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Family Religious Socialization Index: Development And Preliminary Validation, Kaelie Rene Crockett

Theses and Dissertations

A key area of interest for religious scholars is how religious beliefs are passed across generations, or religious socialization. To expand this field of study, a theoretically grounded, validated measure of this construct is needed. This article describes the development and validation of the Family Religious Socialization Index (FRSI), a multi-informant, multidimensional assessment of the processes through which parents socialize religion and faith in their children. Based on Social Cognitive Theory and through a rigorous development and validation process, three subscales were developed to represent the primary processes of religious socialization. The FRSI consists of two parallel scales, a parent …

Co-Opting Modernity: The Semantic Retooling Of Faith At The 1893 World’S Parliament Of Religions, Erik P. Palmer

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

The 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions in Chicago served as a high-stakes arena where the boundaries of religious legitimacy were redrawn through the intentional adoption of social science vocabulary. Staged within the Neo-Classical architecture of the White City of the World’s Columbian Exposition, the event was more than a civil gathering; it functioned as a “Museum of Faiths” where religious traditions were curated, categorized, and evaluated against the perceived benchmarks of Western civilization. The physical environment of the Fair, a monument to industrial triumph, was built to display things that worked. The organizers demanded that religions demonstrate they were useful …

From Cotton To Canyons: An Analysis Of The Historic Industries Of Southern Utah, Brielle Beardall

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

On October 6, 1861, Brigham Young stood before Latter-day Saints gathered in the Old Salt Lake City Tabernacle and called 300 missionaries on an ambitious undertaking: Over three hundred families would leave their homes and settle in the Utahn southwestern desert; a region that earned the nickname of “Utah’s Dixie” for both its southern location and its punishing heat. Their mission was to cultivate cotton and increase Utahn economic independence from the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Allen Joseph Stout recalled in a personal journal about his experience learning of the call to Southern Utah, “My neighbors reported that …

Mamma Mia: A Study Of Catholicism, Secularization, And Their Influences On Modern Italian, Lara Zanotti

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This study explores the relationship between religion and language by examining how Catholicism and secularization have shaped modern Italian. While the historical influence of the Catholic Church on Italian is well established, less attention has been given to how recent secularizing trends have transformed the language at lexical, discursive, and sociolinguistic levels. Addressing this gap, the study asks: how have Italy’s deep-rooted Catholic traditions and its more recent shift toward secularization influenced the meanings, frequency, and use of religiously rooted expressions in modern Italian?

Using a mixed-methods approach, this project combines corpus-based linguistic analysis with qualitative analysis. Diachronic data from …

Stitched Together: Mourning And Memory In Latter-Day Saint Embroidery, Elizabeth Finlayson

Theses and Dissertations

As the Church entered into a period of mourning, confusion, and uncertainty following the 1844 imprisonment of religious leaders Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage Jail in Illinois, artists turned to their canvases to grapple with and depict these events. Ashlee Whitaker calls attention to this shift in Mormon art, noting how Latter-day Saint artists painted portraits, landscapes, and commemorative scenes to promote Church authorities and “covenant kinship” as the organization experienced both a leadership crisis and abrupt relocation. Whitaker’s analysis, however, focuses almost completely on paintings done on canvas by men in America such as Danquart Weggeland, C.C.A. Christensen, …

Subversive Speculative Theology In Women's Stories From The Mormon Home Literature Movement, Rachel Meibos Helps

Theses and Dissertations

In the 1910s, Mormon women used sentimental speculative fiction published in official Relief Society Magazine to engage theological questions often reserved for male ecclesiastical authority. This paper examines three short stories: Edna Coray's "A Quitter–Almost." (1918), Lucy May Green's "A Whiff of Ether" (1919), and Laura Jenkins's "Beyond the Portals" (1916), each of which depicts a woman's encounter with the spirit world at the moment of death or near-death. Drawing on the Mormon Home Literature movement and the broader tradition of sentimental fiction as political and moral discourse, I argue that these authors used narrative to fill gaps in official …

The Metamodern Aesthetic As Reconciliatory Theology In Gilead, Henry Purser

Criterion: A Journal of Literary Criticism

No abstract provided.

