Prophets
Recommended
The Secular Binary of Joseph Smith’s Translations
Michael Hubbard MacKayDialogue 54.3 (Fall 2021): 1–40
The debate about Joseph Smith’s translations have primarily assumed that the translation was commensurable and focuses upon theories of authorial involvement of Joseph Smith.
Matthew L. Harris, ed., Thunder from the Right: Ezra Taft Benson in Mormonism and Politics
Russell Arben FoxWorthy of Their Hire? Mormon Leaders’ Relationship with Wealth D. Michael Quinn. The Mormon Hierarchy: Wealth and Corporate Power.
Christopher C. SmithAuthority and Priesthood in the LDS Church, Part 2: Ordinances, Quorums, Nonpriesthood Authority, Presiding, Priestesses, and Priesthood Bans
Roger TerryDialogue 51.1 (Spring 2018): 167–180
In the prequel to this article, I discussed in general contours the dual nature of authority—individual and institutional—and how the modern LDS concept of priesthood differs significantly from the ancient version in that it has become an abstract form of authority that can be “held” (or withheld, as the case might be).
Authority and Priesthood in the LDS Church, Part 1: Definitions and Development
Roger TerryDialogue 51.1 (Spring 2018): 167–180
The issue of authority in Mormonism became painfully public with the rise of the Ordain Women movement.
“The Perfect Union of Man and Woman”: Reclamation and Collaboration in Joseph Smith’s Theology Making
Fiona GivensDialogue 49.1 (Spring 2016): 1–26
Central to Joseph’s creative energies was a profound commitment to an ideal of cosmic as well as human collaboration. His personal mode of leadership increasingly shifted from autocratic to collaborative—and that mode infused both his most radical theologizing and his hopes for Church comity itself.
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: President McKay As a Neighbor
Lorraine PearlMy grandfather used to say “There’s lots and lots of ‘man-ism’ in Mor monism.” Often we see President McKay and we think and talk of him as the prophet. I grew up in the same little valley in Northern Utah where he was from, and we saw him and thought of him as a man, of the real things he did as our neighbor.
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: On Shaking Hands with David O. McKay
Scott CameronThere were advantages and disadvantages to living across the street from Brother and Sister McKay. On Sunday we couldn’t play football in the street because there was always the possibility that President David O. McKay…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: The Prophet is Dead
Mona Jo EllsworthThe prophet is dead. Feeling a special quiet in the chapel this morning I sensed others were experiencing his going too. What did this mean to me? Why my tears and sorrow? Surely he was…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: Reflections on the Ministry of President David O. McKay
Sterling M. McMurrinIt is not difficult to identify the large difference that President McKay has made in the character and historical movement of the Church. I refer to the obvious fact that especially during the period of…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: “When Spirit Speaks to Spirit”
Joseph C. MurenThe deep sense of sorrow that I felt upon hearing of the passing of the prophet was incurred not because of any direct relationship I’ve had with him, nor was it the type of remorse…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: A Man of Love and Personal Concern
Myra ThulinI have had but few opportunities to come close to David O. McKay, but each time has proved to be personal, memorable, and cherished deeply. I have sensed that I have had a rare opportunity in…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: Tribute to President David O. McKay
