Edward Whitley
- Published in print:
- 2010
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807834213
- eISBN:
- 9781469606354
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807899427_whitley.8
- Subject:
- Literature, American, 20th Century Literature
This chapter examines Walt Whitman's collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass, focusing on his claim that it was an American sacred text, the “Bible of the New Religion.” It compares Whitman's ambition ...
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This chapter examines Walt Whitman's collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass, focusing on his claim that it was an American sacred text, the “Bible of the New Religion.” It compares Whitman's ambition to be the poet of a new American religion with that of Eliza R. Snow, the recognized poet laureate of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who was regarded by the Mormons not only as a poetess but also a “priestess” and a “prophetess.” The chapter considers how Snow used her poetry to depict the recovery of such ancient practices as polygamy and theocracy as an essential precondition for an American millennium, rather than as a historical aberration. It also offers a close reading of “Time and Change,” the major poem of Snow's 1856 collection, before concluding with an analysis of the issue of gender, particularly with respect to Snow's efforts to have her female voice heard by an androcentric nation.Less
This chapter examines Walt Whitman's collection of poetry, Leaves of Grass, focusing on his claim that it was an American sacred text, the “Bible of the New Religion.” It compares Whitman's ambition to be the poet of a new American religion with that of Eliza R. Snow, the recognized poet laureate of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who was regarded by the Mormons not only as a poetess but also a “priestess” and a “prophetess.” The chapter considers how Snow used her poetry to depict the recovery of such ancient practices as polygamy and theocracy as an essential precondition for an American millennium, rather than as a historical aberration. It also offers a close reading of “Time and Change,” the major poem of Snow's 1856 collection, before concluding with an analysis of the issue of gender, particularly with respect to Snow's efforts to have her female voice heard by an androcentric nation.
Reid L. Neilson
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- January 2009
- ISBN:
- 9780195369786
- eISBN:
- 9780199871292
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195369786.003.014
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter turns to the subject of what Joseph Smith himself had to say about Mormonism's relationship to other religions, and ways of accommodating religious pluralism. It further traces the ...
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This chapter turns to the subject of what Joseph Smith himself had to say about Mormonism's relationship to other religions, and ways of accommodating religious pluralism. It further traces the trajectories of Mormon thought on Eastern religious traditions, following the death of Smith, during the balance of the 19th century. Rather than fitting neatly into conventional religious studies paradigms, the chapter argues that the Latter-day Saints warrant their own categorization as restoration inclusivists.Less
This chapter turns to the subject of what Joseph Smith himself had to say about Mormonism's relationship to other religions, and ways of accommodating religious pluralism. It further traces the trajectories of Mormon thought on Eastern religious traditions, following the death of Smith, during the balance of the 19th century. Rather than fitting neatly into conventional religious studies paradigms, the chapter argues that the Latter-day Saints warrant their own categorization as restoration inclusivists.
Jeffrey A. Trumbower
- Published in print:
- 2001
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195140996
- eISBN:
- 9780199834747
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/0195140990.003.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Theology
The introduction looks at the posthumous salvation of non‐Christians in the nineteenth‐century American context as practiced by Shakers and Latter‐day Saints (a.k.a. Mormons), in order to set the ...
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The introduction looks at the posthumous salvation of non‐Christians in the nineteenth‐century American context as practiced by Shakers and Latter‐day Saints (a.k.a. Mormons), in order to set the stage for the study of the ancient texts. The Shakers experienced a form of spirit possession by which dead non‐Christians, especially Native Americans, would enter into the bodies of living Shakers and thereby be saved. Joseph Smith, prophet and founder of the Latter‐day Saints, introduced the ritual of vicarious baptism for the dead based on his reading of 1 Corinthians 15:29 and his encounter with the biblical prophet Elijah. This ritual is still practiced today in the LDS church.Less
The introduction looks at the posthumous salvation of non‐Christians in the nineteenth‐century American context as practiced by Shakers and Latter‐day Saints (a.k.a. Mormons), in order to set the stage for the study of the ancient texts. The Shakers experienced a form of spirit possession by which dead non‐Christians, especially Native Americans, would enter into the bodies of living Shakers and thereby be saved. Joseph Smith, prophet and founder of the Latter‐day Saints, introduced the ritual of vicarious baptism for the dead based on his reading of 1 Corinthians 15:29 and his encounter with the biblical prophet Elijah. This ritual is still practiced today in the LDS church.
