Religion Commons^™

Defending "The Principle": Orson Pratt And The Rhetoric Of Plural Marriage, Jake D. Simmonds

Theses and Dissertations

In 1852, the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made the pivotal decision to publicize the doctrine and practice of plural marriage—something they had worked to keep out of the public eye for years. This decision came in response to federal and social pressures. They quickly moved to announce and defend plural marriage among Church members as well as broader society, including those in the federal government. Orson Pratt was chosen by Brigham Young to be the face and the voice of the Church concerning plural marriage, both in Salt Lake City among members and in …

How Governor Thomas Ford's Background, Choices, And Actions Influenced The Martyrdom Of Joseph Smith In Carthage Jail, Stuart Rulan Black

Theses and Dissertations

Thomas Ford was the governor of Illinois at the time of Joseph and Hyrum Smiths’ martyrdoms in Carthage Jail in 1844. Before his tenure as governor, Ford’s professional life included service as an attorney and judge throughout Illinois. His background in the legal field gave him a unique perspective which may have influenced his career as governor of Illinois from 1842-1846. Although Governor Ford is relatively well-known for his association with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its history, his background and the bearing it had on the martyrdom of the Smiths has received relatively little attention …

Joseph Smith's Vision Of The Celestial Kingdom: Context, Content, Ritualization, Canonization And Theological Implications, Jubal John Lotze

Theses and Dissertations

While administering ordinances in preparation for the dedication of the Kirtland temple, on 21 January 1836, Joseph Smith again experienced a vision of the celestial kingdom. In the vision, he saw God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and Biblical Patriarchs—but significantly, he also beheld his father and mother who were living at the time, as well as his older brother Alvin who had died twelve years earlier. Joseph then “beheld” children who died in infancy saved in the celestial kingdom. The significance of this vision as a catalyst for Joseph Smith’s theological development has been underestimated. Joseph Smith envisioned …

"General Conference Talk": Style Variation And The Styling Of Identity In Latter-Day Saint General Conference Oratory, Stephen Thomas Betts

Theses and Dissertations

Despite its exceptional importance as a cultural performance event in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, General Conference has received little attention in Mormon studies, to say nothing of sociolinguistics. Situated within the larger question of how the public language of Mormon authorities has changed over time, this thesis seeks to discover style features of what impressionistically appears to be a unitary General Conference style since 1960 (the era of church "Correlation"). Statistical analysis is then used to determine which of five sociolinguistic factors and three pairwise interactions between four of the five sociolinguistic factors most saliently conditions …

"Come To The Knowledge Of Their Redeemer": The Book Of Mormon's Message To The House Of Israel, Kevin Leon Clawson

Theses and Dissertations

One of the major themes in the Book of Mormon is the promises of the Lord to the house of Israel. Even before Lehi and his family left the promised land, Lehi and Nephi prophesied of the future scattering and gathering of Israel. After the family of Lehi arrived on the Americas, prophets continued to teach about God’s covenants with Israel. The destiny of the house of Israel was a major theme in the books of 1 and 2 Nephi, and also at the end of the Book of Mormon in the teachings of Jesus Christ, Mormon, and Moroni.In Lehi’s …

The Power Of Motherhood: Leah Widtsoe's Writings On Women's Roles, Influence, And The Priesthood, Ashley Marie Laneri

Theses and Dissertations

The Power of Motherhood: Leah Widtsoe's Writings on Women's Roles, Influence, and the Priesthood Ashley Marie Laneri Department of Religious Education, BYU Master of ArtsThis thesis analyzes Leah Widtsoe's writings in the 1930s. Her primary emphasis was on motherhood. Widtsoe encouraged women to realize the importance of their role as mothers and the positive results a good mother can have on generations to come. Each chapter examines how Widtsoe used motherhood to help women understand their role in the Church and their role in society. The first chapter outlines Widtsoe's personal life and analyzes why motherhood was a central part …

Heber J. Grant: A Study Of Gospel-Oriented Family Relatonships, Robert Richard Pommerening