Lafi ToelupeI do not hesitate and without reservation repeat from this remote end of the big wide world the very often heard expression from the lips of about three million people who have accepted the message…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: My Memories of President David O. McKay
Lowell BennionMy first recollection of David O. McKay is a sermon he gave in a Sacrament Meeting which led me as a teenager to engage in critical self-examination and to leave the meeting with high resolve. …
Willard Young: The Prophet’s Son at West Point
Leonard J. ArringtonA common object of humor among visitors to Mormon Country in the nineteenth century was the large number of children. Many travellers’ accounts contain a version of the story of Brigham Young’s encounter with a…
Spiritual Problems in the Teaching of Modern Literature
Stephen L. TannerThere are certain problems which a Mormon must cope with in teaching any secular literature. What does he do, for example, with a literary work which expresses ideas and attitudes in opposition to his theology?…
God and Man in History
Richard D. PollThe Reorganization in the Twentieth Century
Barbara Higdon LyonRevolution and Mormonism in Asia: What the Church Might Offer a Changing Society
Paul V. HyerThree Myths About Mormons in Latin America
F. LaMond TullisMormons in the Third Reich: 1933-1945
Joseph M. DixonModeration in All Things: Political and Social Outlooks of Modern Urban Mormons
Armand L. MaussReed Smoot, The L.D.S. Church and Progressive Legislation, 1903-1933
Thomas G. AlexanderJ. Reuben Clark, Jr.: Political Isolationism Revisited
Martin B. HickmanJ. Reuben Clark, Jr.: Political Isolationism Revisited
Ray C. HillamThe Twentieth Century: Challenge for Mormon Historians
James B. AllenThe Twentieth Century: Challenge for Mormon Historians
Richard O. CowanJoseph Fielding Smith: Faithful Historian
Leonard J. ArringtonFrom Someone Who Did Not Know Him Well
Mary Lythgoe BradfordThe Discomforter: Some Personal Memories of Joseph Fielding Smith
Richard CracroftA Tribute to President Joseph Fielding Smith
Henry EyringJoseph Fielding Smith — The Kindly, Helpful Scholar
G. Homer DurhamA Convert Discovers a Prophet
Denise St. SauveurThe Love of a Prophet
Hoyt W. Brewster JrThe Passing of a Prophet
Barnett Seymour SalzmanHarold B. Lee: An Appreciation, Both Historical and Personal
James B. AllenA Prophet is Dead: A Prophet Lives
Arthur Henry KingApostle Extraordinary: Hugh B. Brown (1883-1975)
Richard D. PollA Mormon and a Prophet: Marriner S. Eccles: Private Entrepreneur and Public Servant by Sidney Hyman
Bruce D. BlumellSensational Virtue: Nineteenth-Century Mormon Fiction and American Popular Taste
Karen LynnThe Word of Wisdom: From Principle to Requirement
Thomas G. AlexanderDid the Word of Wisdom Become a Commandment in 1851?
Robert J. McCueThe Word of Wisdom in Early Nineteenth-Century Perspective
Lester E. Bush Jr.Spreading the Gospel in Indonesia: Organizational Obstacles and Opportunities
Garth N. JonesBattling the Bureaucracy: Building a Mormon Chapel
Dennis L. LythgoeHome from the North
Linda SillitoeGrain Storage: The Balance of Power Between Priesthood Authority and Relief Society Autonomy
Jessie L. Embry“To Maintain Harmony”: Adjusting to External and Internal Stress 1890-1930
Thomas G. AlexanderOutside the Mormon Hierarchy: Alternative Aspects of Institutional Power
C. Brooklyn DerrAn Introduction to Mormon Administrative History
David J. WhittakerThe Uncommon Touch: Brief Moments with N. Eldon Tanner
Maureen Ursenbach BeecherN. Eldon Tanner, Man of Integrity
Leonard J. ArringtonNotes on Brigham Young’s Aesthetics
Michael HicksMove Over, Fortune “500”: The Mormon Corporate Empire by John Heinerman and Anson Shupe
William P. MacKinnonWilford Woodruff and the Mormon Reformation of 1855-57
Thomas G. AlexanderThe Wake of a Media Crisis: Guilt by Association or Innocence by Proclamation?
