Codebook For Incorporating Community-Engaged Scholarship Into Promotion And Tenure Policy: An Institutional Case Study, Isabelle Jenkins, Emily Janke, John Saltmarsh, Melissa Quan

Scholarship and Professional Writing from the J.D. Power Center and Donelan Office

Codebook for Incorporating Community-Engaged Scholarship into Promotion and Tenure Policy: An Institutional Case Study

The Architecture Of The Universe: A Look Into Extraterrestrial Civilizations, Andrew Targowski

Comparative Civilizations Review

The article advances a synthesized view of the world based on an intelligently communicated undivided Universe. It presents a fundamental component-based architecture and characterizes the controlling role of info-communication processes in the interplanetary system. The Fermi Paradox is then considered, which leads to a discussion about the concept of God as it pertains to Albert Einstein’s and Stephen Hawking’s theories. The article next introduces the author’s own understanding of God. The approach adopted in this study situates Earth’s civilization within the broader context of extraterrestrial civilizations, and it considers what this means for modern humans. Further research is also suggested …

Why Abraham Was Not Wrong To Lie, Duane Boyce

BYU Studies

The book of Genesis contains two well-known accounts of Abraham lying about his wife, Sarah (Gen. 12:10–20; 20:1–18).1 In each of them, Abraham reports that Sarah is his sister, 2 Sarah is then taken from Abraham, trouble ensues for those who have taken her, and Sarah is then returned to Abraham. The account in Genesis 20 also explicitly tells us that the Lord protected Sarah from being “touched” in the circumstances (v. 6), and the account in Genesis 12, too, tells us that the Lord intervened, presumably for the same purpose (v. 17).

What Egyptian Papyri Did Joseph Smith Possess?, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

In early July 1835, Joseph Smith acquired some Egyptian papyri from which he claimed to translate the Book of Abraham. From historical evidence and the papyrus fragments that were returned to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in November 1967, we can piece together a profile of what papyri the Prophet is known to have possessed.

The "Kirtland Egyptian Papers" And The Book Of Abraham, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

Associated with the translation of the Book of Abraham is a collection of documents commonly known today as the “Kirtland Egyptian Papers.” This name was coined by Hugh Nibley in the early 1970s to describe a corpus of manuscripts that can be classified into, broadly, two categories: Book of Abraham manuscripts and Egyptian-language manuscripts (or manuscripts that “focus on alphabet and grammar material that the authors connected to the ancient Egyptian language”). Because some of these documents postdate the Kirtland period of Latter-day Saint history, and because the name coined by Nibley to describe this corpus is somewhat vague, the …

The Plain Of Olishem, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

The opening chapter of the Book of Abraham mentions a location called “the plain of Olishem” (Abr. 1:10). It isn’t clear from the text whether the plain itself was Olishem, or whether Olishem was some city or region in the area to which the plain was adjacent, or whether the plain takes its name from a major city on the plain. In any case, this “plain of Olishem” was near Abraham’s homeland of Ur of the Chaldees, according to the text.

Abraham's Converts In Haran, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

In the Genesis account of Abraham’s sojourning, the text indicates that at the outset of his journey the patriarch “took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their substance that they had gathered, and the souls that they had gotten in Haran; and they went forth to go into the land of Canaan; and into the land of Canaan they came” (Gen. 12:5). This passage is paralleled in the Book of Abraham, with one small but important difference. It reads, “And I took Sarai, whom I took to wife when I was in Ur, in Chaldea, and …

The Plains Of Moreh, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

The second chapter of the Book of Abraham parallels content found in Genesis 12. Both texts narrate the patriarch’s flight into Canaan and provide specific geographic details about the route he and his family took as they fled Haran (Abr. 2:14–18; Gen. 12:4–9). The Book of Abraham describes Abraham as “journey[ing] from Haran by the way of Jershon, to come to the land of Canaan” (Abr. 2:16).1 Thereafter, Abraham and his party “passed from Jershon through the land unto the place of Sechem” (Abr. 2:18).2 This Sechem, the text says, “was situated in the plains of Moreh,” which themselves were …

Did Abraham Lie About His Wife, Sarai?, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

Before he journeyed into Egypt, Abraham was instructed by God: “Behold, Sarai [later Sarah], thy wife, is a very fair woman to look upon; therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see her, they will say—she is his wife; and they will kill you, but they will save her alive; therefore see that ye do on this wise: Let her say unto the Egyptians, she is thy sister, and thy soul shall live” (Abr. 2:22–23).

