Religious Education Commons^™

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

From The Editor, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

This issue of BYU Studies Quarterly proudly leads off with the 2015 Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecture by political science professor David Magleby. I am confident that all current readers will enjoy and benefit from the timely insights that this speech offers regarding the persistent pressures on political parties to justify their existence and to seek opportunities for mutually beneficial accommodations and compromises.

The Necessity Of Political Parties And The Importance Of Compromise, David B. Magleby

BYU Studies

BYU Studies has a long history of publishing the annual lecture given by the recipient of the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award, BYU’s highest faculty honor. It is with great pleasure that BYU Studies Quarterly publishes this year’s lecture by Dr. David B. Magleby, a professor of political science. His speech was delivered as a forum address on May 19, 2015, at Brigham Young University.

Grace In The Book Of Mormon, Brent J. Schmidt

BYU Studies

This chapter is excerpted from Relational Grace: The Reciprocal and Binding Covenant of Charis, by Brent J. Schmidt (BYU Studies, 2015).

Dating The Death Of Jesus Christ, Jeffrey R. Chadwick

BYU Studies

In December 2010, BYU Studies published a study I prepared entitled “Dating the Birth of Jesus Christ.” It presented historical and scriptural evidence showing that Jesus was not born in April of 1 BC, as popular Latter-day Saint thought supposed, but most likely in December of 5 BC. The article attracted considerable attention; was covered in both print and broadcast news stories as well as by radio shows, blogs, and other forums of discussion; and received positive response in many venues.

Desert Sonnet, Tayva Patch

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

American Crucifixion: The Murder Of Joseph Smith And The Fate Of The Mormon Church, Alexander L. Baugh

BYU Studies

Alex Beam. American Crucifixion: The Murder of Joseph Smith and the Fate of the Mormon Church.

New York: Public Affairs, 2014.

Helen Andelin And The Fascinating Womanhood Movement, Mary Jane Woodger

BYU Studies

Julie Debra Neuffer. Helen Andelin and the Fascinating Womanhood Movement.

Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2014.

Textual And Comparative Explorations In 1 And 2 Enoch, David J. Larsen

BYU Studies

Textual and Comparative Explorations in 1 and 2 Enoch by Samuel Zinner (Orem, Utah: The Interpreter Foundation; Salt Lake City: Eborn Books, 2014).

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Narrative Atonement Theology In The Gospel Of Mark, Julie M. Smith

BYU Studies

Since each of the four New Testament Gospels contains an account of the suffering and death of Jesus Christ, it is perplexing that they receive so little attention in discussions of the Atonement: thinkers both ancient and modern are more likely to turn to Leviticus, Isaiah, or Paul’s letters than they are to the actual accounts of Jesus’s death. But the Gospels—particularly Mark’s Gospel as the oldest canonized account of the life and death of Jesus Christ—surely deserve attention when thinking about the concept of atonement. Yet at the level of discourse, Mark is almost silent on the meaning of …

Santa Biblia: The Latter-Day Saint Bible In Spanish, Joshua M. Sears

BYU Studies

After the release of the first Latter-day Saint edition of the Bible in 1979 and a new edition of the Triple Combination containing the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price in 1981, Elder Boyd K. Packer declared:

With the passing of years, these scriptures will produce successive generations of faithful Christians who know the Lord Jesus Christ and are disposed to obey His will. . . . The revelations will be opened to them as to no other in the history of the world. . . . They will develop a gospel scholarship beyond that …

Muslims Among Mormons: Perspectives On Muslim Students Attending Brigham Young University, Shon D. Hopkin, Ray L. Huntington

BYU Studies

Muslim parents in the Middle East who want their children to receive a Western college education may face a dilemma. While they may see benefits in Western education, they generally also want their children to maintain their adherence to Islam. These parents may worry that their children will be exposed to the antireligious sentiment prevalent in the West or that association with Christianity will negatively affect their commitment to Islam. Parents may also be concerned that their children will be exposed to alcohol, recreational drug use, and premarital sexual activities that are prevalent in Western culture. Muslim youth in the …

Viracocha: Christ Among The Ancient Peruvians?, Scott Hoyt

BYU Studies

There came from a southern direction a white man of great stature, who, by his aspect and presence, called forth great veneration and obedience. This man who thus appeared had great power, insomuch that he could change plains into mountains, and great hills into valleys, and make water flow out of stones. As soon as such power was beheld, the people called him the Maker of created things, the Prince of all things, Father of the Sun. For they say that he performed other wonders, giving life to men and animals, so that by his hand marvellous great benefits were …

Magnitude, Elizabeth Knight

BYU Studies

The Richter scale of magnitude, developed in 1935 by Charles Richter and Beno Gutenberg of the California Institute of Technology and used to measure the power contained in earthquakes, references only itself; if it were human, we might call it narcissistic. We might also call Mr. Richter narcissistic, since this jointly developed scale was known by only his name, and it was not until after Gutenberg’s death that Richter began to insist on sharing the credit.

Shaping The Earth, Erika Price

BYU Studies

Water is fluid, soft, and yielding.

But water will wear away rock,

which is rigid and cannot yield . . .

This is another paradox:

what is soft is strong.

—Lao Tzu

Leaving Egypt, Tyler Chadwick

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Reprise, Tyler Chadwick

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

"The Season Of Eric" At Plan-B Theatre: A Milestone In Mormon Drama, Callie Oppedisano

BYU Studies

When I learned that Plan-B was considering an entire season devoted to my work, I think I was outwardly composed. I may have said something like “Well, that’s very flattering. Thank you.” Or something equally bland. Inside, though, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony was playing.

—Eric Samuelsen

Histories, Volume 1: Joseph Smith Histories, 1832-1844; Histories, Volume 2: Assigned Histories, 1831-1847, James B. Allen

BYU Studies

I am always delighted to pick up a new volume of the Joseph Smith Papers and find that it continues the same book quality that has characterized the series from the beginning. Every volume is elegantly designed and solidly bound, and the editorial work is outstanding. Most of all, every volume includes documents that are invaluable in understanding and writing about early Mormon history.