Conference Books — Fall 2012

It probably follows that the most academically-oriented speakers cite the most sources for their discourses. And when such speakers discuss a subject that requires a lot of outside sources, the list reported here gets long. This General Conference three speakers, Elder Oaks, Elder Christofferson and Elder Cook, cited outside sources at a rate that exceeds anything I’ve seen in the 5 years that I’ve been compiling these lists. Overall, the number of works cited rose to 93 from 62 in the Spring and 51 last year. Just 6 works cited I consider literary works, and only one of those, Pratt’s Autobiography, is a Mormon literary work.

Elder Oaks’ sermon on protecting children was probably memorable to many for its in-depth coverage of his subject (as are many of his addresses). But because he talked about a subject that isn’t covered substantially in the scriptures and in Church periodicals, and because he needed to indicate the extent of the problem in the world, Elder Oaks cited 25 different sources–I’ve only left out 4 (citations to Church magazine articles). The rest are mostly a broad list of news and academic sources detailing the problems children face in today’s society.

Elder Christofferson’s talk wasn’t as detailed (10 non-scripture and non-church magazine sources), but also cited a lot of outside sources, mainly popular non-fiction about the status of men in today’s society. Elder Cook’s discourse was much more along the lines of what we’ve seen before in conference talks, but it also cited 9 items, including two newspaper articles from popular conservative commentators.

Also of note this conference is the expanded use of footnotes to not only provide citations, but also offer additional explanatory information. In particular Elder Robert C. Gray’s talk has extensive additional information in footnotes, including, unfortunately, the factually inaccurate Thomas B. Marsh milk strippings claim. Elder Neil L. Andersen, Elder Christofferson and Elder Russell T. Osguthorpe also included more than simple citations in their footnotes.

Here are the books and outside sources mentioned or cited in the most recent General Conference. I hope you enjoy reading the list as much as I enjoy compiling it:

Books

Periodical articles

  • Benson, Ezra Taft, “The Law of Chastity,” BYU Speeches of the Year, 1987-88.
    • Neil L. Andersen, Trial of Your Faith, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Dickson, Amanda, ‘Hunger Games’ Main Character a Heroine for Our Day, Deseret News, April 2, 2012.
    • D. Tod Christofferson, Brethren, We Have Work to Do, Priesthood Session
  • Douthat, Ross, Gay Parents and the Marriage Debate. New York Times, June 11, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • El Nasser, Haya, “National Birthrate Lowest in 25 Years,” USA Today, July 26, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • “End the Abuses,” Deseret News, June 12, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Enstrom, James E. and Lester Breslow, “Lifestyle and Reduced Mortality among Active California Mormons, 1980-2004,” Preventative Medicine, v. 46, 2008.
    • Russell M. Nelson, Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!, Saturday Morning Session
  • Lloyd, R. Scott, “Zion Not Only Where, but How We Live, Says Elder Holland,” Deseret News, September 10, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Lowry, Rachel, “Mental Abuse as Injurious as Other Forms of Child Abuse, Study Shows,” Deseret News, August 5, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Mills, Eleanor, “Learning to Be Left on the Shelf,” Sunday Times, April 18, 2010.
    • D. Tod Christofferson, Brethren, We Have Work to Do, Priesthood Session
  • Noonan, Peggy, “The Dark Night Rises,” Wall Street Journal, July 28-29, 2012.
    • Quentin L. Cook, Can Ye Feel So Now?, Saturday Morning Session
  • Ostling, Richard N., “Challenging Mormonism’s Roots“, Time May 20, 1985.
    • Neil L. Andersen, Trial of Your Faith, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Painter, Kim, “Parents Can Inflict Deep Emotional Harm,” USA Today, July 30, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Proctor, Maurine, “Nothing’s Too Hard for the Lord: The Kansas City Cultural Celebration,” Meridian Magazine, May 9, 2012.
    • Thomas S. Monson, Consider the Blessings, Sunday Morning Session
  • Reginerus, Mark, How Different Are the Adult Children of Parents Who Have Same-Sex Relationships? Findings from the New Family Structures Study. Social Science Research, v. 41, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Sedgh, Gilda and others, “Induced Abortion Incidence and Trends Worldwide from 1995 to 2008,” The Lancet, v. 379 n. 9816, February 18, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Smith, George A., “Discourse,” Deseret News, April 16, 1856.
    • Robert C. Gay, What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Steiner, Susie, “Top Five Regrets of the Dying,” Guardian, February 1, 2012.
    • Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of Regrets and Resolutions, Saturday Morning Session
  • Young, Zina D., quotation in Women’s Exponent, October 15, 1877.
    • Carole M. Stephens, Wide Awake to Our Duties, General Relief Society Meeting

