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Joseph Smith At The Veil: Significant Ritual, Symbolism, And Temple Influence At Latter-Day Saint Beginnings, George L. Mitton

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The prophet Joseph Smith was paced through a life steeped in ritual and symbolism. Notable things Joseph did or experienced under angelic guidance may be seen as ritual procedures that may require careful consideration to discern their meaning, what they symbolize, their purpose, and their importance to the restoration of the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Failure to recognize the function of ritual has resulted in much misunderstanding and criticism of Joseph. Many of his early actions and procedures were closely related to the ancient temple. They amount to an anticipation and witness of the temple and its …

Full Issue

Mormon Studies Review

No abstract provided.

A Truly Remarkable Book, Louis Midgley

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Saving Faith is a truly excellent book, designed especially for families concerned about their children. It is also a book appropriate for those getting ready to serve as missionaries, or for newly married couples, young couples about to be married, or even for those about to bring children into this world to undergo their mortal probation.

The Nephite Metaphor Of Life As A Probation: Rethinking Nephi’S Portrayal Of Laman And Lemuel, Noel B. Reynolds

Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

Commentaries on Nephi’s first book tend to interpret the fraternal struggles it reports as historical facts that are meant primarily to invite readers’ evaluative responses. While recognizing the historical character of the facts marshalled by Nephi, this paper will argue that the author transposes that history into an allegory meant to inspire his readers in all times and places to abandon prevailing metaphors of life that are focused on the attainment of worldly goods and pleasures. In their place, Nephi offers the revealed metaphor of life as a day of probation taught to him and his father in their great …

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

"He Is God; And He Is With Them", Matthew L. Bowen

BYU Studies

The prophet Isaiah foretold to Ahaz and the house of David: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). Latter-day Saints often interpret and teach the “Immanuel” prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 as a simple, straightforward messianic prophecy with a single fulfillment in the birth of Jesus Christ. Most pay little attention to the historical circumstances in which Isaiah gave the prophecy—namely, the Syro-Ephraimite crisis prior to the Assyrian invasion in the eighth century BCE. The idea of a more immediate, contemporary fulfillment …

Coming And Going To Zion: An Analysis Of Push And Pull Factors Motivating British Latter-Day Saint Emigration, 1840–60, Samuel Benson

BYU Studies

In 1863, acclaimed British writer Charles Dickens boarded a New York–bound emigrant ship docked at Liverpool. He was not a passenger but an observer; the subjects of his study were more than eight hundred Latter-day Saint emigrants aboard the ship Amazon. Dickens’s stated purpose, as he later wrote in The Uncommercial Traveller, was “to bear testimony against them if they deserved it,” but to his surprise, he instead found “the pick and flower of England.” Dickens lauded the Latter-day Saints’ politeness and their “aptitude for organisation,” and he praised their leader, Apostle George Q. Cannon. By the end …

A Close Look At Scriptural Teachings Regarding Jesus Feeling Our Pains As Part Of His Atonement, Scott C. Woodward

BYU Studies

Scriptural teachings regarding the Atonement of Jesus Christ represent the most important and cherished doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Richard G. Scott emphasized its importance, stating, “The atonement of Jesus Christ is the single most significant event that ever has or ever will occur.” Elder Neal A. Maxwell called it “the central act in all of human history” and “the hinge on which all else that finally matters turned.” And Elder Bruce R. McConkie declared it to be “the center and core and heart of revealed religion.”

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Being Latter-Day Saints (1841–1857): Four Matriarchs In The Centreville, Delaware, Branch, Marie Cornwall

BYU Studies

After Joseph Smith established The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he began sending missionaries to the eastern states. It did not take long before small branches began popping up in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Delaware. While many of the new converts joined with the main body of the Saints, first in Missouri and later in Nauvoo, others remained in their communities. With few exceptions, much of the history of the Latter-day Saints focuses on the migrations to Nauvoo and settlements in Utah. Available histories offer few details about community life among Latter-day Saints who remained where …

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Dialogue After Dobbs: Introduction, M. Therese Lysaught, Mari Rapela Heidt, Mary Doyle Roche, Kate Ward

Theology Faculty Research and Publications

No abstract provided.

The Pattern Of The Transformation Of The Religious Life Of The Armenian Diaspora In Ukraine: Conditions, Causes, Consquences, Iryna Haiuk

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article reveals the role of the Armenian Church in preserving the ethnic identity of Armenians in the diaspora on Ukrainian land. The transgression or adaptation of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians to the new environment in Ukraine was a "soft" process, since it was a transition within a Christian society, and therefore not on religious, but on the confessional basis of "Own"/Christians, although "Others." The specifics of the mentality, general algorithms of migration and incorporation into the new socio-cultural environment determined the main aspects of the transition of the religious and ecclesiastical sphere of Armenians into the …

Manipulative Christianity: (Pseudo) Historical And Cultural Codes In The Concept Of "Russian World", Oleksandr Lukyanenko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article illustrates the formation of the idea of the “Russian world” in the religious discourse of Orthodox Russia. The study summarizes the data on the use of ideological stamps by the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill during sermons with the aim of forming support for Vladimir Putin’s policies. The research cites examples of dirty propaganda, falsification of history, falsification of historical facts in religious and political battles in the conditions of the Russian-Ukrainian war. Kirill Gundyaev continued to assert the line of the President of the Russian Federation regarding non-recognition of the separateness of the Ukrainian people, assertion of its …

Confession As A Multifunctional Holy Sacrament Of The Ukrainian Orthodox Population Of The 17th-19th Centuries, Olena Borodenko, Vasyl Fazan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Цель. Статья посвящена проблеме многофункционального исследования конфессиональной обрядности мировоззрения и религиозной принадлежности украинского православного населения XVII-XIX вв.

