Digital Commons Network^™

A Biblical Framework For Understanding And Responding To Ai, David J. Mulder

Faculty Work Comprehensive List

This chapter is about developing a biblically informed, theologically sound perspective on what it means to be human in a world where artificial intelligence (AI) seems to be omnipresent and nearly omnipotent. Along the way, we will consider the history of AI, the current state of AI, and a biblical view of AI. However, to land in a place where we have some solid understanding of a biblically informed perspective on the role of technology, we need to begin with our own imaginations.

Confronting The Conflation: The Use Of Christian Nationalist Rhetoric At The Insurrection On January 6th, 2021, Sophia Barnes

West Chester University Master’s Theses

This project considers the rhetoric of Christian nationalism on display before, during, and after the insurrection at the United States Capitol on January 6^th, 2021. I will show how Christian nationalism on Jan 6^th can be framed using Jenny Edbauer’s ideas of rhetorical ecologies and Thomas Rickert’s ideas of rhetorical ambiance by considering the speakers at the insurrection and a pastor who has been publicly vocal about his motives. Next, I will consider the images used by major media outlets covering the insurrection and how they chose to frame the events visually by considering Kellie Sharp-Hoskins’s ideas …

The Temple Plates, Patterns & Patriarchs, Stephen D. Ricks, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

Interpreter Foundation Books

Sacred/Temple in Ancient Christianity The Latin term sacer (and related forms, e.g., sacred) means something consecrated to God (or to a god or goddess), and templum (Greek temenos) refers to land “cut off” or set aside from common use and dedicated to a deity. Putting it another way, a sacred area or a temple designates restricted space, and the activities performed in that ground dedicated to a god or goddess are likewise limited to those authorized to be there.

Using The Book Of Mormon Art Catalog, Kenneth L. Alford

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The Book of Mormon Art Catalog (https://bookofmormonartcatalog.org) is an online repository for thousands of images pertaining to the Book of Mormon. The purpose of this article is to help readers learn to use the Book of Mormon Art Catalog website quickly and efficiently. It discusses how the website is organized, lists supplementary videos and resources that are available (at no charge), and explains the many search filters that are available to help users narrow their search queries. Users may search by scripture reference, topic, artist, date of creation, country of origin, artistic style or technique, art medium, and many other …

Joseph Of Egypt As A Model Of Gospel Living, Khumbulani D. Mdletshe

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In Genesis 37–50, the narrative of Joseph of Egypt offers instructive lessons on the blessings that flow from persevering through trials while honoring covenant commitments with God. Joseph’s capacity to consistently and courageously apply eternal principles when facing abuse, temptation, injustice, and other challenges not only led to his personal success but also proved critical for those whom he served as a slave and prisoner and, once he was elevated to great power in Egypt, for the numerous subjects of Pharaoh’s kingdom during times of famine. This essay identifies and discusses the primary principles that guided Joseph’s efforts to accomplish …

Relational Grace The Reciprocal And Binding Covenant Of Charis, Brent J. Schmidt

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In New Testament times, the concept of grace (Greek charis) was operative in relationships in which a person giving something of value to another could expect the recipient to provide service, thanks, or something else of much lesser value in return. When the Apostle Paul described Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice as a gift (charis), his ancient audiences understood that redemptive act as initiating a covenantal bond with expectations of devoted discipleship. Bible translators have never properly conveyed Paul’s message of active, obliging grace, an oversight that some scholars of the New Pauline Perspective are now demonstrating. During the Great Apostasy, …

Department And Individual Efforts To Amplify Prophetic Messages, Scott C. Esplin, Brad Streeter, Rory Bigelow, Aaron Shumway, David Peck

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

This panel focuses on Church Educational System efforts to follow Elder Clark G. Gilbert’s counsel to amplify prophetic messages. An amplifier takes an input source such as a microphone and increases its amplitude or size and sends it through an output source such as a speaker. Instructors can help students reduce background noise, or contradictory information from sources other than the Savior or prophets.

“Rise Up, O Light Of The Lord”: An Appropriate And Defensible Etymology For Cumorah, Paul Hoskisson

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

This article explores issues with past suggestions concerning the etymology of the name Cumorah and suggests a slightly updated etymology, “Rise up, O Light of the Lord.” It then suggests that Book of Mormon references to the Hill Cumorah appear to confirm the proposed etymology, thus becoming an apt description of the Restoration.

End Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Perfectionism Across Adolescence, W. Justin Dyer

BYU Studies

As a sixteen-year- old on my first date, I had such a nervous tightness in my stomach that, at one point, I ran to the bathroom to throw up. I’d always been somewhat nervous, but it had never bothered me much before. Yet from that time on through my teenage years, any time there was something new happening, I would inevitably have to throw up.

Full Issue

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

Observation, Reason, Faith, And Revelation, Dale G. Renlund

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

While some might believe that observation and reason are at odds with faith, they in fact support our ability to receive revelation. We can be deceived when we draw conclusions based on observation, reason, or faith alone, but when used in harmony, they facilitate revelation and enable the Holy Ghost to be our constant companion. Following this pattern of revelation increases the spiritual momentum in our lives.

