Mormon Studies Commons^™

"Dark And Loathsome": The Construction And Persistence Of Racial Theology In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Margaret Phillips

Electronic Theses, Projects, and Dissertations

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints banned Black men from holding the priesthood until 1978, a policy many mistake for the whole of the faith's engagement with race. This thesis argues that the priesthood ban was only a symptom of a far deeper theology of race, one built into Mormonism's broader theology from its founding. Two intertwined beliefs anchor this theology: the default whiteness of the human body and soul, and twin curse narratives that mark Black and Indigenous peoples alike as bearers of a divine curse— dark skin read as the visible penalty for their ancestors' sin. …

Bedeviled Beauty: My Journey Through White American Theater Institutions, J'Aila C. Price

LSU New Orleans Theses and Dissertations

Game console: Oculus Quest

World: American Theater Institutions

Player: Minority

Place: United States

Level: “Ain’t no way.”

This thesis explores the contrast between the Westernized philosophies ingrained in my education and my identity as a Black female artist. It sheds light on the difficulties of pursuing higher education in the arts and the gaps that arise from limited exposure to culturally diverse Black resources, revealing the systemic issues in Western performance education. The paper also discusses the insights gained from my journey as a Black female artist, focusing on my thesis performance of Blood at the Root, which is …

Clark Memorandum: Fall 2021, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• Truth, Civility, and Advocacy
• Cultivating a Deeper Faith in Jesus Christ
• Can Religion Be a Healing Force in Society?
• Navigating Life’s Uncertainties

Read on Issuu

Clark Memorandum: Spring 2021, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• Rooting Out Racism
• How Do We Practice Our Religion While We Practice?
• Hope in Hardship
• The Unity Paradox

Read on Issuu

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.

Subject Vertical File, Mcgarvey Ice

Center for Restoration Studies Vertical Files Finding Aids

No abstract provided.

Clark Memorandum: Fall 2017, J. Reuben Clark Law School, Byu Law School Alumni Association, J. Reuben Clark Law Society

The Clark Memorandum

• Ascending the Mountain: A Story of the People of the Great Hill (Michalyn Steele)
• Unlocking Potential: How a Law Degree Amplifies Your Ability to Bless the World (Jane Mitchell)
• The EU Apple Case: Who Has a Dog in the Fight? (J. Clifton Fleming, Jr.)

A Thoughtful Faith: Essays On Belief By Mormon Scholars, Philip L. Barlow

Books

No abstract provided.

The Gospel According To Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Although scholarly investigation of the Book of Mormon has increased significantly over the last three decades, only a tiny portion of that effort has been focused on the theological or doctrinal content of this central volume of Latter-day Saints (LDS) scripture. This article identifies three inclusios which promise definitions of the doctrine or gospel of Jesus Christ and proposes a cumulative methodology to explain how these definitions work. This approach reveals a consistently presented, six-part formula defining ‘the way’ by which mankind can qualify for eternal life. In this way the article provides a starting point for scholarly examinations of …

Jacob's Textual Legacy, John Hilton Iii

Faculty Publications

Today, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints know what texts are considered authoritative—namely, the standard works. As members, we recognize a formal process for canonization; for example, at the Saturday afternoon session of general conference in April 1976, President N. Eldon Tanner announced that the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve had approved two revelations for inclusion in the Pearl of Great Price and called for a sustaining vote. This concept of canonization in the restored church has echoes from earlier Christian practices and councils.

3 Nephi 9:19–20: The Offering Of A Broken Heart, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

As recorded in the Book of Mormon (3 Nephi 8), the atoning death of Jesus Christ in Jerusalem brought prophesied destruction and darkness in the Americas. Following approximately three hours of terrible devastation (8:19), a “thick darkness” engulfed the land for three days (8:20, 23; 10:9). During this period of darkness the voice of Jesus was “heard among all the inhabitants of the earth, upon all the face of this land” (9:1).

I Know Not, John Hilton Iii

Faculty Publications

Do you think that the weapons buildup we are seeing in some countries will lead to Armageddon?" It was a priesthood session of stake conference, and the presiding General Authority had opened the meeting to questions. He looked at the person who had asked the question and simply responded, “I don’t know. Next question.” Throughout the meeting, the General Authority was asked many questions, several of which did not have answers that could be found in the scriptures or teachings of living prophets. To each of these questions, he answered, “I don’t know.” One of the major temptations gospel teachers …

Jesus, The Great Shepherd-King, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters” (Psalm 23:1–2). So begins one of the most beloved psalms and best-known biblical passages mentioning a shepherd. Shepherd imagery is utilized in scripture to depict three important aspects of Jesus’s identity and mission: His roles as Savior, King, and Jehovah, the God of Israel. Of these three, His role as compassionate Savior, devoted to protecting and saving the flock of God, is the aspect of shepherd symbolism that typically comes to mind. Less well known, …

