This conference I found more references to books and outside materials than any of the previous five conferences that I’ve tracked. While I suspect that I’ve gotten a bit more thorough in what I find, it still seems like the printed talks have more references than in the past. On the other hand, three years is a short sample.
Regardless, there were a lot of references this conference, many more than last Spring. In the Spring, Conference talks cited a total of 4 different periodical articles. This conference there were 7. References to ‘other’ sources (mostly Internet documents and websites), increased the most — from 4 last conference to 11 this one. But even just looking at references to books, there was a significant increase, from 25 to 38.
Anyway, here are the books and other outside sources mentioned or citied in the most recent General Conference:
Books
- Allen, James B. and Glen M. Leonard, The Story of the Latter-Day Saints
, 1992.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Arrian; George Long (trans.), The Discourses of Epictetus
, 1888.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Arrington, Leonard J. and Davis Bitton, The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints
, 1992.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Barzun, Jacques,
, 2000.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Benson, Ezra Taft, Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet in 1980 Devotional Speeches of the Year — BYU Devotional and Fireside Addresses
, 1981.
- Claudio R. M. Costa, Obedience to the Prophets, Saturday Morning Session
- Kevin R. Duncan, Our Very Survival, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Holy Bible — New International Version
, 1996.
- Juan Uceda, He Teaches Us to Put Off the Natural Man, Priesthood Session
- Burns, Robert, Poems, Songs And Letters: Being The Complete Works Of Robert Burns (1868)
, 1811.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Carlyle, Thomas, Past and Present
, 1843.
- D. Todd Christofferson, Reflections on a Consecrated Life, Saturday Morning Session
- Carroll, Lewis, Alice In Wonderland
, 1898.
- Thomas S. Monson, Three Rs of Choice, Priesthood Session
- Chang, Larry,
, 2006.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of Things That Matter Most, Saturday Morning Session
- Cook, John, The Book of Positive Quotations, 2nd Edition
, 1993.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of Things That Matter Most, Saturday Morning Session
- Davies, William H., The Autobiography of a Super-Tramp
, 1908.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Derr, Jill Mulvay, Janath Russell Cannon, and Maureen Ursenbach Beecher, Women of Covenant: The Story of Relief Society
, 1992.
- Barbara Thompson, And of Some Have Compassion, Making a Difference, General Relief Society Meeting
- Hague, William, William Wilberforce: The Life of the Great Anti-Slave Trade Campaigner
, 1993.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Hales, Robert D., Return: Four Phases of Our Mortal Journey Home
, 1993.
- Mary N. Cook, Be an Example of the Believers, Sunday Afternoon Session
- Hinckley, Gordon B., Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley
, 1997.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Hinckley, Bryant S., The Faith of our Pioneer Fathers
, 1956.
- Kevin R. Duncan, Our Very Survival, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Hough, Richard and Denis Richards, The Battle of Britain: The Greatest Air Battle of World War II
, 1993.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Huxley, Aldous, Themes and Variations
, 1954.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Klein, Allen, Change Your Life!: A Little Book of Big Ideas
, 2010.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Lala, R. M., Touch of Greatness: Encounters with the Eminent
, 2001.
- Thomas S. Monson, Charity Never Faileth, General Relief Society Meeting
- Mann, Horace, Lecture On Education
, 1845.
- Thomas S. Monson, Charity Never Faileth, General Relief Society Meeting
- McCulloch, J. E., Home: the savior of civilization,
, 1924.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of Things That Matter Most, Saturday Morning Session
- Mencken, H. L. (ed.), A New Dictionary of Quotations on Historical Principles from Ancient and Modern Sources
, 1942.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Micklethwait, John and Adrian Wooldridge, God Is Back: How the Global Revival of Faith Is Changing the World
, 2009.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Milner, Clyde A. and others, The Oxford History of the American West
, 1994.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Packer, Boyd K. The Things of the Soul
, 2001.
- Boyd K. Packer, Cleansing the Inner Vessel, Sunday Morning Session
- Phillips, Donald T., Run to Win: Vince Lombardi on Coaching and Leadership
, 2001.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of Things That Matter Most, Saturday Morning Session
- Pratt, Parley P., Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt
, 1938.
- Neil L. Andersen, Never Leave Him, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Rigdon, Sidney and Joseph Smith, Lectures on Faith
, 1985.
- Richard G. Scott, The Transforming Power of Faith and Character, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Roberts, Brigham H., A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Volume 1
, 7 vols. 1930.
- Dallin H. Oaks, Two Lines of Communication, Sunday Morning Session
- Smith, Joseph, History of the Church
, ed. B. H. Roberts, 7 vols. 1902-1932.
- Neil L. Andersen, Never Leave Him, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Smith, Joseph F.,
, 1939.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Smith, Lucy Mack; ed. Preston Nibley, History of Joseph Smith by His Mother
, 1958.