Rebecca ChandlerA Strange Phenomena: Ernest L. Wilkinson, the LDS Church, and Utah Politics
Gary James BergeraEzra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts
D. Michael QuinnFree Expression: The LDS Church and Brigham Young University
Omar M. KaderPatriarchal Blessings and the Routinization of Charisma
Irene M. BatesLeaders and Members: Messages from the General Handbook of Instructions
Lavina Fielding AndersonA Prophet, Seer, and Revelator: Prophet Puzzle, ed. by Brian Waterman
Bradley D. WoodworthMormonism’s Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview
Lester E. Bush Jr.Seers, Savants and Evolution: The Uncomfortable Interface
Duane E. JefferyThe Making of a Mormon Myth: The 1844 Transfiguration of Brigham Young
Richard Van WagonerNauvoo Roots of Mormon Polygamy, 1841-46: A Preliminary Demographic Report
George D. SmithThe Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony
David John BuergerDialogue 34.1 (Spring/Summer 2001): 87
However, the temple has maintained its central role in the lives of
Latter-day Saints by being able to create a point of intersection between
human desires for righteousness and the divine willingness to be bound
by covenant. This point has remained constant, even though emphases
in the church have changed over time, also bringing change to the endowment ceremony itself
Critique of a Limited Geography for Book of Mormon Events
Earl M. WunderliDialogue 35.3 (Fall 2003):127–168
DURING THE PAST FEW DECADES, a number of LDS scholars have developed various “limited geography” models of where the events of the Book of Mormon occurred. These models contrast with the traditional western hemisphere model, which is still the most familiar to Book of Mormon readers.
Form Criticism of Joseph Smith’s 1823 Vision of the Angel Moroni
Mark D. ThomasA Uniform and Common Recollection: Joseph Smith’s Legacy, Polygamy, and the Creation of Mormon Public Memory
Stephen TaysomJoseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the American Renaissance
Robert A. ReesDialogue 35.3 (Fall 2003):9a–128
I am a literary critic who has spent a professional lifetime reading, teaching, and writing about literary texts. Much of my interest in and approach to the Book of Mormon lies with the text—though not just as a field for scholarly exploration.
Prophecy and Palimpsest
Robert M. PriceThe Earliest Eternal Sealing for Civilly Married Couples Living and Dead
Gary James BergeraMartin Harris: The Kirtland Years, 1831-1870
H. Michael MarquardtTending the Desert: John A. Widtsoe: A Biography by Alan K. Parish
Samuel M. BrownThe Un-Hagiography: David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism by Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Wright
Mark T. DeckerManly Virtue: Defining Male Sexuality in Nineteenth-Century Mormonism
Russell StevensonThe Last Memory: Joseph F. Smith and Lieux de Mémoire in Late Nineteenth-Century Mormonism
Stephen TaysomPersonal Voices: Spencer Kimball’s Record Collection
Michael HicksThe Secular Binary of Joseph Smith’s Translations
Michael Hubbard MacKayDialogue 54.3 (Fall 2021): 1–40
The debate about Joseph Smith’s translations have primarily assumed that the translation was commensurable and focuses upon theories of authorial involvement of Joseph Smith.
Matthew L. Harris, ed., Thunder from the Right: Ezra Taft Benson in Mormonism and Politics
Russell Arben FoxWorthy of Their Hire? Mormon Leaders’ Relationship with Wealth D. Michael Quinn. The Mormon Hierarchy: Wealth and Corporate Power.
Christopher C. SmithAuthority and Priesthood in the LDS Church, Part 2: Ordinances, Quorums, Nonpriesthood Authority, Presiding, Priestesses, and Priesthood Bans
Roger TerryDialogue 51.1 (Spring 2018): 167–180
In the prequel to this article, I discussed in general contours the dual nature of authority—individual and institutional—and how the modern LDS concept of priesthood differs significantly from the ancient version in that it has become an abstract form of authority that can be “held” (or withheld, as the case might be).
Authority and Priesthood in the LDS Church, Part 1: Definitions and Development
Roger TerryDialogue 51.1 (Spring 2018): 167–180
The issue of authority in Mormonism became painfully public with the rise of the Ordain Women movement.
“The Perfect Union of Man and Woman”: Reclamation and Collaboration in Joseph Smith’s Theology Making
Fiona GivensDialogue 49.1 (Spring 2016): 1–26
Central to Joseph’s creative energies was a profound commitment to an ideal of cosmic as well as human collaboration. His personal mode of leadership increasingly shifted from autocratic to collaborative—and that mode infused both his most radical theologizing and his hopes for Church comity itself.