Reid Neilson
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- January 2012
- ISBN:
- 9780195384031
- eISBN:
- 9780199918324
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195384031.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Church History
The 1893 Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, presented the Latter‐day Saints with their first post‐polygamy opportunity to exhibit the best of Mormonism for a national and ...
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The 1893 Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, presented the Latter‐day Saints with their first post‐polygamy opportunity to exhibit the best of Mormonism for a national and an international audience. The Columbian Exposition also marked the dramatic reengagement of the LDS Church with the non‐Mormon world after decades of seclusion in the Great Basin. Between May and October 1893, over seven thousand Latter‐day Saints from Utah attended the international spectacle popularly described as the “White City.” While many traveled as tourists, oblivious to the opportunities to “exhibit” Mormonism, others actively participated to improve their church’s public image. Hundreds of congregants helped create, manage, and staff their territory’s impressive exhibit hall; most believed their besieged religion would benefit from Utah’s increased national profile. Moreover, a good number of Latter‐day Saint women represented the female interests and achievements of both Utah and its dominant religion. These women hoped to use the Chicago World’s Fair as a platform to improve the social status of their gender and their religion. That summer two hundred and fifty of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s best singers competed in a Welsh eisteddfod, a musical competition held in conjunction with the Chicago World’s Fair, and Mormon apologist Brigham H. Roberts sought to gain LDS representation at the affiliated Parliament of Religions. My book explores how Latter‐day Saints attempted to “exhibit” themselves to the outside world before, during, and after the Columbian Exposition. Indeed, I argue that their participation in the 1893 Columbian Exposition was a watershed moment in the Mormon migration to the American mainstream and its leadership’s discovery of public relations efforts. The exposition marked the dramatic reengagement of the LDS Church with the outside, non-Mormon world after decades of isolation in America’s Great Basin desert. After 1893, Mormon leaders sought to exhibit their faith rather than be exhibited by others.Less
The 1893 Columbian Exposition, also known as the Chicago World’s Fair, presented the Latter‐day Saints with their first post‐polygamy opportunity to exhibit the best of Mormonism for a national and an international audience. The Columbian Exposition also marked the dramatic reengagement of the LDS Church with the non‐Mormon world after decades of seclusion in the Great Basin. Between May and October 1893, over seven thousand Latter‐day Saints from Utah attended the international spectacle popularly described as the “White City.” While many traveled as tourists, oblivious to the opportunities to “exhibit” Mormonism, others actively participated to improve their church’s public image. Hundreds of congregants helped create, manage, and staff their territory’s impressive exhibit hall; most believed their besieged religion would benefit from Utah’s increased national profile. Moreover, a good number of Latter‐day Saint women represented the female interests and achievements of both Utah and its dominant religion. These women hoped to use the Chicago World’s Fair as a platform to improve the social status of their gender and their religion. That summer two hundred and fifty of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s best singers competed in a Welsh eisteddfod, a musical competition held in conjunction with the Chicago World’s Fair, and Mormon apologist Brigham H. Roberts sought to gain LDS representation at the affiliated Parliament of Religions. My book explores how Latter‐day Saints attempted to “exhibit” themselves to the outside world before, during, and after the Columbian Exposition. Indeed, I argue that their participation in the 1893 Columbian Exposition was a watershed moment in the Mormon migration to the American mainstream and its leadership’s discovery of public relations efforts. The exposition marked the dramatic reengagement of the LDS Church with the outside, non-Mormon world after decades of isolation in America’s Great Basin desert. After 1893, Mormon leaders sought to exhibit their faith rather than be exhibited by others.
Colleen McDannell
- Published in print:
- 2017
- Published Online:
- June 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780198798071
- eISBN:
- 9780191839344
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780198798071.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
By consistently conflating spirit and matter, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has steadfastly resisted secularization theory’s prediction of the inevitable decline and marginalization ...