Theses and Dissertations

Heber J. Grant: A Study of Gospel-Oriented Family RelationshipsRobert Richard Pommerening IIIDepartment of Religious Education, BYUMaster of ArtsUnder the direction of President Gordon B. Hinckley, the fifteenth president of TheChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church released the document, The Family: AProclamation to the World. The Proclamation outlines core values of family life, which ifconsistently practiced can lead to successful family relationships. Through a study of hispersonal journals, letters, and recorded anecdotes from his life, these values can be identified inHeber J. Grants life. As one studies the Proclamation alongside President Grant (particularly theinteractions he had with his …

Combining Faithfulness With Learning: Avoiding The Path Of Secularization At Brigham Young University, J. Gordon Daines Iii

Theses and Dissertations

Most research universities in the United States began as religiously affiliated institutions. Beginning in the late 19th century and continuing over the course of the 20th century, the vast majority of these institutions engaged in a process of secularization through which faith moved from the center of academic life to the periphery. This paper elucidates a conceptual framework for understanding how and why Brigham Young University did not follow the path of secularization that so many research universities, originally religious in nature, pursued. It examines the steps that the university and its sponsoring institution (The Church of Jesus Christ of …

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 …

Otherwise Known As Attempting Christianity, Rebecca Evans

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the relationship between the pursuit of spiritual principles and the genre of the essay. The three essays are accounts of the author’s experiences with faith, hope, and charity.

The introduction provides a thorough explanation for the motivations, limitations, and goals of the project. It also helps to highlight the reasons why the essay genre was the most suitable style for this thesis.

The first essay, “Be Believing” discusses the role of faith in book censorship. The second piece, “Hope of Israel” explores how the average person can maintain hope in a world full of serious conflicts. Inspiration …

Sacred Time In The Work Of Makoto Shinkai, Kassandra I. Schreiber

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis looks at two works of anime director, writer, and producer Makoto Shinkai and examines how they create sacred experiences through the visual and narratological construction of time. Mircea Elaide’s concept of eternal return is joined with Gilles Deleuze’s film theory of Time-Images and time crystals to analyze the creation of sacred moments: moments of rejuvenation and reorientation. Not only are the two films, 5 Centimeters per Second and Your Name, read through the lens of these theories but these movies also illustrate how anime is unique art form that is well suited for the manipulation of time and …

Lydia Dunford Alder: The Life Of The Mormon Poet, Suffragist, And Missionary, Sarah Kate Johnson Stanley

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines the life of Lydia Dunford Alder (1846–1923), who was a prominent but now nearly forgotten early Mormon writer, women’s rights activist, missionary, and leader of various women’s clubs. A respected member of the late-nineteenth– and early-twentieth-century Salt Lake City, Utah community, Alder was the colleague and friend of various distinguished Mormon leaders. While these leaders have been studied in-depth by scholars, Alder’s similar achievements have never been examined in scholarship. As the first comprehensive biography ever written on Alder, this thesis explores her birth in England (1846), her immigration to the United States (1850), her return to …

"I Will Pour Out My Spirit Upon All Flesh": A Study On Joseph Smith's Reception Of Joel 2:28–32, Jared Heaton Davis

Theses and Dissertations

In 2001, President Gordon B. Hinckley, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter–day Saints announced in an opening statement at General Conference, "The vision of Joel has been fulfilled wherein he declared," he then quoted the KJV of Joel 2:28–32. Throughout the remaining six and a half years of his life, he provided no commentary on the fulfillment of this passage. Fulfillment of the passage is also referenced in the standard works for The LDS Church in Joseph Smith—History (JS—H 1:41) and in the New Testament (Acts 2:17–21). An array of publications before and after President Hinckley's statement, …

Gender And Religion In A Shifting Social Landscape: Anglo-Saxon Mortuary Practices, Ad 600-700, Caroline Palmer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

My thesis examines seventh-century East Anglian mortuary practices and cross-correlates grave goods and human remains to determine whether there was an expression of the sexual division of labor during this period of social and religious change. I argue that gender roles changed as a result of adopting kingdoms and Christianity. Prior to this time period, Anglo-Saxons were primarily pagan and were buried with extensive burial goods. In addition to changes in religious and burial practices, during the Final Phase (600-700 AD) there appears to have been a division of labor that was not as dichotomous in the Migration Phase (450-600 …