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: President McKay As a Neighbor
Lorraine PearlMy grandfather used to say “There’s lots and lots of ‘man-ism’ in Mor monism.” Often we see President McKay and we think and talk of him as the prophet. I grew up in the same little valley in Northern Utah where he was from, and we saw him and thought of him as a man, of the real things he did as our neighbor.
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: On Shaking Hands with David O. McKay
Scott CameronThere were advantages and disadvantages to living across the street from Brother and Sister McKay. On Sunday we couldn’t play football in the street because there was always the possibility that President David O. McKay…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: The Prophet is Dead
Mona Jo EllsworthThe prophet is dead. Feeling a special quiet in the chapel this morning I sensed others were experiencing his going too. What did this mean to me? Why my tears and sorrow? Surely he was…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: Reflections on the Ministry of President David O. McKay
Sterling M. McMurrinIt is not difficult to identify the large difference that President McKay has made in the character and historical movement of the Church. I refer to the obvious fact that especially during the period of…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: “When Spirit Speaks to Spirit”
Joseph C. MurenThe deep sense of sorrow that I felt upon hearing of the passing of the prophet was incurred not because of any direct relationship I’ve had with him, nor was it the type of remorse…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: A Man of Love and Personal Concern
Myra ThulinI have had but few opportunities to come close to David O. McKay, but each time has proved to be personal, memorable, and cherished deeply. I have sensed that I have had a rare opportunity in…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: Tribute to President David O. McKay
Lafi ToelupeI do not hesitate and without reservation repeat from this remote end of the big wide world the very often heard expression from the lips of about three million people who have accepted the message…
President David O. McKay: 1873-1970: My Memories of President David O. McKay
Lowell BennionMy first recollection of David O. McKay is a sermon he gave in a Sacrament Meeting which led me as a teenager to engage in critical self-examination and to leave the meeting with high resolve. …
Willard Young: The Prophet’s Son at West Point
Leonard J. ArringtonA common object of humor among visitors to Mormon Country in the nineteenth century was the large number of children. Many travellers’ accounts contain a version of the story of Brigham Young’s encounter with a…
Spiritual Problems in the Teaching of Modern Literature
Stephen L. TannerThere are certain problems which a Mormon must cope with in teaching any secular literature. What does he do, for example, with a literary work which expresses ideas and attitudes in opposition to his theology?…
God and Man in History
Richard D. PollThe Reorganization in the Twentieth Century
Barbara Higdon LyonRevolution and Mormonism in Asia: What the Church Might Offer a Changing Society
Paul V. HyerThree Myths About Mormons in Latin America
F. LaMond TullisMormons in the Third Reich: 1933-1945
Joseph M. DixonModeration in All Things: Political and Social Outlooks of Modern Urban Mormons
Armand L. MaussReed Smoot, The L.D.S. Church and Progressive Legislation, 1903-1933
Thomas G. AlexanderJ. Reuben Clark, Jr.: Political Isolationism Revisited
Martin B. HickmanJ. Reuben Clark, Jr.: Political Isolationism Revisited
Ray C. HillamThe Twentieth Century: Challenge for Mormon Historians
James B. AllenThe Twentieth Century: Challenge for Mormon Historians
Richard O. CowanJoseph Fielding Smith: Faithful Historian
Leonard J. ArringtonFrom Someone Who Did Not Know Him Well
Mary Lythgoe BradfordThe Discomforter: Some Personal Memories of Joseph Fielding Smith
Richard CracroftA Tribute to President Joseph Fielding Smith
Henry EyringJoseph Fielding Smith — The Kindly, Helpful Scholar
G. Homer DurhamA Convert Discovers a Prophet
Denise St. SauveurThe Love of a Prophet
Hoyt W. Brewster JrThe Passing of a Prophet
Barnett Seymour SalzmanHarold B. Lee: An Appreciation, Both Historical and Personal
James B. AllenA Prophet is Dead: A Prophet Lives
Arthur Henry KingApostle Extraordinary: Hugh B. Brown (1883-1975)
Richard D. PollA Mormon and a Prophet: Marriner S. Eccles: Private Entrepreneur and Public Servant by Sidney Hyman
Bruce D. BlumellSensational Virtue: Nineteenth-Century Mormon Fiction and American Popular Taste
Karen LynnThe Word of Wisdom: From Principle to Requirement
Thomas G. AlexanderDid the Word of Wisdom Become a Commandment in 1851?