Методы исследования . Междисциплинарный интеллект строится с преимуществом формально-логического метода познания в истории религии, социально-религиозной истории и интегрируется с избранными направлениями психологии и философии.

Основные результаты.Святое Таинство Исповеди представлено как проявление искреннего покаяния верующего в своих грехах, с верой в Бога-Творца, в Его милость, с надеждой на исправление жизненных проступков через отпущение грехов священником. По признанию, одним из побудительных факторов можно считать страх и набожность человека. Главной целью религиозного обряда было укрепление соблюдения в обществе христианских нравственных норм нравственности и гражданского права. …

A Discourse Of Modernization Of Religion In The Soviet Ukrainian Study Of Religion, Oleg Kyselov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The paper explores the Soviet scientific atheism discourse on the evolution of religion in the modern world. The author argues that the modernization of religion was a key concept for Soviet scholars, which was used to criticize religious trends of that time.

The article focuses on the published works of Soviet Ukrainian scholars, which discussed the definition of modernization of religion, its reasons, and the spheres of its manifestation. The current research focuses on the modernization of religion and the peculiarities of scientific atheism in Soviet Ukraine.

The author argues that there were no differences between religious modernism and modernization …

Military Chaplains’ Provision Of Psychological Assistance To Soldiers In Ukraine, Artem Makovskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

This article presents the results of a theoretical analysis of and the author's personal practical experience with the work of military chaplains in providing psychological assistance to Ukrainian servicemen. Researchers in the field of psychology of religion have identified a number of functions of religion,--namely communicative, regulatory, integrating, ideological and compensatory--on which the pastoral activity of a military chaplain can be analyzed in their provision of psychological assistance to combatants. A comparison of the tasks facing military psychologists and military chaplains is carried out based on legal documents. Emphasis is placed on those moments where they can functionally complement each …

"War In Ukraine: Religious, Geopolitical And Cultural Dimensions Of Value-Worldview Clashes At The Beginning Of The 21st Century": International Theological Conference, Vladyslav Fulmes

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

On June 15, 2023 Volyn Orthodox Theological Academy (Lutsk, Ukraine) held an international theological conference “WAR in UKRAINE: Religious, Geopolitical and Cultural Dimensions of Value-worldview Clashes at the Beginning of the 21st century”. Brief information about this international scientific conference is given.

Effectiveness Of Media Tools Of The Ukrainian Chaplaincy In Times Of War, Oleksandr Kostiuk, Olena Predko, Denys Predko

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The effectiveness of the media tools of the Ukrainian chaplaincy in war conditions is considered. It is substantiated that the extreme conditions of war favor the selection of quality candidates for the chaplain service and the integration of chaplaincy into the military structure. The chaplain’s work is not limited to spiritual care, but also focuses on the moral and psychological support of military personnel. The use of such social networks as Instagram and Tik-Tok as a new form of work for chaplains is being studied. The following common forms of work of chaplains in social networks were identified: keeping a …

Indestructability In The Fight Against Evil: The Theological View On The Russian-Ukrainian War, Hnat Mierienkov

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article shows that the fight against evil, namely Russian aggression against the Ukrainian people, creates a unique concept of “indestructibility.” The appearance of the term “invincibility” in the theological world, as a rule, is associated with the side of goodness and freedom. The Russian Federation has shown in the 21st century aggression unprecedented in its scale, including the desire to appropriate foreign territory, the bombing of peaceful territories and civilians, the distortion of faith, religion, and ideology to achieve goals by military means, etc. As a result, in the theological world of Ukraine, this phenomenon was called “evil.” That …

Reform Of Orthodoxy: Current Challenges And Tasks, Hennadii Khrystokin, Vasyl Lozovytskyi

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article analyzes the current state of Orthodoxy, and highlights the problem of its reform, which consists of the need for renewal and modernization. The article establishes that the reasons for the need to reform in Orthodoxy are the crisis of the unity of the Ecumenical Church, the crisis of the management structures of local churches, the crisis in local church communities, and the significant dependence of Orthodoxy on national traditions. The article notes that the main aspects of church reform are the renewal of tradition, the need for a new reading of the canons, rethinking the negative historical experience …

A New Identity For Anatolia : Investigating The Abutment Of Oikos Texts On Jewish Temple Imagery (1 Pet 2:4-10) And A Greco-Roman Haustafel (1 Pet 2:11-3:12) Visualized Through The Intersection Between Social Identity Approaches And The Social Character Of Paraenesis, Robert Andrew Barlow

ATS Dissertations

No abstract provided.

