The Paradox of Mormon Folklore

Title

The Paradox of Mormon Folklore

Publication Type

Journal Article

Year of Publication

1976

Authors

Wilson, William A. (Primary)

Journal

BYU Studies Quarterly

Pagination

40-56

Volume

17 Issue

1

Abstract

In the 130 years since the word “folklore” was coined, folklorists have been trying unsuccessfully to decide what the word means. I shall not solve the problem here. Yet if we are to do business with each other, we must come to some common understanding of terms. Briefly, I consider folklore to be the unofficial part of our culture. When a Sunday School teacher reads to his class from an approved lesson manual, he is giving them what the Correlation Committee at least would call official religion; but when he illustrates the lesson with an account of the Three Nephites which he learned from his mother, he is giving them unofficial religion. Folklore, then, is that part of our culture that is passed through time and space by the process of oral transmission(by hearing and repeating) rather than by institutionalized means of learning or by the mass media.

Subject Keywords

Folklore

Mormonism

Pop Folklore

Legends

Three Nephites

Bibliographic Citation

Terms of use

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