Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Temple Elements In Ancient Religious Communities, Brent J. Schmidt

BYU Studies

The idea of Zion or utopia has fascinated the human race since ancient times. This topic has special meaning to Mormons, since latter-day scripture revealed to Joseph Smith is replete with references to building Zion. What, then, can Latter-day Saints learn from attempts by other groups? One thing we learn, writes Brent Schmidt, is that certain characteristics appeared in some successful ancient communities, characteristics that invoke the temple as known in the Bible and in Latter-day Saint use.

Temple teachings were known and widely dispersed throughout antiquity as a means of forming good communities within religious groups. Indeed, temple themes …

The Search For Mormon Literary Quality: Bound On Earth, Rift, Long After Dark, And The Best Of Mormonism 2009, Jack Harrell

BYU Studies

For a hundred years or more, Latter-day Saints have been writing works of literary quality. We have had among us fine poets and novelists, playwrights and essayists, and, more recently, a few serious filmmakers. I'm not the only one who knows this secret. For three decades, students have taken Mormon literature courses at BYU, reading novels, poems, and plays virtually unknown to their parents and peers. I was one of those students in the early 1990s. It is difficult to see the effects this educational movement has had on LDS culture when visiting a Mormon bookstore today. But for me …

God And Sex: What The Bible Really Says, Michael Coogan, Eric A. Eliason

BYU Studies

Once, while serving as a military chaplain, I attended a training event in Colorado Springs. There we toured the world headquarters of the Evangelical "Focus on the Family" ministry. Our friendly guide explained to us that their organization existed to promote the "biblical model" of the family in the modern world. A cheeky question popped into to my mind: "By 'biblical model' do you mean the polygamy practiced in the Old Testament, or the celibacy encouraged in the New Testament?" But I held my tongue, as I wanted to be a polite guest. But since this event, I have often …

Days Never To Be Forgotten: Oliver Cowdery, Rachel Ozanne, Alexander L. Baugh

BYU Studies

Days Never to Be Forgotten presents the fruits of the 2006 BYU Church History Symposium on the life and work of Oliver Cowdery in honor of the two hundredth anniversary of his birth. Eleven scholars of Mormon history contributed essays about various aspects of Cowdery's life and involvement in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Ultimately, the contributors have two goals: to honor Cowdery's memory and to inform believers who may not be aware of Cowdery's importance in the founding of the Church.

This book gives a good sense of Cowdery's extensive presence and activities in the earliest …

Utopian Communities Of The Ancient World, Brent J. Schmidt, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

It is often said, and not only by classicists, that in order to understand the modern world a person must learn to understand the ancient world. Fascination with antiquity has not diminished in the digital postmodern age, perhaps because people are wondering more and more what life is really all about and what chance there might now be in the age of instant worldwide communication and interdependent global economies to achieve a truly cooperative state of affairs among all peoples of the earth.

Into this picture comes the work of Brent Schmidt on the use of covenantal rituals and practices …

A Trick Of Light, Kim Hancock

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Muhammad: Prophet Of God, Thora Qaddumi, Daniel C. Peterson

BYU Studies

Islamic studies scholar Daniel C. Peterson has written a small book that speaks volumes about the man who, in about the year AD 610, while meditating in a cave near Mecca in Arabia, received a prophetic call that led to the establishment of a religion that today is claimed by almost a quarter of the world's inhabitants. It adds to the growing body of research by Peterson and other Latter-day Saint scholars that strengthens the Church's role as a voice of reason in an area rife with misunderstandings and ignorance--the Islamic world.

Although written from a strongly academic and scholarly …

When The Saints Came Marching In: A History Of The Latter-Day Saints In St. Louis, Thomas L. Farmer, Fred E. Woods, Susan E. Black

BYU Studies

Most of our histories about Mormons in Missouri speak of dramatic events in the 1830s in the western region of the state. Congratulations to Fred Woods and Thomas Farmer for writing a history of the Latter-day Saints in St. Louis. Woods, a professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU, and Farmer, a lifetime St. Louis resident, wrote of the LDS presence in St. Louis beginning with early missionaries in 1831 and ending with the St. Louis Stake jubilee in 2008. This book is essential reading for scholars of Mormonism seeking to understand the experience of the Latter-day Saints in …

A Poetics Of The Restoration, George B. Handley

BYU Studies

George B. Handley, professor of humanities at Brigham Young University, discusses whether the world's cultural traditions should be considered as treasures that should be embraced by Latter-day Saints, or fallen philosophy and vain deceit. He argues that while culture might be the obstacle that blinds us, it must also become the means or language by which we can come to understand God's will. We can have a lifelong passion for learning both from the word of God—from revelation—and the word of men and women—from the world's cultures. The humanities—literature, philosophy, history, and the arts—help us to see how our own …

