Mormonism: Emergence of a New World Religion

(HRHS 1850) (Graduate Theological Union Fall Semester 2012) Robert A. Rees Tu 7:10-9:40pm [email protected] LDS Institute of Religion 415-888-8125 (h); 415-747-1230 (c) 2368 LeConte Ave., Berkeley

Course Description

Mitt Romney’s quest for the U.S. Presidency, the success of The Broadway Musical, the popularity of HBO’s Big Love, and ’ engagement in Proposition 8, have placed the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints front and center in American culture, leading to what some have called the “Mormon Moment.” That moment began nearly two hundred years ago when the young frontiersman, , claimed to have had a series of remarkable visions and revelations that for Mormons constitute a of primitive Christianity, including authority, continuing revelation, and the doctrines and ordinances of the original Christian church. From six members in 1830 to a world-wide membership of over fourteen million, the Church has become, as one critic predicted, “the first major faith to appear on earth since the Prophet Mohammed rode out of the desert." This course examines the origins, history and evolution of this distinctive Judeo-

Christian American religion with its own prophets, temples sacred texts and unique doctrines and practices.

Course Objectives

 To examine the cultural and religious context in which emerged as a unique American religion;

 To introduce students to the core beliefs and practices of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;

 To consider Mormon doctrine, theology and practice within the Judeo-Christian tradition;

 To discuss the tensions within Mormonism itself and between the Church and American society;

 To assess the future of Mormonism as a world religion.

Student Responsibilities Students are expected complete the reading assignments prior to class and be prepared to engage in c lass discussions. They are also expected to complete the following assignments:

 Autobiographical Sketch: So that we can get o know one another better, each student is to provide a brief (1-2 paragraph) sketch/overview of his/her life to be shared by e-mail before the second class meeting, Sept. 10.

Complete the following assignments:

 A short (3-5 page) critical paper/class presentation. Peruse a sampling of the LDS blogs listed on page 4 and write a paper about your impression of the issues Mormons are discussing in the blogosphere. Due October 1.

 Creative/imaginative project: This can take the form of a poem, play, short story, hymn, visual expression, photographic essay, etc.—some attempt to engage the imagination in understanding and communicating some aspect of Mormon religion or culture. An alternative way to complete this assignment is to do a brief critical paper/ presentation on an existing Mormon work of the imagination (e.g., Mormon hymns/music, a short story or novel, paintings, poetry, graphic novel, etc.). All projects require the approval of the instructor. Due November 5.

 Extracurricular activity reports: i. Each student is to conduct a simple survey of impressions of Mormons from ten individuals. This is best conducted in a public place (e.g., on a street, in a Mall, on the UCB campus, etc. ) rather than among one’s family, friends or associates. With a clipboard in hand, say something like the following: “Pardon me. I’m conducting a brief survey for a graduate religion class. Do you have one minute? I will give you five words and would like your spontaneous response to or association with each—that is, the first thing that comes into your mind. There is no right or wrong answer, we’re just trying to gather general impressions. OK? Are you ready? Here are the words: “Catholic,” “Jewish,” “M ormon,” “Buddhist,” “Muslim.” Wait for the responses, record each and thank them. If they start to give more than one word, tell them the survey just asks for the first word that comes to mind. Bring the responses to class for discussion on September 17.

i. Come to class prepared to discuss your observations/impressions of the following:

 LDS General Conference broadcast: Watch at least one of the two-hour LD

S General Conference broadcasts (either October 5 or 6 at either 9:00am or 1:00pm. Broadcast specifi cs to be announced in class). To be discussed in class on October 8.

 Latter-day Saint service: Attend a three hour block of Sunday meetings at an LDS Church (Locations and meeting times to be provided). To be discussed in class on October 28.

 An extended (10-12 page) critical/research paper on some aspect of Mormon history, doctrine, or religious practice chosen by the student and approved by the instructor (a list of suggested topics will be distributed at the second class meeting). Students need to have chosen their topic no later than October 8 and submitted their competed paper by December 3. Students will prese nt their thesis, findings and conclusions during the last day of class (December 10). ’s

”The Literature Base for as a Distinct Academic Sub-discipline” will be e-mailed to enrolled students.

Style: typed, double spaced, 12 point font following the Turabian’s style manual, which is based on the Chicago Manual of Style. There is a handy online “quick guide” at: http://www.press.uchicago.edu/ books/turabian/turabian_citationguide.html Grading

15% general class participation 10% extracurricular activity reports; religious survey 30% short paper and creative assignment 35% major paper 10% class presentation on the major paper

Grading is based on the Pacific School of Religion formula found at: http://www.psr.edu/grades.