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By consistently conflating spirit and matter, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has steadfastly resisted secularization theory’s prediction of the inevitable decline and marginalization of religion. This chapter argues that successful use of material and popular culture by Mormons in the USA and Great Britain has enabled its expansion. I maintain that Mormonism is a ‘material Christianity’, demonstrated by the Book of Mormon’s embodied Jesus and the 1847 establishment of a religious community in Utah. Latter-day Saints now run church museums and historic sites, put on musical pageants, and produce film sagas—all intended to inspire the faithful and proselytize to the rest. Successful church public relations campaigns dovetail with secular depictions of Mormons in film, on television, and in Broadway and West End theatre. The church’s foray into popular culture is funded partially through for-profit companies that creatively combine the business world with the world of faith.Less
By consistently conflating spirit and matter, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has steadfastly resisted secularization theory’s prediction of the inevitable decline and marginalization of religion. This chapter argues that successful use of material and popular culture by Mormons in the USA and Great Britain has enabled its expansion. I maintain that Mormonism is a ‘material Christianity’, demonstrated by the Book of Mormon’s embodied Jesus and the 1847 establishment of a religious community in Utah. Latter-day Saints now run church museums and historic sites, put on musical pageants, and produce film sagas—all intended to inspire the faithful and proselytize to the rest. Successful church public relations campaigns dovetail with secular depictions of Mormons in film, on television, and in Broadway and West End theatre. The church’s foray into popular culture is funded partially through for-profit companies that creatively combine the business world with the world of faith.
Terryl L. Givens
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- February 2010
- ISBN:
- 9780195313901
- eISBN:
- 9780199871933
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195313901.003.0010
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
German idealists such as Friedrich Schelling and theologians such as Wilhelm Benecke and Julius Müller build on Kant's foundation of preexistence as a basis for freedom. Joseph Smith makes Mormonism ...
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German idealists such as Friedrich Schelling and theologians such as Wilhelm Benecke and Julius Müller build on Kant's foundation of preexistence as a basis for freedom. Joseph Smith makes Mormonism (Latter-day Saints) the only Christian denomination to embrace preexistence. Edward Beecher gives the doctrine its fullest exposition ever.Less
German idealists such as Friedrich Schelling and theologians such as Wilhelm Benecke and Julius Müller build on Kant's foundation of preexistence as a basis for freedom. Joseph Smith makes Mormonism (Latter-day Saints) the only Christian denomination to embrace preexistence. Edward Beecher gives the doctrine its fullest exposition ever.
David W. Grua
- Published in print:
- 2018
- Published Online:
- March 2018
- ISBN:
- 9780190274375
- eISBN:
- 9780190274405
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190274375.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, History of Christianity
During winter 1838–1839, the Mormon community faced existential crisis. On 27 October 1838, Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs declared all Mormons to be enemies of the state, and unless they ...
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During winter 1838–1839, the Mormon community faced existential crisis. On 27 October 1838, Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs declared all Mormons to be enemies of the state, and unless they disavowed their religion they would be required to depart Missouri or risk “extermination.” Missouri officials charged Joseph Smith and other church leaders with treason and other crimes and confined them in a county jail. David W. Grua’s chapter, “Joseph Smith’s Missouri Prison Letters and the Latter-day Saint Textual Community,” places Smith’s letters from jail within the historical genre of the prison letter. Grua contends that Smith’s letters sought to make the church’s catastrophe in Missouri comprehensible by connecting suffering with a foundational tenet of the Mormon religion—revelation. Smith’s prison epistles functioned as ligatures that textually bound the scattered Latter-day Saint community together.Less
During winter 1838–1839, the Mormon community faced existential crisis. On 27 October 1838, Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs declared all Mormons to be enemies of the state, and unless they disavowed their religion they would be required to depart Missouri or risk “extermination.” Missouri officials charged Joseph Smith and other church leaders with treason and other crimes and confined them in a county jail. David W. Grua’s chapter, “Joseph Smith’s Missouri Prison Letters and the Latter-day Saint Textual Community,” places Smith’s letters from jail within the historical genre of the prison letter. Grua contends that Smith’s letters sought to make the church’s catastrophe in Missouri comprehensible by connecting suffering with a foundational tenet of the Mormon religion—revelation. Smith’s prison epistles functioned as ligatures that textually bound the scattered Latter-day Saint community together.
David O. McKay
Reid L. Neilson and Carson V. Teuscher (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780252042850
- eISBN:
- 9780252051715
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252042850.003.0008
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
McKay arrived in Samoa on May 10, 1921 and spent time on all three principal islands—Savai’i, Upolu, and Tutuila. During his visit, he toured plantations, humble meetinghouses, and two of the ...
