Arts and Humanities Commons^™

"Many Hearts Yet Beat With The Hurt Of A Wounded Past:" Miss Indian Byu, Lamanite Identities, And The Subversive Potential Of Pageants, Jennifer Duque

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The theme of Brigham Young University's 1972 Indian week, an annual event set apart for Native guest speakers, Lamanite Generation performances, and the Miss Indian BYU pageant, was "New IndianNew Commitments." This might have well been the theme of Mormonism's oft-ambivalent relationship with Native Americans. The "new Indian" that the Mormon leadership celebrated was "modernized," "civilized," and, of course, Mormonized. The Miss Indian BYU pageant provides a compelling site in which to investigate the tension between new and old, the contemporary and the traditional. Although Miss Indian BYU existed within an oppressive neocolonial framework, it is reductive to see the …

The Russel B. Swensen Lecture

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1926, Russel B. Swensen (1902-1987) taught seminary in Mesa, Arizona, and later in Kamas and Hurricane, Utah. In 1930, Joseph F. Merrill, then LDS Church commissioner of education, invited Swensen, along with two others, to attend the University of Chicago Divinity School. There he received an M.A. and Ph.D. in New Testament Studies.

The Russel B. Swensen Lecture

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1926, Russel B. Swensen (1902-1987) taught seminary in Mesa, Arizona, and later in Kamas and Hurricane, Utah. In 1930, Joseph F. Merrill, the LDS Church commissioner of education, invited Swensen, along with two others, to attend the University of Chicago Divinity School. There Swensen received an M.A. and Ph.D. in New Testament Studies.

The Russel B. Swensen Lecture

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

After graduating from Brigham Young University in 1926, Russel B. Swensen ( 1902-1987) taught seminary in Mesa, Arizona, and later in Kamas and Hurricane, Utah. In 1930, Joseph E Merrill, then LDS Church commissioner of education, invited Swensen, along with two others, to attend the University of Chicago Divinity School. There he received an M.A. and Ph.D. in New Testament Studies.

Ramses Ii Video

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

A 15-minute video produced by Brigham Young University to introduce visitors to the Ramses II exhibit was narrated by director Wilfred Griggs. F.A.R.M.S. has a limited number of these videos, which are available for $18.00 (VHS only). If you missed the Ramses 11 exhibit, or if you are interested in having this excellent production in your library, this video offers a great opportunity to view selected artifacts from this acclaimed exhibit. The few videos remaining will be sold on a first-come, first served basis. Please use the enclosed order form.

Temple Studies Conference Planned

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

The 1993 F.A.R.M.S. Annual Lecture will consist of a day-long series of presentations on ''Temples in the Ancient World." It will be held on a Saturday late in February at Brigham Young University. Admission is free.

Book Of Mormon Class Taught In, And About, The Land Of Jerusalem

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

"The Book of Mormon in the Land of Jerusalem" is the title of a new course in Book of Mormon studies offered at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies in Israel. The course was developed and is taught by Jeffrey R. Chadwick, Near Eastern specialist at the Jerusalem Center. Dr. Chadwick is also preparing a book manuscript with the same title.

New Festschrift Explores Scripture And Ancient World

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

When Richard L. Anderson retired from the Religious Education faculty at Brigham Young · University in 1996, the Department of Religious Education and FARMS agreed to sponsor a Festschrift (a compilation of essays written in honor of an individual) that would commemorate his distinguished academic career. The positive response from Anderson's friends and colleagues who wished to contribute to the publication has resulted in two volumes of scholarly articles.

Loving One Another, Emma Taylor

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

I still remember exactly where I was when I heard the news. It was a chilly February afternoon in 2020. I was in my senior year of high school, half asleep in my history class with about two minutes to waste before the bell rang. Groggy from a long day of dull lessons, I tugged on my sweater and pulled out my phone, intending to mindlessly scroll until students were set loose in the halls.

