Mormon Studies Commons^™

The Japanese Missionary Journals Of Elder Alma O. Taylor, 1901-10, Reid Larkin Neilson

Theses and Dissertations

On 14 February 1901, the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced the opening of the Japan Mission and the selection of Elder Heber J. Grant as its first president. The idea of sending Mormon missionaries to Japan had earlier been entertained by President Brigham Young and several other church leaders and lay members.

Until 1854, Japan was closed to western nations and their religious influences. Finally, Commodore Perry forced the Japanese to open their borders and minds to the economic and political entreaties of the United States. In time, other western nations and their …

The Lynching Of An American Prophet, Warren A. Jennings

BYU Studies

In 1839, Mormon refugees made their way from Missouri to Montrose, Iowa, across the Mississippi River from Nauvoo, Illinois, where they would eventually settle. The man who laid out the city of Montrose, David Wells Kilbourne, disliked Mormons because of a land dispute, and he shared his anti-Mormon opinions in the paper. One of his sympathizers, Thomas Dent, was an Anglican parson in England who'd seen members of his community join the strange new sect. Seeking information about the Mormons, Dent corresponded with Kilbourne. Here the author shares three of Kilbourne's letters to Dent. While the letters include both fact …

“Sweeping Everything Before It”: Early Mormonism In The Pine Barrens Of New Jersey, Stephen J. Fleming

BYU Studies

In the summer of 1838, Elder Benjamin Winchester (fig. 1) ventured into Monmouth County, New Jersey, to preach to gospel. Winchester was the first Mormon missionary to make it into the Pine Barrens, an area so named because of its sandy, unproductive land. Soon "the news went abroad, that a Mormon preacher had made his appearance in the land." Winchester wrote, "As to [Mormon] principles, and rules of faith, the people knew nothing, except by reports... [and] the people flocked out, in crowds to hear, yet at this time, more out of curiosity than any thing else." Once Winchester began …

Alma O. Taylor's Fact-Finding Mission To China, Reid L. Neilson

BYU Studies

In 1909, after serving as a mission president in Japan for eight years, native Utah Mormon Alma O. Taylor visited China as directed by leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to determine if Mormon missionaries should be sent there. Taylor did not speak Chinese, so he drew his conclusions by speaking to native English speakers living in China, often Protestant missionaries. Excerpts of Taylor's original report are published here, revealing some of the prejudices and perspectives Westerners had regarding China in the early 1900s. The author also supplies historical information about Mormon missionary work in Japan …

Mormons In The Press: Reactions To The 1901 Opening Of The Japan Mission, Shinji Takagi

BYU Studies

During the first month when a Mormon Apostle and three missionaries arrived to begin proselytizing work in Japan, the local and national press published at least 160 articles on Mormonism, many of the articles appearing on the front page. The media attention was unprecedented for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in that country. Here the author explores the reaction from the Japanese press toward Mormons, the social and historical context that led to such interest, and some of the media controversies that arose. The author concludes that one of the biggest reasons Mormons received such attention when …

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Front Matter, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

A Riddle For Didymus, Ellen Gregory

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Brief Notices, Connie Lamb, Robert L. Maxwell, Russell C. Taylor, Ivan F. Beutler, Joseph E. Gonzalez, Casualene Meyer

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Uintahs, Edward L. Hart

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Because Of Thy Exceeding Faith: A Choreographic Portrayal Of Women In The Book Of Mormon, Wendy L. Bone

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is a choreographic exploration that illuminates and defines moments in the lives of women who are mentioned in the Book of Mormon. These women are Sariah; the wife of King Lamoni and Abish, her servant; and the Ammonite mothers of Helaman's two thousand stripling warriors. It is through these stories that their faith was evident. By understanding the roles these women played in the history of the Book of Mormon, we can use their example to strengthen our own testimonies.
It was discovered through this process that, although one can read about the life of another, a deeper …

The Isaiah Passages In The Book Of Mormon: A Non-Aligned Text, Carol F. Ellertson

Theses and Dissertations

Since the advent of the Dead Sea Scrolls, four biblical textual scholars have emerged at the forefront of the dialogue concerning textual evolution. They are: Frank Moore Cross, Emanuel Tov, Shemaryahu Talmon and Eugene Ulrich. Though there is some overlap in their hypotheses, each scholar has put forth a framework of biblical textual development in light of these new discoveries.

If a new biblical text were discovered today, how would each scholar approach it? This thesis evaluates each scholars' views and concludes that Emanuel Tov's criteria for judging a newly discovered text is the most thorough and explanatory. Tov's views …

Fame And Latter-Day Saint Youth: Value Conflicts And The Interpretive Audience, Shellie M. Frey

Theses and Dissertations

Fame is a paradoxical issue: a phenomenon that is both embraced and shunned simultaneously in American culture and particularly within many religious institutions. Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), for instance, discourage its members (particularly the youth) from seeking out fame as well as famous individuals as role models. Yet they also incorporate positive rhetoric about fame as well in terms of famous LDS people, landmarks or groups. Furthermore, various aspects of the LDS Church (worldwide televised conferences, widely distributed books written by Church leaders, etc.) are highly mediated, thus, integrated with a public venue …

Addressing Mormon Female Communities: Working Towards A Woman's Capacity, Alyssa Snow Larson

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis project explores the discourse in Mormon culture addressing Mormon female communities. The discussion is sociological rather than theological and examines the functional characteristics of discourse found in the tradition regarding women. It sets out to review a paradox in the discourse addressing Mormon women that has been documented over time. I examine how this paradox in Mormon discourse establishes and limits women's roles; to do so, I use personal examples and the experience provided by thirteen women whom I interviewed.

