Digital Commons Network^™

Aquatic Insect Communities Remain Impaired Following Large-Scale River Restoration, Jared Meek, Jackson Birrell, Teagan Mulford, Dennis K. Shiozawa, C. Riley Nelson

Western North American Naturalist

River manipulation and degradation can cause detrimental impacts on aquatic insect communities. River restoration projects seek to mitigate these human disturbances. Assessing the efficacy of river restoration remains an important goal for river managers and conservation biologists so that improved restoration methods can be used in the future. From 1999 to 2008, the Utah Reclamation Mitigation and Conservation Commission restored a 15-km channelized portion of the Provo River (Wasatch County, Utah, USA). Before (1999) and during (2002) the restoration project, macroinvertebrate samples were collected using modified kick nets from 3 sites within the restored area and 1 site outside the …

Shy But Not All The Same: Adolescent Profiles Of Shyness, Self-Regulation, And Benevolent Values, Christina M. Schwartz

Theses and Dissertations

While existing research has posited shyness as a risk-factor for floundering in adolescence and emerging adulthood, not all shy young people may struggle to the same extent. Characteristics such as self-regulation and benevolent values may influence the extent to which individuals with high levels of shyness will have socio-emotional challenges. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to use a person-centered analysis to explore subgroups of adolescents with distinct levels of shyness, self-regulation, and benevolent values and to examine how these groups differ on outcomes in adolescence and in emerging adulthood. The sample for this paper consisted of 682 …

Helpful Or Harmful? The Effect Of Heritage Language Use On Perceived Maternal Closeness In United States Immigrant Families, Catalina Valdez

Theses and Dissertations

Language use patterns and parent-child relationship quality in immigrant families are both subject to change over time, and past research on the impact of immigrant children's heritage language use on various measures of well-being yields mixed results. Extending scholarship on heritage language use and immigrant family dynamics, I examine the association between different language patterns in U.S. immigrant families and mother's reports of parent-child closeness. I analyze data from 1,142 mothers when their children are in kindergarten, third grade, and fifth grade using the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study "“ Kindergarten Cohort of 2010-2011. I find little variation in perceived maternal …

Computational Modeling Of Energy Landscapes And Trajectory Studies Of Fundamental Organometallic Reactions, Joshua I. Wheeler

Theses and Dissertations

Organometallic reactions are a fundamental class of chemical transformations. The mechanisms of organometallic reactions are routinely modeled by calculating intermediates and transition-state structures on a potential energy surface with density functional theory (DFT). The translation of these calculated structures to a reaction mechanism is typically done under the umbrella of statistical transition state theory. This dissertation reports the use of DFT calculations and quasiclassical direct dynamics trajectories to explore the possibility of nonstatistical dynamic effects in organometallic reactions. Chapter 1 provides a brief review of potential energy surfaces, transition state theory, dynamics trajectories, and a review of previous dynamics studies …

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Rare Religious Documents Given To Farms

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Two sets of authentic religious documents were recently donated to FARMS. BYU alumni Orin and Rita Parker donated a sixteenth-century abridgment of the Hadith, a compilation of the Islamic prophet Muhammad's official statements on Islamic beliefs and practices. The rare book, copied by hand in 1549 in exquisite Arabic script, reads from back to front and from right to left. After working in Iraq for five years, Orin received the book at a farewell party held in the deputy foreign minister's house in Baghdad.

Two Nibley Books Explore New Testament Themes And Early Christianity

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

For years the Collected Works of Hugh Nibley series has delighted those who relish Nibley's startling insights, pithy comments, and consummate scholarship. Two volumes from this series, The World and the Prophets and Mormonism and Early Christianity (both available on the enclosed order form), shed light on a number of topics related to the New Testament.

What Do We Know About The Wise Men?, John A. Tvedtnes

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Among the more intriguing figures in the scriptures are the Wise Men who visited the infant Jesus. The story of their journey to Bethlehem is found in the Gospel of Matthew, where we learn that they came "from the east" when Jesus was apparently two years old (see Matthew 2:1-2, 7, 16). By that time, Mary and Joseph were living in a house (see verse 11).

Ancient Games On The Internet

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

FARMS subscribers can enjoy electronic versions of games played by the ancients, located on the Internet at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/psneeley. This site features ancient Maya, Egyptian, and Sumerian games, among others.

