Digital Commons Network^™

Science, Technology, And Catholic Identity In The Education Of Professionals, Keith Douglass Warner O.F.M., David S. Caudill

Faculty Publications

The reception of Ex corde ecclesiae has been uneven across the disciplines, with scant interest in distinctly Catholic pedagogies outside of the humanities. This essay argues that Catholic universities can distinguish themselves by how they present science and technology in their curriculum by drawing from the interdisciplinary field of “science, technology & society,” or STS. We argue that discussions about Catholic identity, science, and human values can and should extend into the curriculum while simultaneously safeguarding academic freedom, and that this can readily be done in professional schools, such as law and engineering. We outline the contributions that STS as …

Religious Studies And Theology, Alan G. Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

This Is The Way, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

The limited objective of this paper is to clarify some of the key terminology used by Book of Mormon writers. In particular, I will show that they used such terms as gospel, doctrine, way, and word interchangeably, but that the plan of salvation should be distinguished from these. It is probably inevitable that Latter-day Saint scholars will bring assumptions from their academic studies of the Bible and Christian theology to their study of the Book of Mormon. While the Book of Mormon obviously has a great deal in common with the Bible, I am increasingly convinced that Book of Mormon …

Media, Mormonism, And Mormon Media Studies, Sherry Baker

Faculty Publications

Bosco Bae has asked me to write a reflection about the Mormon Media Studies Symposia that were held at Brigham Young University in 2010 and 2012, and to provide some "general thoughts" about the relationship between media, Mormonism, and Mormons. I also will address the topic of Mormon Media Studies as an emerging discipline, and will conclude with some thoughts about Mormons, the media, and the Mormon Moment. My comments are meant only to be conversational in tone. They certainly do not purport to be definitive or comprehensive statements about the topics discussed.

Cathedral Of Kairos: Rhetoric And Revelation In The “National House Of Prayer”, Richard Benjamin Crosby

Faculty Publications

Traditionally, kairos is defined by its transience. Scholars assume that in order to capitalize on the rhetorical power of kairos, a speaker must capture the “opportune moment” before it passes. his article makes the case that the kairic moment can be sustained indefinitely through the sacralization of physical space. Linking rhetorical theories of kairos as “God’s time” to Mircea Eliade’s discussion of “sacred hierophanies,” the article performs an analysis of the National Cathedral in Washington DC and concludes that rhetoric can circumvent traditional contingencies when deployed within kairic space.

Looking At The End From The Beginning, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

Eschatology, the study of last things, has been approached mostly from two distinct viewpoints. Some provide a systematic study of the question—as can be seen in systematic theologies of all colors, which predominantly focus upon New Testament texts. Others concentrate on specific books relevant to eschatological teachings—chiefly the apocalyptic literature of the Old Testament (including the Book of Daniel) and the New Testament (as found in the Book of Revelation). The Pentateuch—the first five books of the Bible—is a corpus of literature that has not been studied extensively with this objective. Yet it contains vocabulary of a distinctly eschatological nature.

School Culture, Struggling Adolescent Readers, And The Dialogical Self, Dawan Coombs

Faculty Publications

Sociocultural perspectives of literacy emphasize the role of the larger environment in the shaping of literacy practices. As a result, some researchers theorize students don’t fail in school, but that schools fail students by denying them opportunities to practice literacy in personally meaningful ways. Evidence of such is manifest in the narrative identities of struggling adolescent readers. Identities result from the selective emplotment of events, signs, and symbols into narratives that help the individual make sense of the world and the self’s role in it. Narratives, and the identities that result, represent the coming together of the stories individuals tell, …

Joseph F. Smith And The First World War: Eventual Support And Latter-Day Saint Chaplains, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of the calling of three Latter-day Saint (Mormon) U.S. Army chaplains who served during World War I and support for the war from President Joseph F. Smith, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

“I Will Bless The Lord At All Times”: Blessing God In The Old Testament, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

Because of his love for them, God is disposed to bless all his children to some extent (see Matthew 5:45). However, in addition to God’s graciously bestowed blessings on all people, many divine blessings are primarily relationship dependent; that is, existing in a particular relationship with God allows one to obtain certain blessings that are often greater than those bestowed upon someone outside such a relationship.1 The Bible indicates that by his power God blessed Adam and Eve (Gen 1:22, 28) and their faithful descendants, including Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and many others. For example, after Noah’s family left their ark, …

