Called To Teach: The Legacy Of Karl G. Maeser,
2015
Brigham Young University
Called To Teach: The Legacy Of Karl G. Maeser, Heather M. Seferovich
BYU Studies
Powerful and inspiring teachers can profoundly impact their students, both in this life and in the eternities. Many of us are fortunate to look back fondly on one or two influential teachers who played a critical role in shaping our personalities or careers. Anyone who is a teacher, whether in a formal or informal classroom, or anyone who has had an inspiring teacher will enjoy the educational biography of Karl G. Maeser, written by another teacher, A. LeGrand “Buddy” Richards, a professor of educational leadership in the McKay School of Education at Brigham Young University.
Nels Anderson's World War I Diary,
2015
Brigham Young University
Nels Anderson's World War I Diary, Kenneth L. Alford
BYU Studies
With the centennial of World War I beginning in 2014, Nels Anderson’s World War I Diary, edited by Allan Kent Powell, is a timely and engaging firsthand account of America’s involvement in “the war to end all wars.” This account sees the war through the eyes of a Latter-day Saint private fighting with the American Expeditionary Force in Europe.
The Mormon Image In The American Mind: Fifty Years Of Public Perception,
2015
Brigham Young University
The Mormon Image In The American Mind: Fifty Years Of Public Perception, Sherry Pack Baker
BYU Studies
J. B. Haws received his PhD from the University of Utah and is an assistant professor in the Department of Church History at Brigham Young University. His research interests include twentieth-century history of Latter-day Saints and the general public perception of the group. This book (based on his 2010 PhD dissertation) is the winner of the 2014 Mormon History Association Best Book Award.
Kirtland Temple: The Biography Of A Shared Mormon Sacred Space,
2015
Kent State University
Kirtland Temple: The Biography Of A Shared Mormon Sacred Space, Elwin C. Robinson
BYU Studies
David J. Howlett, a professor and member of the Community of Christ, opens up a view of the Kirtland Temple that is not often considered by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Howlett chronicles the various ways that the Kirtland Temple has been a point of conflict and confluence, influencing the interaction between faith traditions stemming from Joseph Smith’s religious experiences.
New Perspectives On 2 Enoch: No Longer Slavonic Only,
2015
Brigham Young University
New Perspectives On 2 Enoch: No Longer Slavonic Only, David J. Larsen
BYU Studies
This book contains the proceedings of the Fifth Enoch Seminar, held in Naples, Italy, on June 14–18, 2009. The theme of the conference was “Adam, Enoch, Melchizedek: Mediatorial Figures in 2 Enoch and Second Temple Judaism,” covering topics of intrinsic interest for biblical scholars generally, as well as for Latter-day Saints. The book’s subtitle, No Longer Slavonic Only, refers to an important discovery announced at the seminar. The book of 2 Enoch is also commonly referred to as “Slavonic Enoch” because the text has been known only in its Slavonic translation; now Coptic fragments of the text have been …
For Zion: A Mormon Theology Of Hope,
2015
Brigham Young University
For Zion: A Mormon Theology Of Hope, Lauren Mccombs
BYU Studies
For Zion: A Mormon Theology of Hope, by Joseph M. Spencer (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014)
Plain And Precious Things,
2015
Brigham Young University
Plain And Precious Things, Lexi Devenport
BYU Studies
Plain and Precious Things, by D. John Butler (N.p.: D. John Butler, 2012).
Nauvoo & Hancock County, Illinois: A Guide To Family History And Historical Sources,
2015
Brigham Young University
Nauvoo & Hancock County, Illinois: A Guide To Family History And Historical Sources, Gerrit Van Dyk
BYU Studies
Nauvoo & Hancock County, Illinois: A Guide to Family History and Historical Sources, by Kip Sperry. Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, 2014.
The Church And Religious Persecution (Calvin Shorts),
2015
Calvin University
The Church And Religious Persecution (Calvin Shorts), Kevin R. Den Dulk, Robert J. Joustra
Calvin Press
So begins The Divine Comedy, a classic meditation on the Christian life, written by Dante Alighieri in the fourteenth century. Dante’s three images—a journey, a dark forest, and a perplexed pilgrim—still feel familiar today, don’t they? We can readily imagine our own lives as a series of journeys, not just the big journey from birth to death, but also all the little trips from home to school, from school to job, from place to place, from old friends to new. In fact, we often feel we are simultaneously on multiple journeys that tug us in diverse and sometimes opposing directions. …
Sexual Encounters And Manhood Acts: Evangelicals, Latter-Day Saints, And Religious Masculinities,
2015
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Sexual Encounters And Manhood Acts: Evangelicals, Latter-Day Saints, And Religious Masculinities, Kelsy Burke, Amy Moff Hudec
Department of Sociology: Faculty Publications
The experiences of men in traditional religions are complex, at times inconsistent, and not necessarily the direct result of religious teachings. This article draws from two qualitative case studies to examine the ways in which evangelical and Latter-Day Saint men understand masculinity and their spiritual beliefs in the context of sexual activity. The authors present two masculine practices—acceptance of sexual rejection and sexual indifference— that allow religious men in this study to simultaneously challenge and uphold the system of hegemonic masculinity that their traditions promote. These findings point to the moments when creative, interpretative work helps religious men to reconcile …
Science As Storytelling,
2014
Brigham Young University
Science As Storytelling, David A. Grandy, Barry R. Bickmore
BYU Studies