Strangers And Pilgrims: The Challenge Of The Real, Robert K. Thomas

BYU Studies

This article is a classic speech by Robert K. Thomas and is an excerpt of a forthcoming publication of Thomas's best speeches. Thomas (1918–1998) served the Brigham Young University community for thirty-two years as an English professor, founder and director of the Honors Program, and academic vice president. This speech describes how genuine faith can successfully confront the challenges we face when our goals seem to be thwarted by the realities of our world. The speech concludes with Hebrews 11, which states that many great, faithful men and women died without seeing the fulfillment of promises they had received and …

When Are Chiasms Admissible As Evidence?, W. Farrell Edwards, Boyd F. Edwards

BYU Studies

*This article is being offered free as a courtesy to lds.org as it was footnoted in an expanded Gospel Topic on their site.

Since John Welch's discovery of chiasmus in the Book of Mormon in 1967, many critics have attempted to show how chiasmus appears in just about every type of literature, from Dr. Seuss to Strangite scripture. This article discusses the authors' statistical admissibility tests to verify whether a chiasmus in a work shows strong evidence of intentionality by the original author. Their results indicate that certain passages in the Old Testament and in the Book of Mormon show …

The Faith Instinct: How Religion Evolved And Why It Endures, Brian Jackson, Nicholas Wade

BYU Studies

"People of faith may not warm to the view that the mind's receptivity to religion has been shaped by evolution," writes Nicholas Wade, science writer for the New York Times, in his new book The Faith Instinct. If religion evolves with cultural circumstances, then it loses some of its immutable, supernatural qualities. On the other hand, atheists "may not embrace the idea that religious behavior evolved because it conferred essential benefits on ancient societies and their successors." If we accept the proposition that faith endures because cultures select it (perhaps unconsciously) as a necessary attribute of their survival, then we …

The Hoarse Whisperer, David M. Kirkham

BYU Studies

In this personal essay, David Milo Kirkham recounts his interactions with the animal kingdom. From his early banter with his neighbor's sheep and his trapping and killing of nuisance skunks in his rural community to his later encounter in the Bavarian Alps with a beautiful red fox, Kirkham both entertains and provokes serious thought about our relationship with God's other creatures. "Who are the animals?" he asks. "Our relationship to them seems complex. I know some people see it in black and white: kill them, dominate them, or protect them all at any cost. But to me it is complex. …

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

City Dog, David J. Passey

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Excavating Nauvoo: The Mormons And The Rise Of Historical Archaeology In America, Richard K. Talbot, Benjamin C. Pykles

BYU Studies

During a recent coordination meeting, an archaeologist employed by the state of Utah tried to explain how the science of archaeology can help Native Americans to know their history. In response, one of the Native American participants exclaimed, "We already know our history!" This statement sheds light on tensions that arise when reconstructing the past. To those living in a postmodern world, history can serve many purposes and many masters; for this particular Native American, the oral history that had been passed down generationally to her presented her past in a context and form with which she was accustomed and …

The Chicago Experiment: Finding The Voice And Charting The Course Of Religious Education In The Church, Casey P. Griffiths

BYU Studies

In many professions, Latter-day Saints often struggle to find harmony between their religion and their career. This has been especially true in academia, in most of its diverse disciplines. These challenges were particularly fierce when the Church began developing its own corps of professional religious educators to teach and lead in the newly founded seminary and institute programs of the early twentieth century. In the early 1930s, religious educators in the Church developed a close relationship with the School of Divinity at the University of Chicago. Eleven young Latter-day Saint scholars earned advanced degrees at the school at the Church's …

A Question On My Mind: Robert Mccorkle's 1844 Letter To Joseph Smith, Hal R. Boyd, Susan E. Black

BYU Studies

Robert McCorkle (1807–1873) was one of many Americans curious about Mormonism. In 1844 he visited Nauvoo, Illinois, then headquarters of the Latter-day Saints. He hoped to obtain an audience with Joseph Smith but was able only to hear Smith speak at public meetings. When he returned to his home in Tennessee, he wrote to Smith, asking questions and describing his willingness to relocate to Nauvoo if Smith could prove that he was a true prophet. Interestingly, McCorkle wrote much of his letter in rhymed verse and hoped that Joseph Smith would reply in verse. It does not appear that Smith …

Aftergrove, Scott Livingston

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Backyard Alchemy, Casualene Meyer, Lance E. Larsen

BYU Studies

Fatherhood is an immediate, fruitful theme in Lance Larsen's Backyard Alchemy, from the title with its combination of hominess and intellectual magic to the dedication page honoring his wife, Jacqui, and his recently deceased father, Veryl Larsen. Several poems in Larsen's book feature fathers, inviting readers to ponder the subject.

