standard registration price is $38.  If your budget prevents you from paying $38, please select $10, $20 or $30 from our drop-down menu.  If you feel you can afford to pay more and would like to help subsidize others’ registrations, you may select $50 or $75.  Anyone who does not have $10 may email Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com to request free admission.  Donors interested in sponsoring or subsidizing the conference may also contact Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com.  Again, please choose the price that you feel best reflects your own ability to pay.  We want to have you there.  Your participation is more important to us than your pocketbook.  Please come. Walk-ins will pay a minimum of $20.  Please register now.

Session 4: Interfaith Services with The Reverend Jimmy Creech, The Reverend Mary June Nestler, and Bishop Kevin Kloosterman.

Date: Sunday, November 6, 2011

Time: 11:30 a.m.

Place: The First Baptist Church of Salt Lake City located at 777 S 1300 East in Salt Lake City; Skaggs Chapel

There will be no cost to attend services.  All who are interested in attending Music and the Spoken Word before the interfaith services may meet just east of the Salt Lake Tabernacle on Temple Square at 8:15 a.m. Sunday morning.

*****************************************************************************

Main Conference Schedule – SESSION 3 – Saturday, 5 November 2011

8:00–9:00 a.m. REGISTRATION AND GATHERING, First Baptist Church of Salt Lake City located at 777 S 1300 East

9:00-10:30 a.m.  FIRST GENERAL SESSION

• Presentation of the Statement of Purpose: Joseph Broom
• Speaker: Lee Beckstead
• Original Composition by David Zabriskie and the Conference Chorus: Pioneers
• Keynote Address: Carol Lynn Pearson
• Musical Number: Be Still My Soul performed by David Zabriskie and the Conference Chorus
  

10:30–11:00 a.m.  MORNING BREAK

11:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m.  BREAKOUT SESSIONS 

1. * Kendall Wilcox with Brent Kerby: Panel with Affirmation, Family Fellowship, and North Star representatives, along with someone who identifies with Evergreen’s historical approach to LGBTQ issues.
2. Julia Hunter, Elise Mortensen West, Kelly Hill: To Be or not to Be: The Power of Authenticity as a Mormon Lesbian
3. Stephen Cohen: A Father’s Journey Toward Understanding Homosexuality
4. Lee Beckstead: What Helps (and Hurts) in Resolving Sexual, Religious, and Social Conflicts
5. Jimmy Creech: A National Perspective on the Church and LBGTQ Issues
6. Jim Dabakis: It HAS Gotten Better: An Overview of LGBTQ History in Utah over the Past 30 Years

* This panel will only happen if representatives from each organization agree to participate.

12:00–1:30 p.m. MID-DAY BREAK

• 4 local restaurants will be prepared for conference attendees who choose to meet for lunch: Litza’s Pizzas (716 E 400 South), Hires Big H (425 S 700 East), Mazza Middle Eastern Cuisine (912 E 900 South), and Olive Garden (2272 S 1300 East).
• Booths will be available for perusal in the cultural hall.
• Attendees will have the opportunity to be filmed for the Mormon It Gets Better video project with Kendall Wilcox and Julia Hunter.  Please contact Julia Hunter if you are interested in participating.

1:30–3:30 p.m. SECOND GENERAL SESSION

• Keynote Address: Jimmy Creech
• Musical Number: For Good performed by Mark Packer and Tyler Kofoed
• Panel Discussion: Moderated by John Dehlin featuring Renee Galliher presenting her research findings to be discussed by Bill Bradshaw, Carol Lynn Pearson and Jim Dabakis.  Where Then Shall We Go – What Does the Future Hold for LGTBQ Mormons?

3:30-4:00 p.m. AFTERNOON BREAK

4:00-5:15 p.m.   CONCLUDING SESSION

• Conducting: Bishop Kevin Kloosterman
• Musical Number: Blessing performed by Devin O’Donnell
• Open Mike Story Sharing (“Testimonies”)

5:15 p.m.  If there’s money left over, we’ll end our day with pizza.

_____________________________________________

“Circling the Wagons” Statement of Purpose

The goal of the Mormon Stories “Circling the Wagons” conference is to create a space where LGBTQ or SSA individuals and their families and allies can gather to acknowledge, explore and honor shared experiences.  No issues strike more deeply than who we love and how we understand and honor God.  These issues carry an especially profound weight in Mormon communities and have been the source of a great deal of misunderstanding, judgment and hurt.  Consequently, gay Mormons are deeply divided over how to address same-sex attraction and negotiate the choices they face.

In convening this conference, we are inviting LGBTQ Mormons and their families and allies to step beyond historic divisions to establish a shared space where all who have ever self-identified as Mormon and have experienced same-sex attraction can speak truthfully and respectfully.  Mormon Stories and the Open Stories Foundation are hosting this conference as an expression of our longstanding commitment to LGBTQ issues and in the spirit of our “Shared Values”:

1. We acknowledge the richness of Mormon heritage, teachings, and community in all of its diversity.
2. We believe that one can self-identify as Mormon based on one’s genealogy, upbringing, beliefs, relationships, and other life experiences, regardless of one’s adherence or non-adherence to the teachings or doctrines of any religious organization.
3. We seek spaces where we as Mormons can live lives of intellectual and spiritual integrity, individual conscience, and personal dignity.
4. We acknowledge and honor different spiritual paths and modes of religious or non-religious truth-seeking.  We respect the convictions of those who subscribe to ideas and beliefs that differ from our own.
5. We recognize the confusion, distress, emotional trauma, and social ostracism that people on faith journeys often experience.  We seek constructive ways of helping and supporting people, regardless of their ultimate decisions regarding church affiliation or activity.
6. We affirm the inherent and equal worth of all human beings.  We seek spaces where Mormons (and all people) can interact as equals regardless of race, gender, or sexual orientation.  In this spirit of egalitarianism, we prefer non-authoritarian and non-hierarchical means of organization and affiliation.

We welcome all who wish to participate in a spirit of fellowship and openness, with condemnation for none and compassion for all, in the hopes that all will experience personal renewal and discover a basis for common ground in our shared heritage.

Registration fees will pay for speaker airfare, facility rentals, administrative costs and food.  Donors interested in sponsoring or subsidizing the conference may contact Anne Peffer at MormonStories@gmail.com.

Over the past several months, in spite of the quality interviews/presentations we’ve delivered (Terryl Givens, Michael Quinn, Michael Coe, Joanna Brooks, Daniel Peterson, Greg Prince, etc.), and in spite of the many regional conferences and Facebook communities we’ve helped to organize (for which we lose money) — we’ve had a high percentage of our original financial subscribers (from 2 years ago) drop out due to either:

1) financial cost-cutting (tough financial times for many) or

2) they have lost interest in Mormonism generally (so far none have dropped due to concerns about content….thankfully).

So, this is a plea for those of you who benefit from either: 1) Mormon Stories podcast, 2) the Mormon Stories Facebook Support Communities, or 3) the Mormon Stories Conferences — to please, please, please become a monthly subscriber/donor today.   You can do this above (top right).

For the record — the donations you send to Mormon Stories go for the very basics: web hosting fees, domain names, audio equipment, conference costs, food and health insurance for my family, etc.  The total amount of revenue is very small (especially compared to what I/we could make doing other things)….so when it starts dwindling, it literally threatens our ability to continue.

We have a TON of super high quality content, projects and conferences on the way….but we literally can’t keep doing all this without your support.  With your support, we can do much, much more.

Thanks so much (in advance).

John Dehlin

The first international Mormon Stories Regional Conference will take place this weekend in Stockholm, Sweden. To register, visit MS Sweden Facebook page or email Christina at elsiechristina@hotmail.com. And if you can’t make the event (and have ties to Sweden), please join our group of dynamic Mormon Stories Swedes online at http://www.facebook.com/groups/swedenmormonstories/

PLACE

Sleipnervägen 111 in Handen (at Vallakyrkan)

WHO

· Members of the Sweden Mormon Stories Support Community.

· Active Latter-day Saints who wish to better understand fellow members who struggle in their faith.

· Less-active or non LDS who have familial ties to the LDS Church (and who wish to participate.)

· Anyone else who’s interested at examining the LDS Church in a transparent and respectful manner.

PROGRAM

Friday 11/4

· 6pm, Mingle and dinner

· 7pm, LDS Book discussion

· 8pm, Navigating a Personal Faith Crisis (presentation and discussion)

Saturday 11/5

· 9.30am, Hans Mattsson on Why People Leave the LDS Church (and what we can do about it).

· 10.30am, ‘Coffee’ break

· 11.00am – 12pm, Our Own Mormon Stories (participants share their own stories)

· 12pm, Evaluation and Discussion of Future Needs

Thanks to all who participated!!!

• John Dehlin discussed the motives behind Mormon Stories
• Steve Kovalenko delivered a presentation on why he left the LDS Church,
• Chelsea Shields Strayer who explained why she stays in the LDS Church

• The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy
• By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion
• People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture
• When Souls Had Wings: Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought
• Parley P. Pratt: The Apostle Paul of Mormonism.

• Michael Quinn has a Ph.D. in history from Yale University and worked as an LDS church historian (under Davis Bitton and Leonard Arrington) and as a BYU history professor for many years.
• Several of his books, including The Mormon Hierarchy: Origins of Power, The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power, and Early Mormonism and the Magical World View have literally changed the face of Mormon history (and Mormonism) forever.
• Michael was excommunicated in September 1993 for his historical endeavors as one of the famous “September 6.”
• In spite of his hard hitting history, excommunication and sexuality (as a gay man), Michael remains a literal believer in the divinity of the LDS church.

October 15-16, 2011

13320 Signal Tree Lane, Potomac, MD 20854

Keynote Speaker:

Greg Prince, Author of David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism

Join us at Greg Prince’s house for a gathering of “Big Tent Mormons.” Together we’ll examine diversity of thought within Mormonism from a historical perspective, we’ll explore what it means to be a part of a unique religious tradition, and we’ll consider how that tradition can more effectively embrace individuals with varied beliefs. Then, in typical Mormon Stories fashion, we’ll share our own personal stories. Expect music, food, friends, and fun.

Greg will open his doors Saturday at noon for a good ole Mormon-style potluck.  Bring green jello, a salad, dessert or funeral potatoes and let us treat you to chips and sandwiches. At 2:00, Greg will deliver his keynote address to be followed by TED-style talks  featuring John Dehlin and Chelsea Shields Strayer and an hour of open mic story sharing. We’ll wrap up the evening with a catered Café Rio dinner (yummm).

**** The location of our Sunday social event has been changed.  We will now be meeting at the Connecticut Avenue entrance of the National Zoo at 11:00 a.m.  We are no longer meeting at at the new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial because President Obama will be dedicating the memorial earlier that morning and we are concerned that traffic, parking and crowds might interfere with our activity.  Children are more than welcome to attend. ****

Preregistration is $29. Walk-ins will pay $35. Registration fees will cover food, administrative costs, and John’s airfare.  Click here to join the Mormon Stories Washington D.C. Region on Facebook.  Anyone needing a ride from the Metro may call Carl Cranney at (801) 368-2758.  Contact Gabe Crowley at (703) 314-7986 for help with last-minute questions.

To register, click the button below:

More than any of these or many other accomplishments we didn’t name, however, Eugene England was a person of faith and incredible spiritual depth who, along with Leonard Arrington and Lowell Bennion, stands as an example of a committed, faithful life of intellectual and spiritual integrity, maturity, and grace even as he was often misunderstood and under-appreciated. He is important to get to know, and that is the process that this podcast hopes to help start.

Led by guest host Dan Wotherspoon, this four-segment podcast features interviews with Gene’s daughter Jody England Hansen, granddaughter Charlotte Hansen Terry, Dialogue co-founder Frances Lee Menlove, longtime friend and fellow writer Levi Peterson, friend and student assistant (and now Sunstone editor) Stephen Carter, and UVSC colleague Brian Birch.

• The Viper on the Hearth: Mormons, Myths, and the Construction of Heresy (Religion in America)
• By the Hand of Mormon: The American Scripture that Launched a New World Religion
• People of Paradox: A History of Mormon Culture
• When Souls Had Wings: Pre-Mortal Existence in Western Thought
• And a new, yet-to-be released book on Parley P. Pratt. called: Parley P. Pratt: The Saint Paul of Mormonism.
• You can also read the transcript of his interview for the PBS series “The Mormons” here.

Reference was also made to the following:

• Dr. Finlayson-Fife will be having a 2-day workshop on sexuality and desire in Salt Lake City on September 23rd and 24th, 2011.  For more information click here.
• Passionate Marriage: a book by Dr. David Schnarch
• Our previous podcast interview on LDS Female Sexuality with Dr. Jennifer Finlayson-Fife.
• Our previous interview on Pornography, Masturbation, Sex and Marriage in Mormonism.

Peterson is known for his work as an apologist and scholar on subjects dealing with claims of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon), of which he is a member. He has served as the editor of the FARMS Review, a periodical produced by the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies. Peterson is a regular participant in online fora about Mormonism where he discusses the LDS faith and its apologetics. One of his most recent projects has been the development of a website featuring the testimonies of LDS scholars.

A few resources from the interview include:

• Dr. Coe’s 1973 Dialogue article on Book of Mormon Archaeology
• Transcript of Dr. Coe’s PBS Interview from the documentary “The Mormons.”
• Dr. Coe’s Autobiography: Final Report: An Archaeologist Excavates his Past.
• The IMDB entry, a Spanish version of, and a reference to the movie/film strip ”Ancient America Speaks” mentioned in the podcast, published by the LDS church and shown for well over a decade in LDS missionary efforts worldwide.  (If you can find an online version in English, please provide a link either here or in email).

On June 11, 2011, members of the Mormon Stories community held their 2nd regional conference in Salt Lake City. After the conference, Comedian Bengt Washburn performed a short routine on Mormonism.

On June 11, 2011, members of the Mormon Stories community held their 2nd regional conference in Salt Lake City. At the close of this conference, attendees were invited to share their “testimonies” of truth, whether traditional or non-traditional from an LDS perspective.

On June 11, 2011, members of the Mormon Stories community held their 2nd regional conference in Salt Lake City.  In this panel presentation entitled “Navigating an Open Approach to Mormonism”, professors Margaret Toscano and Joanna Brooks, along with Carol Lynn Pearson, Jared Anderson and John Dehlin discuss inclusivity, openness, and an expended approach to Mormon identity, while also fielding practical questions from the audience.

Note: Updated conference agenda here.

We’ll kick off the event with a Friday night opening social on a scenic balcony overlooking Petco Park in San Diego’s Gaslamp District. On Saturday morning, interested registrants will have the opportunity to participate in a service project at the National Cemetery in beautiful Point Loma. The focal point of the retreat will be a Saturday afternoon conference featuring BYU filmmaker Kendall Wilcox and California’s Laura Compton. Kendall founded the non-profit Empathy First Initiative and is currently filming a documentary about the experiences of homosexual Mormons. He will speak on the power of narrative in the development of empathy.  Laura co-founded the Mormons for Marriage website and played a central role during the Proposition 8 campaign. Her keynote address will relate her personal Mormon story and set the stage for John Dehlin, Dustin Jones, Kelly McCann, Carolyn Gertsch, Shari Crall, Matt & Dana Fallentine, and Kay Jean Howell to share their personal Mormon experiences in a TED talk format.  Speakers will tell of their experiences with homosexuality, mixed-belief marriages, anger and disaffection, non-member spirituality and more.  Finally, the microphone will be opened to any conference attendees who would like to briefly tell their own Mormon stories.  The evening will end with a catered dinner.  On Sunday, registrants will be able to choose between a relaxing day at the beach, attending church together in an urban San Diego ward, or a group trip to the Mormon Battalion exhibit in San Diego.