Much if our modern world revolves around something called "science." But what is science? Interestingly, this turns out to be a very difficult question to answer because every definition seems to include something we don't consider science or seems to exclude something we do consider science. In this essay, the authors present their own definition: Science is the modern art of creating stories that explain observations of the natural world and that could be useful for predicting, and possibly even controlling, nature. They then refine this definition by offering seven rules that scientific storytelling must follow to distinguish it …
Mortality On The Mormon Trail, 1847–1868,
2014
Brigham Young University
Mortality On The Mormon Trail, 1847–1868, Melvin L. Bashore, Byu Pioneer Mortality Team, H. Dennis Tolley
BYU Studies
Over two decades, staff and volunteers at the Church History Department compiled a database of thousands of pioneer records, now available at http://history.lds.org/overlandtravels(link is external), containing diaries and company reports of known Mormon pioneers from 1847 to 1868 (56,042 of them). Data were then compiled in tabular format in an Excel file, available at http://statistics.byu.edu/news(link is external). Researchers working with BYU actuarial students analyzed these data and report their findings: Slightly more males than females made the journey. Fully 45% of the immigrants were under age twenty. For about 25% of known pioneers, no death date is available, …
Jade Cabbage,
2014
Brigham Young University
Life Revised,
2014
Brigham Young University
Life Revised, Martha A. Parker
BYU Studies
The author of this personal essay describes how, at age nineteen, she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Four years later, the unthinkable happened. After losing her ability to walk, she was informed by her doctor that she was one of only 350 out of 110,000 people currently taking Tysabri worldwide who had developed a condition called Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy (PML), a brain infection. Her cerebellum was slowly being eaten alive. Of those 350 people, only 15 percent had survived. In other words, her chances were slim. This essay is the story of her battle with PML and the impressive lessons …
Psalm Of The Expectant Mother,
2014
Brigham Young University
"The Redemption Of Zion Must Needs Come By Power": Insights Into The Camp Of Israel Expedition, 1834,
2014
Brigham Young University
"The Redemption Of Zion Must Needs Come By Power": Insights Into The Camp Of Israel Expedition, 1834, Matthew C. Godfrey
BYU Studies
The story of the Camp of Israel, better known as Zion's Camp, has been told many times. The tale of Joseph Smith leading a group of over two hundred individuals to Missouri to reclaim Mormon lands lost after Jackson County mobs forced the Saints from the county has assumed almost mythical status. Yet details about some aspects of the camp are still somewhat murky, especially in terms of its membership, its funding, its provisioning, and its intentions. Those of us working on the Joseph Smith Papers have discovered many new insights as we have examined documents pertaining to the camp. …
The Tiptoe,
2014
Brigham Young University
The Tiptoe, Robbie Taggart
BYU Studies
"My theology stresses the reality of continued, continuing revelation," writes the author of this essay. "God speaks, not spake. . . . But it is sometimes a real wrestle to know when he is speaking and what he wants. It takes attentiveness, and patience. Sometimes weeks pass without a whisper." He illustrates this idea with a story about stalking squirrels with his four-year-old son. After almost seeing one, the author, who has asked God to grant his son this simple wish, prays in silent resignation, "Well, thanks for trying." But then the wish is granted in a spectacular manner.
"A Peculiar People": Anti-Mormonism And The Making Of Religion In Nineteenth-Century America,
2014
Brigham Young University
"A Peculiar People": Anti-Mormonism And The Making Of Religion In Nineteenth-Century America, J. Spencer Fluhman, George L. Mitton
BYU Studies
Latter-day Saints were often surprised or astonished at the amount of anti-Mormon rhetoric and sentiment that seemed to come out of the woodwork during the Romney candidacies. While to a varying degree there has always been an obvious anti-Mormon backdrop, it is an awakening to realize the strong, latent undercurrent that surfaces at times. J. Spencer Fluhman's book on anti-Mormonism in the nineteenth century is a helpful contribution to an understanding of the origins, sources, trends, and implications of such religious aversion. Fluhman is a professor of history at Brigham Young University and editor of the Mormon Studies Review. The …
Violence And Disruptive Behavior On The Difficult Trail To Utah, 1847–1868,
2014
Brigham Young University
Violence And Disruptive Behavior On The Difficult Trail To Utah, 1847–1868, David L. Clark
BYU Studies
One aspect of the Mormon pioneer experience has not been studied: violence. Did the pioneers have problems with fighting and other aggressive behavior? How did company leaders prevent problems and handle disputes when they inevitably arose? This article reports pioneer records mentioning arguments, punishments, and other violent actions. The stories range from a threatened whipping for children who dallied behind their group to the heartbreaking tale of handcart pioneers being whipped to keep them moving along a frozen trail. While sickness, hunger, accidents, and weather took their toll on the Mormon pioneers, violence was not a major issue. Although records …
The Children Of Lehi And The Jews Of Sepharad,
2014
Brigham Young University
The Children Of Lehi And The Jews Of Sepharad, Shon D. Hopkins, D. Chad Richardson
BYU Studies
The Book of Mormon strongly asserts a gathering, not only of Lehi's scattered seed but also of the "Jews." Both Lehi (quoting Joseph of Egypt) and the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel prophesied of a running together of the children of Joseph and the children of Judah. This paper proposes one way in which this prophesied unification of Joseph and Judah into "one nation" may have been in part fulfilled, namely in a joining of the Jews of Sepharad (Sephardic Jews) with the children of Lehi. This occurred when the Sephardic Jews (coming primarily from Spain and Portugal) intermarried with the …