St. Louis Luminary: The Latter-Day Saint Experience At The Mississippi River, 1854–1855, Susan E. Black

BYU Studies

The St. Louis Luminary, a Latter-day Saint newspaper printed in St. Louis, was printed for only one year but chronicles the status of the LDS Church on the American frontier in 1854 and 1855. The 2010 book The Best of the St. Louis Luminary gives an in-depth history of the newspaper and its contents and includes a DVD of scans of the entire volume of the newspaper in a searchable format. This article is excerpted from that book. The newspaper played a significant role in the national discussion of polygamy, which had not been publicly announced until 1852. The …

Dating The Birth Of Christ, Jeffrey R. Chadwick

BYU Studies

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has taken no official position on the exact date of Christ's birth. In his 1915 classic Jesus the Christ, Elder James E. Talmage maintained that Jesus Christ was born on April 6 in the year 1 BC. Talmage was apparently the first LDS writer to propose this particular date. Nearly a century has passed since his book appeared, and in that time it has become practically axiomatic among Latter-day Saints that Jesus was born on April 6 in that year. Two other Apostles, President J. Reuben Clark and Elder Bruce R. …

Clocks Have Not Stopped, Norma S. Bowkett

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Halldor Laxness And The Latter-Day Saints: The Story Behind The Novel Paradisarheimt, Fred E. Woods

BYU Studies

On the fiftieth anniversary of the publication of Halldor Laxness's Mormon-themed novel Paradisarheimt (Paradise Reclaimed), BYU professor Fred E. Woods tells the story of how the Nobel-prize winning author became interested in the topic of Mormon Icelandic immigration to Utah. Woods shares correspondence between Laxness and Latter-day Saints, thus portraying the friendships that developed as Laxness visited Utah for book research and continued to write to his friends for more information. Woods compares stories of real Icelandic Mormon immigrants with the fictional characters in Laxness's novel. At the time of the book's publication, some Mormon readers felt that …

I Roll The Burthen And Responsibility Of Leading This Church Off From My Shoulders On To Yours: The 1844/1845 Declaration Of The Quorum Of The Twelve Regarding Apostolic Succession, Alexander L. Baugh

BYU Studies

The document presented and discussed in this paper is one of the most important early Latter-day Saint manuscripts associated with both the final months of Joseph Smith's life and the postmartyrdom (or apostolic) interregnum period. Written in late 1844 or early 1845, the document appears to have been drafted for possible use as an official statement by the Twelve concerning Joseph Smith's "last charge" to them, given at a special meeting held in late March 1844, three months before his death. On this occasion, the Prophet conferred upon the Twelve the priesthood keys and authority necessary to lead the Church …

Theology And Ecology: Religious Belief And Environmental Stewardship, Gary C. Bryner

BYU Studies

This article explores the potential role religious belief might play in U.S. environmental policy making. Careful environmental stewardship holds a prominent place in Mormon theology as it does among other faiths. It is helpful to know how religious groups are engaged in environmental policy making, the strengths and limitations of these efforts, and the prospects for religious-based contributions to environmental protection policies. The experience of other believers illuminates some of the choices members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints face when engaging in public debates over environmental policy.

Creativity In The Cosmic Context: Our Challenges And Opportunities, Jerry L. Jaccard, Rita R. Wright, Jon D. Green

BYU Studies

Eric d'Evegnee tells of the angst he experienced when his son expected his help in crafting a wooden car for the Cub Scout pinewood derby, his prowess as a father on the line. In the race the car wobbled across the finish line last, causing grief and feelings of betrayal for the young son. He contrasts himself with King Lear, who refused to acknowledge his failings until the very end, and d'Evegnee sees himself at peace with his children.

The authors look at creativity through the teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, specifically that all people …

The Paternity Test, Eric D'Evegnee

BYU Studies

Eric d'Evegnee tells of the angst he experienced when his son expected his help in crafting a wooden car for the Cub Scout pinewood derby, his prowess as a father on the line. In the race the car wobbled across the finish line last, causing grief and feelings of betrayal for the young son. He contrasts himself with King Lear, who refused to acknowledge his failings until the very end, and d'Evegnee sees himself at peace with his children.

Latter-Day Saint Courtship Patterns, Jennifer Hurlbut, Thomas B. Holman, Kristi A. Young, Mary J. Woodger

BYU Studies

This book is a collection of twelve sociological studies that examine how active, faithful Latter-day Saint singles go about deciding to marry and selecting a mate. Since most of the research was conducted via surveys of BYU students and asks the question "What makes the Mormon marriage process different from the typical American process?" it accounts for a very narrow part of the worldwide LDS community. Focusing on this small segment is a good start but shows that research in LDS sociology is still often limited in its scope.

An introductory chapter by Thomas B. Holman provides the backdrop necessary …

Juggling, Mothering, Nicole H. Dominguez

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.