Click here to view a more detailed schedule that will be updated periodically. Please refer back for any changes or last-minute announcements.

Pricing: 

Friday night social: $5/person (Children under 5 eat free.)

Saturday Conference: $45 regular admission; $35 students and their spouses

Walk-in registrations will be accepted. Unfortunately, we cannot guarantee food for those registering after July 2oth. Please register now.

Conference Registration (Per Person)

Full Registration $50.00 Friday only $5.00 Saturday only $45.00 Student – Full $35.00 Student – Saturday $30.00

Lodging: Some of the San Diego locals are willing to offer their homes to a limited number of attendees. If you are on a tight budget or are unable to find appropriate lodging, please email the address below.

Any questions can be directed to sandiego.mormonstories@gmail.com

On June 11, 2011, members of the Mormon Stories community held their 2nd regional conference in Salt Lake City.  In this keynote address entitled “Mormon Identity in the 21st Century: Claiming and Belonging”, professor and author Joanna Brooks explores a more expansive vision for Mormon identity.

Introduction by Anne McMullin Peffer.

Music by Holly Anderson Robbins.

On June 11, 2011, members of the Mormon Stories community held their 2nd regional conference in Salt Lake City.  In this welcoming address, Anne McMullin Peffer explains the purposes of the Mormon Stories conferences and reads a preliminary draft of a “shared values statement” that attempts to specify the values uncorrelated Mormons hold in common.   Then,  in a keynote address entitled “No More US and THEM”, author, poet and playwright Carol Lynn Pearson discusses her vision for a more inclusive Mormonism.

At the time of Dustin’s birth in 1972, the LDS Church’s teachings on blacks, including their lack of valiancy in the pre-existence, the seed of Cain, the mark and curse, interracial marriage, opposition to civil rights/public accommodations, etc., were well established doctrines promoted by many of the leaders of the Church and propagated by its faithful membership. Growing up bi-racial presented issues for Dustin, for on the one hand, he was taught to celebrate his proud Mormon pioneer heritage; but on the other hand, he was forced to faithfully reconcile this with the inferiority complex engendered by the teachings of the “negro doctrine.” Reconciling these two heritages has been his life-long desire and burden.

This “negro doctrine” was further reinforced by Dustin’s own patriarchal blessing, which specifically omits any reference to belonging to any tribe of Israel but offers him blessings “by reason of adoption into the House of Israel.” Perplexed by not belonging to any specific tribe of Israel, Dustin pressed the patriarch who in 1991 explained that Dustin’s “lineage” was that of Cain and that he would be entitled to the blessings of Israel only by way of adoption into the House of Israel. Dustin lived believing he was truly a descendant of Cain, attempting to prove himself worthy of the fulness of the Lord’s blessings.

Dustin attended the University of Arizona and earned a degree in Latin American Studies and Political Science before attending law school. He is currently a lobbyist and real estate development attorney in private practice in Phoenix, and occasionally takes on a compelling civil rights and immigration rights case. While serving as a partner at the regional law firm of Snell & Wilmer, LLP, he was appointed to two terms on Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano’s African-American Advisory Council. He served in the New York New York Mission from 1991-1993 and has served as a seminary teacher, institute instructor, stake young men president, and counselor in a bishopric. Dustin most recently served as a stake High Councilor and Public Affairs Director.

Dustin is married. His wife also has an interracial background (Chinese and Mexican). They are the proud parents of four kids (3 girls, 1 boy).

Greg Prince is the author of David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism.  He is currently working on biographies of both LDS Church Historian Leonard Arrington and deceased LDS General Authority Paul H. Dunn.

• Your situation/thoughts/feelings with regard to the church.
• What you feel you are needing/lacking that the church has not yet been able to provide.
• How Mormon Stories has helped in that journey (if it has).

Also, please direct your comments (if you can) to your own situation/thoughts/feelings/needs regarding the church…vs. on compliments (or criticisms) to any one person involved in Mormon Stories, Mormon Matters, etc.

My hope is that this information will adequately convey what needs are “out there” within the church, and what we’re trying to do to support those needs.

Finally, please keep this as constructive as you can, so that it will be heard…and prove useful.

Thanks in advance.

John Dehlin

The music for this episode was generously provided by the Sabre Rattlers.

• Monthly local meet-ups
• Book clubs/study groups
• Weekly play groups for children
• Annual youth conferences for teens
• College groups for Mormon university students (BYU/UVU and USU already created!)
• A dating service
• Service projects
• Annual conferences/retreats
• Etc.

If you are interested in any of this, please check out our existing groups for a group near you.

If you would like to start your own local support group, please email us at: mormonstories@gmail.com

• Part 1: Phil McLemore’s conversion to Mormonism & spiritual transformation through meditation
• Part 2: How to meditate and why you should; Mantras in Mormon culture
• Part 3: Mormon Mantras & The Yoga of Christ
• Part 4: The Yoga of Christ continued

A big thanks to Richard Holdman for his audio production support in this podcast.

Today we discuss pornography, masturbation, sex and marriage within Mormonism.

• Sex
  • Nicole Hardy’s NY Times piece entitled: Single, Female, Mormon, Alone
  • The SL Tribune’s response, entitled: Sex and the Single Mormon
  • The father of the 5 Browns, Keith Brown, admits to sexually abusing 3 of his daughters.
• Immigration
  • Activist delivers petition urging Mexico to curb LDS missionary visas
  • LDS on illegal immigration: Don’t split families
  • Doctrinal divide confronts Mormons on immigration
  • Have compassion for immigrants, lawmakers urged

After graduating Magna cum Laude at the U of U, Jared completed his Master’s degree at UNC Chapel Hill with a thesis on the text of the Fourth Gospel in the writings of the third-century Church Father Origen of Alexandria. His dissertation will reconstruct and analyze the form of the Gospel of Mark used by the author of Matthew. Jared plans to continue to write academic and popular books about the formation, transmission, and translation of the Bible, spreading awareness of how this fascinating and influential anthology came to be.

Jared currently teaches World Religions at Westminster College in Salt Lake City. He is very interested in promoting an open, progressive, and vibrant approach to religion in general and Mormonism in particular, and has presented papers on these topics. He contributes on several groups and blogs, including the Mormon Stories and MO2.0 Facebook groups. He welcomes friends and communication in those forums.

Jared and his wife Katrina live in Salt Lake City with their five children: Olivia (11), Isaac (9), Grace (7), Asher (2) and Miriam (8 months). Jared is an active member and currently serves in the ward Sunday School Presidency.

This interview is broken into five parts:

• Part 1: Introduction.  Jared discusses the meaning of New Testament scholarship and an academic viewpoint of scripture, how we know what we know including what happened in the past, and the difference between academic and faith perspectives.  Jared begins an overview of the New Testament books from a scholarly perspective in chronological order — 1 Thessalonians through Galatians.
• Part 2:  Scholarly overview of the New Testament – Philemon through the Gospel of Mark
• Part 3:  Scholarly overview of the New Testament – Gospel of Matthew through Titus
• Part 4:  Scholarly overview of the New Testament books – Gospel of John through 2 Peter.  Jared also discusses who Jesus was as a historical figure, the evidence for his existence, and how we can determine what he likely said and did.  Jared also gives an overview of the formation, transmission and translation of the Bible we read today.
• Part 5:  Discussion of Jared’s personal journey, relationship to Mormonism and academia, and he explains how he integrates his academic views with his faith.

Dan is now making his living as a free-lance writer, editor, and manager whose most recent projects include the creation of the website for the Eugene England Foundation (http://www.eugeneengland.org) and serving as director of communications for the Foundation for InterReligious Diplomacy (http://fidweb.org/), including co-writing with its president, Charles Randall Paul, a book titled Fighting about God: Why We Do It and How to Do It Better. From its inception, Dan has also been an active participant in the work and development of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology, currently serving on its board, as a secretary for its executive committee, and as an associate editor of Element, the society’s journal.

Dan’s doctoral dissertation deals with theological resources within Mormonism for affirming a robust environmental sensibility. He also has an M.A. in religious studies from Arizona State University, where he focused on world religions and ritual studies, ultimately writing his thesis on theories of ritual empowerment. He also has a B.A. in philosophy with a minor in classical civilizations from Brigham Young University.

Dan and his wife, Lorri, are about to celebrate their silver wedding anniversary. They have two children, Alex (23) and Hope (17), and live in Tooele, Utah. Dan is currently soliciting additional writing, editing, and project management clients. He welcomes you to “friend” and contact him through Facebook.

In this episode, Natasha Helfer Parker (The Mormon Therapist) interviews “Sarah,” an LDS mother of four who has a history of depression starting in adolescence followed by a serious bout of postpartum depression after the birth of her second child.  She also interviews Jamie Bodily, mother of five and certified doula through toLABOR regarding her experience and knowledge regarding postpartum depression.  Jamie has a Masters degree in Mental Health Counseling, a Masters Degree in Human Services from Capella University and her undergraduate degree in Family Science from Brigham Young University.  She initiated, co-wrote, and coordinated a doula program for women in recovery from susbtance addiction and runs a website called parentscount.com.  Other resources discussed in these interviews include: postpartum.net, doulamatch.net, dona.org, and tolabor.com.

Part1 – Sarah’s history with depression as an adolescent and single adult and then dealing with postpartum depression after the birth of her second child.

I must begin by thanking all of you for an amazing  2010.   We started this year at episode #112, and after only 12 months are now up to #231.  And while the numbers are good…..I feel even better about  the quality of the interviews that we were able to land (Joanna Brooks, Peter and Mary Danzig, Shawn McCraney, Richard Packham, Daymon Smith, Bruce Bastian, Mr. Diety, Tresa Edmunds, Lisa Butterworth, Ed Kimball, Richard Dutcher, Carol Lynn Pearson, Bill Bradshaw, all of my personal friends who came on the show like Jacquie and the Gallaghers, etc.)…the list goes on and on.  I am also super grateful for the help of friends like Natasha Parker, Dan Wotherspoon, Andrew Ainsworth, and the mysterious “Richard Allen”  for their podcast  support last year.   We literally could not have done it without them, or without you.

Looking into 2011, there is much to be excited about, and one major concern.  I’ll start w/ the concern first.

• Financial Support: Back in the summer of 2010 I made a deal w/ the listeners.  If enough of you would sign up for monthly financial donations to Mormon Stories , I would promise to release a quality episode each week.  The way that I was able to make this happen as a super busy Clinical Psychology Ph.D. student was to turn down other paid assistantships and do Mormon Stories as my part time job while in school.  While the money in no way covers my family’s annual expenses, it does help us pay for things like health insurance, groceries, etc.  Well — the good news is that many of you signed up to help.  The bad news is that many of you have lost jobs or fallen on hard times — and I’ve received a number of cancellations over the past few months and donations have fallen substantially.  So as donations begin to drop — I need to ask those of you who listen to Mormon Stories but do not support us financially to please consider going up to http://mormonstories.org ( right corner) and either make a one time donation, or sign up for monthly donations.  Without this support, I will not be able to continue with Mormon Stories.  With it, we can continue to provide more cool things for Mormonism over the coming years.

What’s on tap for 2011 and beyond (with your support)?  I don’t have time to write about these ideas in detail, but I’ll summarize them here.  For the record, this is our new 40 year plan.  :)

• More Mormon Stories Interviews: Based on your feedback, we have some fantastic interviews lined up for 2011.  I won’t ruin the surprise — but the future looks very, very bright for Mormon Stories interviews.
• Mormon Matters Revamp: We have been working on a revamp of the very popular Mormon Matterswebsite.  There are 2 things we’re hoping to do w/ Mormon Matters:
  • Turn it into the “Huffington Post” of Mormon news and information.  Today, sites like “The Mormon Times” are the only places to get Mormon news and information in a centralized place.  We hope to re-purpose Mormon Matters into a “one stop shop” for Mormon news, including: Sports, Business, Politics, Entertainment, Advice Columns, etc.
  • Bring back the Mormon Matters Panel Podcast.  We feel like there is a need for a “This Week in Mormonism”-type podcast to discuss the latest news and information in Mormonism (think Mormonism plus ”Meet the Press”…think weekly discussions about the latest antics of Mitt Romney, Harry Reid, Glenn Beck, David Archuleta, the Southpark guys, the Bloggernacle AND the DAMU, etc.), so we hope to bring that discussion panel format podcast back with a vengeance.
• MormonPublicRadio: We feel like there is a strong need for additional Mormon-themed podcasts, and so we are looking to form an NPR-like network thereof.  Some of the podcasts we hope to help produce include:
  • A Mormon Women Podcast: A podcast dedicated to Mormon women’s issues.
  • A StayLDS Podcast: A podcast dedicated to helping struggling Mormons stay in the church, sponsored by http://staylds.com
  • An ExMormon Stories Podcast: A podcast dedicated to building understand for Mormons who have left the church
  • An LDS Homosexuality Podcast: A podcast dedicated to building greater understanding around the issues of Homosexuality within Mormonism
  • An LDS Apologist Podcast: For credible LDS apologetics.
  • A Mormon Entertainment Podcast: Focusing on Mormon music, film and entertainment
  • A “This Week in Mormonism” Podcast: See above.
• A Global Community for “uncorrelated”Mormons: All over the world there are people who are struggling to navigate Mormonism “outside of the box,” so to speak…from liberal Mormons, to gay Mormons, to feminist Mormons, to single Mormons, to ex-Mormons, etc.  One thing we’ve realized is that if we can create an integrated, global community of “Mormons like us” — we can do all sorts of really exciting things as a community, including:
  • Local Meet-Ups: Helping to facilitate local or regional meet-ups for non-traditional Mormons who need additional support (support groups, book clubs, play groups, dinner dates, etc.)
  • “EFY’s” for Children of Liberal or Post-Mormons
  • A Liberal/Post-Mormon Dating Service for Single Mormons
  • Online Content: To support non-traditional or post-Mormon families in navigating alternative or post-Mormonism in a healthy way.
  • Annual Conferences: To bring Mormons of all types together to support and inspire each other, with presentations, workshops, retreats, etc.

This is the vision — and this is what we hope to accomplish over the coming years.  It’s a definitely a long-term vision….but we believe that with your support, we can totally make this happen.  More importantly, we feel like initiatives like this could really help bring a lot of joy, and lessen the pain, for people who are trying to more successfully navigate their non-traditional Mormon experience.

Thanks for your support, and please let us know if you’re interested in helping out.

In this 2-part interview we learn, in detail, about this man’s struggle with Scrupulosity which developed during his teen years, and peaked while serving his LDS mission. We also discuss how he was able to get help for the disorder, and finally get better.

• To contact Eric: ericlangford75@gmail.com
• Beneficial books from the podcast:
  • The Doubting Disease
  • Brain Lock
• Brain Lock Cognitive Biobehavioral Self-treatment Steps:
  1. Relabel — Recognize that the intrusive obsessive thoughts and urges are the RESULT OF OCD.
  2. Reattribute — Realize that the intensity and intrusiveness of the thought or urge is CAUSED BY OCD; it is probably related to a biochemical imbalance in the brain.
  3. Refocus — Work around the OCD thoughts by focusing your attention on something else, at least for a few minutes: DO ANOTHER BEHAVIOR.
  4. Revalue — Do not take the OCD thought at face value.  It is not significant in itself.

“At present women are not allowed to be priests in your Church…Is it possible that the rules could change in the future..?” He responded, “Yes. But there’s no agitation for that. We don’t find it.”

