Dave's Mormon Inquiry

Best of 2004

With the close of 2004, I am in the mood to make lists, including my list of favorite Mormon works during the past year. Feel free to nominate your own favorites or perhaps the worst books in your view.

Without further ado, here are my favorites for 2004:

Best book: Kathleen Flake, The Politics of American Religious Identity: The Seating of Senator Reed Smoot, Mormon Apostle

Other favorites:

Newell Bringhurst and Darron Smith, eds., Black and Mormon

Newell Bringhurst and Lavina Fielding Anderson, eds., Excavating Mormon Pasts: The New Historiography of the Last Half Century

Sunstone Symposia MP3s (Cross post)

In early December, I posted the following on my personal blog:

Sunstone Symposia MP3s

The Sunstone website has recently made available MP3s from recent Sunstone symposia in Salt Lake and elsewhere. One can download MP3s from the following symposia:

2004 SLC
2003 Dallas
2003 Northwest
2003 SLC
2003 West
2002 SLC
2001 SLC
1987 SLC (I have no idea why 1987 files are available, as opposed to any other year before 2001)

MP3s from the 1987 and 2001 symposia are available for download at no cost, while files from more recent symposia can be downloaded for $2-4 each.

One can look for MP3s by Symposium, Speaker, or Subject Category.

Update: I would add that Sunstone has added MP3s from 12 other symposia between 2001 and 1987. One can listen--for free--to 100 sessions from the 2001 Salt Lake Symposium alone. All the MP3s from symposia before 2002 continue to be free, but I have it on good authority that this may change in the near future.

The files are available here.
Happy downloading!

Mormon Experience, Part 1

I just made Arrington and Bitton's The Mormon Experience (U of Illinois, 2d ed., 1992) my Book of the Month, which is now nestled in my sidebar just above the Now Reading list. ME is generally regarded as the premier one-volume LDS history, and it deserves a serious cover-to-cover reading rather than the spotty treatment I gave it several years ago during a bike trip in Southern Utah. Furthermore, reviewing ME is a great review in preparation for the new year's Sunday School curriculum, which covers Church History. This post will look at ME's coverage of Joseph's translating and "the Urim and Thummim."

A Conversation with Gordon B. Hinckley

Last night CNN aired a previously taped interview of President Gordon B. Hinckley conducted by Larry King. King hit the usual topics--women in the church, the church's wealth, the church's fancy buildings, blacks, revelation, church growth, etc.

Here is a transcript of the interview.

Here are some news stories from the Utah press:

Pres. Hinckley optimistic

Hinckley appears on 'Larry King Live'

Comments on and critiques of all parts of the interview are welcome, including thoughts on style and substance.

Part II of Is This Discussion Over?

A recent post of mine, entitled "Is This Discussion Over? Talking about the LDS Church's History on Race," asked the question whether LDS leaders and members need to engage in discussion regarding the history of the priesthood policy, including teachings by leaders, justifications for the policy over the years, and its effect on the modern church. Assuming a need for such a discussion, I asked how LDS leaders should open it up, whether by General Conference address, Ensign article, or a prescribed Priesthood/Relief Society lesson.

BYU adjunct professor of sociology Darron Smith, who was the focus of a recent Salt Lake Weekly article on this subject, has been at the forefront of this issue, raising questions and otherwise attempting to inspire discussion in the church. Part of his efforts can be seen in the recently published anthology of essays, Black and Mormon, which Smith edited along with Newell Bringhurst.

Joseph Smith's 199th birthday

Happy Festivus to all. This holiday dates back to 1966, but it's growing in popularity. (See here for some resources for celebrating the holiday.) The New York Times featured an article the other day on the holiday, which, among other things, reported the informed views of a Colgate University astronomist and anthropologist regarding the holiday's future:

Infused as Festivus is with so much potential meaning, it is not far-fetched to imagine it as a permanent part of the American holiday firmament, said Anthony F. Aveni, a professor of astronomy and anthropology at Colgate and the author of "The Book of the Year: A Brief History of Our Seasonal Holidays" (Oxford University Press, 2002). After all, Halloween used to be an obscure festival observed by few, Kwanzaa was invented by an academic in California in the 1960's, and Hanukkah has been reinvented in modern times to include gift-giving. "Even Christmas comes out of a pagan holiday that happened around the solstice," Professor Aveni said.