Longitudinal Associations And Interactions Of Adolescent Religious Deidentification And Parental Sanctification On Parent-Adolescent Relationships, Justin Hendricks, Sam A. Hardy, Michael A. Goodman, Emily De Schweintiz Taylor

Faculty Publications

In many religious families, shared religious identity is a strong source of intergenerational solidarity. However, when adolescents deidentify from their family faith, normative parent-adolescent conflict, which heightens in mid-adolescence and normally subsides in late-adolescence, may intensify and damage parent-adolescent social cohesion. Many religious parents view parenting relationships as sanctified, which typically leads to adaptive parenting, but in the context of deidentification may lead to greater distress. To understand how adolescent religious deidentification influences parentadolescent relationships, we examined the longitudinal associations and interactions of adolescent children’s religious deidentification and parental sanctification on parent-child religious conflict and parental warmth (N = 1,391 …

Developmental Themes Associated With Religious Activity After Early Return From A Latter-Day Saint Mission, Samuel E. Hancock, Sam A. Hardy, Michael Goodman, Camron Angell, Jenae M. Nelson

Faculty Publications

In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, qualified young men are expected (and young women are given the option) to complete extended missionary service during the transition to adulthood. Some youth end their missionary service short of the anticipated duration, which is associated with markedly lower rates of religious activity post-return. This study is a qualitative inquiry into the developmental themes associated with early returned missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who chose to remain active (be consistently involved with the church), sampling from areas with high rates of Latter-day Saint activity, where stigmatization …

Full Issue

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Pheonix Imagery In Early Christian Art, Annie Spach

Studia Antiqua

In Early Christianity, often Christians used popular symbols that would point back to greater truths taught in their new faith. This paper discusses how early Christians followed his council through the use of the imperial representation of the phoenix rather than the common representation, highlighting their belief in resurrection, the majesty of Christ and their hope for eternal life given to all believers, while also speaking to a greater tradition outside of Christianity. The continued use of the phoenix as a symbol of resurrection, renewal, immortality and eternal life in the paradise of God is discussed, as well as the …

Front Matter

Studia Antiqua

No abstract provided.

Humans Rule? Implications Of Religious Undergraduates’ Changing Environmental Perceptions, J. Robert Nielson

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Addressing climate change requires correctly appraising one’s ethic toward the Earth. Historically, people have navigated their relationship to the natural world via environmental ethics of both religious and secular origin. Aldo Leopold described developing this relationship via the land ethic, a culturally informed process, as “an evolutionary possibility and an ecological necessity.” A land ethic provides a reference point from which individuals and societies make decisions about the Earth and its resources. This thesis considers the evolving land ethic of a young population of conservative Christian students at Brigham Young University with two separate cohorts of non-biology major undergraduates enrolled …

The Reinterpretation Of The Round Shaker Barn: How Patriarchal Values Changed The Doctrine, History, And Architecture Of A Religion, Caroline Johnson

AWE (A Woman’s Experience)

The Shaker Round Barn in Hancock Massachusetts has long been studied for its historical significance and insight into the life and beliefs of the nearly extinct religion. Within the discipline of art history, it is one of the only Shaker buildings discussed in entry-level architecture classes, portrayed to be the physical personification of the Shaker faith. The current narrative of the Shakers has simplified not only this particular structure but the entire religion, down to a few distinguishing characteristics: their name, which came from their exuberant worshiping practices; their founder, Mother Ann Lee, being the female reincarnate of Jesus Christ; …

The Civil War And The Apocalypse Insights From The Millennial Sta, Megan Mcconnell

