00a_cover cmyk.qxp 3/28/2007 2:20 PM Page 2 MORMON EXPERIENCE SCHOLARSHIP ISSUES & ART PERSPECTIVISM AND JOSEPH SMITH by Harold Bloom (p.18) Curt Bench decides he has “MORE FAITH THAN I’D THOUGHT” (p.20) ROSEVIEW THE FOURTH Brown fiction contest winner by Carol B. Quist (p.40) A TRUE AND LIVING CHURCH by Brian Chapman (p.50) A KOLOB IN OUR SOLAR SYSTEM? by David Allred (p.58) Book reviews by John-Charles Duffy, Ann M. Johnson, and Brett Alan Sanders (p.62) UPDATE Mitt’s Mormonism remains primary media focus; new films; more! (p.74) March 2007—$5.95 00b_inside cover.qxp 3/28/2007 12:49 PM Page 1 Please visit WWW.SUNSTONEONLINE.COM for more information SUNSTONE SYMPOSIUM WEST 21 APRIL 2007 Clarion Hotel San Francisco Airport, SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA 8–11 AUGUST 2007 Salt Lake Sheraton City Centre Hotel A call for PROPOSALS DEADLINE: 1 MAY 2007 Sunstone welcomes presentations 2007 Salt Lake on any theological or contemporary moral/ethical issue and its intersection with Mormonism, as well as studies of historical and contemporary events, movements, SUNSTONE and figures. This year we also SUNSTONE especially encourage proposals focusing on this year’s special Symposium theme: THE PUBLIC FACES OF MORMONISM. Please submit a proposal! This year’s theme: THE PUBLIC FACES OFMormonism 01_toc.qxp 3/28/2007 2:19 PM Page 1 MORMON EXPERIENCE, SCHOLARSHIP, ISSUES, & ART MARCH 2007 Issue 145 FEATURES 18 Harold Bloom . PERSPECTIVISM AND JOSEPH SMITH 20 Curt Bench . MORE FAITH THAN I’D THOUGHT 25 Members of the Mormon . TRANSFIGURATION: PARALLELS AND Transhumanist Association COMPLEMENTS BETWEEN MORMONISM AND TRANSHUMANISM 40 Carol B. Quist. ROSEVIEW THE FOURTH 2004 Brookie & D. K. Brown Fiction Contest Moonstone Winner 43 Eric Samuelsen . PECULIARITIES: NCMO POETRY 39 Jay Udall . ESCHATOLOGY 49 Cecil Morris. WEEDING SUNSTONE (ISSN 0363-1370) is published by The Sunstone 57 Mikal Lofgren . FALLING Education Foundation, Inc., a non-profit corporation with no 61 Kristin Berkey-Abbott . LUNAR ECLIPSE official ties to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Articles represent the opinions of the writers only. COLUMNS SUNSTONE is indexed in the Index to Book Reviews in Religion 4 Various. TOUCHSTONES: Possessions and Religion Indexes: RIO/RIT/IBBR 1975–on CD-ROM. 7 Kristine Haglund. OF GOOD REPORT: Mothering Sunday Submissions may be on IBM-PC compatible computer discs 8 Steven L. Mayfield . IN MEMORIAM: Bob Vernon (MS Word or WordPerfect format), or by e-mail attachment. 9 Dan Wotherspoon . FROM THE EDITOR: Finding a Way Through Submissions should not exceed 8,000 words and must be accompanied by a signed letter giving permission for the CORNUCOPIA manuscript to be filed in the Sunstone Collection at the 12 Vickie Eastman . HAVING EYES TO SEE: Hiding in Plain Sight University of Utah Marriott Library (all literary rights are retained by authors). Manuscripts will not be returned; authors will be 12 Alison Takenaka. MARGIN NOTES: An Off-Road Journey with notified concerning acceptance within ninety days. Eyes Wide Shut 14 Anonymous . RIGHTEOUS DOMINION: A Soft Answer SUNSTONE is interested in feature- and column-length articles relevant to Mormonism from a variety of perspectives, news 15 James P. Harris. A PLACE FOR EVERY TRUTH: stories about Mormons and the LDS Church, and short reflections “Our Household Is Blessed Indeed” and commentary. Poetry submissions should have one poem per 15 Brian H. Stuy . THE REST OF THE STORY: The Transfiguration page, with the poet’s name and address on each page; a self- addressed, stamped envelope should accompany each 17 . SUGAR BEET: New Gym Helps Patrons Exercise submission. Short poems—haiku, limericks, couplets, and one- Their Agency; HMO Bans Preexistent Conditions liners—are very welcome. Short stories are selected only through the annual Brookie and D. K. Brown Memorial Fiction Contest 50 Brian Chapman. FROM THE PULPIT: A True and Living Church (next submission deadline: 30 June 2007; $5 fee per story). 55 D. Jeff Burton . BRAVING THE BORDERLANDS. : Letters for publication should be identified. SUNSTONE does Temptation and the Knowledge Clash not acknowledge receipt of letters to the editor. Letters addressed to specific authors will be forwarded, unopened, to them. 58 David Allred . BOUNDS AND CONDITIONS: A Kolob in Our Solar System? SUNSTONE will not provide subscriber addresses 70 Grant H. Palmer . TURNING THE TIME OVER TO. : to mail list solicitors without permission. The “Born Again” Saint Send all correspondence and manuscripts to: 72 Carol Lynn Pearson. INTERVIEW: Pioneers on This Frontier SUNSTONE 80 B. H. Roberts . AN OLIVE LEAF: “Eternal, Restless Thought” 343 N. Third West Salt Lake City, UT 84103-1215 (801) 355-5926 REVIEWS fax: (801) 355-4043 62 John-Charles Duffy . FAITHFUL SCHOLARSHIP GOES TO WASHINGTON email: [email protected] The Worlds of