Richard Bushman on “Mormonism and the Public Good”

Watch Richard Bushman discuss “Mormonism and the Public Good” at the 2011 David P. Gardner Lecture held September 27th  at the University of Utah.

Here’s a tease: Recent events in Washington have demonstrated once again how much Americans differ on how to resolve the nation’s problem.  The parties to the debate cannot even agree on the nature of the public good.  The lecture will argue that these conflicts arise out of basic contradictions in our national values and therefore will perpetually recur.  The question the lecture will pose is: Can Mormonism, a religious tradition of particular relevance to Utahns,  contribute to the resolution of these fundamental disagreements.  Can a religion that is authoritarian in nature help solve the problems of a democracy?