Agitating Faithfully  isn’t a place for airing grievances. It isn’t a place to bash the church, its leaders, or its members. It’s not a protest or activist movement in the traditional sense. It’s just a place for people to stand up and be counted in the continuing conversation about gender equality in the church. According to Dane,

“”We have no scriptures or revelations prohibiting women from the priesthood. In fact, we believe in a God who “denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female…and all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). I hope my daughters have the opportunity to receive the same blessings, privileges, and responsibilities as my son. This site is my attempt to work toward that hope in a way that is consonant with both the gospel and the church.”

• Feminist Mormon Housewives under the name Reese Dixon
• Her own blog called Reese Dixon (dedicated mostly to arts and crafts)
• Guardian.co.uk (a leading British news source)
• Beginnings New (a progressive resource for LDS Young Women’s leaders)
• Recently penned an article for Patheos entitled, “The Next Generation of Mormon Feminism“
• Is a co-founder of W.A.V.E. or Women Advocating for Voice and Equality — which was established “To advance the cause of gender equality within the LDS church, and
• Is now collaborating with tharce-gulu.org, which seeks to assist women and children in healing from the traumatic events of war, sexual enslavement, extreme poverty and lost opportunities.

In this 5-part interview Tresa discusses her story, along with a number of topics related to feminism including abuse, infertility, raising a disabled child, maintaining belief in the LDS Church, the LDS YW program, and LDS feminism in the 21st century.

In this far-ranging discussion, Dr. Bradshaw takes us through the arc of his life, including his mission, experiences at Harvard, the circumstances of his career choice, and the surprise call he and his wife Marge received to serve as very young mission presidents in Hong Kong, during which service they had to wrestle with opening and closing missionary work in Vietnam. Dr. Bradshaw relates stories from his career at BYU, talks about science and religion issues, and reveals the way he faces challenges to his faith from Mormon history and scriptural studies.

Many Mormon Stories podcast listeners will already be familiar with one aspect of Dr. Bradshaw’s life from Episode 191, which featured a recording of the most recent lecture he gave at BYU on the biological origins of homosexuality–a lecture he has arranged and given every year for the past several years. Dr. Bradshaw first became prompted to study the research on this subject when his son Brett came out about his homosexuality. Since that time, the Bradshaws have been active members in various LDS groups for families working to support their GLBT children. They are currently serving as the presidents of LDS Family Fellowship. Brett and his partner are married and living in California, where they are raising their daughter.

Part 1 – My Early Years, Harvard and the Hong Kong Mission
Part 2 – Opening Vietnam to LDS Missionary Work
Part 3 – Reflections on My Career as a BYU Professor
Part 4 – Homosexuality and the LDS Church
Part 5 – Reconciling Thought and Faith as a Believing Mormon

Part 1 – My Early Years, Harvard and the Hong Kong Mission:

Part 2 – Opening Vietnam to LDS Missionary Work:

Part 3 – Reflections on My Career as a BYU Professor:

Part 4 – Homosexuality and the LDS Church:

Part 5 – Reconciling Thought and Faith as a Believing Mormon:

Note:

• Part 1: Janelle discusses their respective church upbringings, courtship, and finding out about his disaffection.

• Part 2: Janelle discusses her own coping strategies, how she currently manages the LDS lifestyle within the context of her marriage, and her advice/thoughts for others.

• In part 1, we discuss Brian’s early years, his experience with the LDS church, his disaffection from the church, his views on religion, and the making of Mr. Deity.  Towards the end, we are very blessed to spend a few minutes with Mr. Deity Himself.

• In part 2, we captured Brian’s plenary address from the 2010 Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium, where Brian tells more of his story, and also acts out a few Mr. Deity scenes with his wife, Amy (Lucy/Lucifer).

Warning: Both the Mr. Deity show and this interview approach religion from a satirical perspective.  Those who are sensitive to religious satire will likely be offended.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Exactly twenty-five years ago, on the morning of 15 October 1985, Salt Lake City was rattled—both literally and psychologically—by the explosion of two bombs which each killed a person. The next day brought a third explosion, nearly killing Mark Hofmann, a well-known dealer in Mormon documents. Because of clues at that scene, investigators soon realized that perhaps Hofmann was not so much a third victim but the person actually responsible for all three bombs. In the course of the investigation, the tale of Mark Hofmann as a master forger and con artist began to unfold.

In this podcast, we examine the long and complex legacy of these murders and forgeries, as well as their continued reverberations even today. Although it is still unclear if Hofmann’s intent was to bring down Mormonism through creating documents that challenged traditional presentations of early Church origins, he definitely was a serious student of Mormon history and knew where various controversies lay—which he then exploited through the forged letters and documents he produced. This case has also presented challenges to some Latter-day Saints because of Hofmann’s various meetings with Mormon general authorities who failed to detect that he was deceiving them, as well as because of the Church’s practice of sometimes obtaining controversial documents and then suppressing them.

Joining Mormon Stories host Dan Wotherspoon to tell the story of these tragic murders and complex issues are two terrific guests: Allen Roberts, who co-authored with Linda Sillitoe the book Salamander: The Story of the Mormon Forgery Murders, which is widely regarded as the most thorough account of the Hofmann saga, and Curt Bench, who at the time of the bombings managed the Fine and Rare Books department of Deseret Book’s flagship store in downtown Salt Lake City in which he dealt regularly with Mark Hofmann and even considered him a friend. Linda, Allen, and Curt all ended up playing important roles in helping investigators ultimately make their case against Hofmann and untangle the threads that had led him to murder.

In this 3-part series Natasha Helfer Parker, LCMFT (The Mormon Therapist & MormonMatters.org), interviews one of her earliest clients: a married, Mormon homosexual man, coming out to his wife.  Names have been withheld to protect anonymity to the family.

Note: The purpose of this interview is not to encourage people to stay or leave the church, to stay or leave a marriage, nor to participate or not participate in reparative therapy.  These are all delicate personal decisions and different circumstances will necessitate different solutions.  The purpose of this interview is to share a story.  It is also meant to increase empathy and to reach out to those who may find themselves in similar situations.

Richard Dutcher burst into Mormon cultural consciousness ten years ago with the release of his independent film hit, God’s Army. During the ensuing decade, he has remained an intriguing figure to many Latter-day Saints, not only because of the high quality of the films he has continued to make, but also because of his public distancing himself from “Mormon cinema,” a film genre launched primarily because of his successes, as well as his more private (yet also public) distancing himself from the LDS Church and its teachings.

In this five-part interview conducted by Mormon Stories correspondent Dan Wotherspoon, Richard Dutcher speaks with remarkable candor about his upbringing and marriage, his career as a filmmaker, including extensive comments about each of his completed films (as well as ones, such as his planned film on Joseph Smith, that have not yet been made), the rise and decline of Mormon cinema, and his own faith journey.

This interview is available in both audio and high-quality video formats. The video version includes scenes from Dutcher’s films that play over the interview audio.

Episodes: (available below, on Youtube via HD video, and on iTunes):

• Part 1 – Growing up Mormon, Serving a Mission, and Getting Married
• Part 2 – Getting Started in Filmmaking and God’s Army
• Part 3 – Brigham City, the Joseph Smith Movie, and Mormon Cinema
• Part 4 – States of Grace, Falling, and Evil Angel
• Part 5 – Spiritual Journey and Final Thoughts

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

Part 4:

Part 5:

She has edited numerous books, including Dance With Them: 30 Stumbling Mothers Catch Glimpses of Grace and The Mother in Me—anthologies of personal essays and poetry written by mothers about the challenges and joys of mothering.  She is the editor of Gifts: Mothers Reflect on How Children With Down Syndrome Enrich Their Lives and Gifts 2: How People with Down Syndrome Enrich the World.   Kathy is also the editor-in-chief of Segullah: Writings by Latter-day Saint Women, which is a print journal dedicated to encouraging literary talent and promoting greater faith and understanding among Latter-day Saint women as well as a blog.

Kathy’s most recent book, The Year My Son and I Were Born, is a memoir of the transformations Kathy underwent the year after her son Thomas was born with Down Syndrome.  Kathy’s website says that it’s a story about coming to terms with being human and learning how to deal with hard surprises.

Visit Kathy’s website to purchase the book, watch a video montage of pictures of Thomas and Kathy’s other children, and get Thomas updates.

Kathy maintains a personal blog and also blogs at www.segullah.org.

Dr. Bradshaw is a former mission president, former member of a stake presidency, has written about the biology of homosexuality elsewhere, and was covered by BYU’s Daily Universe here.  He is also the host on a short video entitled, “Embracing our Homosexual Children.”

We will soon be releasing a full Mormon Stories interview w/ Dr. Bradshaw.

(This presentation was recorded and is provided with full permission of Dr. Bradshaw).

In this live-streamed interview, we had a few special guests…

• Cary Crall — The BYU student who wrote this letter to BYU’s Daily Universe which was later pulled from the web site, with this explanation.  You can read more about Cary’s story here.
• Morris Thurston — Harvard law graduate, and author of, “A Commentary on the Document, “Six Consequences…if Proposition 8 Fails“.
• Laura Compton, co-founder of Mormons for Marriage.

We also hosted a live, simultaneous Internet-based chat (which you can watch while listening to the entire interview below).

Thanks to all of you who tuned in!

A few weeks back we live-streamed an interview with John Larsen of Mormon Expression podcast, allowing folks to call in.  John and I began by interviewing each other about our experiences as Mormon podcasters….and then we will opened the lines to listener questions.

It was a blast.  Thanks, John!  And thanks to all who called in.

John Dehlin

Supporting the workshop were:

• Natasha Parker LCMFT — also known as The Mormon Therapist, and
• Laurie and Dan Gallagher — a mixed-faith couple previously featured on Mormon Stories.

You can access Natasha’s handout from the workshop here.

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

• Part 1: Growing up Mormon, and the WordPerfect years
• Part 2: Coming out as a Gay Mormon Father
• Part 3: The Case for Supporting Gay Rights

(Note: Segment 3 of this interview has been removed from the podcast feed — out of respect for the family members involved, and due to legal and other concerns).

In this 4-part series, we interview Richard Packham — co-founder of the Ex-Mormon foundation.  Throughout the interview and via Richard’s own personal story, we explore 3 ways in which the LDS Church creates unnecessary enemies:

1. Episode 1: By not being honest about its own history (e.g. teaching accurate history)
2. Episode 2: By breaking up families (when one no longer believes)
3. Episode 3: By  harming the loved ones of those who have left the church (removed from the feed)
4. Episode 4: To conclude, Richard discusses the benefits of religious belief and the LDS church, the mission of the ExMormon foundation, and bears a final testimony regarding the joy/happiness he has experienced since leaving the church.

NOTE: The purpose of this interview is NOT to encourage people to stay or leave the LDS church.  It is simply to:

1. Seek to understand and to validate the path of those who have felt compelled to leave the church, and
2. Explore ways in which the church can seek to no longer create unnecessary enemies.

….and he is also an active, believing member of the LDS Church.  Dr. Bailey is also the founder of the “Science Meets Religion” web site, which seeks to bridge the gap between science and religion.

In this three-part series, we discuss:

• Part 1: A Brief History of the LDS Church and Science, including the B.H. Roberts/Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce R. McConkie controversies regarding evolution in the 20th century.
• Part 2: The state of science in the LDS Church today.
• Part 3: How science has actually strengthened his faith in the God and the LDS Church.

P.S. The Duane Jeffery/Dialogue article referenced in the podcast can be found here.

Janet Bennion is an associate professor of anthropology at Lyndon State College in Lyndonville, Vermont, specializing in alternative sexuality in nontraditional religious movements in the Intermountain West, specifically among Mormon fundamentalist polygynists. She has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from University of Utah and a Masters in Social Organization from Portland State University. Her doctoral expertise lies in cross-cultural perspectives of sexuality, gender and society, and women of the fundamentalist world.

Her scientific publications include two major ethnographic works and two comparative analyses of Mormon polygynous women, as well as many peer-review journal articles. Women of Principle: Female Networking in Contemporary Mormon Polygyny (Oxford University Press 1998) offers an in-depth study of gender roles and sexual norms in the Apostolic United Brethren sect in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana, cataloging women’s conversion stories. This ethnography shows that while abuses do exist, some women achieve ironic ascendance and satisfaction in fundamentalism. Desert Patriarchy (University of Arizona Press 2004) presents her theory explaining the role of the desert environment (Chihuahua, Mexico) in the development and maintenance of a patriarchal gender ideology. Her model identifies several factors — male supremacy, female network, non-secular education, imbalanced sex ratios, alternative sexuality, and circumscription — which work to facilitate the longevity of desert patriarchal communities.

Janet Bennion is an associate professor of anthropology, specializing in alternative sexuality in nontraditional religious movements in the Intermountain West, specifically among Mormon fundamentalist polygynists. She has a Ph.D. in Anthropology from University of Utah and a Masters in Social Organization from Portland State University.

Her doctoral expertise lies in cross-cultural perspectives of sexuality, gender and society, and women of the fundamentalist world.

Her scientific publications include two major ethnographic works and two comparative analyses of Mormon polygynous women, as well as many peer-review journal articles. Women of Principle: Female Networking in Contemporary Mormon Polygyny (Oxford University Press 1998) offers an in-depth study of gender roles and sexual norms in the Apostolic United Brethren sect in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana, cataloging women’s conversion stories. This ethnography shows that while abuses do exist, some women achieve ironic ascendance and satisfaction in fundamentalism. Desert Patriarchy (University of Arizona Press 2004) presents her theory explaining the role of the desert environment (Chihuahua, Mexico) in the development and maintenance of a patriarchal gender ideology. Her model identifies several factors — male supremacy, female network, non-secular education, imbalanced sex ratios, alternative sexuality, and circumscription — which work to facilitate the longevity of desert patriarchal communities.

• Episode 1: Federal Prosecution, Post-Manifesto Polygamy and the Rise of Mormon Fundamentalism
• Episode 2: The Life and Death of the Mormon Speculative Tradition, and the Rise and Costs of Correlation
• Episode 3: The LDS Church as a Corporation and the Corporation as a Church
• Episode 4: Is the LDS Church Serving God, Mammon, or Both?

Daymon’s fascinating dissertation can be purchased here.

I have five very important announcements that I’d like to make to you…my listeners….so I’ll try to make it brief.

1. Potential Workshops and Reception at Sunstone Symposium:On August 4th, as part of the Sunstone Symposium in Salt Lake City, I am considering hosting an all-day, 2 part workshop:
   • Part 1 (in the morning) will deal with “How to navigate an LDS crisis of faith”, and
   • Part 2 (in the afternoon) will deal with “What to do in a marriage when one of the partners loses their testimony.” What I need to know from all of you, is if there is any interest out there in something like this.  It will likely cost around $25 for a single session, and $40 for the full session.  I also planning on going to dinner with folks after the workshops, so it could be a fun way to meet some of you.  Anyway, Please email me at mormonstories@gmail.com if you or someone you know would be interested in attending. 
   • In addition, I am looking into the possibility of hosting a Mormon Stories listener reception, likely to be held on Thursday evening, August 5th.  If any of you would be interested in spending an hour or two with me, former interviewees, and fellow Mormon Stories listeners, please let me know via email at mormonstories@gmail.com.
     
