Imagine if someone were to create a community where all interested or connected to Mormon thought in any way, shape, or form were welcomed and accepted? It exists, and it’s meeting in SLC this weekend. I just returned from my first day of Sunstone (ever), and I have to sit and process what I just experienced. The following are the highlights of my day:
- Breakfast: I got to know fellow Sunstoners at my breakfast table: an LGBT+ mormon feminist, a couple from Detroit who are from the Bickertonite/Rigdon sect (Church of Jesus Christ), and an older gentleman who has been coming to Sunstone for years (the sunstone crowd skews much older, white male than I expected).
- Dissent in Christian Communities: Listened to biblical scholar Dominic Crossan and D. Michael Quinn discuss the role of dissent in the Christian and Mormon communities. I almost fell off of my chair when Crossan said he’s not impressed by the Reformation and also when he proclaimed not to believe in the second coming (FYI He never left, He is with us always and His Spirit is rampant in the world). Quinn shared that it’s all too easy to see yourself as a white knight and inflate your importance as a dissenter; and to remember that slow, steady, and faithful dissent wins the race.
- Finding Wisdom Amidst the Quest for Certainty: Listened to a panel from the Thoughtful Faith community; a variety of viewpoints along the scale of orthodoxy were presented in a loving, respectful manner. When Paul Malan testified how his dying father found a way to let him know he was “Mormon enough,” there was nary a dry eye in the room. I found these sessions very faith affirming. This is what I hoped for when thinking Sunstone might be right for me.
After lunch everything went kind of off the rails. I’m convinced turning time over for open Q&As is usually a bad idea. The following are the more interesting parts that might make the orthodox run screaming the other way:
- Polygamy/Polyandry/TMI: I attended panel on Mormon fundamentalism that included people who have left and people who have joined polygamous communities; I appreciated what the practicing polygamist shared as it humanized the consensual practice of polygamy (wo abusive situations). During the Q&A someone talked about their polyamorous relationships and threesomes. Today I learned it’s not orthodoxy that makes people cross boundaries and ask about fertility/sex life, apparently it’s just a fixture across the spectrum.
- Women Preaching/Atheists Testifying: After hearing the amazing Fatimah Salleh (a #femwoc who was a Muslim, converted to Mormonism, and is currently attending divinity school at Duke) give a sermon on Finding the God that Calls to You, a workshop was held on faith transitions and was to support everyone no matter where on your faith journey you are. I have to admit it was the first time I’ve ever heard someone bear testimony of Richard Dawkins.
Conclusion: I’m an unorthodox, liberal mormon in Rexburg and a fairly faithful saint at Sunstone. Just like all communities – you can find what you are looking for. I feel I was able to take what strengthened me and leave what didn’t on the table. If you are at Sunstone this weekend I’ll be live tweeting my sessions (if wifi starts working) under #sunstone. I’m presenting on Saturday at 3:45 on Infertility in Mormonism. If you run into me say hello, I promise not to bite.
Were you at Sunstone today? if so what were your highlights and/or things that would have skeered your bishop? I heard Dan Vogel was compelling in his argument of Joseph as a pious fraud – so please share!
p.s. Andrew S will also be presenting on the Intersection of Mormon Heteronormativity, Race, Respectability and Grace on Friday at 3:45
Wheat & Tares 
Nope, I guess I’ll stay in Minnesota.It would be interesting to hear what Andrew S is going to say about grace. President Uchdorfs conference address will change the shape of the church if it hasn’t all ready and I thought nobody was saying anything about it. I’m sure that everybody here thinks I’m on the path of apostasy.
I have to clarify: Fatimah’s sermon was very faith affirming and biblical about Christ – it was one of the commenters during Q&A that brought up their atheism.
Rich, I think George’s topic sounds fascinating – I really think Uchtdorf’s sermon on grace will bring change as well.
Kristine,
It was great meeting you! Did you see Mormon Heretic…when I saw him earlier in the day, he said he hadn’t met you. He’s really tall.
I went to the session on 4 views of the prophet. Each of the presenters were pretty interesting for their cases (prophet, sincere visionary, pious fraud, con man). Dan Vogel did pretty well for pious fraud, but…I have to say that Chris Smith was super entertaining on the con man side. I appreciated that in Don Bradley’s response to the others (on the side for prophet) he took a naturalistic defense of prophetic nature, but I also suspect that his approach would seem very foreign to many members.
