Mormon Studies Commons^™

Kaleohano 1860s, Dr. Ishmael Stagner

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

La‘Ie: 1865-1963: The Pre-Pcc Years, Dr. Ishmael Stagner

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

To: Tavita “David” Tausilinu’U Hannemann, Max E. Stanton

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Regarding: Max Stanton’s Experience at the Polynesian Cultural Center, 1964-1965

Altered and revised August 26, 2013 for presentation via Skype from my home in Portland, Oregon (where I was recovering from a recently a severely broken left ankle I had received on August 2, 20123, just five weeks before in Vancouver Island, in Canada.) This was my verbal presentation for the Mormon Pacific Historical Society –at the “Little Theatre” at BYU-Hawaii for the Joseph Napela Centre for Pacific Studies Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of the Polynesian Cultural Center, September 7, 2013. I wish to extend my sincerest thanks to Drs. Riley …

Pcc Night Show Update, Craig Ferre

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

In 1940 the original chapel in Laie, then 75 years old was being readied for a much need repainting. At the time it was common to remove old paint with a blow torch. This proved fatal to the old wooding structure as it subsequently burnt to the ground. I can imagine that the poor saint whose blow torch ignited the blaze felt terrible, and that he and the other workers were inconsolable with their loss. They could never have envisioned that this tragic act would give rise to one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions, and blessing beyond measure …

“School Thy Feelings”: The Critical Years At The Church College Of Hawaii And The Polynesian Cultural Center, 1955-1970, Alf Pratte

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Shortly after he was introduced to LDS president David O. McKay, Ishmael W. Stagner was invited to show McKay around the scrubby and waste-like North Shore area in 1955. It had not yet blossomed into the yet unfinished and unnamed cultural institution that in future decades would, in the words of Harold B. Lee, “…tie together the La’ie temple, the Church College of Hawaii, and the Polynesian Culture Center as the paramount activities of the Church.”1

Joseph Smith, Jesus, And Satanic Opposition: Atonement, Evil, And The Mormon Vision, Steven L. Olsen, Douglas J. Davies

BYU Studies

Douglas J. Davies is one of the most insightful and prolific scholars of Mormonism working today. He is a professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Durham, UK. Two of his earlier studies--The Mormon Culture of Salvation (2000) and An Introduction to Mormonism (2003)--analyze foundational aspects of Mormonism from an engaging academic synthesis of history, religious studies, cultural studies, literary studies, theology, and philosophy. The breadth and depth of his scholarly background enable him to address new and crucial questions, yielding remarkable insights. For example, The Mormon Culture of Salvation proposes that the plan …

A Firm Foundation: Church Organization And Administration, R. Mark Melville, David J. Whittaker, Arnold K. Garr

BYU Studies

While A Firm Foundation as a whole will appeal mainly to Church scholars and those interested in organizational theory, each of its individual articles offers an important synthesis of information for those who are interested in a particular topic. For example, a musician researching the history of the hymnbook would be interested in Michael Hicks's article "How to Make (and Unmake) a Mormon Hymnbook," and a newly called Young Women president might be intrigued by Janet Peterson's article "Young Women of Zion: An Organizational History." The book is broad enough that there is something of interest for everyone, from a …

A Mormon Approach To Politics, Thomas B. Griffith

BYU Studies

This address was delivered November 13, 2012, in Washington, D.C., at the tenth anniversary of Brigham Young University’s Milton A. Barlow Center. Thomas B. Griffith is a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Faith And Same-Gender Attraction: A Look At Ty Mansfield's Voices Of Hope, Allen E. Bergin, Ty Mansfield, Marian S. Bergin

BYU Studies

People who experience same-sex attraction need not necessarily find themselves at odds with Christianity and with Mormonism in particular. Nineteen people give very personal reports in Ty Mansfield's book Voices of Hope, discussing their social, emotional, and spiritual lives. The book is not a review of case histories or clinical data of same-gender attraction, but rather lived experience of finding hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a field of research loaded with political entanglement, this essay offers a window into the lives of those who have, through faith and hope, transcended the statistics and studies that claim same-gender …

The Book Of Mormon: A Biography, Paul C. Gutjahr, Tod R. Harris

BYU Studies

There is something of a paradox prevalent in academic religious studies: in order to consider a community and its traditions objectively, one should not be a member of that community; yet the only way to understand fully and appreciate and therefore faithfully report about the community is to be a member. Many times this contradiction leads to the unfortunate situation where "outsiders" do not report their findings objectively or accurately and thus disappoint those hoping for fair and informative treatment, and where the work of members attempting serious scholarly analysis of their own community is viewed with suspicion and distrust …

Shakers, Mormons, And Religious Worlds: Conflicting Visions, Contested Boundaries, Matthew J. Grow, Stephen C. Taysom

