00a_working cover15.qxp 1/21/2008 9:17 AM Page 2 TRIBUTARIES OF FAITH by Jana Riess (p.20) THE CALLING, England essay contest winner by Stephen Carter (p.27) CLOTHING ESTHER Brown fiction contest winner by Lisa Torcasso Downing (p.58) Les Gripkey describes his faith journey AMONG THE MORMONS (p.52) Hugo Olaiz offers a REQUIEM FOR THE LAMANITES (p.68) UPDATE New LDS leaders called; Controversy erupts over conference talk; Hooray for Mormon studies!; Mitt news; and more! (p. 71) December 2007—$7.50 The Making of THE MORMONS by Helen Whitney 00b_inside cover.qxp 1/16/2008 10:53 AM Page 1 Eugene England Memorial Personal Essay Contest Call for Entries THE SUNSTONE EDUCATION marked) to Sunstone by 15 FEBRUARY FOUNDATION invites writers to enter 2008. Entries will not be returned. A $5 the 2008 Eugene England Memorial fee must accompany each entry. Personal Essay Contest, made possible by the Eugene and Charlotte England 2. Each essay must be typed, double- Education Fund. In the spirit of Gene’s spaced, on one side of white paper and writings, entries should relate to Latter- be stapled in the upper left corner. All day Saint experience, theology, or essays must be 3500 words or fewer. worldview. Essays, without author The author’s name should not appear identification, will be judged by noted on any page of the essay. Mormon authors and professors of writing. The winner(s) will be 3. Each entry must be accompanied by announced in SUNSTONE and at the a cover letter that states the essay’s title 2008 Association for Mormon Letters and the author’s name, mailing address, conference. Only the winners will be email address, and telephone number. notified of the results. After the judging Each cover letter must be signed and is complete, all non-winning entrants will attest that the entry is the author’s work, be free to submit their essays elsewhere. that it has not been previously published, that it is not currently being considered PRIZES: A total of $450 will be shared for publication elsewhere, will not be among the winning entries. submitted to other forums until after the contest, and that, if the entry wins, RULES: 1. Up to three entries may be SUNSTONE magazine has one-time, submitted by a single author. Five copies first-publication rights. of each entry must be delivered (or post- SUNSTONE 343 NORTH THIRD WEST SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 84103–1215 SUNSTONE INVITES YOU TO PARTICIPATE IN A SYMPOSIUM NEAR YOU SUNSTONE seeks to celebrate and explore Mormon experience, fitness, obesity, plastic surgery, theology about issues, and art through diverse approaches and from many the body), how technology affects Mormon perspectives. From scholarly paper to artistic expression, we life and experience, and LDS theology and strive for excellence in thought and quality in presentation. practices regarding disability. Hence, We welcome proposals on all Mormon-related topics, but we’d especially welcome symposium we are planning discussions in future magazine issues on presentations on any of these topics such as the Mormon soldier experience, addiction and topics. recovery, Mormons and the body (issues such as body image, • 14–15 March Claremont, California (co-sponsored by the Claremont Graduate University School of Religion) • 11–12 April Independence, Missouri (co-sponsored by the John Whitmer Historical Association and Community of Christ Seminary) To stay informed about these symposiums, visit WWW.SUNSTONEONLINE.COM Volunteer to assist with planning or on-site at the event: email [email protected] SUNSTONE 343 N. Third West Salt Lake City, UT 84103-1215 WWW.SUNSTONEONLINE.COM 01_working toc.qxp 1/16/2008 10:54 AM Page 1 MORMON EXPERIENCE, SCHOLARSHIP, ISSUES, & ART DECEMBER 2007 Issue 148 FEATURES 20 Jana Riess . TRIBUTARIES OF FAITH 27 Stephen Carter . THE CALLING 2007 Eugene England Personal Essay Contest First Place Winner 32 Helen Whitney . THE MAKING OF THE MORMONS: My Four Years as a Stranger in the Strange Land of Mormonsim 44 Various authors. A MISCELLANY ON THE MORMONS 52 Les Gripkey . AMONG THE MORMONS: My Journey as a Liahona Christian 58 Lisa Torcasso Downing . CLOTHING ESTHER: 2005 Brookie & D. K. Brown Fiction Contest Moonstone Winner SUNSTONE (ISSN 0363-1370) is published by The Sunstone Education Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation with no official ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. POETRY Articles represent the opinions of the writers only. 8 Alan Britt. OVERCAST AFTERNOON SUNSTONE is indexed in the Index to Book Reviews in Religion 57 David Feela. LETTERS FROM MOTHER and Religion Indexes: RIO/RIT/IBBR 1975–on CD-ROM. 63 Brian Long . BABEL Submissions may be on IBM-PC compatible computer discs 67 Aimee Nezhukumatathil . TABLE MANNERS (MS Word or WordPerfect format), or by e-mail attachment. Submissions should not exceed 8,000 words and must be 70 Taylor Graham. WEST accompanied by a signed letter giving permission for