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McKay arrived in Samoa on May 10, 1921 and spent time on all three principal islands—Savai’i, Upolu, and Tutuila. During his visit, he toured plantations, humble meetinghouses, and two of the church’s schools in Misusage and Sauniatu. McKay and Cannon were repeatedly feted as honored guests by local tribal chiefs at cultural celebrations, concerts, and dances; received ornate handmade gifts; and were well fed by local church members. Bidding the Saints farewell to the islanders was never an easy task; one memorable experience unfolded at Sauniatu, when McKay felt impressed to turn back to a group of church members and give them his apostolic blessing. In memory of his act, the local saints erected a concrete obelisk. For decades thereafter, May 31 was referred to and celebrated as “McKay Day.”Less
McKay arrived in Samoa on May 10, 1921 and spent time on all three principal islands—Savai’i, Upolu, and Tutuila. During his visit, he toured plantations, humble meetinghouses, and two of the church’s schools in Misusage and Sauniatu. McKay and Cannon were repeatedly feted as honored guests by local tribal chiefs at cultural celebrations, concerts, and dances; received ornate handmade gifts; and were well fed by local church members. Bidding the Saints farewell to the islanders was never an easy task; one memorable experience unfolded at Sauniatu, when McKay felt impressed to turn back to a group of church members and give them his apostolic blessing. In memory of his act, the local saints erected a concrete obelisk. For decades thereafter, May 31 was referred to and celebrated as “McKay Day.”
Matthew J. Grow
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300136104
- eISBN:
- 9780300153262
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300136104.003.0005
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter focuses on Thomas L. Kane's first meeting with the Mormons on May 13, 1846. It explains that Mormonism had proved tumultuous since it was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 and that ...
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This chapter focuses on Thomas L. Kane's first meeting with the Mormons on May 13, 1846. It explains that Mormonism had proved tumultuous since it was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 and that Mormonism's critique of contemporary Christianity and American culture and its unorthodox doctrines and practices led to clashes, sometimes violent, with neighbors. It discusses how Kane's visit to Mormon refugee camps inspired him to protect the Latter-day Saints and their religious liberty from evangelical reformers.Less
This chapter focuses on Thomas L. Kane's first meeting with the Mormons on May 13, 1846. It explains that Mormonism had proved tumultuous since it was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 and that Mormonism's critique of contemporary Christianity and American culture and its unorthodox doctrines and practices led to clashes, sometimes violent, with neighbors. It discusses how Kane's visit to Mormon refugee camps inspired him to protect the Latter-day Saints and their religious liberty from evangelical reformers.
Philip L. Barlow
- Published in print:
- 2013
- Published Online:
- September 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780199739035
- eISBN:
- 9780199345021
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/acprof:oso/9780199739035.003.0006
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
Though few Latter-day Saints are conscious of the change, the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible underwent a subtle metamorphosis in the corporate Mormon mind between 1867 and 1979. This chapter ...
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Though few Latter-day Saints are conscious of the change, the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible underwent a subtle metamorphosis in the corporate Mormon mind between 1867 and 1979. This chapter examines the historical, theological, and emotional reasons for the transformation of the KJV from the common into the official version of English-speaking Mormonism. The discussion centers on J. Reuben Clark Jr., a longtime member of the Church's First Presidency. By 1956, Clark had appropriated the arguments of Protestant KJV defenders and mingled them with his uniquely Mormon perspectives. In so doing, he made virtually all subsequent Mormon spokesmen for the KJV dependent on his logic.Less
Though few Latter-day Saints are conscious of the change, the King James Version (KJV) of the Bible underwent a subtle metamorphosis in the corporate Mormon mind between 1867 and 1979. This chapter examines the historical, theological, and emotional reasons for the transformation of the KJV from the common into the official version of English-speaking Mormonism. The discussion centers on J. Reuben Clark Jr., a longtime member of the Church's First Presidency. By 1956, Clark had appropriated the arguments of Protestant KJV defenders and mingled them with his uniquely Mormon perspectives. In so doing, he made virtually all subsequent Mormon spokesmen for the KJV dependent on his logic.
