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Explaining The Stigma: Emma Smith's Reputation Among Latter-Day Saints, 1860 To Present, Dallan Petersen

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

In 1874 Brigham Young declared that Emma Smith, the widow of Joseph Smith, would "be damned as sure as she is a living woman. " Few people have ever elicited enough controversy to be publicly condemn by an LDS Church President, but Emma Smith is among them. Today, Emma Smith is a controversial figure among Mormons, but the reason she became so is less well known. Since the 1980s, LOS books and magazines have claimed her reputation is a product of her refusal to follow her husband's church to Utah in 1846. However, there is no evidence that Emma's reputation …

“I’Ll Give Them All The Time They Need”: How Lgbtq+ Teens Build Positive Relationships With Their Active, Latter-Day Saint Parents, Sydney A. Sorrell, Emalee J. Willis, Jane H. Bell, G. Tyler Lefevor, Samuel J. Skidmore

Psychology Student Research

Strong and supportive relationships with parents are key to promoting the mental health of LGBTQ+ teens. Overwhelmingly, studies have focused on ways to improve parental acceptance, largely neglecting understanding the parent–teen dyad as a unit and ignoring teens’ contributions to their relationships with their parents. To address this gap, we conducted 19 separate interviews with LGBTQ+ teens and their Latter-day Saint (LDS) parents (38 total interviews) to explore the ways that teens contributed to the development of positive relationships. Additionally, we explored teen-related factors that presented challenges to the parent–teen relationship. Thematic analyses suggested that LGBTQ+ teens engaged in several …

Nibley Fellows, 2011–2012

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Each year the Maxwell Institute awards Nibley Fellowships to LDS students pursuing graduate degrees (usually PhDs) in fields of study directly related to the work of the Institute—primarily work on the Bible, the Book of Mormon, early Christianity, and the ancient Near East.

Orson Pratt And The Expansion Of The Doctrine And Covenants, Brian C. Passantino

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a faith that is distinguished by its religious texts. The nickname "Mormon," that has been applied to adherents of the faith, comes from the name of its most cherished canonical book, the Book of Mormon. Aside from the Bible and the Book of Mormon, Latter-day Saints accept two other books of scriptures – the Pearl of Great Price and the Doctrine and Covenants. These four books constitute the authorized scriptures of the faith, or as they refer to them, "the standard works."

My thesis focuses on the book entitled the Doctrine …

The Use Of Gethsemane By Church Leaders, 1859–2018, John Hilton Iii, Joshua P. Barringer

Faculty Publications

Many commentators have noted that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (herein referred to as “the Church”) has a distinctive focus on Gethsemane.1 For example, Douglas J. Davies has written that the “LDS interpretation of Christ’s garden experience involves a most interesting relocation of the act of atonement within Christian theological accounts that have, traditionally, seen the cross as the prime site of assuming human sin”2 and that “Mormonism relocates the centre of gravity of Christ’s passion in Gethsemane rather than upon the cross and Calvary.”3

Review Of Lengthening Our Stride: Globalization Of The Church, D. Brent Smith

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Lengthening Our Stride: Globalization of the Church, published in January 2018 by the BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book, builds upon the landmark 4 April 1974 address of President Spencer W. Kimball to LDS regional representatives in which he, in the initial months of his presidency, called upon the Church and its leaders to “lengthen our stride” and “enlarge our vision” in taking the gospel to “all nations.” Edited by Reid L. Neilson, assistant Church historian, and Wayne D. Crosby, director of Global Support and Acquisitions in the Church History Department, the book includes twenty-one addresses presented in …

Metacognitive Strategies And Scripture Study In Released-Time Seminary, Trevor Scott Pearce

Theses and Dissertations

This study asked two questions. First, to what extent can metacognitive strategies instruction increase metacognitive awareness in released-time seminary students? Second, if metacognitive awareness is increased, is this increase correlated with changes in released-time seminary students' attitudes towards scripture study, their scripture study behavior, how they perceive the quality of their study, and how much they enjoy studying the scriptures? A control group and two experimental groups were used for this study. Experimental group 1 was taught basic scripture reading strategies without metacognition. Experimental group 2 was taught metacognitive strategies related to scripture study. Students in each experimental group used …

“Among The Finest And Truest Off Earth's Noble Women”: Evaluating The Public Roles Of Mormon Women After The Manifesto, Natalie Larsen

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Will "The Wicked Be Smitten At Last"?: A Comparative Analysis Of Lds And Rlds Hymnals, Zachary Osborne

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

Defining Communal Identity In The Ottoman Empire: Hagop Gagosian And The Mormon Armenians, 1890–1910, Courtney Cook

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

No abstract provided.

