Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations

I forgot to mention that Mark Staker's Hearken, O Ye People: The Historical Setting of Joseph Smith's Ohio Revelations is now available for order from Amazon.com.

I haven't had time to read it yet because of school, but it is first on my list of books to read as soon as my final papers are finished in a couple weeks. The book is getting great initial reviews so far. For more about it, check out Mark's blog about the book here.

Where is the ‘Mormon’ in Mormon Studies? Subject, Method, Object

This is my paper from today's conference at Claremont Graduate University


You can find a pdf of it here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Where is the ‘Mormon’ in Mormon Studies?

Subject, Method, Object

Loyd Ericson

April 24, 2010

Claremont Graduate University

Where and what exactly is the ‘Mormon’ in ‘Mormon Studies’? When we say that we are doing Mormon studies, what do we mean? Is this ‘Mormon’ descriptive or even prescriptive of the subject—those who are doing Mormon Studies? Is there a type of methodology that is particular to Mormon Studies? Or is this descriptive of the object of that which is being studied? By looking at these various ways of describing Mormon Studies I hope to bring forth broader questions and ideas that will be discussed throughout today’s conference as we collectively ask, “What is Mormon Studies?”

However, before asking where the ‘Mormon’ in Mormon Studies is, we should perhaps briefly ask what is the ‘Mormon’ in Mormon Studies? While there has been some debate in the public sphere concerning who has ownership of the term ‘Mormon,’ its use in Mormon Studies seems to nevertheless go well beyond the Salt Lake-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Because ‘Mormon’ or ‘Mormonite’ as a pejorative began in the very early stages of Joseph Smith’s prophetic career, the term ‘Mormon’ could arguably be used to refer to any denomination resulting from Smith’s initial religious movement—regardless of whether or not they use the term self-referentially. In other words, because of shared aspects of history, theology, and geography, ‘Mormon’ could be used in a much broader sense to include not only the LDS Church, but also the FLDS Church and the Community of Christ, as well as other fundamentalist and restorationist off-shoots. For the purposes of this paper, I am using the term ‘Mormon’ in this broader context.

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Grand Theft Auto: Wasatch Front

The following took place early this morning in Utah today (as reported by the Deseret News).

     A wild kidnapping and aggravated assault case stretching through two counties ended early Wednesday when a suspected kidnapper was run over by a vehicle he allegedly was trying to carjack. 

     The violent series of events began after midnight. A 23-year-old woman said she was leaving work at Smith's in downtown Salt Lake City when a man, Paul Jarmillo, forced his way into her car and threatened her with a knife. Jarmillo told the woman to drive to Ogden. As they approached Centerville, the woman told her alleged abductor that she was going to run out of gas, Child said. The vehicle pulled off the freeway to a gas station. Jarmillo went inside the Top Stop convenience store. As he did that, the woman ran off and hid.

     Jarmillo attempted to rob the Top Stop, claiming he had a gun. He attempted to climb over the counter, but the clerk pushed him back. Jarmillo reacted by striking an unsuspecting customer who had just walked in twice in the head, knocking him to the floor and demanding his keys. Instead, the customer got up and pushed Jarmillo outside the store, according to Child.

     Jarmillo ran to a Wendy's restaurant next door and forced his way inside, setting off an alarm. Two employees locked themselves in a back room while two more called police. Jarmillo chased two employees into the parking lot. He then noticed the victim he had just assaulted inside the store was driving away in an SUV. Jarmillo ran up to the SUV and began pounding on the hood, demanding the man surrender his vehicle. Sometime during this encounter, while the victim was attempting to drive away, the suspect fell down and was run over by the SUV.

     When officers arrived, they found Jarmillo lying under a Chevy Tahoe, unconscious and unresponsive.

The article didn't mention Jarmillo picking up a prostitute to restore his health, and then beating her to death to get his money back. But I'm sure that will be reported on later.

Hanging Out With the Salt Lake Tribune

I was interviewed for the Salt Lake Tribune's article on the Matt Stone and Trey Parker Mormon Musical. You can read the article here.

Unfortunately, you can't tell from the article that I am totally against the musical and am calling for a Mormon boycott of all of Broadway.

You can join the movement on Facebook here.

Mormons Against Broadway -- South Park Duo Developing a Broadway Musical About Mormonism

It was bad enough that Broadway tried to make evil look good in Wicked. Now the news is out that Matt Stone and Trey Parker of South Park are developing a Broadway musical about Mormonism and the Book of Mormon.

Read here: http://tinyurl.com/y6s2yva

As a Mormon, I am quick to find any depiction of Mormonism that is not by us to be an obvious attack by the liberal anti-Mormon media. This is clearly another example of my faith being persecuted.

Just as when we called for a boycott of HBO before Big Love was even written, or when we called for their heads of HBO execs for episodes before they even aired, I believe that we should boycott Broadway to show them that will not put up with the obvious anti-Mormon trash that we haven't yet seen.

We didn't stand up against their anti-family, anti-agency, anti-conservative agenda. We must must must stand up against this blantant anti-Mormonism.

This is clearly a continuation of the War in Heaven.

(Join the Facebook Group)

What is Mormon Studies? Transdisciplinary Inquiries into an Emerging Field

What is Mormon Studies?

Transdisciplinary Inquiries into an Emerging Field

Claremont Mormon Studies Student Association

Spring 2010 Conference

…

Friday, April 23

Plenary Lecture

Jan Shipps, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis

…

Saturday, April 24

9:00 am Morning Session

Critical Approaches to Mormon Studies

Loyd Ericson

“Where is the Mormon in Mormon Studies? Subject, Method, Object”

Cheryl L. Bruno

“Mormon History from the Kitchen Window: White is the Field in Essentialist Feminism”

Blair Van Dyke

“How Wide the Divide? The Absence of Conversation between Mormon Studies and Mormon Mainstream”

Christopher C. Smith

“What Hath Oxford to do with Salt Lake?”

…

1:00 PM Afternoon Session

Challenges Facing Mormon Studies

Adam S. Miller

“A Manifesto for Mormon Theology”

Jacob Rennaker

“Through a Glass, Darkly? Biblical Studies, Mormon Studies, Parallels, and Problems”

Greg Kofford

“Publishing Mormon Studies: Inside Looking Out”

…

4:00 PM Evening Session

Scholarly Panel

Brian Birch, Utah Valley University

J. Spencer Fluhman, Brigham Young University

Armand L. Mauss, Claremont Graduate University

…

6:30 PM Concluding Remarks

Richard Bushman, Claremont Graduate University

Happy Easter

I was going to write up a post about the cross and liberation and the need for us to abandon the idea of the atonement as a substitutionary sacrifice.

But I'm tired. So instead I give you this: