2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Wednesday 29

Session Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator W1 Feminism and Patriarchy - Impli Verlyne Christensen, MSc 9:00- 10:30 In this presentation, I will address Verlyne Christensen is a psychologist in private practice. She has wr W2 Addiction to Prescription Medica Dr. Vicki Winkel, MD 9:00 - 10:30 Addiction to prescription medicati Dr. Vicki Winkel earned her bachelor's degree in Human Developm W3 Being an LGBT and Religion-Affi Ken Roach, MS 9:00 - 10:30 This session will explore some of For 15 years, Ken worked as a therapist for Salt Lake County Youth W4 I’m a Pilgrim, I’m a Stranger:” A James Ott, LCSW 10:30 -12:00 The LDS Church has a history of t James Ott is Founder, Executive Director, and a therapist at Red Wil W5 Pausing at the Intersection of Fa LaShawn Williams-Schultz, CSW 10:30- 12:00 Clinicians serve clientele best wh LaShawn is a Multicultural Advocate and Practitioner aiding individu W6 Counseling Competencies when Dr. Hollie Hancock, PhD 10:30 - 12:00 Many health care and mental heal Dr. Hollie Hancock is the Clinical Director and a psychotherapist at Ir 117 LUNCH 12:00 - 1:00 MMHA business and updates fr 1:00 - 1:30 MMHA business and updates fro W7 Return with Trauma: Understan r. Kristine J. Doty, PhD 1:30 - 3:00 There is a growing trend of missio Dr. Kristine J. Doty is a graduate of Utah Valley University, having re W8 Acceptance and Commitment T John P. Dehlin, PhD 1:30 - 3:00 In this session John will discuss t John P. Dehlin received his PhD in Clinical/Counseling Psychology f W9 Families in Mourning: Managing Peter Danzig, LCSW 1:30 - 3:00 When one or more members of a Peter Danzig LCSW is a therapist in private practice in Salt Lake Cit Dr. Caitlin Ryan is the founder and director of San Francisco State's W10 KEYNOTE SPEAKER: Dr. Caitlin Ryan, Director of the S 3:00 - 5:00 Ryan's work with the Family Acceptance Project has been re

The Sunstone Education Foudation Presents: Widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time, Crossan is the author of several bestselling books including The Historical Jesus; Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography; The Greatest When Jesus proclaims the Prayer; and The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Kingdom of God and Paul announces the Lordship of Christ, Fiction about Jesus.

that common vision intends the Crossan was born in Tipperary, Ireland in 1934 and educated in present realization of Israel’s Ireland and the United States, receiving a doctorate of divinity from ancient hope for a transfigured earth. They envisage a Maynooth College, Ireland in 1959. He did post-doctoral research at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1959 to 1961 and at the transformed world of non-violent École Biblique in Jerusalem from 1965 to 1967. He was a member of distributive justice here below and a transformed world of justice and a Roman Catholic religious order, the Servites (Ordo Servorum Mariae), from 1950 to 1969 and an ordained priest from 1957 to peace here and now. Their call is 1969. He joined DePaul University, Chicago, in 1969 and remained Smith-Petit: The Kingdom Mind: to a collaborative covenant, a From Jesus to Paul and the John Dominic Crossan Ballroom 7:00 - 9:00 pm participatory latter-day challenge, there until 1995. He is now a professor emeritus in its department of Michael J. Stev religious studies. Implications for Mormonism a transfiguration of the earth in which God does not act without us and we cannot act without He received awards for scholarly excellence from the American Academy of Religion in 1989, DePaul University in 1991 and 1995, God. Whence came such a as well as an honorary doctorate from Stetson University, DeLand, startlingly counter-intuitive vision for our world and what are its FL, in 2003. implication for Mormonism—and He has written twenty-seven books on the historical Jesus, the everyone else as well? apostle Paul, and earliest Christianity. His work has been translated

This lecture is sponsored by the into thirteen languages, including Polish, Hungarian, Russian, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. Smith-Petit Foundation. It is free and open to the public. His most recent book is How to Read the Bible and Still Be a Christian: Struggling with Divine Violence from Genesis through Revelation (HarperOne, 2015). 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Wednesday 29

Julie M. Smith graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BA in English and from the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA, with an MA in Biblical Studies. She is on the executive board of the Mormon Theology Seminar and the steering committee for the BYU New Testament Commentary, for which she is writing a Panel Discussion: Julie Smith, TBA commentary on the Gospel of Mark. She is the author of Search, Ponder, and Pray: A Guide to the Gospels. Julie is married to Derrick Smith; they live near Austin, Texas, where she homeschools their three children. She also blogs for Times & Seasons, where she is the book review editor. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Continental 101 Breakfast by Ballroom 8:00-9:00 Signature Books Widely regarded as the foremost historical Jesus scholar of our time, John Dominic Crossan is the author of several bestselling books including The Historical Jesus; Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography; The Greatest Prayer; and The Power of Parable: How Fiction by Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus.

Role of Dissent in the Christian John Dominic Crossan, D. 111 Community Michael Quinn Saltair 9:00-10:00 D. Michael Quinn (Ph.D., history, Yale University) is an Affiliated Scholar at the University of Southern California’s Center for Feminist Research. He has been a full-time researcher and writer, a professor of history at Brigham Young University, and a visiting professor of history (2002-03) at Yale. His accolades include Best Book awards from the American Historical Association and the Mormon History Association. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Kate Kelly was raised Mormon, served an LDS mission in Barcelona, Spain, graduated from BYU and was married in the Salt Lake City temple. She founded Ordain Women in 2013 to advocate for gender justice in the Mormon Church. In June 2014 she was excommunicated from the church for speaking out against the fundamental exclusion of women from the priesthood, but her work for parity in religion continues unabated.

Danielle Mooney is a member of the Ordain Women Executive Board. She grew up Mormon in Minnesota and now lives in Boston with her husband, baby girl, and goofy dog. A graduate of Wellesley College, she currently runs a small business and hopes to soon pursue graduate studies in women's health.

Mark Barnes Is a member of the Ordain Women executive board, and serves of the boards of Mormons for ERA and the Bleeding Hearts Foundation. He graduated from the University of Utah College of Law in 1987, and is a practicing attorney.

Kristy Money received her PhD from Brigham Join Ordain Women executive Young University in Counseling Psychology in board members as we discuss 2010. She successfully defended her dissertation what it takes to recognize and on Utah suicide prevention, and later finished her exhibit personal faith and sacrifice postdoctoral fellowship in community mental health in the face of everyday obstacles in 2011. Dr. Money specializes in women's mental Kate Kelly, Danielle Mooney, and institutionalized sexism. We Mark Barnes, Kristy Money, Lorie health and infertility counseling. She has worked Ordain Women: Where We Go Winder Stromberg, Bryndis will be exploring topics such as and lived in Utah, the Navajo Reservation, NYC, 112 Crimson View 9:00-10:00 ecclesiastical sexual abuse, Massachusetts, and Austin TX. Dell Ellis from Here Roberts, Debra Jenson, Sean hostility towards feminist thought Carter, Joanna Wallace, and Gina Colvin in ward culture, and how defining Lorie Winder Stromberg Is a member of the Ordain one’s individual feminism can be Women executive board. She has an MA in your biggest asset. Come join us humanities from Brigham Young University. For in understanding what 'faithful over 30 years, she has written and spoken about agitation' means to Ordain Mormon feminism and advocated for the ordination Women. of women.

Bryndis Roberts Is a member of the Ordain Women executive board, and is an adult convert to the LDS Church from the Black Baptist faith. She is an attorney and has her own firm – Jenkins & Roberts LLC – where her law partner is her ex- husband, who also happens to be her best friend.

Debra Jenson Is a member of the Ordain Women executive board. She is a professor of communication at Utah State University where she researches social movements and the representation of marginalized groups.

Sean Carter is a member of the Ordain Women Executive Board. He converted to the Church in 2011 shortly after visiting BYU to give a lecture at the Law School. He is a Harvard Law grad and former securities lawyer who now makes his living as a legal humorist. He resides in Mesa, Arizona with his wife (who also converted in 2011) and their four sons

Joanna Wallace Is a member of the Ordain Women executive board, and is passionate about women’s and gay rights. Serving in Relief Society, Primary, and Young Women presidencies throughout her life, she is deeply committed to 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator

strengthening the church.

Gina Colvin is a member of the Executive Board of ordain women and a lecturer at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand where she lectures on the sociology of education. Gina hosts the podcast 'A Thoughtful Faith' and blogs at KiwiMormon where she doesn't hesitate to share her thoughts about what it means to be a part of an increasingly Americentric, white, colonial, patriarchal church.

Jerilyn Hassell Pool is an accomplished digital artist and comedienne, often combining the two into blog posts and social media events. She lives with her husband of 24 years in Southern Oregon where she works as a freelance art director and print publication specialist.

J. Kirk Richards is best known for his contributions to the BYU Museum of Art exhibit Beholding Salvation: The Life of Christ in Word and Image; for the cover image of Jeffrey R. Holland’s book, Jerilyn Hassell Pool Broken Things to Mend; and for his imagery on the 113 The Mormon Mind Through Art J. Kirk Richards Panorama East 9:00-10:00 cover of BYU Studies Magazine and in the Ensign, Mica McGriggs Page Turner Liahona, and Upper Room publications. Nancy Ross Page Turner is an award-winning Mormon artist. Her work has appeared in galleries around the world as well as local venues.Her work was This session will address what it featured on the cover of Exponent II (Volume 33, means to be a Mormon artist No. 3), which publishes articles about the within a religious art tradition that experiences of Mormon women. favors realism. Several Mormon artists working in a range of Nancy Ross is an assistant professor of art history media will give a brief overview of at Dixie State University in St. George, Utah. She their work and discuss how their received her Ph D from the University of work intersects with their Mormon Cambridge in 2007 and moonlights as a sociologist identity. of religion. How do you become a good ally and learn to talk to orthodox How to be an LGBT Ally: The Mormons in a way that doesn't Katrine Shelton 114 Orthodox and Gay Agenda Jake Abhau and Meg Abhau West Ballroom 9:00-10:00 sound like you're just pushing the Judd "gay agenda"? This panel will offer suggestions. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Instead of focusing on the well- known places where LDS theology diverges from Christianity at large, this presentation offers a broad overview of our common Christian Tom Roberts has a. M. Div and Ph.D from Hellenic Mormon Matters: Overlooked heritage. Every faith community Orthodox University in Athens, Greece. He is a 121 Similarities Between Mormons and Father Thomas Roberts Saltair 10:15-11:15 develops its own vocabulary, and priest in the Old Catholic tradition, and is a Lorie Winder Other Christians that vocabulary is heavily frequent contributor to Mormon Matters and other Stromberg influenced by the culture it LDS podcasts and shows emerges from, meaning that it develops what may seem to be contradictions at first glance, but may actually be hinding commonalities. Corey Philpot is an active Mormon who was pressured into the ranks of Hub Moderators by a liberal secular ruse. He now suffers from shameless deprivation of his religious freedom and intense persecution for his peculiar (read righteous) religiosity.

Jerilyn Hassell Pool is an accomplished digital artist and comedienne, often combining the two into blog posts and social media events. She lives with her husband of 24 years in Southern Oregon where she works as a freelance art director and print publication specialist.

Matthew Nokleby moderates the Mormon Hub. He enjoys conciseness.

Sara Burlingame has worked in religious education and faith organizing for the last decade. She has been successful in fostering interfaith experience What happens to the Mormon and constructive relationships with key leaders in mind when it hits the Internet? the Mormon, Catholic, and Evangelical faith Jerilyn Pool, Sara Burlingame, Matthew Nokleby, Nicole How do major events in communities. Mormondom affect the Internet? 122 The Mormon Mind on Facebook Forsgren, Corey Philpot Crimson View 10:15-11:15 Learn from a group of Mormon Andrew Spriggs moderates the Facebook group Derek Lee George Andrew Spriggs,and Brandt Malone Facebook group moderators The Mormon Hub with Patience and Long- about their experiences dealing Suffering (dual-wielded banhammers, of course), with Mormons online. knowing that no power or influence ought to be maintained by virtue of the modhood. He also writes sporadically for the blogs Wheat & Tares and Irresistible (Dis)Grace.

Nicole Forsgren holds a PhD in management information systems with a minor in cognitive science. She is the director of organizational performance and analytics at Chef Software, and was previously a professor at Utah State University.

Brandt Malone is a moderator of the Mormon Hub Facebook group, runs the Mormon News Report, loathes internet commenters and commentators, and spends way too much time online. He is an active believing Mormon who lives in Detroit, Michigan.

Derek Lee helps moderate The Mormon Hub from his home in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, Canada. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Amanda Farr-Knickerbocker and her husband have a varying number of children at any given time. Currently, Amanda has two biological children, two foster-to-adopt children, and one foster child. She specializes in providing care for medically fragile, drug-exposed, and HIV-positive children.

Jo Overton graduated from Weber State in 2005 with a degree in social work. She and her husband were foster parents for many years and adopted a child out of foster care to join their other five The Church’s history with children. adoption and foster care is not a very bright place. Efforts like the Ana Nelson Shaw and her husband have adopted Indian Placement Program and four children—one in a private adoption, one in an sometimes-coercive and secretive practices of LDS Social/Family LDS Family Services adoption, and two through the foster care system. She is a private consultant Services were guided by wrong- in communications for science and higher headed ideas about the education and an adjunct instructor at Montana Amanda Farr-Knickerbocker, Ana superiority of some New Thinking for Mormons Nelson Shaw, Jo Overton, Marisa families—white families, wealthy Tech of the University of Montana. 123 Involved with Foster Care: A Collegiate 10:15-11:15 Paul Malan Forward Look McPeck-Stringham, Brittni Scott, families, temple-sealed Marisa McPeck-Stringham worked as an Heather Young, Desiree Miller families—over others. Mormons who become foster parents are adoption/birth parent caseworker for LDS Family Services in Ogden, Utah for almost seven years. vulnerable to some of the same Currently she is an information and research false ideas. This panel will discuss best practices for foster specialist with the National Center on Shaken Baby Syndrome, working in child abuse and foster-adopt parents by prevention. Marisa volunteers as a CASA (court sharing personal experiences and answering audience members’ appointed special advocate) with foster children in northern Utah. questions. Brittni Scott graduated in 2011 with a bachelor's degree in marriage, family, and human development from Brigham Young University. Her latest job position was with the State of Ohio as a social worker II with CPS.

Heather Young is a former foster child.

Desiree Miller entered foster care at age three and had two foster families. Her second foster family adopted her when she was six. Jesus said, “As a person thinks in her heart, so is she.” Long thought to be just a metaphor, the idea of a thinking heart is now supported by scientific findings revealing that the heart has its own nervous system with an Robert A. Rees teaches Mormon Studies at Why the Heart is as Important as electrical field 60 times greater in Graduate Theological Union and UC Berkeley. He amplitude than that of the brain. It 124 the Brain: Combining New Science Robert A. Rees Panorama East 10:15-11:15 generates 5,000 times more has authored or co-authored a number of articles Reed Russell with Ancient Wisdom on the importance of the heart in human electromagnetic energy than the experience. brain, and that sends more information to the brain than the brain sends to the heart. What are the implications of such understanding in terms of epistemology, spiritual inquiry, and revelation? 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator My husband and I didn’t just wake up one sunny morning and say, “Let’s join a polygamist cult.” Over time, a convergence of psychological and social factors ripened us for the picking. Insecurities played a part. So did classic, cultish appeals. So did Joanne Hanks is the author of “It’s Not About the mainstream Mormonism, not just 125 This is Your Brain on Polygamy Joanne Hanks Parlor A 10:15-11:15 by laying a doctrinal foundation, Sex My Ass: Confessions of an Ex-Mormon, Ex- Thayne Forbes but by training members to Polygamist, Ex-Wife.” tolerate cognitive dissonance, and through its own, albeit far less extreme, cultish tendencies. This presentation will examine those factors through my experiences and the work of psychologists such as Frank Sulloway. Brianna Cluck is an MTF (male-to-female) transgender woman living in Orem, UT. She has a deep and abiding interest in Mormon history and Mormon sociology.

River Digerness has a master's in psychology/school counseling from USU, and has worked in the Canyons School District for two years. She and her wife of 12 years enjoy the adventures of raising their six biological children Featuring people inhabiting ages 10 years to six months. different points on the gender Brianna Cluck, River Digerness, spectrum and in various levels of Lucas Kieran Strider is a nonbinary trans person Jerilyn Hassell 126 I am a Trans Child of God West Ballroom 10:15-11:15 LDS belief, this panel will discuss living in Salt Lake City. They enjoy creating Lucas Strider, and Meli Penfold the unique challenges faced by electronic music, reading about queer theory, and Pool transgendered people who come playing Minecraft. They currently are conflicted on from an LDS background. their feelings regarding the Church, and are hoping to find some spiritual clarity during their time in Utah.

Meli (Curtis) Penfold is a polyamorous, coffee- loving, bisexual, genderfluid androgyne, and drag artist who resigned from the LDS Church in October of 2013. Meli writes for the blog Young Mormon Feminists and created a seven-part blog series for YMF called “Finding the Queer Christ in Mormonism." In 1970, the US Congress placed marijuana in Schedule I of the Tresa Edmunds writes about faith and feminism Controlled Substances Act under the name Reese Dixon at Feminist Mormon because they considered it to Housewives. She can also be found at her lifestyle have "no accepted medical use." blog, reesedixon.com, where she writes about Tresa Edmunds, Jody England Since then, 23 of 50 US states motherhood and other creative endeavours. 127 Mormons and Marijuana East Ballroom 10:15-11:15 and DC have legalized the Dell Ellis Hansen medical use of marijuana, fueling Jody England Hansen is an active Mormon who a heated public debate. This moved to Colorado shortly after medical marijuana panel will explore how the debate was legalized. She will offer her perspective as a interacts with Mormonism, the Mormon, and as a cancer survivor, on the impact Word of Wisdom, and the lives of of legalized recreational marijuana. Latter-day Saints. Terry Read is the President of the Southern Terry Read is the chair of the California Mission Center for the Community of Community of Christ World Christ. Church’s human rights team with Immigration: A Moral Issue for the members in Africa, South William Russell is widely published in Mormon 131 Saints William Russell and Terry Read Saltair 11:30-12:30 America, Australia, Canada, and Studies, including his book Homosexual Saints: Robin Linkhart the United States. He will discuss The Community of Christ Experience (John how the human rights team has Whitmer Books, 2008). He is a past president of addressed the issue of poverty. both the Mormon History Association and the John Whitmer Historical Association. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator The paradox of being thoughtful while being faithful is a spiritual practice that has failing currency in Mormonism. As the host of A Thoughtful Faith Gina has had the opportunity to interview those at their most spiritually troubled who Gina Colvin is the host of A Thoughtful Faith Finding Wisdom Amidst the Quest are seeking a middle-way that podcast and blogs at KiwiMormon. She is lives in Alice Fisher 132 Gina Colvin Crimson View 11:30-12:30 feels authentic, honest, faithful, for Certainty and Mormon. In this audio/visual Christchurch, New Zealand where she is a lecturer Roberts presentation she will talk about at the University of Canterbury. what it means to be in dialogue with troubled conversation partners as they discover and share their emergent wisdom with thousands of friends listening in the wilderness. After migrating all the Sunstone symposium audio to WordPress and creating the podcast feed, Jake is a geek, designer, engineer, and Data Analysis of 30+ Years of Jake was struck at how many HTML+CSS lover. He is a taker of photos, and a 133 Jake Spurlock Collegiate 11:30-1230 themes had been recycled over John Larsen Sunstone Talks the years. This presentation will rider of skis and bikes. He is a software engineer discuss how the Mormon Studies at Wired. playing field has been discussing similar issues for over 30 years. Through the use of ethnographic investigation, personal interviews, and theoretical research, this paper seeks to understand the role of testimony within the community of young single adult Latter-day Saints of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. It explores the way members with same-sex attraction have “A Gay Mormon Diaspora”: voluntarily removed themselves Keven Lewis is pursuing a BS in anthropology with Exploring The Act of Testimony 134 and Belief in the Case Study of Keven Lewis Panorama East 11:30-12:30 from the LDS community by minors in religious studies and writing. He received Dell Ellis assuming a diasporic identity, as the MT Lambda LGBT + Scholarship in 2013. Young Single Adult Mormons well as how those members view themselves in regards to the Church and its doctrine. This paper argues that temporality is understood as being both static and fluid which allows church members, through ritualized acts, to move both backward and forward in time to moments of “rupture” and “forever.” In 2015, Amber Whiteley was a contributing author for a book chapter for the American Psychological Association. Titled Conflicting Identities: Sexual Minority, Transgender, and Gender Nonconforming Individuals Navigating Between Religion and Gender/Sexual Amber Whiteley is a doctoral student in counseling psychology at the University of Utah. She is one of The Conflicting Identities of LGBT Amber Whiteley Parlor A 11:15-12:15 Orientation Identity, the chapter the proud founders of Mormonfeminist.org and Sally Calkins 135 Mormons discusses various religious Jex identities. Whiteley advocated for continues to run the site along with its various Mormons to be included in the social media outreaches today. chapter. This presentation will discuss the findings from the chapter, and what the implications are for both mental health workers who help the LDS community as well as LDS sexual minorities. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator The policies and doctrines of all groups include tendencies towards psychological manipulation. These persuasion and control techniques function Luna Lindsey writes science fiction with through cognitive dissonance and psychological themes, advocates for neurodiversity The Cogs of Dissonance and consonance theory. This talk on her blog (she is diagnosed Asperger's), and Sara 136 Consonance: The Levers of Luna Lindsey West Ballroom 11:15-12:15 explores how dogma reinforces researches group dynamics and mind control. Her Burlingame Control in LDS Doctrine itself by boosting cognitive book, Recovering Agency: Lifting the Veil of consonance and reducing Mormon Mind Control, tackles the latter topic in an dissonance. What forms do these LDS context. "mental gymnastics" take? How do LDS teachings display these forms? This talk is likely to cause cognitive dissonance. Many children are being born without the benefit of married parents. Remedy? Family studies economist Isabel V. Sawhill extols highly reliable LARCs (long-acting reversible contraceptives) as being pro-children, pro-life, pro- marriage, and pro-income- George R. Compton has a Ph.D. from UCLA in Supporting the Family: Cash- equality. Accordingly, why not Economics and does state government work in Incentivitized LARCs (Long-Acting George R. Compton East Ballroom 11:15-12:15 have the federal government pay public utility regulation. Taught economics part- Roy Schmidt 137 female participants enough to time at BYU for ten years, and enjoys choir Reversible Contraceptives) make implanted LARCs the singing, cycling and writing letters-to-the-editor on norm? Despite its public interest controversial issues. virtures, religious leaders would probably voice opposition to such a policy, construing it as a "license to fornicate." This paper presents a secondary cash incentive that would hopefully neutralize that opposition. The human mind sees everything through four lenses: the WHY (purpose), the WHAT (facts), the HOW (actions), and the WHO (relationships). We sometimes find ourselves struggling with Russ Osmond has published extensively on Lunchtime Presentation: 4 Letters Russ Osmond Saltair 12:30-2:00 conflicts between these lenses, political science, human behavior, communication, Karen Smyth 141 = 4 Views of Faith especially when it comes to religion, and leadership. He is part of Southern religion. This session will provide Polytechnic State University in Atlanta, Georgia. an overview of how these lenses function in religion and suggestions on how to make them work together more coherently. Lunch will be 142 provided in the Union Cafeteria 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Cheryl Bruno is an independent scholar of Mormon history. She has published articles, spoken at conferences, and is co-author of Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration, How one interacts with the Bible forthcoming from Greg Kofford Books. as an artifact says as much about one’s identity as how one Trevor Luke, PhD, University of Pennsylvania, is interprets the Bible's concepts. an associate professor of classics at Florida State The printed Book of Mormon University. He is the author of Ushering in a New resembles the Bible, but the story Republic: Theologies of Arrival at Rome in the First of its production and provenance Century BCE, University of Michigan Press, 2014. does not fit the biblical model. A Bible! A Bible?: Interacting with Cheryl Bruno, Trevor Luke, This panel will explore the coming Michael G. Reed is a doctoral student at Graduate 151 Michael Reed, Joe Steve Swick Saltair 2:00-3:30 Katie Langston the Book of Mormon III; Respondent: Ann Taves forth of the Book of Mormon Theological Union, Berkeley. He is the author of alongside divine or magical books Banishing the Cross: The Emergence of a Mormon in extra-biblical traditions Taboo, John Whitmer Books, 2012. including magic, freemasonry, and esoteric traditions in order to Joe Steve Swick III is an independent scholar of consider the re-ritualization of the Freemasonry and Mormon history. He is co-author text as a powerful device for of Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon instilling belief and constructing Restoration, forthcoming from Greg Kofford Books. religious identity. Ann Taves, PhD, University of Chicago, is the Virgil Cordano OFM Endowed Chair in Catholic Studies at UC- Santa Barbara. She is the author of numerous books and articles. John Dominic Crossan is the author of several bestselling books including The Historical Jesus; Jesus: A Revolutionary Biography; The Greatest 152 Author Meets Critics: How to Read John Dominic Crossan Crimson View 2:00-3:30 Prayer; and The Power of Parable: How Fiction by the Bible and Still be a Christian Jesus Became Fiction about Jesus. He is now a professor emeritus in DePaul University's department of religious studies. The Book of Mormon shows that real peace can only come if the roots of a conflict are identified and the foundational stories and beliefs that gave rise to the conflict are rejected. These foundational narratives were at Joshua Madson is a practicing attorney in Alpine, Foundational Murder: The Slaying Joshua Madson Collegiate 2:00-3:30 the heart of Nephite and Lamanite Utah. He was an editor and contributor for The Gina Colvin 153 of Laban Mormon Worker, a quarterly paper addressing hatred, trapping both communities non-violence, social justice, and radical politics. in a cycle of violence. By looking closely at the slaying of Laban, we can see how it fits into the larger Book of Mormon structure and reveals both the cause of and solution to violent conflicts. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Katie Davis Henderson works as a research manager at the Water Research Foundation in Denver, Colorado. She likes to view the Book of Mormon as God fan fic and she ships Moroni and Pahoran.

Mark Davis met his first wife, Kira Pratt, when they were kids. They spent their high school years hiking Timpanogos, composing and singing songs to the poetry of Lord of the Rings, and performing in plays. Kira died from breast cancer in 1997 and Mark raised their three teenage daughters on his Since the 1960s, unorthodox own. He practices international law and lives in Mormons coalesced around print publications like Sunstone and Orem with his wife Andi and their two kids.

Dialogue to engage in Liz Davis Maxfield earned her BA in cello independent thought about Mormonism. Many of those performance from Berklee College of Music in Boston. She teaches workshops and private people are now parents and lessons and tours with her band, New Time grandparents. This panel will Ensemble. discuss the challenges of raising Sunstone: The Next Generation Katie Davis Henderson, Mark children in the Mormon faith, but Davis, Liz Davis Maxfield, Ana Ana Nelson Shaw holds a BA in English from BYU (or Can You Raise Your Kids as a Nelson Shaw, Michael G. Nelson, Panorama East 2:00-3:30 outside the mainstream. Parents and an MS in technical communication from Aaron Taylor 154 Fringe Mormons without Making will discuss “inoculation,” Them Feel Like Outsiders?) Jerilyn Pool, Amanda Farr navigating the politics of church Montana Tech of the University of Montana. She Knickerbocker works as an adjunct instructor at Montana Tech youth programs, and balancing and a freelance writer and editor focused on faith and criticism. Finally, the panel will discuss the science and higher education.

consequences of a Sunstone Michael G. Nelson is a longtime participant in upbringing. Does being raised in a Sunstone home inoculate you intellectual Mormonism, having participated in Sunstone and Dialogue symposia and publications against faith crises? What is it like for many years. He served in bishoprics and other growing up in an unorthodox callings while raising six children and moving all home? over the United States.

Jerilyn Hassell Pool is an active participant in online Mormon feminist spaces and a tireless advocate for LGBT equality. She is a permablogger at Feminist Mormon Housewives and a graphic designer.

Amanda Farr Knickerbocker has a degree in educational science and lives in San Diego. She and her husband have two biological children and are foster parents to three special-needs children. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator

Lindsay Hansen-Park is a women’s rights activist, a feminist blogger, and an advocate against gender violence. She is the assistant director for the Sunstone Education Foundation and the founder of the Feminist Mormon Housewives Podcast; her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, and many Utah publications.

Trevor Jeffs was born and raised in the FLDS church, where he was brought up in a polygamist household in the strict, cult community. He has since left his family and the community, and has Mormon Fundamentalism is often been overcoming the indoctrination he was given, unfairly conflated with dangerous behavior. The reality is that and making his way in the real world.

Mormon Fundamentalists are a Kristyn Decker was born in the AUB polygamist Lindsay Hansen Park, Shiloh very diverse group of people with group. She left at age 50, after raising her 7 God's Name in Vain: Using Faith Jessop, Trevor Jefffs, Kristyn a variety of life experiences and 155 to Harm Others Decker, and Courtney Clark Parlor A 2:00-3:30 practiced beliefs. Using personal children in polygamy. She attained a BA in Mica McGriggs Education, wrote Fifty Years in Polygamy, Big Kendrick experiences, this panel will Secrets and Little White Lies; became a speaker, explore the spectrum between practicing fundamentalist tenants advocate, Life Coach, and the founder of Sound Choices Coalition. and becoming a religious extremist. C. Jane Kendrick is a writer, blogger, columnist, speaker and community activist. For eight years she has cultivated her award-winning blog CJaneKendrick.com where she writes about life, religion, birthing, wifehood, motherhood, womanhood, body acceptance, her love of community and all the spaces in between. For the past four years she's worked on Provo's most exciting cultural event, The Rooftop Concert Series as founder, co-producer and host. She's also written for the Deseret News, The Arizona Republic, Segullah and published a book of her essays called C. Jane Enjoy It! But to her family, she's Courtney, wife to Christopher Kendrick and mother of four. In the early church, talk of building Zion and becoming a Zion people was everywhere. Then, twenty-five years ago, following the publishing of Hugh Nibley’s essay collection, Approaching Zion, and then an iconic “Plotting Zion” conference Jim Smithson co-sponsored by Sunstone the Does the Concept of Zion Still Energize Mormon Hearts and Boyd Petersen West Ballroom 2:00-3:30 following year, “Zion” seemed Dan 156 Ron Madsen poised to once again rise up as a Wotherspoon Minds Today? Warner Woodworth vital and energizing concept. But today, we hear much less about it. Has Zion simply become a vague thought, something we strive to practice only “within our hearts”? Are there arenas in which it still holds relevance for how we organize our lives and communities? 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Jamie Zvirzdin, editor of Fresh Courage Take and author of the essay "Giselle," will talk about the ideology clashes she experienced while living in the Marshall Islands. She is a science editor and freelance writer in a Foreign Service family.

Ashley Mae Hoiland, author of the essay "Turquoise," is a mom, feminist, artist, writer, and project manager (webravewomen.com). She is passionate about the language used to navigate spiritual paths, both in times of doubt and frustration and in times of celebration.

Marcee Monroe Ludlow is a life-long learner with a passion for writing, rhetoric, music, art, the gospel, Six of the twelve contributors to and teaching others. A mother to four enthusiastic the new book Fresh Courage Jamie Zvirzdin Take address issues faced by and clever children and a creator at heart, she is currently a graphic designer and hopes to start a New Directions by Mormon Ashley Mae Hoiland modern Mormon and formerly progressive school with her husband. Women: Signature Panel Marcee Monroe Ludlow East Ballroom 2:00-3:30 Mormon women. Authors will Sara 157 Sylvia Lankford speak on ideology, language, Burlingame Discussion with Authors of Fresh Camille Strate Fairbanks motherhood, religious orthodoxy, Sylvia Lankford was born and raised in an all-black Courage Take Baptist church, converting to the LDS Church 28 Rachel Brown and more, showing that one heart years ago. She has a passion for the gospel and and many minds can still form Zion. fulfills it musically through participating in the Mormon Choir of Washington, D.C., and spiritually as her ward's Relief Society president.

Camille Strate Fairbanks, blogger behind Archives of Our Lives and author of the essay "Divine Nature," works a day job, raises a son, loves a husband, and watches a shocking amount of Netflix.

Rachel Brown, author of the essay "Wounded," is a story-receiver and mental health therapist. She is an ENFP and enjoys leading support groups and healing circles, playing with her three children, having late-night existential conversations with her partner, and writing an angst-filled memoir. Atheist Richard Dawkins sees faith in God as belief without evidence, while Christian theologians defend faith as both reasonable and empirically justified. Although they grant that the evidence for faith is incomplete, they also hold that Saving Faith: The Relationship of knowledge of God is not Janice Allred speaks and writes on theological 161 Faith to Knowledge, Belief, and Janice Allred Saltair 3:45-4:45 (60) attainable simply through topics. She is the author of God the Mother and Paul Malan Works empirical methods. Faith also Other Theological Essays plays a role in the Christian doctrine of salvation. How is the faith connected with knowledge related to the faith connected with works? Can faith be saved as an eternal principle vital to the pursuit of truth? Can faith save us for and in the kingdom of God? 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Since 1845, William Bickerton had watched for the fulfillment of Joseph Smith’s Civil War Daniel Stone is a historian and archivist. He prophecy. He believed that received his M.A. degree in history from Florida devastation, unlike anything Americans had ever experienced, Atlantic University and his B.A. in history from the University of Florida. Currently, he works in a Woe to the Land Shadowing with would overtake the nation. It was private archive in the Metro-Detroit area and Wings: William Bickerton, the Daniel Stone Crimson View 3:45-4:45 (60) a principal reason for dissociating teaches as an adjunct professor of history at the Hannah 162 Book of Mormon, and the himself from Sidney Rigdon and Wheelwright American Civil War Brigham Young and starting his University of Detroit Mercy; he is also a member of the Historical Committee of the Church of Jesus own church. The paper will Christ (headquartered in Monongahela, explain why Bickerton decided to forsake Rigdon and Young, and Pennsylvania) and is currently writing a will show how the Civil War comprehensive biography on William Bickerton. grounded his belief in the Book of Mormon. Most stories, especially the kind we tell in church and on Stephen Carter is the editor of Sunstone, a television, have morals. They’re like horses that carry us to known personal essayist, a horror writer, and a Book of Mormon comic book author (iPlates). His destinations. But a few stories "Mormonism for Beginners" will be published in have the power to launch us toward the divine by invoking 2016.

Scared Sacred: How the Horrifying sheer horror: psychological, D. Michael Quinn (Ph.D., history, Yale University) Story of Joseph Smith’s Polygamy Stephen Carter and D. Michael Collegiate 3:45-4:45 (60) emotional, and cognitive. Joseph is an Affiliated Scholar at the University of Robin Linkhart 163 Quinn Smith’s polygamy is one of those Can Help Save Us stories—especially for Mormons. Southern California’s Center for Feminist Research. He has been a full-time researcher and But in order to ride this story, writer, a professor of history at Brigham Young which will threaten at any second to buck us into a sand pit of denial University, and a visiting professor of history (2002-03) at Yale. His accolades include Best or off the cliff of apostasy, we Book awards from the American Historical need to dismantle everything we think we know about how we can Association and the Mormon History Association. know anything. Studies show that brain stimulation, or manipulation of a participant’s sensory environment, can duplicate certain religious or mystical experiences. Some tout this as Paul H. Smith has a doctorate in philosophy from evidence that such states are the University of Texas at Austin, with a The Poverty of Neurotheology: indeed ontologically “real,” just concentration in philosophy of mind, Why Recent Discoveries about the not in any supernatural Brain Tell Us Nothing Conclusive way—merely the consequence of consciousness, and philosophy of science. He also 164 Paul H. Smith Panorama East 3:45-4:45 (60) has a BA from BYU and an MS from the National about the Interface between a “brain hiccup” of sorts. Loosely Defense University, both in Middle Eastern studies. Religious Experience and known as “neurotheology,” this Psychology research paradigm is thought to Paul’s book, Reading the Enemy’s Mind, was a Readers Digest Editor’s Choice and a featured promise a version of physicalism book bonus selection. that is sympathetic to claims of religious epiphany, while fitting them into a comfortably materialist niche. But this solution isn’t as neat or successful as it seems. It can be argued that there is no well-defined criteria by which a Jason R. Smith is an independent researcher from group may or may not rightly be Duncan, OK and makes his living in the world of labeled a Latter Day Saint church technology. His interests include the histories and 165 Mere Latter Day Saintism Jason R. Smith Parlor A 3:45-4:45 (60) nor whether an individual should beliefs of the many Latter Day Saint expressions Christian Larsen be considered "Mormon." This (the lesser known, the better), Freemasonry, paper explores the question, gender and religion, and exploring ways that "How (and by whom) should technology can aid researchers. 'Latter Day Saintism' be defined? 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Climate change and other environmental issues are threatening the long-term survival of our planet. It is a moral issue for all Christians, yet in the United States and many of the rest of the Christian Anderson is a genetic researcher affiliated with UC San Diego and UC Irvine. He 166 The Environment: a Moral Issue Christian Anderson West Ballroom 3:45-4:45 (60) world's governmental bodies holds a BS from Stanford, an MS from the Scripps William Russell for the Saints seem incapable of coming up with Institution of Oceanography, and is approaching solutions, mostly because there is money that can be made by the world record for longest runup to a PhD. exploiting the environment. Latter- day Saints and all people of compassion need to confront this urgent moral issue. Richie Steadman, known as the producer and Mormon voice of X-96's popular "Radio From Hell" What happens after the church show and originator of The Cultural Hall show cast. court? What is the fallout for the excommunicated and his or her He loves to garden, run marathons, act in local Carlene George, Richie plays and musicals, and read church history 167 Life After Church Discipline Steadman East Ballroom 3:45-4:45 (60) family and friends? Panelists will Jen Blair discuss how they came to terms with their excommunication. Have Carlene George attendedcollege in Cypress, CA, Cerritos, CA, Brigham Young University, and they found peace? Orange CA. She has worked with high-risk youth at Clearfield Job Corp Center for 21 years.

Don Bradley holds a BA in history from Brigham Young University, did an internship with the Joseph Smith Papers Project, and is finalizing his MA in history at Utah State University. Don's first book "The Lost 116 Pages: Rediscovering the Book of Lehi" is forthcoming from Greg Kofford Books.

Ann Taves is a professor of religious studies at UC Santa Barbara and author of Revelatory Events: Experiences and Appraisals in the Emergence of New Spiritual Paths (forthcoming from Princeton), which discusses early Mormonism as one of three case studies.

“The mystery of Mormonism Dan Vogel has been publishing in the field of early cannot be solved until we solve Mormon history for more than thirty years, the mystery of Joseph Smith,” Jan authoring eleven books and fifteen articles. Most Shipps wrote. Four decades later, notably, he is the editor of Early Mormon Don Bradley Four Views of Joseph Smith: Ann Taves the prophet continues to puzzle. Documents (1996-2003), a five-volume series that Was he true prophet, sincere won Best Documentary awards from both the 171 Historians Debate the Prophet Dan Vogel Saltair 5:00-6:30 (90) visionary, pious fraud, or con Mormon History Association and the John Whitmer Lindsay Hansen Puzzle Christopher C. Smith Park Lindsay Hansen-Park (chair) man? In a friendly debate, four Historical Association, and author of the award- historians will each advocate a winning Joseph Smith: The Making of a Prophet different hypothesis. Opening (2004). statements and rebuttals will be followed by Q&A. Christopher C. Smith is a PhD candidate at Claremont Graduate University and is currently completing a dissertation on early Mormon views of Native Americans. He is the author of a dozen peer-reviewed articles, including one in a recent issue of the Journal of Mormon History. He runs the Mormon Studies blog Worlds Without End at withoutend.org.

Lindsay Hansen-Park is a women’s rights activist, a feminist blogger, and an advocate against gender violence. Lindsay is the assistant director for the Sunstone Education Foundation and the founder of the Feminist Mormon Housewives Podcast; her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, and many Utah publications. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator

Last year’s popular food panel Jerilyn Hassell Pool is an accomplished digital artist and comedienne, often combining the two has been updated with into blog posts and social media events. She lives information on jello, funeral 172 Mormon Food 2: Electric Boogaloo Jerilyn Hassell Pool Crimson View 5:00-6:30 (90) potatoes, caffeinated beverages with her husband of 24 years in Southern Oregon Aaron Taylor where she works as a freelance art director and and more jokes. print publication specialist.

Alex Caldiero is UVU's Poet in Residence and author of many books of poetry including Some Love (Signature Books).

Tyler Chadwick is a doctoral candidate in English at Idaho State University and has taught literature and writing for Idaho State and Brigham Young University–Idaho. He also compiled and edited Fire in the Pasture: 21st Century Mormon Poets, and is the poetry editor for Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.

Jessica Dixon is a high school English teacher at Slate Canyon Detention Center in Provo, Utah. She is also co-founder of Speak for Yourself Open Mic, a successful, weekly creative writing open mic in downtown Provo. She took a liking to performance poetry in 2010, quickly got involved with the slam scene, and she has never looked back.

Marianne Hales Harding is a poet, essayist, and Brigham Young once called playwright. Her plays have been produced in Joseph Smith a poet—and poets, Brigham continued, "are not like theaters from New York to Seattle and she was the Playwright in Residence at the Tony Award- other [people]; their gaze is winning Utah Shakespeare Festival (USF). She deeper, and reaches the roots of the soul" Such vision, he said, is was featured in USF’s New American Playwriting Project and was a finalist in the Actors Theatre of akin to having "the searching Louisville’s National Ten Minute Play Contest. Her "Sunday School Psychotherapy": Tyler Chadwick, Jessica Dixon, eyes of angels" with which poets work has been adapted for film by independent can "catch the swift thought of Marianne Hales Harding, Robert Collegiate 5:00-6:30 (90) God and reveal it to us, even at filmmakers andpublished by Brooklyn Publishers, Sarah Collett 173 Mormon Poets on Vulnerability A. Rees, Bonnie Shiffler, Alex the Silver Birch Press, Everyday Mormon Writer, and Madness, Healing and Hope Caldiero the risk of forgetting their ePregnancy and Rocky Mountain Running underclothes and their suspenders." A poet sees Magazine (among others). She received her MFA in Playwriting from Ohio University and her BA in differently than others see; and to English from Brigham Young University. She is the see differently is to risk mental, emotional, social, and spiritual co-founder of Speak For Yourself, a creative writing open mic and community in Provo, Utah. instability. Come and hear original poems by six Mormons that meditate on these themes. Robert A. Rees is an educator, scholar and poet. He currently teaches Mormon Studies at both the Graduate Theological Union and the University of California, Berkeley.

Poet and essayist, Bonnie Shiffler-Olsen, shares a home with five rambunctiously artistic children and her philosopher husband, Mark Olsen, in Provo, Utah. For twenty-seven years, she has wandered the maze of Bipolar Disorder, mitigating affective turbulence through music, movement, and language. She is co-founder of Rock Canyon Poets, has served as editor-in-chief for both Utah Valley University's Touchstones Journal and BYU- Idaho's Scroll, and occasionally offers mildly constructive comments when called upon in both Sunday School and Relief Society. Her stories, poetry, and essays have been published in likewise folio, new bourgeois, Outlet, Touchstones Journal, and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, and she blogs at www.secondsetofwings.com. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Fatimah S. Salleh earned a PhD in mass communication at University of North Carolina at This workshop will feature a Chapel Hill and is currently earning a masters of sermon followed by a group divinity at Duke University. She is the daughter of Finding the God that Calls to You: discussion session aimed at an African-American father and a Puerto-Rican Jennifer Huss 174 Faith Transitions and Healing Lisa Butterworth, Fatimah S. Panorama East 5:00-6:30 (90) tackling the contours of the faith and Malaysian mother. Basquiat Salleh journey, its inevitable transitions, and the dynamics of healing. Lisa Butterworth is the founder of Feminist Mormon Housewives and is receiving a masters degree in counseling pyschology. We all have two different minds neurobiologically: One driven by the fearful, judgmental brain amygdala, and the other centered in the wise, reasonable prefrontal cortex (which connects intimately with parts creating compassion). Lee Smith is a physician specializing in stress- They are different minds because related physical illness, and author of a textbook they compete with each other on functional scanning: when one is on this. He has been Associate Professor of Our Two Different Minds: Clinical Medicine at the University of Utah, and Neurobiological, Psychological Lee Smith Parlor A 5:00-6:30 (90) activated, the other is inhibited. Director of the Stress Medicine Clinic there. He Kalani Tonga 175 Amygdala overdrive causes and Spiritual Implications health problems (both physical currently works at the Center for MindBody Health in Salt Lake City. He is fascinated with how core and mental), which improve with spiritual principles correlate with the science of spiritual practices that activate the this. wise prefrontal cortex, creating wellbeing and inhibiting fear and judgmentalism. All this correlates highly with Jesus’ teachings about resilience. Awareness of the differences allows choice of which mind to feed. This session compares and contrast the Protestant "Just War" doctrine with historic Mormon Kenneth Lines is a data analyst and historical attitudes. How did the Saints go Brooke Swallow from an essentially pacifist researcher. 176 Battle on the Brain: Mormons and Kenneth Lines West Ballroom 5:00-6:30 (90) Bill McGee War worldview to accepting war-time Brooke Swallow is a sociologist working on a Ph.D. service in place of a mission and writing torture laws for the president?

Kristin Hodson, MSW, LCSW, is founder and executive director of The Healing Group and co- author of Real Intimacy: A Couples Guide for Parents need more help than ever Genuine, Healthy Sexuality. As a practicing to understand the world their psychotherapist, she focuses on sexuality, children are navigating. In this marriage and couple’s counseling, pregnancy and Mormon Mental Health presentation, Alisha and Kristin postpartum mood disorders, relationships, will present strategies for women’s issues, spiritual and identity crisis, sexual Association: Talking to Your Kids Kristin Hodson and Alisha East Ballroom 5:00-6:30 (90) continually talking to your children abuse, and addiction. Marian 177 about Sex in a Holistic and Healthy Worthington Edmonds Allen Way about healthy sexuality instead trying to cram it into one, dreaded Alisha Worthington, BSW, SSW, graduated from "talk." What defines Brigham Young University in social work and is a comprehensive sex education for co-author of Real Intimacy; A Couple’s Guide to toddlers, kids, and teens? Healthy Genuine, Healthy Sexuality. Alisha is a sex and intimacy coach and educator for The Healing Group. She has appeared on radio, television, and other media. Dinner will be off 181 campus 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Thursday 30

Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator Lacy Bentley is a survivor of exploitation and severe abuse and neglect as a child. A twenty- one-year sober alcoholic with 15 years free of anorexia, she is co-founder of A Change of Heart Foundation, a suicide prevention educator, and a volunteer for the Utah County Crisis line. Lacy believes in the power of God to heal any heart from catastrophic pain and suffering.

Timothy Ballard spent over a decade working as a special agent for the Department of Homeland Moroni 7:33 And Christ hath said: Security assigned to the Internet Crimes Against If ye will have faith in me ye shall Children Task Force and deployed as an have power to do whatsoever undercover operative for the U.S. Child Sex thing is expedient in me. Tourism Jump Team. He is the founder and CEO of Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). Mormonism is a gospel of faith and works. Come hear how one Ed Smart is a child safety advocate and president Lacy Bentley, Tim Ballard, Ed informs the other as speakers of the Surviving Parents Coalition. His advocacy 191 Faith in Action Smart, Jerry Gowen, Rebecca Saltair 8:00-10:00 (90) share the events and concepts began as a result of the abduction and return of his Katie Langston McHood that animate their religious lives: a daughter Elizabeth from their Utah home in 2002. little soul baring, a little spiritual Ed, along with other children’s safety advocates, journey, a little intellectual lobbied Congress and the Senate for passage of testimony bearing. This reflective the National Amber Alert plan, the Adam Walsh night is about how faith inspires Act, and the Protect our Children Act of 2008. action and how that action leads us closer to Christ. Plus spirited Jerry Gowen is the chief operating officer (COO) at congregational hymn singing! Operation Underground Railroad, responsible for development, IT, marketing, communications, donor relations, and partnerships. He earned an MBA at Washington State University in 2010 and was presented with the Chancellor’s Award for Student Achievement.

Rebecca McHood is the founder of International Sexual Exploitation Enemies United (ISEEUHope), a non-profit dedicated to awareness of and activism against the sex trade and sexual addiction. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

# Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator St. Paul's missionary years were not easy. There was trouble among the followers of "the Way" in Corinth—squabbling, back biting, and playing "holier than Frances Lee Menlove, PhD, M Div, was the first What Paul Teaches Us About thou." In his first letter to the Frances Menlove Saltair 8:15-8:45 manuscripts editor for Dialogue: A Journal of Stephen Carter 201 Tension Corinthians, Paul examines some Mormon Thought. criticial questions in a way that can help us modern-day followers navigate the daunting theological and social issues facing the contemporary Church. Continental 202 Breakfast by Ballroom 8:00-9:00 Signature Books The Mormon Genome Project was founded to test for Joseph Smith's progeny through DNA analysis. Specifically, MGP is testing descendants of Josephine Scott Rowley is a family law attorney from Mesa, Mormon Genome Project and Rosetta Lyon to prove whether Arizona. He is among the principal founders of Any Critique of Sexual Polyandry Scott Rowley TBA Saltair 9:00-10:00 (60) Brandt Malone 211 she was Joseph Smith's Opposed & Infants on Thrones, and the principal Apologetics biological daughter. This founder of Mormon Genome Project. presentation includes an analysis and critique of apologetics relating to Smith's relationship with the Lyon family. Alaina Hendricks is a BYU graduate in illustration. She has been a proud member of the board of trustees for Provo Pride since its inception in 2012 and a part of Affirmation and USGA.

Michael Timothy graduated from BYU with a BA in communications. He has been involved in many organizations addressing LGBT/LDS This panel will provide insight into intersectionality; including North Star, Affirmation, the lives and experiences of those USGA, and The Utah Pride Center. Alaina Hendricks, Michael who identify as both Mormon and Marian The Bisexual Mormon Mind Timothy, Cami Trujillo, and Crimson View 9:00-10:00 (60) 212 bisexual or biromantic. What kind Cami Trujillo decided one summer that she wasn't Edmonds Allen James D. Goates of experiences have developed going to kill herself before giving USGA a try. Now from that intersection? Cami is about to graduate from BYU and would like to remind everyone that raccoons are adorable.

James D. Goates is a pre-med student at BYU studying psychology and music. He grew up in a dual-religion household with an active Catholic mother and LDS father. In 2011, he joined the Understanding Same-Gender Attraction group at BYU. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

Laura Kipp is the youngest sister of two brothers who have autism, leading to many wonderful work and volunteer opportunities, including lobbying with the National Association for Mental Illness, and working with special-needs patients in psychiatric hospitals.

Lynn Parsons works as an educational diagnostician, evaluating children with disabilities and working to see that their needs are met in a public high school. She founded ldsdisabilitieshelp.com to help individuals with special needs, their families, and Church leaders to facilitate inclusive practices. This panel will discuss the experience of being Mormon and Jake Zollinger was a school psychologist for 36 autistic, as well as autism within years, working closely with many who have autism. Living as a Mormon with Laura Kipp, Lynn Parsons, Jake Collegiate 9:00-10:00 (60) Mormonism in general. Panel He was also a marriage and family counselor Laura Kipp 213 Autism Zollinger, Ryan Kipp, Daniel Kipp members are a mixture of those before retiring. He is a church history scholar and who either have autism long time participate in Sunstone. themselves or have studied it. Ryan Kipp is an lifelong Mormon with autism and other developmental disabilities. He volunteers at an animal shelter, the Bishop's Storehouse, and a local food bank. He has been a nursery worker and a helper in the 10-11-year-old-boys' Sunday school class.

Daniel Kipp has been diagnosed with high- functioning autism, attention deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and clinical depression. He has studied nursing and caregiving and will soon start studying psychology at Eastern Washington University. He plans to go into the field of neurofeedback. Rose Schulz-Jones is a political scientist, Asian scholar, fashion designer, former police officer, and human rights activist. This session focuses on how to

build up and celebrate the Brooke Swallow is a behavioral scientist with evolution of women as they find Being Mindful in Your Own interests in peace and justice studies. She is Crystal Scott, Brooke Swallow, meaning and express authenticity Evolution: A Panel Discussion Panorama East 9:00-10:00 (60) married with four small children and lives in Orem, Brooke Scott 214 Rose Schulz-Jones outside the orthodox foundation with Woman Evolving Utah. they were raised in, using the

cues around them to guide their Crystal Scott teaches biotechnology courses at the individualized paths. university level. She is heavily involved with LGTBQ rights, womens’ issues, and living mindfully. Women are strikingly absent from Jerilyn Hassell Pool is an accomplished digital the scriptures. Or are they? Using artist and comedienne, often combining the two The Real Housewives of satire, stories, and a little dose of into blog posts and social media events. She lives Jerilyn Hassell Pool Parlor A 9:00-10:00 (60) Sarah Collett 215 Zarahemla scripture, come listen to Jerilyn with her husband of 24 years in Southern Oregon Hassell Pool excavate stories of where she works as a freelance art director and women never before told. print publication specialist. Thoughtful and faithful middle eays are found in many of the Mark Crego is the global managing director of great religious traditions. After identity research, innovation, and practice for exploring the middle ways of Accenture. He is personally interested in interfaith The Middle Way that Goes Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism, Mark Crego West Ballroom 9:00-10:00 (60) dialogue and experiencing the many forms of Corey Philpot 216 Beyond Middle Ground and Episcopalianism, this Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and presentation will explore a Taoism. He has an understanding of written Koine uniquely LDS middle way identity Greek, Sanskrit, and classical Chinese. that is distinctly not “middle ground.” 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

"The Family: A Proclamation to the World" was first read to the women of the Church at the Nadine Hansen is an attorney practicing in Annual Women's Meeting in Southern Utah. September of 1995. In the years

following, the Proclamation has Greta Hobbs Twenty Years of the Nadine Hansen, Greta Hobbs, become a standard Mormon wall Panorama East 9:0-10:00 (60) Nancy Ross 217 Proclamation on the Family and Christian Anderson decoration, gone on to inspire Christian Anderson is a biostatistician and Primary songs, and been geneticist living near San Diego. He studied at referenced in marriage equality Stanford, UCSD, Harvard, and he has been legal briefs. This panel discusses attending Sunstone since the age of two. how the Proclamation has affected Mormon culture during the past two decades. Religious ritual is strange, but there is a method to its madness. The many forms it takes, from meditation to ecstatic dance, from the solemnity of the LDS endowment to ceremonies involving psychotropic drugs, all Dan Wotherspoon has a Ph.D. and is the host of 10:15-11:15 Why Ritual Makes Sense Dan Wotherspoon Saltair point toward a coherent vision of the Mormon Matters podcast. He is also the former Brian Whitney 221 (60) who we are and how this secret is editor of Sunstone Magazine. so easily obscured by our day-to- day experience. This session explores why ritual can lead participants to feel empowered with a greater sense of orientation and peace. Drawing upon scholarship from his recent book, Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness, Paul Reeve explores the ways in which outside observers W. Paul Reeve is the author of Religion of a racialized Mormons as not white Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for enough in the nineteenth century. Whiteness (Oxford, 2015). He also wrote Making From Not White Enough to Mormons responded by trying to Space on the Western Frontier: Mormons, Miners, 10:15-11:15 Too White: The Historical Paul Reeve Crimson View claim whiteness for themselves, and Southern Paiutes (2006) and co-edited two Mica McGriggs 222 (60) Evolution of a “Mormon Race” even at the expense of their own additional books. He is the director of graduate black converts. Reeve argues that studies in the history department at the University it is only in viewing Mormon of Utah where he teaches courses on Utah history, whiteness as a contested Mormon history, and the history of the U.S. West. variable, not an assumed fact, that a new paradigm emerges for understanding Mormonism's tortured relationship with blackness. Postpartum mood and anxiety disorders affect hundreds of thousands of women. In addition to providing a basic overview of PPMD, this session will explore how LDS culture currently makes it difficult for PPMD sufferers to Esther Dale is a Mormon feminist, postpartum Postpartum Depression and 10:15-11:15 seek help. We’ll also discuss mood and anxiety disorder survivor, advocate, and Esther Dale Collegiate Robin Linkhart 223 Beyond: An LDS Perspective (60) ways Church leadership, blogger at Through the Tunnel and Postpartum organizations, and members can Progress. promote PPMD education, combat its stigma, recognize its symptoms, and offer support to women and families who are surviving, or have survived, PPMD. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