By His Own Hand Upon Papyrus, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

In the current (2013) edition of the Pearl of Great Price, the Book of Abraham is prefaced with this explanatory head: “A Translation of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands from the catacombs of Egypt. The writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called the Book of Abraham, written by his own hand, upon papyrus.” This title is based on the March 1, 1842, printing of the Book of Abraham in the Times and Seasons, with some alteration. As first published, the statement read, “A TRANSLATION Of some ancient Records that have fallen into our hands, …

Appendix, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

The following bibliography on the Book of Abraham has been modified and expanded from that found at www.pearlofgreatprice cen tral .org. The purpose of this bibliography is to assemble a variety of works on the Book of Abraham written primarily by or for Latter-day Saints. This bibliography is not exhaustive and does not include more specialized academic literature. Instead, it has been curated with the intent of highlighting works that are more readily accessible to average Latter-day Saint readers. Most of these items can be accessed online by following the hyperlinks collected at Pearl of Great Price Central for the …

Activities Of The Jehovah's Witnesses Organization As A "Litmus Test" For Religious Freedom In Ukraine, Roman Bogachev, Yana Tsymbalenko, Olena Leovkina, Igor Bogdanovskiy

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

The article deals with the history and present stage of activities of the Jehovah's Witnesses organization in Ukraine. The attitude and actions of a state and the majority of its population towards the activities of the Jehovists and other non-traditional religious communities is viewed as a “litmus test,” which reveals how successfully the principle of religious freedom and freedom of conscience is implemented in public policy. It is emphasized that, unlike during the Soviet period, when the Jehovists were persecuted for their beliefs and missionary work, a required legal framework for free development of this religion has been created in …

Luhansk (Donbas): Religious Freedom Survey, February 2022, Felix Corley, John Kinahan

Occasional Papers on Religion in Eastern Europe

Freedom of religion and belief is severely restricted in the rebel Luhansk People's Republic occupying currently (February 2022) about a third of Ukraine's Luhansk Region. Forum 18's survey analysis documents violations including: rendering illegal all Protestant and non-Moscow Patriarchate Orthodox communities; a climate of fear about discussing human rights violations; repeated denials of permission to a Roman Catholic priest to live in the region; and increasing numbers of banned allegedly "extremist" books, including an edition of the Gospel of John published in 1820.

All human rights including the freedom of religion and belief are severely restricted in the rebel self-declared …

Uri Undergraduate And Graduate Course Catalog 2022-2023, University Of Rhode Island

URI Course Catalogs Archive

This is a downloadable PDF version of the University of Rhode Island course catalog.

Brilliance And Blindspots: New Light On C.S. Lewis's The Four Loves, Jason Lepojärvi

Faculty Publications - George Fox School of Theology

This paper is a critical re- evaluation of C.S. Lewis’s classic study of Christian love, The Four Loves (1960) that celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2020. After discussing important and neglected differences between the celebrated book and the largely forgotten radio talks which predate it, the paper asks and answers three important questions: Are there really four loves? What is the definition of love itself? What exactly is Charity? Lewis’s answers to these questions are more eclectic than is generally assumed. The paper offers an appreciative rereading of The Four Loves that seeks to correct or at least challenge a …

Selling Transcendence: The Rise Of Experience And The Big Business Of Immersive Art, Emeline Callaway

MA Theses

There has been an explosion of immersive art experiences over the past few years. Even as the pandemic has taken a toll on tourism, immersive art ventures and experimental museums have expanded around the world, drawing significant crowds and offering investors an inside into a new, emerging industry. This thesis ties these new experiential businesses to the history of art through an analysis of immersive artistic exploration over time and connects the current forms of investment to the history of immersive art patronage. Exploring the relationship between major economic shifts and the development of the art market, this thesis explains …

The Inspired Author’S Intent Building Our Scholarship To Learn By Study And Also By Faith, Shad Anderson

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In our devotional teaching, we are fairly successful in helping students ask questions about what the scriptures they are studying mean to them. Students asking these types of questions may produce thoughtful insights. But does seeking what a scripture means to a student, devoid of a real understanding of what the ancient author originally intended, do enough to help our students truly engage with and fully access the power of the scriptures in their lives? My purpose with this paper is to make the case that it generally does not. When our students understand the scripture author’s original intent, I …

God Is Not Fragile Coping With The Intensity Of Hosea’S Imagery And Life’S Most Severe Challenges, Seth N. Hord

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The book of Hosea is not for the faint of heart. Like many of the writings of ancient Israelite prophets, it is complex and intense and deserves a focused, serious study to fully appreciate the intensity of Hosea’s message. Anything less may leave the reader somewhat confused or even scarred by what Hosea says about God. But Hosea’s message is particularly powerful in helping us deal with life’s most intense and troubling circumstances. This paper attempts to address some of the striking images of Hosea in a way that will assist religious educators with helping students navigate some of the …

"Knocking On People's Computers" Missionary Work In The Digital Age, Scott L. Howell, Liberty Howell, Camellia Hill

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The missionary purpose of bringing souls unto Christ will never change, but the methods of sharing it will. Over fifty years ago, President Harold B. Lee taught that “the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ are divine. Nobody changes the principles and [doctrine] of the Church except the Lord by revelation. But methods change as the inspired direction comes to those who preside at a given time.”[1] In a recent Church News podcast, Elder Brent H. Nielson of the Presidency of the Seventy reminded us that “no matter the method we use to do missionary work: Whether it’s a …

Review: Sondra G. Jones. Being And Becoming Ute: The Story Of An American Indian People. Salt Lake City: University Of Utah Press, 2019., Elise Boxer

