Mormon Studies Commons^™

Believing Adoption, Samuel M. Brown

BYU Studies

Adoption theology is concerned with salvation and entry into the family of God. Early Latter-day Saint (Mormon) adoption theology taught by Joseph Smith came to include priesthood, baptism for the dead, temple rites, and more. The author concludes that this doctrine informs important questions, including: Are spirits born? What is the nature of salvation? What is the shape of the heaven family (the interlocking network of familial connections that will exist in the afterlife)? Adoption theology offers an alternative to the popular doctrine of spirit birth, one that is consistent with what Joseph Smith taught about the nature of God …

The Symbolism Of The Beehive In Latter-Day Saint Tradition, Val Brinkerhoff

BYU Studies

This photo essay presents Brinkerhoff's inspiring photos of beehives in significant Mormon places. For early Mormons, the beehive symbolized the kingdom of God and was used as an architectural feature, in publications and discourse, on gravestones, on money, and more. Beehives used on temple doors and entryways symbolize entering the kingdom of God. The beehive on financial items symbolizes the Saints' consecration of their worldly goods. The beehive was chosen in 1848 as a symbol for the State of Deseret, using Ether 2:3. Later, when the State of Deseret became Utah, the beehive came to symbolize industry, cooperation, and economic …

Historical Context Of The Doctrine And Covenants And Other Modern Scriptures, Volume 1, Kurt Elieson, J. B. Haws

BYU Studies

Kurt Elieson's Historical Context of the Doctrine and Covenants and Other Modern Scriptures is a nice self-published surprise. Elieson, a Texas attorney, saw a hole in the corpus of Doctrine and Covenants commentaries and study guides, and he aimed to fill it. He has succeeded on several fronts.

...Elieson has woven together in one helpful book an up-to-date and remarkably thorough collection of diary accounts and documentary evidence to give depth and context to the story of the receipt (and, importantly, the early circulation) of Joseph Smith's revelations. Because of that, Elieson's book should earn a place on many desks …

Integrating Byu's Education In Zion Gallery Into Campus Life, Heather M. Seferovich

BYU Studies

After years of preparation, the Education in Zion Gallery at Brigham Young University opened in 2008. The gallery highlights the long tradition of education in the LDS faith, tells of the sacrifices that went into Brigham Young Academy and later Brigham Young University, and inspires students to seek an education of the whole soul—intellectually, spiritually, and physically—through integrating the permanent exhibition into course curricula, hosting programs and activities, developing rotating exhibitions, and forming partnerships with various campus entities.

Late States Of Being, Dixie L. Partridge

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

A Tribute To High School English, Dan Belnap

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The New Mormon Ecumenicism: Thoughts On Mormonism At The Crossroads Of Philosophy And Theology: Essays In Honor Of David L. Paulsen, Stephen H. Webb

BYU Studies

There is no doubt that a "Mormon Moment" swept through the publishing industry in the wake of Mitt Romney's presidential ambitions. If a lasting and productive time of reflection on Mormonism's relationship to traditional and creedal Christianity comes from this moment, David Paulsen will deserve much of the credit. I have to admit my biases about his writings up front. While working on a book about a heretical option in ancient Christology that I call "heavenly flesh metaphysics," I came across several of his essays defending the notion of a corporeal God. I had been inching my way in that …

Tiki And Temple: The Mormon Mission In New Zealand, 1854–1958, A. Keith Thompson, Marjorie Newton

BYU Studies

Writing Church history is an art form that has developed significantly in the last twenty years. Historical facts recited without reference to the spirit of revelation that guides the work of God in the last days can be spiritually sterile. However, a fearful focus on how certain materials might affect the faith of readers can damage the color and texture of any historiographical account. Often, the personal failings of the players in LDS religious history serve to underscore the Lord's hand in his work--as readers infer that it could not have worked out as it did but for divine influence. …

Pansy's History: The Autobiography Of Margaret E. P. Gordon, 1866–1966, Maggie Gallup Kopp, Claudia L. Bushman

BYU Studies

Margaret Gordon's memoir, composed over several decades, is notable for the author's clear voice and independent spirit, as well as her detailed accounts of frontier life, financial and family hardships, church service, and transcontinental travel. This book will provide new sources of study for historians of frontier life in northern Utah and Alberta and especially of the experience of Mormon women in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Bushman has annotated her grandmother's manuscript and provides family correspondence and excerpts from Gordon's diaries to supplement the main narrative, enriching it as a potential source for scholarly inquiry and expanding a …