The Role Of Continuing Revelation In The Early Latter Day Saint Church Under The Leadership Of Joseph Smith, Robbie Wood

History Undergraduate Theses

This history capstone paper examines the role that the concept of Continuing Revelation played in the early Latter Day Saint church. The paper examines previous scholarship about Continuing Revelation in American religion, historical scholarship of the Latter Day Saint movement, and primary source analysis of early documents and scripture. Joseph Smith, the founding prophet and leader of the Latter Day Saint movement, utilized the concept of Continuing Revelation to legitimize his revelatory power and constantly changing theology. The movement is analyzed chronologically from its beginning in upstate New York, to Kirtland, Ohio and finally ending in Nauvoo, Illinois. Nauvoo proved …

From Other To Brother: The Transformation Of Otherness In The Lds Missionary Experience, Michael H. Clifton

Consensus

No abstract provided.

Humanistic Psychology, Same-Sex Attraction, And Safe Spaces, Edwin E. Gantt, Jeffrey L. Thayne

Issues in Religion and Psychotherapy

In this paper, we explore the concept of a genuinely “safe space,” what it might mean, and how such a concept is usually understood in both the discipline of psychology and the larger culture. Further, we explore some of the potential pitfalls that must be avoided in seeking to establish a “safe space” for members of the LDS Church who experience same-sex attraction (SSA) that is in harmony with the restored gospel. We will argue that one of the most serious potential threats to any effort to create a genuinely safe space for Church members who experience SSA is to …

Smartphone Usage And Religiosity In Lds Young Adults, Matthew R. Fereday

Theses and Dissertations

This study sought to identify any smartphone usage with significant positive or negative relationships with the religiosity of LDS young adults, with the hypothesis that smartphone usage would indeed have significant relationships with religiosity, both positively and negatively. Over 1,000 BYU students were surveyed for their usage of 36 popular and religious apps and of 33 different categories of content consumption, their content sharing, and compulsive use. That data was compared with their private religiosity (prayer, scripture study, and thinking seriously about religion) and religious experience (strength of beliefs, feeling the Spirit, finding strength through their faith, etc.) BYU students' …

"On The Seventh Day There Shall Be To You An Holy Day, A Sabbath Of Rest To The Lord":The Religious Effects Of Sunday Play On Latter-Day Saints In The Nfl, Daniel Scott Mckinley

Theses and Dissertations

For members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Ten Commandments are very much in effect today. The fourth commandment, to remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy, is heavily emphasized within church doctrine and culture (Exodus 20:8; Deuteronomy 5:12). This command to set apart the Sabbath is observed on Sundays for the LDS Church as well as the majority of the Christian world, rather than the traditional Saturday. Though the Ten Commandments collectively have both individual and societal implications, the spiritual outcome from following them is indeed an introspective pursuit. This thesis seeks to address …

Narrating Jane: Telling The Story Of An Early African American Mormon Woman, Quincy D. Newell

Arrington Annual Lecture

Jane Elizabeth Manning James was among the early African American converts to Mormonism. After joining the church in the early 1840s, James remained a faithful member until her death in Salt Lake City in 1908. Although she was well-known among church members during her lifetime, James was largely forgotten after her death. However, beginning in about 2000, there was a significant up-tick in non-academic LDS discourse about James. Dr. Newell will analyze this recent talk about Jane, showing that she has become a way for Latter-day Saints to talk about both gender and race in ways that create a usable …

Meet The Mormons: From The Margins To The Mainstream, Mathew Schmalz

Mathew Schmalz

No abstract provided.

Mormon Feminism: Not An Oxymormon, Alexa Himonas

Summer Research

Far from being an oxymoron, Mormon feminism is rich, complex, and very much a reality. To highlight this diversity, I conducted a large scale survey (over 1,000 respondents) about the beliefs of Mormon feminism and the connections Mormon feminists found between feminism and their faith. I also studied Mormon feminist literature, blogs and podcasts. This paper argues that Mormon feminist beliefs and actions often simultaneously oppose and uphold different teachings of the Mormon Church (known by its proper name as The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or LDS Church). In particular, beliefs about female ordination, gender roles, and …

Approaching Understandings In The Book Of Abraham, Kerry Muhlestein

Kerry Muhlestein

The Book of Abraham is replete with important and rich doctrines for Latter-day Saints. The existence of papyri connected with the Book of Abraham furthers interest in this volume of scripture. While much research has been conducted into the doctrines and also the origins of the Book of Abraham, clearly much more remains to be done.

