Fall 1998
The Fall 1998 Issue explores the evolving nature of Mormonism, focusing on themes of change, public and private identities, and shifts in social and theological views. Martha Sonntag Bradley reflects on the ongoing transformation within Mormon culture, while Allen Dale Roberts provides a retrospective on Dialogue, a publication known for its engagement with Mormon thought. David O. McKay's complex personality and influence are examined by Newell G. Bringhurst, who contrasts McKay’s public persona with his private beliefs. Claude J. Burtenshaw discusses the transition from moral teachings to political action in the Mormon community, and Gary M. Watts advocates for the acceptance and affirmation of same-sex relationships, arguing that it is a natural progression within the faith’s values. Lavina Fielding Anderson explores the ministry of Nicholas Groesbeck Smith, emphasizing his role in blessing and uplifting others. Dan Vogel revisits "The Prophet Puzzle," exploring the complex figure of Joseph Smith within Mormon history.
When Allen Roberts and I began our tenure with Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought in 1992, it was a craze-filled time, not unlike that of the 1960s—the debate over academic freedom at Brigham Young…
Looking back at Dialogue from a perspective of six years seems to me a lot like looking at my six-year-old child and wondering how she grew so fast and unpredictably while pondering where the time…
The public image of David O. McKay, ninth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, is overwhelmingly positive. Impressive in physical appearance, with a large frame, McKay stood six feet one inch,…
A few years ago during the Utah campaign against pari-mutuel betting, an LDS church leader justified his involvement by claiming that it was a moral issue. The implication was that church leaders have jurisdiction over…
Dialogue 31.3 (Fall 1998): 49–57
In Fall 1998 just a few years after The Family Proclamation, Gary Watts wrote, “The Logical Next Step: Affirming Same-Sex Relationships.” He notes the inner conflict that gay LDS members faced, having to choose between their desires to have a relaitonship and their desires to be in the church. It draws a lot of personal experiences and conversation to assess the issues. And he proposes that affirming committed, monogamous same-sex relationships would not change doctrines about reserving sexual initimacy for marriage, but proposed that these relationhips would not be eligible for sealings.
Nicholas Groesbeck Smith was born into Mormon aristocracy. He was a grandson of Apostle George A. Smith, a son of Apostle John Henry Smith, and a half-brother of George Albert Smith, who became eighth president…
In 1997 Mormons celebrated the 150th anniversary of the arrival of Brigham Young and the first LDS company to the Great Salt Lake Valley. During the anniversary year, they frequently discussed the experiences of the…
Dialogue 31.3 (1998): 101–122
Stuy looks at “the dedication of the Salt Lake temple constituted one of the most important events in the history of the world. Due to the sacred nature of temple dedications, the church does not grant access to the official records of these events; however, by reading the diaries of Saints who participated in the Salt Lake temple dedication,one can almost attend the ceremonies vicariously.
In her 1974 essay, “The Prophet Puzzle: Suggestions Leading Toward a More Comprehensive Interpretation of Joseph Smith,” Jan Shipps con fronted the anomalies in the historical record concerning Smith, noting: “What we have in Mormon…
Some thirty years ago my faith in the Mormon church changed forever. I was twenty-eight years old, a husband, father, school teacher, high priest, and a highly idealistic and credulous young Mormon. Looking back, I…
I am told that not so long ago church Correlation adopted a policy of discouraging use of the word “Zion” in official publications and dis courses. Perhaps they felt that the term created an irrational…
The conceptual link between the state and the cosmos has been explored many times by scholars over the last several decades. Mircea Eliade gave us his reflections in his book The Myth of the Eternal…
Samuel was watching the door intently when they let José in. He stood up, smiled as if he were greeting an old friend. He opened his body toward the inmate and reached out, completing the…
Julie was asked to be baptized for the dead. Her teacher, Mrs. Dixon, had read down the roll, asking the girls in alphabetical order. She had moved into Julie’s neighborhood, just up the street in…
“Coming Out” Again, Joanna Brooks
Building the Kingdom with Total Honesty, Boyd Kirkland
Dilemmas Everywhere, Armand L. Mauss
A Warm, Grateful Feeling, Lane J. Wolfley
True Intolerance, Thomas G. Alexander
One hour of a particular day,
like a sudden flu it descends upon you
the first time.
You could not have known.
Did she think, “Depression,”
As banks collapsed,
Men took to the road, farms
Reclaimed and lost?
You must have burst surprised
thrusting up your single spear
so soon past All
Hallow’s-Eve
Joseph loved his women
beginning with strong Lucy
who prayed him back to health.
He loved his sister Sophronia,
We note, today, the passing
of our most dreared departed—
father of lies, child of perdition,
mother of woes, and friend to sin.
The only motion here is an old
Dodge pickup leading a coil
of white exhaust across
the horizon—a snow-dusted
I meet Miguel
bear hugging him from behind
tense tendons in his neck
rage squeezing out his eyes:
Shirley is the punch line who holds the joke
while we wait like pieces on a game board
in the line that wanders
from the classrooms, through the halls,
How do non-Mormons feel about living in Utah? Missing Stories answers many such questions. These are the people’s words and not interpretation. As Helen Papanikolas explains in the introduction, “This is not a book of…
At first, the title of this book seems a bit misleading and confusing. “Friendly fire” became popular during the Gulf War as a description of how American troops were killed by their comrades during desert…
How Wide the Divide? Is a nice change from the typical literature published by evangelical publishing houses concerning the subject of Mor monism. This book attempts to enter into an open dialogue on the basic…