My Vocation As A Scholar: An Idea Of The University, John R. Rosenberg

BYU Studies

This lecture was given on March 21, 2013, as part of the Brigham Young University Faculty Center's "My Journey as a Scholar of Faith" series. John R. Rosenberg, dean of the College of Humanities at BYU, uses architectural features of the Joseph F. Smith Building (JFSB), home of his college, to illustrate certain aspects of scholarship and faith. The arches surrounding the courtyard represent a beautiful, efficient management of tension and compression and remind us that a university is a collection of individuals, admired at times for their individual graces, but relied upon to sustain a common project. "The glory …

Which Is The Wisest Course?: The Transformation In Mormon Temple Consciousness, 1870–1898, Richard E. Bennett

BYU Studies

From the 1870s to 1890, the first Latter-day Saint temples in Utah were completed and temple work was fully underway, and at the same time the Church was being legally compelled to abandon polygamy. In 1890, Wilford Woodruff faced disenfranchisement of the Church and the loss of the temples. He was prepared to defend polygamy, but upon revelation from God changed his course and issued the manifesto ending plural marriage. Richard E. Bennett argues that a growing temple consciousness among Church leaders was a more significant cause of the manifesto than political ends, including the Saints' desire for statehood. The …

Self-Interest, Ethical Egoism, And The Restored Gospel, Darin C. Gates

BYU Studies

The gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Latter-day Saint Church may be seen as advocating a legitimate focus on our own interest. Thus some people have argued that the gospel is the same as ethical egoism, which is that people ought to act only in their long-term interest. This article examines the relationship between the gospel and ethical egoism and concludes that they are not equal, for two reasons: the gospel and ethical egoism accept different normative grounds for right actions, and they contain incompatible accounts of motivation. In distinguishing the gospel from ethical egoism, the author concludes …

Mphs Flyer

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Mphs Program Byu-Hawaii

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Kaleohano 1860s, Dr. Ishmael Stagner

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

La‘Ie: 1865-1963: The Pre-Pcc Years, Dr. Ishmael Stagner

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

To: Tavita “David” Tausilinu’U Hannemann, Max E. Stanton

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Regarding: Max Stanton’s Experience at the Polynesian Cultural Center, 1964-1965

Altered and revised August 26, 2013 for presentation via Skype from my home in Portland, Oregon (where I was recovering from a recently a severely broken left ankle I had received on August 2, 20123, just five weeks before in Vancouver Island, in Canada.) This was my verbal presentation for the Mormon Pacific Historical Society –at the “Little Theatre” at BYU-Hawaii for the Joseph Napela Centre for Pacific Studies Fiftieth Anniversary Celebration of the Polynesian Cultural Center, September 7, 2013. I wish to extend my sincerest thanks to Drs. Riley …

Pcc Night Show Update, Craig Ferre

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

In 1940 the original chapel in Laie, then 75 years old was being readied for a much need repainting. At the time it was common to remove old paint with a blow torch. This proved fatal to the old wooding structure as it subsequently burnt to the ground. I can imagine that the poor saint whose blow torch ignited the blaze felt terrible, and that he and the other workers were inconsolable with their loss. They could never have envisioned that this tragic act would give rise to one of the world’s most popular tourist attractions, and blessing beyond measure …

“School Thy Feelings”: The Critical Years At The Church College Of Hawaii And The Polynesian Cultural Center, 1955-1970, Alf Pratte

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Shortly after he was introduced to LDS president David O. McKay, Ishmael W. Stagner was invited to show McKay around the scrubby and waste-like North Shore area in 1955. It had not yet blossomed into the yet unfinished and unnamed cultural institution that in future decades would, in the words of Harold B. Lee, “…tie together the La’ie temple, the Church College of Hawaii, and the Polynesian Culture Center as the paramount activities of the Church.”1

Joseph Smith, Jesus, And Satanic Opposition: Atonement, Evil, And The Mormon Vision, Steven L. Olsen, Douglas J. Davies

BYU Studies

Douglas J. Davies is one of the most insightful and prolific scholars of Mormonism working today. He is a professor in the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Durham, UK. Two of his earlier studies--The Mormon Culture of Salvation (2000) and An Introduction to Mormonism (2003)--analyze foundational aspects of Mormonism from an engaging academic synthesis of history, religious studies, cultural studies, literary studies, theology, and philosophy. The breadth and depth of his scholarly background enable him to address new and crucial questions, yielding remarkable insights. For example, The Mormon Culture of Salvation proposes that the plan …

A Firm Foundation: Church Organization And Administration, R. Mark Melville, David J. Whittaker, Arnold K. Garr