David O. McKay
Reid L. Neilson and Carson V. Teuscher (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780252042850
- eISBN:
- 9780252051715
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252042850.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
McKay’s steamship docked at Honolulu, Hawaii, on February 4, 1921. The tropical beauty of the islands impressed McKay as he ventured throughout the islands. Mormon missionaries had enjoyed ...
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McKay’s steamship docked at Honolulu, Hawaii, on February 4, 1921. The tropical beauty of the islands impressed McKay as he ventured throughout the islands. Mormon missionaries had enjoyed proselyting success in the Hawaiian Islands since their arrival in the 1850s. McKay spoke at well-attended conferences across the islands, visited church-owned plantations and schools, and were immersed in the local culture. McKay noted the multicultural composition of the local church membership, enjoyed homemade luaus prepared by local Latter-day Saints, offered guidance to young missionaries, and marveled at geographic landmarks, including volcanoes, coral reefs, and waterfalls. On February 26, 1921, McKay and Cannon boarded a steamer bound for San Francisco, California, where they planned to transfer steamers and travel to French Polynesia.Less
McKay’s steamship docked at Honolulu, Hawaii, on February 4, 1921. The tropical beauty of the islands impressed McKay as he ventured throughout the islands. Mormon missionaries had enjoyed proselyting success in the Hawaiian Islands since their arrival in the 1850s. McKay spoke at well-attended conferences across the islands, visited church-owned plantations and schools, and were immersed in the local culture. McKay noted the multicultural composition of the local church membership, enjoyed homemade luaus prepared by local Latter-day Saints, offered guidance to young missionaries, and marveled at geographic landmarks, including volcanoes, coral reefs, and waterfalls. On February 26, 1921, McKay and Cannon boarded a steamer bound for San Francisco, California, where they planned to transfer steamers and travel to French Polynesia.
David O. McKay
Reid L. Neilson and Carson V. Teuscher (eds)
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- September 2020
- ISBN:
- 9780252042850
- eISBN:
- 9780252051715
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5622/illinois/9780252042850.003.0007
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
McKay and Cannon’s steamship plied into the port at Wellington, New Zealand before dawn on April 21, 1921. They spent just over a week on the North Island, visiting missionaries, local members of ...
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McKay and Cannon’s steamship plied into the port at Wellington, New Zealand before dawn on April 21, 1921. They spent just over a week on the North Island, visiting missionaries, local members of European descent known as “Pakehas,” and native Maori Latter-day Saints. By the time of McKay’s visit, Maori converts and their descendants composed the majority of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand. Their traditions enamored McKay—most notably the “Hui Tau,” an annual multiday conference that included dancing, feasts, and community discussions ranging from church administration to local needs and unit organization. On many occasions, McKay was “hongied” by Maori members, an intimate nose-to-nose greeting. McKay bid farewell to the New Zealand Saints on April 30, 1921, departing for the next leg of his journey.Less
McKay and Cannon’s steamship plied into the port at Wellington, New Zealand before dawn on April 21, 1921. They spent just over a week on the North Island, visiting missionaries, local members of European descent known as “Pakehas,” and native Maori Latter-day Saints. By the time of McKay’s visit, Maori converts and their descendants composed the majority of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand. Their traditions enamored McKay—most notably the “Hui Tau,” an annual multiday conference that included dancing, feasts, and community discussions ranging from church administration to local needs and unit organization. On many occasions, McKay was “hongied” by Maori members, an intimate nose-to-nose greeting. McKay bid farewell to the New Zealand Saints on April 30, 1921, departing for the next leg of his journey.
Matthew J. Grow
- Published in print:
- 2009
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300136104
- eISBN:
- 9780300153262
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300136104.003.0006
- Subject:
- History, History of Religion
This chapter discusses the efforts of Thomas L. Kane to transform the public image of the Mormons. It explains how that crusade started at a particularly propitious moment and that the mob murders of ...
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This chapter discusses the efforts of Thomas L. Kane to transform the public image of the Mormons. It explains how that crusade started at a particularly propitious moment and that the mob murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in 1844 and the subsequent exodus of the Latter-day Saints from Nauvoo created an opportunity to alter public perceptions. It describes Kane's strategy of appealing to culturally powerful narratives of religious liberty, persecution, and suffering in forging a pro-Mormon alliance.Less
This chapter discusses the efforts of Thomas L. Kane to transform the public image of the Mormons. It explains how that crusade started at a particularly propitious moment and that the mob murders of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in 1844 and the subsequent exodus of the Latter-day Saints from Nauvoo created an opportunity to alter public perceptions. It describes Kane's strategy of appealing to culturally powerful narratives of religious liberty, persecution, and suffering in forging a pro-Mormon alliance.