Farms Improves Benefits For Its Members

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

As a result of changes in the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies and of findings from an in-depth membership survey that FARMS conducted earlier this year, FARMS members will now see a change in their benefits package. Formerly, for a $12 annual fee, members received six issues of the INSIGHTS newsletter. Starting with this issue, members will receive twelve issues (double the number), plus a subscription to the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. The Journal (see related article on page 1) has been newly redesigned and will be published twice a year. The new annual membership fee …

The Laws Of Eshnunna And Nephite Economics, John W. Welch

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

In order for ancient economies to work effectively, kings spelled out the value of various commodities and established exchange ratios, especially between consumable goods and precious metals. For example, the Laws of Eshnunna, promulgated in Babylonia probably during the reign of Dadusha in the early eighteenth century B.C., instituted a system of weights and measures.

Review Surveys Mixed Bag Of Publications

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The newest issue of the FARMS Review of Books (volume 10, number 2) surveys a diverse crop of recent publications, some inviting high praise, others substantial refutation, and some a mixture of both.

Journal Of Book Of Mormon Studies Redesigned To Serve The Needs Of A Broader Audience

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

When the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies was launched in the fall of 1992, the aim of its editor, Stephen D. Ricks, was to produce "a journal dedicated solely to the serious and faithful study of the Book of Mormon in its historical, linguistic, cultural, and theological context."

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Scholars Share Research On The Book Of Abraham

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

On 19 September FARMS convened a working group on the book of Abraham at Brigham Young University. Scholars and researchers from across the United States gathered to exchange research on the book of Abraham, while international researchers participated via mail and e-mail. Topics covered historical, geographic, doctrinal, cultural, and scientific issues related to the book of Abraham. This research is coordinated by BYU history professor William J. Hamblin and John Gee, assistant research professor at FARMS. At the half-day meeting, participants discussed such topics as the location of the Chaldees and the nature of Abrahamic astronomy.

Reprint Rebuts Critics' Claims, Reveals Tactics

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

FARMS is pleased to offer a reprint of Offenders for a Word, by Daniel C. Peterson and Stephen D. Ricks. This book explains the tactics many anti-Mormons employ in attacking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It also answers critics' objections to Latter-day Saint beliefs in the Godhead, polygamy, salvation by grace and works, eternal progression, the idea of a premortal existence, the role of Joseph Smith, the nature of the Holy Ghost, and much more.

A Modern Example Of A Night Without Darkness, John A. Tvedtnes

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

A remarkable event recorded in the Book of Mormon was the night of Christ's birth, at which time light remained even after sundown (see Helaman 14:3-4; 3 Nephi 1:8, 15). To some this seems impossible, totally unexplainable in scientific terms despite the fact that the Bible describes similar phenomena for the Israelite exodus from Egypt (see, for example, Exodus 14:19-20; Nehemiah 9:19; Psalm 78: 14) and for the millennial era (see Zechariah 14:6-7; Revelation 21:10-11; 22:5). Even the believer, while satisfied that the Lord can perform miracles beyond our comprehension, is fascinated by the night without darkness that heralded the …

Biblical Editing: Clues In The Seams, Grant R. Hardy

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

As LDS renders focus on the Bible this year and next, the following excerpt may give students ideas to think about. Many readers of the Bible recognize that its constituent books were transmitted from ancient times to the modern world through the anonymous work of countless editors, scribes, and translators. What is sometimes not clear, however, is the process by which some biblical books were recorded and passed down. Careful analysis of the biblical text reveals that certain passages were drawn from. multiple sources and shaped by the hand of editors many centuries ago. Such textual studies can illuminate the …

Cursing A Litigant With Speechlessness, John W. Welch

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Alma's curse on Korihor, "In the name of God, ye shall be struck dumb, that ye shall no more have utterance" (Alma 30:49), resembles an ancient Greek practice of cursing a litigant with speechlessness. When the curse materialized, divine disapproval was so clear that Korihor was compelled to yield the case.

Progress On The Maya Murals Of Bonampak

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

The February 1996 issue of INSIGHTS reported that FARMS was assisting Yale University and the National Geographic Society in photographing the deteriorating Maya murals at the Bonampak site in Chiapas, Mexico. Using a multispectral filter provided by FARMS, the Bonampak team captured on film vivid details of the mural scenes otherwise obscured by centuries of decay and incrustation.