BYU Studies

While A Firm Foundation as a whole will appeal mainly to Church scholars and those interested in organizational theory, each of its individual articles offers an important synthesis of information for those who are interested in a particular topic. For example, a musician researching the history of the hymnbook would be interested in Michael Hicks's article "How to Make (and Unmake) a Mormon Hymnbook," and a newly called Young Women president might be intrigued by Janet Peterson's article "Young Women of Zion: An Organizational History." The book is broad enough that there is something of interest for everyone, from a …

A Mormon Approach To Politics, Thomas B. Griffith

BYU Studies

This address was delivered November 13, 2012, in Washington, D.C., at the tenth anniversary of Brigham Young University’s Milton A. Barlow Center. Thomas B. Griffith is a circuit judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

Faith And Same-Gender Attraction: A Look At Ty Mansfield's Voices Of Hope, Allen E. Bergin, Ty Mansfield, Marian S. Bergin

BYU Studies

People who experience same-sex attraction need not necessarily find themselves at odds with Christianity and with Mormonism in particular. Nineteen people give very personal reports in Ty Mansfield's book Voices of Hope, discussing their social, emotional, and spiritual lives. The book is not a review of case histories or clinical data of same-gender attraction, but rather lived experience of finding hope in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In a field of research loaded with political entanglement, this essay offers a window into the lives of those who have, through faith and hope, transcended the statistics and studies that claim same-gender …

The Book Of Mormon: A Biography, Paul C. Gutjahr, Tod R. Harris

BYU Studies

There is something of a paradox prevalent in academic religious studies: in order to consider a community and its traditions objectively, one should not be a member of that community; yet the only way to understand fully and appreciate and therefore faithfully report about the community is to be a member. Many times this contradiction leads to the unfortunate situation where "outsiders" do not report their findings objectively or accurately and thus disappoint those hoping for fair and informative treatment, and where the work of members attempting serious scholarly analysis of their own community is viewed with suspicion and distrust …

Shakers, Mormons, And Religious Worlds: Conflicting Visions, Contested Boundaries, Matthew J. Grow, Stephen C. Taysom

BYU Studies

In Shakers, Mormons, and Religious Worlds, Stephen Taysom, an assistant professor of religious studies at Cleveland State University, has written an intriguing and theoretically rich monograph that compares Shaker and Mormon approaches to religious identity formation and boundary maintenance. Although Shakerism dwindled as a religious movement in the twentieth century, Shakers and Latter-day Saints in the nineteenth century stood out as examples of successful new movements on the American religious scene. Taysom's comparison of Latter-day Saints and Shakers places him within a select group of scholars, most notably Mario DePillis, Lawrence Foster, and Spencer Fluhman, who have studied Shakers and …

Speculative Fiction, J. Michael Hunter

Faculty Publications

Speculative fiction describes a broad grouping of fiction types containing fantastical content. It includes genres such as horror, science fiction, and fantasy. It can include other genres such as mystery and romance if stories in those categories alter reality with elements of magic and the supernatural. It can include non-genre fiction and any story with strange, weird, or amazing things going on. Speculative fiction takes readers out of the real world into a place beyond reality, a place where anything is possible. Mormon writers, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), appear to be particularly …

Howard W. Hunter And The Development Of The Polynesian Culture Center, Chad Orton

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

While the vision behind the Polynesian Cultural Center may never have been realized without the efforts of Wendell B. Mendenhall, it is also likely that the center may never have celebrated fifty years without the work of Howard W. Hunter. In January 1965—fifteen months after the PCC opened its doors—Elder Hunter, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, received a letter from LDS Church President David O. McKay appointing him to replace Mendenhall as Chairman of the Board of the PCC, a position he would hold for more than eleven years. Elder Hunter’s service, coming as it did …

The Man Behind The Discourse: A Biography Of King Follett, Joann F. Mortensen, Emily H. Bates

BYU Studies

Joann Mortensen, a third great-granddaughter of King and Louisa Follett, has long been involved in documenting the lives of her ancestors. Her book, The Man Behind the Discourse, is the first published biography of King Follett, the man whose funeral sermon became known as one of the Prophet Joseph Smith's greatest discourses.

Mortensen has structured the book to be accessible to a wide audience. For those less familiar with the Church, a short, simple introduction to the beliefs of the Saints stands at the beginning of the book, and a "brief overview of Joseph Smith's life and prophetic mission" (59) …

The 1890s Mormon Culture Of Letters And The Post-Manifesto Marriage Crisis: A New Approach To Home Literature, Lisa Olsen Tait

BYU Studies

To please while we teach important lessons, to implant solid principles of truth and nobility while chaining the minds and attentions with our seemingly “light literature;” these are some of our aims.

—Susa Young Gates