The Mormon theology of a Heavenly Mother has been widely discussed as a transcendent and Marina Capella is a recently-minted pediatrician empowering doctrine, especially practicing at a community clinic in San Diego. She among Mormon feminists. While holds a BS from Stanford University, an MEd from we recognize this can be a Harvard, and an MD from UC San Diego. valuable paradigm for many, this panel will discuss some of its Christian Anderson is a genetic researcher Marina N. Capella, Christian Why I Don't Need Heavenly 10:15-11:15 implications. For example, what affiliated with UC San Diego and UC Irvine. He Anderson, Respondent: Janice Panorama East Edward Jones 224 Mother (60) does a heterosexual god-couple holds a BS from Stanford, an MS from the Scripps Allred imply for same-gender couples? Institution of Oceanography, and is approaching Would feminizing some attributes the world record for longest runup to a PhD. through a goddess figure impair the development of those traits in Janice Allred speaks and writes on theological men? Does eternal gender (and topics. She is the author of God the Mother and associated eternal attributes) Other Theological Essays abrogate hopes for egalitarian institutions? Mormonism has a unique relationship with adoption that culminates in the doctrine and ordinance of sealing. While powerful in its eternal implications, many of the root ideas surrounding this doctrine are problematic to the Christy Crowe Hughes is an adult adoptee who psychological, emotional, and was relinquished through LDS Family Services as physical health of persons an infant. Her formative years were spent in Japan Triangles of Shame: Adoption 10:15-11:15 Christy Crowe Hughes Parlor A involved in the adoption triangle: and Hawaii, where she lived as a minority. She Stephen Carter 225 within Mormonism (60) adoptee, birth parents and holds a BA in English from BYU and has worked adoptive parents. This paper as a special education instructor, publicist and identifies shame cycles specific to librarian. Mormon culture that impact adoption triangle identities and relationships; it also explores current social science theories that can aid and empower individuals, couples, and families to act in wisdom and order. Robert A. Rees is a scholar, poet, essayist, and In its “The Family: A Proclamation blogger. He teaches Mormonism at Graduate to the World,” the LDS Church Theological Union and the University of California, declares that “Gender is an Berkeley, and is a former editor of Dialogue: A essential characteristic of Journal of Mormon Thought. individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose.” Neca Allgood is a wife and mother of three of Robert A. Rees, Neca Allgood, What are the implication of this which Grayson Moore is middle child. Since he 10:15-11:15 Transmormons Sara Jade Woodhouse, and West Ballroom declaration for transgender transitioned at age 16, Grayson and Neca have Reed Russell 226 (60) Grayson Moore individuals? This session seeks to been active working with Equality Utah to extend bring clarity to the matter of non- non-discrimination protections to include sexual conforming gender identity and its orientation and gender identity. expression among Mormons, and to examine policy and practice Grayson Moore, age 20 is Female to Male within the Mormon community in transgender. Grayson is a Junior Math Major at the light of science and scripture. University of Utah and sings baritone in the Salt Lake LDS Institute Singers. Adam Fisher will soon be graduating with a Ph.D. in counseling psychology, with a minor in human This session will present research sexuality. He is training to become certified in sex on polyamory, discussing both its therapy and emotionally focused therapy for pitfalls and rewards, while offering couples, and writes for the blog The Other Poly: How a ways for interested individuals KinseyConfidential.org. Transitioning or Post-Mormon 10:15-11:15 and couples make ethical Adam Fisher and Mary Fisher East Ballroom Gina Colvin 227 Can Build an Ethical (60) decisions along the way. The Mary Fisher, CMHC is a psychotherapist in private Polyamorous Life session will also be of interest to practice in Salt Lake City, Utah. She specializes in monogamous individuals who attachment issues, infant-parent bonding simply want to better understand problems, sexuality, and helping families and those who are polyamorous. couples protect and nurture connection during faith transitions. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

The recent Gospel Topics essay "Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo" asserts that Joseph Smith received the revelation authorizing polygamy around 1831 and that "the revelation on plural marriage was not written down until 1843." However, the Clair Barrus has presented papers on a variety of 1843 version of the revelation topics at MHA, Sunstone and the Mormon Media The Plural Marriage 11:30-12:30 responds to contemporary events, Studies Symposium. He manages or participates in Clair Barrus Saltair Karen Smyth 231 Revelations of Joseph Smith (60) raising such questions as: How a number of blogs including Today-in-Mormon- much of the revelation came from History.blogspot.com, Withoutend.org and LDS- 1831 and how much was given in Church-History.blogspot.com 1843? Were there other revelations on the subject between those dates? This presentation reviews about a dozen additional revelations received by Joseph regarding plural marriage. Honesty is central to the Mormon experience. But in the Jeff Burton is the author of For Those Who Wonder borderlands, the questions get and the long-running "Braving the Borderlands" harder: How should we answer column in Sunstone. He is a life-long member of temple interview and worthiness the Church and has served in most local callings, questions? What do we tell family, including two missions, two stints as a bishop's D. Jeff Burton, neighbors, friends, and church counselor, and home teacher. 11:30-12:30 Honesty in the Borderlands Dan Wotherspoon Crimson View officials when they ask about our Stephen Carter 232 (60) TBA beliefs and feelings? How do we Dan Wotherspoon is host of the Mormon Matters deal with the internal podcast and editor of The Challenge of Honesty: psychological conflicts? This Essays for Latter-day Saints by Frances Lee session will explore these Menlove. A former editor of Sunstone magazine important issues and share the (2001–2008), Dan has a Ph.D. in religion from experiences of those who have Claremont Graduate University. confronted tests of honesty. Amber Whiteley is a doctoral student in counseling psychology at the University of Utah.

Jacob Newman is a second-year master's student This session features a panel in TESOL at BYU-Provo. discussion by the founders and

organizers of the website I'm a David Pearson recently graduated with a master's Amber Whitely, Jacob Newman, Mormon Feminist. They will Mormon Feminsts: A New 11:30-12:30 degree in communication from Northern Arizona Katrine Shelton David Pearson, Jamie Pearson, Collegiate discuss the psychological, social, 233 Generation (60) University. Judd Paula Baker familial, and communicative

implications of the website and its Jamie Pearson is a family science graduate of goals while placing it in the Brigham Young University. context of Mormon feminism.

Paula Baker has degrees in sociology and criminal justice. She is an instructor at the University of Phoenix. The session will explore tenets of minority allyship. How can one be a good ally? How can we speak about behaviors and language Hilary Brown studies English at the University of 11:30-12:30 that are exclusionary? How can Utah. She is a disability rights activist with Inclusivity and Allyship Hilary Brown East Ballroom Anya Tinajero 234 (60) we become more inclusive and particular interest in disability access in the activist less defensive when called out? community. Generally, how can we be more helpful and welcoming to those who often feel unwelcome? 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

This presentation will explore how faith transitions impact individuals, couples, and families. How can faith transitions be both Standing Outside the Circle: Verlyne Christensen is a psychologist in private 11:30-12:30 a detriment and a benefit to The Impact on the Self, Verlyne Christensen Parlor A practice who researches feminism, religion, Bill Reel 235 (60) personal growth, relationships, Couple, and Family relationships, and parenting. and parenting? Practical suggestions for creating a space where multi-belief relationships can flourish will be offered. Katie Langston is pursuing dual masters degrees in marriage and family therapy and theology at St. Mary's University of Minnesota and Luther Seminary in the Twin Cities. She is a blogger for Feminist Mormon Housewives.

Few concepts are as foundational Robin Linkhart serves in the office of Seventy for to world religions as sin. But what Community of Christ, assigned to the Western Katie Langston, Lutheran is sin? Is it a violation of eternal USA Mission Field. She is president of the Sixth perspective law? A heart turned in on itself? Quorum of Seventy. Robin Linkhart, Community of Behaviors that create negative

All Fall Short: An Interfaith Christ perspective 11:30-12:30 karma? An action? A state of West Ballroom Caru Das Adikhary is the president and founder of Paul Malan 236 Panel on Sin Caru Das Adikhary, Hare Krishna (60) being? This interfaith panel will the Krishna temples in Spanish Fork and Salt Lake (Hindu) perspective, explore sin from a variety of City. A Hindu and Vedic priest, he performs Mormon perspective Fatimah S. theological perspectives and will marriages, housewarmings, and birth ceremonies Salleh tackle not only what sin IS, but mostly for the Indian community. what people of faith are supposed

to do about it. Fatimah S. Salleh earned a PhD in mass communication at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently earning a masters of divinity at Duke University. She is the daughter of an African-American father and a Puerto-Rican and Malaysian mother. This presentation draws on scripture, the teachings of Church leaders (such as President Uchtdorf's general conference address encouraging diversity), and scholarship (such as Christopher Bradford is a co-founder and board Standing Apart: Mormon member of the Mormon Transhumanist Assocation Of One Heart and Mind: Unity 11:30-12:30 Jennifer Huss Christopher Bradford East Ballroom Historical Consciousness and the and VP of engineering for Ancestry. Chrstopher 237 and Pluralism in Mormonism (60) Basquiat Concept of Apostasy) to examine has a degree from Brigham Young University in the creative tension between unity linguistics. and diversity within Mormonism and to propose a model for thinking about a pluralistic unity for Mormonism as it moves forward. Creator of the Brother Jake video Jake Frost has a master's degree in series, Jake Frost turns his analytics/applied statistics from North Carolina sardonic lens onto Sunstone. This State University and works as an analyst for LUNCH 12:30- session will debut a Brother Jake Brother Jake Does Sunstone Jake Frost Saltair Community Care of North Carolina. He started the Thayne Forbes 241 2:00a video specifically about the Brother Jake series almost two years ago, and a Sunstone organization, mixed little over a year ago started podcasting with with a few other Brother Jake Infants on Thrones. classics. Lunch will be in 242 the cafeteria Union Cafeteria 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

Dan Wotherspoon is the former editor of Sunstone magazine and host of the Mormon Matters podcast.

Gina Colvin is a member of the Executive Board of ordain women and a lecturer at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand where she lectures on the sociology of education. Gina hosts the podcast 'A Thoughtful Faith' and blogs at KiwiMormon where she doesn't hesitate to share her thoughts about what it means to be a part of an increasingly Americentric, white, colonial, patriarchal church.

Mitch Mayne is an openly gay, active Latter-day Saint who recently served as the executive secretary in a San Francisco bishopric. He is a national voice on Mormon LGBT issues, focusing especially on improving the health, mental health, Gina Colvin, Mitch Mayne, Ken and well-being of Mormon LGBT youth in the Dan Why We Stay Driggs, Kalani Tonga, and Saltair 2:00-3:30 (90) context of their faith. 251 Wotherspoon Fatimah S. Salleh Ken Driggs, a criminal defense lawyer in Atlanta, has written extensively about Mormon and legal history topics, including several articles about Fundamentalist Mormons. He is the author of Evil Among Us: The Texas Mormon Missionary Murders (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2000)

Kalani Tonga is a lifelong member of the Church. She is an active Mormon single mother of five children who helped found the FEMWOC blog for Mormon women of color; she is half Swedish and half Tongan, she started her college career at the University of Utah but graduated from BYU.

Fatimah S. Salleh earned a PhD in mass communication at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and is currently earning a masters of divinity at Duke University. She is the daughter of an African-American father and a Puerto-Rican and Malaysian mother. Many critics of Mormonism assert that Joseph Smith invented the First Vision and then deliberately Robert A. Rees teaches Mormon Studies at Joseph Smith’s First Vision: altered the details in subsequent Graduate Theological Union and UC Berkeley. He 261 Imagery, Neurology, and the Robert A. Rees Saltair 3:45-4:45 (60) retellings over the years so as to has authored or co-authored a number of articles Bill Reel Construction of Memory mislead his followers. This paper, on the importance of the heart in human based on textual analysis and experience. neurology, posits an alternative explanation. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

Gina Colvin is a member of the Executive Board of ordain women and a lecturer at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand where she lectures on the sociology of education. Gina hosts the podcast 'A Thoughtful Faith' and blogs at KiwiMormon where she doesn't hesitate to share her thoughts about what it means to be a part of an increasingly Americentric, white, colonial, patriarchal church.

Bryndis Roberts Is a member of the Ordain Women executive board, and is an adult convert to FEMWOC is a Mormon-themed the LDS Church from the Black Baptist faith. She is Gina Colvin, Bryndis Roberts, blog that started in 2015 an attorney and has her own firm – Jenkins & FEMWOC: Women of Color Katrine Shelton Jennifer Gonzalez, Natasha Crimson View 3:45-4:45 (60) highlighting the voices of women Roberts LLC – where her law partner is her ex- 262 Crash the Bloggernacle Party Judd Smith, and Kalani Tonga of color in the church. Come learn husband, who also happens to be her best friend. about the women behind it all. Jennifer Gonzalez is an information designer, immigrant rights advocate, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder of Torchlight Legal, a non-profit/tech startup, that is developing a platform to crowdsource research and resources in support of asylum seekers.

Natasha Smith TBA

Kalani Tonga is a lifelong member of the Church. She is a liberal feminist but also an active Mormon; she is half Swedish and half Tongan, she started her college career at the University of Utah but graduated from BYU. While most white Mormons today would never think to tell a black Mormon that he or she will become "white and delightsome" in the next life if righteous enough, how many would tell their LGBT brother and sisters they Andrew Spriggs is so white and delightsome that White & Delightsome on the can become heterosexual and/or he has more than once been called out on his Straight & Narrow: The gender-conforming in the next straight, white male privilege. He irregularly blogs Intersection of Mormon George Andrew Spriggs Collegiate 3:45-4:45 (60) life? Spriggs, a fringe black Nancy Ross 263 at Irresistible (Dis)Grace and Wheat & Tares. He Heteronormativity, Race Mormon, shares how he came to moderates the Sunstone-sponsored Facebook Respectability, and ... Grace? appreciate "white and group, the Mormon Hub. delightsome" theology as a compassionate, grace-full (though misguided) response to the social reality of race in America. He argues that its loss is a backward step for Mormon racial understandings. Tom Kimball is the marketing director for Signature This paper explores stories about Books William Law—Joseph Smith’s one-time second counselor who became co-editor of the Nauvoo Expositor. These sometimes D. Michael Quinn (Ph.D., history, Yale University) History Derailed: William Law Tom Kimball and D. Michael dubious narratives, such as those is an Affiliated Scholar at the University of Panorama East 3:45-4:45 (60) Katie Langston 264 and his Detractors. Quinn found among the descendants of Southern California’s Center for Feminist Charles Stoddard, serve to Research. He has been a full-time researcher and elevate the family's status by writer, a professor of history at Brigham Young disparaging Law who quickly University, and a visiting professor of history became a villain after the death of (2002-03) at Yale. His accolades include Best the Prophet. Book awards from the American Historical Association and the Mormon History Association. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

The question of why some people become disaffected with Mormonism while others do not is the source of frequent, heated Steven Garff is a practicing attorney specializing in Why Some Leave and Others debate. This presentation will business litigation. He received his JD from UCLA Stay: An Explanatory Steven Garff Parlor A 3:45-4:45 (60) compare the most common Lisa Butterworth 265 School of Law and a BA in philosophy from the Hypothesis explanations with alternatives University of Utah. inspired by contemporary scientific research on relationship stability by John Gottman and others. Clearly, testimony plays a central role in Mormonism. Does it play an epistemic role? And if so, what is it? Is this role justified? This paper will argue that the primary R. Dennis Potter is an associate professor of role for testimony in Mormonism philosophy and Associate Director of Religious Testimony and Disagreement is deference to the testimonies of Studies at Utah Valley University. He is a founding R. Dennis Potter West Ballroom 3:45-4:45 (60) Corey Philpot 266 in Mormonism the Church leadership. I will argue member of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and that this role for testimony in Theology as well as author of dozens of articles on religious belief is not justified from Mormon theology and philosophy. a philosophical point of view. To make my case I will give a brief tour of some recent work in the epistemology of testimony. LDS racial histories have mostly viewed the racial narratives in the Joseph Smith translation of the Bible and the Book of Abraham in relation to their publication and reception rather than Joseph Smith’s acts of constructing and Ryan Stuart Bingham is a master's student in Racial Curses and Marks in dictating them. Joseph Smith religious studies at the University of Chicago Hannah Joseph Smith's Scriptural Ryan Stuart Bingham East Ballroom 3:45-4:45 (60) 267 based these narratives on his Divinity School. He is principally interested in Wheelwright Texts understandings of the curse of Joseph Smith's scriptural texts. Ham myth and its Cain-theory variant, proposing his own solutions to the problems facing these racial myths, constructing them as explanations of providential history. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

Jennifer Huss Basquiat is a professor of anthropology at the College of Southern Nevada. She earned her PhD in cultural studies and has been conducting fieldwork within the plural community of Centennial Park for the past five years.