The Word According To Flannery O'Connor, Eamon Maher

Articles

In her relatively short life (1925-1964), one that was greatly curtailed as a result of being diagnosed with lupus (a disease from which her father also died in 1952), Flannery O’Connor managed to leave behind a literary legacy that continues to fascinate scholars and general readers alike. This is all the more surprising when one considers that the work consists of just two novels, Wise Blood (1952) and The Violent Bear It Away (1960), along with 31 short stories.

The Servant Of God As A Proactive Manager: A Team Service Solution Model For Meeting Covid-19 Challenges In Indonesia, Muner Daliman, Jonathan James

Research outputs 2022 to 2026

Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life have died in Indonesia from Covid−19; work practices have been disrupted and various changes have occurred, including the sphere of service in churches, foundations, schools, and universities. The study aims to understand the concept of the proactive manager as a servant of God: a representative and spokesman for God who is obliged to plan, implement, and evaluate what he/she is doing in carrying out what God wills during the challenges of the Covid−19 era in Indonesia. The research method used was content analysis from secular and biblical texts. The results …

Who Is At The Manger?, Kayla Harris, Neomi Deanda

Marian Library Faculty Publications

For many Christians around the world, celebrating the Nativity, or the birth of Jesus Christ, is the most important part of the Christmas season.

Among the most common Christmas traditions are small sets of figures depicting Joseph, Mary and Jesus that are displayed in individual homes, and live reenactments of the manger scene in communities and churches. While Nativity sets focus on the holy family, they can also include an angel, the three wise men bringing gifts, shepherds or some barnyard animals.

Around the world, it is common to see particular cultural and religious traditions incorporated through the materials used, …

Understanding The 21st Century Practical Implication Of Chaplaincy Ministry In The City Of Milwaukee, Wi, Jeffrey D. Hayman

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

This research project acknowledges that God’s command for Christian hospital chaplains is to serve humanity. Jesus calls a chaplain. He then forms, transforms, and conforms them to His image of oneness. Hospital chaplains like pastors are part of care ministries that extend to various work settings, Christian and secular. The hospital-certified chaplain, by definition, can support the whole workforce in the hospital, including their patients and the patient’s families. The hospital-certified chaplain is the main focus of this research. These hospital chaplains must be qualified, endorsed, licensed, certified, or ordained to be on the frontline in the community. A hospital-certified …

The Nature Of Confession For Forgiveness In 1 John 1:5–2:6, Carleton Edward Hafer

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this study on 1 John 1:5–2:6 is to examine whether repeated confession of post-salvific sins is required either for additional forgiveness or to maintain fellowship with God. This dissertation argues that John teaches that confession is required for salvation and results in complete forgiveness at the moment of salvation; however, despite what is commonly taught, John never teaches ongoing post-salvific confession for forgiveness or to maintain fellowship with God. While post-salvific confession may benefit a believer on a psychological level, that is not what John taught in 1 John. From God’s standpoint, the relationship is not impaired …

The Jewish Basis For The Born Again Experience In John 3, Francis-David Athelstan Scalzo

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The dissertation’s objective will be to analyze what Nicodemus—as a Pharisee who was knowledgeable of the Hebrew Bible and the prevalent Jewish theology of his period—should have understood, given his position, concerning Jesus’ teaching of being born again. By examining the Old Testament (the TaNaK) and Intertestamental Jewish theology, it will be argued in the dissertation’s six chapters how Nicodemus, as a prominent Pharisaical religious instructor, should have understood the concept of spiritual rebirth as well as the scriptural significance of water and the Spirit, including the guidance and obedience inherent in Jesus’ teaching on the wind. As an introduction …

Reflections Of A «Recovering Outer Catholic», Jorge A. Aquino Ph.D.

Conexión Queer: Revista Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Teologías Queer

This essay comments on the long-deferred need for Latinx Catholic theologians to resist Roman Catholic teaching on sexuality by taking it out of the margins and integrating it as a co-equal topic of theological reflection. Based on the author’s 2014 presidential address to the Academy of Catholic Hispanic Theologians of the United States (ACHTUS), it reviews the challenges — pastoral, theological, social, and psychological — of confronting homophobia and the exclusion of queer subjects by the Roman Catholic Church.

Pastoral Care For National Guard And Reserve: Using Bible Study To Equip National Guard And Reserve To Navigate Through The Blessings And Burdens Of Civilian-Military Vocations, David Schleusener

Doctor of Ministry Major Applied Project

Schleusener, David, S. "Pastoral Care for National Guard and Reserve: Using Bible Study to Equip National Guard and Reserve to Navigate through the Blessings and Burdens of Civilian Military Vocations" Doctor of Ministry. Major Applied Project, Concordia Seminary, 2022. 267 pp.

The researcher is a U.S. Navy Reserves chaplain and student at Concordia Seminary in Saint Louis, Missouri, in the Doctor of Ministry program. The researcher focused on the unique challenges, burdens, and significant stress our nation's reserve components face due to dual responsibilities in civilian and military sectors. National Guard and Reserve (NGR) is the term adopted for those …