Reading The Gospel Of Philip As A Temple Text, Gaye Strathearn

Faculty Publications

For many Latter-day Saints, their introduction to studies on Latter-day Saint ritual was in reading the works of Hugh Nibley, who specifically focused on the rites of the temple. Nibley was the first to point out the parallels between the religious behavior of earlier cultures, especially the ritual experiences of early Christianity, and our own. In this paper, Gaye continues this tradition as she introduces us to the Gnostic text the Gospel of Philip and points out intriguing similarities between this text and our own temple experience

"That I May Dwell Among Them": Liminality And Ritual In The Tabernacle, Dan Belnap, Daniel L. Belnap

Faculty Publications

For many, it can be difficult to discern the spiritual value of the rituals described within the Old Testament. This is certainly understandable, since the culture that performed these acts is separated from us by some three thousand years. Yet throughout the scriptures we are told that the Lord speaks to his children in their language and in their tongue, “that they might come to understanding” (D&C 1:24). Though the symbolism and imagery may be unfamiliar to us, we can trust that the symbols used and the rites performed by ancient Israel were meant to teach us familiar gospel principles …

Adolescent And Parent Perceptions Of The Influence Of Religious Belief And Practice, Carrolyn A. Mcmurdie, David C. Dollahite, Sam A. Hardy

Faculty Publications

The purpose of the present study was to investigate lay conceptions of religious influence. Specifically, we explored adolescents' and parents' perceptions of the ways in which their religious beliefs and practices had impacted them and their life. The sample included 419 adolescents and 282 parents recruited from across the United States through an online survey panel. Participants were asked to list three different ways that religion had influenced their lives. Responses were coded using grounded-theory qualitative methods. Six main themes of influence emerged in both the adolescent and parent responses: Interpersonal Relationships, Character Development, Religious Values and Practices, Perspective, Peace …

I Will Send You Elijah The Prophet, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Chapter 3 from the volume from the 2012 BYU Sperry Symposium, "I Will Send You Elijah the Prophet" investigates contemporary Christian and Jewish beliefs in the 1830s regarding Biblical prophecies regarding the return of the Prophet Elijah.

The Ecology Of Vocation, Terri L. Elton

Faculty Publications

Those who care about the future of the church have a vested interest in both the quantity and the quality of candidates preparing for ministry in this generation and into the next. And it is easy to see those pastors as the product of a series of independent and individualized decisions. A college student, for example, meets with her pastor to discuss her future. Or an engineer sits at the kitchen table with his wife asking if they have the money for him to quit his job and head off to seminary. The future of ministry does indeed depend on …

The Bayou Lafourche Oral History Project: Understanding Environmental Change And Religious Identity In Louisiana, Michael Pasquier, Jennifer Cramer

Faculty Publications

The article discusses the Bayou Lafourche Oral History Project, which studied the relation between environmental changes and religion in Bayou Lafourche, a river in South Louisiana. Topics include the role of oral history in community history, the work of Louisiana State University (LSU) students in the project, and the use of audiorecording devices. Also discussed are the role of Roman Catholic devotion to Our Lady of Prompt Succor in the community, the 1965 experience of Hurricane Betsy, and the indexing of interviews from the project.

Mormons And The Grand Army Of The Republic, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Civil War veterans, like most military veterans, enjoyed continued association following the war. The Grand Army of the Republic (GAR) veterans’ organization was established in 1866 and grew to be a large and politically powerful organization. This chapter by Kenneth L. Alford provides an overview of the GAR’s history in Utah with an emphasis on relations between Latter-day Saints and the GAR.

Practical Objectivity: Keeping Natural Science Natural, Alan G. Padgett

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Indian Relations In Utah During The Civil War, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of native American (Indian) relations in Utah Territory during the Civil War, including the differing policies of Mormon president Brigham Young and U.S. Army commander Colonel Patrick Edward Connor, the January 1863 Bear River Massacre (called the Battle of Bear River at that time), Indian superintendents, treaties, and reservations.

Utah And The Civil War Press, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of how Mormons were treated in the national press during the American Civil War with an emphasis on polygamy, statehood requests, loyalty, and Brigham Young.

This chapter was originally published (and reprinted in "Civil War Saints" with permission):

Kenneth L. Alford, “Utah and the Civil War Press.” Utah Historical Quarterly 80, no. 1 (Winter 2012): 75–92.

