Christianity Commons^™

That Ye Might Feel And See: Touch In The First Day Of Christ's Ministry, Dan L. Belnap

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

“And God Blessed The Seventh Day And Sanctified It”: The Sabbath At Creation, Dedications, And Christ’S Theophany In 3 Nephi, Dan L. Belnap

Faculty Publications

The Creation narrative, found in various places within the canon of scripture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, describes the institution of two different types of time. The first type of time is established in the “fourth day” with the placement of the astronomical bodies, which act as markers “for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years”—that is, common time (Genesis 1:14; Moses 2:14). The second type of time is established in the “seventh day,” when the Lord rests from his labors. Situated as it was at the conclusion of the physical creation and …

"We Have Not Been Allowed The Liberty... To Worship As We Please" Nancy Naomi Tracy And The Denial Of Latter-Day Saint Religious Liberty, Derek Sainsbury

Faculty Publications

This article examines the life of Nancy Naomi Tracy as a lens into the Latter-day Saint struggle for religious liberty in nineteenth-century America. Joining the Church in 1834, Tracy endured repeated persecution—from the Missouri expulsions and the 1838 Mormon War to the federal antipolygamy campaigns of the 1880s—yet actively fought for her faith’s constitutional protections. As the only known female electioneer missionary in Joseph Smith’s 1844 presidential campaign, she embodied the Saints’ bold blend of religious conviction and political engagement. Drawing on Tracy’s three personal reminiscences (1880, 1885, and 1896–99), the study explores how her experiences as a wife, mother, …

Fall Conference 2022 Panel Presentation, Ellen Amatangelo

Faculty Publications

This presentation was part of a panel discussing ways in which work done by employees at the Brigham Young University Library focuses on Christ. Collections and articles in BYU's institutional repository that focus on religious topics are highlighted.

Vom Nichttrinitarier Zum Trinitarier: Meine Persönliche Reise, Denis Kaiser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Teachings Of Church Leaders On Christ’S Final Seven Statements, John Hilton Iii, Megan Cutler, Emily K. Hyde

Faculty Publications

In 1929 Reverend James Reid wrote about the Savior’s directive from the Sermon on the Mount to “pray for them that despitefully use you” (Matthew 5:44). Although many might feel this is an impossible task, Reid offers a reminder: “Yet the words stand, and challenge us today, because He who spoke them passed His own test, and passed it triumphantly. . . . For, as [Luke] tells us, when they crucified Him, and had done their devilish work on his poor body. . . . His first word [on the cross] was a literal prayer for His enemies, ‘Father, forgive …

Recovering The World Of The Bible, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

The pillar of light that fell upon Joseph Smith in the woods near Palmyra, New York, in the spring of 1820 ushered in a new dispensation of the gospel.1 But that light, which shone “above the brightness of the sun” (Joseph Smith–History 1:16), did not just enlighten the world as far as religion is concerned. The light emanating from the pillar in which the Father and Son stood symbolically represents the latter-day, divine illumination of many aspects of life on this earth—past, present, and future.

Israelite Inscriptions From The Time Of Jeremiah And Lehi, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

The greater the number of sources the better when investigating the history and culture of people in antiquity. Narrative and prophetic texts in the Bible and 1 Nephi have great value in helping us understand the milieu in which Jeremiah and Lehi received and fulfilled their prophetic missions, but these records are not our only documentary sources. A number of Israelite inscriptions dating to the period of 640–586 b.c., the general time of Jeremiah and Lehi, provide additional glimpses into this pivotal and primarily tragic period in Israelite history.

The Isaiah Map: An Approach To Teaching Isaiah, John Hilton Iii

Faculty Publications

I saiah is an extremely important prophet—his words were endorsed by the Savior himself (see 3 Nephi 23:1). Because Isaiah’s words can be difficult to comprehend, religious educators have a significant responsibility to help their students understand them. Perhaps the best opportunity to teach Isaiah in a Sunday School, seminary, or institute setting is during a course in the Old Testament. The next best opportunity is when teaching the Book of Mormon. “Nineteen of Isaiah’s sixty-six chapters are quoted in their entirety in the Book of Mormon and, except for two verses, two other chapters are completely quoted. Of the …

Women In The Word, Hyveth Williams

Faculty Publications

"While affirming the call to proclaim the gospel alongside our brothers in ministry, this article offers tips, advice, and even instructions on how to be the best preachers God has endowed us to be at a time when the contributions of women in the world and, slowly, in the Word, are receiving increasing attention and recognition."

O Altar Da Familia, S. Joseph Kidder

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

"Whosoever Will": Embracing Everyone, David K. Penno

Faculty Publications

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The Bible clearly calls Christians to minister to, and to invite to discipleship, all persons in the world (Matt. 28:19, 20; Rev. 14:6). This includes persons who have sexual attractions that are outside the biblical design, whether they act on those desires or not. We do not have the option to ignore, reject, or marginalize them (nor should we do this to anyone else; all people are important to God). So the question becomes, how do we make room for everyone?