The Thetean: A Student Journal for Scholarly Historical Writing

An editorial published in the Millennial Star on May 11, 1861, almost exactly one month after the start of the American Civil War, declared that the war that had broken out on the American continent was part of the “signs of the times” and that it “should be an incentive to diligence and faithfulness” to the European members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The war would be a calamity to a degree that had never before been seen on the Earth and one which the “nations of Europe cannot escape from.”1 The editor pronounced that the …

Why Can’T I Be Forgiven? Review Of Literature On Scrupulosity Among Latter-Day Saints, Camron Angell

Student Works

Scrupulosity is a debilitating mental illness that has become more well known the Latter-day Saint community recently. Scrupulosity is a subset of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) that focuses on spiritual issues (McClendon, 2023). Scrupulosity is multifaceted and has cognitive, genetic, and biological causes (Abramowitz & Jacoby, 2014; McClendon, 2023; Siev et al., 2020). Scrupulosity is defined by intense anxiety that is soothed with rituals such as excessive prayer, confession, and other religious actions to calm anxiety and fear of God (Abramowitz & Jacoby, 2014; Allen et al., 2015; Weir et al., 2014). Scrupulosity is mainly treated using cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) …

Trust Us, We’Re Lawyers: Lucas And Neville On The Translation Of The Book Of Mormon, Brant A. Gardner

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

In their book, James Lucas and Jonathan Neville present two major theses relative to translation of the Book of Mormon. The first is that the translation was always done by means of the interpreters that were delivered with the plates. The second is that Joseph Smith was an active participant in the translation process. A theory is laid out for how that might happen. Although this reviewer can agree that Joseph was an active participant in the translation, neither the first thesis nor their explanation of the second thesis can be accepted by those familiar with the historical record.

Through A Glass Darkly: Restoring Translation To The Restoration?, Jeff Lindsay

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

In By Means of the Urim & Thummim, James Lucas and Jonathan Neville valiantly seek to defend Joseph Smith’s role as the divinely inspired translator, a role that they argue is incompatible with using any tool other than the Nephite “intepreters,” later called the Urim and Thummim. They offer a unique theory to account for the statements of witnesses about Joseph using a seer stone in a hat, arguing that it was a fake demonstration using memorized passages to satisfy onlooker curiosity about the translation process. They propose a translation model in which Joseph did more than just get …

Chapter 4: Ancient Culture, Matthew Roper

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

No abstract provided.

Chapter 5: Book Of Mormon Names, Matthew Roper

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

No abstract provided.

Chapter 6: Old World Journeys By Land And Sea, Matthew Roper

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

No abstract provided.

The Flimsiest Show On Earth, Blake T. Ostler

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

Every so often an anti-Mormon book comes along that lowers the bar for attacks on the faith. How the Book of Mormon Came to Pass is one such work. It relies on speculation, conjecture, and tenuous connections to render, out of whole cloth, a hypothesis for the Book of Mormon’s creation that is almost laughable.

A Fitting Tribute To The Prophet Of The Restoration, Steven L. Olsen

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

Joseph Smith: A Life Lived in Crescendo is one of the most extensive and ambitious scholarly works on the founder of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Its twenty-one essays address various issues relating to the culmination of the Prophet’s ministry. They provide diverse and profound insights worthy of examination by serious students of the latter-day Restoration.

Easter As Threshold: Trauma, Transformation, And God’S Presence In Liminal Spaces, Joseph W. Green

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

Using the context of Easter, this personal essay explores perceptions of God’s presence and absence during human suffering. There is a theological thread that ties Christ’s suffering for our griefs and sorrows during his Atonement directly to his ability to succor us as we enter into despair due to our own trauma. Our suffering occurs during moments of transition and vulnerability known as “liminal spaces.” It is in these moments that the Savior meets us at the threshold, helping us move through trauma toward transformation in Christ. Our ability to move forward openly in liminal spaces will help us to …

