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Full-Text Articles in Arts and Humanities

What Is The Nature Of God’S Progress?, Matthew Bowman Jul 2021

What Is The Nature Of God’S Progress?, Matthew Bowman

BYU Studies

In the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the question of whether or not God progresses can be separated into two more precise questions, each of which has been the topic of strenuous debate. The first has to do with whether God has always been divine or achieved that state through eons of progression, passing through a humanity much like ours along the way. The second is whether God continues to progress—and crucially, whether that progression is qualitative or simply quantitative: whether God’s progress means that God learns new things and gains new powers or whether …

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Using Section 84 To Emphasize The Priesthood Power Of Women, Barbara Morgan Gardner Jul 2021

Using Section 84 To Emphasize The Priesthood Power Of Women, Barbara Morgan Gardner

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

In the October 2019 general conference, President Russell M. Nelson expressed his yearning for the women of the Church to “understand that the restoration of the priesthood is just as relevant to you as a woman as it is to any man.” In the same talk, he invited the women to “gain, understand, and use the power with which you have been endowed” and to “study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power.” He encouraged the women to study Doctrine and Covenants sections 25, 84, and 107 as a starting point to increase their understanding. He then …

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Is God Subject To Or The Creator Of Eternal Law?, James Mclachlan Jul 2021

Is God Subject To Or The Creator Of Eternal Law?, James Mclachlan

BYU Studies

Whether God is subject to law or whether God created all law is a question long debated in priesthood quorums, Relief Society meetings, Gospel Doctrine classes, and around Latter-day Saint dinner tables. Both sides claim the scriptures and the Prophet Joseph Smith. The divide usually lines up with, on one side, Joseph Fielding Smith and Bruce McConkie teaching of God’s power over all things and, on the other, B. H. Roberts, John Widtsoe, and James Talmage seeing God as the revealer of laws that even God must follow. Not only is the question open and unsettled as a matter of …

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The King Follett Discourse: Pinnacle Or Peripheral?, James E. Faulconer, Susannah Morrison Jul 2021

The King Follett Discourse: Pinnacle Or Peripheral?, James E. Faulconer, Susannah Morrison

BYU Studies

On March 8, 1844, fifty-five-year-old King Follett, an early convert to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, was killed in a well-digging accident. On April 7, as part of a general conference of the Church in Nauvoo, and in response to the request of Follett’s family, Joseph Smith memorialized him with a sermon about the general subject of death and the dead. Smith said his sermon, a revelation on the origins of God and the divine potential of human beings, was about “the first principles of consolation.” Though Smith mentions Follett by name only early in the sermon, referring to …

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Shards Of Combat: How Did Satan Seek To Destroy The Agency Of Man?, Philip L. Barlow Jul 2021

Shards Of Combat: How Did Satan Seek To Destroy The Agency Of Man?, Philip L. Barlow

BYU Studies

Human beings in other guise lived before the creation of our world. This belief is at once controversial and durable, pervading the history of Western thought and bearing analogues elsewhere.1 That gods, angels, or other celestial beings rebelled against their superiors or engaged in cosmic conflict prior to earth’s creation is a related concept, widespread in the ancient world. Depictions or allusions to such contests appear in the myths, lore, art, literature, and sacred texts of Babylon, Egypt, Israel, Persia, Greece, Rome, far-flung tribal religions, and elsewhere. In certain cases, the older traditions endure even to the present, as …

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Each Atom An Agent?, Steven L. Peck Jul 2021

Each Atom An Agent?, Steven L. Peck

BYU Studies

An agent, broadly conceived, references something causally efficacious. More narrowly, the word agent is usually deployed in at least three senses. The first is as brute causality. For example, to say that water is an agent of erosion on vegetatively barren hillsides is to claim that water directly causes the removal of the soil in particular drainage systems. The second sense, used predominately in biology, recognizes an agent as an individual autonomous system that constrains the flow of energy and matter such that its actions are performed for particular functions or goals. For instance, a simple bacterium is drawn to …

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How Limited Is Postmortal Progression?, Terryl L. Givens Jul 2021