Robert J. McCueThe Word of Wisdom in Early Nineteenth-Century Perspective
Lester E. Bush Jr.Spreading the Gospel in Indonesia: Organizational Obstacles and Opportunities
Garth N. JonesBattling the Bureaucracy: Building a Mormon Chapel
Dennis L. LythgoeHome from the North
Linda SillitoeGrain Storage: The Balance of Power Between Priesthood Authority and Relief Society Autonomy
Jessie L. Embry“To Maintain Harmony”: Adjusting to External and Internal Stress 1890-1930
Thomas G. AlexanderOutside the Mormon Hierarchy: Alternative Aspects of Institutional Power
C. Brooklyn DerrAn Introduction to Mormon Administrative History
David J. WhittakerThe Uncommon Touch: Brief Moments with N. Eldon Tanner
Maureen Ursenbach BeecherN. Eldon Tanner, Man of Integrity
Leonard J. ArringtonNotes on Brigham Young’s Aesthetics
Michael HicksMove Over, Fortune “500”: The Mormon Corporate Empire by John Heinerman and Anson Shupe
William P. MacKinnonWilford Woodruff and the Mormon Reformation of 1855-57
Thomas G. AlexanderThe Wake of a Media Crisis: Guilt by Association or Innocence by Proclamation?
Rebecca ChandlerA Strange Phenomena: Ernest L. Wilkinson, the LDS Church, and Utah Politics
Gary James BergeraEzra Taft Benson and Mormon Political Conflicts
D. Michael QuinnFree Expression: The LDS Church and Brigham Young University
Omar M. KaderPatriarchal Blessings and the Routinization of Charisma
Irene M. BatesLeaders and Members: Messages from the General Handbook of Instructions
Lavina Fielding AndersonA Prophet, Seer, and Revelator: Prophet Puzzle, ed. by Brian Waterman
Bradley D. WoodworthMormonism’s Negro Doctrine: An Historical Overview
Lester E. Bush Jr.Seers, Savants and Evolution: The Uncomfortable Interface
Duane E. JefferyThe Making of a Mormon Myth: The 1844 Transfiguration of Brigham Young
Richard Van WagonerNauvoo Roots of Mormon Polygamy, 1841-46: A Preliminary Demographic Report
George D. SmithThe Development of the Mormon Temple Endowment Ceremony
David John BuergerDialogue 34.1 (Spring/Summer 2001): 87
However, the temple has maintained its central role in the lives of
Latter-day Saints by being able to create a point of intersection between
human desires for righteousness and the divine willingness to be bound
by covenant. This point has remained constant, even though emphases
in the church have changed over time, also bringing change to the endowment ceremony itself
Critique of a Limited Geography for Book of Mormon Events
Earl M. WunderliDialogue 35.3 (Fall 2003):127–168
DURING THE PAST FEW DECADES, a number of LDS scholars have developed various “limited geography” models of where the events of the Book of Mormon occurred. These models contrast with the traditional western hemisphere model, which is still the most familiar to Book of Mormon readers.
Form Criticism of Joseph Smith’s 1823 Vision of the Angel Moroni
Mark D. ThomasA Uniform and Common Recollection: Joseph Smith’s Legacy, Polygamy, and the Creation of Mormon Public Memory
Stephen TaysomJoseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and the American Renaissance
Robert A. ReesDialogue 35.3 (Fall 2003):9a–128
I am a literary critic who has spent a professional lifetime reading, teaching, and writing about literary texts. Much of my interest in and approach to the Book of Mormon lies with the text—though not just as a field for scholarly exploration.