Hokulani K. Aikau
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816674619
- eISBN:
- 9781452946986
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816674619.003.0003
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
In 1865 the Mormon Church purchased 6000 acres of the Lāʻie ahupuaʻa to provide Hawaiian Latter-day Saints with a gathering place in Hawaiʻi where they could live among coreligionists. It also became ...
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In 1865 the Mormon Church purchased 6000 acres of the Lāʻie ahupuaʻa to provide Hawaiian Latter-day Saints with a gathering place in Hawaiʻi where they could live among coreligionists. It also became a site where many Native Hawaiians could revive their cultural relationship to the land and the sea. This chapter discusses how Lāʻie served the institutional needs of the church while also meeting the cultural needs and desires of Hawaiian Latter-day Saints. It traces the spatial struggles over land and identity in Hawaiʻi beginning in the mid-nineteenth century when ʻāina (land, that which feeds) was transformed into a commodity that could be bought and sold. These spatial struggles were produced through the daily interactions of differentially empowered people living side by side and the meanings and desires they brought to this place.Less
In 1865 the Mormon Church purchased 6000 acres of the Lāʻie ahupuaʻa to provide Hawaiian Latter-day Saints with a gathering place in Hawaiʻi where they could live among coreligionists. It also became a site where many Native Hawaiians could revive their cultural relationship to the land and the sea. This chapter discusses how Lāʻie served the institutional needs of the church while also meeting the cultural needs and desires of Hawaiian Latter-day Saints. It traces the spatial struggles over land and identity in Hawaiʻi beginning in the mid-nineteenth century when ʻāina (land, that which feeds) was transformed into a commodity that could be bought and sold. These spatial struggles were produced through the daily interactions of differentially empowered people living side by side and the meanings and desires they brought to this place.
Terryl L. Givens
- Published in print:
- 2002
- Published Online:
- November 2003
- ISBN:
- 9780195138184
- eISBN:
- 9780199834211
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/019513818X.001.0001
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This book assesses the tempestuous impact and reception history of the Book of Mormon, produced by Joseph Smith in 1830, and the primary scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints. ...
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This book assesses the tempestuous impact and reception history of the Book of Mormon, produced by Joseph Smith in 1830, and the primary scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints. Givens describes the book's role as a divine testament of the Last Days and as a sacred sign of Joseph Smith's status as a modern‐day prophet. He reviews its claims to be a history of the pre‐Columbian peopling of the Western Hemisphere, first by a small Old World group in the era of Babel, and later by Israelites from Jerusalem in the age of Jeremiah. Givens explores how the Book of Mormon has been defined as a cultural product of early nineteenth‐century America, and also investigates its status as a new American Bible or Fifth Gospel, displacing, supporting, or—in some views—perverting the canonical Word of God. Givens also probes the Book's shifting relationship to Mormon doctrine and its changing reputation among theologians and scholars. Finally, in exploring the Book of Mormon's “revelatory appeal,” Givens finds the key to the Book's role as the engine behind what may become the next world religion. The Book of Mormon describes and enacts a model of revelation that Givens calls “dialogic.” Ultimately, Givens argues, the Book of Mormon has exerted its influence primarily by virtue of what it points to, represents, and claims to be, rather than by virtue of any particular content.Less
This book assesses the tempestuous impact and reception history of the Book of Mormon, produced by Joseph Smith in 1830, and the primary scripture of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‐day Saints. Givens describes the book's role as a divine testament of the Last Days and as a sacred sign of Joseph Smith's status as a modern‐day prophet. He reviews its claims to be a history of the pre‐Columbian peopling of the Western Hemisphere, first by a small Old World group in the era of Babel, and later by Israelites from Jerusalem in the age of Jeremiah. Givens explores how the Book of Mormon has been defined as a cultural product of early nineteenth‐century America, and also investigates its status as a new American Bible or Fifth Gospel, displacing, supporting, or—in some views—perverting the canonical Word of God. Givens also probes the Book's shifting relationship to Mormon doctrine and its changing reputation among theologians and scholars. Finally, in exploring the Book of Mormon's “revelatory appeal,” Givens finds the key to the Book's role as the engine behind what may become the next world religion. The Book of Mormon describes and enacts a model of revelation that Givens calls “dialogic.” Ultimately, Givens argues, the Book of Mormon has exerted its influence primarily by virtue of what it points to, represents, and claims to be, rather than by virtue of any particular content.