Insights Available As We Approach The Original Text, Kerry M. Muhlestein

Kerry Muhlestein

What excites me most about Royal Skousen's Analysis of Textual Variants,Part One: 1 Nephi 1 2 Nephi 10 (hereafter Analysis) is what it says about Latter-day Saints' commitment to the scriptures in general and to the Book of Mormon specifically. This volume, like others in the series published to date, bespeaks our desire to know, as accurately as possible, what the text actually says. We understand that even those with the best intentions sometimes introduce mistakes into the most sacred and important texts. Skousen demonstrates that he and others value the Book of Mormon so much that meticulous and intense …

The Men Behind The Pen: The Clerks Of The Lds General Conferences, Alan Clark

Student Works

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints holds General Conferences every year. At these conferences, the leadership of the Church speaks to its entire membership, as well as any others who may be listening. The practice of holding such conferences has existed throughout the history of the organization. In April 2012, 182nd Annual General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was held. Over the 18 decades that these conferences have been held, the format, location, and speakers have changed. Conference have been held in New York, Missouri, Ohio, and Utah, in a number of different …

Who Uses The Word "Resurrection" In The Book Of Mormon And How Is It Used?, John Hilton Iii, Jana Johnson

Faculty Publications

While there are only a handful of primary speakers in the Book of Mormon, many voices are heard within its pages. The fact that multiple people speak in the text provides the opportunity to investigate whether these people have varying patterns of speech. The purpose of this study is to report on the word resurrection, which has unusual usage patterns by individual speakers in the Book of Mormon. For example, there are curious patterns in terms of who in the Book of Mormon employs (or does not employ) resurrection, how individuals in the Book of Mormon use this word, and …

How Mormons Became American, Terryl Givens

English Faculty Publications

A century ago, it was once a simple matter to assume a norm for American culture and situate the Mormon well outside it. Polygamy was likened to slavery in the nineteenth century (as the first Republican Party platform did in 1856). Brigham Young was compared to an Asian despot. Mormon women were victims in need of mythic frontier heroes like Captain Plum and Buffalo Bill to save them. Even Joseph Smith’s martyrdom could be seen as the penalty for his violation of the right to a free press. Mormonism made available to the playwrights of the Great American Saga the …

3 Nephi 9:19–20: The Offering Of A Broken Heart, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

As recorded in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 8), the atoning death of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem brought prophesied destruction and darkness in the Americas. Following approximately three hours of terrible devastation (8:19), a “thick darkness” engulfed the land for three days (8:20, 23; 10:9). During this period of darkness the voice of Jesus was “heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land” (9:1).

A Comparative Analysis Between A Preacher's Practice And Homiletic Theory, Curtis Castillow

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

This qualitative research compared the practice of an expert preacher to core concepts in homiletic theory (the art and craft of preaching), searching for discrepancies between what theory suggested and what the preacher practiced. It also sought to validate that the preacher practiced what homiletic theorists prescribed and to inform homiletic theory by describing strategies he employed unlike those espoused in homiletic theory.

To discover whether the participant's practice was congruent with theory, I first identified seminal theories. They were classified into the following modified version of Broadus's categories of ideal preaching: (a) content, (b) arrangement, (c) introduction,transition, and conclusion, …

The Relationship Between Religiosity And Educational Pursuit And Perception Among College Students At Utah State University, Randy A. Larose

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of religiosity on the pursuit of education and the perceptions towards education among college students at Utah State University (USU). The study focused on what religious variables were useful in predicting postsecondary educational pursuit and either positive or negative educational perceptions among students at USU. From a systematic random sample of 1,460 USU students, a correlational research design was used for this study. Multiple linear regression (MLR) techniques were used to determine which of the various measures of religiosity provided the greatest degree of predictive value for ascertaining educational pursuit …

Doctrinal And Historical Analysis Of Young Women's Education In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Andrea Erickson

Theses and Dissertations

First, this thesis acknowledges that Jesus Christ is the central figure in the plan of salvation, and that the principal doctrine in the young women's curriculum should detail the Lord's atoning sacrifice (see Helaman 5:12). Second, it emphasizes the importance of God's law of witnesses (see Duet 19:15, Matt 18:16, 2 Cor 13:1, D&C 6:28). Third, it discusses the principles of edification within the young women's learning environment. Fourth, it explains the need to focus curriculum on universal and unchanging doctrine. The doctrine is the most crucial component in measuring the young women curriculum according to the latest standards offered …

Doctoral Education Among Latter-Day Saint (Lds) Women: A Phenomenological Study Of A Mother's Choice To Achieve, Jonathan Glade Hall

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Spring 1920 to Summer 2023

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) have been compellingly counseled by church leaders that motherhood should be women’s greatest ambition, and as such that it should demand mothers’ full-time in the home; at the same time they have been taught to get all of the education that they can. Mothers with young families must decide if they should continue their educational pursuits, or spend their full-time in the home. This study sought to fill a gap in the literature and understand the lived experience of these women by researching how LDS mothers with young children …

Rational Supernaturalism: Early Mormonism And Enlightened-Romantic Rhetoric, Benjamin Park

Library Research Grants

No abstract provided.

The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints In National Periodicals: 1991-2000, Casey William Olson

Theses and Dissertations

From 1991 through 2000, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints experienced a greater volume of national periodical attention than ever before in its history. This thesis surveys what was written about the Church in national magazines during that time and provides analysis of the effect of those writings on the Church's public image. National periodicals may serve as an important gauge of the Church's public image because they address topics of national interest and also help to formulate public opinion on those topics. This study thus provides a basis for determining how the Church fared in terms of …