Before Jeremiah Was: Divine Election In The Ancient Near East, Dana M. Pike

Faculty Publications

FRAGMENTS OF GOSPEL TRUTHS are often detected by Latter-day Saint scholars studying ancient texts, especially texts from the ancient Near East. This essay focuses on one example of this phenomenon. Divine election—the academic designation for the choosing of people by deity for position and opportunity in mortal life—is a claim that is well attested in ancient Near Eastern texts, including the Hebrew Bible.¹ Latter-day Saints correlate certain aspects of this concept with premortal foreordination and are familiar with a few key biblical passages, such as Jeremiah 1:5, that feature divine election. However, many Latter-day Saints are less familiar with the …

Corporeal Resurrection: The Pure Doctrine Restored Through The Prophet Joseph Smith, J. Peter Hansen

Theses and Dissertations

During Jesus' earthly ministry He taught the pure doctrine of corporeal resurrection to His disciples. Some of them became special witnesses to the literal bodily resurrection of Jesus after His death. Over time, men's philosophies perverted the true doctrine of the resurrection. Those teachings became the orthodoxy of the early Christian church and were handed down to modern Christianity. The pure doctrine of corporeal resurrection was weakened, and in some sects, was lost.

The Lord restored the gospel through Joseph Smith. Part of the Restoration qualified him as a special witness of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. Through him pure …

Time As Motivation: Selected Theories As Compared To Modern Revelation, Jill Judkins

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis proposes that human beings by virtue of living in each new present moment are motivated to develop strategies to secure the best possible outcome in their lived experience. A personal account of the phenomenological experience of time is presented and a brief history is given. The implications associated with being thrown into the present moment make apparent the weaknesses of the current assumptions that the slices of the present moment form a continuity of past and future and create a coherent synthesis of life. The assumption that human beings are intentional, goal-directed, and prone to seek meaning in …

The Historical Debate Among Leaders Of The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints On The Topic Of The United Nations, Katie Marie Lenhard

Theses and Dissertations

Since the inception of the United Nations in 1945, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have made public statements regarding the international peace and security organization. To the confusion of many Church members, who often look to their leaders for prophetic guidance on numerous spiritual and temporal topics, these statements have been conflicting. Some Church leaders have clearly opposed the United Nations and others have openly supported it, offering various ideological explanations for their beliefs. Yet, it is evident that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has never made an official position on the …

A History Of The Concepts Of Zion And New Jerusalem In America From Early Colonialism To 1835 With A Comparison To The Teachings Of The Prophet Joseph Smith, Ryan S. Gardner

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis discusses the role that the idea of Zion has played in the first three centuries of American religion. Millenarian themes, such as building New Jerusalem, were common religious themes in seventeenth- to nineteenth-century America. Understanding the doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints regarding this vital subject will be helpful for historians, scholars, and teachers.

When the Puritan colonists came to the New World in the early seventeenth century, they sought not only a land of religious liberty, but also a land of ultimate religious achievement: the establishment of Zion and/or New Jerusalem. Many of …

Becoming Mormon Men: Male Rites Of Passage And The Rise Of Mormonism In Nineteenth-Century America, Bruce R. Lott

Theses and Dissertations

The evidence presented in this thesis supports a view of the first Mormon men as coming from the agrarian majority of early nineteenth-century American farmers and artisans who embraced a set of manly ideals that differed significantly, in many ways, from those embraced by their middle-class contemporaries. These men's life writings attest to boyhood experiences of working alongside their fathers as soon as they were physically able, and subsequently of acting as substitute farmers and breadwinners as well as being put out to work outside the direct supervision of their fathers. Such experiences enabled them to frequently follow in the …

Religiosity And Physical Fitness: A Study Of Middle-Aged Mormon Men, Janette Olsen

Theses and Dissertations

Research has related both physical fitness and religiosity to health. This study combined these ideas and examined the relationship between religiosity and physical fitness among middle aged Mormon men (n=110). Mormons are an ideal population for study because of their strict health code. Fitness variables were grip strength, waist/hip ratio, body mass index (BMI) and estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). A questionnaire assessed level of religiosity and separated subjects into two groups: highly religious (n=35) and less religious (n=14). Moderately religious subjects (n=61) were omitted. A one way ANOVA (between-groups design) found no significant differences in fitness variables between groups. …

The Impact Of Religiosity On Coping Among Lds Adolescents, Matthew P. Roper

Theses and Dissertations

This study examines the impact of religiosity on coping in a group of Mormon (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) youth. Longitudinal data were gathered from detailed questionnaires administered to 2852 male and female adolescents in 1990 and 1993. Coping was conceptualized as four general dimensions (self-concept, public activities and service, deviance and future plans). Religiosity was also conceptualized multi-dimensionally (religious belief, public religiosity, private religious behavior, and religious experiences). Multiple regression analysis was used to investigate the unique effects of each of the dimensions of religiosity on each dimension of coping. It was hypothesized that religiosity was positively …