Anne Wilde is co-founder of Principle Voices, co- author of Voices in Harmony: Contemporary The prevailing belief among Women Celebrate Plural Marriage, and an active mainstream Mormons seems to advocate of polygamy among consenting adults. be that those who practice

polygamy have been Kevin Kraut was born and raised in the mainstream brainwashed into doing so by Jennifer Huss Basquiat (Chair) LDS Church and has been an independent insular communities. But what of Mormonism Beyond the Anne Wilde fundamentalist Mormon for over 20 years. He is those whose journeys led them Jennifer Huss Mainstream: Practicing Kevin Kraut Saltair 5:00-6:30 (90) the son of the author Ogden Kraut, and owner of 271 through the mainstream LDS Basquiat Celestial Marriage on Earth Christine Mackley Pioneer Publishing. Church into the practice of Stan Shepp polygamy? This panel will Christine Mackley was born and raised in the address these faithful members mainstream LDS Church. She was a member of who are “doing” Mormonism the Apostolic United Brethren (a fundamentalist outside of the confines of the Mormon group) for about 15 years, during which mainstream church. time she held many teaching and leadership positions.

Stan Shepp was born in Pennsylvania to a Catholic mother and a Lutheran father, and raised Catholic. He converted to the mainstream LDS Church in 1989 and studied Mormon fundamentalism extensively before becoming joining the Centennial Park community. David Conley Nelson earned his Ph.D. in history Fifteen years ago, David Conley from Texas A&M in 2012. He wrote his doctoral Nelson wrote about LDS Church dissertation on the LDS Church in Nazi Germany. collaboration in Nazi Germany, winning the Juanita Brooks Award Lavina Fielding Anderson, Ph.D., was the editor of for the best graduate student the Journal of Mormon History in 2000. pape from the Mormon History David Conley Nelson, author. Association. His research Robert A. Rees, Ph.D., is the second cousin, two

became his doctoral dissertation, generations removed, of Alfred C. Rees, a Author Meets Critics: Moroni Lavina Fielding Anderson, and, this year, a monograph controversial Mormon mission president in Berlin Lavina Fielding and the Swastika: Mormons in moderator. Crimson View 5:00-6:30 (90) 272 published by the University of during the peacetime National Socialist era. Anderson Nazi Germany Oklahoma Press. This panel, Will Bagley, Kevin Jones, and including members of the Journal Will Bagley, a 2014 Fellow of the Utah State Bob Rees, commentators. of Mormon History's past Historical Society, is the author and editor of more executive committee, will discuss than twenty books on Mormonism and Western the evolution from paper to book, Americana. and how it deals with the memory of a controversial period in Kevin Jones, J.D., is a Salt Lake City attorney and Church history. a longtime participant in Sunstone and Mormon History Association conferences.

The main assumption of Rational Mica McGriggs is a PhD candidate in counseling Emotive Behavioral Therapy is psychology at Brigham Young University. Her that humans have inherent value. clinical training has primarily been in Rational Doctrine and Covenants 18:10 The Worth of Souls is Great: Emotive Behavior Therapy. teaches that the worth of souls is How the theory of an atheist great in the sight of God. But Sally Calkins supports the gospel of Jesus Joshua Madson Panorama East 5:00-6:30 (90) Tristin Roney is completing a Ph.D. in counseling 273 often aspects of LDS doctrine Jex Christ in promoting psychology at BYU. He received a master’s degree have been used to accuse and psychological well-being. in contemplative psychology from Naropa shame. This presentation will use University in 2012. A 2nd Lieutenant in the Air REBT to explore how re- Force, he plans to work as an Air Force conceptualization can promote psychologist in 2016. healing. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

For several generations, a canonical mischaracterization of God the Father has blinded Latter-day Saints to God the Mother, altered perceptions of the relationship between the mind/spirit and body, and fostered Apollo and Dionysus: The Jimmy Jones is a recent graduate of the University the political conservatism Reconciliation of Our Jimmy Jones Parlor A 5:00-6:30 (90) of Washington. He blogs at Mormon Press and is a Kalani Tonga 274 ascendant in Mormonism. This Heavenly Parents contributor to Blackpast.org. paper deals with the disparity between the concept of deity currently dominating Latter-day Saint conversation and the concept presented in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine & Covenants. Recently, students of Mormonism have written about teachings and policies Joseph Smith introduced (beyond temple rituals and Book Michael W. Homer practices law in Salt Lake City. The Restoration Imperative: of Mormon themes) which have He has published numerous articles in the fields of Parallel Worlds of Mormonism Michael W. Homer West Ballroom 5:00-6:30 (90) Bill McGee 275 Masonic associations. This paper law and Mormonism, and is the editor of On the and Freemasonry will discuss these concepts and Way to Somewhere. how these aspects probably reflect Joseph Smith’s “restoration imperative”. This panel will discuss the activities of Sara Burlingame, a faith organizer in Wyoming, particularly her work leading up to the 2015 legislative session that Sara Burlingame has worked in religious education saw the narrow defeat of the non- and faith organizing for the last decade. She is a The State of Queer Activism in Sara Burlingame, Troy Williams, discrimination bill in Wyoming. rising national voice on interfaith engagement and Marion East Ballroom 5:00-6:30 (90) 276 Zion Sharon Groves, James Dabakis Sara will discuss her interactions the need for deep dialogue to create a better Edmunds Allen with Catholic, Evangelical, and national conversation on topics such as faith, race, Mormon faith leaders, what she and LGBTQ issues. learned about the state of discourse in those denominations, and how her own biases came to bear on the dialogue. 281 Dinner Saltair 6:30-8:00 282 Bowling and Billiards Bento Truck PATIO FOOD TRUCKS Saturday's Waffle Pricing $7.00 (average) Waffles and waffle fries Accepts cards and cash Food Cartel Band: The Swinging Lights 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Friday 31

Michael Ferguson is a research fellow for the Human Neuroscience Institute at Cornell University. His neuro-medical research focuses on pattern analysis in the human brain. He is working to develop clinical markers for psychiatric diagnosis and care that are based on direct imaging of the human brain.

Dr. Ferguson was born and raised in northern Virginia, where he attended a science and technology high school that put him on an early track to becoming a nerd. He completed his The Religious Brain Project Dr. Michael Adam Ferguson Saltair 8:00-10:00 (90) MISSING 291 bachelor's of science in biochemistry at Brigham Young University and his doctorate in bioengineering at the University of Utah, where he was a founding investigator for The Religious Brain Project, exploring the biology of personal religious ecstasy.

He and his husband, J. Seth Anderson, were the first same-sex couple to be legally married by the state of Utah on December 20, 2013. They are the proud parents of two pet rats, Amber and Bernadette. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

# Session Title: Presenter(s) Name: Room Time Abstract Bios: Moderator 301 Devotional, Glory Robert A. Rees Saltair 8:15-9:15 Glory is a central concept in Mor Robert A. Rees is a scholar, poet, essayist and blo Continental Breakfast 302 presented by Ballrroom 8:00-9:00 Signature Books John P. Dehlin recently received his PhD in clinical/counseling psychology from Utah State University. He is the creator of several Mormon- themed podcasts, blogs, and websites, including In this session, FMH podcaster the Mormon Stories podcast. Lindsay Hansen-Park will host a

Turning the Mic on John: A Mormon Stories interview with John Dehlin, Lindsay Hansen Lindsay Hansen-Park is a women’s rights activist, Micah Celebration of 10 Years of Saltair 9:00-10:00 (60) John Dehlin about his most recent 311 Park a feminist blogger, and an advocate against Nickolaisen Mormon Stories Mormon story: being gender violence. She is the assistant director for excommunicated from the LDS the Sunstone Education Foundation and the Church. founder of the Feminist Mormon Housewives Podcast; her work has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, NPR, the Los Angeles Times, and many Utah publications. Ellen Koester serves as the event and project manager, and conference co-chair for Affirmation. She is studying political science with the goal of becoming a civil rights lawyer.

Kristen Cardon is finishing an MA in English at BYU and spending most of her free time working with the BYU Women's Studies program. She will be starting a PhD at UCLA in the fall, studying This panel features queer 20th-century British literature, queer theory, and Mormon women from various film. levels of church involvement and Brianna Cluck, Ellen Koester, various places on the spectrum of Chelsea Gibbs is just finishing up a master's Kristen Cardon, Chelsea Gibbs, sexual or romantic orientation. degree in film studies at USC after receiving a Jerilyn Hassell Queer Mormon Women Crimson View 9:00-10:00 (60) 312 Megan Howarth, Jessica They will offer insights into the bachelor's degree in media arts studies from BYU. Pool Swenson diverse experiences of people She is a regular attendee at Los Angeles inhabiting the intersection Affirmation meetings. between Mormonism, LGBTQIA+ experience, and feminism. Megan Howarth is asexual and aromantic and enjoys participating in feminist and LGBTQIA+ activism. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, watching Netflix, and playing with cats.

Jessica Swenson has served in USGA leadership in multiple positions, most recently as the director of Women of USGA. As director of WUSGA, she was dedicated to creating a safe space for women and gender non-conforming students of BYU. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

As traditional Christian denominations fail to offer relevance to an increasing number of young people, the proportion of the unchurched “nones”—those who answer “none” in surveys of religious affiliation—continues to rise within John C. Hamer grew up in the LDS Church and the developed world. now serves as pastor (or presiding elder) of the Church for the Unchurched: Nevertheless, studies of downtown Toronto congregation of his church. A The Case for Non-Dogmatic John Hamer Collegiate 9:00-10:00 (60) Millennials show a generation far Brian Whitney 313 past president of the John Whitmer Historical Religion in the 21st Century more concerned with purpose- Association, John is co-author of Community of driven actions and a desire for Christ: An Illustrated History. meaning-filled lives than its predecessors. Can any organized religion appeal to a generation which increasingly identifies as “spiritual but not religious”? And, if so, what might Millennials stand to lose and to gain by participating? This presentation will review some studies about how religious communities can both help and hinder healing from sexual abuse. Amber Whiteley is a doctoral student in counseling It will focus on apects specific to LDS Sexual Abuse Survivors: psychology at the University of Utah. She is one of LDS survivors, and what the Stephanie A Look into the Healing Amber Whiteley Panorama East 9:00-10:00 (60) the proud founders of Mormonfeminist.org and 314 Church has done to address Newton Azorr Process continues to run the site along with its various sexual assault victims. We will social media outreaches. also discuss the LDS community's unique culture and how it may impact the healing process. This presentation is a reflection on my encounters with Latter-day Saint sexual mores through Mormon theology's expansive view of embodiment, procreation, and desire. I weigh these Tyler Chadwick is a doctoral candidate in English encounters against my readerly at Idaho State University and has taught literature "I Took This to Mean": desires, my family relationships, and writing for Idaho State and Brigham Young Poetry’s Communal Moment Sara Tyler Chadwick Parlor A 9:00-10:00 (60) and my experience with specific University–Idaho. He writes about Mormon poetry, 315 and the Virtues of Textual McClausland poems by American poets Lucille poets, and poetics online at fireinthepasture.org Intimacy Clifton, Sharon Olds, Walt and about Mormon literature and culture at Whitman, Allen Ginsberg, and motleyvision.org. Javen Tanner. The result is a mosaic showing how these influences have shaped my understanding of Mormonism, eroticism, and literature. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

Jennifer Gonzalez is an information designer, immigrant rights advocate, and social entrepreneur. She is the founder of Torchlight Legal, a non-profit/tech startup, that is developing a platform to crowdsource research and resources in support of asylum seekers.

The panel will raise questions Carlos Saavedra joined the immigrant rights about the LDS community’s movement as a teenager after migrating from Peru engagement with immigration to Boston, eventually playing a major role in debates and share personal Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Carlos narratives from the front lines of founded Movement Mastery which helps people the political, legal, and working toward social justice to experience humanitarian battlefront. The Jennifer Gonzalez, Azul Uribe, transformational insights in their causes and gain Immigration & Mormon founders of Torchlight Legal will Carlos Saavedra, Joseph West Ballroom 9:00-10:00 (60) the necessary skills to organize their communities. Jen Blair 316 Humanitarian Perspectives discuss how they are applying Wheeler Silicon Valley innovation to the Joseph Wheeler is the co-founder and CEO of legal needs of asylum seekers. Torchlight Legal, an experienced entrepreneur, Two leaders in the immigrant and an avid storyteller. Joseph received his BA in youth movement will share how history and Spanish language and literature from they are training young people in the University of Maryland at College Park. the U.S. and Mexico to lead the

fight for legal reform. Azul Uribe is a youth immigrant activist originally from Cancun, Mexico. As an undocumented childhood immigrant to the United States, she is bi- national in spirit, but not on paper. In 2009, Azul was forced to return to Mexico and now resides in Merida. Azul now advocates for returnees in Mexico. During the 20008 presidential campaign, Barack Obama’s pastor, Jeremiah Wright, was “exposed” as a radical and “un- American” when Fox News broadcast his statement: “It’s not William Russell is widely published in Mormon God bless America, it’s God Studies, including his book Homosexual damn America!” For some In Defense of Rev. Jeremiah Saints:The Community of Christ Experience (John Katrine Shelton William Russell East Ballroom 9:00-10:00 (60) Americans, that statement was 317 Wright Whitmer Books, 2008). He is past president of both Judd enough to disqualify Obama for the Mormon History Association and the John the presidency. However, this Whitmer Historical Association. paper will defend Rev. Wright as a spokesman in the tradition of the Hebrew prophets, and contend that Latter-day Saints, and all Christians, can learn from him. Violence against women in Mexico is an everyday reality; they suffer from it beginning at a very young age. There is great need for a conversation about Mormon feminism in Mexico, how Anya Tinajero, lives in Mexico and is a feminist in Beyond an American Church: 10:15-11:15 it affects the women there, and eternal construction. She is co-founder of Anya Tinajero Saltair Sarah Collett 321 Mormon Feminism in Mexico (60) how we as Saints can broaden Mormonas Feministas, has an MD in population the discussion to include our development and a BA in international relations. brothers and sisters around the world. This presentation takes a closer look at intersectional feminism and the Mormon Church in Mexico. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

S. Mark Barnes is on the Ordain Women executive board, serving as male ally chair and treasurer. He is also on the Mormons for ERA board of directors. Mark is an attorney and educator.