How Limited Is Postmortal Progression?, Terryl L. Givens

BYU Studies

One way of making sense of Latter-day Saint heterodoxy—its location outside the spectrum of mainstream, historic Christianity—is to envision it as the culmination of early Christian trends that were suppressed or reconfigured in the early centuries of the new faith. In other words, one could see the Restoration as a road of Christian development not taken. After all, holds the great historian Walter Bauer, heresy is merely the orthodoxy that lost out.1 One scholar of early Christianity observes that the condemnation of Origen, church father of the third century, ensured the supremacy in the Christian tradition of a “theology …

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The Book Of Mormon Translation Process, Grant Hardy Jul 2021

The Book Of Mormon Translation Process, Grant Hardy

BYU Studies

Joseph Smith did not offer many details about the translation process for the Book of Mormon, other than affirming that it was done through “the gift and power of God.”1In 1831, at a Church conference where he was invited to share more information, he declined, saying that “it was not expedient for him to relate these things.”2 Along with the golden plates, he had been given a set of Nephite “interpreters” (Mosiah 8:13; Ether 4:5), which he described as “two stones in silver bows” (JS–H 1:35), apparently looking something like a pair of glasses or spectacles. According …

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In The Hands Of The Lord: The Life Of Dallin H. Oaks By Richard E. Turley Jr., John W. Welch Jul 2021

In The Hands Of The Lord: The Life Of Dallin H. Oaks By Richard E. Turley Jr., John W. Welch

BYU Studies

In several ways, this is not a normal book. But then, it does not cover an ordinary life. It should be read and revisited especially by every Brigham Young University student, faculty member, and alum. After all, no other biography has ever been written about a graduate of BYU (1954) who went on to become a clerk to the chief justice of the United States Supreme Court (1957–1958), a dynamic president of BYU (1971–1980), and also an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ (1984). I can only imagine that every Latter-day Saint and all readers of BYU Studies Quarterly will …

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Full Issue Jul 2021

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

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Sinners In The Hands Of The Unknown God, Dainel K. Judd Jul 2021

Sinners In The Hands Of The Unknown God, Dainel K. Judd

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Many readers will recognize the title of this article as a merging of phrases from two well-known sermons in Christian history. The first five words of the title come from Reverand Jonathan Edwards’s eighteenth-century sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God.” The last three words form a phrase from the testimony of the Apostle Paul to the ancient Athenians wherein he spoke of “THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:23).

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Front Matter Jul 2021

Front Matter

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

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Christ As Our Law: He Who Sanctifies, Enlightens, And Saves, Keith Lane Jul 2021

Christ As Our Law: He Who Sanctifies, Enlightens, And Saves, Keith Lane

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The doctrine of Christ is a living, practical theology of discipleship (see 2 Nephi 31:21, Doctrine and Covenants 10:62). With the revelations given to Joseph Smith, particularly those in the Doctrine and Covenants, the faith of the Latter-day Saints is grounded in the realm of practical behavior— of religious life ordered for individuals and the Church by laws, principles, and, above all, covenants and ordinances given us by Deity. But all these point to Christ himself as the law. Clearly there are elements of correct belief or orthodoxy, but these are primarily useful because they point us to faith in …

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Uncovering The Voice Of The Lord: Analysis And Implications Of Joseph Smith’S Letter From Liberty Jail, Adam R. Jardine, Seth N. Hord Jul 2021

Uncovering The Voice Of The Lord: Analysis And Implications Of Joseph Smith’S Letter From Liberty Jail, Adam R. Jardine, Seth N. Hord

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Joseph Smith’s experience in Liberty Jail stands among the most faith-challenging, helpless, and discouraging moments of his life. His letters during this time are of such significance that portions have been canonized as scripture and are among the most cited sections by church leaders in general conference.1 This paper provides an exegesis of portions of Joseph Smith’s Liberty Jail letters with a specific focus on the transition in pronoun usage in his dictation of Doctrine and Covenants 121 and 122. Despite ample scholarly attention on these letters, there appears to be limited discussion regarding Joseph’s change of language in the …

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“Come, See The Place”: Teaching Students The Value Of Historic Sites, Scott C. Esplin Jul 2021

“Come, See The Place”: Teaching Students The Value Of Historic Sites, Scott C. Esplin