The Friendly Yeti, Daniel S. Capper

Faculty Publications

Most images of yetis in Western popular culture and scholarly literature portray them as secular, predatory monsters. These representations overlook important religious dimensions of yetis that are hidden in the current literature, so I take a new look at yetis in Tibetan religions in order to clarify our understanding of these legendary creatures. Following a phenomenological approach that sets aside the issue of the ontological existence of yetis, I examine texts, art, ritual, and folklore in order to propose four yeti personal ideal types: the Buddhist practitioner, the human religious ally, the friendly yeti, and the mountain deity yeti. These …

"There Arose A Mist Of Darkness": The Narrative Of Lehi's Dream In Christ's Theophany, Dan Belnap, Daniel Belnap

Faculty Publications

The events surrounding Christ’s theophany as recounted in 3 Nephi describe the creation of a new world, both physically and socially. In particular, chapters 8–18 depict a series of events that are reminiscent of the creation of the earth as described in Genesis and elsewhere. From the all-pervasive darkness experienced during the cataclysmic destruction to the glorious, light-filled arrival of Christ and the institution of new laws and ordinances delivered during his first day among the people, the Book of Mormon text reflects this biblical narrative. Yet the manner in which it is presented echoes a creation narrative unique to …

Latter-Day Saints And The Civil War, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

An introduction to "Civil War Saints" published in 2012 by the Brigham Young University Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book, Kenneth L. Alford, editor.

“He’S A Real Dude”: Tributes To Tom Jones, Paul C. Godfrey, Bradley R. Agle

Faculty Publications

Researchers often fail to honor luminaries in their fields of inquiry, at least while they are still alive. What follows is one such tribute, to Dr. Thomas M. Jones, the Boeing Company endowed professor in business management at the University of Washington’s Foster School of Business. Business & Society represents an appropriate outlet for this tribute, given that Tom was the first editor of the journal when the International Association for Business and Society (IABS) assumed editorial control of the Sage Publications journal in 1993.

[Book Review Of] Parochialism, Pluralism, And Contextualization: Challenges To Adventist Mission In Europe (19th – 21st Centuries), Edited By David J. B. Trim And Daniel Heinz, Denis Kaiser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Elam Luddington: First Latter-Day Saint Missionary To Thailand, Michael A. Goodman

Faculty Publications

Elam Luddington, the first Latter-day Saint missionary to Siam (modern Thailand), faced tremendous hardships in his pioneering proselyting work. Almost killed at sea numerous times, stoned twice, poisoned once, and finally mobbed, he left the Thai people after little more than four months. No further formal missionary work was attempted for over one hundred years in the ancient land of Siam. His sacrifice, however, laid the foundation for the future work of bringing the fullness of the gospel to Thailand. His efforts were not in vain. His legacy of faithfulness would be followed by other modern-day pioneers who would also …

Who Uses The Word "Resurrection" In The Book Of Mormon And How Is It Used?, John Hilton Iii, Jana Johnson

Faculty Publications

While there are only a handful of primary speakers in the Book of Mormon, many voices are heard within its pages. The fact that multiple people speak in the text provides the opportunity to investigate whether these people have varying patterns of speech. The purpose of this study is to report on the word resurrection, which has unusual usage patterns by individual speakers in the Book of Mormon. For example, there are curious patterns in terms of who in the Book of Mormon employs (or does not employ) resurrection, how individuals in the Book of Mormon use this word, and …

Ben E. Rich: Sharing The Gospel Creatively, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

The life and missionary work of Ben E. Rich. President of the Southern States Mission and the States Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons).

What's In A Name? The Establishment Of Camp Douglas, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D., William P. Mackinnon

Faculty Publications

A discussion of the establishment (1862) of Camp Douglas, Utah Territory -- named by Col. Patrick Edward Connor after U.S. Senator Stephen A. Douglas.

Mormon Motivation For Enlisting In The Civil War, Brant Ellsworth, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

A discussion of several Latter-day Saint (Mormon) Union and Confederate soldiers who served in the American Civil War.

"Delivered By The Power Of God": Nephi's Vision Of America's Birth, Kenneth L. Alford Ph.D.

Faculty Publications

Chapter 14 of the 2011 BYU Sperry Symposium volume, "'Delivered by the Power of God:' Nephi's Vision of America's Birth" by Dr. Kenneth L. Alford discusses evidence of God's hand andintervention in the American Revolutionary War. This essay specifically looks at 1 Nephi 13, Washington and the founding fathers, wartime weather, and the West Point chain.