- Rosemary M. Wixom, Stay on the Path, Saturday Morning Session
- Mary N. Cook, Be an Example of the Believers, Sunday Morning Session
- Snow, Erastus F., The Utah Pioneers; Celebration of the Entrance of the Pioneers Into Great Salt Lake Valley; Thirty-Third Anniversary, July 24, 1880.
, 1880.
- Kevin R. Duncan, Our Very Survival, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Stuy, Brian H., Collected Discourses, Vol. 4 (1894-1896)
, 1987-92.
- Henry B. Eyring, Serve with the Spirit, Priesthood Session
- Thompson, John, Teaching Little Fingers to Play
, 1936.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Webster, Noah, American Dictionary of the English Language
, 1996.
- Juan Uceda, He Teaches Us to Put Off the Natural Man, Priesthood Session
Periodicals
- Bass, Diana Butler, Peace, Love and Understanding (Review of God is Back by John Micklethwait and Adrian Wooldridge) in Washington Post National Weekly Edition, July 27 – Aug 2, 2009, 39.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Green, H. Gordon, The Thanksgiving I Don’t Forget in Reader’s Digest, Nov. 1956, 69-71.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Divine Gift of Gratitude, Sunday Morning Session
- Guideposts, June 1965, 24.
- Thomas S. Monson, Charity Never Faileth, General Relief Society Meeting
- Kelley, W. H. Letter from Elder W. H. Kelley in The Saints’ Herald, March 1, 1882, 68.
- Dallin H. Oaks, Two Lines of Communication, Sunday Morning Session
- Kirkpatrick, David D., The Right Hand of the Fathers in New York Times Magazine, December 20, 2009, 27.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Porter, Erika, Drug Deaths Overtake Auto Deaths in Utah in BYU Daily Universe, November 29, 2009.
- M. Russell Ballard, O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One, Sunday Afternoon Session
- Williams, Frederick G., Frederick Granger Williams of the First Presidency of the Church in BYU Studiesvol. 12, no. 3, 1972, 261.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
Other
- Audio English Dictionary, Addiction.
- M. Russell Ballard, O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One, Sunday Afternoon Session
- Christensen, Clayton M., The Importance of Asking the Right Questions, (commencement speech, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester N. H., May 16, 2009).
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Christensen, Clayton M., Decisions for Which I’ve Been Grateful, Brigham Young University-Idaho devotional, June 8, 2004.
- Thomas S. Monson, The Three Rs of Choice, Priesthood Session
- Clark, J. Reuben, Jr., The Chartered Course of the Church in Education, address given to seminary and institute leaders at Aspen Grove, Utah. August 8, 1938.
- David M. McConkie, Gospel Learning and Teaching, Saturday Morning Session
- McCullough, David. Teach Them What You Love, May 9, 2009).
- David M. McConkie, Gospel Learning and Teaching, Saturday Morning Session
- National Institute on Drug AbuseDrugs, Brains, and Behavior–the Science of Addiction (pdf), 2010.
- M. Russell Ballard, O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One, Sunday Afternoon Session
- National Institute on Drug AbuseThe Neurobiology of Drug Addictionsection IV, no. 30.
- M. Russell Ballard, O That Cunning Plan of the Evil One, Sunday Afternoon Session
- Porter, Roger B. Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, (talk given at Cambridge University Ward, Cambridge Massachusetts Stake, Sept. 13, 2009).
- David M. McConkie, Gospel Learning and Teaching, Saturday Morning Session
- Somerville, Margaret Should Religion Influence Policy?.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Xiao, Zhao Market Economies With Churches and Market Economies Without Churches.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
- Wikipedia, The Lamps are going out,.
- Quentin L. Cook, Let There Be Light!, Saturday Afternoon Session
You can see the previous compilations of books cited in General conference here:
Spring 2010
October 2009
April 2009
October 2008
April 2008
A Motley Vision 
The increase seems to hinge on who other than Monson, Cook, Ballard, and Uchtdorf decided to cite something. 🙂
Most of the works cited were by LDS authors–Boyd K. Packer even quoted from his own book. Quentin Cook seems to favor books by evangelicals such as Wilberforce God Is Back as well as secular books proving how decadent modern society is.
President Monson generally uses short quotes I suspect are gathered from quote books rather than wide reading. The quote from R.M. Lala intrigues me. I hope Pres. Monson has branched out into eastern philosophy. The quote from Larry Chang by Pres. Uchdorf is another hopeful sign that general authorities are accessing the wisdom of other faiths.
.
1. My understanding is that President Monson reads quite widely but has a soft spot for cutesy quotes.
2. How thrilling for a Daily Universe writer to be quoted in Conference?
3. Super-Tramp???
I noticed that by far more citations were from the Saturday session. At first I thought that might have some significance about the content of Saturday Sessions, but then I realized that Elder Cook who spoke on Saturday provided 31 footnotes and cited I don’t know how many sources. So whichever session he would have spoken in would have had the most citations.