New Booklet Explains Basic Lds Beliefs

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

FARMS and the BYU Religious Studies Center have jointly published a booklet that discusses some of the beliefs of members of the LDS Church. The contributors to Latter-day Christianity: Ten Basic Issues hope these discussions will, first, help Latter-day Saints who want to explain their beliefs to their friends of other faiths and, second, be useful to people outside the LDS Church who want a simple and clear statement of those beliefs from informed insiders.

Full Issue

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Contributions Of Farms Members Still Crucial

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

As FARMS has become part of Brigham Young University, some of the faithful members of FARMS have asked if their support is still important to the Foundation. The answer is a resounding yes! Just in the financial area alone, membership fees (which we have also called subscriptions) are crucial to the research and publications of the Foundation. The university contributes less than 20 percent of the Foundation's annual operating budget-a very welcome contribution, but obviously not enough to keep FARMS and its projects running. We still must rely on membership fees, donations, and the sale of publications to support ongoing …

Nibley Fellows A Fruitful Investment

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Each year FARMS grants fellowships in the name of Hugh Nibley to promising graduate students pursuing advanced degrees in fields of particular interest to FARMS. Three of these rising scholars have since earned doctoral degrees and received appointments at BYU and FARMS. They have already published material through FARMS as Nibley Fellows, and they are now in a position to make further contributions to the work of FARMS.

Lectures Spotlight New Research

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

Since the beginning of the year, nine FARMS brown bag lectures have kept attendees abreast of new developments in ancient research.

The "Lamb Of God" In Pre-Christian Texts, John W. Welch

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

One of Nephi's favorite titles for Jesus Christ was "the Lamb of God." Forty-four references to "the Lamb" appear in Nephi's vision in 1 Nephi 11-14 alone. Aside from the Latter-day Saint understanding of a similar reference in Moses 7:47 and perhaps Isaiah 53:7, what evidence supports the Old World origins of this terminology?

Ten Major Studies Reprinted

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

FARMS has selected ten papers from among the many interesting and significant contributions to Book of Mormon scholarship and ancient studies published in the last five years. These articles, now available for the first time as separate reprints in the hope they will be read and discussed widely, shed valuable light on the translation, ancient origin, and authenticity of the Book of Mormon and on related matters of language, culture, and doctrine.

A Scientific Look At The Cataclysm In 3 Nephi

Insights: The Newsletter of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

As a sign of the Savior's crucifixion, a three-hour cataclysm in the Americas erased entire cities, enshrouded the land in three days of darkness, and transformed "the face of the whole earth" (3 Nephi 8:17). Thanks to an illuminating study by a BYU geologist, certain anomalous aspects of that massive destruction now are understood better than ever before.

Qosqo: A Documentary Approach To The Preservation Of Andean Culture, Emma Volz

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis and creative project aspire to follow the well-worn path of documentary filmmaking. The written portion of this thesis includes background information on Incan history and the Southern Andean language of Quechua that informed and developed into my film, Qosqo. The short documentary is a hybrid between traditional and experimental non-fiction filmmaking, exploring Cusco, Peru’s spirituality through the sage perspective of a native Cusqueñan woman, Norma Sanchez de Incaroca.

The film is a personal reflection of Norma’s experience with the Quechua language, a historically marginalized and currently endangered language. Her reflections are framed within the context of Cusco’s complex …

Insights On The Distribution Of Struthanthus Palmeri Kuijt (Loranthaceae), The Northernmost Species Of The Genus, Mónica I. Miguel-Vázquez, Yasser S. López De Olmos-Reyes, Maria Guadalupe Maldonado-Borja, Rosa Cerros-Tlatilpa

Western North American Naturalist

Struthanthus (Loranthaceae) is native to the Americas, and several species occur in Mexico, some of which are endemic, such as S. palmeri. Within the genus, S. palmeri has the northernmost distribution, inhabiting the arid environments of northwestern Mexico near the border with the United States. In this study, the known distribution of the species was updated. The elevation, hosts, and vegetation types where S. palmeri occurs were compiled to infer its potential distribution, using ecological niche modeling. Based on the results, the endemic status of S. palmeri is reinforced. This taxon occurs in several types of vegetation, from near …