SYDNEY, Australia — The life and accomplishments of Joseph Smith were honored May 20-21 in "The Worlds of Joseph Smith," a two-day symposium at the historic New South Wales Parliament and the State Library.
In the words of Yale Professor of Humanities, Harold Bloom, "(Joseph Smith) is an authentic religious genius . . . and the most gifted . . . of all American prophets." Church scholars and scholars from other faiths gathered to evaluate these and other views of Joseph Smith in a bicentennial commemoration of his birth.
In the weeks leading up to the symposium, prominent political figures such as Governor Marie Bashir and Premier Bob Carr of New South Wales, members of the federal parliament and leading academics paid tribute to Joseph Smith and the planned symposium.
"Joseph Smith was a man before his time," said Parliament Member Graham Edwards. "As the symposium marks the bicentennial of his birth, so too should the foundation he built, and the legacy he left, be the inspiration that marks our preparedness to address challenging issues, and be the measure of our capacity to match his courage, vision, vitality and leadership."
Planning for the event began in 2004 when Professor Terryl L. Givens of Richmond University in Virginia made a presentation to members of the New South Wales Parliament, as part of a lecture tour to Australia and New Zealand. In that meeting, David Clarke, a recently elected member of the New South Wales Legislative Council, invited symposium chairman, Lionel Walters, to conduct the event in the historic Jubilee Room of Parliament — the oldest house of parliament in Australia. Brother Walters is director of the Sydney/Canberra public affairs council of the Church.
Under the direction of the Area Presidency, the organizing committee invited noted academics and scholars from many parts of the world to participate in this significant event, including those from universities in Japan, the United Kingdom, United States, New Zealand, Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Australia. Also attending were scholars and religious leaders from Indonesia, Fiji and Samoa. Among guest presenters were members of the Anglican, Catholic, Islamic, Jewish, Methodist and Lutheran faiths.
Elder John M. Madsen of the Seventy, and first counselor in the Australia Area presidency, opened the symposium. Professors Douglas Davies of Durham University in the United Kingdom, Wayne Hudson of Griffith University, and Paul Morris of Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand — all members of other faiths — were among the presenters who covered topics such as the life and legacy of Joseph Smith, his prophethood, courage and identity, the economic principles he taught, and the foundation he laid with respect to the family. Latter-day Saint contributors included Richard Bushman of Columbia University, Terryl L. Givens of Richmond University, Lynn Wardle of BYU, and Barrister Neville Rochow of Adelaide.
"In this paper I argue that there are grounds for construing Joseph Smith as a genuine prophet of world historical importance," said Professor Wayne Hudson, doctor of philosophy from Oxford University, and director of the Centre for Advanced Studies in the Humanities at Griffith University in Brisbane. Douglas Davies, an ordained Anglican minister and professor in the Department of Theology at Durham University, United Kingdom, spoke of the "courage, identity, hope and development of the Latter-day Saint religion from its foundation and into the future."
Professor Kazi Islam of Dhaka University in Bangladesh spoke of Church humanitarian aid rendered throughout Asia and in particular "to our Muslim brothers and sisters." Jason Lase, general director of Guidance of Christian Society, Department of Religious Affairs for the Republic of Indonesia, expressed "deep gratitude to the Church for assistance given following the tsunami that so devastated my country."
During a social evening on the first day of the symposium, performances by young Latter-day Saint musicians were followed by three presentations made by Australia Area president, Elder Kenneth Johnson of the Seventy. The first was a substantial contribution to Caritas Australia to assist in preventing diabetes among several indigenous communities. The second was the donation of a set of translated sacred Arabic texts to the New South Wales Islamic Council. And, the last was a special award made to Brigadier Jim Wallace, former head of the Australian Special Armed Services, for outstanding community service. Brigadier Wallace was honored because he sacrificed a brilliant military career to become the president of the Australian Christian Lobby, an organization devoted to the rescue of declining moral and spiritual values in Australian society.
According to symposium chairman Lionel Walters, "the various participants warmly embraced the free and spirited exchange of ideas on a multi-national and multi-cultural level. Bridges of understanding were built and friendships formed, with many scholars indicating that they would enthusiastically support future convocations such as the Sydney Symposium in their own nations."
Brother Walters continued: "Of 100 attendees, almost 40 non-Latter-day Saint scholars and academics contributed to this event. We believe it was most successful and possibly a new way to communicate with leading religious scholars and other key leaders in countries where the Church is not well known."
On the Tuesday following the Sydney event, a sister symposium to encourage interfaith dialogue was held in Brisbane, Australia. It was co-hosted by the Church and Professor Swee-Hin Toh, director of the Griffith University Multi-Faith Centre. Chaired by Professor Wayne Hudson, the symposium was attended by approximately 60 academics and others, with nearly half of them belonging to other faiths. Professors Bushman and Davies delivered their messages on Joseph Smith and the future of the Church at this one-day event.