Utahisms: Unique Expressions, Inventions, Place Names, And More By David Ellingson Eddington, Roger Terry

BYU Studies Quarterly

This slim volume by Brigham Young University linguistics professor David Eddington should interest anyone who grew up in Utah, lived in Utah, or is curious about the linguistic, geographic, and historical curiosities of the Beehive State. The book offers numerous surprises and debunks several common misconceptions about the origins of Utah names, places, inventions, and novelties.

“By Study And Also By Faith”, J Gordon Daines Iii

BYU Studies Quarterly

At their inception, universities were places where all branches of learning—both the sacred and the secular—were studied. At the great medieval universities, for instance, faith and academic excellence were intertwined,¹ and this strong connection continued in the universities of the New World. Most American research universities began as religiously affiliated colleges whose missions were to develop Christian character and foster faith in order to prepare men for the ministry or work in the government.² But, beginning in the late nineteenth century and continuing over the course of the twentieth century, the vast majority of these research universities abandoned …

Finding Documents On The Joseph Smith Papers Website, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The Joseph Smith Papers website (josephsmithpapers.org) is a wonderful resource. With thousands of documents and hundreds of resource pages, though, it can sometimes feel like you’re searching for a needle in a haystack. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate how you might use the website to learn more about quotations and documents associated with the Prophet Joseph Smith. This article helps readers learn to use the Joseph Smith Papers website to find specific documents. It also teaches readers how to benefit from the numerous other resources available on the Joseph Smith Papers website.

Envisioning Brigham Young University: Foreword To John S. Tanner's Learning In The Light, Bruce C. Hafen

BYU Studies Quarterly

Editor’s note: Bruce C. Hafen, an emeritus General Authority and former president of Ricks College, wrote this foreword to Learning in the Light: Selected Talks at BYU by John S. Tanner, who is the current president of BYU–Hawaii. This book, a new title offered by BYU Studies, gives insight into John Tanner the person and into his views on the Latter-day Saint endeavor to advance in light and knowledge “by study and also by faith.” The following encapsulates well the issues that have long concerned both educators and students of the Mormon community.

"What Is It About This Place?": Truman Madsen, Religious Education, And The Mission Of Byu, Bruce C. Hafen

BYU Studies Quarterly

Barnard (“Barney”) Madsen has written a readable, thoughtful, and well-informed biography about his charismatic father, Truman Madsen. Although Truman didn’t keep a conventional journal, he maintained “journal files”—“crucial journal entries or documents he preserved for his posterity.” Those files, along with Barney’s intimate and observant relationship with his father, have now yielded rich biographical resources.

Research Support Services For Religious Studies, Trevan Hatch, Ryan Lee, Gerrit Van Dyk

Faculty Publications

This project was part of a larger suite of similar studies being concurrently conducted at fifteen religious studies libraries in US higher education institutions in conjunction with Ithaka S+R, a not-for-profit research and consulting service that helps academic, cultural, and publishing communities. The information gathered in this study will not only be used to improve the research support services at Brigham Young University but also towards writing a larger report from the aggregated results written and publically disseminated by Ithaka S+R.

Reconceiving A Necessary Evil: Teaching A Transferable Fyc Research Paper, Samuel James Dunn

Theses and Dissertations

The place of the research paper in first-year composition (FYC) courses is often debated in composition forums. Many argue that the a-disciplinary nature of FYC doesn't allow instructors to teach the research paper in a way that will be transferable to disciplinary writing tasks, while others say that it is possible, as long as we have a thorough understanding of the kinds of writing tasks students will face in the disciplines and specifically teach writing skills that will be transferable. To identify these more generalizable writing skills to be emphasized, I interviewed 14 professors at Brigham Young University from different …

Integrating Byu's Education In Zion Gallery Into Campus Life, Heather M. Seferovich

BYU Studies Quarterly

After years of preparation, the Education in Zion Gallery at Brigham Young University opened in 2008. The gallery highlights the long tradition of education in the LDS faith, tells of the sacrifices that went into Brigham Young Academy and later Brigham Young University, and inspires students to seek an education of the whole soul—intellectually, spiritually, and physically—through integrating the permanent exhibition into course curricula, hosting programs and activities, developing rotating exhibitions, and forming partnerships with various campus entities.