Through A Glass Darkly: Was There A Twentieth-Century Corruption Of 1 Corinthians 13:12?, Charles Dike

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

This paper considers the well-known account of Paul having been struck blind on the road to Damascus and his equally well-known statement that “for now we see through a glass darkly.” Both are examined in light of a solar eclipse that occurred across the Mediterranean in AD 49. It is possible that Paul could have been referring to an experience of viewing the solar eclipse through a filter. The article provides an exploration of potential astronomical aids that may have been available to first-century viewers of the eclipse. Views of solar phenomenon are shown and then Jewish and Christian thoughts …

“Get Thou Up Into The Temple”: Receiving Revelation And Becoming Holy In The House Of The Lord, Matthew L. Bowen

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

Psalms 15:1–5, 24:2–3, and 48:1 [MT 2], as temple hymns of the Jerusalem Temple, are consistent with other texts such as Isaiah 2:2–3 and Genesis 22:14, which envision the holy temple as the “mountain of the Lord” into which one must ritually ascend. The examples of Moses, Nephi, Jacob, and others who ascended into this “mountain” demonstrate that this ascent facilitates the reception of divine revelation necessary in our mortal journey to become holy through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This sacred ascent is necessary for our eventual, individual, and collective “perfection” in Christ, and it is one that he …

The Lamb Of God: A Note On The Significance Of Meir Bar-Ilan’S Paper For Latter-Day Saints, Jeff Lindsay

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

Dr. Meir Bar-Ilan’s paper, “The Heavenly Lamb, Sacrifices on the Heavenly Altar, and the Song of the Lamb,” appearing concurrently in Interpreter, is a welcome contribution from a noted Jewish scholar. Bar-Ilan has called the world’s attention to a remarkable Hebrew manuscript with origins in antiquity, Words of Gad the Seer. Those interested in the relationship between Jewish texts and Latter-day Saint scriptures may also wish to compare the findings in Bar-Ilan’s paper with treatments of the Lamb of God in the Book of Mormon and the Book of Moses.

The Covenant Path Of The Ancient Temple In 2 Nephi 31:19–20, Jeffrey M. Bradshaw

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

In this article, I discuss how the ancient analogue to what President Nelson has called “the covenant path” might be seen in the Book of Mormon and elsewhere in scripture not so much as a journey of covenant-keeping that takes us to the temple but as a journey that takes us through the temple. Throughout the Book of Mormon, observant readers will find not only the general outline of the doctrine of Christ but also corresponding details about the covenant path as represented in temple layout and furnishings. Nowhere is this truth better illustrated than in 2 Nephi 31:19–20 where …

The “Allegory” Of Ruth As A Prophecy Of Latter-Day Gathering, Jan Francisco

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

n the historical context of the late fifth century BC, the book of Ruth was a powerful story of hope and redemption for the eventual gathering and restoration of Israel’s covenants. Connecting their golden period of unity under King David to this idyllic tale with a beautiful happy ending may be more than a family story. It could also be read allegorically to prophesy the promised gathering of Israel by the Gentiles in the Latter-days. The key to understanding the symbolic layer of this story lies in deciphering the Hebrew meanings of the characters’ names, with Naomi representing the Israelites, …

“Behold, I Went To Hunt Beasts In The Forest”: An Addendum On Enos, Esau, And The Symbolic Geography Of Seir, Matthew L. Bowen

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

Enos’s use of the onomastic wordplay in the Jacob and Esau cycle enables him to meaningfully allude to the symbolic geography of those stories and incorporate it into his New World setting (e.g., allusions to the river Jabbok and Peniel/Penuel, the site of Jacob’s “wrestle” with the divine “man”). A third instance of this type of allusion occurs with Enos’s recollection that he “went to hunt beasts in the forest[s]” (Enos 1:3), which appears to subtly allude to Mount Seir, the forested hill country in the land of Edom inhabited by Esau and his descendants.