Williams, Peter. “Detecting Semantic Differences between LDS and Christian Speech.” Schwa (2024).
This article compares usage and meaning of religious language between English-speaking members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) and other English-speaking Christians. Using speech collected from Christian and LDS subreddits and LDS speeches, keyness analyses are used to find target words characterizing each group. For each target word, contextual word embeddings (high-dimensional vectors representing the semantics and context of each word) from BERT (BidirectionalEncoder Representations from Transformers) are generated and reduced to two dimensions using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to visually examine the clusters indicating polysemy correlating with religious groups. This examination finds that some words (e.g., church, sin, Mormon) have visible differences that are detectable using this method. By understanding these differences, speakers can improve mutual understanding between these groups.
Petrey, Taylor G. Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos. The University of North Carolina Press, 2024.
Exploring the intersections of gender, sexuality, and kinship within the context of Latter-day Saint theology and history, this book contains elements that can be reinterpreted through a queer lens. Taylor Petrey reexamines and resignifies Mormon cosmology in the context of queer theory, offering a fresh perspective on divine relationships, gender fluidity, and the concept of kinship itself.
Petrey’s work draws together queer studies and the academic study of religion in new ways, providing a nuanced understanding of how religious narratives and doctrines can be reimagined to include more diverse interpretations of identity and community.
Wayment, Thomas A. “Recovering the Language of Purity after the First Revolt.” The Interpreter.
No abstract, Chat-GPT summary of PDF below.
In “Recovering the Language of Purity,” Thomas A. Wayment discusses the concept of sacred space in early Christianity, particularly after the First Revolt. As someone trained in New Testament studies, Wayment explores how early Christians navigated sacredness outside the established temple framework, a stark contrast to their Jewish contemporaries. Early Christians redefined purity and holiness by treating their homes and bodies as sacred spaces, symbolizing the presence of God without relying on temple structures. Influenced by Paul’s teachings, they developed a “house-church” model, sacralizing ordinary settings where communal worship could take place, often based on civic architecture like basilicas rather than temple structures. This new approach to sacred space reflected a theological shift toward understanding believers themselves as vessels of holiness, inspired by the idea that God’s spirit dwelled within them collectively rather than in a physical temple.
Wayment illustrates how, as Christians moved into homes for worship, they forged a new identity centered on localized holiness. Artifacts from early Christian sites, like the San Callixtus catacombs, reveal symbols and frescoes that connected worship to daily life, avoiding the temple model and focusing on sacraments like the Eucharist. By sacralizing homes, artifacts, and even personal items, early Christians preserved a sense of purity and divine connection, blending Roman domestic aesthetics with spiritual purpose.
Lefevor, G. Tyler, and Samuel J. Skidmore. “Navigating faith transitions: A 4-year longitudinal examination of religious deidentification among LGBTQ+ latter-day saints.” Journal of Counseling Psychology (2024).
Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) individuals raised in conservative religious traditions present to therapy with questions about how to navigate tension between their sexual/gender and religious identities. For therapists, having accurate information about (a) the typical process of religious deidentification, (b) its antecedents, and (c) its outcomes is critical to empowering these clients to make the decisions that are best for them. We present data from a preregistered 4-year longitudinal study of 164 LGBTQ+ people who were active members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (CJCLDS) at baseline to examine the phenomenology, antecedents, and outcomes of religious change. Across the 4 years of our study, we found that two thirds of our sample religiously deidentified to some degree. On average, participants shifted their attendance at the worship services from weekly to a few times a year, and 40% of participants disaffiliated with the CJCLDS. Longitudinal multilevel models suggested that age predicted deidentification with younger participants deidentifying more quickly than older participants. Religious deidentification was positively related to engagement with LGBTQ+ communities, and follow-up cross-lagged panel analyses suggested that engagement with LGBTQ+ communities was predictive of subsequent decreases in service attendance rather than vice versa. No relationships were observed between religious deidentification and mental health or well-being. These data suggest that religious deidentification is normative and developmental for LGBTQ+ Latter-day Saints, this process is most active among younger individuals, and connecting with other LGBTQ+ people is a key facilitator for this process.
Romanello, Brittany, Paula Baker, Emir Estrada, and Michelle C. Pasco. “Arizona Mormon youths’ religious socialization and 2020 voting choices.” American Behavioral Scientist (2024): 00027642241285018.