Late papers will be docked one-half grade point per day.

Course Texts

The following texts are required:

, Mormonism: A Very Short Introduction (, ) NB: To get an overview of Mormonism, students are expected to have read this brief introduction by the third class session (September 17).

 Matthew Bowman, The Mormon People: The Making of an American Faith (New York: Random House, 2012). Hardcover or kindle (new and used copies available from Amazon).

 Terryl and Fiona Givens, The God Who Weeps: How Mormonism Makes Sense of Life (Ensign Peak, 2012).

 Adam S. Miller, Rube Goldberg Machines: Essays in Mormon Theology (Draper, UT: Greg Kofford Books, 2012).

 A Course Reader (R) is available at Copy Central (the same reader as for my UC Berkeley Course, Religious Studies 190)

 LDS Scriptures (The Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, Pearl of Great Price) are available on-line or as free downloadable texts at scriptures.lds.org. Free (book of Mormon) or inex pensive print editions are available from LDS.org or from Amazon or other on-line sources. We will also be looking at some biblical passages, but I assume you have a (Latter-day Saints use the KJV, but any translation will do.)

Readings marked (S) are selections from LDS scriptures Readings marked with URLs are available online; those marked (*) will be e-mailed or distributed in class.

Note: Students wishing an official overview of LDS “Gospel Principles” can go to http://www.lds.org/ library/display/0,4945,11-1-13-1,00.html. For an official “Brief History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” see: http://www.lds.org/gospellibrary/ourheritage/OurHeritage35448000.pdf.

There are a number of blogs that provide information, opinion and perspectives on things Mormon, including the following:

 By Common Consent  Times and Seasons  Feminist Mormon Housewives  Bloggernacle Times  Juvenile Instructor  Worlds Without End: A Mormon Studies Roundtable  A longer list is available at http://www.ldsblogs.org/

Class Schedule

9/3 Introduction: The Varieties of Religious Experience: Why People Believe What They Do; Appro aching religious studies with both open hearts and open minds; Tools and Techniques for Reading Culture/History and Interpreting Texts/Artifacts

 William James, The Varieties of Religious Experience, Lecture 1, “Religion and Neurology; ”Lecture 20, “Conclusions,” available at: http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/ JamVari.html*

 “keystones”: seven principles for reading and interpreting sacred texts (from Margaret & Paul Toscano, Strangers in Paradox: Explorations in Mormon Theology) (*)

 Stephen Jay Gould’s NOMA (non-overlapping magesteria), http://www. stephenjaygould.org/library/gould_noma.html*

 Hearts and minds; faith and reason; logos and mythos  Linda Stone, “Suspending Disbelief: http://lindastone.net/2011/02/06/ suspending-disbelief/

Note: Autobiographical Sketch due via email before the next class meeting

9/10 Joseph Smith and “The Restoration of all things”: Seminal Visions of Mormonism’s Beginnings

 Bowman, Ch. 1, “Joseph Smith and the First Mormons: to 1831”  Joseph Smith-History (S)  Richard Bushman, “Revelation,” Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling, 35-61 (R)  Harold Bloom, The American Religion, 91-110 (R)  Various accounts of the : http://josephsmithpapers.org/site/ accounts-of-the-first-vision

 Comparison of First Vision accounts: http://www.annuitech.com/ms/ftp/Jim/ ComparisonChart.pdf

In class: PBS Documentary, The Mormons, “Revelation” 9/17 The Book of Mormon: A New World Bible and a New Witness for Jesus Christ

 Moroni and the Gold Plates  Translation  The Witnesses of the Book of Mormon  T. Givens, “A Marvelous Work and a Wonder: The Book of Mormon as Sacred Sign” pp. 62-88 (R)

 Robert A. Rees, “Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and the American Renaissance”http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V35N03_91. pdf

 Book of Mormon, (1 Nephi 11-12) (S)  Prophesy of Samuel the Lamanite (Helaman 14) (S)  Christ appears to the Nephites (3 Nephi 8-28) (S)

9/24 Other Voices, Other Visions: Continuing Revelation and the Unfolding of the Restoration

The “open” Mormon cannon (The , The Pearl of Great Price and the “Inspired Revision” of the KJV

 Bowman, Ch. 2, “Little Zions”  D&C 4; Abraham 1, Moroni 10 (S)  Manifesto, “Official Declaration-2, Revelation on Blacks and the Priesthood” https ://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/od/2?lang=eng*