There are at least three levels of relationship that the church has with persons …

Finding God In Community, S. Joseph Kidder, Jonny Wesley Moor

Faculty Publications

"God exists in community. Before the angels, before the universe, before perhaps time itself, the Father, Son, and Spirit shared a continuous love that can exist only in community.¹ Community is God’s primal manifestation of existence and reality. When God created humanity, He intended for us to be able to relate to Him, so the Lord made us male and female (Gen. 1:27), counterparts equal but distinct in community. Jürgen Moltmann argues that truly knowing something involves being able to participate with that entity.² For example, rather than learning physics merely to recite formulas and laws, …

The Use Of Gethsemane By Church Leaders, 1859–2018, John Hilton Iii, Joshua P. Barringer

Faculty Publications

Many commentators have noted that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (herein referred to as “the Church”) has a distinctive focus on Gethsemane.1 For example, Douglas J. Davies has written that the “LDS interpretation of Christ’s garden experience involves a most interesting relocation of the act of atonement within Christian theological accounts that have, traditionally, seen the cross as the prime site of assuming human sin”2 and that “Mormonism relocates the centre of gravity of Christ’s passion in Gethsemane rather than upon the cross and Calvary.”3

Teaching The Scriptural Emphasis On The Crucifixion Of Jesus Christ, John Hilton Iii

Faculty Publications

A colleague recently shared with me how, when teaching missionary preparation classes, he would role-play with students. When students pretending to be missionaries would ask him (acting as an investigator) if he knew about Christ’s Atonement, he would say, “Yes, I saw that Mel Gibson movie about Christ dying for our sins on the cross.” At least half of his students would correct him, stating that Christ atoned for our sins in Gethsemane, but not on the cross. This not only indicates a lack of the interpersonal skill of building on common beliefs but is also doctrinally incomplete. It also …

Jesus’ Enemies?: Why Didn’T The Pharisees Reject Their Friend Jesus?, Trevan Hatch

Faculty Publications

In this chapter we turn our attention to the Pharisees. In doing so, we hope to gain broad insight into how Jesus fit within the Jewish social hierarchy in first-century Galilee and Judea, at least according to the Gospels. Any conclusions we draw must be understood within a broad framework, not a nuanced, highly historical framework. We are not assuming that literally every Pharisee fit this description. Pharisees are central figures in the Christian demonization of Jews from late antiquity to the present. The Gospels portray Pharisees as self-righteous, hypocritical, spiritually hollow, overly ritualistic, and even demonic. Some of the …

The Dead Sea Scrolls And The New Testament, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

Since their initial discovery in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have generated a great deal ofinterest, ranging from responsible scholarly inquiry to public sensationalism.1 During the years 1947–1956, local Bedouin and eventually archaeologists found scrolls and primarily scroll fragments (many thousands of them) in eleven caves proximate to the small archaeological site of Qumran, near the northwest shore of the Dead Sea. Stories of the initial discovery of major scrolls by Bedouin cousins in what is now called Qumran Cave 1 vary in certain details and have been often recounted, as have stories about the intrigue involved in the authentication …

Born Again With Trump: The Portrayal Of Evangelicals In The Media, Eun-Young Julia Kim

Faculty Publications

Since Trump’s ascendancy in American politics and his subsequent election, a number of articles have surfaced in the media trying to explain evangelical voters’ support of Trump. This paper analyzes common descriptions and conceptions of evangelicals by identifying recurring descriptions of evangelicals in 110 online articles published in a two-and-a-half-year period surrounding Trump’s presidential campaign and election. The results indicate that the answer to the question as to why evangelicals support Trump resides not so much in their theology, but in their aspirations for America and assumptions of what America should be like. This paper argues that it is crucial …

His Friend Judas: Why Didn't He Betray His Messiah?, Trevan Hatch

Faculty Publications

A question that Christians might ask is, if Jesus was so entrenched within and embracive of Judaism, then why did he condemn Jewish leaders and why was he ultimately rejected and killed by his fellow Jews? In this and the next four chapters (chapters 6–10) we will challenge the assumptions of that very question and illustrate that “the Jews” did not reject and kill Jesus, and that Jesus did not reject and condemn “the Jews.” We will explore the relationship between Jesus and his peers. We start in this chapter by looking at Judas, whose story is perhaps Exhibit A …

Divine Appointments, S. Joseph Kidder

Faculty Publications

"A divine appointment is a meeting with another person(s) that God has specifically and unmistakably arranged. The Holy Spirit sets up such encounters because someone needs what He can offer them through you. You are one conversation away from God bestowing His favor on them as you act as His channel of blessing. Often that encounter will be with some-one you have never met before."

Remember My Chains: New Testament Perspectives On Incarceration, Matthew L. Skinner

Faculty Publications

Understanding the physical realities and social attitudes concerning incarceration in the ancient world provides a fuller context to the New Testament’s unadorned and ambiguous references to people’s experience of being held in custody. The context is crucial for interpreting biblical passages that commend caring for prisoners, that reaffirm God’s strength and nullify the ignominy associated with incarceration, and that declare God’s power over the means and motives of imperial coercion. Such passages also compel the contemporary church to advocate on behalf of prisoners and to denounce the systems that regularly victimize them.

