Join us to hear why Curt Bench, owner and manager of Benchmark Books, is still holding fast to the Mormon faith. Come with questions or comments about your faith journey and his.
Time:
Friday, September 1, 2017, 7:30-9:30 pm
Location:
Home of Elizabeth and Mark England
1194 S. 500 E., SLC, UT
Please come in the back door if you arrive late.
The Discussion:
Curt will discuss some of the most important reasons for why he stays an active and believing member of the LDS church. He will also talk briefly about a genetic disorder he is afflicted with—that of being born with a WHY chromosome. Due to Curt’s decades long experience in buying and selling rare and scholarly books on Mormonism, he has a wide range of knowledge on an even wider range of Mormon subjects. He has some very personal knowledge and experience with Mark Hoffman, which is quite fascinating. Witty and self-effacing, Curt promises to deliver a delightful evening of thoughtful conversation about the merits of holding fast to Mormonism.
About Curt Bench
Curt is an active, lifelong member of the LDS Church and has no plans to change his status. He does this by choice as an adult with eyes wide open and without looking through rose-colored glasses. He has been heavily influenced by his profession—that of selling and dealing in Mormon books. And, he confesses, has used his own product often, which has affected his behavior and daily life. At our discussion, Curt has promised (well, will try very hard, anyway) not to attempt to sell any of that product to us, but still hopes some or most of us are fellow users. He’s thinking of starting BA (Biblioholics Anonymous). “My name is Curt, and I’m a biblioholic…”
Stuff to explore:
Hold onto your hats folks. Here’s what Curt sent me:
“A small sampling of my favorites in that line of products in the past few years (mostly—the first one is from 1986, when I was twelve) (WARNING: these products are known to contain addictive ingredients that may lead to unexpected expansions of thought and, in extreme cases, even faith. Use at your own risk!):”
A Thoughtful Faith: Essays on Belief (edited by Philip L. Barlow)
Joseph Smith, Rough Stone Rolling (Richard L. Bushman, Jed Woodworth)
This is My Doctrine (Charles R. Harrell)
Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History (Gregory A. Prince) (taken before or after Prince’s earlier David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism)
Planted: Belief and Faith in an Age of Doubt (Patrick Q. Mason)
The Crucible of Doubt: Reflections on the Quest for Faith (Terryl and Fiona Givens) (same directions as above, but with The God Who Weeps)
Women at Church: Magnifying LDS Women’s Local Impact (Neylan McBaine)
I encourage everyone to find and listen to the “Why I Stay” and “Pillars of my Faith” sessions in general from past Sunstone symposia –https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/sunstone-audio-by-year/
Something you can listen to or watch that are by, about, or with me during periods of inactivity or boredom without any guarantee that your condition will improve with so doing: https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/panel-pillars-of-my-faith/