2. Mormon Stories Forum: I have recently created a private Internet forum for listeners to Mormon Stories.  The formula is pretty straightforward:
   • Membership in the forum is by invitation only.
   • Everyone in the forum uses their real name.  This helps to make the forum conversations more constructive and healthy, and to build a sense of community within the forum.  That said, the membership list and conversations within the forum are copyrighted, and will not be shared outside the forum.  Also, if you are unable to use your real name for job or family reasons, I will need you to identify yourself to me, and we can make arrangements to protect your anonymity on the forum.
   • The purpose of the forum is to provide people with a safe place to speak with other like-minded people about their Mormon experience.  We have Mormons of all types on the forum — from true believers to former Mormons.  The only requirement, other than maintaining the confidentiality of the group, is to always treat forum members with respect — regardless of their status in the church.  Violators of this will be removed.
   • To join the community, please friend me on Facebook (both as John Dehlin and as Mormon Stories), and then send me an email telling me your story, and indicating that you are willing to comply with these rules.  From there, I will add you to the community if your story indicates a good fit.
3. Mormon Stories is now an official Non-Profit: Thanks to Ryan Millecam, a corporate attorney at Gammage and Burnham in Phoenix AZ and a long-time fan – Mormon Stories is now an official 501c3 Non-Profit, which means that all donations we receive are tax deductible.  We did this in hopes that it would encourage you, our listeners, to better support Mormon Stories.Also, As a 501c3, I’m very interested in creating a formal board of directors to help shape the future of Mormon Stories — and maybe even grow it into a radio and/or TV program someday.  If any of you are interested in sitting on the Mormon Stories board of directors and helping to shape and grow our future, please join the MS Community forum (as indicated above), and let me know in your introduction letter of your interest.
4. A 3 Month Experiment (Donor Drive): Over the past few months I have worked very, very hard to bring you some very high quality interviews.  A few of you have been very supportive in terms of contributions, and I am very, very grateful for that support — but a new situation has arisen where I will need your help.  Many of you know that I just finished up my first year in a 6 year psychology Ph.D. program.  It was kind of crazy for me to leave a six figure job with MIT, with 4 young children at home, to go back to school — but my work with Mormon Stories has really led me to feel like I need to become a counselor – specifically to work with folks who struggle within the LDS church.  Anyway — I was recently offered a $15,000 Assistantship to cover some of my expenses for next year as a grad student — but if I had taken it, I would have not been able to continue with Mormon Stories.  So I took a bit of a crazy gamble.  I turned down the assistantship, with the hope/faith that I could recruit enough monthly support from my listeners to at least make up for the assistantship that I turned down.So here is what I’m going to do.  Over the next 3 months I have planned some of the most interesting and exciting guest and projects to date for Mormon Stories.  In exchange, I am going to see how many listeners I can get to sign up for an automatic monthly subscription to Mormon Stories (which will help get me through grad school).  If I can get enough people to sign up for monthly subscriptions, I will definitely keep Mormon Stories going at the rate of one, multi-part interview per week.  If I can’t get enough listeners to support me in that way, I will probably keep Mormon Stories going, but will likely have to get a part time job in the Fall/Winter to support my family while in school — and will only release episodes as I’m able.  Currently my web stats tell me that each episode of Mormon Stories is being downloaded by thousands of listeners — so I guess I’m asking for those of you who have enjoyed Mormon Stories to please consider signing up for a monthly donation….it can be for as little as $5/month. If I can get only 200 or 300 people (of the several thousand) to make a monthly contribution, I promise to make Mormon Stories even better than it has been to date.  And again — I can also promise you that the people and projects that I have in the works are as exciting and interesting, if not more so than many of my past interviews — so if you do your part, I promise to do mine.  To donate — please click on one of the donation buttons at the top right of http://mormonstories.org
5. Looking for Volunteers:  Finally, in addition to monthly contributors, I am urgently looking for volunteers to help donate their time in various ways to keep Mormon Stories going strong.  If any of you are willing to help out with your time, please join the Mormon Stories Forum as indicated above, and  indicate in your letter to me that you are willing to help out.

Anyway, that’s it for now!   Thanks so much for listening, and for your support.  I look forward to making Mormon Stories better than ever…with your support.

In light of the recent Gallop Poll which calculates that 60% of active Mormons self-identify as Conservative or Republican and that over 60% of inactive Mormons who still consider themselves Mormons are self-identified “Liberals or Moderates” suggesting that the more liberal you are the more likely you are to go inactive; in light of Glenn Beck’s recent public comments where the prominent Mormon declared that social justice was a code word for Communism and Nazism; and in light of the recent invitation by a Nevada Stake to Democratic Senator Harry Reid to speak at a fireside which was met by threats of violence and canceled.

As moderate, liberal or radical Mormons, it is time to make our voices heard WITHIN Mormonism. I for one am weary of hearing Republican talking points pass for Gospel truths. The Gospel is for everyone, not just Republicans; guided by the spirit, liberal and radical interpretations of the Gospel and scriptures are just as valid as those made by Conservatives.

• On May 1st 2010, International Workers’ Day, or May Day, we will participate in local May Day festivities and organize ‘Social Justice and the Gospel’ Teach-ins/Firesides all across the country.

• On Sunday May 2nd, we will hold a special fast for those who are working all over the world to advance the causes of the Gospel, social justice, environmental sustainability and fighting the root causes of poverty. Then, we will attend our local Wards and, guided by the spirit, bear strong, sincere and non-confrontational testimonies on these themes.

Please pass the word along and start organizing events. Respond with ideas and comments.

Will you help us make the Mormon Church hospitable for all of God’s Children? Even Liberals and Radicals?

Over this 3.5 hour discussion we cover topics like:

• How to handle difficult primary songs and uncomfortable teachings with small children
• How to deal with baptism and priesthood ordinations as unorthodox members
• How to work through issues surrounding the young women and men programs
• How to “innoculate” your children against unhealthy church teachings and history
• How to handle issues of sexuality, and What to do about missions, marriage and beyond.
  

Our panelists include:

• Lee White: Who (along with his wonderful wife) has successfully raised four children within the church as progressive, non-literalistic, non-dogmatic, NOMish church members.
• Laurie Gallagher: Who no longer considers herself to be a “believer” in the church’s exclusive truth claiMS, but who is finding a way (along w/ her “believer” and totally cool husband) to raise their three children, combining her love for Buddhism and Eastern Spirituality with a progressive approach to LDS activity.
• Heather Olson Beal: Who comes from a devout yet progressive family background, and who (along with her husband) is finding a way to raise their three children amidst their own faith transition.

Program Notes:

• Here is the link to Laurie’s wonderful letter to her son (a must read)
• Here are the words to the poem Laurie discussed on the podcast:

Irish Blessing:
May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of his hand.

May God be with you and bless you:
May you see your children’s children.
May you be poor in misfortune,
Rich in blessings.
May you know nothing but happiness
From this day forward.

May the road rise up to meet you
May the wind be always at your back
May the warm rays of sun fall upon your home
And may the hand of a friend always be near.

May green be the grass you walk on,
May blue be the skies above you,
May pure be the joys that surround you,
May true be the hearts that love you.

This interview was recorded in 2007.

In this interview, we discuss:

• What it’s like to grow up the son of an LDS Prophet
• An intimate look at Edward’s impressions of President Kimball
• The 1978 Blacks and the Priesthood Revelation and the Equal Rights Amendment fight within the church
• Thoughts in reconciling the intellect with faith and the spirit

WARNING: Bengt occasionally uses profane language, and there is some sexually explicit material (I’d give it a PG-13 rating).  Viewer/listener discretion is advised.

• In Part 1, I re-publish Terry Gross’ 2009 Fresh Air interview with Karen Armstrong.  Please listen to this episode, buy and read the book this week, and next week we will:
• In Part 2, John Hamer, J. Nelson Seawright, Joanna Brooks and I lay out Karen Armstrong’s major premises, and analyze them
• In Part 3, we discuss how Karen Armstrong’s book might or might not apply to Mormonism.

Based on your requests, I wanted to let you know that:

1. Mormon Stories is now an official 501c3 non-profit organization, which means that any future donations you make to the podcast will be tax deductible.
2. I have set up the means whereby you can make automatic monthly donations to Mormon Stories.   Just click on the buttons at the top right of the home page to set up monthly, automatic recurring donations.

Thanks so much again for all your support!

John Dehlin

• In Part 1, Lisa discusses her early life, how she became a feminist, and what led to her creation of FeministMormonHousewives.com
• In Part 2, Lisa discusses the importance of open, thoughtful and candid discussions about women’s issues within the church, and on the Internet
• In Part 3, Lisa discusses the costs and benefits of blogging, provides some final insight and advice to LDS women, along w/ her testimony of the LDS gospel.

Music on this episode was provided by http://skyepixton.com and http://claytonpixton.com.

• In part 1, Shawn discusses his born again experience, and makes his best case for why LDS Church members should also seek to become Born Again.

• In part 2, I ask Shawn several questions about his style, doctrine and theology.

• In part 3, I ask Shawn some final questions, and he shares some closing thoughts.

• Episode 1: Jacque discusses her husband’s loss of  testimony, how they first discussed it, and the lessons she learned from dealing with the immediate aftermath.
• Episode 2: Jacque discusses the compromises that both her and her husband had to make to work through his loss of faith, and what eternal marriage has come to mean for her.
• Episode 3: Jacque discusses some of the unexpected blessings that have come to her marriage as a result of her husband’s loss of faith, and some final tips for couples dealing with this dilemma.

The music from this episode was played live during the interview.  For more about the Danzig’s music, check out their web site here.

The music from this episode was played live during the interview.  For more about the Danzig’s music, check out their web site here.

The music from this episode was played live during the interview.  For more about the Danzig’s music, check out their web site here.

The music from this episode was played live during the interview.  For more about the Danzig’s music, check out their web site here.

Shawn is a former LDS Church member who is now an evangelical minister in SLC.  He is the author of the book “Born Again Mormon” and is the host of the TV show “Heart of the Manner.”

Shawn and I talked before agreeing to do the interview.  His purpose (nor mine) will not be to bash the LDS church, but instead to share his journey out of Mormonism and into Evangelical Christianity in a respectful way.  If you have questions for Shawn, please post them here.

Thanks!

• The Past: Why I shut down Mormon Stories podcast, what I learned along the way, and were I am now with the church.
• The Present: Why I brought Mormon Stories back
• The Future: What I promise to each of you w/ the podcast, and what I need from each of you to keep it going.

Thanks in advance for your support!

Community of Christ Apostle Susan D. Skoor and Prophet Stephen M. Veazey ordain Becky L. Savage to be a member of the First Presidency

Community of Christ temple

In part 2 of my interview with John Hamer, we discuss the transformation of the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (RLDS) towards a more Christ-centered church, including the decision to build a temple in Independence, Missouri, and change its name to “The Community of Christ.”

We also discuss its transition away from prophetic succession based on blood line, and its decision to ordain women to the priesthood.

(Music provided courtesy of Clayton Pixton and Skype Pixton.  If you can, please email them and thank them for the music…better yet…email them and then buy an album!!!!)

This episode is re-published courtesy of John Larsen.

This recording was published on August 11, 2009, and is re-published here courtesy of John Larsen.

(Note: please consider this as a very rough draft.  I am very open to suggestions to make it better.)

===========

Thank you for sharing your story with me.  If there are a few messages I can leave with you…that I hope you will repeat to yourself over and over again in the coming years….it would be these things:

1. You are not alone.  I have personally spoken to over 1,000 people with your basic story…and I am aware of tens of thousands more on the Internet who share your concerns.  Please know up front that this journey you are now traveling is one that more and more LDS people are beginning to travel — and that there will be fellow travelers and tip/tricks provided to you along the way (unlike in generations past).  To restate — You. Are. Not. Alone.  Thousands upon thousands (likely some in your own ward) share your thoughts/feelings, and more are emerging every day.  Don’t feel ashamed or broken. With the advent of the Internet, this phenomenon is becoming very, very common.
2. Go slowly.  Sometimes it’s easy to let things spin out of control — especially if you are angry or feeling isolated.  Try to avoid this if you can.  Try to go as slowly as you can, and think of this as a lifelong quest for meaning, purpose, and enlightenment….not as something that you will resolve in a week, or a month, or a year.  Try to not do anything rash.  Try never to burn bridges.
3. Find some mentors: As you begin this new journey of faith it is unlikely that family, friends, or leaders will understand what you are going through. Those family and friends who you choose to confide in may respond with fear or hostility. Remember that this new journey may be a shock to them and it requires delicate handling for all involved. Be open to different viewpoints and never close the door on ideas while in this state of flux, but remember that ultimately this is YOUR journey of faith. As you seek people who will be able to understand your concerns remember that you are not obligated to follow in the footsteps of those who offer their support. Now there are, many, many LDS folk who have traveled down the path you are now on — you can take solace in the fact that some of them might be able/willing to help you through the journey. Some are still fully active and believing (like Richard Bushman, Kevin Barney, Jeff Lindsay or Mike Ash).  Some are semi-active and/or semi-believing in the church (like the folks at StayLDS.com).  Some are inactive.  Some have joined or started other churches (like Shawn McCraney) and some are no longer members (like Bob McCue). All of those paths are possible for each of us — and each path will have its plusses and minuses for you, individually. Regardless, I strongly suggest over the coming months and years that you find some mentors who will listen and help you see all the options that are unfolding ahead.
4. Some say that there are Stages of Faith: A famous professor of theology and human development named James Fowler once wrote that there are stages of faith.  No stage is better than another…4 is not higher than 3.  They are all just stages…nothing more.  Putting stages 1 and 2 aside for a second (they deal mostly with infants and children), he wrote that there are 3 main stages of faith for adults:
   • Stage 3 — A period characterized by literalistic, orthodox beliefs.  This is the “one true church” mentality — where you likely were in your late teen and early adult years.  Some never leave this stage — and that’s perfectly fine.  Remember — no one stage is better or higher than another.
   • Stage 4 — A period of disillusionment and disenchantment with the literalistic, orthodox, almost dogmatic approach to faith/religion that you once had in Stage 3.  Some have called it “the dark night of the soul.”  This is where you may be at present, if you’re reading this document.
   • Stage 5 — A return to valuing faith/spirituality, where there is: a) less of a concern with literalistic, dogmatic “truth”, b) a greater appreciation for the metaphorical and symbolic value/structure that religions of all types can provide, and c) a more universalistic or inclusive approach to religion and spirituality, that may select a particular religion or church to “practice” within, but finds value in the faith and theology of all religions, and even of enlightened agnostics and atheists.  The following podcast episodes can shed light on this stage, and this overall approach:
     • Mormon Stories’ exploration of the Stages of Faith: Part 1, Parts 2 and 3
     • Mormon Expressions’ exploration of the Stages of Faith: Part 1, Part 2
5. Try to think of this as an opportunity for deeper joy/meaning: It may not seem like it now, but try if you can to view this journey you are now on as one that has the potential for greater joy, and deeper meaning in your life….much more than you ever felt possible in your previous stage of belief.  In other words…..this is not the end of your faith journey.  This is just the beginning. It may sound crazy, but think of yourself as being like Adam/Eve cast out of the garden of Eden, so to speak.  You have an opportunity to create a life with amazing new depths and possibilities that you never before imagined (and I don’t mean out of the church, necessarily. I mean in or out of the church…depending on what you feel is best for you).  I promise you that there is wonderful, joyous light at the other end of this tunnel, if you can hang on, and find meaning/value/depth in this experience.  But it does take a lot of work.  And time.  And patience.
6. Isolation/secrecy can only last so long, and will likely lead to more pain in the end: One thing that I’ve seen repeatedly is the negative effects of being fully “in the closet” about your pain/struggles w/ loved ones and friends.  Just like a lid on a pot of boiling water — eventually the steam will escape…it’s just a matter of how/when….and with how much force.   So I would encourage you to slowly find non-threatening ways to let loved ones know (in general, not necessarily going into specifics) that you are working through some things, and that you are struggling.  You will know when the time is right for this — so I’m not telling you to hurry — but I can tell you from experience that it’s usually better to thoughtfully manage the “coming out” of your thoughts/feelings vs. having them eat away at you, and then explode in ways that damage both you and your loved ones.  I could be wrong here…or this may not be right in your particular situation…but this has been true in my experience, and for many/most of the people I’ve spoken with.
7. Family First: While this might not be true in rare circumstances, especially where abuse is involved, remember that family is more important that anything else you’ll probably ever believe or want or do in this life.  Try your best to always remain supportive and a force for good within your family — even as you struggle w/ your faith.  Don’t let your faith struggles cause you to neglect those you love most.  That said, you must also avoid neglecting your conscience at the expense of keeping the peace.  A proper balance must be struck here, and only you can know what the right balance is.
8. Pray (and/or meditate) and Study: Don’t forget to pray (and/or meditate) and study either the scriptures (even if only for non-literal inspiration and meaning) or other books which encourage wisdom, enlightenment and/or spirituality.  Those things remain a wonderful resource for me.  Even if your religious world falls apart — I strongly believe that there is great strength in prayer, meditation, spirituality and “clean living”.  Don’t let these things go…if you can help it — even if you find only metaphorical value in them, vs. literal value.

