Spring 1995
The Spring 1995 Issue covers diverse topics related to philosophy, education, Mormon history, theology, and scriptural studies. Key pieces include a profile of philosopher Sterling Moss McMurrin by L. Jackson Newell, insights into Brigham D. Madsen's experiences as a BYU professor, and a reflective piece on Wallace Stegner by Karen Rosenbaum. Doug Ward examines the vitality of laws, while Stanley B. Kimball addresses mercy in Mormon theology. Vincent C. Rampton explores mid-life transitions for LDS priesthood holders, and Suzzanne F. Bigelow shares memories of her grandfather. Brent D. Corcoran delves into Thomas Taylor’s economic enterprises on the Mormon frontier. Stephen E. Thompson contributes a study on Egyptology's relationship to the Book of Abraham, rounding out a collection rich with Mormon cultural, theological, and historical themes. And much more!
Dialogue, 28.1 (Spring 1995): 143 – 161
The matter which I propose to examine is whether the “present understanding of Egyptian religious practice” supports Joseph Smith’s explanations of the facsimiles found in the Book of Abraham. In addition, I will discuss the contribution which a study of Egyptian history can maketo our understanding of the nature of this book of scripture.
Sterling M. McMurrin, a man of letters, has spent most of his life in the world of affairs. A distinguished professor of philosophy at the University of Utah for four decades, he held key academic…
In the fall of 1948 I began my career as a teacher of history at Brigham Young University and continued there until I resigned in the spring of 1954. During those six years I was…
I remember well the first time I met Wallace Stegner because I wanted so much to prove him wrong.
In writing these thoughts, I am documenting the abandonment of a theological philosophy that has been a central, if somewhat beleaguered, feature of my faith. The decision to abandon the traditions of my heritage was…
At age sixty-eight I have lived long enough to know some of the sorrows of this life. More than once I have cried out with the Psalmist: “Out of the depths I cry unto thee, O Lord. Lord, hear my voice!”
The ancient Chinese curse has plainly caught up with the LDS church over the past decade—never have the Saints lived in more interesting times. The recent whirlwind of world political changes has opened up mission fields undreamed of only a few years ago, faster almost than we can respond. It has also made us the target of anti-American sentiment and violence. Yet, in spite of all, church membership has now reached nine million.
I was a blessed child. I had a grandmother who loved me and who showed it. Her name was Ruth Alice Bird Harper Lewis, and as grand mothers go, she was a rare and wonderful…
Shortly after Mormon pioneers arrived in Utah in July 1847 Brigham Young planned for an anticipated population explosion by exploring the region and locating sites which could support new settlements and industries. Parley P. Pratt…
“Let’s see what sort of surprises await us in Jennifer’s story,” Jean-Paul said wearily and shuffled the story pages on his desk, as though by doing so he would impose order on narrative chaos. What…
The summer 1993 issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought featured D. Michael Quinn’s near-definitive discussion of Ezra Taft Benson’s political activities during the 1960s and 1970s.[1] Despite Quinn’s thorough documentation, in the section…
There are significant differences between historical investigation of controversial issues and the polemical use of history. Jeff D. Blake’s essay is a textbook example of polemics impersonating as history. First, he employs the classic “straw…
I did not plan survival or otherwise
craving absence for so long
so when awakened that snowless night
The blue ice is melting
off the high ridge,
draining down through the trees.
The blade of rock darkens in the sun.
of course a two-inch badger
carved from liver-colored stone
with arrows bound to his back,
could not make the difference.
He was folding garments in the back bedroom
when he heard one of his kids telling
his wife that his ex had “lost a lot of weight”—
And God came to me and shewed me
a boat on troubled waters.
“Shall you stretch forth your hand
to steady the vessel before it founders?”
“I shall,” I said, and took the boat
in my hand and removed it from danger.
She was learning German that year,
a war bride, living in Darmstadt,
trying to say ich in the back of her throat,
the guttural r of Herr and Frau, to introduce
You, my father,
Too damned independent at seventy-five
To admit you could no longer handle
A simple double-edge Gillette,
Her head nestled in the palm of my hand
not so long ago,
little lips tugged my breast,
fingers pink as birthday candles
Although this book has an overly dramatic title, it is a magnificent and sensitive history of the efforts by church members and leaders to respond meaningfully to economic need, not only in LDS communities but…
Of great importance in the study of Mormon interrelationships is how polygyny fits into the larger picture of the modern American family. In his witty, provocative volume on reproductive rights and law in Ameri can…
Donald R. Moorman’s literate account of the Utah War is set within the larger panorama of events in mid-nineteenth century America and relates the process by which the isolated Mormon community in the Great Basin…
