Religion Commons^™

How To Believe In Immortality, Carol Zaleski

Religion: Faculty Publications

All the cards seem to be stacked against belief in immortality. Nonetheless, the resources of particular religious traditions may avail where generic philosophical solutions fall short. With attention to the boredom and narcissism critiques, intimations of deathlessness in Śāntideva’s radical altruism, and recent Christian debates on the soul and the intermediate state, I propose two criteria for a coherent religion-specific belief in immortality: (1) the belief is supported by a fully realized religious tradition, (2) the belief satisfies the demand for self-transcendence as well as for self-preservation. Where self-transcendence and self-preservation are kept in balance, and where the whole idea …

[Review Of The Book The Cambridge Companion To The Council Of Trent, By N. Minnich (Ed.)], Anne H. Muraoka

Art Faculty Publications

[First paragraph] The Cambridge Companion to the Council of Trent brings together recent scholarship by an international group of scholars. True to Cambridge’s Companion series, this broad yet informative volume provides accessible discussions of the key issues addressed by the Council of Trent, which met in twenty-five sessions from 1545 to 1563.

From Biology Major To Religion Professor: Personal Reflections On Evolution, Joshua M. Sears

BYU Studies

When I arrived at Brigham Young University as an excited freshman, my plan was to major in biology. I had really enjoyed biology in high school and scored a perfect 5 on the AP exam, so I figured this was something I could be good at. That first year I took courses in general biology, biodiversity, chemistry, and physical science.

Translation And The World Order, Richard Lyman Bushman

BYU Studies

Joseph Smith published three books he called translations: his masterwork, the Book of Mormon, translated from gold plates when he was twenty-four and published in March 1830; the eight chapters of the book of Moses based on Genesis in the Bible, begun in June 1830 and completed by February of the following year; and the book of Abraham, translated from scrolls that the Church purchased from Michael Chandler in 1835 and published in 1842. It is hard to think of any prophetic figure in religious history who relied as extensively on translations to spread his message as did Joseph Smith.

Astrophysicist’S Prayer, Christopher Bissett

BYU Studies

Oh God,

thou knowest I would rather plough the starfields

into little rows, and weed them by the sweat

of my brow, to clear the land for this next

season’s crop for thy celestial garners.

I would gather every dead star skeleton

for thee, decompose them back into black gold

nebulae for thy hungry galaxies,

let them spread their roots beneath the surface

of thy eternal spacetime continuum.

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

She That Showed Him Mercy, Ellis William Leroy Jr.

BYU Studies

I am a physician—a retired one now. I loved my work. It was what I always wanted to do, and I loved the people I cared for. I enjoyed taking care of them in all places and under all circumstances. In the hospital, I took care of them in the intensive care unit, the medical wards, and the office. I especially loved caring for them in their homes when they could no longer come to the office, or when they lived in a nursing home. It was required in my work to provide a bill for my service. I wished …

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Book Of Mormon Grammar And Translation, Stanford Carmack

BYU Studies

This paper discusses some of the Book of Mormon’s nonstandard grammar, showing how in many cases it was not the kind of grammar that Joseph Smith would have been expected to produce, since it was neither his native usage nor a presumed biblically influenced English. In these contexts, if he had been in control of the wording of the text, it is highly likely that he would have expressed things differently. Quite a few examples are provided in support of this claim, along with additional matching examples found in early modern texts.

Tasting God’S Light: Saints And The Spiritual Senses, Philip Abbott

BYU Studies

While many Westerners once assumed that sensory perception is more or less constant and universal, scholarship in the area of sensory studies has shown how volatile and diverse sensory discernment can be. For instance, though Western epistemology categorizes sensory knowledge into five senses, people across world cultures do not agree on the number of human senses that exist (some enumerate two, four, six, or seven senses), nor do they agree on how the senses function. As anthropologists have illuminated, these various notions of sensory perception lead people to translate sensory experience into vastly different worldviews. Thus, researchers have concluded that …

Preserving History: The Progression Of Recordkeeping In The Church, Wayne Crosby, W. Tyson Thorpe

BYU Studies

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a variety of experiences with living the gospel and coming closer to Jesus Christ. Where people live, what age they are, and what their family situations are can all impact how they see God’s hand in their lives, as can a multitude of other factors. For this reason, it is important for historians examining the lived experiences of Latter-day Saints to have a variety of records to draw on in their analyses and explorations. Thankfully, the keeping of histories in Church units has been an important part of the …

All One People, Susan Elizabeth Howe

BYU Studies

In his BYU Studies article “Building an Innovative ‘Latter-day Saints without Borders’ Organization,” Warner Woodworth recounts both his own and his students’ extensive work to better the lives of the poor, but he gives credit to many other Latter-day Saint groups who are carrying out similar efforts. All One People, an organization located in Manti, Utah, is one of these groups. Woodworth says that these groups “[act] as ‘social entrepreneurial’ Christians who draw on their faith, rely on scriptural values, harness their educations, and call forth their business skills in designing and launching effective humanitarian services.” These are exactly the …

Artist Statement—Our Mothers Knew It, Ashley Jensen

BYU Studies

This piece explores the immense trust and emotion the families of the two thousand young men fighting under Helaman’s command may have felt as they sent their sons off to battle, with a special emphasis on how the mothers and sisters may have felt. When we think of Helaman’s army, we most often reflect on their characteristics, spiritual courage, and the physical battles they fought. But how often do we reflect on the feelings and personal battles their families may have been fighting in their own hearts?