Rich,
Unfortunately, my topic will not discuss Uchtdorf’s conference address (although there is probably a place I could put it…somewhere during my brief discussion of 2 Nephi 25:23. My presentation will probably make more people uncomfortable rather than anything — my argument is that one can see the more “conventionally Mormon” understanding for grace and works with respect to works in 2 Nephi 25:23 (such as Nate found problematic in his post from yesterday), by assessing Mormonism’s past perspective on racial change and noting that we have kept the same rhetoric for LGBT issues. (That is, as the church realizes that LGBT/same sex attraction/whatever is probably not something that is chosen, the rhetoric has changed to involve a “saved by grace after all you can do” approach. Members are expected to be righteous even if they can’t necessarily enjoy all the benefits and privileges, and in the afterlife, they will be changed through divine grace.)
FWIW, I am sure that many people here at W&T (and definitely at Sunstone) think that Uchtdorf’s conference talk was a breath of fresh air and are definitely hoping for a change in Mormon discussion on grace.
“Quinn shared that it’s all too easy to see yourself as a white knight and inflate your importance as a dissenter;”
I’ve been enjoying his interviews and work in the past 2-3 years.
Yes Kristine, I’m still looking for you. I caught the first session yesterday, but then had to go to work and didn’t make it back until evening. I enjoyed Crossan and Quinn’s session too, and like Andrew was at the 4 views of Joseph session. Chris Smith was funny, but a little too cynical for my tastes. Don Bradley started off well, but trying to define Joseph as a prophet with a naturalistic definition is a tough task, and I felt like he was a bit handcuffed by using only naturalistic definitions. I did enjoy some of his jokes at Chris’ expense though!
I’m working on my recap of the conference too, and am currently here for the Mormon Genome Project where they are trying to raise money to see if they can officially verify if Josephine Lyon is the daughter of Joseph Smith. (For those looking for more background, see my previous post where Brian Hales thinks she is Joseph’s daughter, but the DNA tests thus far are not conclusive.)
MH, I’ll look for you. I know for sure I’ll be at Paul Reeve’s session based on his book “Religion of a Different Color: Race and the Mormon Struggle for Whiteness.”
I’m still missing you! I went to Paul Reeve’s MHA presentation, so I skipped that one. I have never heard of Fatimah Salleh before. She was POWERFUL!!! What an awesome testimony!
Very envious that you can gather and listen to people discussing alternative views.
I’ve been asked by the Bishop not to say anything in church that could offend anyone, and only to say conventional things if I bear my testimony. I did ask if freedom of religion/speech applied to me.
Today was my third day attending certain sections of Sunstone. I made it today for part of Brother Jake Does Sunstone (which was very entertaining), the Why We Stay plenary session, mentioned in the posting, with Fatimah (who was awesome) et al, like Gina Colvin and Mitch Mayne. I then attended Femwoc and stayed thereafter for most of the author meets the critics session featuring *Moroni and the Swastika* by David Conley Nelson. My bishop, I think, would recoil at the idea of anyone attending, but I could be wrong.
Incidentally, I sat right behind Andrew in one session (I don’t remember which) and I attended the session he did with other moderators of the Mormon Mind on Facebook.
Personally, I think Sunstone has been hijacked by the gay-LGBT-feminst-mental health-dissension- agendas.
I think it is fine to have all of those agendas represented, but when 90%+ of the presentations are on those issues it gets pretty disgusting.
Back in the day, Sunstone represented the bleeding edge of research on doctrinal and historical issues pertaining to Mormonism, not any more.
I think the demographics of Sunstone is dramatically changing and they are losing many of their past supporters.
On Saturday I left the sessions for several hours to hit the farmers market at the park down on 300 west (it was really fun!) after that, I went to meet with the book buyer of a major book retailer downtown. As I was walking up the stairs to his office, which is in the open, I heard a fellow that he was meeting with say to him, “have you seen the sunstone schedule for this year? What a joke! If you aren’t a lkjsldkfaj, or a lkjslkdfj, or a kljsf, there is no reason to attend!”
After hearing that comment, I felt validated about how I feel about what Sunstone has morphed into over the years
I think someone needs to start a new symposium for those of us that are still interested in history and doctrine, etc.
You can get what you want at Sunstone. I’ll be posting my notes soon, but The Ed Smart session and the Why I Stay sessions had some POWERFUL testimonies.
If you want history, go the the Mormon History Association. They are wonderful sessions. I’ve reviewed several years at this link/a>.
It was great to meet you, Kristine! A highlight for me was playing Mormanity with a bunch of hilarious people. 🙂