David J. Howlett
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- April 2017
- ISBN:
- 9780252038488
- eISBN:
- 9780252096372
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Illinois Press
- DOI:
- 10.5406/illinois/9780252038488.003.0005
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter examines the transformation of the Kirtland Temple as a site of interest into a site of contagion, only then to be blessed along with the surrounding land as a place of promise. While ...
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This chapter examines the transformation of the Kirtland Temple as a site of interest into a site of contagion, only then to be blessed along with the surrounding land as a place of promise. While the Kirtland Temple still remained an ambiguous site for many Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pilgrims, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agents on the ground in Cleveland worked out a story that could explain Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' possession of the temple while still embracing it as a holy site. This resanctification of sacred space offers several insights into the study of sacred space that may be “useful to think with.” First, this case study illustrates the power of middling agents in creating and sustaining sacred spaces. Second, it illustrates that the creation and maintenance of sacred space may be one strategy that religious groups use to answer theodical questions, or questions about the presence of evil.Less
This chapter examines the transformation of the Kirtland Temple as a site of interest into a site of contagion, only then to be blessed along with the surrounding land as a place of promise. While the Kirtland Temple still remained an ambiguous site for many Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints pilgrims, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints agents on the ground in Cleveland worked out a story that could explain Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints' possession of the temple while still embracing it as a holy site. This resanctification of sacred space offers several insights into the study of sacred space that may be “useful to think with.” First, this case study illustrates the power of middling agents in creating and sustaining sacred spaces. Second, it illustrates that the creation and maintenance of sacred space may be one strategy that religious groups use to answer theodical questions, or questions about the presence of evil.
Ryan T. Cragun, Michael Nielsen, and Heather Clingenpeel
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- March 2016
- ISBN:
- 9780814795286
- eISBN:
- 9780814795309
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- NYU Press
- DOI:
- 10.18574/nyu/9780814795286.003.0004
- Subject:
- Religion, Religion and Society
This chapter explores the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints's (LDS) struggle for legitimacy with the dissident Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and with ...
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This chapter explores the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints's (LDS) struggle for legitimacy with the dissident Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and with polygamists more generally. It begins by focusing on the modernization of the LDS and the group's use of the courts, government, laws, and the media as part of a campaign to distance itself from fundamentalist Mormon sects. It then explains why the LDS cannot return to polygamy as a practice and goes on to consider the LDS's efforts to distinguish itself from the FLDS and other polygamists before and after the Texas state raid on the Yearning for Zion Ranch. It also examines the effects of the raid on the FLDS and the LDS, with particular emphasis on the latter's efforts to adapt and conform to broader social norms.Less
This chapter explores the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints's (LDS) struggle for legitimacy with the dissident Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints (FLDS) and with polygamists more generally. It begins by focusing on the modernization of the LDS and the group's use of the courts, government, laws, and the media as part of a campaign to distance itself from fundamentalist Mormon sects. It then explains why the LDS cannot return to polygamy as a practice and goes on to consider the LDS's efforts to distinguish itself from the FLDS and other polygamists before and after the Texas state raid on the Yearning for Zion Ranch. It also examines the effects of the raid on the FLDS and the LDS, with particular emphasis on the latter's efforts to adapt and conform to broader social norms.
Susanna Morrill
- Published in print:
- 2007
- Published Online:
- July 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780807831021
- eISBN:
- 9781469605173
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of North Carolina Press
- DOI:
- 10.5149/9780807867990_brekus.10
- Subject:
- Religion, Religious Studies
This chapter explores how popular literature—particularly poetry that employs nature and flower imagery—allowed Latter-day Saints (LDS) women writers to argue for the theological importance of women ...
