O ADAM by W. W. Phelps

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I’m something of a collector of works about Adam and Eve by Mormons. I just stumbled across this in the Times and Seasons and thought I would share. I couldn’t find a scan and so my attempts to beautify what I found is quite personal rather than historically accurate.

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Eve:
O Adam, will you come with me?
For paradise is blooming now;
For God has said that we are free
Through endless realms the angels fly,
To all of Eden’s joys and powers,
To bring forth joys for you and I,
To pluck and eat her fruits and flowers,
O have you hid yourself from me,
So we may cull the garden through
For tasting that forbidden tree.
For flowers for me and fruit for you. Continue reading “O ADAM by W. W. Phelps”

Defining ‘Added Upon’

0--AddedUponOf all the words and phrases that are common in or unique to Mormonism, added upon is perhaps the most connected with a work of literature. Though perhaps infrequently used today in Mormon vernacular (except to refer to the book Added Upon), in the past it was frequently used in discussing Mormon doctrine, and it is still used today because it appears in scripture and refers to a key concept of that doctrine, one touched on in my recent definition of the Mormon use of the word exaltation.

Unlike exaltation, however, added upon is today almost exclusively Mormon.

Continue reading “Defining ‘Added Upon’”

A Short History of Mormon Publishing: The Formative Period

The first of seven posts, following an introduction posted last week.

Effectively, Mormonism begins with the publication of a book.

The publication of the Book of Mormon in 1830 gave the nascent Church content and direction–content in the form of a tangible object that could be delivered to investigators, and direction in the form of a stated goal to preach the gospel to all the world.[] Since religious and political tracts were already in widespread use in the U.S. (Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, for example), early members and missionaries knew the power of the written word. Continue reading “A Short History of Mormon Publishing: The Formative Period”

What are the themes of Mormonism?

About a decade ago I read an essay on the modern artist Wayne Thiebaud which talked about the communal aspects of his work. The essay attributed these aspects of his work to the communal aspects of his youth, from his birth in a Mesa, Arizona LDS community. Of course there are many communal aspects to Mormon culture, and at least some of those are unique to Mormonism. But as I’ve thought and read about Mormon art, I’ve increasingly realized how at odds this view of Thiebaud is with views from within the Church about Mormon art, where Thiebaud’s work is not considered Mormon.

The difference I see comes down to a disagreement about themes in art.

Continue reading “What are the themes of Mormonism?”