Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Celestial Visits In The Scriptures, And A Plausible Mesoamerican Tradition, Diane E. Wirth

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

Scriptural accounts of celestial beings visiting the earth are abundant in both the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Whether a descending deity or angelic beings from celestial realms, they were often accompanied by clouds. In this paper a short analysis of the various types of clouds, including imitation clouds (incense), will be discussed. The relation between the phenomenon of supernatural beings, sometimes in clouds, may have had a great influence on descendants of Book of Mormon cultures. For these people, stories that were told from one generation to the next would have been considered ancient mythological lore. It may …

An Easier Way To Understanding Joseph Smith’S Polygamy, Craig L. Foster

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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ history of plural marriage can be difficult and uncomfortable for even the most stalwart of modern members. Because of the Internet and easy access to both accurate and inaccurate information, accidental discovery and/or inadequate teachings about the Church’s history and relationship to plural marriage have caused crises of faith which have alienated members of the Church and, in many cases, led to their eventual departure from the faith. Anti-Mormons and critics of the Church are constantly pushing and picking at members’ faith in order to plant seeds of doubt and to destroy …

A Catalytic Event For Response Research? Introducing Our New Journal: Editor’S Introduction, Dana R. Ferris

Journal of Response to Writing

My own interest in launching this journal arose in the spring of 2012 when I taught a new doctoral seminar on response to student writing. I had a very bright and engaged group of students who, for the major assignments in the course, reviewed the existing literature and made research proposals related to their own interests around the broad topic of response. Their topics and ideas were fascinating and on the cutting edge, but there was a problem: In several instances, there was little (or no) recent research for them to review.

Reaching The Nations: International Church Growth Almanac, Eric Eliason

BYU Studies

Reaching the Nations: International Church Growth Almanac, 2014 Edition, Volume I: The Americas, Oceana, and Europe and Reaching the Nations: International Church Growth Almanac, 2014 Edition, Volume II: Asia and Africa, by David G. Stewart Jr. and Matthew Martinich (Henderson, Nev.: Cumorah Foundation, 2013).

Mormon Women In Memoir, Angela Hallstrom, Jacqueline S. Thursby, Rosalyn Collings Eves, Amy A. Easton-Flake, Amy Isaksen Cartwright

BYU Studies

Heaven Is Here: An Incredible Story of Hope, Triumph, and Everyday Joy, by Stephanie Nielson (New York: Hyperion, 2012)

My Story, by Elizabeth Smart with Christopher Stewart (New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2013)

Flunking Sainthood: A Year of Breaking the Sabbath, Forgetting to Pray, and Still Loving My Neighbor, by Jana Riess (Brewster, Mass: Paraclete Press, 2011)

The Place of Knowing: A Spiritual Autobiography, by Emma Lou Warner Thayne (Bloomington, Ind.: iUniverse, 2011)

The Book of Mormon Girl: A Memoir of an American Faith, by Joanna Brooks (New York: Free Press/Simon and Schuster, 2012)

Global Mom: Eight Countries, Sixteen Addresses, …

Toward A Mormon Systematic Theology: Essay On Wrestling The Angel By Terryl L. Givens, Stephen H. Webb

BYU Studies

Can Mormon theology be made systematic? That question presupposes, of course, that it is not systematic already, and this is where the skeptics of system building have an advantage. If Mormon theology appears to be a bit protracted, improvised, and even makeshift if not positively byzantine, then forcing it into a schematic form might be inappropriate. Organizing Mormon thought might even be a violent act, like cramming a lot of priceless pieces of glass art into a small, unpadded box for shipping. Under such conditions, how could any theologian guarantee that breakage won’t occur?

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

De Syon Exierit Lex Et Verbum Domini De Iherusalem’: An Exegetical Discourse (C. 400-C. 1200) That Informed Crusaders’ Views Of Jews, Todd P. Upton

Quidditas

This paper assesses how medieval Christian writers transformed encounters with Middle Eastern peoples such as the Jews into a complex theological discourse via the medium used by Pope Urban II in 1095 to launch the First Crusade, the Latin sermon. It argues that a hitherto unnoted homiletic tradition about Jews originated in Late Antiquity and the Early Middle Ages based (1) on exegetical polemics that stretched back centuries in Christian theology, and (2) on a discernible chronicle and sermon tradition that depicted Jews in varying degrees of apologia based on a prophesied role as “witnesses” to the eschatological expectations of …

The Role Of Rumor And The Prodigal Son: Shakespeare’S Sources And Fathers And Sons In The Second Henriad, Steven Hrdlicka

Quidditas

This article challenges traditional, critical interpretations of Shakespeare’s character Prince Hal by examining changes Shakespeare makes to sources he used, in particular the anonymous play Famous Victories of Henry V. Shakespeare does not portray a “prodigal” Prince Hal character as has often been argued by critics, but instead carefully follows Holinshed’s observations that the prince was virtuous in youth and that rumors about the prince’s supposed prodigal behavior were spread by those who were in the service of Henry IV. These rumors were aimed to cause conflict between father and son. Shakespeare’s inclusion of these two important details found in …