the manuscript to be filed in the Sunstone Collection at the COLUMNS University of Utah Marriott Library (all literary rights are retained by authors). Manuscripts will not be returned; authors will be 6 . TOUCHSTONES: Family Dinner notified concerning acceptance within ninety days. 9 Dan Wotherspoon . FROM THE EDITOR: Minding the Gap SUNSTONE is interested in feature- and column-length articles 12 John P. Hatch. IN THE WORLD: My Other “Religion” relevant to Mormonism from a variety of perspectives, news stories about Mormons and the LDS Church, and short reflections CORNUCOPIA and commentary. Poetry submissions should have one poem per ESTROYING NGEL page, with the poet’s name and address on each page; a self- 14 Tom Kimball . D A : Sledgehammer addressed, stamped envelope should accompany each 14 Melissa De Leon Mason . BLOGWATCH: Make Haste towards Prayer submission. Short poems—haiku, limericks, couplets, and one- liners—are very welcome. Short stories are selected only through 16 Michael Vinson . MARGIN NOTES: Why Won’t an Angel Visit the annual Brookie and D. K. Brown Memorial Fiction Contest My Wayward Child? (next submission deadline: 30 June 2007; $5 fee per story). 17 Mike Yaconelli . TWENTY YEARS AGO IN SUNSTONE: Letters for publication should be identified. SUNSTONE does not acknowledge receipt of letters to the editor. Letters addressed Satire and the Good News to specific authors will be forwarded, unopened, to them. 18 James P. Harris. A PLACE FOR EVERY TRUTH: Eager to Serve SUNSTONE will not provide subscriber addresses 19 Mike Bingham . SUGAR BEET: Mormon Top Ten Lists to mail list solicitors without permission. Send all correspondence and manuscripts to: 64 D. Jeff Burton . BRAVING THE BORDERLANDS. : A Borderland Story and Survey SUNSTONE 343 N. Third West 68 Hugo Olaiz . COMMENTARY: “How Is It That Ye Could Have Salt Lake City, UT 84103-1215 Fallen!”: A Requiem for the Lamanites (801) 355-5926 fax: (801) 355-4043 80 Orson F. Whitney . AN OLIVE LEAF: “Too Vast, Too Arduous, email: [email protected] for Any One People” website: www.sunstoneonline.com United States subscriptions to SUNSTONE are $45 for 6 issues, UPDATE $76 for 12 issues, and $106 for 18 issues. International 71 . OCTOBER 2007 GENERAL CONFERENCE REPORT: subscriptions are $58 for 6 issues; $100 for 12 issues; $138 for New leaders called; Speakers emphasize Mormon 18 issues. All payments must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. All international subscriptions will be sent via surface mail. Christianity; Sermon on mothers’ roles creates Bona fide student and missionary subscriptions are $10 less than controversy. OTHER NEWS: Church revises Book the above rates. A $10 service charge will be deducted from of Mormon introduction regarding Lamanites; refund amount on cancelations. All subscription prices subject Church praises establishment of Mormon studies to change without notice. programs; Mitt Romney campaign continues to Printed by bring attention to Mormonism—both positive and negative; and more! Copyright © 2007, The Sunstone Education Foundation. All rights reserved. Cover: Helen Whitney with cameraman Tom Hurwitz on the set of Richard Avedon: Darkness and Printed in the United States of America. Light (1996). Cover photo: Karen Bernstein. 02-05_letters and ad.qxp 1/16/2008 10:55 AM Page 2 SUNSTONE YEA, YEA NAY, NAY weaknesses, continuing to call us into disci- Founded in 1974 SCOTT KENNEY 1974–1978 pleship and sending us into the world to ALLEN D. ROBERTS 1978–1980 build the peaceable kingdom that includes PEGGY FLETCHER 1978–1986 CORRECTION DANIEL H. RECTOR 1986–1991 all persons.” LINDA JEAN STEPHENSON 1991–1992 ELBERT EUGENE PECK 1986–2001 There is a vitality in this collection of per- Editor sonal women’s voices that is essential to our DAN WOTHERSPOON Publisher full flowering as a people. I say, let a thou- WILLIAM STANFORD sand feminine voices bloom in our some- Associate Editor CAROL B. QUIST In our October 2007 SUNSTONE issue, times arid and male-dominated landscape! Managing Editor we incorrectly attributed the short re- The colorful photographs on the cover also ALLEN HILL flection “Worshiping Together and Other reveal how essential feminine beauty is to our Section Editors PHYLLIS BAKER, Fiction Contest Fantasies” (page 39) to blogger Courtney spiritual life. My guess is that Dialogue, SCOT DENHALTER, “Cybersaints” ALAN AND VICKIE EASTMAN, “Righteous Dominion” K. at Segullah. The real author of that SUNSTONE, and Exponent II have been among JAMES P. HARRIS, “A Place for Every Truth” piece was blogger “MADHOUSEWIFE” the most important avenues of expression for ALLEN HILL, “Touchstones” RICK JEPSON, “Bounds and Conditions” who posted it 21 June 2007 on Feminist feminine voices among the Mormons for the HUGO OLAIZ, News/Update Mormon Housewives. We are very sorry past forty plus years, and that in being so, DIXIE PARTRIDGE, Poetry BOYD PETERSEN, Mormonism and politics for this error.