Out of Obscurity : Mormonism Since 1945

In the years since 1945, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has grown rapidly in terms of both numbers and public prominence. Mormonism is no longer merely a home-grown American religion, confined to the Intermountain West; instead, it has captured the attention of political pundits, Broadway audiences, and prospective converts around the world. While most scholarship on Mormonism concerns its colorful but now well-known early history, the essays in this collection assess recent developments, such as the LDS Church's international growth and acculturation; its intersection with conservative politics in recent decades; its stances on same-sex marriage and the role of women; and its ongoing struggle to interpret its own tumultuous history. The scholars draw on a wide variety of Mormon voices as well as those of outsiders, from Latter-day Saints in Hyderabad, India, to "Mormon Mommy blogs," to evangelical "countercult" ministries. Cover 1 Out of Obscurity Mormonism since 1945 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Contributor Biographies 8 Introduction 14 Part I: Internationalization 26 1: International Legal Experience and the Mormon Theology of the State, 1945–2012 28 International Legal Obstacles 29 Toward an Apolitical Theology of the State 38 Conclusion 47 2: The Internationalization of Mormonism 48 The Question of Mormonism as a World Religion 50 The Hyderabad India Stake 53 LDS Missiology 54 Engaging Religious Pluralism 62 Caste, Class, and Colonialism 64 Cultural Adaptation in Mormonism 66 Conclusion 69 Part II: Political Culture 72 3: Ezra Taft Benson and Modern (Book of) Mormon Conservatism 74 4: The Romney Lens 92 A Bifocal Look at Biographies 95 A Bifocal Look at Mormonism’s Reputation 101 A Bifocal Look at Religion in American Politics 111 5: “The Puritan Ethic on High” 115 Church Welfare: Crafting the Mormon Work Ethic 118 The Church Welfare Program: A Mormon Ethic of Work 120 Anti-Communism and a Mormon Doctrine of Free Enterprise 123 Mormon Faith, Mormon Business 127 LDS Global Expansion: Toward a “Businessminded” Mormonism 129 Conclusion 132 6: The Pageantry of Protest in Temple Square 134 Temple Square as Town Square 136 Protest, Persecuted, and Persecutors 139 (Public) Main Street to “Private Property” 148 When (Ordain) Women Entered the Gates and Crossed the Line 152 7: Mormons and Same-Sex Marriage 155 From “Relative Tolerance” to a “Crime Against Nature” 157 Laying the Groundwork: The Equal Rights Amendment and Anti-Gay Initiatives 160 The Defense of Marriage Act State Battles 164 The Bellwether State: California, Proposition 22, and Proposition 8 167 After Prop 8 173 Part III: Gender 182 8: Mahana, You Naked! 184 Sons of Mosiah: Mormon Identity in America and the Pacific 187 Race and Sex in the Dorms: Interracial Marriage and the Church College of Hawai‘i 193 Mahana’s Body: Modesty and Sexuality in the Mormon Pacific 197 Conclusion 205 9: Housework 209 Second-Wave Feminism and the Problem of Housework 210 Housework and the Mormon Woman: Two Competing Views 213 Changes to the Relief Society Housework Curriculum 219 Conclusion 223 10: Saying Goodbye to the Final Say 225 Presiding: A History 227 Maintaining Plausibility: The Shift Toward an Inspired Eve 233 Mormon Feminist Participation in Male Headship Discourse 238 11: Blogging the Boundaries 245 The Rise and Fall of LDS Women’s Publishing 247 Performing Religious Commitment Online 249 Seek-Out-Pretty 252 Finding Voice in Sharing the Gospel Online 255 Articulating Anti-Feminist Orthodoxy 259 Conclusion: Different Trajectories 264 Part IV: Religious Culture 268 12: The Evangelical Countercult Movement and Mormon Conservatism 270 13: Holding on to the “Chosen Generation” 289 Not a Gap 290 Gospel Activists 297 Student Voice in the LDS Church 301 Inculcating Soul Freedom 306 A Chosen Generation 309 Holding on to Youth 311 14: Everyone Can Be a Pioneer 313 Sesquicentennial Events 314 Creating Trekkers 318 The Trail’s End 326 15: “All the Truth Does Not Always Need to Be Told” 329 Index 352 'out Of Obscurity' Brings The Story Of Mormonism Since The Second World War Into Sharp Relief, Explaining The Ways In Which A Church Very Much Rooted In Its Nineteenth-century Prophetic And Pioneering Past Achieved Unprecedented Influence In The Realms Of American Politics And International Business. International Legal Experience And The Mormon Theology Of The State, 1945-2012 / Nathan Oman -- The Internationalization Of Mormonism : Indications From India / Taunalyn Rutherford -- Ezra Taft Benson And Modern (book Of) Mormon Conservatism / Patrick Q. Mason -- The Romney Lens : A Bifocal Approach To Mormonism, American Religion, And Politics In The Past Half-century / J.b. Haws -- The Puritan Ethic On High : Lds Media And The Mormon Embrace Of Free Enterprise In The 20th Century / James Dennis Lorusso -- The Pageantry Of Protest In Temple Square / Max Perry Mueller -- Mormons And Same-sex Marriage : From Era To Prop 8 / Neil J. Young -- Mahana, You Naked! Modesty, Sexuality, And Race In The Mormon Pacific / Amanda Hendrix-komoto -- Mormons And Housework During Second Wave Feminism / Kate Holbrook -- Saying Goodbye To The Final Say : The Softening And Reimagining Of Mormon Male Headship Ideologies / Caroline Kline -- Blogging The Boundaries : Mormon Mommy Blogs And The Construction Of Mormon Identity / Kristine Haglund -- The Evangelical Countercult Movement And Mormon Conservatism / Matthew Bowman -- Holding On To The Chosen Generation : The Lds Church And The Battle For Youth In The Late 1960s And Early 1970s / Rebecca De Schweinitz -- Everyone Can Be A Pioneer : The Sesquicentennial Celebrations Of Mormon Arrival In The Salt Lake Valley / Sara M. Patterson -- All The Truth Does Not Always Need To Be Told : The Lds Church, Mormon History, And Religious Authority / John G. Turner. Edited By Patrick Q. Mason And John G. Turner. Includes Index. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.