Some resources I can recommend:

• Mormon Stories Podcast: Over 100 hours over exploration on issues of faith, history, etc.  Over the next year I am planning on addressing the loss of faith as a central theme w/ tons of new episodes.  The Mormon Expression podcast also has some excellent episodes, although their panel skews slightly towards the disaffected LDS perspective.  Still, I love those guys, and their hearts are in the right place.
• StayLDS.com: A wonderful resource for those looking to stay in the church w/ an alternative, nuanced, non-literalistic faith.  Even though I remain a church member myself, I am no longer in the business of trying to convince others to stay in the church (it just never works, and often backfires — people have to decide this for themselves).  The folks at StayLDS.com are the same way.  They are not looking to convince anyone to stay LDS, but instead are there to support people who, for whatever reason, desire to stay in the church, but don’t quite know how to do it after the crisis of faith.  One resource that many have found value in from this site is this essay, “How to stay in the church after a crisis of faith.”
• LDSBlogs.org or mormonblogs.com: For a WONDERFUL set of thoughtful, yet (mostly) faithful blogs which deal with Mormon issues.
• FAIR/FARMS: For apologetic approaches to the church that seem to work for many.
• New Order Mormon: Similar to StayLDS, but less moderated…and a bit more angry at times within the forum (though I totally acknowledge that for most, anger is often unavoidable, and sometimes even constructive…depending on the situation).
• A New Earth — Eckhart Tolle/Oprah: This may sound cheesy, but this podcast/book by Eckhart Tolle on Oprah has helped me,  my wife, and many of my friends in ways I would never be able to fully describe.  Give it a try if you are open/willing.  It is 100% compatible with both LDS belief and complete atheism.
• Speaking of Faith: An amazing archive exploring “deep” or “thick” religion (vs. thin/shallow religion)
• For Those Who Wonder: A great resource by Jeff Burton
• Faces East: Not sure how good this is, but I love the mission statement: “Devoted to the ideal of eternal marriage, even when a spouse does not accept LDS beliefs.”
• There are many ex-Mormon and Post-Mormon resources out there, but I am always on the look-out for additional sites that are committed to a constructive, enlightened exit from the church (if that becomes your ultimate wish).  For those of you who can help me find a few additional links, please email me or post the links below.

Finally, please consider returning to these points when you are in your darker times.  From speaking w/ many others, I feel like they will guide you well whenever you get stuck.

I hope this helps!  Let me know if there’s anything else I can do.  And God bless you.

John Dehlin

Joanna has recently started an advice-column blog entitled “AskMormonGirl.com“, and cross-blogs on Mormon Matters.

This is part 1 of a 2 part interview.  Please give a hearty Mormon Stories welcome to Dr./Sister/Mommy Joanna Brooks!

What’s even MORE helpful is if you’re able to contact these people in advance and ask them if they’re willing to come on the podcast.  That could save me a TON of time.

Thanks for everything.  More soon.

My focus for 2010 (and beyond?) will be:

• Empathy and Support for Those Struggling w/ a Faith Crisis: First and foremost, I want to help to build greater understanding, empathy and support within the broader LDS culture for those struggling with an LDS-related faith crisis. I envision interviewing many who have struggled with their faith — and to put forward several examples of people who have found joy on the other side of the struggle (regardless of whether they landed in or out of the church). The goal will not be to keep people in the church…nor to nudge them out of the church…but instead to help build broad empathy, and to help the strugglers find positive role models, tips, tricks and ideas to help them in their own religious/spiritual/life journey….regardless of where it leads. I anticipate interviewing folks from all sides including: FAIR/FARMS, StayLDS, New Order Mormon, PostMormon and ExMormon.org — and wherever else it makes sense. This will be about finding joy for those who come from a Mormon paradigm…NOT about nudging people one way or the other.
• Less LDS-related Divorce over Faith Issues: I honestly cannot count the number of couples who have come to me in the past few years seeking help w/ their marriage…as it falls apart due to faith-related issues. Consequently, I desperately want to see less divorce and marital strife because of faith struggles within Mormonism. In my mind/heart….the LDS Church should NEVER be a major cause in the dissolution of a healthy family. To this end, I plan to find couples who have made it through such a struggle with their marriage in tact (in or out of the church), and to discuss things like: 1) how to “get on the same page” (where possible), 2) how to deal with differences (where they exist), 3) how to raise children in a mixed-faith, progressive faith or even an ex-LDS home, and 4) how to deal with the in-laws, etc. I also hope to prepare new materials (like my “Why they leave…” Youtube presentation) to be used as resources to share w/ loved ones (as needed) to support people in these situations.
• Mental Illness: Because of my interest in Psychology, I plan to do an in-depth exploration of mental illness with Mormonism (including Depression, eating disorders, addictions, Autism, abuse, etc.)
• And for some fun (we can’t get too heavy, now, can we?)….an attempt to interview prominent LDS artists, media personalities, celebrities, etc. And of course….you can expect much of the same Mormon Stories that you have enjoyed in the past. Hopefully I can throw in a few surprises along the way.

I will be operating Mormon Stories on an NPR/PBS model (through donations of both time and money).  As financial support comes in, I will use it to fund new episodes. As long as the donations continue to come, I will keep things hopping.

To Donate to Mormon Stories 2010, please click on the donate button at the top right of this blog.

Other ways I could use help:

• Good ideas for really, really good interviews will also be critical.  I have to find a way to keep things super interesting to my diverse audience — which includes both believers and non-believers.  Here’s the direction I’m hoping to go:  http://mormonstories.org/?p=716 .  Helping me actually get the quality interviewees to agree to the interview is also super helpful.
• Awareness/Marketing: The extent to which you can help build awareness about Mormon Stories, either through email, Facebook, Twitter, Internet Forums, Blogs, etc. — the more folks who subscribe to and support Mormon Stories, the easier it will be to keep things going.
• I will likely need some technical support if you’re a wiz w/ web technology (design or dev)…let me know.
• Moral support is best of all, of course.

I will do my best to make you proud.

Sincerely,

John Dehlin

1. Attempts at interviews with prominent LDS church members — Stephanie Nielson (Nie Nie), Shannon Hale, Robin Jensen, Chad Hardy, Stephen Kapp Perry, Dustin Lance Black, Laura Compton, Hawkgrrrl, Kevin Barney, Lisa Butterworth, Philip Barlow, John Hamer, Daniel Peterson, Peter and Mary Danzig, etc.
2. A deep dive/exploration into mental illness within Mormonism.
3. Provide stories to help couples wherein one or both are experiencing a crisis of faith — in a way that might help them to avoid unproductive pain and/or divorce, and
4. Providing stories that will help people through the damaging social, familial and spiritual effects of an LDS-related faith crisis (without any “nudge” or preference as to whether or not they stay in or leave the church).  The overarching goals here would be to
   • Create deeper understanding and empathy within our culture for those in a faith crisis, and
   • Provide healthy “role models” (tips and tricks) from people who have successfully worked through this crisis — from across the spectrum of belief/non-belief (ex-Mormons, post-Mormons, New Order Mormons, StayLDS, Apologists, etc.).  The idea isn’t to point people in a specific direction, but instead to provide stories that will help people find the path that works best for them.
5. And of course, all the Mormon Stories goodness you have come to know and love.  :)

I could not do it alone.  I would need lots of help to make it happen.

If any of you are interested in supporting such a podcast, please contact me at: mormonstories@gmail.com.

Thanks!

John Dehlin

Even so, all are welcome to email John directly at MormonStories@gmail.com.  He will do his best to answer. He is aware, however, that a short note from him will do little to meet your needs.  If you do receive a short answer or no answer at all, please know that he respects your privacy and will not forward personal emails to other members of the Mormon Stories team.  If you would like more support, please let John know that it is okay with you if he shares your needs with others; he will not do so unless you explicitly give him permission.  If you choose to allow him to share, it may be that we can find resources to help you.  Again, please know that John is very sorry that he cannot be there for everyone.

In an effort to respond to the growing need for support, Mormon Stories has created the Mormon Stories Regional Support Communities.  Many have used the communities to find friends in their immediate areas with whom they can authentically share the issues they are struggling with.  We are hopeful that support can be found and lasting friendships can be made.

We also have new projects on the horizon that we hope will assist with the growing demands.  An introductory letter to one of the projects can be found here.  More information will be coming soon.

You are not alone….. not even close.  Many are walking in your shoes.

Much Love,

The Mormon Stories Team

There are a million things that I love about the church and its members (community, hymns, structure, standards, etc.), and some things that deeply trouble me (e.g. the church’s exclusive truth claims and historical hostility to “gays, feminists and intellectuals“).  I believe in the central teachings of Jesus (love your neighbor and your enemies, forgive people, judge not, have faith, repent (or turn away) from mistakes, etc.), but I have no idea how much of “the gospel” is true/literal, and how much of it is symbolic/metaphorical.

I am a myth-loving (Joseph Campbell), stage-5 aspiring (James Fowler) religionist.  And my goal in life is to help struggling Mormons find peace during tough transitions.

Finally — you should know that my bishop and stake president know all of the above about me, have reviewed what I do with Mormon Stories, and continue to encourage me to remain active, and to feel welcome at church.

• Your study of LDS church history is causing you to question your testimony and/or commitment to the church
• Recent current events (like the FLDS thing in Texas, the Mitt Romney thing, or the Gay Marriage ballot initiative in California) have awakened in you discomfort w/ the church
• You find yourself bored and/or frustrated in church — because you do not feel as though you are able to have honest/candid discussions, or that the conversations/lessons are meaningful/relevant to you
• You have begun to doubt your testimony in the LDS Church, but feel as though you have no one to talk to about it
• You are somewhat uncomfortable saying “I know this church is true” — but you still are comfortable saying “I know this church is good”
• AND….you retain a desire to try to maintain your membership and activity in the church….

….if these bullets describe you, please email me with your story at mormonstories@gmail.com.   I may have some resources that could prove helpful to you.

John Dehlin

• Why do you do this? Hopefully these essays will help explain it.
• About the podcast:
  • What is a podcast? A podcast is like a combination radio/TV show, but better because you can download it to your iPod (or MP3 player) and listen to/watch it whenever and wherever you want — pausing, rewinding, or fast-forwarding (as the need arises). You can enjoy a podcast while driving in your car, doing household chores, or exercising. Mormon Stories has released podcast episodes in both audio and video, as well as via Youtube — to accommodate your situation.
  • How do I listen? The best way to listen to a podcast (by far) is to download iTunes to your machine (if you don’t already have it), and then subscribe to the podcast by clicking here, and then (while in the iTunes store) clicking on the “Subscribe” button for Mormon Stories Podcast.
  • The full list of Mormon Stories Episodes can be found here:
    • Online Video: Mormon Stories Youtube site
    • Audio and Video Podcast: Mormon Stories RSS Podcast Feed
  • Some of the highlights: On Mormon Stories Podcast we have interviewed all sorts of fascinating Mormons about important Mormon issues, including:
    • Richard Bushman, Grant Palmer and Morris Thurston about the life of Joseph Smith
    • Gregory Prince about the life of President David O. McKay
    • Claudia Bushman on women in the LDS church
    • Jim Parkinson on the story of an LDS man’s survival of the Bataan Death March (World War II)
    • The story of a couple who left the church, and then came back again
    • Todd Compton and Anne Wilde about the history of Mormon Polygamy
    • Darius Gray & Margaret Young and Darron Smith about the history of Blacks in the LDS Church
    • Greg Kearney about the connections between Mormonism and Masonry
    • Buckley Jeppson about Homosexuality and Mormonism
    • And many, many more (over 100 episodes in all)

• Essays: We also have created a few other documents and multimedia presentations for your enjoyment, which you can find here.

We hope you enjoy Mormon Stories podcast, and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all!!!!

Our slant would be:

• Practical discussions about Mormonism as a culture….
• Seeking balance from all sides of the faith spectrum (Fundamentalist, Conservative, Moderate, Liberal, RLDS, and Ex)
• We’d have a podcast as well

I’m looking for at least 2 permabloggers in each of these categories. Permabloggers must have a deep and abiding love for Mormons and Mormonism. Those who wish the LDS church church ill in any way need not apply. Anyone who falls into the “Ex” category must be of the John Hamer variety — loves Mormons and Mormonism, and wants Mormonism to succeed…just has decided that membership isn’t for them right now. They must also be intelligent and well-read about Mormonism (which means that I won’t be posting much). Finally, they must always be respectful of other’s points of view — without exception. Screeds will not be tolerated. Speaking meanly about church leadership will not be tolerated.

All discussion must be respectful, and generally in favor of Mormonism as a people/culture/faith.

We’d like each permablogger to commit to at least one post per week — on the subject of their choosing.

Please email me at mormonstories@gmail.com if you think you qualify, and are interested.

Today’s LDS Doctrine and Covenants Section 132:61 reads:

“And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthood—if any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse ^aanother, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else.”

This is not defunct scripture, nor has this verse been removed from our canon. Yes we stopped practicing polygamy because of legal/political/governmental adversity, but I’m not sure that we ever renounced the belief. Doesn’t polygamy remain fundamental Mormon doctrine in 2008?

Am I wrong, or is Stephen trying to distance us from the scripture? How should members reconcile the scripture with PR videos like this, which seem to show a detestation for polygamy?

Is this doctrine one of the main reasons that our pioneer ancestors risked life and limb to cross the plains? Don’t we teach that the family is central to Mormon doctrine, and isn’t any scriptural teaching about family worth our respect? Especially if we’re still practicing it (as my mother) in our temples?

Should the scripture be changed, or should we stop speaking out so harshly against polygamy? I struggle with this sometimes.

My reactions:

• On polygamy:
  • The don’t acknowledge that polygamy is still a doctrine of ours (see D&C 132)
  • They don’t admit that we practice polygamy in our temples (if a former spouse has died)
  • They kinda speak as if the LDS church owns the word Mormon, and don’t acknowledge that Fundamentalist Mormons consider themselves both “Mormon” and polygamists
• The Humanitarian stuff is way cool. I had no idea that we empolyed non-LDS (including Muslims) for volunteer humanitarian efforts. The only question I have is…how much of our humanitarian stuff is motivated by missionary work and PR, vs. sincere motives? I say this because Jesus would probably advise us not to brag about/broadcast our good works (not that we’re necessarily doing that here…just a risk).
• I like that we admitted to divorce and stuff. I don’t love the fact that emphasizing “father and mother” sometimes comes across as a bit exclusionary to non-traditional families.
• I love Gordon B. Hickley

William D. Russell: For over 40 years, William D. Russell has been a progressive voice among the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (now the Community of Christ). This is his story — from a 1993 Sunstone Symposium presentation called, “Pillars of my faith”.