In Arizona, Mormonism has a historical presence as a conservative and globalized faith. Though the Mormon Church officially maintains political neutrality, it also encourages civic engagement. Through an analysis of interview data collected from 38 Mormon youth as part of the Arizona Youth Identity Project, this paper explores the enactment of political agency in reaction to complex socialization processes. Mormon youths’ voting choices in the 2020 election season were shaped by religious socialization and Mormonism as an “ethnoreligious” identity. While religious upbringing was important in political decision-making, our study found that most youth were politically unaffiliated and voted across party lines instead. Further, we analyze how intersectional identities such as gender, race, and sexual orientation contributed to this generation’s political values and voting outcomes, even creating external tensions with peers and older Mormon leadership. As Arizona Mormon youth participated in a historic election season, this study highlights the nuances of religious socialization and voting choices.
Landingin, Mark Joseph D. “DELEUZIAN IMMANENCE AND THE CONCEPT OF DEIFICATION IN MORMONISM.”Cosmos An International Journal of Art & Higher Education. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (also known as Mormons) lacks a philosophical theology. A metaphysics of event provides a plausible map to account for its views such as continuing revelation, deification of man and the concept of creatio ex materia. Thriving in all these views is the notion of immanence. The philosophy of Gilles Deleuze declares immanence as its encompassing dynamics. Several trajectories exploring the connections between Deleuzian immanence with Religion and Theology have been made, but none directly engages with Mormonism. Using the pragmatics of Gilles Deleuze to dialogue with Mormonism, we have exposed a fundamental difference in the approach of Mormonism
towards divinity, i.e., from theophany to theopraxy.
Chatelain, Jeremy J. “Thomas Sharp’s Warsaw Signal: Crafting an Anti-Mormon Rhetoric Prior to the Murder of Joseph Smith Jr.” Journalism History (2024): 1-29.
Thomas C. Sharp, editor of the Warsaw (IL) Signal from 1841–1844, was a prolific writer with a varied career in newspapers, law, and politics. His identity became intertwined with the Mormon prophet Joseph Smith Jr. in Nauvoo, Illinois. Sharp used the Signal to “stand in opposition to the encroachments of the fanatical band” and rally readers to exterminate Smith and the Mormons. In nine issues immediately preceding the June 1844 murder of Smith, Sharp isolated, concentrated, and repeated irreconcilable actions imputed to Smith to incite the assassination. The rhetorical strategy of vilification is used to illuminate how Sharp’s rhetoric—some 33,000 words in seventy-one articles on the Mormons—enraged citizens through characterizations of intentions, actions, purposes, and identities. Sharp’s inflammatory printing and formidable editorial influence is an example of the power of the nineteenth-century press. The findings serve as a warning to media consumers of the potent cogency of media manipulators and conspiracists.
Teerlink, Mabel. “A Corpus Study of Shifts in Latter-day Saint Discourse.” Schwa (2024): 1.
This article investigates historical changes in discourse about covenants among leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. By analyzing both the prevalence and the collocates of the term covenant in a corpus of general conference talks from the 1850s through the 2020s, this article finds that the word’s relative frequency and contextual usage have varied significantly over time. These findings reflect the ongoing development of religious discourse and the power of corpus linguistic tools for revealing discourse patterns.
The Journal of Mormon History is behind a paywall, so we don’t have access to abstracts or summaries, but below are recently published articles.
Nielsen, Michael H. “The Lord’s Supper in the Early Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.” Journal of Mormon History 50, no. 4 (2024): 107-136.
Prince, Gregory A. “Arnold Friberg: The Book of Mormon,“The Ten Commandments,” and the First Presidency Portraits.” Journal of Mormon History 50, no. 4 (2024): 137-144.
Helps, Rachel Meibos. “A Hope Fulfilled: A Brief History of the Mormon Esperanto Society.” Journal of Mormon History 50, no. 4 (2024): 74-106.
Greer, Caroline. “Smitten: Sex, Gender, and the Contest for Souls in the Second Great Awakening.” (2024): 146-148.
Talmage, Jeremy. ““Injected Some Catholic Doctrine”: The Portuguese Book of Mormon and the Standardization of Scripture Translation.” Journal of Mormon History 50, no. 4 (2024): 53-73.
Perry, James. ““Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way”: Josephite and Brighamite Interactions in the Pacific Northwest Region, 1905–1907.” Journal of Mormon History50, no. 4 (2024): 1-26.
Terry, Rachel. “Along the Sunflower Trail: Mormon Pioneers in Nebraska Legend.” Journal of Mormon History 50, no. 4 (2024): 27-52.
Davis, Ryan A. “Rockin’the Regime: Mormon Missionaries, American Popular Music, and the Fading of Spanish Fascism.” Popular Music and Society (2024): 1-20.
What an interesting mix. Thanks again, Stephen.