 Terryl Givens, “Making Scripture: The Mormon Cannon,” Ch. 4, The Latter-day Saint Experience in America (R)  “Categorizing Mormon Doctrine,” http://www.withoutend.org/categorizing- mormon-doctrine/*

 Givens and Givens, “Introduction” and Chapter 1, “His Heart Is Set Upon Us”

10/1 The Nature, Causes and Persistence of Anti-Mormon Sentiment

 Givens, “‘These War-like Fanatics’: Anti-Mormonism in American History” (R)  Review of Patrick Q. Mason’s The Mormon Menace: Violence and Anti- Mormonism in the Postbellum South., https://byustudies.byu.edu/PDFLibrary/51.2SeferovichMormon- 62ca2611-0ad7-4258-a45e-b3ca9efb5b63.pdf

 Spencer Fluhman, “Barbarism: Rhetorics of Alienation” (R)  Read and view samples of anti-Mormon expressions on the Internet by Googling “anti-Mormon” and “You-tube anti-Mormonism”; come to class prepared to discuss your observations and impressions

 Robert A. Rees, “Are Mormons Christian?”*

In class: PBS The Mormons, “Persecution” & Trouble in : A Documentary

Watch/listen to at least one session of LDS General Conference, which is broadcast 9:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m., on October 5th and 6th (broadcast on local TV stations and also available on www.lds.org). Come to the next class prepared to discuss your observations and impressions

10/8 Celibacy, Monogamy, and Homogamy: Marriage and Sexuality

 Bowman, Ch. 5, “The Rise and Fall of Plural Marriage”  D&C 132 (S)  Eugene England, “On Fidelity, Polygamy, and ,” http://www. eugeneengland.org/selected-writings/personal-essays

 Samuel Taylor, “The Big Happy Family” from Family Kingdom (R)  Samuel Taylor, “The Second Coming of Santa Claus: Christmas in a Polygamous Family,” http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V07N03_9.pdf

 LDS Church statement on gays and same-sex marriage: http://www.lds.org/ topics/same-gender-attraction?lang=eng

 Read selections from http://mormonsandgays.org/  Read selected blogs from www.nomorestrangers.org/  Robert A. Rees, “Requiem for a Gay Mormon,” http://www.beliefnet.com/ Faiths/2000/03/Requiem-For-A-Gay-Mormon.aspx#

 Robert A. Rees, “’In a Dark Time the Eye Begins to See’: Personal Reflections on Homosexuality among the Mormons at the Beginning of a New Millennium” http://www. ldsfamilyfellowship.org/docs/darktime_eyesee.pdf

 The Family Acceptance Project

In class: Film: “Families are Forever” Documentary Film

10/15 : The LDS Plan of Salvation (Pre-existence, Mortality and the Afterlife)

 D &C 93; Abraham 3, Moses 7, D&C 76  Joseph Smith, “King Follett Discourse, ”http://mldb.byu.edu/follett.htm*  Margaret Toscano, “Is There A Place for Heavenly Mother in Mormon Theology?” https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/issues/133.pdf*

 D&C 19, 76 (S)  Eugene England, “Perfection and Progression: Two Complementary Ways to Talk about God,” http://www.eugeneengland.org/selected-writings/personal-essays*

 Givens & Givens, Chapter 2, “Man Was In the Beginning with God”; Chapter 3, “We Are that We Might Have Joy”; Chapter 4, “None of Them Is Lost”

In class: Discussion of general conference

Assignment: If you haven’t already done so, attend a Mormon Sunday service (Sunday School, Priesthood/, Sacrament Service) and come to class on 10/29 prepared to discuss your observations and perceptions.

10/22 Reading Week

10/29 Mormon Congregational and Family Life

 Look at the various categories at “For the Strength of Youth,” https://www.lds. org/youth/for-the-strength-of-youth?lang=eng*

 The , D&C 89 (S)  Mormon temples  Robert A. Rees, “Is Nothing Sacred: Thoughts on Mormon Undergarments” Religi on Dispatches, 24 August 2012; Contra Costa Times/Oakland Tribune, 1 September 2012.

 Read the various sections under http://www.lds.org/church/temples (including “ Why Latter-day Saints Build Temples,” “What Happens in Temples,” “Inside Temples,” etc.)