Richard D. Poll: In early 1994 the distinguished career of Richard D. Poll, historian, professor, writer, husband and friend, came full circle. His Liahona/Iron-rod dichotomy, borrowed from the Book of Mormon, had entered the lexicon of Mormon thought almost 30 years earlier in his landmark essay “What the Church Means to People Like Me” (Dialogue 2:4, Winter 1967). His “Pillars of My Faith” sermon in Sunstone called for committed LDS worshipers and writers to join a mighty Christian chorus “in which almost all the singers hear the dissonant sounds of the alternate voices as polyphonic enrichment of the message of the gospel music.” For people like him, “neither dogmatic fundamentalism nor dogmatic humanism provides convincing answers to life’s most basic questions.” He defined history as “human strivings to discover divine realities.” Like Paul, Richard Poll lived his life as part of the leaven that “leaveneth the whole lump” (Galatians 5:9), offering his Liahona questioning in the spirit of “charity, humility, persistence.” In a time when men and women are being called sinners for a word (or many words); when the terms “alternate” and “dissident” are being redefined as sinister; when some seek apostasy, while others have apostasy thrust upon them, Richard Poll’s calm, reasoned, compassionate voice rings with a clarity that will live on in our hearts and minds.

As mentioned in today’s SLTrib, if your brand of Mormonism compels you to be inclined against (instead of towards) war, please consider signing this petition.

Go William go!!!!

• “This period of resisting persecution by living outside the law taught Mormons that secrecy can be a necessary tool for survival. As one apostle … later put it in a speech … “I am not dishonest and not a liar . . . [but] we have always been taught that when the brethren were in a tight place that it would not be amiss to lie to help them out.”” (this is coincidentally validated by my recently released podcast w/ Michael Quinn)
• “What is more, what began as a strategy of secrecy to avoid persecution has become over the course of the 20th century a strategy of minimizing discussion of the content of theology in order to avoid being treated as religious pariahs.”
• “The general pattern of Mormon history is one of growth leading to external pressure being brought to bear on the church. Internal resistance eventually gives way to change sanctioned by new revelation, followed in turn by new growth and success. “
• “This is a perfect example of esoteric public speaking: the attempt to convey multiple messages to different audiences through the careful use of words.”

What’s most interesting of all (to me), is that Mitt Romney and some Mormons both seem to be following the same pattern — to their potentially mutual detriment. May it not be so…..

Full article included below….

What Is It About Mormonism?

Ambroise Tezenas for The New York Times

Bathed in the Jordan Or in this case, the glow from the Jordan River Temple, seen from a house in Salt Lake City.

By NOAH FELDMAN

Published: January 6, 2008

Our post-denominational age should be the perfect time for a Mormon to become president, or at least the Republican nominee. Mormons share nearly all the conservative commitments so beloved of the evangelicals who wield disproportionate influence in primary elections. Mormons also embody, in their efficient organizational style, the managerial competence that the party’s pro-business wing considers attractive. For the last half-century, Mormons have been so committed to the Republican Party that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once felt the need to clarify that Republican affiliation is not an actual condition of church membership.

Yet the Mormons’ political loyalty is not fully reciprocated by their fellow Republicans. Twenty-nine percent of Republicans told the Harris Poll last year that they probably or definitely would not vote for a Mormon for president. Among evangelicals, some of the discomfort is narrowly religious: Mormon theology is sometimes understood as non-Christian and heretical. Elsewhere, the reasons for the aversion to Mormons are harder to pin down — bigotry can be funny that way — but they are certainly not theological. A majority of Americans have no idea what Mormons believe.

Mormonism’s political problem arises, in large part, from the disconcerting split between its public and private faces. The church’s most inviting public symbols — pairs of clean-cut missionaries in well-pressed white shirts — evoke the wholesome success of an all-American denomination with an idealistic commitment to clean living. Yet at the same time, secret, sacred temple rites and garments call to mind the church’s murky past, including its embrace of polygamy, which has not been the doctrine or practice of the mainstream Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS, for a century. Mormonism, it seems, is extreme in both respects: in its exaggerated normalcy and its exaggerated oddity. The marriage of these opposites leaves outsiders uncomfortable, wondering what Mormonism really is.

For Mitt Romney, the complex question of anti-Mormon bias boils down to the practical matter of how he can make it go away. Facing a traditional American anti-Catholicism, John F. Kennedy gave a speech during the 1960 presidential campaign declaring his private religion irrelevant to his qualifications for public office. For Romney, a Republican who would risk alienating “values voters” if he denied faith a central role in politics, emphasizing the separation of church and state is not an option. In his own religion speech, he coupled his promise to govern independently of the hierarchy of his own church with a profession of faith: “I believe that Jesus Christ is the son of God and the savior of mankind.” Although this formulation is unlikely to satisfy those evangelicals who deny that the LDS church is Christian, Romney presumably calculated that speaking about Jesus Christ in terms that sound consistent with ordinary American Protestantism would reassure voters that there was in the end nothing especially unusual about Mormonism.

Something troubling is afoot here. From a constitutional standpoint, the religion of a candidate is supposed to make no difference. Even before the founding fathers dreamed up the First Amendment, they inserted a provision in the Constitution expressly prohibiting any religious test for office. The framers recognized, of course, that a candidate’s religion (or lack thereof) would enter political debate, and they were prohibiting only a formal test for taking office. But they were also giving their imprimatur to Jefferson’s appealing notion that a person’s beliefs about religion were no more relevant to his politics than his beliefs about geometry. Romney, by contrast, was staking his character and values on his religious beliefs while insisting that no one ask what those beliefs are.

It is easy to see why Romney would see some aspects of his Mormon identity as an asset. In the elite East Coast worlds where Romney has made his career, Mormonism signifies personal rectitude, professional competence and an idiosyncratic-but-impressive rejection of alcohol and caffeine. If anything, the systematic overrepresentation of Mormons among top businesspeople and lawyers affords LDS affiliation a certain cachet — rather like being Jewish, but taller.

Still, even among those who respect Mormons personally, it is still common to hear Mormonism’s tenets dismissed as ridiculous. This attitude is logically indefensible insofar as Mormonism is being compared with other world religions. There is nothing inherently less plausible about God’s revealing himself to an upstate New York farmer in the early years of the Republic than to the pharaoh’s changeling grandson in ancient Egypt. But what is driving the tendency to discount Joseph Smith’s revelations is not that they seem less reasonable than those of Moses; it is that the book containing them is so new. When it comes to prophecy, antiquity breeds authenticity. Events in the distant past, we tend to think, occurred in sacred, mythic time. Not so revelations received during the presidencies of James Monroe or Andrew Jackson.

For some, then, the objection to Romney may be that Mormonism is religiously false and that voters should choose a president who belongs to the true faith. If many Americans felt this way, that would be bad news for Romney but worse news for the country, since it would mean that we had abandoned the values that underlay the constitutional ban on religious tests. But most Mormonism-related discomfort with Romney may, in fact, reflect less a view of religious truth than a sense that there is something vaguely troubling or unfamiliar in the Mormon manner or worldview. This latter possibility presents Romney with an especially tricky political problem. For such reservations are not simple prejudice; they are a complicated outgrowth of the tortured history of the faith’s relationship to mainstream American political life over the nearly two centuries since God first spoke to Joseph Smith.

Persecution and the Art of Secrecy

Mormonism was born amid secrecy, and throughout its existence as a religion it has sustained a close yet complex relationship to the arts of silence. From the start, the Mormon penchant for secrecy came from two different sources. The first was internal and theological. Like many great world faiths, Mormonism has an important strand of sacred mystery. Mormon temples have traditionally been closed to outsiders and designed with opaque windows. Marriage and other key rituals take place in this hallowed space — a manifestation of religious secrecy familiar to students of world religion but associated in the United States more with Freemasonry than with mainstream Protestantism.

Like Mormon ritual, much of Mormon theology remains relatively inaccessible to outsiders. The text of the Book of Mormon has always been spread to a broad audience, but the text is not a sufficient guide to understanding the details of Mormon teaching. Joseph Smith received extensive further revelation in the nature of sacred secrets to be shared with only a handful of close associates and initiates within the newly forming church.

The most famous such revelation was the doctrine of celestial — which was to say plural — marriage, revealed to Smith as early as 1833 but never publicized during his lifetime and formally announced to the world only in 1852, eight years after his death. And there were other doctrines of similar secrecy revealed to Smith, especially in the years just before his death. “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens! That is the great secret,” he is reported to have said in one of his last communications with his followers.

The connections between the sacred and the secret in early Mormonism did not come out of nowhere. Believers, of course, consider the source to be divine inspiration — although over the course of the last century Mormon teaching has moved away from many of Smith’s more radical ideas, which are often not accepted by contemporary LDS members. Academic students of early Mormonism have traced the mysteries expounded by Smith to the hermetic tradition of secret magic dating back to the Renaissance and beyond. If this account is accurate, then Mormonism’s theological secrets actually have more than a little in common with religious mysteries that can be found in medieval Islamic esotericism, kabbalistic mysticism and ancient Christian Gnosticism. Successive generations have rediscovered these secrets and reasserted their antiquity in ways very similar to Smith’s discovery of ancient tablets. For example, the most important work of the kabbalah, the Zohar, presents itself as a lost manuscript written by the 2nd-century mystic Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai, though scholars maintain that it was composed in the 13th century by the man who “discovered” it.

The greatest difference between the esoteric tradition and Smith’s version of it is that Smith’s faith has grown into an organized religion rather than remaining the preserve of a select few. Almost from the start of his career, Smith was denounced as a charlatan, an impostor and worse. Such criticisms sometimes pointed to his early pre-revelation career as a treasure seeker who used techniques like the seer stone (similar in function to a crystal ball) and the divining rod to seek treasure in the countryside of upstate New York. Notwithstanding these attacks, Mormonism grew steadily. Growth brought publicity — and with it came not merely prejudice but outright persecution. This external persecution created a second, externally driven source for secrecy: protection.

Not content with polemics, Mormonism’s opponents turned to violence. In 1838, after skirmishes between armed Mormons and state militia left several people dead, Gov. Lilburn Boggs of Missouri issued a military order declaring that the Mormons had made open war on the state and that therefore they “must be treated as enemies, and must be exterminated or driven from the state, if necessary, for the public good.” Later, at Nauvoo, Ill., the Mormon community under Smith’s leadership came under constant pressure from skeptical and sometimes violent neighbors. In response, Smith sought and received a measure of home rule for Nauvoo, including the authority to establish his own municipal militia. Though the militia grew until it was a substantial fighting force, Smith was nevertheless gunned down by a kind of quasi-organized lynch mob after having been arrested and jailed in nearby Carthage.

Unhindered by Smith’s death, the Mormons, now under the leadership of Brigham Young, went out to Utah to establish their own kingdom. In what felt like the relative safety of the intermountain West, Mormons began to practice plural marriage in the open — and ended up paying dearly for this lapse in secrecy. In 1856 the Republican Party made the defeat of polygamy a key plank in its first national platform, characterizing it alongside slavery as one of the “twin relics of barbarism.” The federal government soon criminalized the practice and then in effect outlawed membership in the Mormon Church until it would agree to give up polygamy. The Mormons appealed this persecution to the Supreme Court, which turned them down flat, holding that religious belief was protected by the First Amendment but that religious conduct was not. After the Civil War, federal prosecutors in the Utah territory and in neighboring areas convicted and jailed thousands of Mormons in the most coordinated campaign of religious repression in U.S. history.

The reaction of the Mormon Church to this new wave of persecution was, initially, to take refuge in secrecy once again. In 1890, the president of the church, Wilford Woodruff, issued a manifesto in which he gave his “advice” to members of the Mormon Church not to enter into any marital relationships that would violate the laws of the land. Publicly this declaration had its desired effect of placating the federal government; in 1896, Utah was allowed to become a state. But like Jewish rituals under the Spanish Inquisition, plural marriage continued, secretly in Utah and also among refugees (like several of Mitt Romney’s ancestors), who fled to Mexico or other places the law could not reach.

This period of resisting persecution by living outside the law taught Mormons that secrecy can be a necessary tool for survival. As one apostle (there are 12 who guide the church) later put it in a speech recounted by the historian Kathleen Flake, “I am not dishonest and not a liar . . . [but] we have always been taught that when the brethren were in a tight place that it would not be amiss to lie to help them out.” Yet such secrecy, reminiscent of the taqiyya or dissimulation sanctioned by Shiite Islam under the threat of persecution, could be difficult to maintain. Matters came to a head when another apostle, Reed Smoot, was elected in 1903 to the U.S. Senate as a Republican from Utah, despite political opposition from

As of the 20th century, through engagement with the federal political sphere, Mormons came to embrace fully the American ideals of multi-party governance and electoral democracy. They also gradually embraced the Republican Party itself — a fact that would not seem so remarkable today were it not for the G.O.P.’s history of condemning Mormonism.

The Mormons’ passage from bugbears of the Republican Party to its stalwarts may be analogized to a similar move among middle-class white Southerners, to whom the Republican Party was anathema until the 1970s and ’80s, after which it became almost the sole representative. In the case of Southern whites, a particular event shifted party allegiance, namely the Civil Rights Act of 1964 as promoted and passed by President Lyndon Johnson. Johnson knew he would be alienating Southern whites with the act, yet he went forward with it anyway.

In the case of the Mormons, however, no single event pushed them in the direction of Republicanism. To the extent that 19th-century Mormons sided with any national political force, it was the Democratic Party, the party of states’ rights — of great interest to Utah Mormons trying to buck federal control. What made the Mormons Republican was simply their move toward the conservative center of American public opinion. With Eisenhower especially, the Mormons found a leader they could admire and with whom they could work. Ike himself was famously indifferent toward the particularities of religious doctrine. Moderate Republicanism was therefore the perfect conduit for bringing Mormons into the American political mainstream.

According to Jan Shipps, a renowned scholar of Mormon history, anticommunism also played an important role in making Mormons Republican — Ezra Taft Benson, the apostle who became secretary of agriculture under Eisenhower, had ties to the John Birch Society. In the 1960s, as the Democratic Party increasingly began to embrace an agenda of civil and cultural liberties, the Mormon allegiance to Republicanism was cemented further still. Gone was the political radicalism and the concern for minority rights that accompanied plural marriage and other unusual Mormon behavior. Now the Mormons could look at the counterculture as a threat. The most prominent Mormon national politician in the 1980s and ’90s was Orrin Hatch, Republican of Utah, now in his 31st year in the Senate, who on the Judiciary Committee has maintained a consistently conservative position, favoring judges who are simultaneously favored by the religious right.

The rise of the religious right posed a tricky political quandary for the LDS church. On the one hand, a vocal movement pressing for conservatism and moral values must have seemed to them like a natural home. After all, they, too, were religious believers who drew upon their faith for their political conservatism. Yet there was a strand of the religious right that could potentially put it at odds with Mormonism — its barely concealed commitment to evangelical Protestant theology.

Evangelical ideology was certainly flexible. Before Roe v. Wade, for example, abortion was not a major issue for most Protestant evangelicals in the United States, and it took the active efforts of the Catholic Church to bring evangelicals on board. Yet despite being pliant on some substantive issues, Protestant evangelicals nonetheless did share a commitment to biblical inerrancy and to a rather strict definition of salvation by faith alone. Their worldview certainly relied upon some basic and nonnegotiable propositions, like the acceptance of the doctrine of the Trinity and of Jesus Christ as a personal lord and savior.

Mormons were able to argue that they, too, believed in salvation and in the literal accuracy of the Bible. The difficulty was that in addition to the Bible in its King James Version, the Latter-day Saints had further scriptures with which to contend — the Book of Mormon, translated by Smith from “reformed Egyptian” and styled as “another Testament of Jesus Christ”; and supplements to various biblical texts known collectively as the Pearl of Great Price.

