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SALT LAKE CITY — Students and scholars came together Friday to learn about Mormonism's current and historic relationships with the media, from Twitter and Internet memes to action figures and portrayals on the big screen.
Presenters gathered for the third annual Mormon Media Studies Symposium — sponsored by Brigham Young University and Brigham Young University-Idaho — at the BYU Salt Lake Center.
Throughout the day, attendees took to Twitter with #mormonmedia14 to discuss members' use of social media and how to best approach Mormon studies as it becomes a growing field.
BYU-Hawaii professor Chiung Hwang Chen spoke about similarities between the hyper-masculineartwork and action figures often used in church publications of Captain Moroni, the stripling warriors and the angel Moroni, and some conservative ideals of the inspired Constitution, Second Amendment rights, patriotism and anti-federal government sentiments.
Some LDS artists have blended these themes in their work, she said, citing the work of Jon McNaughton. Another connection she saw was some members' use of Book of Mormon heroes and ideas in defending political viewpoints.
"I understand the power and the desire to promote a hyper-masculine message to the youth in the church, but as we know, Mormon masculinity is much more complex than these action figures," she said.
What we find … are some contradictory discourses where the church is trying to find a balance between rebutting these old stereotypes, which I don't think are as important anymore, and this contemporary idea of still wanting to be a part of the mainstream society while yet at the same time being special, being different.
–David Scott, professor at UVU
Ben Burroughs, a presenter from the University of Iowa, talked about the ways Internet memes connect those within the Mormon culture to each other and to those outside their ranks.
Memes are a "publication of personal worship," he said. He gave an example of the memes that popped up online after President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the LDS Church's First Presidency, gave a general conference address in which he told members to "DoubtYourDoubtsBeforeYouDoubtYourFaith." A quick Internet search reveals dozens of memes created after the talk.
Burroughs pointed to Mormonads and pass-along cards popular in the church as preceding memes.
"We exist in a moment where institutions are transitioning into mimetic space. Memes do not simply constitute third spaces. Rather, memes, like blogs, provide an integrative experience for the faithful," he said "Not a third place, but a melding of the personal and the communal, the sacred and the profane. Memes augment this integration with religious belief and everyday-ness, not merely as third places but social media produces a rearticulated form of religious connectivity."
Borrowing from the models of high, popular and low cultures popularized by James Twitchell, presenter Dan Stout, BYU-Hawaii professor, offered up a Mormon taxonomy of media, describing what he called sanctioned, popular and precarious media. The first included works by C.S. Lewis, folk dancing, and Arnold Friberg artwork. Glenn Beck, "Twilight" and mommy blogs were among the popular listings, and the Killers, Harry Reid and feminist websites were the more precarious fare consumed by members of the LDS Church, he said.
His presentation concluded with questions of the relationship between "sanctioned culture and actual practice," whether future generations will be more open or more guarded than their predecessors and if media expansion will cause a shift toward more individualized worship.
Utah Valley University professor David Scott observed that early media portrayals of Mormons depicted deviant, criminal-like people. He talked about modern attempts to correct those perceptions. He focused on the church's messaging online and in its visitors centers, both to church members and nonmembers.
"What we find … are some contradictory discourses where the church is trying to find a balance between rebutting these old stereotypes, which I don't think are as important anymore, and this contemporary idea of still wanting to be a part of the mainstream society while yet at the same time being special, being different," he said.
For more information, follow #mormonmedia14 on Twitter, the BYU Continuing Education webpage or visit the Mormon Media Symposium Facebook page.
