Sunstone Magazine
Summary: The mission of the Sunstone Education Foundation is to sponsor public forums for expression of views on religion, religious culture and Mormonism. Under the motto, "Faith Seeking Understanding," we examine and express the rich spiritual, intellectual, social, and artistic qualities of Utah’s religious culture as well as contemporary life. We encourage honest inquiry and responsible exchange of ideas in a manner respectful of all people and that which they hold sacred. In the SunstoneClassic podcast, we will feature each week a presentation given at a previous Sunstone symposium.
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- Artist: Sunstone Education Foundation
- Copyright: Creative Commons
Podcasts:
Joseph Smith’s Book of Abraham project was just the tip of the capstone when it came to his engagement on Egyptian lore and artifacts. Join Lindsay, Bryan and Christopher as they discuss the Book of Abraham translation and Joseph Smith’s fascination with ancient antiquity. Listen to this episode here.
His play “Borderlands” exacted a great cost from Eric Samuelsen, both personally and professionally. But it is also likely his greatest work. Stephen Carter and director Jerry Rapier discuss how the play came together and its potent effect on the LDS community. Listen to this episode here.
Two BYU students go to Nevada to get civilly married for a weekend so they can see what sex is like. A bishop tries to fend off needy ward members long enough to have a romantic evening with his wife. An LDS mom starts work in a brothel to support her family. In what is …
LDS culture is so relentlessly optimistic and family-friendly that we almost always overlook the profound horror at its theological roots. Fortunately, the horror movie “Saw” opens our eyes. After this episode, you’ll be calling it “the Plan of Saw-vation.” Listen to this episode here.
Missouri would be a tough time for Mormons and Gentiles alike. How did the conflict get started? How did violence change the landscape of Zion? Check out this episode with Bryan Buchanan, Lindsay Hansen Park and Christopher C. Smith about Zion’s Camp and more. Listen to this episode here.
Behind every great man stands a great woman … who stood up to him! The Bible often gives its female characters short shrift. But playwright Eric Samuelsen brings them vividly to life in his play “The Plan.” Stephen Carter and Melissa Leilani Larson discuss this astonishingly feminist piece of LDS theater. Listen to this episode …
Wendall Hair converted to the LDS Church while living in North Carolina and served a mission in St. George, Utah, where he returned almost immediately to continue life as a Mormon. But being African-American and gay led to challenges in Wendall’s faith in Church leadership. Kimberly Anderson talks with Wendall about the Mormons who helped …
Mormonism suffered a great loss September when Eric Samuelsen passed away. But few people have actually heard of him, which is a shame, because he revolutionized LDS culture one iconoclastic play at a time. Stephen Carter and J. Scott Bronson discuss two of his award-winning plays. Listen to this episode here.
There’s nothing quite like the Kirtland temple and the history can explain why. Check out the latest episode with Bryan Buchanan and Lindsay Hansen Park as they speak to temple curators and groundskeepers Seth Bryant and Tom Kimball about why the Kirtland Temple is so special. Listen to this episode here.
Hosted by Kimberly Anderson, this episode features Saundra Merth giving a personal perspective on the growth of the LGBTQ community in the Community of Christ and how they eventually gained the priesthood. Listen to this episode here.
What’s more important? Having the truth, or understanding your opponent? In this first installment of the Forgotten Mormons series, Stephen Carter, Greg Clark, and Jon Ogden introduce Wayne C. Booth, the LDS rhetorician who would like to blow everything you know about constructive dialogue out of the water. Its implications—from political discourse to Sunday school …
A lot happened during the leadership session of general conference, from changes in who can be an official witness for a baptism to an official interpretation of the word “gender” in church policies. Blaire Ostler and her husband Drew Ostler analyze the session talk by talk. Listen to this episode here.
How do you grow spiritually? Do you move from being wrong to being right? Or from being right to being righter? Jaxon Washburn sees soul growth as expansion rather than as movement toward correctness. Jaxon will be a co-host for future episodes of the Sunstone Podcast. Come get a taste of his thinking, and learn …
There’s a lot to be said about the Mormon “health code,” the Word of Wisdom. Tune in to hear Lindsay Hansen Park, Bryan Buchanan and Christopher C. Smith join with researchers and historians Clair Barrus and Joe Geisner to better understand the history of Mormonism’s most talked about commandment, er, revelation, er, suggestion. You get …
On September 17, 2019, Russell M. Nelson delivered a speech at BYU outlining five “truths,” causing a big stir in the LDS LGBTQ community. In this episode, Blaire Ostler shows how his concepts sound to LGBTQ ears. Listen to this episode here.