So there may be a future for Festivus. Today, of course, is also the 199th anniversary of Joseph Smith's birthday (see here for an article on the commemoration of the 200th anniversary next year). It's hard to say how widely this day is celebrated, but due to the spread of members across the globe, it has the potential to be big.

A Christmas Gift From Uncle Sam

Protest Zones Upheld reads the Deseret News headline. "Buffer zones created by Salt Lake leaders to keep the peace during The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' semiannual conferences are constitutional, a federal judge has ruled." This gift from Uncle Sam affirms the arrangement which seemed to be a workable compromise keeping Christian street preachers from getting out of hand. The real gift, of course, is not to Mormons attending conference but to Utah Christians who won't have their collective reputation further sullied by the pious mudslingers.

Lost Tribe Introduction

Light reading for this week's online essay of the week: The Introduction to Simon Southerton's Losing a Lost Tribe, recently posted at the publisher's website. My earlier post on this book got 83 comments, so I'm guessing a lot of you are interested! Here's his paragraph summarizing present LDS views of the origins of Native Americans/Nephites/Lamanites:

The absence of physical evidence supporting the Book of Mormon has had little impact on the millions of Mormons who consider the book to be a true record of the ancestors of Native Americans and Polynesians. Many LDS scholars have been eager to leap to the defense of the book and to criticize mainstream scientific views. The church employs academics at its own university who defend the Book of Mormon on a professional basis. Mormons are liberally provided with uplifting accounts of evidence that seems to support the book. Frequently this proof—and criticism of Gentile (non-Mormon) science—is delivered to church members by General Authorities speaking during world conferences. Consequently, Mormons remain deeply suspicious of Gentile theories, particularly any that conflict with widely accepted beliefs of the church.

New FARMS Review

The latest issue of the FARMS Review is now available on the FARMS website.

I haven't had a chance to read more than brief passages from the volume, but here is the table of contents:

All About Excommunication

The noble heritage of shunning, courtesy of two FARMS scholars moonlighting at Meridian.

To Sleep, Perchance to Dream

And maybe get a revelation or two as well, according to the Deseret News. This seems like an odd story to appear in the newspaper, one of those "only in Utah" stories. It quotes scripture and shows a picture of God whispering to a sleeping man. It opines: "Of course, not all dreams are revelations, but how can one tell the difference? One common theme is that dreams from God are religious in nature. And consistent." Well, not if the dreams recorded in the Bible are from God -- fat and lean cows or food on a sheet or beasts with ten horns are not "religious in nature," only in interpretation. The story goes on to note that "Wilford Woodruff, fourth president of the LDS Church, said he had some dreams that were revelations. For example, he once dreamed that one of his children had died. He later received a letter telling him the same thing." Yes, an odd story to find in the newspaper.

A New and Improved Book of Mormon?

Last year, Grant Hardy edited a Reader's Edition of the Book of Mormon (U of Illinois Press, 2003). I didn't really pay much attention and have never seen a copy. However, I just ran across a FARMS review of the Reader's Edition volume which makes it sound quite interesting. The reviewer doesn't quite call it a new and improved version, only that it makes the book more readable and easier to follow with better footnotes and references. Has anyone else purchased or thumbed through the Reader's Edition?

The "Old Folks" Catch the Christmas Spirit

In honor of the holiday season, I post an account of Christmas festivities long ago. This "racy" account was published in the Deseret News on January 17, 1883.

THE OLD FOLKS
_____

THE VETERANS OF BRIGHAM CITY

HAVE A GOOD TIME.
_____

E.H.P. of Brigham City, furnishes the following racy account of an interesting occasion at that place:

While fathers and mothers are at their wits end during the holidays, fixing up for the children, and while Christmas trees are being decorated to please the eye and gladden the heart of the young, who is there to look after the welfare of the old? If first childhood claims our undivided attention[,] will second childhood be neglected or entirely forgotten?