Mormon Studies Review

Sondra G. Jones’s Being and Becoming Ute: The Story of an American Indian People is the first comprehensive history of the Núu-ci, or “The People” (8). It is a cultural biography and history of the Núu-ci people that begins with their creation story and moves through hundreds of years of Núu-ci history. Jones highlights the resiliency and adaptation of a people from contact and into the twenty-first century. Ute survivance in the twenty-first century is the result of their ability to respond and adapt to external forces that advocated for their removal and erasure. Being and Becoming Ute spans over …

Pedro And Pita Built Peter Priesthood’S Mansion And Now They Work The Grounds: Whose Masc Does “The Lamanite” Wear?, Arcia Tecun

Mormon Studies Review

The 2001 film The Other Side of Heaven is a dramatization based on John H. Groberg’s book In the Eye of the Storm, featuring his time as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the LDS Church) in the Kingdom of Tonga, where he was renamed Kolipoki.1 Kolipoki is a White missionary from the United States who is initially assigned to work together with a Brown Indigenous companion Feki Pōuha. Feki cares for and protects his pālangi (foreign) companion by teaching him the language as well as serving as his guide into local culture and customs. …

Review: Benjamin E. Park. Kingdom Of Nauvoo: The Rise And Fall Of A Religious Empire On The American Frontier. New York: Liveright, 2020., Christopher Childers

Mormon Studies Review

Benjamin E. Park’s Kingdom of Nauvoo integrates social, cultural, and political history to explain how the Mormon movement sought to build a community of believers on the western frontier and how the experiment at Nauvoo ultimately failed. This experiment, a radical reinvention of Christianity based on the revelations of a charismatic religious figure—Joseph Smith—and the building of a community of like-minded believers, reveals much about the history of the early American republic. Kingdom of Nauvoo shows how Smith’s church evolved in the context of early nineteenth-century America and how the structure of early American society struggled to deal with movements …

Review: William L. Davis. Visions In A Seer Stone: Joseph Smith And The Making Of The Book Of Mormon. Chapel Hill: University Of North Carolina Press, 2020., Carolyn Eastman

Mormon Studies Review

William L. Davis has published an astoundingly good book, one of the best works of religious and intellectual history I have read in years. Visions in a Seer Stone engages a range of academic fields, historical methods, and exegetical close readings in examining the development of the Book of Mormon, and above all helps his readers understand the dynamics of American religious culture during Joseph Smith’s lifetime. In the end, he develops an argument impressive for both its conceptual rigor and its sweeping breadth: that the Book of Mormon is less a conventional text than an oral performance, and that …

Review: Gordon Shepherd And Gary Shepherd. Jan Shipps: A Social And Intellectual Portrait. Salt Lake City: Kofford Books, 2019., Amy Hoyt

Mormon Studies Review

As a young graduate student at Claremont, I was excited to meet Jan Shipps when she came to deliver a public lecture on Mormonism on campus. A few of us graduate students were asked to bring her to the event from her hotel room on the evening of the lecture. My overall impression of her was that she was down to earth, funny, and quick. And perhaps a little intimidating. I noticed that she was able to talk to anyone about anything and, at the same time, command the room when needed. After reading the biography of Jan Shipps by …

"None That Doeth Good", Walker Wright, Don Bradley

BYU Studies

The First Vision has been a center of both faith and controversy. While millions of Latter-day Saints affirm it as the beginning of the Restoration, others see it as an ever-growing fish tale. The multiple accounts of the First Vision vary in detail, with Joseph Smith’s earliest written account (1832) lacking some of the elements found in his later accounts. However, some of these elements—particularly the appearance of God the Father as part of the First Vision experience—are laced throughout Joseph Smith’s translation of the Bible. These historical threads ultimately culminate in his translation of Psalm 14, which weaves together …

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BYU Studies

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BYU Studies

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Jews In Ancient Egypt, Stephen O. Smoot, John Gee, Kerry Muhlestein, John S. Thompson

BYU Studies

The Egyptian papyri acquired by Joseph Smith in 1835 can be confidently dated to many centuries after Abraham’s lifetime. Based on several factors, it can be determined that the papyri were written in a period when Egypt was governed by a dynasty of Greek rulers who reigned from circa 300 to 30 BC. A question that readers of the Book of Abraham might have is how a late copy of Abraham’s record originally written sometime around 2,000–1,800 BC could have ended up in the possession of an ancient Egyptian living many centuries later.

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Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

"That Ye May Have Hope" Nephi's Use Of Isaiah 49:22-23 In Teaching The Concept Of Hope, Matthew L. Bowen

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Nephi and later Book of Mormon authors typically explain their uses of Isaiah’s writings in their own records. These statements occur in the framing material before and after lengthy quotations. Before Nephi’s first such quotation—the entirety of Isaiah 48–49—he offers a reason for reading this block of text to his family members, one that ultimately explains his including it in his small plates record: “But that I might more fully persuade them to believe in the Lord their Redeemer, wherefore I did read unto them that which was written by the prophet Isaiah” (1 Nephi 19:23).[1] This oft-cited statement of …