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This chapter explores how popular literature—particularly poetry that employs nature and flower imagery—allowed Latter-day Saints (LDS) women writers to argue for the theological importance of women as mothers and mediators of liminality within the patriarchal home, community, institutional church, and LDS salvational structures. It considers both American theology and Mormonism from the vantage point of women and how Mormon women in the 1800s crafted a popular theology that placed women at the center of the Mormon faith. The chapter also examines how Mormon women writers used nature and flower imagery to demonstrate the central mission of women, which was to follow the example of Jesus Christ, such as dedicating their lives to relieving suffering.Less
This chapter explores how popular literature—particularly poetry that employs nature and flower imagery—allowed Latter-day Saints (LDS) women writers to argue for the theological importance of women as mothers and mediators of liminality within the patriarchal home, community, institutional church, and LDS salvational structures. It considers both American theology and Mormonism from the vantage point of women and how Mormon women in the 1800s crafted a popular theology that placed women at the center of the Mormon faith. The chapter also examines how Mormon women writers used nature and flower imagery to demonstrate the central mission of women, which was to follow the example of Jesus Christ, such as dedicating their lives to relieving suffering.
Hokulani K. Aikau
- Published in print:
- 2012
- Published Online:
- August 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780816674619
- eISBN:
- 9781452946986
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Minnesota Press
- DOI:
- 10.5749/minnesota/9780816674619.003.0001
- Subject:
- Sociology, Race and Ethnicity
This introductory chapter presents the author’s account of her journey while researching the present volume along with an overview of its main themes. The book explores how Mormon theology came to be ...
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This introductory chapter presents the author’s account of her journey while researching the present volume along with an overview of its main themes. The book explores how Mormon theology came to be fused with Polynesian lineage. The author asks how Polynesians, in general, and her family, in particular, could remain faithful to Mormonism given the racially discriminatory practices she experienced and witnessed. She traces history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) in Lāʻie, Hawaiʻi from the 1850s when the first Mormon missionaries arrived at Hawaiʻi’s shores to 2001 when the Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian Language and Cultural Studies at Brigham Young University-Hawaiʻi launched the waʻa kaulua ʻo Iosepa, a double-hulled open ocean voyaging canoe.Less
This introductory chapter presents the author’s account of her journey while researching the present volume along with an overview of its main themes. The book explores how Mormon theology came to be fused with Polynesian lineage. The author asks how Polynesians, in general, and her family, in particular, could remain faithful to Mormonism given the racially discriminatory practices she experienced and witnessed. She traces history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) in Lāʻie, Hawaiʻi from the 1850s when the first Mormon missionaries arrived at Hawaiʻi’s shores to 2001 when the Jonathan Nāpela Center for Hawaiian Language and Cultural Studies at Brigham Young University-Hawaiʻi launched the waʻa kaulua ʻo Iosepa, a double-hulled open ocean voyaging canoe.
Paul Thagard
- Published in print:
- 2019
- Published Online:
- March 2019
- ISBN:
- 9780190678722
- eISBN:
- 9780190686420
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
- DOI:
- 10.1093/oso/9780190678722.003.0008
- Subject:
- Psychology, Cognitive Models and Architectures
Descriptions of cultural practices can be enriched by understanding the cognitions and emotions occurring in the minds of the people enacting the practices. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...
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Descriptions of cultural practices can be enriched by understanding the cognitions and emotions occurring in the minds of the people enacting the practices. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is new enough that its historical developments and ongoing practices are well documented. To explain these developments and practices, this chapter describes the images, concepts, values, beliefs, rules, analogies, and emotions that are the most important mental representations operating in Mormon minds. These representations have a neural basis in semantic pointer processes of representation and binding, and they contribute to a variety of deductive, abductive, and emotional inferences. The social process by which Mormon beliefs and practices spread from one individual to another can best be understood as the results of semantic pointer communication carried out by interactions ranging from church rituals to missionary work.Less
Descriptions of cultural practices can be enriched by understanding the cognitions and emotions occurring in the minds of the people enacting the practices. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is new enough that its historical developments and ongoing practices are well documented. To explain these developments and practices, this chapter describes the images, concepts, values, beliefs, rules, analogies, and emotions that are the most important mental representations operating in Mormon minds. These representations have a neural basis in semantic pointer processes of representation and binding, and they contribute to a variety of deductive, abductive, and emotional inferences. The social process by which Mormon beliefs and practices spread from one individual to another can best be understood as the results of semantic pointer communication carried out by interactions ranging from church rituals to missionary work.
