Sunstone to explore diversity

Deseret News (Salt Lake City), Jul 31, 2004 by Lynn Arave Deseret Morning News

Mormon feminism, "The Da Vinci Code," Noah's Ark, Santa Claus, spiritual TV shows, the Internet, Christianity and continuing debates about blacks and the priesthood and Mormonism. This wide list of subjects highlight presentations at this year's Salt Lake Sunstone Symposium and Workshops.

Scheduled for Wednesday, Aug. 11, through Saturday, Aug. 14, at the Salt Lake Sheraton City Centre, 150 W. 500 South, the event has more than 100 workshops and sessions planned.

Sunstone is an annual gathering of some members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, scholars and others who are interested in the richness and diversity of Mormon thought. It relies on free and frank exploration and discussion.

"We're a reflective forum," said Dan Wotherspoon, executive director of Sunstone. "We're not out here trying to change the church."

Also, while Sunstone has an open forum, he said it doesn't have an open microphone and no participant can be rude or out to harm the church.

"We're trying to explore all aspects of Mormon culture," he said.

At the same time, he said he and his staff value their LDS Church membership and consider themselves active members.

"Faith seeking understanding" is the motto of the symposium.

Wotherspoon said Sunstone had no shortage of presenters this year in what looks to be the highest participation year ever. He said almost 900 people attended sessions in last year's event and about the same number is expected this year. Some 500 pre-registered for the symposium in 2003.

For many years now, Sunstone has also been holding one-day symposiums in other large U.S. cities, including Dallas and Seattle. These are smaller than Salt Lake's event, but still attract five to 70 people.

He said the symposiums are purposely trying to appeal to a younger audience lately. In fact, students with valid IDs can register for free for all Sunstone events, except the workshops and banquet. About 55 students registered for free last year.

The inaugural Smith-Pettit Lecture is also free to the public. It will be Wednesday, Aug. 11, 8 p.m., with Margaret Starbird, who has written a book about Mary Magdalene, talking about "Reclaiming Magdalene: The Lost Bride in Christian Mythology."

A workshop with Starbird on Aug. 11, 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., will also focus on Mary Magdalene.

Centennial Park, Ariz., plural wives will also speak out in a panel discussion Aug. 14 at 11:15 a.m.

Jan Shipps, professor emeritus of history and religious studies at Indiana University-Purdue University, who has independently studied Mormonism for 45 years, will talk about "Prophets and Prophecy in the Mormon Tradition" on Aug. 13 at 10 a.m.

While the symposium has some offbeat offerings, it also addresses mainstream LDS subjects, including quality teaching (Aug. 11, 2-5:30 p.m.), church members with disabilities (Aug. 14, 11:15 a.m.) and managing grief and loss (Aug. 13, 2:15 p.m.)

For entertainment, a panel discussion with Salt Lake Tribune columnist Robert Kirby and three others will highlight "Television Shows that have Enhanced my Spiritual Life" (Aug. 12, 4:45 p.m.).

Here's a sampling of sessions:

-- "Noah's Flood: Modern Scholarship and Mormon Tradition," by Duane E. Jeffery, professor of zoology at Brigham Young University. (Aug. 12, 10 a.m.).

-- "Anti-Claus Lecture and Other Santa-at-the-Manger Myths," by L. Kay Gillespie of the criminal justice faculty at Weber State University. Aug. 12, 10 a.m.).

-- Panel: "Truth or Fiction? Reading 'The Da Vinci Code.' " (Aug. 12, 11:15 a.m.).

-- "In Praise of Good Women: The Social Construction of Mormonism's 'Ideal' Women," by Lavina Fielding Anderson. (Aug. 12, 3:30 p.m.).

-- "100 Years of Mormon Novels," by Lael Littke. (Aug. 13, 10 a.m.).

-- Panel: "Internet Mormons vs. Chapel Mormons." (Aug. 13, 11:15 a.m.).

-- Panel: "Real Goddesses Have Curves." (Aug. 13, 4:45 p.m.).

-- Panel: "The Best Idea in Mormonism." (Aug. 13, 4:45 p.m.).

-- Panel: "Faith, Doubt and Disbelief: The Paths of Returned Missionaries." (Aug. 13, 4:45 p.m.).

-- "On the Verge: Will Mormonism Become Christian?" By Shawn Aaron McCraney. (Aug. 14, 8:45 a.m.).

-- Panel: "How 'Christian' Should Mormonism Strive to be?" (Aug. 14, 11:15 a.m.).

-- "A Funny Thing Happened on My Way to the Temple: A Story about Mormons and Jews and Becoming Both," by Clifton Jolley of Dallas. (Aug. 14, 2:15 p.m.).

-- Panel: "What's Behind 'The Da Vinci Code' Craze? Uncovering the Divine Feminine." (Aug. 14, 4:45 p.m.)

Full advance registration for the symposium is $75. A half-day advance registration is $25. For more information or to download a complete schedule, go online to www.sunstoneonline.com.

E-mail: lynn@desnews.com