I thought the following statement from the Lefevor/Skidmore article was intriguing: “No relationships were observed between religious deidentification and mental health or well-being. “
You’re welcome! Yes, the effect sizes on that particular issue kind of jump around a little bit; the details of what you’re measuring, how the sample was recruited, and such seem to matter. A few years ago Lefevor schlogged through 73 studies and performed an excellent meta-analysis (I have more appreciation for how much work that was now that I’m doing my first meta-analysis) that provides a 30,000 foot view on that issue.
Lefevor, G. Tyler, Edward B. Davis, Jaqueline Y. Paiz, and Abigail CP Smack. “The relationship between religiousness and health among sexual minorities: A meta-analysis.” Psychological Bulletin 147, no. 7 (2021): 647.
JMH is committing editorial malpractice by keeping the abstracts behind a firewall. It’s an issue they should raise with their publisher.
I very much agree. The Mormon Esperanto Society in particular peaked my interest, but there’s only so much you can derive from a title.
It might be worth mentioning that the articles from Schwa were written by undergraduates at BYU. Schwa is a student-run academic journal sponsored by the Department of Linguistics at BYU; it appears twice a year. While the articles aren’t perfect or of uniform quality, the students are learning a lot about how to conduct original research and get it published, and you occasionally get gems like these. (Full disclosure: I’m the faculty advisor for the journal, and I’m really pleased with the work the student editors and authors are doing.)
Here you go:
Along the Sunflower Trail: Mormon Pioneers in Nebraska Legend.
By:Terry, Rachel
This article explores the legend of the sunflower trail left behind by the Mormon pioneers as they traveled from Winter Quarters, Nebraska to Salt Lake City. While the legend is not true, it remains significant as it portrays the migrating Saints in a positive light and highlights their contributions to the American Midwest. The article discusses the ecology of sunflowers in Nebraska, the debate surrounding the pioneers’ introduction of sunflowers to the area, and the agricultural importance and cultural symbolism of sunflowers. It also mentions the connection between the sunflower legend and John Chapman, known as Johnny Appleseed, and how the legend reflects the American pioneer ethos and shared values. The text concludes by discussing the trail itself and the folk group that perpetuated the sunflower legend, as well as the novel “My Ántonia” by Willa Cather, which immortalized the legend. Overall, the article provides a comprehensive exploration of the sunflower legend and its historical significance.
A Hope Fulfilled: A Brief History of the Mormon Esperanto Society.
By:Helps, Rachel Meibos
This article provides a historical overview of the Mormon Esperanto Society (PEM), a group of Latter-day Saints who used the constructed language Esperanto to promote the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The society translated proselyting materials and the Book of Mormon into Esperanto, and sought to build connections with other Esperantists worldwide. The translation of the Book of Mormon faced challenges and debates, but was eventually completed and independently published by PEM. The article also highlights the impact of PEM’s missionary work, including the formation of an unofficial congregation in Zaire and a Chinese teacher exchange program at Brigham Young University. While PEM is no longer active, interest in Esperanto remains among Latter-day Saints, particularly at BYU.
“Westward the Course of Empire Takes Its Way”: Josephite and Brighamite Interactions in the Pacific Northwest Region, 1905–1907.
By:Perry, James
This article examines the interactions between the Josephite and Brighamite branches of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Pacific Northwest from 1905 to 1907. It focuses on the Lewis and Clark Centennial and American Pacific Exposition and Oriental Fair in Portland, Oregon, as a backdrop for these interactions. The article uses personal journals, letters, and reports from missionaries and members to show that despite tensions among leaders, the exchanges between missionaries and members were generally peaceful. It also discusses the establishment of congregations and the challenges faced by both branches in the region. Additionally, the article discusses the presence and activities of the Reorganized Latter Day Saints in the Pacific Northwest during the early 1900s. It highlights Gomer T. Griffiths as the president of the Northwest Mission, covering Oregon, Washington, the Idaho panhandle, and British Columbia. The Reorganized Saints faced challenges due to their scattered membership, but they used publications like Zion’s Ensign and The Saints’ Herald to maintain connections and foster a sense of community. Missionaries such as Thomas W. Chatburn and William F. Bromley worked diligently to spread their faith and engage with other religious groups in the region. The article also explores the interactions between the Reorganized Latter Day Saints (RLDS) and the Latter-day Saints (LDS) in the Pacific Northwest from 1905 to 1907. LDS missionaries, including Bromley, were tasked with defending their faith against the RLDS and preventing conversions
“Injected Some Catholic Doctrine”: The Portuguese Book of Mormon and the Standardization of Scripture Translation.