Joseph Smith, ed. John W. Welch website: www.sunstoneonline.com 64 Ann M. Johnson. BOOKNOTE: The Mormon Tabernacle Enquirer United States subscriptions to SUNSTONE are $36 for 6 issues, ed. Christopher Kimball Bigelow $65 for 12 issues, and $90 for 18 issues. International 65 Brett Alan Sanders. “HE WAS SOLITARY, REBELLIOUS, AND HARD subscriptions are $48 for 6 issues; $89 for 12 issues; $126 for 18 TO BE GOVERNED” issues. All payments must be in U.S. funds drawn on a U.S. bank. What Jesus Meant, by Garry Wills All international subscriptions will be sent via surface mail. Bona fide student and missionary subscriptions are $10 less than the above rates. A $10 service charge will be deducted from UPDATE refund amount on cancelations. 74 . Romney’s Mormonism still dominates most media Printed by coverage; four-hour documentary on Mormonism and a feature film on the Mountain Meadows Massacre will be Copyright © 2007, The Sunstone Education Foundation. released soon; the Church revamps its website; LDS All rights reserved. support for war in Iraq dwindling; and more! Printed in the United States of America. Cover image by Christopher Henderson 02-03_letters.qxp 3/28/2007 11:49 AM Page 2 SUNSTONE YEA, YEA NAY, NAY lieve, and yet these blessings are denied me. Founded in 1974 TO AFFIRM THAT SCOTT KENNEY 1974–1978 In order to have those blessings, I would ALLEN D. ROBERTS 1978–1980 WE BELONG have to do the one thing that all of these cou- PEGGY FLETCHER 1978–1986 DANIEL H. RECTOR 1986–1991 Y COPY OF THE NOVEMBER 2006 ples—with the Church’s blessing—have LINDA JEAN STEPHENSON 1991–1992 worked hardest to avoid. I would have to end ELBERT EUGENE PECK 1986–2001 M SUNSTONE was read and passed along Editor to other church members within a few days the loving relationship that has sustained me DAN WOTHERSPOON Publisher of receipt. “For Better, For Worse, For and nurtured me for fifteen years now, the re- WILLIAM STANFORD Apostasy?” really spoke to the experience of lationship that, ironically, has given me the Associate Editor CAROL B. QUIST many of my LDS friends over the years. stability and strength that I needed to grow Managing Editor For me, one of the greatest values of back into a new and stronger sense of faith as ALLEN HILL a Latter-day Saint. Section Editors SUNSTONE is that it provides a place where PHYLLIS BAKER, Fiction Contest committed Mormons can learn about other The sentiment expressed in the article by SCOT DENHALTER, Cybersaints ALAN AND VICKIE EASTMAN, Righteous Dominion LDS with the same concerns, experiences, Ruth Ogden perfectly expresses my own feel- ALLEN HILL, Touchstones ings about my relationship with my partner: RICK JEPSON, Bounds and Conditions and struggles in life. It is so important to HUGO OLAIZ, News/Update have someone to talk and listen to. Feeling “Not being able to be with the spouse of my DIXIE PARTRIDGE, Poetry BOYD PETERSEN, Mormonism and politics you are the only one with these reactions and choice—that doesn’t sound like any type of MARY ELLEN ROBERTSON, Women’s studies experiences but not having people to talk heaven I would choose.” With Ruth, I find MICHAEL SCHOENFELD, Sunstone Gallery DARRON SMITH, The Long-Promised Day? and listen to, would, I think, be the surest strength in my personal hope and growing ALISON TAKENAKA, Margin Notes conviction that “we choose our families of cre- BRAD AND CHERIE WOODWORTH, Book reviews way to leave the Mormon community. Editorial Assistants Mormonism is a big tent, a big world ation here, and we will choose them there.” JOHN-CHARLES DUFFY, REBECCA ENGLAND, HUGO OLAIZ which includes a lot of different kinds of peo- Just as it has been a challenge for individu- Recording/Digitizing Engineers BRIAN MULVEY, MATT WRIGHT ple who experience religious faith in different als who have left the Church to deal with the Photographer and Recording Assistant ways. We are much stronger when most of us emotions and fears this evokes in their part- STEVE MAYFIELD find space in that tent. For me, the magazine, ners, I have had to deal with anxiety and anger Contributing Columnists MICHAEL AUSTIN, D. JEFF BURTON, JAMES P. HARRIS the symposiums, and the Sunstone commu- in a partner who feels betrayed by my re- MICHAEL NIELSEN, JANA RIESS, BRIAN H. STUY nity are a way to affirm that we belong. newed faith in the LDS gospel. Just as Ronda Cartoonists JEANETTE ATWOOD, JONATHAN CLARK, GWEN DUTCHER Sunstone, both the magazine and the sympo- Callister feared that her spouse’s loss of faith in JONNY HAWKINS, MACADE, RYAN WAYMENT siums, strengthens my testimony. Thinking, eternal marriage was a rejection of their mar- Much-Appreciated Volunteers SUSAN ANDERSEN, PHYLLIS BAKER, DON AND LUCINDA struggling, need not undermine faith. riage, my partner has feared that my embrace GUSTAVSON, BARBARA HAUGSOEN, LEANN HILLAM of LDS doctrine was the first step in a path that BEVERLY HOPPE, T.