Byu And Religious Universities In A Secular Academic World, Alan L. Wilkins, David A. Whetten

BYU Studies Quarterly

How unique is BYU? This article examines the secularization of American higher education during the early twentieth century, then compares BYU to eight other major religiously affiliated research universities. The comparison reveals that BYU is very different from other universities in both its mission and in the way it views and offers a higher learning experience.

Anticipating The Year 2000: Howard Nielson, Byu, And Statistics, Natalie J. Blades, G. Bruce Schaalje

BYU Studies Quarterly

In the 1950s, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints considered creating BYU satellite campuses around the western United States and asked BYU President Ernest Wilkinson to recommend locations. At the same time, Stanford researcher Howard Nielson created a careful projection of future demand for wood in America that drew much attention. Wilkinson hired Nielson to create a projection of future growth of the Church and demand for a BYU education. Upon learning that Nielson was a member of the Church, Wilkinson invited him to join the faculty of BYU, and the BYU Department of Statistics was …

"Thy Mind, O Man, Must Stretch", John W. Welch

BYU Studies Quarterly

John W. Welch, the recipient of the 2010-2011 Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award, gave this speech on May 17, 2011, at Brigham Young University. He spoke about the BYU Mission Statement as a guide for infusing an intellectual life with perspective and purpose: students should learn the gospel of Jesus Christ, learn broadly to be able to communicate, learn deeply in one's chosen field, and serve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Welch placed emphasis on hard work and keeping an open mind while searching for truth. Mormonism thrives, he said, because it welcomes the …

Brigham Young University Remembers Walter Kempowski, Alan F. Keele

BYU Studies Quarterly

David Paulsen, Jacob Hawken, and Michael Hansen discuss Sir Anthony Buzzard's work Jesus Was Not a Trinitarian (2007). In this theological review essay, the authors show that the problems inherent in the doctrines of unitarianism and trinitarianism are addressed elegantly in the doctrines of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Editor's Note: At the authors' request, we have posted two versions of this article--the shorter version that was printed in the journal and the longer 22-page version that is only available here.

Renowned German writer Walter Kempowski, who passed away in late 2007, had a long and interesting …

Poetry, The Other, And Byu: Tolerance And Diversity Within Our Campus Community, Natalie Quinn

BYU Studies Quarterly

If there is any homogeneity at BYU, it is a homogeneity that we believe extends well beyond the bounds of the university's campus to include and encompass the whole world. We believe that we are all children of God, that we have the same Heavenly Father and therefore have an obligation to treat one another with love and respect, or with charity, which is the Christian theological version of Levinas' philosophical concept of acknowledging the Other. As we charitably and respectfully acknowledge the Other, we can promote tolerance and diversity without our campus community. I learned as a junior in …

Acknowledging Differences While Avoiding Contention, Renata T. Forste

BYU Studies Quarterly

At the institutional level, BYU's statement on fostering an enriched environment notes that "it is the University's judgment that providing educational opportunities for a mix of students who share values based on the gospel of Jesus Christ and come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences is an important educational asset to BYU." Diversity is also valued at the college and department level. For example, one of the program objectives for the undergraduate sociology degree is instruction in the "diversity of social life, the origins of inequality, social conflict, and the relations of power in modern society." As sociology faculty, …

Beehive And Portico, John S. Tanner

BYU Studies Quarterly

BYU, alas, did not continue to build in the Neoclassical Revival style. Few now study and teach in the Maeser Building on the far end of campus. But in a deeper sense, we all live in its extended shadow. The tradition of the beehive and portico continues in our practices. This is evident every week in the way the campus transforms classrooms into chapels and back again. This transformation never fails to move me. I recall as a student blessing the sacrament in the same classroom in which I studied geology. There, where I learned about dinosaurs and the age …