I’m happy to see him discuss William Wilberforce, who deserves more recognition.
This is a great list, Kent, thanks for putting it together! I love that Elder Cook cites Wikipedia.
Also, my favorite citation of all time was when Elder Wirthlin cited Albert Camus. I was pretty shocked, but then realized it came from a book of famous quotations. I have to admit, my hopes were dashed a little bit. I had gotten such a kick out the idea of Elder Wirthlin reading French existentialism.
Elder Cook quoting Barzun is not really a surprise, but it is always interesting when general authorities show knowledge of some of the more popular public intellectual titles of this decade. And Elder Cook actually seems to be the one most likely to do so since he was the one with the Nassem Taleb reference (back in Spring 2009).
No C.S. Lewis?
Thanks, this is a really cool idea.
I had to do a double-take and check out the pub year for ‘Autobiography of a Super-Tramp’.
My first horrific thought was “Who was quoting-Take the Long Way Home?”
.
I know, right?
Course Correction (2): The R. M. Lala citation is because this book includes a quotation from Mother Teresa.
I think we need to remember that citing a book doesn’t mean that the General Authority ever put his hands on the book–Ardis Parshall reported in the comments to one of these compilations a few conferences ago that the Church History Library personnel get inundated with research requests before each conference, and they likely come up with the sources for many of these quotes.
David (8), LOL. That reminds me of a missionary companion who used to include quotes from his favorite rock group (translated into Portuguese) in the talks he gave.
The Super-Tramp thing is intriguing — makes me wonder where the group got their name. Could it have come from the title of this book? And what is the book about, anyway?
May I toss out a discussion point? Am I wrong that the current church guidelines are that teachers should stick with official church publications (magazines or lesson manuals) or the scriptures as resource material. Once a reference has been used in conference and published in an official church publication, does it make ok to quote in a Sacrament talk or Sunday School lesson?
I was tickled at the time (and again now) at the citation to “Teaching Little Fingers to Play.” Which, by the way, President Monson misquoted. (I know because I taught myself my first lessons at the piano from that book on a tiny toy piano.) His quote represents the very first song in that very first book of piano lessons, which is to say, he didn’t get far in piano lessons at all!
I remember I was ridiculed on the mission for using a Huxley quote: “Facts do not cease to exist because they are ignored.” The response: “Wasn’t that the Brave New World guy? Ick!”
“The arc of the universe is long but it bends towards justice!”
In response to Gary’s discussion point:
There are plenty of discussions elsewhere in the Bloggernacle that deal with official church publications and talks/lessons and the use of “outside” materials. I’d prefer we not get in to that here. Discussion of the specific cultural and literary references and how they are used is fine, but this is not the blog for general discussion of policy and practice.
Thanks. (Wm)
Thanks for putting this together!
A few more links to above-mentioned sources:
Christensen, Clayton M., The Importance of Asking the Right Questions, (commencement speech, Southern New Hampshire University, Manchester N. H., May 16, 2009). Available at http://www.claytonchristensen.com/documents/SNHUCommencementtalk-DemocracyCapitalismandReligion.pdf and http://www.snhu.edu/8841.asp
Christensen, Clayton M., Decisions for Which I’ve Been Grateful, Brigham Young University-Idaho devotional, June 8, 2004. Available at http://www.byui.edu/Presentations/Transcripts/Devotionals/2004_06_08_Christensen.htm
Clark, J. Reuben, Jr., The Chartered Course of the Church in Education, address given to seminary and institute leaders at Aspen Grove, Utah. August 8, 1938. Available at http://unicomm.byu.edu/president/documents/clark.htm
My favorite quote of conference unfortunately didn’t make it into the print edition. Pres. Monson began his closing remarks by referencing the last stanza of Robert Frost’s “Stopped By Woods on a Snowy Evening.”
James, thanks for mentioning that. I had completely missed that fact.
Thank you for the list of sources. It is very interesting to read.
I must confess, however, that I did a double-take when I saw that someone was quoting out of a Carlyle book about Chartism. Not that there’s anything wrong with Chartism; one of the early pioneers was a Chartist in Scotland before he joined the Church and moved to America, but it was a surprise to use that as a source.
So I looked it up, and found that the 1853 edition of his work was called Past and Present (see page 251 for the conference quote). The volume listed in Amazon, Chartism. Past and Present is a different compilation altogether.
Thanks, researcher. The error is mine. I assumed the books were the same. I’m correcting the link.
Does anyone know how to get a transcript of David McCullough’s talk, “Teach THem What You Love” (address given in the Salt Lake Tabernavcle, 9 May 2009) as quoted by David M. McConkie?
No transcript, but here’s a video of it.