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Elbert Peck: Sunstone Editor Part 4 - September 6 & Decline | Ep. 107

2,947 views · Published 10 December 2007 · 31:30 · Indexed 10 November 2026

Channel: Mormon Stories Podcast · 2007 · People & Blogs

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Elbert Eugene Peck was editor of Sunstone Magazine from 1986 to 2001. In this episode, Elbert discusses the September Six excommunications, the decline of Sunstone, and his thoughts on its future.

Episode Show Notes: https://www.mormonstories.org/portfolio-items/mormon-stories-104-107-elbert-peck-and-sunstone-magazine/

Pt 1: https://youtu.be/z4p-gkuFwjo
Pt 2: https://youtu.be/-iAp1TCqv-M
Pt 3: https://youtu.be/PShxWY3yS8Q

Chapters
00:00 One more story before the September 6. Daniel asking for a talk with Oakes. Packer joining
01:44 The temple is radioactive. Theology the next category. Brethren seeing it as an advocacy group
02:40 Statement about symposia. Becomes harder to get subscribers. It becomes a hard battle
05:12 BYU dries up. Also mainstream Mormons. People don't speak at Sunstone anymore. Breath narrows.
07:08 The brethren won in the end. It was inevitable. Then September 6
11:23 The courts happen. A hell of a month. Vigils at the disciplinary councils
13:55 Two years after that very hard to recruit people for symposiums. Intellectuals leaving.
15:17 Sunstone's finances again go down the toilet. Elbert becoming editor and publisher for a few years
17:04 Ponzi game eventually falls apart
18:29 Daniel Rector as a person. How he died falling off a cliff. Wife and several children left behind
21:12 Elbert looking back on his time at Sunstone
22:48 Religious journey. How Sunstone symposia evolved from just TBMs to also include more critical voices
24:18 Sunstone as an open forum. Now seeing it as not possible
26:00 Academics can be parochial. Drawing the line of appropriateness just on the other side of where they are
27:10 Organizations get to their goal by people committed to the idea. Most committed to their hobby horse.
28:00 Pitch for a continuing need for Sunstone? The editor and now Sunstone as the filter

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