BYU Studies

In Shakers, Mormons, and Religious Worlds, Stephen Taysom, an assistant professor of religious studies at Cleveland State University, has written an intriguing and theoretically rich monograph that compares Shaker and Mormon approaches to religious identity formation and boundary maintenance. Although Shakerism dwindled as a religious movement in the twentieth century, Shakers and Latter-day Saints in the nineteenth century stood out as examples of successful new movements on the American religious scene. Taysom's comparison of Latter-day Saints and Shakers places him within a select group of scholars, most notably Mario DePillis, Lawrence Foster, and Spencer Fluhman, who have studied Shakers and …

The Mormon Influence At Disney, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

“The Mormon Influence at Disney,” provides a history of Mormons—members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)— involved with the Walt Disney Company, including animators, composers, and administrators. Beginning with cartoonist Floyd Gottfredson’s influence on the development of Mickey Mouse, the history continues with the influence of animators like Eric Larson, Les Clark, Judge Whitaker, Scott Whitaker, Don Bluth, and Richard Rich. Beginning as an animator on Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Larson went on to become a member of the Disney Studio’s powerful board known as “the nine old men.” Mormon composers covered …

Speculative Fiction, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

Speculative fiction describes a broad grouping of fiction types containing fantastical content. It includes genres such as horror, science fiction, and fantasy. It can include other genres such as mystery and romance if stories in those categories alter reality with elements of magic and the supernatural. It can include non-genre fiction and any story with strange, weird, or amazing things going on. Speculative fiction takes readers out of the real world into a place beyond reality, a place where anything is possible. Mormon writers, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), appear to be particularly …

George Paele Mossman’S Lalani Village As A Model For The Polynesian Cultural Center, Riley Moffat

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

As we consider the history and legacy of the Polynesian Cultural Center I think we ought to recognize that while the Center is in many ways unique in its development and purpose it was not the first attempt to create a cultural village with the goal of displaying and preserving Hawaiian culture. That honor goes to George Paele Mossman and his Lalani Village. Indeed, the Lalani Village can and probably was viewed as the model for what was attempted in La‘ie with the PCC.

Howard W. Hunter And The Development Of The Polynesian Culture Center, Chad Orton

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

While the vision behind the Polynesian Cultural Center may never have been realized without the efforts of Wendell B. Mendenhall, it is also likely that the center may never have celebrated fifty years without the work of Howard W. Hunter. In January 1965—fifteen months after the PCC opened its doors—Elder Hunter, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, received a letter from LDS Church President David O. McKay appointing him to replace Mendenhall as Chairman of the Board of the PCC, a position he would hold for more than eleven years. Elder Hunter’s service, coming as it did …

The Man Behind The Discourse: A Biography Of King Follett, Joann F. Mortensen, Emily H. Bates

BYU Studies

Joann Mortensen, a third great-granddaughter of King and Louisa Follett, has long been involved in documenting the lives of her ancestors. Her book, The Man Behind the Discourse, is the first published biography of King Follett, the man whose funeral sermon became known as one of the Prophet Joseph Smith's greatest discourses.

Mortensen has structured the book to be accessible to a wide audience. For those less familiar with the Church, a short, simple introduction to the beliefs of the Saints stands at the beginning of the book, and a "brief overview of Joseph Smith's life and prophetic mission" (59) …

Habeas Corpus In Early Nineteenth-Century Mormonism: Joseph Smith's Legal Bulwark For Personal Freedom, Jeffrey N. Walker

BYU Studies

Habeas corpus has been referred to as the cornerstone of the common law. Indeed, it is the “Great Writ of Liberty.” Chief Justice John Marshall confirmed this singular status given to the writ of habeas corpus in 1807 when he called it the “great constitutional privilege.” This article explores the use of this most famous writ during the early nineteenth century and specifically how Joseph Smith used it against those who sought his incarceration.

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The 1890s Mormon Culture Of Letters And The Post-Manifesto Marriage Crisis: A New Approach To Home Literature, Lisa Olsen Tait

BYU Studies

To please while we teach important lessons, to implant solid principles of truth and nobility while chaining the minds and attentions with our seemingly “light literature;” these are some of our aims.

—Susa Young Gates

Two Early Missionaries In Hawaii: Mercy Partridge Whitney And Edward Partridge Jr., Scott H. Partridge

BYU Studies

When Edward Partridge (1793–1840) converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830, it caused a terrible rift in his fam- ily: his sister Emily said that she wanted nothing to do with him as long as he held such ideas, and his parents began to question his sanity. Edward had eleven siblings, including his sister Mercy (1795–1872). Mercy was prominent in the Congregational Church and in 1819 went to Hawaii as a missionary and remained there the rest of her life. Edward was called as the first LDS bishop1 soon after his conversion and was faithful …