Whatever the variances among the four synoptic gospels, contemporary evangelicals, like their forebears, have long been committed to the exclusivity of these texts. Newly unearthed gospels or pseudo-gospels (like the so-called Gospel of Thomas, written in the Egyptian language Coptic and found at Nag Hammadi in 1945) have posed few theological doubts for these Protestant evangelicals, who have dismissed them as foreign heretical works, despite their antiquity. Against this backdrop, the rejection of the Mormon Bible is simple and formulaic. Coupled with concerns about what they consider Mormonism’s nontrinitarian theology, it has led ineluctably to an unwillingness to recognize Mormons as full participants in the category “Christian.”

In theory, the evangelical political movement says that it is prepared to embrace Jews and even Muslims so long as they share the same common values of the religious right. In the case of a Mormon candidate, though, many evangelicals are not prepared to say that common values are enough. The reason seems to be the view among evangelicals that the substantive theological beliefs of Mormons are so radically different from their own as to constitute not a sect of Christianity but a Christian heresy, which would be worse than a different monotheistic faith like Judaism or Islam. One prominent evangelical, the Southern Baptist Richard Land, has proposed that Mormonism be considered a fourth Abrahamic religion — a compromise view that has found few takers in the evangelical camp and privately infuriates Mormons who insist on their Christianity.

Faced with the allegation that they do not believe in the same God as ordinary Protestants, or that their beliefs are not truly Christian, Mormons find themselves in an extraordinarily awkward position. They cannot defend themselves by expressly explaining their own theology, because, taken from the standpoint of orthodox Protestantism in America today, it is in fact heterodox.

What is more, what began as a strategy of secrecy to avoid persecution has become over the course of the 20th century a strategy of minimizing discussion of the content of theology in order to avoid being treated as religious pariahs. As a result, Mormons have not developed a series of easily expressed and easily swallowed statements summarizing the content of their theology in ways that might arguably be accepted by mainline Protestants. To put it bluntly, the combination of secret mysteries and resistance in the face of oppression has made it increasingly difficult for Mormons to talk openly and successfully with outsiders about their religious beliefs.

Assimilation, Culture And Compromise

The general pattern of Mormon history is one of growth leading to external pressure being brought to bear on the church. Internal resistance eventually gives way to change sanctioned by new revelation, followed in turn by new growth and success. This was the pattern not only for the abolition of polygamy but also for the extension in 1978 of the Mormon priesthood to black men. Mitt Romney’s run for the presidency is the occasion for the latest round in this cycle, with cultural and religious skepticism representing the vector for outside pressure. What will Romney — or the church — do in response?

One option is for Romney to try to devise a new language for talking about his religious beliefs that will make them seem accessible and familiar without compromising them. Romney has expressly said that he will not take this tack — but inevitably he has done so, and if he is chosen as the Republican candidate or elected to the presidency, he will have to do more. This could prove a tricky undertaking, full of pitfalls to the believer. Thus Romney has felt the need to minimize the centrality of Mormon scripture by saying that he reads the Gideon Bible when he is alone in his hotel room on the campaign trail.

The formulation may be seen as a clever hedge: to the ordinary Protestant listener, it sounds as if Romney is saying that he reads the same Bible that they do. To the Mormon insider, however, Romney is simply saying that when he travels to the hotel and finds himself, presumably, without a handy copy of the Book of Mormon, he reads the text of the Bible that can be found in the drawer beside the bed. Some LDS insiders have been heard to wonder quietly how Romney could come to be traveling without his own copy of the Mormon scriptures — or why he isn’t staying in Marriott hotels, where the Book of Mormon can be found in the nightstand drawer alongside the bible.

This is a perfect example of esoteric public speaking: the attempt to convey multiple messages to different audiences through the careful use of words. Something similar is perhaps contained in Romney’s outspoken admiration for Rick Warren, the megachurch pastor and best-selling author. To the general audience, the message is the embrace of an evangelical who is as mainstream as it gets. To a Mormon audience, however, the praise is presumably intended at most as a suggestion that it is possible to learn from the remarkable organizational and evangelizing effects of a well-known public figure.

Speaking esoterically about faith has a firm basis in LDS tradition — but history suggests it may not be enough for the church to overcome the strand of soft bigotry that it is now facing. And from the church’s perspective, facing up to the reality of such prejudice is not a trivial matter. Precisely because Romney is so accomplished, so telegenic, in short such an impressive candidate, it may be a slap in Mormons’ faces if he finds that he cannot garner the support of conservative values voters. If such voters prefer, say, a pro-choice Roman Catholic of questionable conservative credentials like Rudy Giuliani, the result may look like a public repudiation of Mormonism — from the very party to which Mormons have given their allegiance for the last half-century. (Even if the charge against Romney were that he failed because he was a dissimulating phony, that would hardly be an improvement for the church, given the similarity of that charge with the historical bias against Mormon secrecy.)

If the reality of soft bigotry does not today pose an existential threat to Mormons as explicit oppression once did, it would nevertheless undercut the hard-won public face of Mormonism as a distinctively American religion characterized by worldly accomplishment. For conservatives to reject a Mormon because he is a Mormon would be an especially harsh setback for a faith that has accomplished such extraordinary public success in overcoming a history of painful discrimination.

If Mormonism were to keep Romney from the nomination, the Mormon Church hierarchy may through continuing revelation and guidance respond by shifting its theology and practices even further in the direction of mainstream Christianity and thereby minimizing its outlier status in the culture. Voices within the LDS fold have for some time sought to minimize the authority of some of Joseph Smith’s more creative and surprising theological messages, like the teaching that God and Jesus were once men. You could imagine Mormonism coming to look more like mainline Protestantism with the additional belief not in principle incompatible with Protestant Scripture that some of the lost tribes of Israel ended up in the Americas, where a few had a vision of Christ’s appearance to them. If this hypothetical picture of a future Mormonism seems unimaginable to the contemporary LDS faithful, as it may, today’s Mormon theology would look almost as different to Brigham Young.

Religious development, driven by turns from within and without, is, after all, the mark of a vital faith. Today we do not think of the Catholic pope as the occupant of the pagan Roman office of pontifex maximus, but of course the pontiff is precisely that: the living exemplar of how Christianity met, conquered and was changed by the very empire that presided over the crucifixion. All religions assimilate and change, even as they claim to hew to the old truths.

America changes, too. Today the soft bigotry of cultural discomfort may stand in the way of a candidate whose faith exemplifies values of charity, self-discipline and community that we as Americans claim to hold dear. Surely, though, the day will come when we are ready to put prejudice aside and choose a president without regard to what we think of his religion.

Noah Feldman, a contributing writer for the magazine, is a law professor at Harvard University and adjunct senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He writes frequently on religion and public life.

Love him, hate him, or indifferent — D. Michael Quinn will go down as one of the most important Mormons of the 20th century.

This is his story, in his own words.

• He’s managed his campaign in a way to make him appear like a flip-flopper, and as lacking meaningful convictions. To many, he appears to be a blatant opportunist. I’m not saying these things are true — only that they appear to many to be true.  To me, Romney does not come across as an authentic Mormon OR Conservative.
• He managed his Iowa campaign in a way to make him appear as if he “went negative”. What’s worse, his negative ads appeared to many to be distortions.
• He doesn’t communicate in an inspirational, Reagan-like way.

For me, his Mormonism doesn’t crack the top 3. If anything, the Mormon thing has helped him get much more media attention than he likely otherwise would have.

My 2 cents.

Today, the RLDS Church (or Community of Christ as they are now known) has lost not experienced the same growth as the LDS Church — particularly since the 1970s. What lessons can the LDS Church learn from the Community of Christ? What did they do right, and wrong?

Additional links include:

• The essay from which I based this presentation.
• The PowerPoint deck from this presentation.
• The music used in this presentation (please purchase from the authors if you like)
• The videos from this presentation

Family and work duties are demanding that I (as I’ve done in the past) take a break from Mormon Stories for a bit. As a parting gift, I wanted to leave you with a few extra goodies (some of which many of you will have already seen/heard/watched):

• My Workshop Entitled: How to Stay in the LDS Church after Losing Your Faith
  • The essay upon which this workshop is based: How to Stay in the LDS Church after Losing Your Faith
  • Along with the audio, PowerPoint deck, music, videos and a PDF from this workshop
• My “Why People Leave the LDS Church: And What We Can Do About it” Presentation
• My “The ‘Other’ Mormon Heroes Screencast” (still in rough draft form) — also added to the podcast feed.
• My “Blacks in the LDS Priesthood” Screencast (again, only PC/IE).
• A few historical timelines dealing with 3 of the toughest issues in church history (all based on church-friendly sources).
• My letter to Elder Dallin H. Oaks about baptism corruption in my Guatemala mission.

I will dearly miss corresponding with you all for the next little bit. Please understand — and know that I hope to resurface someday soon. Knowing all of you has been the joy of my life (outside of family stuff).

I love you all….Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!!!!

A dear neighbor of ours here in Logan, UT created these 2 music videos as Christmas cards to her friends and family. I wanted to share these with the rest of you.

If you enjoy, please share with others.

A dear neighbor of ours here in Logan, UT created these 2 music videos as Christmas cards to her friends and family. I wanted to share these with the rest of you.

If you enjoy, please share with others.

This presentation represents (to me) the closest thing I’ve ever found to expressing how I now feel about my Mormon faith.

I hope some of you will find value in it as well.

• Fred Thompson is not energetic enough
• Giuliani is too corrupt (mafia connections), too sexually immoral (for conservatives), and too politically liberal
• John McCain is too old, has had too many cancer scares, has anger issues, and has questionable enough ethics to disqualify. He’s also last election’s news (actually — 2 elections ago)
• Huckleberry is completely unelectable in the generals — for his name, as well as for his past hateful rhetoric, and his entrenchment in “The Christian Right” which will turn off too many moderates and liberals.
• Ron Paul (my favorite) is too honest.
• All the others candidates are no-shows
• Yes Romney has the Mormon and flip-flop issues — but I predict that the fact that he’s the most “Presidential” of them all (and very well-funded) will carry the day for him (unless he makes a MAJOR gaffe, or has some serious skeletons in his closet).

Your thoughts?

Romney is now tied for the lead with Giuliani in national polls, and I will eat my trousers if Huckleberry, McCain or Thompson win the Republican primaries.  I think Huckabee will go down in flames like Howard Dean….within the next 6 weeks, I predict.

I really do think that it is now Mitt’s to lose.

Now the general election…that’s another thing entirely.  I’m still putting my money on Billary.

Q: Does the Mormon Church believe its followers can become “gods and goddesses” after death?

The Church’s Answer: “We believe that the apostle Peter’s biblical reference to partaking of the divine nature and the apostle Paul’s reference to being ‘joint heirs with Christ’ reflect the intent that children of God should strive to emulate their Heavenly Father in every way. Throughout the eternities, Mormons believe, they will reverence and worship God the Father and Jesus Christ. The goal is not to equal them or to achieve parity with them but to imitate and someday acquire their perfect goodness, love and other divine attributes.”

This feels like parsing to me. The answer here (as I’ve been taught my entire life) — is unequivocally YES. What am I missing here?

Here’s a speech by past prophet Spencer W. Kimball to illustrate (from the church’s web site). In part it reads,

“We remember the numerous scriptures which, concentrated in a single line, were said by a former prophet, Lorenzo Snow: “As man is, God once was; and as God is, man may become.” This is a power available to us as we reach perfection and receive the experience and power to create, to organize, to control native elements.”

And here it is in “Chapter 1: The Origin and Destiny of Mankind,” Teachings of Presidents of the Church: John Taylor, 1 (again, from the church’s web site):

“It is for the exaltation of man to this state of superior intelligence and Godhead that the mediation and atonement of Jesus Christ is instituted; and that noble being, man, made in the image of God, is rendered capable not only of being a son of man, but also a son of God, … and is rendered capable of becoming a God, possessing the power, the majesty, the exaltation and the position of a God. As it is written, “Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.” [1 John 3:2.]”

Q: Does the Mormon Church believe that women can only gain access to heaven with a special pass or codewords?

The Church’s Answer: No.

Again, this feels like parsing to me, and an attempt to avoid answering the question as it is intended. Mormons absolutely believe (as indicated here, in the church’s web site ) that for both women and men, special signs and tokens (and code words) are required for entrance into the Celestial Kingdom — the highest degree of heaven. Mormons receive these things in the temple (as the church’s web site also teaches). That is clearly what the questioners (with an imperfect knowledge of Mormon doctrine) were trying to ask. And the answer should be pretty easy:

President Brigham Young (1801–77) said of the endowment: “Let me give you a definition in brief. Your endowment is, to receive all those ordinances in the house of the Lord, which are necessary for you, after you have departed this life, to enable you to walk back to the presence of the Father, passing the angels who stand as sentinels, being enabled to give them the key words, the signs and tokens, pertaining to the holy Priesthood, and gain your eternal exaltation in spite of earth and hell.”3

The way it was answered here seems as if they were fixating on the word “women”, or the general term “heaven”, and thus trying to avoid answering what the questioner clearly meant to ask — by escape through a technicality. Am I totally off base here?

Q: Does the Mormon Church believe in the existence of another physical planet or planets, where Mormons will “rule” after their death and ascension?

The Church’s Answer: No.

Again, it feels as if lawyers responded to this question, and not someone seeking to tell the complete truth, and answer the questions that were intended. Mormons absolutely believe that those Mormons who live worthily enough will eventually become Gods and Godesses to rule their own worlds (as God does now). See the links and quotes at the top.

Q: What specifically does the Mormon Church say about African-Americans and Native Americans?

The Church’s Answer: Mormons believe that all mankind are sons and daughters of God and should be loved and respected as such. The blessings of the gospel are available to all.

Given our dark history and docrtine on this subject, this answer doesn’t seem to show either the candor, or the contrition that one would expect (based on Jesus’ and the church’s teachings about complete honesty, humilty, etc.). On the black issue, this is perhaps an opportunity for the church to come clean and say, “Leaders of our church once taught many racist teachings about blacks — but those were misguided and wrong”. On the Native American front, complete honesty seems to require that we own up to the fact that the Book of Mormon teaches that Native American dark skin comes as a direct result of a curse from God because of their ancestor’s wickedness.

Anyway, I understand why the church speaks the way it does (some of this stuff is difficult or embarrassing) — but the idealist in me wishes that the church could “tell the whole truth” like it often encourages us to do. It feels as if the church is almost embarrassed by some of its doctrine (unlike the scripture, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ.” I certainly struggle to see many of our past prophets answering some of these questions in the way they were answered here.

For those of you raised in the LDS Church — where do I have it right and wrong (based on your experience)? I am totally open to being shown wrong or misguided — these are just my initial reactions and feelings.

It is in VERY rough form, but I’d love any feedback any of you are willing to offer. I’m specifically interested in things like:

• Where do I get the history wrong?
• How do I make it more interesting/effective?
• How can I improve the tone?

Also, this one should work w/ Firefox and Mac.

Thanks in advance

Master of Science, Instructional Technology
Utah State University

You can access the entire interview here, and the question/quote begins around time code 4:37.

Go Sunstone!!!

Unfortunately, as a 5th generation, semi-informed, active Mormon — I have to admit that Mr. O’Donnell gets it pretty much totally right in his enumeration of a few of the “dark” Mormon doctrinal and historical secrets. For example….

