Mormonism and the Emotions

Mauro Properzi is assistant professor of religion at Brigham Young University.

• AcknowledgmentsList of AbbreviationsIntroduction. Setting the Stage for an LDS Theology of EmotionA Latter-day Saint TheologyMethodology and OverviewPart 1: Emotions and the Mormon WorldviewChapter 1. Emotion: Definitions and ClassificationsEmotion through the Ages: Philosophical ViewsEmotion today: Scientific DescriptionsDistinguishing Different Emotions: Three Major ApproachesChapter 2. Emotion: Three Essential CharacteristicsCognitive NecessityPersonal ResponsibilityDevelopmental InstrumentalityChapter 3. Mormon Foundations of ExistenceMormon Doctrine: the Gospel as Principles in TensionMaterialistic MonismMoral AgencyChapter 4. Mormon Foundations of Eternal ProgressionRevelationRepentanceFamily RelationsThe AtonementPart 2. Emotions and the LDS CanonChapter 5. Emotions in Mormon Scriptural TextsThe Mormon CanonThe Book of MormonThe Doctrine and CovenantsThe Pearl of Great PriceLiving Prophets and the “Open” CanonExploring Emotions in the BibleEmotion Classification in the Present Analysis of LDS TextsChapter 6. Hope: the Positive Predicting EmotionCognitive NecessityPersonal ResponsibilityDevelopmental InstrumentalityHope and the AtonementChapter 7. Fear: the Negative Predicting EmotionCognitive NecessityPersonal ResponsibilityDevelopmental InstrumentalityGodly Fear, Satan, and the Obstacle of FearChapter 8. Joy: the Positive Assessing EmotionCognitive NecessityPersonal ResponsibilityDevelopmental InstrumentalityJoy and the SpiritChapter 9. Sorrow: the Negative Assessing EmotionCognitive NecessityPersonal ResponsibilityDevelopmental InstrumentalitySorrow and the AtonementChapter 10. Love: the Positive Relating EmotionCognitive NecessityPersonal ResponsibilityDevelopmental InstrumentalityLove and the AtonementChapter 11. Hate: the Negative Relating EmotionCognitive NecessityPersonal ResponsibilityDevelopmental InstrumentalityHatred vs. the AtonementConclusion. Mormon Emotions: Knowledge, Character, SpiritDirections for Further ResearchBibliography

Mormonism and the Emotions is a worthy contribution. It seeks to break new ground, and I hope to see more attention given to the merits of phenomenologically informed textual analysis of our LDS scriptures, building on what Mauro Properzi has done here. I also recommend his reasoned and LDS-centered approach as a contribution to the emerging field of Mormon theology. I hope to see more from this promising scholar.