Manuals and Handbooks

Other

  • Califano, Joseph A. Jr., “National Survey of American Attitudes on Substance Abuse XVII: Teens“, CASAColumbia Press Release, August 22, 2012.
    • Gary E. Stevenson, Be Valiant in Courage, Strength, and Activity, Priesthood Session
  • Christofferson, D. Todd, “Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread“, Church Educational System Fireside, January 9, 2011.
    • Neil L. Andersen, Trial of Your Faith, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Cnaan, Ram and others, “Called to Serve: The Prosocial Behavior of Active Latter-day Saints.”
    • Russell M. Nelson, Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!, Saturday Morning Session
  • Coray, Martha Jane Knowlton, Notebook. Church History Library, Salt Lake City, Utah.
    • Ann M. Dibb, I Know It. I Live It. I Love It, Saturday Morning Session
  • Elliott, Diana B. and Tavia Summons, Marital Events of Americans, 2009. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey Reports, August 2011.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • First Presidency Letter, February 29, 2012.
    • Richard G. Scott, The Joy of Redeeming the Dead, Sunday Afternoon Session
  • Holland, Jeffrey R., “Israel, Israel, God is Calling“, Church Educational System Fireside, September 9, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Holland, Jeffrey R., “Roundtable Discussion”, Worldwide Leadership Training Meeting, February 9, 2008.
    • Linda K. Burton, Is Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ Written in Our Hearts, General Relief Society Meeting
  • LDS Public Affairs. “Mormon Volunteerism Highlighted in New Study,” March 16, 2012.
    • Ann M. Dibb, I Know It. I Live It. I Love It, Saturday Morning Session
  • Martin, Joyce A. and others, Births: Final Data for 2010. National Vital Statistics Reports, v. 61 n. 1, August 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Mohler, R. Albert, Jr., [Presentation to religious leaders, New York City], September 5, 2012.
    • Quentin L. Cook, Can Ye Feel So Now?, Saturday Morning Session
  • Morris, Mary Lois Walker, Autobiography. (copy in possession of Linda Kjar Burton).
    • Linda K. Burton, Is Faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ Written in Our Hearts, General Relief Society Meeting
  • Perry, L. Tom, Mother’s Day letter to his mother, sent from Saipan, May 3, 1945.
    • L. Tom Perry, Becoming Goodly Parents, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, Mormons in America: Certain in Their Beliefs, Uncertain of Their Place in Society, January 12, 2012.
    • Russell M. Nelson, Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!, Saturday Morning Session
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life, U. S. Religious Knowledge Survey, September 28, 2010.
    • Russell M. Nelson, Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!, Saturday Morning Session
  • Primary General Presidency, Report of the Primary General Presidency, September 13, 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Scott, Jeanene Watkins, Personal Journal, April 1988 and September 23, 1989.
    • Richard G. Scott, The Joy of Redeeming the Dead, Sunday Afternoon Session
  • UNICEF, The State of the World’s Children 2005: Childhood under threat, 2004.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • UNICEF, “Young Child Survival and Development.”
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session
  • Watson, W. Tracy, Personal communication with Russell M. Nelson.
    • Russell M. Nelson, Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!, Saturday Morning Session
  • World Health Organization, “World Health Statistics 2012,” 2012.
    • Dallin H. Oaks, Protect the Children, Saturday Afternoon Session

You can see the previous compilations of books cited in General conference here:

Spring 2012

Fall 2011
Spring 2011
Fall 2010
Spring 2010
October 2009
April 2009
October 2008
April 2008

12 thoughts on “Conference Books — Fall 2012”

  2. The odd thing is that they were to two different translations of The Little Prince — the Wood translation was the earlier. The Howard translation is from about 2000.

    IIRC, The Little Prince has appeared on the list of Conference Books before.

    Reply

  3. It was the same quote in both cases, yes?
    “Das Wesentliche ist mit den Augen unsichtbar” in German. Something like “The essential is invisible to the eyes” in English.

    Reply

  5. James, are you more familiar with The Little Prince in German than in English?

    Here are the quotes from the two talks:

    “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” (Uchtdorf)

    “Here is my secret “¦ : It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” (González)

    And the original French: “Voici mon secret. Il es très simple: on ne voit bien qu’avec le cÅ“ur. L’essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.”

    Reply

  8. .

    I had noticed the two Little Princes and thought it was remarkable and it made me look forwards to this post.

    I’m a little depressed by the evidence that poetry is falling out of the common language. The one line from Wordsworth and that’s about it.

    How do I get a copy of Fire in the Pasture to Elder Holland?

    Reply

  9. Th., I noticed the relatively little poetry this conference also, but I’m not sure that it is anything but an aberration. In recent past conferences (I’ve only collected 5 years of data now) I’ve been surprised at some of the poetry that has been quoted or cited.

    But sometimes I wonder how much of the best Mormon poetry today can even be used in conference. Most of the poetry that has been cited during the past 5 years is simple and direct (Wordsworth is perhaps one of the few exceptions). It can easily be quoted and understood. It draws on extremely universal imagery (if it uses much imagery at all), making translation into other languages simple. Perhaps the complex imagery and precise language is exactly why some Mormon poetry wouldn’t be cited?

    Of course not all Mormon poetry wouldn’t work. And you are right that access to it would help. I’d bet you could simply send a copy of Fire in the Pasture directly to Elder Holland at his office. Just as important is making sure that the LDS Church Archives has a copy (I just checked, it IS there), because, as Ardis has pointed out on a previous conference book compilation, the personnel there are often asked to provide the bibliographic information for the citations.

    Reply

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