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The scriptures repeatedly speak of holy places. For example, the Old Testament frequently uses the term to refer to the tabernacle or later the temple, including designating a portion of both structures as “the holy place” and “the most holy place” (see Exodus 26:33–34; 1 Kings 6:16; Ezekiel 41:4).1 New Testament passages generally adopt the same usage, with the book of Acts twice recording when Jewish leaders accused Stephen and later Paul of corrupting the “holy place” by their teaching about Jesus of Nazareth (see Acts 6:13; 21:28). Foretelling when “the end [would] come,” the Savior himself cautioned followers in …

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Section 77 And Book Of Revelation Scholarship, Nicholas J. Frederick Jul 2021

Section 77 And Book Of Revelation Scholarship, Nicholas J. Frederick

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The book of Revelation is a complicated book, to say the least. For those of us who teach courses covering the book of Revelation, we often rely upon Joseph Smith’s questions and answers on the book of Revelation, now canonized as Doctrine and Covenants 77, as a means of providing some answers to all the mysterious complexity John’s vision presents to us. However, the question inevitably arises as to how closely the answers provided in section 77 adhere to the text of the book of Revelation as well as the opinion of New Testament scholars, both those contemporary to Joseph …

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Learning That Leads To God, Russell T. Osguthorpe Jul 2021

Learning That Leads To God, Russell T. Osguthorpe

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

While teaching an instructional design course, I would often begin the semester by asking students to define the word learning. On the surface, that seems like a relatively simple task, but most students struggled to craft a definition that satisfied them. We would then explore scholarly definitions of the word, often with equally unsatisfying results. Scholars in the fields of education and psychology usually focus on three primary aspects of the word learning: (1) the acquisition of new knowledge or a new skill (2) that persists over time and (3) is not due only to growth and development.

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“As Long As The World Shall Stand”, Elder David A. Bednar Jul 2021

“As Long As The World Shall Stand”, Elder David A. Bednar

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

I am grateful to gather with you today in this Brigham Young University devotional. Susan and I love you and have looked forward to this occasion with great anticipation for many weeks.

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Full Issue Jul 2021

Full Issue

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

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End Matter Jul 2021

End Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

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Is The Bible Reliable?, Eric A. Eliason Jul 2021

Is The Bible Reliable?, Eric A. Eliason

BYU Studies

The eighth article of faith proclaims, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly.” This statement by itself suggests that the Bible as we have it may or may not be fully and reliably the word of God. In 1 Nephi 13:28, we read, “Many plain and precious things [were] taken away.” This passage more expressly indicates that the Bible we have now is indeed not as complete as originally intended. Joseph Smith elaborated on this theme with his statement that “ignorant translators, careless transcribers, or designing and corrupt priests have …

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Doctrinal Insights From Joseph Smith’S First Vision, Robert L. Millet Jul 2021

Doctrinal Insights From Joseph Smith’S First Vision, Robert L. Millet

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

The appearing of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith is the foundation of this Church,” President David O. McKay stated. “Therein lies the secret of [the Church’s] strength and vitality. . . . What God is, is answered. His relation to his children is clear.” President Ezra Taft Benson pointed out, “Sometimes I think we are so close to [the First Vision] that we don’t fully appreciate its significance and importance and the magnitude of it.” President Benson then added, “The first vision of the Prophet Joseph Smith is bedrock theology in this Church.”

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Is Sure Knowledge An Ideal For Everyone Or One Spiritual Gift Among Many?, Blair Dee Hodges, Patrick Q. Mason Jul 2021

Is Sure Knowledge An Ideal For Everyone Or One Spiritual Gift Among Many?, Blair Dee Hodges, Patrick Q. Mason

BYU Studies

“I’d like to bear my testimony. I know the Church is true. I know that Heavenly Father lives and loves us. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and restored the Church on the earth. I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that the Church is led by living prophets today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.”