Holiday Blues

For no apparent reason, I watched A Charlie Brown Christmas last night -- the kid has issues. But it reminds me that holidays can be a downer for some as well as a thrill. To cleanse a bit, I logged in and slashed 9, count 'em 9 dying blogs from the More Mormon Weblogs blogroll, then added Dallas Robbins, Orson's Telescope, and Planet LDS (a handy Bloggernacle aggregator, check this one out!). Happy holidays to the survivors. In doing my inventory, I ran across a few touching "holiday blues" posts around the B'nacle. Someone go cheer these folks up!

Like a Rolling Stone

The AP is carrying an article today by Richard Ostling, co-author of Mormon America, on the upcoming bicentennial of Joseph Smith's birth. It provides a brief summary of Joseph's life, but its main focus is on modern perceptions of Joseph Smith as a man and a religious leader.

We have already seen the publication of a skeptical biography of Joseph Smith by Dan Vogel, and next October, Ostling says, we will see the "landmark" of the bicentennial celebration, the appearance of Richard Bushman's biography "Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling."

This is the first time I've seen a title attached to the book, and I do not like it. Still, it serves to illustrates the point that one can perceive a historical figure in many ways.

On Bible Translation

I stumbled across an excellent blog post series on Bible translation at Challies.com. In Part 1, the author talks about three styles of rendering the translated English text (paraphrase or free translation, dynamic equivalence or thought-for-thought, and formal equivalence or word-for-word) and such general questions as the difference between thematic interpretation (bad) and linguistic interpretation (necessary). In Part 2, he discusses the different text lines which came together in the Textus Receptus pioneered by Erasmus, later displaced by the Westcott and Hort text toward the end of the 19th century. The more I read about translation, the less I like the KJV. What thinkest thou?

Is This Discussion Over? Talking about the LDS Church's History on Race

The latest issue of Salt Lake City's alternative publication Salt Lake City Weekly carries a thought-provoking article on the LDS Church's history regarding race. The article's subtitle--" For black Saints, forgetting the LDS Church's racist heritage is easier said than done"--indicates the subject of the piece.

BYU adjunct professor of sociology Darron Smith, the co-editor of a recently published collection of essays entitled Black and Mormon, is the focus of the article. Apparently his efforts to promote Black and Mormon have been met with some sharply negative reaction from others, including some threatening emails and a phone call from a woman spewing racial epithets. His own reaction to historical teachings on race within the church is simple: "Smith argues that the dubious justifications for the ban will continue to foment in the hearts of well-meaning white Saints, not to mention continue to torment faithful and potential black Saints, until the church disavows the racist teachings once and for all. Otherwise, he says, 'We’re still going to be talking about this 10, 15, 20 years from now.'”

Welcome Justin

I'm pleased to announce DMI's first guest blogger, Justin Butterfield of Mormon Wasp. Justin has been blogging there since May 2004, and has a reputation for posting terribly interesting historical episodes from LDS and Utah history, as well as commentary on more current events. Whether he posts new historical write-ups, just summarizes with a link to a post at Mormon Wasp, or tries something completely different here, I know he'll have interesting things to say. Welcome aboard, Justin!

English Bibles

I found an interesting summary of English Bible History. I'm somewhat familiar with the general story but I discovered some new details. For example:

• The King James Bible in general use today, dated as 1611, is actually based on the 1769 Baskerville revisions of wording and spelling, despite the inclusion of the 1611 Preface at the front.
• On the other hand, the KJV itself is textually 95% the same as the Geneva Bible of 1560, which itself retained over 90% of William Tyndale's original English translations dating to 1525.
• The first Bible printed in America (in 1633) was done in Algonquin, not English.
• Up until the 1880s, all Protestant Bibles included the Apocrypha. The Bibles Joseph Smith used, both as a youth and later as the head of the Church, thus had the Apocrypha in them, which is rather interesting. Here's a link to the Encyclopedia of Mormonism article on the Apocrypha and, of course, D&C 91. The following verse from the Apocrypha might ring a bell, for example: "And Neemias called this thing Naphthar, which is as much as to say, a cleansing: but many men call it Nephi" (2 Maccabees 1:36).
• The New American Standard Bible (NASB) is the best word-for-word or formal equivalent translation in English, while the popular New International Version (NIV) Bible is a dynamic equivalent translation, easier to read but less favored by serious students of the Bible.