On The Day My Missionary Son Departs, Darlene Young

BYU Studies

. . . seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me —Genesis 22:12

This poem was a finalist in the 2024 BYU Studies Poetry Contest.

Making Mistakes, Shamae Budd

BYU Studies

My four-year- old son is not a quiet child. He is the kind of child that people call “spirited,” “high energy,” or “all boy.”

My four-year- old son is not a quiet child. He is the kind of child that people call “spirited,” “high energy,” or “all boy.” His enthusiasm for the beautiful, rare cosmic bliss of living seems limitless. His zeal exists in all directions, at all times of day, and in all seasons and sizes and shapes and colors. It is technicolor joie de vivre. As an illustration, he recently spent the morning stomping from room to room …

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Understanding Perfectionism, G E. Kawika Allen, Jacelin Clayton, Emma Moore, Debra Theobald Mcclendon

BYU Studies

Perfectionism is a widely known personality characteristic, but it is not always understood. It can motivate and promote growth, or it can stifle and promote low self-worth with consuming negative thoughts and behaviors. Toxic perfectionism occurs when individuals demand perfection and become highly critical of themselves or others, turning normal mistakes into shame and self-hatred or hatred of others.1 It often includes an all-or- nothing mindset—viewing a performance as either a total success or a total failure—with no in-between. 2 And even success is fleeting for toxic perfectionists because they find flaws in their apparently perfect performances or in the …

Are Latter-Day Saints Perfectionists? Guest Editor’S Introduction, W. Justin Dyer

BYU Studies

A while back, I was sitting in a university meeting at the beginning of another school year. A therapist was facilitating a helpful discussion on the growing concern of student mental health. When toxic perfectionism came up, the facilitator mentioned in an offhanded way that we have a particular problem with this at Brigham Young University (BYU) because of “the gospel.” This statement was not much of a surprise given the seemingly common attitude that BYU students (and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in general) struggle with perfectionism.

Religion And Perfectionism, Michael A. Goodman

BYU Studies

Perfectionism has been a frequent topic of interest to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In official Church material and in other sources aimed at a Latter-day Saint audience (such as podcasts and blogs), the problems of toxic perfectionism have continued to receive attention in scholarly and clinical literature. The concept has been addressed several times in general conference addresses, including by members of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.1 The Church has produced official videos and articles for youth,2 young adults,3 and adults.4

Providing Specialized Preparation For Counselors In Catholic Schools, Timothy J. Cook, Jan J. Powers, Jiwon Kim

Journal of Catholic Education

School counselors are needed now more than ever. Providing Catholic school counselors the specialized formation they need to be effective in the Catholic school context is essential. This study addressed two research questions in this regard: (1) What competencies (e.g., understanding, incorporating) and topics do Catholic school principals and school counselors believe are important for school counselors to fully contribute to the educational and faith-based mission of Catholic schools; and (2) How might the research findings inform pre-service education and/or continuing education and formation of school counselors for the Catholic school context? Online surveys were developed using the “Defining Characteristics …

From The Editor, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Journal In Entirety

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

A Plain Account Of Christian Purity: Berlin Walls, Dean G. Blevins, Marie Gregg

The Asbury Journal

While theological definitions of holiness incorporate purity terminology among several metaphors, the challenges resident in using this language may well impede opportunities of engaging difference and reconciliation. Wesleyans need a “Plain Account” of Christian purity to guide both ecclesial discussions that stress not only strengths, but also limits, in purity thinking. Using an example involving the Church of the Nazarene and Pentecostalism, the writing reveals how purity thinking risks creating “Berlin walls” when engaging differences. The analysis argues that a moral fear of degradation, rather than an acknowledgment of difference, often pushes purity thinkers to oppose certain issues.

“Chieftain, Farewell”: Bishop Matthew Simpson’S Funeral Address To Abraham Lincoln, Samuel J. Rogal

The Asbury Journal

This article reflects back on the historic oration by Methodist Bishop Matthew Simpson at the funeral of Abraham Lincoln in Springfield, Illinois in 1865. Matthew Simpson was one of the most prominent orators of his day and had built up political connections during the Lincoln Presidency. Bishop Simpson in many ways represents the rising respectability of Methodism in the United States as its influence grew and Methodism became more acceptable among society and in political circles. Simpson even represents a form of Christian nationalism which emerges from his funeral address and the way he portrays the “martyred” president.

Book Reviews, Glen O'Brien, Zachariah S. Motts, Roderick T. Leupp, Jonathan Tysick, Duane F. Watson, William B. Bowes

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Books Received

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

From The Editor, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

Del Editor, Robert A. Danielson

The Asbury Journal

No abstract provided.

The Hispanics: The Legacy From The Past And The Claim On The Future, Roberto Escamilla

The Asbury Journal

This article is a transcript from a chapel given at Asbury Theological Seminary on April 28, 1981 in Estes Chapel as part of the Freitas lecture series on Ministry Among the Hispanic People. This was one of the earliest lecture series devoted to the potential future of Hispanic ministry in the United States, and Escamilla lays out in a brief and engaging way, both the history and the potential influence of the Hispanic community on the culture and faith of the United States. Such an insightful review of the situation of Hispanic ministry from over 40 years ago, allows for …