By:Talmage, Jeremy
The article discusses a crisis in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1943 when errors were discovered in the Portuguese translation of the Book of Mormon. Church leaders decided to retranslate the entire book and bring all scripture translation under their control. The article explores the background of the translation process and the misunderstandings that led to the errors. It also discusses the challenges and errors that arose during the translation of the Book of Mormon into Portuguese, including the addition of a word that implied a Trinitarian understanding of the Godhead. The First Presidency took action to rectify the errors and established a Translation Department to oversee future translations, ultimately leading to improvements in the translation process and wider distribution of the Book of Mormon.
Arnold Friberg: The Book of Mormon, “The Ten Commandments,” and the First Presidency Portraits.
By:Prince, Gregory A.
This article explores the story behind the paintings of scenes from the Book of Mormon that were included in millions of copies of the book published by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The paintings were created by Arnold Friberg, an American artist known for his illustrations in a similar style to Norman Rockwell. The article highlights the role of Adele Cannon Howells, who commissioned and paid for twelve of Friberg’s paintings to make the Book of Mormon more accessible to children. Additionally, the article mentions Friberg’s involvement in Cecil B. DeMille’s film “The Ten Commandments,” for which he created oil paintings of the movie’s stars and notable scenes. Friberg’s work on the film earned him an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design. The article also discusses the relationship between Friberg, DeMille, and David O. McKay, the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. DeMille, aware of Friberg’s Mormon faith, asked him to arrange a meeting with McKay, which eventually led to the request for portraits of all three members of the First Presidency. Although the portraits were never completed, they were later finished by Friberg and sold to the author of the article. The article also mentions Friberg’s illustrations for the Book of Mormon.
The Lord’s Supper in the Early Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
By:Nielsen, Michael H.
This document provides an overview of the Lord’s Supper in the early Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (now Community of Christ). It explores the theological debates and practices surrounding the sacrament, including the use of wine or water, individual cups versus a common cup, and the inclusion of children. The text emphasizes the diverse perspectives within the church and the moderate and flexible approach taken by its leaders. It also highlights the church’s commitment to religious moderation and its gradual development of doctrine and practice through dialogue and biblical interpretation.
Smitten: Sex, Gender, and the Contest for Souls in the Second Great Awakening.
By:Greer, Caroline
In “Smitten: Sex, Gender, and the Contest for Souls in the Second Great Awakening,” Rodney Hessinger explores how religious groups during the Second Great Awakening challenged traditional notions of sexuality, family, and gender. Hessinger argues that these groups, including Mormons, Shakers, Catholics, and others, attracted new converts, particularly women, and offered them new choices and opportunities. However, these movements also threatened existing social orders and faced criticism for their perceived dangers of religious excess. The book examines case studies of different religious groups and their interactions with sexuality and gender during this period, highlighting the agency of women and the tensions and changes in early American society. This work will be valuable for historians interested in religion, gender, and the history of the Second Great Awakening.
The Brigham Young Journals, Volume 1: April 1832–February 1846.
By:Embry, Jessie L.
“The Brigham Young Journals, Volume 1: April 1832–February 1846” is a book edited by Brent M. Rogers, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, and Andrew H. Hedges. It contains the handwritten journals of Brigham Young, the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1832 until his death in 1877. The editors have made an effort to compile Young’s writings, using primary sources and other diaries from the time period. The book includes introductory chapters, a timeline of Young’s life, and illustrations. It is a valuable resource for studying Young’s early years and provides insight into his missionary travels and experiences.
Does the Brigham Young Journals book signal a de facto Brigham Young Papers project in the works?
@Dirk: I didn’t know, your students’ work is quite impressive! Williams’ piece especially intrigued me. As somebody who lives in very interfaith spaces I have lived the vocabulary shifts among different traditions; I just didn’t know there was a systematic way to study it.
@Ivan: Thanks! Now I’m waiting for the Esperanto Book of Mormon written in the Deseret Alphabet….
@Last Lemming: I too am curious about that possibility. However, I suspect such an endeavor would be exponentially more difficult than the JS papers project (I might be wrong), purely by dint of the fact that BY lived much longer. I mean, he was President of the Church when it was much larger for about twice as long as Joseph was, so I’m sure the paperwork associated with his governing responsibilities alone is voluminous. However, there have been mini-BY papers projects that have been published. For example, I enjoyed a compilation of his letters to his sons that I ran across in the BYU library.
There is a Brigham Young Papers project in the works that the journal book is associated with. It’s not as well funded as the Joseph Smith or Wilford Woodruff Papers and I believe it is being done in people’s spare time, so isn’t moving quite as fast either.