A Word From Grant Palmer

My online essay of the week is the Preface to An Insider's View of Mormon Origins, posted at the publisher's website. It's only a few pages in print, and it seems fair to give Palmer a chance to speak for himself. This seems particularly useful for those of you who haven't read Insider's View and wonder what all the fuss is about. He begins: For thirty-four years I was primarily an Institute director for the Church Educational System (CES) of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He continues, explaining:

• Why he wrote the book: "[T]o introduce church members who have not followed the developments in church history during the last thirty years to issues that are central to the topic of Mormon origins."
• Who he sees as its audience: "This book is not intended for children or investigators."
• How he will approach Mormon history: "A more candid discussion of the foundations of the church beginning with the Book of Mormon."

Of course, candor is no guarantee of accuracy and relevance, but it's worth something.

Palmer Endgame: A Draw?

This seems to be what everyone wants to talk about, so I'll open a new thread for post-trial commentary and speculation on the disfellowshipping of Grant Palmer. I'll put media links below (updated as new stories appear) plus my general comments in paragraphs to follow.

• AP Story - 12/12 Palmer declined comment "except to report that he had been disfellowshipped and was pleased with the decision." The LDS spokesman declined to comment.
• Shorter AP Story - 12/12 "Palmer said he still loves the church, and he's pleased he wasn't excommunicated."
• SL Trib - 12/13 by Peggy Fletcher Stack
• Yahoo carries AP story
• Deseret News - 12/13

What's On the Net

BYU NewsNet, that is. Three nice stories. First, Oliver Sacks, the renowned neurologist, spoke to a large BYU audience last week about his research on Alzheimer's disease. Here's a quote: "Sacks said Ralph Waldo Emerson was one who recognized his dementia and was not ashamed to go about teaching. He said if one is to become demented, he or she should use Emerson as an example." Never knew that about Emerson.

Insider's View of Grant Palmer

It's a dim view. Well, the SLC media finally picked up the story -- it only took them five days! I'll just post links, with additional links added later as new stories appear.

• Deseret News - 12/8
• SL Trib - 12/8
• KUTV News - 12/8 video of TV news report
• LA Times - 12/9
• SL Trib letters, 12/8: Anti, Pro
• SL Trib - 12/8 on LDS disciplinary system
• KRCL radio - 12/8 link to download mp3 file of radio interview
• Meridian Magazine - 12/9 Meridian tries some damage control
• AP story - 12/9 with some new comments by FARMS scholar Peterson
• FAIR Review Summarizes five FARMS reviews
• My own review of Palmer's book balancing the Meridian and FAIR links
• Seattle P-I - 12/11 AP story carried nationally

How Methodists Do It

An Albert Mohler post narrates a recent Methodist church court proceeding against an ordained minister before a 13-member jury of fellow clergy: "All eyes were on Pennsylvania last week as United Methodists held a church trial that would consider, not only the case of one minister, but the larger issue of the denomination's integrity and resolve." Tough love.

Heresy Trials

Excommunication is the topic of the post of the week over at Bcc as the Bloggernacle mulls the fate of Grant Palmer. Heresy trials differ in kind from church courts considering standard transgressions of the eat, drink, or be merry type. In fact, the accounts I have read (authored by LDS writers or scholars who have been brought before an LDS ecclesiastical tribunal for some form of heresy) suggest that the LDS official who ends up running a heresy inquiry is generally rather unclear about just what it is he is trying to learn, decide, or accomplish. For comparison, here is a short account describing another genre of confused ecclesiastical proceeding conducted years ago by magistrates or clergymen. Note and discuss similarities or differences.