Questions I Ask Myself, Cecil O. Samuelson

BYU Studies Quarterly

If you will tolerate a few moments of personal privilege as I begin my comments today, I will confess to you that for virtually all of my life I have lived with the notions that faith and learning, questions about life and help from heaven are all part of a consistent whole. My mother and father were people of great faith and religious devotion but were also not afraid to ask or pose questions about almost everything. My mother was an elementary school teacher in her early years and never deserted that role with her five children. My father was …

The Vision That You Have . . . Augurs Well For The Development Of Still Better Things: The Role Of Accreditation In Securing The Future Of Brigham Young University, 1921–1928, J. Gordon Daines Iii

BYU Studies Quarterly

In 1921, Franklin S. Harris was appointed president of Brigham Young University, During his first visit to campus, Harris articulated his vision for the future of the young institution. He said, "The President of the Church Commission of Education, and all who have anything to do with Church schools are determined to make this 'the great Church University.'" President Harris had a different vision about what it meant to be "the great Church University" than did his predecessors. While they had focused on the importance of teacher education, Harris believed that the institution needed to equip students with the skills …

It Starts With A Song: Celebrating Twenty-Five Years Of Songwriting At Byu, Produced By Ron Simpson, Greg Hansen, Ron Simpson

BYU Studies Quarterly

In the 1995 film Mr. Holland's Opus, a musician and composer tries to write one memorable piece of music to gain fame. He takes a job as a high school music teacher to pay the bills and over time discovers unexpected and even greater fulfillment during his thirty-year teaching career.

Such a story has parallels to that of Brigham Young University's Ron Simpson, producer of this CD, general manager of Tantara Records, coordinator of the Media Music Division of BYU's School of Music, and music director of the Young Ambassadors. Simpson left a career as a studio owner, producer, …

A Survey Of Dating And Marriage At Byu, Bruce A. Chadwick, Brent L. Top, Richard J. Mcclendon, Lauren Smith, Mindy Judd

BYU Studies Quarterly

Studies show that formal dating has all but disappeared from college campuses and has been replaced almost exclusively by "hanging out" and "hooking up"—a euphemism for anything from kissing to having non-committal sexual encounters. The authors surveyed BYU students to discover if dating and courtship patterns mirror the national trends. They report that while BYU students hang out as much as their national peers, and a few even "hook up," BYU students are much different than students at other schools in their levels of abstinence before marriage, the frequency they go on formal dates in addition to hanging out, and …

Charting The Future Of Brigham Young University: Franklin S. Harris And The Changing Landscape Of The Church's Educational Network, 1921-1926, J. Gordon Daines Iii

BYU Studies Quarterly

Education is deeply embedded in the theology and religion of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Formal educational systems began to develop soon after the establishment of the Church in 1830. The first of these formal systems was the School of the Prophets, established in Kirtland, Ohio, in December 1832 to prepare selected members for missionary work. Nearly a decade later an attempt was made to establish a university in Nauvoo, Illinois. After the move to Utah, the Church continued its involvement in formal education with the establishment of “common schools, stake academies, and colleges and universities.” The …

George H. Brimhall's Legacy Of Service To Brigham Young University, Joseph H. Groberg, Mary Jane Woodger

BYU Studies Quarterly

Franklin S. Harris, president of Brigham Young University from 1921 to 1945, said of his predecessor, George H. Brimhall (fig. 1), "George H. Brimhall, under a tree would make a university any day for where he teaches students will always gather to be taught." Brimhall had two great causes, Harris said: his religion and the cause of education. From his youth to his old age, Brimhall carried these causes forward with unrelenting vigor. In his service as president of Brigham Young University (1904-1921), they merged into one: a university supported by, loyal to, and controlled by The Church of Jesus …