Damascus Road Or Emmaus Road?: Conversion, Nurtutre Or Both?, Edyta Jankiewicz

Faculty Publications

As outlined previously, the Scriptures appear to portray a tension between, on the one hand, the need for adults to nurture the faith of children and, on the other hand, the need for the new birth of conversion. Thus, while adults are encouraged to create an environment that facilitates optimal spiritual development, the Scriptures do not suggest that optimal spiritual nurture negates the need for conversion. However, while the Scriptures provide counsel on the how of spiritual nurture, they do not address the subject of how those who are nurtured in faith experience conversion. Thus, Adventist understandings of children’s faith …

Old Testament Law For Christians: Original Context And Enduring Application, Gerald A. Klingbeil

Faculty Publications

Gane has done an excellent job offering sound methodology, careful (and often very detailed) interpretation, and relevant deduction focusing on values and principles. In some cases (not always providing the rationale) Gane decided to include the relevant research history of a particular topic, which tends to lose some nonspecialists. Overall, the volume comes highly recommended for tackling a difficult topic, the willingness to ask tough questions, and the ability to look beyond minute details to the big picture involving underlying values and principles. A very detailed table of contents and several indexes make this volume even more user-friendly. Every pastor …

Innovative Evangelism, Part 2: An Opportunity To Be Creative, S. Joseph Kidder, Kristy L. Hodson

Faculty Publications

"Most evangelistic ventures that have lasting results take time—months and maybe even years before you see the fruits of your investment. This is consistent with any type of relationship—they take time and effort to mature. “Relationships are like bank accounts: They don’t just happen.” All evangelism takes intentionality and should be done out of love for God and humanity and a desire to connect the two. The lack of an immediate result is not a sign of failure because evangelism is not about us—but about God. "

Life Together And Conflict Resolution, Denis Fortin

Faculty Publications

While we celebrate and are proud of the heritage we personally own and cherish, no cultural group or ethnic group is perfect. Human history teaches us that every culture is sinful, in need of God’s grace, for the harm done to the different person, the immigrant, the poor and powerless, the neighboring cultural or ethnic group. Each culture has its history of violence done in the name of some value or historical reason, if not in the name of God. No culture is sinless and perfect, and all are in need of the grace of God.

God invites us to …

Looking High And Low For Salvation In Luke, Matthew L. Skinner

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

The Thin Blue Line Of Theodicy: Flannery O’Connor, Teilhard De Chardin, And Competitions Between Good/Good And Evil/Evil, Sue Whatley

Faculty Publications

This essay explores the concept of theodicy in Flannery O’Connor’s works of fiction. O’Connor’s fiction complicates the subjects of good and evil, moving the reader through what seem to be competitions not only between good and evil, but also between actions of good and actions of evil. Characters align themselves with one force, then another, in a constantly fluctuating system, and there is no traditional pattern of Christian warfare that we would expect orthodox Catholic writing to produce. Sometimes, evil brings about the resolution of the narratives, and sometimes actions of good fail to redeem. It is only through the …

Encountering The Gospel Anew: Confirmation As Ecclesial, Personal, And Missional Practices, Terri L. Elton

Faculty Publications

Given the challenges facing congregations and young people today, some church leaders are wondering if confirmation continues to have a role in discipling young people. Based on the findings from The Confirmation Project, this article asserts that confirmation is, in fact, uniquely positioned to be a vibrant ministry for young people to encounter the gospel anew when congregations integrate ecclesial, personal, and missional practices. Such an approach strengthens confirmands’ understanding of faith, deepens their experience with Christian community, and equips them to discern their call to join in God’s mission in the world.

Emerging Trends In Confirmation And Equivalent Practices, Terri L. Elton, Katherine Douglass, Richard Osmer

Faculty Publications

This article highlights the findings of The Confirmation Project research, a mixed methods project that studied confirmation and equivalent practices in five denominations in the United States. (The denominations were United Methodist, Presbyterian USA, African Methodist Episcopal, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, and the Episcopal Church.) What that discovered was confirmation can provide an opportunity for young people to encounter the gospel anew. It is an important ministry when it strengthens young people’s understanding of faith, deepens their experience with Christian community, and equips them to discern their calling to join in God’s mission in the world. As congregations …

Innovative Evangelism, Part 1: A New Paradigm, S. Joseph Kidder, Kristy L. Hodson

Faculty Publications

"It is challenging for a church, using the traditional evangelism model, to preach the gospel to a postmodern audience. Scripture speaks of the tribe of Issachar as having leaders who “understood the signs of the times and knew the best course for Israel to take” (1 Chron. 12:32, NLT). We must adapt to the times and use all available means of witnessing. By incorporating multiple evangelistic strategies year-round, traditional as well as innovative, our churches would have a greater opportunity to help people experience the gospel.

"Knowing that we need new ideas and coming up with those new …