Early Restoration Councils, 1830–1838: A Tool To Refine Individuals, Nicholas Andrew Davis

Theses and Dissertations

When Joseph Smith founded the Church of Christ in April 1830, he also established the framework for councils, the decision-making mechanism of the early Church. Early councils included a group of men holding the priesthood and often included a congregation. They would gather and make authoritative decisions, including if someone accused of wrongdoing was guilty and should receive formal disciplinary action. As the Church grew, Smith further developed this council system. Elders and high priests frequently formed councils, which gradually gave way to bishop's councils. In 1834, high councils began to establish an appellate court where disgruntled Church members could …

A History Of Seminary Curriculum In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints: 1912–2016, Griffin Sorenson

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to examine the history of curriculum in the seminary program of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1912–2016. This work will define curriculum eras, explore the historical setting of each period, and outline the key figures and their educational philosophy. It will also detail the major seminary manuals produced in each period, as well as the overarching curricular philosophy behind each era.

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' …

Deification Through Sacramental Living In Lds And Eastern Orthodox Worship Practices: A Comparative Analysis, Jess P. Jones

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a comparative analysis of the doctrine of deification in sacramental worship as taught (and practiced) by the Eastern Orthodox and Latter-day Saint (Mormon) churches. The doctrine that man may become like God—known as deification, divinization, or theosis—is a central teaching in the Orthodox and Mormon traditions. Both faiths believe that man may become like God. However, because of doctrinal presuppositions and disagreements regarding the natures of God and man, Orthodox and Mormon teachings of deification do not mean the same thing. This thesis will outline several key distinctions between their respective doctrines. And yet, despite doctrinal disagreements, …

The 1848 Mormon Westward Migration, Jeff Davis Smedley

Theses and Dissertations

From the Pioneer Company of 1847 to the completion of the transcontinental railroad in 1869, approximately 60,000 Mormon pioneers made the journey from Winter Quarters to the Salt Lake Valley. Although some years have received more attention, every footprint placed on the prairie is part of the epic pioneer story. This thesis examines the major challenges and characteristics of the 1848 Mormon pioneers crossing of the plains. The sacrifices and contributions of the 1848 pioneers are as significant to the legacy of the Mormon westward migration as any other year. In order to explore, develop, and explain the thesis statement, …

Pathway: A Gateway To Global Church Education, Benjamin Charles Peterson

Theses and Dissertations

Education and learning have ever been at the core of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Throughout its history that now extends nearly one hundred ninety years, the Church has made numerous attempts to provide educational opportunities for its members. Some attempts have failed, and others were met with some success—though limited, to be sure. In hindsight, most of these efforts were simply laying the foundation for something far greater. At the dawn of the twenty-first century, the groundwork for global Church education had been laid, and the seeds planted. Beginning with a pilot administered through BYU-Idaho, a …

Out Of The Best Books: Mormon Assimilation And Exceptionalism Through Secular Reading, Lauren Ann Fields

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis seeks to explore the relationship between Mormon assimilation, exceptionalism, and their endeavors in secular reading by analyzing Out of the Best Books (OOBB), a 1964–71 five-volume reading guide and reading program on secular reading established by the Mormon Church for its women’s organization, the Relief Society. Examining the approaches to secular literature in the OOBB program suggests that Mormons can respond to their competing desires to separate and assimilate by making efforts that fulfill both aspirations simultaneously rather than moving exclusively in one direction. Yet OOBB’s efforts to achieve both objectives did not amount to an entirely seamless …

"An Hungry Man Dreameth": Transcendental Film Theory And Stylistic Trends In Recent Institutional Films Of The Lds Church, Mark T. Lewis

Theses and Dissertations

To the religiously minded, few things carry greater importance than a connection to the divine. For centuries, the literature of prophets and the work of gifted artists have served to create a liminal space where man and Maker can meet. The advent of cinema and the creation of the Internet pose unique questions for the artist seeking to lead an audience toward an encounter with God. In a modern world where discretionary time is dominated by on-demand video streaming, the value of understanding cinema and its myriad potential is particularly relevant. As a religious organization, The Church of Jesus Christ …

"A Fine Field": Rio De Janeiro's Journey To Become A Center Of Strength For The Lds Church, Garret S. Shields

