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Welcome, dear readers, to the Fall 2016 issue of SquareTwo! The full table of contents can be found on our archives page here. First up for the Fall 2016 issue, Glen Nelson presents his list of the 10 best Mormon musical masterworks composed in the 21st century. His thoughtful selections make a case for increased recognition of these works and their LDS composers, highlighting their diverse and global nature. What does it say about the LDS community that most of us have never even heard of these works? Let Nelson help you rectify that situation . . .

Second, we have the results from the Summer 2016 Readers’ Puzzle, which examined the discrepancies in sealing practices between men and women, and between live women and dead women. The results reveal that there is widespread ignorance of the details of these practices, and also provide compelling (and heart-breaking) personal commentary about their lived experience by LDS women and men. We think you will be very interested in the poll’s findings.

Third, we have an eloquent and thoughtful essay from George Handley, who discusses the importance of the power of imagination in preventing us from becoming passive believers. He counter-intuitively argues it is the imagination that allows us to more fully present in our own lives, by allowing us to be open to a truth that transcends our own limited experience. Handley asks a profound question: is faith actually a form of imagination?

Fourth, an anonymously-written essay introduces us to “Virtuous Pedophiles,” or individuals who have taken a stand refusing to succumb to their pedophilic proclivities. Interviewing two LDS “VirPeds,” the author documents their struggles with questions such as, will I ever get married in the temple? Why was I given this particularly difficult trial, and how does God perceive my struggles? The answers they have found to their heartfelt prayers may help all of us who struggle with “thorns in the flesh.”

Fifth, our book review editor B. Kent Harrison reviews a series of books on Islam by the eminent Middle East historian Bernard Lewis: The Middle East: A Brief History of the Last 2,000 Years (1995), What Went Wrong? The Clash Between Islam and Modernity in the Middle East (2002), and The Crisis of Islam: Holy War and Unholy Terror (2003). What is the West’s relationship with Islam, how has it developed over time, and is there a diagnosis that might lead to a healthier relationship in the future?

And as always, we offer a new Reader’s Puzzle for the Fall 2016 issue: in light of the 2016 presidential election results, what do our readers consider the top three things President Trump should accomplish during the first 100 days of his administration?


Full Citation for this Article: Editorial Board (2014) "Editors’ Introduction to the Fall 2016 Issue," SquareTwo, Vol. 9 No. 3 (Summer 2016), http://squaretwo.org/Sq2ArticleCasslerOaksBallardDew.html, accessed <give access date>.

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