Place Of Crushing: The Literary Function Of Heshlon In Ether 13:25-31, Matthew L. Bowen, Pedro Olavarria

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

The name Heshlon, attested once (in Ether 13:28), as a toponym in the Book of Mormon most plausibly denotes “place of crushing.” The meaning of Heshlon thus becomes very significant in the context of Ether 13:25–31, which describes the crushing or enfeebling of Coriantumr’s armies and royal power. This meaning is also significant in the wider context of Moroni’s narrative of the Jaredites’ destruction. Fittingly, the name Heshlon itself serves as a literary turning point in a chiastic structure which describes the fateful reversal of Coriantumr’s individual fortunes and the worsening of the Jaredites’ collective fortunes. Perhaps Moroni, who witnessed …

Making The Unfamiliar Familiar: Mormon Studies For Non-Mormon Students, Jill Peterfeso

Mormon Studies Review

No abstract provided.

Evolving Faith: Wanderings Of A Mormon Biologist, Steven L. Peck

Maxwell Institute Publications

Believers and scientists have long wrestled over the relationship between science and faith. Steven L. Peck, an acclaimed Latter-day Saint author and scientist, demonstrates in this new book that both science and faith are indispensable tools we can use to navigate God’s strange and beautiful creation. Evolving Faith is a collection of technical, personal, sometimes whimsical essays about Mormon theology, evolution, human consciousness, the environment, sacred spaces, and more.

With the mind of a scientist, the soul of a believer, and the heart of a wanderer, Peck provides welcome companionship for women and men engaged in the unceasing quest for …

Postponing Heaven: The Three Nephites, The Bodhisattva, And The Mahdi, Jad Hatem

Maxwell Institute Publications

Christianity, like other world religions, surprisingly acknowledges the existence of a plurality of human messiahs. In this comparative work, philosopher Jad Hatem examines Mormonism’s Three Nephites, Buddhism’s Bodhisattva, and Islam’s Mahdi—distinctive messianic figures who postpone Heaven, sacrificially prolonging their lives for the benefit of humankind.

Originally published in French, this translation includes two additional papers written by Jad Hatem dealing with aspects of Latter-day Saint belief and a new interview between Hatem and Latter-day Saint philosopher James E. Faulconer.

The Tale Of Two Attici: What To Make Of Harper Lee's "New" Novel, Joseph Wiederhold, Chris Crowe

The Utah English Journal

Kristin and I met for lunch, but neither of us had the stomach for food. My tattered copy of To Kill a Mockingbird sat on the table between us. Gregory Peck lay cradled in her arms, forever smiling from the cover of LIFE Magazine's special issue: "The Enduring Power of To Kill a Mockingbird:, And Lee,s new/old novel, Go Set a Watchman, rested face down on the edge of the table. I had unconsciously placed the novel in time-out.

Beyond The Informative Essay: Getting Nonfiction Student Writing To Shine, Sara Strachan

The Utah English Journal

When I was in third grade, my family moved to a small rural town with a small rural school. The school district must have been afraid the population in that community couldn't be sustained, because it hadn't invested much money in an infrastructure. Almost all of the school buildings were portables, including the doublewide library. I visited that library once a week with my class, shuffling down the dusty sidewalk and up the clanky metal steps where I sat on the floor listening to Mr. Weeks, our librarian, drone about things, like how to use the Dewey Decimal System, how …

The Classroom Graphic Novel: Helping Struggling Students Move From Text Completion To Text Engagement, Stephen Nothum

The Utah English Journal

I love comic books and graphic novels. I love the art. I love the power they have to transport me into another world. I savor the moments I get to use my teeth, tongue, and lips to sound out zany onomatopoeias like "FSSTZZZAMM!" Unlike most comic book enthusiasts, my relationship with the genre began not in my childhood, but during my junior year at Brigham Young University. My young adult literature course required us to read Gene Luen Yang's American Born Chinese (2006), and I was immediately impressed with how the genre could fuse language and images to explore complex …

Book Review: Audacity, Amy Banks

The Utah English Journal

Life is full of injustice and inequality that is often easy to ignore. We placate ourselves with the idea that someone else will bear the burden of righting the wrong. But how many assume this responsibility themselves? Who will fight in the name of what is right, no matter what the sacrifice?

Introduction

Russian Language Journal

No abstract provided.