Religious Couples' Reported Effects Of Prayer In Conflict Situations, Julie Ann Stout

Theses and Dissertations

For religious couples, the spiritual domain stands alongside the biological, psychological, and systemic domains as an influence upon interaction and mechanism for change. This study is a quantitative expansion of Butler, Gardner, and Bird's (1998) qualitative study, of the change dynamics of prayer. This study attempted to improve the generalizability of the Butler et al. (1998) study through its use of a larger, and religiously and geographically more diverse sample. This study investigated the effects of prayer during times of marital conflict through a quantitative methodology with a survey design. The researchers developed a survey based on the findings of …

Utopian Marriage In Nineteenth-Century America: Public And Private Discourse, Brenda Olsen Andrus

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a rhetorical analysis of utopian discourse about marriage in mid-nineteenth-century America. Although utopian communities are usually approached within the fields of history and sociology, a rhetorical analysis adds to the discussion by uncovering the discursive complexity of marriage beliefs within a rapidly changing culture. Discursive features of the Shaker, Oneida Community and Latter-day Saint texts are outlined and compared according to the following format:

Chapter One examines the textures of conflict within the dominant culture's views of marriage and gender roles in nineteenth-century America, with a brief overview of reform efforts of the day. This chapter provides …

"Yet I Must Submit": Mormon Women's Perspectives On Death And Dying 1847-1900, Julie Paige Hemming Savage

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis explores Mormon women's experiences with death as revealed in their personal writings from 1847-1900. The study includes an examination of women's involvement in caring for the sick and tending to the dead, as well as an exploration of women's personal reactions to death. A careful reading of Mormon women's writings from this period reveals that Mormonism equipped believers with powerful doctrines and rituals which helped women cope with the sorrow and profound grief that accompanied the deaths of those they loved. In addition, members living in Mormon communities rendered invaluable physical, emotional, and spiritual support to each other …

Nephite Uses And Interpretations Of Zenos, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

The allegory of the olive tree attributed to the ancient prophet Zenos and copied from the plates of brass into the small plates by Jacob was a source used by several Book of Mormon prophets. Lehi, Nephi, Jacob, and Alma seemed to be relying on the allegory at several points in the elaboration of their own visions, prophecies, and teachings. This paper provides a systematic documentation of this phenomenon, including passages that have not previously been linked to Zenos. It also demonstrates how the interpretations of the allegory by the earliest Nephite prophets advanced distinctive concepts and language that also …

The Gospel Of Jesus Christ As Taught By The Nephite Prophets, Noel B. Reynolds

Faculty Publications

Three definitional passages in the Book of Mormon define the gospel or doctrine of Christ precisely as the way or means by which an individual can come to Christ and be saved. Jesus Christ is quoted in all three passages teaching a six-part formula: All men and women who will (1) believe or trust in him, (2) repent of all their sins, and (3) witness to the Father that they have so repented and taken his name upon them, will (4) receive a remission of sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost, which will guide and sustain them as …

The Pilgrimage Phenomenon: An Analysis Of The Motivations Of Visitors To Temple Square, Jill W. Knapp

Theses and Dissertations

Pilgrimage to sacred places of religious meaning has taken place since the early days of mankind. In the last few decades pilgrimage travel has experienced a world-wide boom due to modern means of transportation. Though pilgrimage is most commonly referred to in the context of the major world religions (Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), there is some indication of pilgrimage-like travel among Mormons.

This thesis looks at Mormon pilgrimage behavior among Mormon visitors to Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah. The study undertaken has revealed considerable differences between Mormon and non-Mormon motivations, behavior and visiting patterns visitors to …

The Convert As A Social Type: A Critical Assessment Of The Snow-Machalek Conversion Typology As Applied To British Mormon Converts, Joy A. O'Banion

Theses and Dissertations

The study was designed to be a critical assessment of the Snow-Machalek Conversion Typology. Data were collected from Mormon converts in the British Isles, and an attempt was made to apply the typology to these converts. It was assumed that if the typology could be effectively applied to Mormon converts, strong correlations would be found between its dimensions and quantitative measures of conversion. It was also assumed that social integration of converts would play an important part in the conversion process.

The application of the typology proved to be very difficult; however, some dimensions seemed to be more useful than …

John Nock Hinton: The Reconstructed Life Of An English Born Mormon Convert Of Virgin City, Utah, Lenora Atkin Meeks

Theses and Dissertations

John Nock Hinton, an Englishman, was converted to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England in 1856. The motivating factor in his life, thereafter, was his strong conviction that the Church was the literal kingdom of God on the earth, and its leaders were God's prophets, and its mission was to usher in the last dispensation on the earth, the Millennium, and the second coming of the Savior. His duty, as he saw it, was to labor unceasingly to help accomplish that mission, to work out his own salvation, and to teach his children the …