Fall 1968
The Fall 1968 issue begins with Richard D. Poll analyzing Joseph Smith's aspirations for the presidency and Martin B. Hickman discussing the broader implications of his political ideas. Then the theme of Mormons in the secular city is introduced by Mary L. Bradford and Garth L. Mangum, setting the stage for various contributions. William H. Robinson discusses the role of Mormons in urban communities, while Belle Cluff shares reflections on life at Hopkins House. Daniel H. Gagon emphasizes a personal commitment to civil equality, and Renee P. Carlson examines the transitions faced by Mormons in urban settings. Vivian H. Olsen provides further insights on community challenges, followed by James L. Clayton's exploration of secularism's impact on Mormon identity. Robert Wood offers a perspective on urban life, and Charles L. Sellers discusses Mormons' roles in city planning. Mary Allen addresses the specific context of Manhattan, while Maida Rust Withers reflects on the relationship between art and the Church. Mark W. Cannon concludes this section by examining Mormons in executive positions. Finally, Klaus Baer presents a translation of a source related to the Book of Abraham, contributing to the understanding of its origins and significance.
At a meeting in the mayor’s office in Nauvoo, Illinois, on January 29, 1844, it was moved and voted unanimously that “we will have an independent electoral ticket, and that Joseph Smith be a candidate…
There is a game popular among Mormons which any number can play; it is easy to learn and it requires very little equipment: it is called, “Quoting the Prophet.” To play the game all one…
Mormons, whether they know it or not, whether they like it or not, have entered the Secular City. This term, coined by Harvey Cox, expresses (in “secular”) a “this worldness”—meaning that the work of the world must be done by man himself, and (in “city”) all historical and Utopian dreams for the model community. Dialogue magazine stands at that intersection between the religious and the secular worlds.
Unless you consult particulars, you cannot see. William Blake The average L.D.S. Church member finds many societal forces buffered or muted for him by the Church. Among other factors, our focus on the eternal nature of…
“What’s your name?”
“Are you coming back?”
“I love you.”
These are the words of a Hopkins House child. Being young, very young, living in a poverty-ridden neighborhood . . .
We call upon all men, everywhere, both within and outside the Church, to commit themselves to the establishment of full civil equality for all of God’s children. Anything less than this defeats our high ideal…
Our home is in the Alexandria (Va.) Ward and we live within eight blocks of the chapel. The school district was recently redistricted to dip into the “close to downtown” areas and therefore includes many…
When I saw Villa Mae Ferguson for the first time, standing gaunt and forlorn in the wind, my impulse was to keep on driving. I recognized her from Louise’s description: tall, plain, grayheaded. But she…
Belief in the eternal and the infinite, the omniscient and the omnipotent succeeded, over the milleniums, in exalting the very possibilities of human existence . . . Lewis Mumford One of the most pressing theological questions of our time…
. . . one key to urban development should be plain—it lies in the widening of the circle of those capable of participating in it, till in the end all men will take part in the conversation. Lewis Mumford…
If you like fresh air, 25¢ hamburgers, and security, New York may not be the place for you. If you want a Rinso-clean wash you can hang in the backyard, where crickets sound at night, and neighbors who are people much like you, the city probably isn’t your bag.
It is through the performance of creative arts, in art, in thought in personal relationships that the city can be identified as something more than a purely functional organization . . . Lewis Mumford Perhaps it is presumptuous to…
Only in a city can a full cast of characters for the human drama be assembled; hence only in the city is there sufficient diversity and competition to enliven the plot and bring the performers up to the highest pitch…
The speed with which photographs of the Joseph Smith Egyptian Papyri were published once they came into the possession of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a gratifying contrast to the secrecy with which their previous custodians surrounded them. The definitive edition of the documents will take time, but in the meantime the Egyptologist can show his appreciation by taking advantage of the opportunity to make preliminary studies.
Dear Sirs: As a Dialogue subscriber, I was recently favored with a letter from the “Lloyd for Congress Committee,” asking for a contribution to support a Dr. Kent Lloyd, Ph.D., who is running for Congress…
This study was conducted at Brigham Young University in order to assess student views toward the war in a subculture where the norms of Mormonism are overwhelmingly dominant. Brigham Young University is perhaps the only…
Thank you very much. Thank you. I appreciate very much being here . . . I understand that this is a campus made up of all political persuasions. I had a very nice conversation with…
Fantastic Victory is without a doubt the most ambitious attempt by any “Mormon scholar” to set the recent Arab—Israeli conflict into some perspec tive. Cleon Skousen, in the amazingly short period of less than three…
The writing of history is fraught with difficulties because the historian has no direct access to the past. Through newspapers, diaries, journals, and public documents prior events may be glimpsed as shadows, but even then…
A superlative is an automatic challenge, and when Mrs. Brodie calls City of the Saints “the best book on the Mormons published during the nineteenth century,” my impulse is to disprove it. At surface glance…
Dialogue 3.3 (Fall 1968): 142–145
In response to Fawn Brodies’s biography of Joseph Smith, F.L. Stewart published a book called Exploding the Myth About Joseph Smith, the Mormon Prophet.
I would the gift I offer hereMight graces fro thy favor take. John Greenleaf Whittier, Songs of Labor An article in the June 1, 1968, Church News entitled “BYU Gets Rare Books” described items of…