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to chronicle the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from its earliest beginnings in the late 1930s to the events surrounding the revelation on the priesthood in 1978. This thesis will show that as the Church in Rio became less American and more Brazilian, Church growth accelerated. When missionaries first began working in the city, its membership, leadership, culture, and even language was based on North American society and practices, and the Church struggled to establish itself. Only as these aspects of the Church became …

"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 …

"Wherein Shall We Return?": A Historical And Analytical Examination Of Lorenzo Snow's 1899 Reemphasis Of Tithing, Zachary Ryan Horton

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis examines the events and discourses targeted to reemphasize the law tithing and to encourage increased tithe-paying from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1899 and 1907. This examination begins at Church president Lorenzo Snow's journey to St. George and extends through Joseph F. Smith's announcement of the Church's freedom from its long-standing debts. Each chapter analyzes this period from a different perspective provided by contemporary sources. These perspectives include primarily newspaper reports and transcripts from Lorenzo Snow's journey to St. George, reports from general Church conferences, and articles in Church-sponsored publications.This examination yields …

Acts 17: Paul Before The Areopagus, Michael R. Preece

Theses and Dissertations

Luke's record of Paul in Athens is among the most interesting and widely studied topics in the life of the Apostle Paul. Luke recorded that Paul taught in the Athenian marketplace, where he was asked to present his doctrines before the Areopagus. Many have commented on the controversial aspects of Paul's speech before the council as recounted by Luke. Much of this scholarly commentary has been centered on the speech itself and the historical authenticity of the account. The purpose of this thesis is to reexamine the context and the setting of the speech as recorded by Luke in the …

The Relief Society And President Spencer W. Kimball's Administration, Carrie L. Taylor

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores the relationship between ideology generated by advocates of the Women's Liberation Movement and President Kimball's purposes of using Relief Society to strengthen Latter-day Saint (LDS) women. Navigating women through the societal attack on womanhood, President Kimball, and other general Church leaders during his administration (1973-1985), taught LDS women of their privilege and duty to the organization and the importance of generating strength through a sisterhood focused on service. Relief Society programs, procedures, and curriculum were evaluated, adjusted, and reinforced to deepen women's commitment to divinely established roles, to enhance women's doctrinal confidence, and expand the influence of …

When Ye Are Assembled Together: Congregational Patterns And Worship Practices Of The Early Latter-Day Saints 1829-1846, Matthew Johnson

Theses and Dissertations

The worship experience in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is inextricably linked to the ward or branch. This thesis examines the development of the Latter-day Saint congregation at the church centers from 1829 to 1846: Palmyra and Fayette, New York; Harmony, Pennsylvania; Kirtland, Ohio; Independence, Liberty and Far West in Missouri; and Nauvoo, Illinois. This work not only documents the creation and development of congregations, but also gives attention to the other important elements developed during the early years that are still associated with modern Latter-day Saint wards: meeting and worship patterns, physical locations where meetings took …

Your Sons And Your Daughters Shall Prophesy...Your Young Men Shall See Visions: The Role Of Youth In The Second Great Awakening, 1800-1850, Trevor Jason Wright

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis contends that youth from age twelve to twenty-five played a pivotal role in the revivals of the Second Great Awakening in New York and New England. Rather than merely being passive onlookers in these religious renewals, the youth were active participants, influencing the frequency, spread, and intensity of the Christian revivals. Relying heavily upon personal accounts written by youth and revival records from various denominations, this work examines adolescent religious experiences during the first half of the nineteenth century. Chapter 1 explores the impact parents had on youth religiosity, showing how the teaching and examples they saw in …

The First Mission Of The Twelve Apostles: 1835, Maclane Elon Heward

Theses and Dissertations

The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an administrative and ecclesiastical quorum. The Church, first organized in 1830, did not organize the Quorum of Twelve Apostles until 1835. When it was organized, Joseph Smith outlined the quorum's responsibilities through revelation. The Twelve were assigned two unique and specific responsibilities: to take the gospel to the nations of the earth and to form a traveling high council for the regulating of the Church outside of its stakes. The first opportunity for the Twelve to fulfill their responsibilities was in May 1835 when …