 Mormon sacred garments (Robert A. Rees, “Is Nothing Sacred? Thoughts on Mormon Undergarments” http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_21445133/robert-rees-is- nothing-sacred-thoughts-mormon-undergarments

, “What is A Temple?” http://rsc.byu.edu/archived/selected-articles/ what-temple

 In class: Panel discussion with representatives of an LDS stake presidency, bishopric, Relief Society, and a youth program In-class: PBS Documentary, The Mormons, 2.4 (“The Family”)

11/5 Mormonism and Other Faiths: Conflict & Convergence

 Mormons and “The Great Commission”  Robert A. Rees, “Are Mormons Christian?” (GTU lecture, Dec. 2011) (*)

 “How Wide the Divide” (the Mormon-Evangelical Divide) http://www. mrm.org/how-wide-the-divide*

 “Mormons and Judaism” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mormonism_and_Judaism

 Sample the articles and essays under “Mormon-Jewish Theology and Bridge” at http://www.mormonsandjews.org/

 “The Issue of The Mormon Baptisms of Jewish Holocaust Victims and Other Jewish Dead”; http://www.jewishgen.org/infofiles/ldsagree.html

 Luis Ladaria, “The Question of the Validity of Baptism Conferred in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”; http://www.ewtn.com/library/theology/mormbap1.htm

 “Mormonism and Islam,” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Mormonism_and_Islam

11/12 Ecclesiology and Dissent

In-class: PBS Documentary, 2.3 (“Dissenters and Exiles”)

 Richard Poll, “What the Church Means to People Like Me” http://www.zionsbest. com/people.html*

, “Freedom of Conscience: A Personal Statement” ; http:// www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V26N04_214.pdf*

 “Bruce McConkie's Letter of Rebuke to Professor Eugene England,” http://www.myplanet. net/mike/LDS/McConkie_England_letter.html

 Robert Kirby, “Five Kinds of Mormons” (*)  Robert A. Rees, “Forgiving the Church and Loving the Saints” (*)  Robert A. Rees, “Why I Stay” (*)

In class: In-class: PowerPoint presentation on the Mormon Crisis of Faith

11/19 Can there be a Mormon Theology?

 James Faulconer, “Why A Mormon Won’t Drink Coffee but Might Have a Coke: The Atheological Character of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints”; http://jamesfaulconer.byu. edu/papers/coke_not_coffee.pdf*

 Adam S. Miller, “Introduction,” “Benedictus,” “Messianic History,” “A Manifesto for Mormon Theology,” “Humanism, Mormonism,” “Groundhog Day,” “Shipwrecked” (all from Rube Goldberg Machines: Essays in Mormon Theology) (R)

In class: Creative project/presentation

11/26 Race and Gender

 2 Nephi 26:33 (S)  Armand Mauss, All Abraham’s Children: Changing Mormon Conceptions of Race and Lineage, c h. 9 (R)

 Claudia Bushman, chapters on race and gender (R)  Grethe Ballif Peterson, “Priesthood and Latter-day Saint Women: Eight Contemporary Definitions” (R)

 Robert A. Rees, “Black African Jews, the Mormon Denial of Priesthood to Blacks, and Truth and Reconciliation” (*)

 John G. Turner, “Why Race Is Still a Problem for Mormons” (*)  Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, “Border Crossings”; http://www.dialoguejournal.com/wp-content/ uploads/sbi/articles/Dialogue_V27N02_13.pdf *

 John G. Turner, “Why Race Is Still a Problem for Mormons” (*)

In class: clips from Nobody Knows: The Untold Story of

11/28 Thanksgiving

12/3 Joseph Smith: Reassessment After Two Centuries

 The Library of Congress Bicentennial Celebration of Joseph Smith, http://maxwellinstitute. byu.edu/publications/insights/?vol=25&num=3&id=424

 Wayne Hudson, “The Prophethood of Joseph Smith,” in Joseph Smith, Jr.: Reappraisals After

Two Centuries (R)

 Harold Bloom, “The Religion-Making Imagination of Joseph Smith,” in The American Religion,

91-110 (R)

 http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1508

 http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/JQuincy.htmlIn class: “History vs. Hagiography: The Changing

Image of Joseph Smith The Future of Mormonism & The Eternal Perspective

 Bowman, Ch. 8, “Towards a Global Church”  Rodney Stark, “The Basis of Mormon Success: A Theoretical Application”; http://rsc.byu. edu/archived/latter-day-saint-social-life-social-research-lds-church-and-its-members/2-basis-mormon- succ*

 Pew Survey: “Mormons in America – Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society,”http://www.pewforum.org/2012/01/12/mormons-in-america-executive-summary/#beliefs

 Givens & Givens, Chapter 5, “Participants in the Divine Nature” and “Epilogue: Help Thou Mine Unbelief”

12/10 Presentation of Student Papers