The Effect Of Teaching Vocabulary In Semantic Groups: A Study In The Russian Language Classroom, Kate White

Russian Language Journal

A long-standing assumption in the field of second language acquisition research is that learning new vocabulary items in semantic groupings has a positive effect on acquisition and retention (Finkbeiner and Nicol 2003). This assumption is common among researchers and instructors of second languages, as it seems to fit intuitively with the most popular current communicative approaches to teaching. However, researchers have begun to question this assumption, as it has not been supported by empirical evidence (Altarriba and Mathis 1997; Finkbeiner and Nicol 2003; Papathanasiou 2009). Previous research is not conclusive on the topic due to differences in methodology and design. …

Aspect And The Russian Verbal Base Form, Oscar E. Swan

Russian Language Journal

Roman Jakobson’s 1948 single-stem analysis of the Russian verb inspired many imitations and applications around the Slavic world, especially in American Russian pedagogy, where the names Alexander Lipson, Charles Townsend, and Maurice Levin come most readily to mind (see References). The first is a by-now dated two-part textbook series, grammatically innovative for its time, that is still available on the internet (although as far as I know it is not actually used anywhere), while the applied linguistic works by Townsend and Levin are still in print and are commonly used in graduate courses on the structure of Russian. It is …

Review: The Forms Of Russian, Grant H. Lundberg

Russian Language Journal

The Forms of Russian is a traditional approach to the fundamentals of Russian morphology based largely on the work of Jakobson, Levin, Lipson and Townsend. It is essentially the introductory course on Russian morphology that many, if not most, working North American Slavists took in graduate school. The work arises from such a course taught over many years by the author. The book is clearly intended for future teachers of Russian. The two main goals of the book are (1) to make working with and using Russian easier and (2) to explain how to establish a systematic description of Russian. …

Review: Еда По-Русски В Зеркале Языка, Artemi Romanov

Russian Language Journal

“Еда по-русски...” это объемная, состоящая из пяти глав, коллективная монография, в написании которой участвовал представительный интернациональный коллектив исследователей из Австрии, Швейцарии и России. В книге читатель не найдет рецептов щей, борща, или кулебяки, не обнаружит рекомендаций по речевому поведению за русским столом, не отыщет экскурсов в этимологию названий русских блюд, не встретит идиоматического материала, базирующегося на пищевых и кулинарных словах и выражениях. Работа, кажется, в меньшей степени учитывает нужды и интересы филологов-русистов, студентов и аспирантов, изучающих русский язык, преподавателей русского языка как иностранного или же школьных учителей русского языка, а рассчитана больше на специалистов по деловой и межличностной коммуникации, социолингвистов, …

Review: Late And Post- Soviet Russian Literature: A Reader. Book 1: Perestroika And The Post-Soviet Period, Olga Mesropova

Russian Language Journal

Late and Post-Soviet Russian Literature: A Reader is a rich and informative classroom-oriented resource for students, scholars, and teachers alike. With the ambitious goal of capturing “the multiple voices and meanings that have emerged in the last several decades of cultural change in Russia” (Lipovetsky and Wakamiya 2014, 11), this engaging panorama of Russia’s literary milieu offers a diverse sample of literary texts, scholarly essays, and interviews published since perestroika.

Review: Checking Out Chekhov: A Guide To The Plays For Actors, Directors, And Readers, Valleri J. Robinson

Russian Language Journal

Sharon Carnicke’s Checking out Chekhov: A Guide to the Plays for Actors, Directors, and Readers provides a succinct foundation for understanding how to read Chekhov’s mature plays for theatre practitioners and students who so often encounter his work. As one of the most often produced and adapted playwrights in professional and academic theatres, Chekhov must be produced by theatre professionals that have a handle on how to think, talk, and, ultimately, produce Chekhov. While many books aimed at this audience offer interpretive readings, analytical strategies, and historical contexts for engaging with Chekhov’s unique dramatic worlds, none approach Chekhov using Carnicke’s …

Full Issue

Russian Language Journal

No abstract provided.

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

"Taking A Different View Of The Translation": The Illumination Of Alternate Meanings In The Translation Of Bible Passages By Joseph Smith And Meister Eckhart, Tod R. Harris

BYU Studies

The opening act of Goethe’s epochal drama Faust is well known—the eponymous main character laments the effort he has spent seeking to uncover universal truth through science, philosophy, and even occult methods and their apparent failure. Less well known is a follow-up scene where Faust, declaring his “longing for revelation,” turns to another source for the transcendent knowledge he seeks, which, he declares, “nowhere . . . brighter burns than in the New Testament.” He also makes it clear that simply reading the book will not provide him the satisfaction he seeks, but instead he will exercise that most mystical …

Saying Goodbye, Josh Weed

BYU Studies

My mom was a beautiful, intelligent woman.

Art Exhibition Review: From My Brother's Perspective: Two Artists Painting Gospel Themes, Herman Du Toit

BYU Studies

Chiloba Chirwa and J. Kirk Richards. From My Brother’s Perspective: Two Artists Painting Gospel Themes.

An exhibition at the Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, September 2014.

Elijah Abel: The Life And Times Of A Black Priesthood Holder, Matthew J. Harris

BYU Studies

W. Kesler Jackson. Elijah Abel: The Life and Times of a Black Priesthood Holder.

Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, 2013.