So as part of this larger series (1, 2, 3, 4) I started a while back on this blog about what I see as scholarly principles, I was thinking of eventually getting to the question of the Book of Mormon’s historicity.
Often when dealing with religious history, there is a (debated) school of thought that scholars should bracket out supernatural truth claims. But as often noted, the Book of Mormon isn’t wholly transcendent: Smith claimed it came from a a physical object that a handful of people claimed to have seen and touched, and Smith said it was the source of a translation claiming to be about ancient history in the Americas.
Both such claims (plates and historical record) are intrusions from the purely transcendent in the physical world, and both of these intrusions do allow for historical examination.
Beginning in 1835, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began spreading information about their doctrine and practices through pamphlets. Through this medium, members proselytized, shaped public opinion, proved doctrine, made the case for the Church in society, and shaped Latter-day Saint thought—in short, pamphlets gave Latter-day Saints a voice.
Congrats to all this year’s winners! If you’re going to buy, support university presses and independent bookstores! Personally, I’m a big fan of Benchmark Books.
Registrations close May 1stdue to requirements from the venue as the venues are government buildings and we have to submit a list of participants to them and this will also remove any entrance fees at those locations.
The tours will meet at 5:30 am and return around 9 pm on May 26th. The meeting location is TBD. Those who signed up for the tour on the registration form will get meeting details emailed directly to them in the next week or so.
Assistant Director, Center for Family History and Genealogy (CFHG)
The Center for Family History and Genealogy (CFHG) provides both free quality online research and resources for public use as well as extraordinary mentored-learning experiences for students learning the science and methods of family history research. We are now seeking an enthusiastic and dedicated Assistant Director to collaborate with the Center director and play a vital role in student mentoring, center projects, and community outreach. Your commitment to the Center’s mission and your ability to foster excellence will contribute greatly to the experience of our students and make a difference in the important area of family history.
We welcome this guest post from Jenny Champoux, Director of the Book of Mormon Art Catalog. You can see much of the work discussed here athttps://meganknoblochgeilman.com/about.
A recent insightful article highlighted Megan Knobloch Geilman’s artwork as epitomizing a movement the author labeled “Weird Mormon Art.”[1] Geilman, while fully embracing the strangeness of her art, prefers the term “theological realism.” Her phrase nicely evokes the literary and art style of magical realism, which places fantastical objects or events in a real-world setting. Yet, an important distinction must be made because although Geilman’s work relies on meticulously arranged quotidian objects to create theologically rich scenes, there is nothing fantastic about it. While much of “Weird Mormon Art” is characterized by a kind of tongue-in-cheek playfulness, Geilman’s art is gravely serious. Her work is not peculiar simply for the sake of quirkiness or for anti-status-quo positioning, but instead strives for something more.
Geilman tackles the most fundamental human questions head-on. Her art is informed, questioning, and thoughtful—and always deeply devotional. In this vein, her Symbola Salvatoris series considers the relationship between human beings and God. Each of the eight pieces not only includes a symbol of the Savior but also asks viewers to consider how they can come to know God through their own experiences and devotional practice.
The Latter-day Saint tradition maintains a finite conception of God that challenges key tenets of classical Christian theism. God is understood to have a literal body of flesh and bone (D&C 130:22) and to relate to human beings in exceptionally passable and interactive ways (Jacob 5:7 & Moses 7:29). God is said to have created human beings in the divine likeness such that it is possible for humanity to become divine (Moses 1:39). God’s design for humanity is to create the conditions for spiritual growth and to labor with them toward the glorification of both (Jacob 5:72). This conference will explore divine finitude in the Latter-day Saint tradition and seeks to examine and build on the theological writings of thinkers such as B. H. Roberts, David Paulsen, Truman Madsen, Eugene England, Lowell Bennion, Sterling McMurrin, Margaret Toscano, and Fiona & Terryl Givens, among others.
Mark Staker on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Jenny was always generous in sharing her knowledge. She was not only an exceptional educator (who also taught her colleagues along the way), but she…”
Kathy Cardon on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “I worked in the Church's Historical department when Jenny was in the Museum. I always enjoyed our interactions. Reading this article has been a real…”
Don Tate on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Very well done and richly deserved! I am most proud of Jenny and how far she has come with her life, her scholarship, and her…”
Recent Comments
Mark Staker on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Jenny was always generous in sharing her knowledge. She was not only an exceptional educator (who also taught her colleagues along the way), but she…”
Gary Bergera on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Jenny's great. Thanks for posting this.”
Kathy Cardon on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “I worked in the Church's Historical department when Jenny was in the Museum. I always enjoyed our interactions. Reading this article has been a real…”
Don Tate on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “Very well done and richly deserved! I am most proud of Jenny and how far she has come with her life, her scholarship, and her…”
Ben P on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “My favorite former boss and respected current historian!”
Hannah J on Legacies in Mormon Studies: “I really enjoyed this! Going to be thinking about playing the long game for a while. Thanks Amy and Jenny.”