Chelsea Shields Strayer is a PhD candidate at This is a panel discussion on the Boston University in both cultural and biological history of Mormons and the Equal anthropology. A Mormon feminist activist, she has Rights Amendment. It will feature Mormons and the Equal S. Mark Barnes, Chelsea Shields 10:15-11:15 led demonstrations, organizations, and lobbying Crimson View discussion on the current state of Kalani Tonga 322 Rights Amendment Strayer, Anissa Rasheta (60) efforts on behalf of religious gender equality. She the ERA, and how some is a TED Fellow and speaks regularly on evolution, Mormons are planning to push religion, and gender. toward its enactment.

Anissa Rasheta is on the Mormons for ERA board of directors. She is also a leader in the AZ WAVE group and Arizona chair for CARE advocacy, an international non-profit. She is working on a bachelor's degree in sociology at ASU. Anissa has been married for 11 years and is a mother of three. From his childhood in Sicily as a Catholic altar boy through his latter days as a Mormon “saint,” Caldiero recalls his passion for performance and for the sensual Alex Caldiero is Artist-Poet in Residence at Utah liturgical marriage of physical Valley University. He is included in “A Dictionary of space—the church or temple the Avant-gardes” and has received grants from "Some Love": A Plunge Deep proper—with bodily space. This the National Endowment for the Arts as well as the into the Scramble of Human 10:15-11:15 ritualized confluence of Alex Caldiero Collegiate Utah Performing Arts Tour. He is the recipient of 323 Emotions with (60) architectural structure, human awards from the Association for Mormon Letters a Poet-sonosopher bodies, images, movements, and the SLC Mayors for Literary Arts. Recent smells, and sounds affects him as publications include “Sonosuono,” “Illegible much today as it did in the past. It Tattoos,” and “Poetry is Wanted Here!” is this visceral memory of religious ritual that keeps him striving for a poetic creation and richness that achieves a depth of meaning. The sixth article of faith reads, "We believe in the same organization that existed in the primitive church..." History shows Bill McGee is a lifelong student of religion and that women held a variety of history. He studied education and English literature ecclesiastical offices in the early at Brigham Young University, Kennesaw State Christian church—such as The Ordination of Women in 10:15-11:15 University, and Clemson University. Bill travels Christa Baxter Bill McGee Panorama East deacon, priest, and bishop—and 324 the Early Christian Church (60) around the globe for Cisco Systems as a network Drake that these women were ordained and Internet security specialist, and currently to such offices. This paper will serves as chair of the Sunstone Education examine the role of women in the Foundation. early Christian church, the leadership roles they held, and the movements that eventually drove them from office. This paper analyzes the gendered cosmology of Mormon doctrine and the historical importance placed on the family. It examines how the Church's commitment to traditional gender Katherine Crabtree has a bachelors degree in roles has influenced (and has For My Sisters in Zion: sociology from the University of Washington 10:15-11:15 been influenced by) secular Perceptions from a Prodigal Katherine Crabtree Parlor A (magna cum laude). In 2015, she was a JD Julia Hamilton 325 (60) American society—such as the Daughter candidate at the University of Washington School Church's influence on the Equal of Law. Rights Amendment and Proposition 8—and the impacts these gender roles have on the mental health of Latter-day Saint women, particularly those who identify as LGBT. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

With our stories and experiences, we create frameworks through which we filter everything we see, hear, and do. Understanding how Victor has studied artificial intelligence, human our mind develops and processes factors, and computational systems for over 20 Which God is Mine? "frameworks" can help us 10:15-11:15 years. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Hannah Modifying Frameworks, Victor Walker West Ballroom understand and navigate 326 (60) computer science from BYU and a master's degree Wheelwright Animating Faith changing faith. It can also help us from NTU with an emphasis in intelligent systems understand how our foundational design. stories of God, church, prophets, and what it means to be a "good person" can produce such different Mormon experiences. 10:15-11:15 MOVIE -FreeTown Stephen Carter East Ballroom MISSING MISSING 327 (60) Verlyne Christensen, MSc is a psychologist in private practice. She has written and conducted research on various topics including feminism, This presentation will address the religion, relationships and parenting. emergence of feminist

consciousness and the Natasha Helfer Parker, MS, LCMFT, is a clinical Mormon Mental Health: Living experience of feminist women in a Verlyne Christensen, Natasha 11:30-12:30 member of the American Association of Marriage & Sara a Life of Paradox and Saltair patriarchal religion. Within the 331 Helfer Parker (60) Family Therapists (currently serving as president of McClausland Personal Growth context of human development, it the Kansas Chapter), the American Association of will also address the challenges Sexual Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, and personal growth arising from and the Mormon Mental Health Association living a life of paradox. (founder and current president). She runs The Mormon Therapist blog and the Mormon Mental Health podcast series. This presentation explores the narrative strategies that characterize Joseph Smith's readings, or “translations,” of Bible stories (the Book of Mormon, a New Translation, the Susan Staker lives on Whidbey Island in Book of Abraham, temple rituals, Washington State where she reads, writes, environing revelations). Joseph as Reader: Bible 11:30-12:30 gardens, rides the ferry, and walks her dog. In past Susan Staker Crimson View Characters evolve and change in Roy Schmidt 332 Stories and Mormon Religion (60) lives, she did editorial work for Adobe Systems, these transformed stories, and Signature Books, and Sunstone. She studied Joseph himself becomes a narrative theory at the University of Utah. character, re-enacting the plot as his friends follow. Understanding how theology is belatedly spun from these dramas is a first step in any approach to the Mormon story. This paper identifies three events in 1970: the Church's massive priesthood correlation effort in 1972; the Church’s opposition to the Equal Rights movement and subsequent excommunication of Karen Smyth is a PhD candidate in American Mormon ERA advocate Sonia studies at Saint Louis University. Her dissertation, Johnson; and the lifting of the “All Men Regardless of Race”: "Errand of Angels: Gender, Sexuality, and 11:30-12:30 priesthood ban on men of African Gender, Race, and the Karen Smyth Collegiate Feminism in the Mormon Church, 1972–2014" is in Brooke Scott 333 (60) descent in June 1978. Though Church, 1972–1982 progress. She is a NeverMo MoFem and has been these three chapters of history studying gender and feminism in the LDS Church have not previously been studied for 10 years. in direct conversation with each other, I argue that they were crucial in setting the stage for how the modern Church manages and understands race, sexuality, and gender. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

Recent research has demonstrated that the Latter-day Saint community (especially along the Wasatch Front) has developed an unhealthy culture of Michael J. Stevens is a management professor passive-aggression. What can be Beyond Passive Aggression: and department chair at Weber State University 11:30-12:30 done about this? Rather than Creating a Culture of Michael J. Stevens Panorama East where he teaches and conducts research in the Corey Philpot 334 (60) focusing on the dysfunction, this Collaboration areas of organizational behavior and leadership. paper will present a variety of He also serves on the Sunstone board of directors. concrete steps, learnable skills, and case studies that show us ways to develop healthy collaborative norms in LDS culture. Latter-day Saints are frequently Rose Schulz-Jones is a political scientist, Asian taught that the first scholar, fashion designer, former police officer, and commandment God gave to human rights activist. Adam and Eve was to “be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the Brooke Swallow is a behavioral scientist with an earth” (Genesis 1:28). Psalm interest in peace and justice studies. She enjoys 127:3 declares, “Children are a talking about interfaith dialogue, sustainable Be Fruitful and Multiply: The Crystal Scott, Rose Schulz- 11:30-12:30 heritage of the Lord." Many development, human rights, and Mormon studies. Intersection of Faith and Jones, Parlor A Thayne Forbes 335 (60) Church leaders have taught that She lives her husband and four small children in Foundational Belief Brooke Swallow those who are physically able Orem, Utah. have the sacred responsibility to bear and raise children. However, Crystal Scott teaches biotechnology courses at the many Mormons still practice birth university level. She loves teaching, photography, control. This presentation will and being a mom. She is heavily involved with examine conventional and LGTBQ rights, womens’ issues, and living alternative birth control methods. mindfully. This presentation will examine Danielle Christensen is pursuing a master's degree Utah women’s declining in community leadership (focusing on women's graduation rates and analyze how leadership) at Westminster College. She is LDS culture impacts both the interested in how gender inequality plays out in decisions women make and their conservative communities. ability to make them. Beginning Expectations, Life Events, and Danielle Christensen, Erin 11:30-12:30 with a historical context, the Efficacy: The Utah Women's West Ballroom Erin Jensen is a PhD student at the University of Julia Hamilton 336 Jensen (60) presentation will focus on 1) how Education Gap Utah studying education, culture, society/rhetoric, this dynamic translates into the and composition. Her research interests include lived experiences of women, 2) the benefits of support groups for marginalized the barriers and social support Mormon women in higher education and the Utah women face, and 3) an experiences of marginalized groups in higher asset-based approach that can education. empower women. 11:30-12:30 Movie: Freetown Stephen Carter East Ballroom MISSING MISSING 337 (60) Mormon Food 2: Electric LUNCH 12:30- This is an encore presentation Boogaloo Encore Jerilyn Pool Saltair 341 2:00a from session 171, Presentation, Lunch Food 342 Trucks PATIO Rubadue's Saucy Skillet ) Pricing: $9.75 (average price for sandwich, drink, side, and dessert.) Foods: Bacon lettuce tomato PATIO sandwiches, pulled pork, mac 'n' cheese (Lots of variety listed, mainly sandwiches on the limited menu.) Accepts cards and cash Bento Truck PATIO 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

Saturday's Waffle Pricing $7.00 (average) PATIO Waffles and waffle fries Accepts cards and cash Neylan McBaine's recent book, Women At Church: Magnifying LDS Women's Local Impact, explores ways in which the Janice Allred is the author of God the Mother and Church can better use the talents Other Theological Essays of women and include them more

Mormon Women's Forum: fully in local congregations Margaret Toscano is an associate professor of Women and the Church: Janice Allred, Margaret Toscano, without ordaining them to Jennifer Saltair 2:00-3:30 (90) classics and comparative studies at the University 351 Addressing LDS Feminist and Cynthia Robbins Newman priesthood offices or changing Gonzalez of Utah Concerns anything in the structure of

Church governance. This panel Cynthia Robbins Newman is a feminist who serves will discuss the ideas in as her ward's Relief Society President. McBaine's book, exploring the question, "Can feminist concerns be met without priesthood ordination?" Scott Rowley is a family law attorney from Mesa, Arizona. He is among the principal founders of Any Opposed and the principal founder of Mormon Genome Project.

Glenn Ostlund studied Mormon folklore at Indiana University, and came half a dissertation away from finishing a PhD on Mormon humor, but he never really did anything with that, cuz really, what can you do with a PhD in folklore?

John Hamer is no stranger to podcasting and blogging in the Mormon borderlands—which is a The Healing Power of Mingling nice way of saying that he's the oldest (albeit the Humor with the Philosophies of newest) of the Infants. His reflexive antagonism to The Healing Power of Men, and Occasionally Some the Spaulding Theory is matched only by his Mingling Humor with the Women: An Interactive Journey unfortunate enthusiasm for singing Mormon show Infants on Thrones (Scott Philosophies of Men, and Through the Nether Regions of tunes. Rowley, Glenn Ostlund, John Occasionally Some Women: Crimson View 2:00-3:30 (90) the Mormon Mind, if such a thing Bill McGee 352 Hamer, Matt Long, Tom Perry, An Interactive Journey actually exists, which we will most Matt Long is criminal defense attorney in Mesa, and Jake Frost Through the Nether Regions likely discuss and probably Arizona, previously working for 12 years as a of the Mormon Mind debate. Live. Maybe. 101. Please Deputy County Attorney where he primarily bring a smart phone or tablet to prosecuted sex crimes, child crimes, and homicide participate. cases. He continues to present at child crimes conferences throughout the country.

El Tom Perry is a rock star in the Mormon podcasting world. So don't pretend you don't already know who he is. And no, he's not related to the so-called apostle. So quit asking.