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Front Matter Jul 2021

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

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The Joseph Smith Translation Of The Bible: Ancient Material Restored Or Inspired Commentary? Canonical Or Optional? Finished Or Unfinished?, Jared W. Ludlow Jul 2021

The Joseph Smith Translation Of The Bible: Ancient Material Restored Or Inspired Commentary? Canonical Or Optional? Finished Or Unfinished?, Jared W. Ludlow

BYU Studies

Joseph Smith began an ambitious program to revise the biblical text in June 1830, not long after the organization of the Church of Christ and the publication of the Book of Mormon. While the result came to be known as the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), it was not a literal word-for-word translation of ancient biblical languages from a manuscript but more of an inspired revision or paraphrase based on the King James Version in English, carried out primarily between June 1830 and July 1833.1 Since Joseph Smith never specifically addressed how or exactly why he made the particular changes …

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“Oh Say, What Is Truth?”: Approaches To Doctrine, Michael Goodman Jul 2021

“Oh Say, What Is Truth?”: Approaches To Doctrine, Michael Goodman

BYU Studies

The restored gospel of Jesus Christ, like other religious traditions, claims to be based on true doctrines.2 The above hymn, included in the first edition of the Pearl of Great Price, encapsulates the deep longing for truth by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Statements by Church leaders abound extolling the virtue and power of truth, but such statements often beg the question, What is truth? Scripture states that “truth is knowledge of things as they are, and as they were, and as they are to come.”3 Church curricular material further states that “divine …

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Is The Song Of Solomon Scripture?, Dana M. Pike, Eric A. Eliason Jul 2021

Is The Song Of Solomon Scripture?, Dana M. Pike, Eric A. Eliason

BYU Studies

Many Latter-day Saint youth may have had their first exposure to the Song of Solomon in seminary or on a mission. “Tear it out of your Bible,” “Staple the pages together,” or “Write ‘DO NOT READ’ on the title page with your red scripture marker!” are variants of stories passed on about what seminary teachers or mission presidents have advised. Since such sensational admonitions are almost guaranteed to pique teenagers’ curiosity, they are presumably more alive in student rumors than in the actual practice of seminary and institute instructors or mission leaders. Such stories may be reactions to Bruce R. …

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Cultivating Internal Rhetoric: Lessons On Self-Directed Rhetoric From Protestant Meditation Manuals And Modern Metacognitive Theory, Jared Vanhille Jun 2021

Cultivating Internal Rhetoric: Lessons On Self-Directed Rhetoric From Protestant Meditation Manuals And Modern Metacognitive Theory, Jared Vanhille

Theses and Dissertations

Internal rhetoric describes how individuals engage in self-persuasion. Jean Nienkamp developed a theory of internal rhetoric by drawing on both the rhetorical tradition and the field of psychology. I build on Nienkamp's work by arguing that the Christian meditative practice outlined by Joseph Hall in The Arte of Divine Meditation (1607) and Edmund Calamy in The Art of Divine Meditation (1634) provides a theoretical and practical framework for performing a particular kind of internal rhetoric in which people become the rhetorical critic by reading their own beliefs and knowledge and then become the rhetor by composing self-directed arguments. This process …

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< Justice > And < Open Debate >: An Ideographic Analysis Of < Freedom Of Speech >, Emily Ann Spackman Jun 2021

< Justice > And < Open Debate >: An Ideographic Analysis Of < Freedom Of Speech >, Emily Ann Spackman

Theses and Dissertations

< Freedom of speech > is a foundational ideograph in the American and more broadly, Western, tradition. Yet this term is not static in its meanings or commitments to social action. The current debate around cancel culture is the site of renegotiation of < freedom of speech > in relation to other terms such as < open debate >, < justice >, < marginalized >, < tolerance >, < democracy >, and < power >. This study is an ideographic analysis of two artifacts that represent two sides of the < freedom of speech > discussion: “A Letter on Justice and Open Debate” and “A More Specific Letter on Justice and Open Debate.” Following McGee’s theory and method, this research examines the diachronic definition of < freedom of speech > through the U. …

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Lisa Campbell, Lisa Campbell, Tsos Jun 2021

Lisa Campbell, Lisa Campbell, Tsos

TSOS Interview Gallery

Lisa Campbell, project manager for the non-profit Do Your Part Refugee Community Center in Greece. Lisa combined efforts with multiple organizations to better the lives of refugees in the Delisi, Greece area. Lisa discusses the evolution of the growing refugee crisis and the millions who flee to Greece and Turkey.

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