• I’ve been taught in the LDS Church for most of my life that dark skin was dealt out by God as a result of sin (to the American Indians, Pacific Islanders, and to the blacks). The church has stopped actively teaching these doctrines relatively recently (past few years) — but these teachings/doctrines have never been denounced/withdrawn, many (most) of the faithful LDS members I know still believe them, and these teachings remain part of our holy scripture to this day
• …..as does polygamy, by the way (a brief history of LDS polygamy based entirely upon church-friendly sources can be found here)
• All the Missouri stuff is accurate.
• The Brigham Young quotes are pretty much spot on — and we do still consider Brigham Young to be our “prophet, seer and revelator” (though in all fairness, recently we have been encouraged to discount teachings from past church prophets/leaders if they seem out of step w/ current church teachings — though I’m not sure how well this memo has penetrated the local church levels).
• We absolutely believe that Jesus and Satan (along w/ all of the rest of us) are siblings
• I could go on, but I won’t.

All this said — I can also say that as of late, both the church and its apologists seem to be dramatically distancing themselves from all of these more controversial teachings. Perhaps sunshine really is the best antiseptic?

I must conclude with 3 final thoughts:

• I comprehensively detest the way Mr. O’Donnell is choosing to air our own dirty laundry in public. In my opinion, this is something that we should be working through ourselves — not being forced to deal with it on the international media stage. Maybe if Sunstone and Dialogue had been embraced by the LDS Church in the 80s (instead of punished) we (as a people) would have already worked through much of this by now? Just a thought.
• Perhaps all this will ultimately lead to some official clarifications for us — LDS Church members — as to what we should, and should not believe as official LDS Church doctrine going forward. If something like this were to happen as a result of Election 2008, I’d personally kiss Mitt Romney (though probably only on the cheek).
• I must conclude by saying that I absolutely believe that God inspires this church, its leadership, and most importantly — its members (though I don’t claim that we — or any religion for that matter — has any particular “corner” on the inspiration market)

Can all of this get any more interesting? My gut says….you bet.

*** Warning: This episode contains some profanity ***

LDS Apostle M. Russell Ballard is openly encouraging faithful LDS Church members to blog and podcast, and is mentioning specific blogs.  I’m truly speechless.

There’s even a press release on the subject, and the full transcript.

Man. Hold on to your hats, folks. This is gonna get interesting.

“On first hearing, the doctrine that Lucifer and our Lord, Jesus Christ, are brothers may seem surprising to some—especially to those unacquainted with latter-day revelations. But both the scriptures and the prophets affirm that Jesus Christ and Lucifer are indeed offspring of our Heavenly Father and, therefore, spirit brothers. Jesus Christ was with the Father from the beginning. Lucifer, too, was an angel “who was in authority in the presence of God,” a “son of the morning.” (See Isa. 14:12; D&C 76:25–27.) Both Jesus and Lucifer were strong leaders with great knowledge and influence. But as the Firstborn of the Father, Jesus was Lucifer’s older brother. (See Col. 1:15; D&C 93:21.)”

FAIR also addresses the teaching of Jesus and Lucifer being brothers.

“In summary, the concept that Jesus and Lucifer were spirit brothers and children of the same Father is not nearly as shocking as it may at first seem when wielded by anti-Mormons as a club against the Church. In addition, such a belief certainly finds support biblically and historically.”

Kudos to both the church and FAIR for their candor. I also must go on the record to say that the attempt to use this doctrine as a scare tactic, to me, is quite lame.

• What? The European Mormon Studies Association Annual Conference. Organized together with the Department of Comparative Religion at Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
• When? 21–22 August 2008
• Who? Keynote Address: Heikki Räisänen, Professor of New Testament Exegesis Emeritus, University of Helsinki
• Call for Papers: “Mormonism and the Christian Tradition”

The relationship of Mormonism and the Christian tradition is hotly contested, especially in religious circles. Whatever the precise nature of that relationship is, it provides rich opportunities for scholarly probing in domains such as sociology, history, theology, anthropology and religious studies. Keynoter and acclaimed theologian Heikki Räisänen, for example, will speak concerning his research on Mormonism’s founder Joseph Smith and the relationship of the Bible and the Book of Mormon, two of the faith’s central texts.

Other potential topics abound. Europe’s religious landscape with its national churches presents Mormonism with a very different situation than does the United States, the movement’s homeland. How has this shaped Mormonism’s European manifestations? How has the relationship of Mormonism and the Christian tradition, with the attendant processes of boundary negotiation, played out in Europe historically? Who are Europe’s Mormons? What are Mormonism’s contributions to the wider range of Christian thought?

Those wishing to present a paper at the conference are requested to send a 200-word abstract to Kim Östman at the below e-mail address. The abstract deadline is 15 April 2008. If accepted, a notification will be given by 15 May 2008. It is expected that final papers will be approximately 3,000–3,500 words, being delivered in a time of 20–25 minutes each. A question and answer period will be available following each paper. It is anticipated that conference proceedings will be published.

Conference attendees will be charged 20 EUR (15 EUR students), with a reduction available to those who register in advance. Please check the website for updates.

FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Kim Östman
Conference Coordinator / 2008, European Mormon Studies Association
Phone: +358 (0)40 829 6192
E-mail: kim.ostman@abo.fi
Web: http://www.euromormonstudies.com

Please feel free to distribute the attached Call for Papers PDF-file.

• An Introduction: When Mormons Come
• Part 1: About the Mormons
• Part 2: Mormons and the Bible
• Part 3: Archeology and the Book of Mormon
• Part 4: Mormonism and the Book of Abraham
• Is Mormonism Christian? Part 1
• Is Mormonism Christian? Part 2
• Christian / Mormon Doctrinal Differences

What do you all think about this? Is this accurate? Totally inaccurate? Mean spirited? Friendly?

All in good fun!!!! Don’t hate me!!! Retaliations welcome!!!!

You can access the individual video lectures here. There are lots of other cool non-religion courses available on this site as well.

Listening to the introduction, I find it very interesting that Dr. Hayes does not allow her children to read the Old Testament (because of the graphic nature of some of the stories). Sometimes I feel the same way about the other scriptures as well.

Part 1: Original Song–”Code Monkey” by Jonathan Coulton (about a geeky programmer in love):

Part 2: Japanese Anime “Mash-Up” put together by a fan

Part 3: Girl Uploads Video of Herself Doing Mime/Dance to Song (I think she does a fun job)

Part 4: Same Girl Comes to Live J. Coulton Concert and performs her video live, on stage

I don’t know why this makes me so happy, but it does. I freaking LOVE the Internet sometimes….

What made Romney’s big speech so Mormon
His tent vision fits his church’s bid to enter the religious mainstream.
By Jan Shipps

from the December 11, 2007 edition

Bloomington, Ind. – When Mitt Romney gave his “Faith in America” address last Thursday, observers wondered how “Mormon” it would be. “Not very,” is the understandable consensus. Mormonism 101 it was not, and he said very little about his personal religious beliefs, sticking to his announced topic.Still, in the way he talked about religious diversity, the nation’s symphony of faiths, the way religious liberty stands at the heart of the American constitutional system, and how religion belongs in the public square, this was a consummate Mormon speech. Moreover, despite its political agenda, it is possible to read what Mr. Romney said as being in harmony with a major effort his church has been making since the 1970s: to be included in the American religious mainstream.

An intriguing element running through Mormon history is its tension with American culture. The faith’s founding prophet, Joseph Smith Jr., emphasized the unique character of Mormon teachings. He produced a new sacred text, the Book of Mormon, and his revelations inaugurated a new dispensation in which the ancient priesthoods and the authentic New Testament Church of Christ were restored to earth. Such claims implied that all other churches were in error.

The first reaction was ridicule and charges that Mormonism is heresy, with hostility and frightful persecution following thereafter. Smith’s revelations led to the added claims that Mormonism was the restoration of Israel in the new world and that the restoration of the ancient order of things had commenced. Among much else, this meant the inauguration of plural marriage (polygamy).

After 50 years, the resulting conflict between Mormonism and the nation’s churches and federal government reached such an impasse that the Mormons were compelled to suspend polygamous practice.

What happened next is a genuine paradox. Instead of reacting negatively to this government pressure, the Mormons began to venerate the nation. A half century later, they were archetypal Americans. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir became “America’s choir,” and during the 1960s, the contrast between straight-arrow, neatly dressed, and well-behaved Saints (Mormons) and hippie culture heightened the perception that Mormons are as American as motherhood and apple pie.

In the 1980s, however, superconservative Evangelicals turned their attention to Mormon theology. Along with some articulate ex-Mormons, they tried to convince the world that Mormonism is a cult whose members are not Christian.

In response, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (LDS) added “Another Testament of Jesus Christ” as a subtitle to the Book of Mormon. And the church changed its logo to place more emphasis on the Jesus Christ part of its name. Additionally, Christendom’s founding stories became standard fare in virtually all materials published by the church.

For well over a half century, common cause in Christ has been the leitmotif in the Mormon song to Protestant and Roman Catholic America. It was heard again in Romney’s speech. “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the Savior of mankind,” he declared. Going further, the candidate moved beyond his own faith tradition to envision a capacious religious tent.

The tent image is familiar in Mormon circles. Local Mormon congregations (known as wards) are gathered into stakes “in Zion’s tent.” Lay clerics serve as the bishops (pastors) of Mormon wards; lay clerics who administer Mormon stakes are called stake presidents.

Romney has served his church both as bishop and stake president. As a husband, father of five sons, and rising star in the corporate world, he became very familiar with the formidable multitasking that such church callings involve. That means he is very familiar with the stakes in the tent of Zion metaphor. Romney did not use this particular expression Thursday. But the notion of Zion’s tent was manifested in his description of a religious tent supported by a Catholic stake; Evangelical and Pentecostal stakes; a Lutheran (hence Protestant mainstream) stake; a Jewish stake; and even a Muslim stake. Naturally, his Zionic pavilion has a place for Mormons, as well as for all the faith communities that are a part of the Abrahamic tradition.

In fashioning this image, Romney positioned the LDS church as a part of the American religious mainstream as well as an important stake in Zion’s tent. This is smart politics, both for Romney and for his church. And it’s a long way from the “one true church” talk of the 1830s.

Since he made it clear that secularists have no place in his big tent, many commentators have questioned the exclusivity of the Republican candidate’s vision. They charge that the candidate left no place for the substantial proportion of the nation’s population without a connection to a religious body of any kind, the group sociologists of religion call the “nones.” Romney, however, was thoroughly inclusive when he said that what really matters in America is whether a person stands for the equality of humankind, the obligation to serve one another, and a steadfast commitment to liberty.

Even before his robust confession of his Mormon faith, Romney made another equally powerful confession of faith. He committed himself to what Abraham Lincoln called “America’s political religion,” pledging to defend the rule of law and the Constitution.

Note clearly that Romney spoke to a dual audience. He spoke directly to the members of the evangelical community in Iowa and elsewhere. At the same time, he had to speak to all the people of the United States about his position with regard to religion and politics.

His assertion that “freedom requires religion just as religion requires freedom” was obviously intended for the ears of the Evangelicals who are pouring into former Baptist minister Mike Huckabee’s political camp. But there was more in this speech than an appeal to Evangelicals. Romney also warned the nation that a clear and present danger to the Constitution exists. Its prohibition of a “religious test” for office is under assault in this year’s political campaign.

This assault comes primarily from people who are excessively attentive to what makes the Mormon faith different from other Christian traditions. Romney’s rebuttal was spot-on: “Each religion has its own unique doctrines and history. These are not bases for criticism,” he said. They “test our tolerance,” as does the presence in the Republican primary campaign of a Mormon who doesn’t flaunt his faith and a Southern Baptist who does.

• Jan Shipps is a professor emeritus of history and religious studies at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, and the author of “Mormonism: The Story of a New Religious Tradition.”

By: Logan Murphy on Tuesday, December 11th, 2007 at 10:32 AM – PST

Via Daily Kos:

Huckabee’s opinion on gay marriage is out there, but we should also be publicizing Huckabee’s opinions on heterosexual marriage. Specifically, what he believes about a women’s role in a marriage.

In August of 1998, Huckabee was one of 131 signatories to a full page USA Today Ad which declared: “I affirm the statement on the family issued by the 1998 Southern Baptist Convention.” What was in the family statement from the SBC? “A wife is to submit herself graciously to the servant leadership of her husband even as the church willingly submits to the headship of Christ.” Read on…

The Huckster is trying his best to hide his full gospel, but somehow I doubt this factoid will attract more women to his campaign. If you needed further proof that this religious extremist will set our country back even further than President Bush has, look no further. Of course, what do we expect from a man who lobbied to have a convicted serial rapist paroled for political gain.

UPDATE: (Nicole) BeliefNet has rated Huckabee a perfect 10 on the theocrat scale, but that’s still not enough to win over Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins.

I can’t help but add that this approach (for Romney) seems a bit ironic and risky — given the fact that it’s pretty well known that he has (apparently) hired illegal immigrants to take care of his lawn. Seems like Huckabee could create counter-ads that really hit Romney hard on immigration (for hypocrisy) — but does Huckabee have the $$$?

From the Drudge report

DEMS HOLD FIRE ON HUCKABEE; SEE 'EASY KILL' IN GENERAL ELECTION
Tue Dec 11 2007 10:27:53 ET

In the last three weeks since Huckabee's surge kicked in, the DNC hasn't released a single press release criticizing his rising candidacy. The last DNC press release critical of Huckabee appeared back on March 2nd.

[DNC Press Release Attack Summary:
Governor Mitt Romney (R-MA) – 37% (99 press releases)
Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R-NY) – 28% (74)
Senator John McCain (R-AZ) – 24% (64)
Senator Fred Thompson (R-TN) – 8% (20)
Governor Mike Huckabee – 2% (4)]

In fact, as the story broke over the weekend that Huckabee said he wanted to isolate AIDS patients back in 1992, the DNC ignored the opportunity to slam the candidate from the left. "He'll easily be their McGovern, an easy kill," mocked one senior Democrat operative Tuesday morning from Washington. "His letting out murderers because they shout 'Jesus', his wanting to put 300,000 AIDS patients and Magic Johnson into isolation, ain't even scratching the surface of what we've got on him."

Developing...

You really should check it out….if you feel so inclined.

(A big thanks to BCC sideblog for the lead)

This is a somewhat fun comparison between The Golden Compass and the Holy Bible,

Perhaps the idea is…THIS IS FICTION!!! Enjoy it!!! (The Golden Compass, I mean)

FWIW, my wife was 2/3 of the way through the book without even considering any parallels to religion — until she was told about them by me/the SL Trib (and she’s not a dummy…I assure you).

In my mind, this makes the protests against the movie potentially quite counter-productive for religious folk.

• Full audio of Mitt Romney’s “Faith in America” speech
• Part 1 of our analysis
• Part 2 of our analysis

The best way to listen to these podcasts is by subscribing via iTunes.

All music from my podcasts are provided by  Clayton Pixton and Skye Pixton.

For me, it might serve to help us see more clearly where religion goes right, and where it goes wrong. (Thanks to Jason for the head’s up)

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Can’t you be witty without being just plain rude?

If you are so inclined, let Hitchens know how you felt about his article.

• Mormonism 101: What does it mean to be Mormon
• The First Mormon Presidential Candidate
• Thompson Camp: Mormonism a Tough Sell
  
• Romney Gambles on Religion
• Will ‘Pulling a JFK’ Be Enough for Romney?
• Romney Says Giuliani Would be Wrong for GOP
• Read Excerpts of Gov. Romney’s Remarks
• Romney: I’m Not Giving a JFK Speech
• Romney Delivers Major Speech on Faith
• The Speech
• Vote God 2008
• Polls: Romney, Clinton Lead in New Hampshire

Anyway, while goofing around, I stumbled on to this article. It’s a great read — Eugene England’s reflections on President David O. McKay entitled: The Place of David O. McKay in Mormon Culture.
Check it out if you have a moment, and please let us know if you like the direction of our new search. We don’t have all the content up yet — but it should be there by 12/31/07.