Jake Frost is the whipper-snapper of the group. His Brother Jake videos are a faith-promoting YouTube sensation. When he isn't crunching numbers at his job, Jake enjoys answering questions about why he's childless, when he'll have children, and how many he'll have. Just ask him. A common symptom of post traumatic stress disorder is hyper- vigilance. The act of leaving one's John Larsen holds a BA in linguistics from BYU faith can cause emotional trauma and a MBA from WSU. He is the former host of the and sometimes PTSD. In this Mormon Expression podcast and the current Hyper-vigilance in Post John Larsen Collegiate 2:00-3:30 (90) session, we will discuss how executive director of the White Fields Educational Brooke Scott 353 Mormon Communities hyper-vigilance in particular is Foundation. John is a project manager at the manifest as a characteristic of the University of Utah Hospital. He lives in SLC with communities themselves and how his two children. this impacts the individuals and the communities at large. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

Notwithstanding its immense cross-cultural missionary workforce that spans the world, Mormonism still behaves like a white, conservative, American, patriarchal religion, dragging around American cultural Gina Colvin is the host of the "A Thoughtful Faith" trappings, expectations, and podcast and blogs at KiwiMormon. She is lives in Decolonizing Mormonism Gina Colvin, Joanna Brooks Panorama East 2:00-3:30 (90) processes wherever it goes. Lindsay Park 354 Christchurch, New Zealand where she is a lecturer Though much has been said at the University of Canterbury about American imperialism, little has been said about American religious imperialism. This presentation makes a case for thinking about American religious imperialism and the pressing need to decolonize Mormonism. My maternal great grandmother was born in Spanish Fork, Utah in 1864. While researching her life, I discovered that she is descended Tonya Reiter has a bachelor's degree in history from one of the slaves brought from University of Utah. A lifelong resident of Salt Stephanie Who Was Flady? Tonya Reiter Parlor A 2:00-3:30 (90) 355 into Utah by the Redd family. This Lake City, she has worked in education, operated Newton Azorr paper describes the events I an art gallery, and been an interior designer. uncovered, the people who were involved, and how my perception of my heritage changed. Books have had an enormous influence on the development of Curt Bench has a BA in communications from BYU Mormon history, theology, and and owns and operates Benchmark Books, now in literature. This presentation will Out of the Best Books: A Look its 28th year. Prior to owning his own bookstore, discuss some of the most at Some Important Books and Curt was a store manager and fine and rare books Curt Bench West Ballroom 2:00-3:30 (90) significant of them. The books will 356 Their Impact on Mormonism department manager for Deseret Book Company. come from Mormon history, He is the author of many books and articles biography, doctrine, and theology including “Fifty Important Mormon Books” and will include works by (Sunstone 79, October 1990). sympathetic non-Mormon and anti-Mormon authors. 357 Mormon Film TBA Lindsay Hansen Park East Ballroom 2:00-3:30 (90) Paul Malan Call them what you will: "Maverick Mormons," "Uncorrelated Mormons," "The Remnant," "Saints in the Wilderness," "Neo- Restorationists," or even "LDS Anarchists;" most Saints who find their spiritual nourishment outside Alan Rock Waterman is the proprietor of the blog Leaving the Church but the structure of the LDS Church "Pure Mormonism," and author of the bestselling Remaining a Mormon: The have two common characteristics: Alan Rock Waterman Saltair 3:45-4:45 (60) book "What to Expect When You're Robin Linkhart 361 Rise of Uncorrelated 1.) A devotion to Christ and the Excommunicated: The Believing Mormon's Guide Mormonism principles of the Restoration, and to the Coming Purge." 2.) A belief that contemporary Church leaders no longer receive revelation and are therefore spiritually irrelevant to the Church. As their ranks swell, how might these unfaithful faithful affect the future of the Church? 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

Gary Horlacher has a PhD from BYU (2005) in Losing one's belief in Mormonism marriage, family, and human development. A post- can lead to a feeling that one has doctoral fellow at USC in family gerontology, he lost the basis for understanding studied religiosity in a multigenerational, reality. Jean Paul Sartre's longitudinal database and gathered data for a philosophy can provide an Existentialism: An Alternative Gary Horlacher and Ernest longitudinal study of gay Mormons. He is a Crimson View 3:45-4:45 (60) alternative foundation. This paper 362 Post-Mormon Foundation Horstmanshoff genealogist with Ancestry. introduces his theory of being and

compares it with the Mormon Ernest Horstmanshoff has a law degree from BYU. paradigm using the questions: For the last three years he has been an active "Who am I?" and "What is the participant with the Salt Lake Philosophy meaning of life?" Apparatus. Mormonism often decribes tribalism and communalism as having risen from our spirit instead of our body for the purpose of bringing us into Evolutionarily Created Human Mormonism and closer to God. Carson Calderwood is a dentist with an Emotions Commandeered By Carson Calderwood Collegiate 3:45-4:45 (60) Lisa Butterworth 363 This paper argues that these undergraduate degree in evolutionary biology. Mormonism traits actually evolved over time to help the individual view his or her tribe and benevolent activity in it as more desirable than individual selfishness. Jake Frost has a master's degree in Jake Frost, the creator of the analytics/applied statistics from North Carolina Brother Jake video series, will State University and works as an analyst for a YouTube Mormonism Jake Frost Panorama East 3:45-4:45 (60) give an in-depth presentation 364 healthcare company. He started the Brother Jake about his motivations for creating series almost two years ago, and recently started the series, followed by a Q&A. podcasting with Infants on Thrones. It is difficult to respond to transgender identities from within a Mormon framework since Seth L. Bryant is associate pastor of Salt Lake City Mormonism imbues gender with Community of Christ and a former US Navy eternal significance and often Chaplain. He has completed graduate studies in conflates emerging transgender religion at the University of Florida and Vanderbilt identities with sexual deviance. University. This presentation will illuminate Transgender and the the lived religion of transgender Miles Fuller is a poet, essayist, and visual artist Restoration: A Study in Marian Seth Bryant, Miles Fuller Parlor A 3:45-4:45 (60) Restoration members against the who teaches creative writing and literature at the 365 Ethnography, Theology, and Edmonds Allen backdrop of typical institutional University of Louisville. He has an MFA in History and cultural responses. How do nonfiction from the University of Iowa. His work has transgender persons generate received accolades from the Academy of American and contest meaning and identity Poets, Associated Writing Programs, Pushcart, within the unique cultural- and Best American Essays. He is currently working historical-theological matrices of on a book-length project about Mormons and the LDS Church and Community mental illness. of Christ? How might Restoration churches faithfully respond? In spite of the growing body of literature focusing on medical, Kristine Miller Anderson blogs at Confessions of a psychological, social, and cultural Moderate Mormon Feminist and Wheat & Tares. consequences of infertility, its She has been diagnosed with infertility and has a Tresa Edmunds, Amy Shoemaker religious and spiritual dimensions 10-year-old daughter via IVF. Kristine (reluctantly) The Impact of Infertility on the Grubbs, Jeff Grubbs, Kristine West Ballroom 3:45-4:45 (60) have received little attention. This lives in Rexburg. Brooke Scott 366 Mormon Mind Miller Anderson, TBA panel will discuss the ways that Mormon doctrines on and culture Jeff and Amy have been married for 22 years and around family affect the lives of have one 14-year-old daughter. Jeff works at Church members who live with Adobe. Amy works at UVU. infertility. 367 Movie TBA Lindsay Hansen Park East Ballroom 3:45-4:45 (60) 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

David Read is an assistant professor of law and ethics at the Goddard School of Business at Weber Jesus said, “And if any man will State University. David has a law review article sue thee at the law, and take forthcoming on the legal entities of the Church of away thy coat, let him have thy Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a second law cloak also.” This passage raises review article on the LDS Church's advocacy in the a number of questions for Latter- appeals courts. day Saints. Does Jesus oppose lawsuits? If so, why does the LDS Denver Snuffer, Jr. is a practicing attorney in Church engage in litigation? Sandy, Utah and the author of thirteen volumes on David Read, Denver C. Snuffer, Would Jesus encourage his Mormon doctrine and history. 371 The Mormon Legal Mind Jr, Daymon M. Smith, Brad Saltair 5:00-6:30 (90) church to structure its mission Brad Kramer Kramer through numerous legal entities, Daymon M. Smith holds a doctoral degree in and to operate with limited anthropology from the University of Pennsylvania. liability? What impact does LDS He has authored many books and articles, legal corporatism have on including the multi-volume A Cultural History of the Mormon culture? This panel Book of Mormon and The Book of Mammon: A discusses research and analysis Book about the Corporation that Owns the of all the Church of Jesus Christ Mormons, a work drawn from his experiences at of Latter-day Saint’s Utah the LDS Church Office Building. incorporating documents. Brad Kramer holds a doctoral degree in anthropology from the University of Michigan. Liz Shropshire, founder of the Shropshire Music Foundation, will share the story of how a 3 week volunteer trip to help Kosovo refugees became a life-changing passion to teach war-affected children and teenagers all over Liz Shropshire is the founder of the Shropshire the world that violence is not the Music Foundation (SMF), which has brought free answer, and that the path of Mormon as a Child of War, His instruments and music classes to more than peace is the path to happiness. Ultimate Gift of Peace, 15,000 war-impacted children in some of the She will share stories of local Sally Calkins Liz Shropshire Crimson View world's fiercest conflict zones since 1999. SMF 372 teenagers in each country who Jex and Teaching Peace Through develops youth leadership and capacity for teach peace through music to the Music in Warzones peacemaking and problem-solving through the children in their communities. Liz establishment of locally-run, youth-led music will also discuss the prophet education Mormon, himself a child of war, and what he teaches us about forgiveness, love, and the atonement.

Liz’s remarks are not political and she does not ask for donations. They fought for their children; like dragons did they fight.

Jody England Hansen is a writer and mixed- In 2014 a group of Mormon media-artist, mother of 3, for whom she would mothers with LGBT children breathe fire. One happens to be gay. organized a support group for

themselves. One felt that the term Diane Oviatt is a Mormon married mother of three, "Mama Bear" did not come close one of whom is gay. She has been a pediatric to describing the ferocious love oncology nurse for 35 years. Jody England, Diane Oviatt , and fierce protection they felt for The Mama Dragons Jody England Brooke Caldwell, Debra Oaks Collegiate 5:00-6:30 (90) their children, so she named the 373 Roundtable Brooke Caldwell is a designer, wife, and friend, but Hansen Coe group Mama Dragons. Since then her most prestigious title is mother. She has 6 the group has grown significantly beautiful children that includes a transgender son. and has been featured in a

number of news stories, blogs, Debra Oaks Coe is mother of Five, BYU Grad, radio shows, and live interviews. Army wife, business owner. She and her husband This panel includes several of the are proud allies of LGBTQ in Utah County. Mama Dragons, sharing their

individual stories about what inspires the fire they breathe for their children. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

Gary Shepherd is the former department chair of sociology and anthropology and professor emeritus at Oakland University. With Gordon Shepherd and Lavina Fielding Anderson, he is co-editor of Voices for Equality: Ordain Women and Resurgent Mormon Feminism (Kofford Books, 2015)

Lavina Fielding Anderson is an independent feminist scholar, copy editor for the Journal of Mormon History, and co-editor with Gordon and Gary Shepherd of Voices for Equality Ordain Women and Resurgent Mormon Feminism (Kofford In order to analyze recent Books, 2015) developments in contemporary

Mormon feminism, a number of Nadine Hansen is a lawyer from Cedar City, Utah, Mormon feminist writers, notable for founding the website Mormonsfor8.com scholars, and activists have and acting as Kate Kelly’s defense attorney in collaborated in producing Voices appealing Kelly’s 2014 excommunication from the for Equality: Ordain Women and LDS Church. Resurgent Mormon Feminism,

published by Kofford Books. Debra E. Jenson is an assistant professor of Lavina Fielding Anderson, Gary Contributing authors will speak Resurgent Mormon Feminism: communication at Utah State University in Logan, Shepherd, Nadine Hansen, about Kate Kelly’s Ordain Women, the Mormon Utah. She is a member of the executive board of Lavina Fielding Nancy Ross, Gordon Shepherd, Panorama East 5:00-6:30 (90) excommunication; current Ordain 374 Gender Issues Survey, and Ordain Women and chairs the communication Anderson Debra E. Jenson, and Courtney Women strategic planning; Contemporary LDS Women committee, helping craft materials for public Rabada historical and theological release and private communication with LDS underpinnings of female Church officials. ordination arguments, a recent,

large-scale survey of Mormons’ Gordon Shepherd is a professor of sociology at the attitudes regarding priesthood University of Central Arkansas and co-editor of ordination; and the long-term Voices for Equality: Ordain Women and Resurgent ecclesiastical implications for LDS Mormon Feminism (Kofford Books, 2015) women as a result of new

eligibility criteria for sister Nancy Ross is an assistant professor of art history missionaries. at Dixie State University and a contributing editor for medieval art with Smarthistory at Khan Academy. In addition to being a member of the research team that conducted the 2015 Mormon Gender Issues Survey, her recent work includes articles on contemporary Mormon feminism and the new social media.

Courtney Rabada earned a master's degree in religious studies at Claremont Graduate University in 2015. Her research includes the study of women and gender within the LDS Church, specifically the impact of the 2012 age change for sister missionaries. Natasha Helfer Parker, MS, LCMFT, is a clinical member of the American Association of Marriage & This session will focus on helping Family Therapists (currently serving as president of single members of the LDS the Kansas Chapter), the American Association of Church normalize the challenges Sexual Educators, Counselors, and Therapists, they face from the often rigid and the Mormon Mental Health Association messaging and constructs they (founder and current president). She runs The Mormon Mental Health: receive in the current Church. Natasha Helfer Parker, Kristin Mormon Therapist blog and the Mormon Mental Navigating Sexuality as a Parlor A 5:00-6:30 (90) Strategies that are sex-positive Kalani Tonga 375 Bennion Health podcast series. Single Mormon and self-affirming will be

presented in order to create Kristin Bennion, LCSW, has a bachelor’s degree in spaces that allow for healthy social work from Brigham Young boundaries and ownership of University–Hawaii, and a master's degree in individualized sexual decision- clinical social work from BYU. She owns her own making. practice in Orem, Utah where she primarily treats sex and intimacy concerns and eating disorders. 2015 Symposium Program with Descriptions - Saturday 1

While those leaving the Church my reject the truth claims of their John Larsen holds a BA in linguistics from BYU erstwhile faith, some of their and a MBA from WSU. He is the former host of the thought patterns remain. This Mormon Expression podcast and the current Old Habits Die Hard: Mormon John Larsen West Ballroom 5:00-6:30 (90) session will discuss the most executive director of the White Fields Educational 376 Paradigms Post-belief common "Mormon" paradigms Foundation. John is a project manager at the that ex-Mormons tend to retain University of Utah Hospital. He lives in SLC with and how it impacts their his two children. worldview. John P. Dehlin recently received his PhD in clinical/counseling psychology from Utah State Mormons and John Dehlin, Kate Kelly, Carson East Ballroom 5:00-6:30 (90) University. He is the creator of several Mormon- 377 Excommunicated Calderwood, Marisa Calderwood themed podcasts, blogs, and websites, including the Mormon Stories Podcast. Patio Picnic 381 Linger-Longer Saltair 6:30-8:00 Chelsea Shields Strayer is a PhD candidate at Boston University in both cultural and biological anthropology. A Mormon feminist activist, she has led demonstrations, organizations, and lobbying efforts on behalf of religious gender equality. She is a TED Fellow and speaks regularly on evolution, religion, and gender.

Landon was born November 28, 1986 to Curt and Pat Bench. Landon was a chubby kid growing up, and garnered his first laughs due solely to his portly stature. Being fat wasn't his only accomplishment though; he also won the Upland Terrace Elementary School Spelling Bee in the 5th Stand-up Comedy Show: Chelsea Shields Strayer, Amber and 6th grades. Several years and a few 382 Sponsored by Mormon Pechin, Landon Bench, Peter Crimson View misdemeanor crimes later, Landon found solace in Stories Kern making people laugh, and not just because he was fat. Because he wasn't fat anymore. Through the grace of God and a strict regimen of non-FDA approved weight-loss solutions, Landon lost over 70 pounds—the equivalent of a six year-old child, or a 15-year-old child from Zimbabwe. After the weight loss, he became physically active. Instead of going from the fridge to the couch in a Jazzy scooter, now he walks.

Using that victory to fuel his desire, Landon decided to try his hand at stand-up comedy. He won some contest at Wise Guys comedy club and now does shows there sometimes, as well as private and corporate functions.