By March 3, 2008
In 1831, just a year after the organization of Joseph Smith’s Church of Christ, an anonymous author wrote an article in the Painesville Telegraph regarding the new religion. He argued that whether Mormonism was the true restoration of the ancient Apostolic Church or not, the Mormons had no “proof” of their “honesty.”
By February 26, 2008
Writing in 1957, Catholic sociologist Thomas F. O’Dea devoted a chapter of his important work, The Mormons, to what he saw as “sources of strain and conflict” in the Latter-day Saint church. The most significant of those sources of strain, according to O’Dea, was the unsettled issue of the relationship between the institutional church and the growing number of “liberal intellectual” Mormons who had encountered “modern secular thought.” While admitting that “the situation of the intellectual is likely to be somewhat ambiguous in any society,” [1] O’Dea felt that especially in the paradoxical Mormon church, which emphasized ecclesiastical authority and revelation but also encouraged education and intellectual pursuit among the rank-and-file, the intellectuals’ dilemma was especially enigmatic. After briefly tracing the history of the strain, conflict, and compromise in the early 20th century between the conservative church and the liberal intellectuals, O’Dea ended by suggesting that the matter was far from settled.
By February 25, 2008
The Juvenile Instructor is pleased to introduce its newest guest blogger, Jordan Watkins. Jordan has long been friends with many of the bloggers here at JI, and is an aspiring young scholar interested in Mormon and American Religious History. He describes himself thus:
My name is Jordan Watkins and I’m pretty awesome…and objective:) I was born and raised in Alpine, Utah in the heart of “Happy Valley” where above 95% of the population is LDS. I served an LDS mission in Leon, Mexico. I received my BA in history at BYU. I am in my second semester at Claremont Graduate University in the MA history program, emphasizing in 19th Century US Religious History as best I can (small history faculty, none specializing in US Religious History). I have no wife, no kids, and no pets. I realize this should translate into a large number of brilliant publications and conference presentations, but alas, I think I like watching movies and sleeping too much.
We should add that he has, indeed, presented a few fascinating papers at academic conferences and his work has been published, including a recent article he co-authored in BYU Studies. Please join us in welcoming Jordan to the Juvenile Instructor.
By February 19, 2008
According to the Belief-O-Matic Quiz at beliefnet.com, my beliefs regarding God, the afterlife, human nature, etc. match up 92% with Mormonism. According to the site, they match up better (100%) with “Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants.” I imagine this is due to the fact that “Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants” include a wide range of religious groups and beliefs. More interesting to me was the fact that my views lined up well with the Quakers (both orthodox and liberal varieties), as well as the Ba’hai faith, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and (gulp) Neo-Paganism.
By February 14, 2008
The Juvenile Instructor would like to thank BHodges for his contributions as a guest blogger the last week and a half. His insights into the Journal of Discourses produced some great discussion, and we encourage everyone interested to keep up with his exploration of the JD over at his blog, Life on Gold Plates. Please leave a comment helping us thank him for his contributions. Thanks again, BHodges.
By February 11, 2008
I recently came across an internet quiz entitled “Which Theologian are You?” You answer thirty theological questions, answering each on a six-division scale progressing from “disagree” to “agree”, and then submit your answers. In response, the quiz matches up your theology (by percentage) with that of ten influential Christians from throughout history, ranking them from one to ten, and tells you a bit about the theologian you match most closely with.
I match up 67% with Charles Finney, the noted Presbyterian revivalist and Joseph Smith’s contemporary in upstate New York, but Anselm is close behind at 60%. Jonathan Edwards, the 18th-century Puritan preacher and theologian, came in last with only a 13% match. I am curious to see what others’ matches are. If you take the quiz, please leave a comment telling who your first and last matches were. I’m interested in how Latter-day Saints situate their theology in relation to other Christian denominations’ theologians, and what that reveals about the notion of a “Mormon Theology” or lack thereof.
By February 6, 2008
The Juvenile Instructor is pleased to welcome BHodges as its latest guest blogger. BHodges maintains his own blog, Life on Gold Plates, which primarily focuses on insights from the Journal of Discourses. He offers the following short bio.
I’m a 26 year old journalism student/computer technician with an addiction to books that would make me an unfit parent, if I had any children. I served in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin mission from 2001-2003 and currently serve as the primary chorister in the Porter Lane 3rd Ward. I have a wonderful wife named Kristen, and an obedient dog named Chicken Delicious. My appetite for reading any and all things LDS has turned me into something of an autodidact. Recently my attention has turned to the Journal of Discourses, and in reading the volumes I concluded a blog of the more interesting or profitable parts would be a good project.
We look forward to the insights BHodges will contribute to the JI in the coming week.
By January 27, 2008
The following is an excerpt from Jeffrey R. Holland’s October 2006 General Conference address, “Prophets in the Land Again.” I was present in the Conference Center that afternoon and count the feeling felt in that room during Elder Holland’s comments, President Hinckley’s short remarks following, and the singing of “We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet” immediately after his words among the most spiritual experiences of my life. I wept that afternoon, and I we
By January 23, 2008
In 1834-35, Oliver Cowdery wrote eight letters to W.W. Phelps describing the events of the restoration. These letters were published in the Latter Day Saints Messenger and Advocate and constitute the first published history of the Mormon Church. These letters were reprinted throughout the nineteenth century by various Latter Day Saint groups. In 1854, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Strangite) published them in pamphlet form, complete with a preface by James J. Strang. Strang also authored an appendix, elaborating on his views of the Book of Mormon. A selection from that appendix is posted below.
By January 17, 2008
In a post a few weeks ago, I suggested that Joseph Smith’s First Vision might be better understood in the context of evangelical (especially Methodist) conversion narratives of early 19th century America. As a follow-up to that post, I want to now turn the attention to the aftermath of the vision. That Joseph expressed great surprise that the Methodist minister he related the vision to reacted with “great contempt, saying it was all of the Devil” [1] is commonly recited today, and generally explained by alluding to Smith’s youthful naivety and the arrogance of the learned Methodist minister dismissing all such notions. Joseph’s surprise, however, was more likely a result of his vision being dismissed as “of the Devil” while hundreds of other evangelicals of the day recounted visions and dreams accompanying their conversion experiences without any “great contempt” from ministers and co-religionists.
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Recent Comments
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “The burden of proof is on the claim of there BEING Nephites. From a scholarly point of view, the burden of proof is on the…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “But that's not what I was saying about the nature of evidence of an unknown civilization. I am talking about linguistics, not ruins. …”
Steve Fleming on Study and Faith, 5:: “Large civilizations leave behind evidence of their existence. For instance, I just read that scholars estimate the kingdom of Judah to have been around 110,000…”
Eric on Study and Faith, 5:: “I have always understood the key to issues with Nephite archeology to be language. Besides the fact that there is vastly more to Mesoamerican…”
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