Experiencing The Doctrine Of Christ, Gaye Strathearn

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

This paper compares the prophetic teaching of Nephi, son of Lehi, regarding the doctrine of Christ and the teaching of the resurrected Jesus in the Americas. This comparison shows the purposeful and experiential nature of Christ’s teaching, leading the Nephites to experience the doctrine of Christ rather than simply hear it. By drawing on scriptural texts in the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, this paper shows how each step of the doctrine of Christ was presented to and experienced by those who were witnesses to the Savior in the Americas. These insights directly relate to current seekers of …

Stephen Burnett Versus The Eight Witnesses An Exercise In Mature Historical Thinking, Neal Rappleye, Stephen O. Smoot

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

This article critically examines the credibility of the claims made by Stephen Burnett about the experience of the Eight Witnesses of the Book of Mormon. A disaffected Latter-day Saint who lost his faith in Joseph Smith after the failure of the Kirtland Safety Society in 1837, Burnett wrote a scathing letter in early 1838 in which he claimed he heard Martin Harris admit that the Eight Witnesses did not physically see and handle the gold plates as claimed in their printed testimony. This article argues that Burnett is not a credible source for accurately understanding the experience of the Eight …

Full Issue

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

A Pillar Of Light, Alex Arner

BYU Studies

I remember the first time I tried to have my first vision. It had been a normal Sunday at my house. Mom made blueberry muffins to get me and my siblings out of bed so we could make it to church on time. When we got to church, I sat down and quickly lodged my feet against the rough carpet on the back of the pew. Instead of listening to the talks, I began my favorite sacrament meeting game: the fastest foot contest. I’d relax my legs and watch my church shoes slide down the pew. The first foot to …

Irresistible Burdens, Marilyn Bushman-Carlton

BYU Studies

The children would be asleep

by the time we pulled away from the jammed parking lot,

Explaining Mormonism: A Believing Skeptic’S Guide To The Latter-Day Saint Worldview By Gregory Steven Dundas, Roger Terry

BYU Studies

BYU Studies author Gregory Dundas has written a book aimed primarily at a non– Latter-day Saint audience to inform them about the beliefs, culture, and practices of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Dundas is an engaging writer who has a diverse background and whose research is both broad and thorough.

End Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Liberty Jail: Seedbed For Eternal Temple Blessings, Steven L. Olsen

BYU Studies

The difficult Missouri winter of 1838–39 exacerbated an emerging existential crisis for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its founding prophet, Joseph Smith. Latter-day Saints were being driven from their homes and killed by armed militias who justified their aggression with the “extermination order” of Governor Lilburn W. Boggs. This forced evacuation also dispossessed the Latter-day Saints of their “land of promise” and “center place of Zion”—the capital of their millennial utopia that was named for the primordial patriarch Enoch’s “City of Holiness,” whose inhabitants’ righteousness was sufficient, according to Joseph’s visions, to effect its translation into …

Accessing Nephi’S Bountiful: A New Proposal For Reaching Irreantum, Warren P. Aston

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

Many Latter-day Saint scholars recognize that an excellent candidate for Nephi’s Bountiful is found at the inlet Khor Kharfot in southern Oman at the end of the lengthy Wadi Sayq. Many researchers have reasonably assumed that Lehi’s eastward travel from Nahom must have led to Wadi Sayq, which then leads directly to Khor Kharfot. However, there is a second route, through Wadi Kharfot, that leads to Khor Kharfot, joining Wadi Sayq near the inlet. Although almost unknown, this second wadi could also have offered a plausible route with some advantages to travelers arriving from the interior desert plateau. Specifics and …

Eva Clausen & Calaste Richardson, Camp Sychar

Photographic Material

No abstract provided.

Drinking At Sychar's Well, Camp Sychar

Photographic Material

No abstract provided.

John Owen And Foreman Lincicome, Camp Sychar

Photographic Material

No abstract provided.

Maynerd Walker, Camp Sychar

Photographic Material

No abstract provided.

Holiness School At Camp Sychar, Camp Sychar

Photographic Material

No abstract provided.

Fredrick A. Shiltz, Camp Sychar

Photographic Material

No abstract provided.

Reconciliation For Africa: Resources For Ethnic Reconciliation From The Bible And History, Craig Keener, Médine Moussounga Keener

Academic Books

No abstract provided.

More Sick, More Broadly Spiritual: A Comparison Of The Spirituality Of Adolescents With And Without Chronic Illness, Carrie A. Ives

Religious & Theological Studies Student Work

Purpose: This project sought to explore any difference in spirituality between adolescents with and without chronic illness. Assessment tools were reviewed for appropriateness for this population.

Methods: A literature review was conducted, followed by novel research. 10 adolescents were interviewed, using a mixed-methods approach. The quantitative results were analyzed using T-test and MANOVA. The qualitative results were analyzed to find themes and patterns.

Findings: Those with chronic illness and/or mental illness were more likely to have a broader, non-traditional view of religion than their healthy peers. Otherwise, no differences were found between the spirituality of adolescents with and without chronic …