The thesis is divided into three main discussions: Community, Discursive Action and Cooperation. My methodology involves a theoretical …

Two Sides Of A River: Mormon Transmigration Through Quincy, Illinois, And Hannibal, Missouri, Fred E. Woods

Faculty Publications

The infamous extermination order issued 27 October 1838 by Missouri Governor Lilburn W. Boggs caused thousands of Latter-day Saints to flee the state and seek refuge in Illinois across the Mississippi River. Illinois, established in 1817, had high hopes for its future, but just two decades later it was smitten, like the rest of America, with the economic depression of 1837. In such a needy condition, the people Illinois welcomed the Mormon migrants for three central reasons. Financially motivated, the state viewed the Latter-day Saint influx as an opportunity to raise its population to boost the economy through the collection …

Was The Path Nephi Saw ‘Strait And Narrow’ Or ‘Straight And Narrow', Noel B. Reynolds, Royal Skousen

Faculty Publications

A complete analysis of the full range of usage patterns for all forms of strait and straight in the Book of Mormon provides sufficient contextual evidence for resolving the orthographical problems that were introduced through these homophones in the manuscripts and the 1830 edition. The article lists all 27 occurrences of some form of straight in the 1830 edition, indicating which ones were changed to strait and in which LDS editions they were revised. The evidence, we believe, indicates that most of these later changes were correct. But because the Book of Mormon usage introduced by Nephi was distinctive, and …

Index, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

End Matter, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

A Jewel In The Gardens Of Paradise: The Art And Architecture Of The Hawai'i Temple, Paul L. Anderson

BYU Studies

For seventy years, the Hawai'i Temple (now called the La'ie Hawai'i Temple) has stood like a timeless vision of paradise, white and gleaming between emerald mountains and a sapphire sea. Some visitors have seen in its noble form and lush gardens a resemblance to the Taj Mahal or some wonder of the ancient world. However, my own reaction upon approaching the temple for the first time was surprise. My lifelong familiarity with the building had come from handsome and exotic color photographs in Church magazines, and I was amazed to discover how much smaller the temple is than I had …

The Story Of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries Of Tradition And Reform Roger E. Olson, David L. Paulsen

BYU Studies

Roger E. Olson. The Story of Christian Theology: Twenty Centuries of Tradition and Reform. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999. 652 pp. Notes, index. $34.99.

New Photographs Of Joseph F. Smith's Centennial Memorial Trip To Vermont, 1905, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Paul H. Peterson

BYU Studies

President Joseph F. Smith and a group of other Latter-day Saint Church leaders, accompanied by family and friends, left Salt Lake City on December 15, 1905, for Vermont to dedicate a memorial honoring the Prophet Joseph Smith, on the hundredth anniversary of his birth. During their trip, they visited Church historical sites in Ohio, New York, and Vermont and Smith family sites in Massachusetts, Vermont, and New York. Photographs were taken during most of the trip, preserving a view of the places considered sacred to the ever growing number of members of the Church.

The Great Wall, Carol Ottesen

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Moon From Paysandú, Patrick Madden

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Twentieth-Century Temples, Julia Parkinson

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Brief Notice, Jed L. Woodworth

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Mahonri Young: His Life And Art Thomas E. Toone; A Song Of Joys: The Biography Of Mahonri Mackintosh Young—Sculptor, Painter, Etcher Norma S. Davis, Todd A. Britsch

BYU Studies

Thomas E. Toone. Mahonri Young: His Life and Art. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1997. xiii; 206 pp. Chronology, illustrations, notes, index. $75.00.

Norma S. Davis. A Song of Joys: The Biography of Mahonri Mackintosh Young—Sculptor, Painter, Etcher. Provo, Utah: M. Seth and Maurine D. Horne Center for the Study of Art, Brigham Young University Museum of Art, 1999. 305 pp. Illustrations, notes, index. $65.00.

Newel And Lydia Bailey Knight's Kirtland Love Story And Historic Wedding, William G. Hartley

BYU Studies

In October 1835, Newel Knight and Lydia Bailey, two spouseless adults still in the prime of life, found themselves living in the same boardinghouse and eating at the same dining table. As lodgers with Hyrum and Jerusha Smith in Kirtland, Ohio, they had good reason to notice each other. Lydia's husband had deserted her more than three years earlier, and Newel's wife had died, a year before. Romance developed quickly, and in a couple of months, Lydia accepted Newel's marriage proposal. Their pending wedding led Joseph Smith, who had personally converted both Lydia and newel, to declare his right to …

Front Matter, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Joseph Smith's Performance Of Marriages In Ohio, M. Scott Bradshaw

BYU Studies

During the 1830s, ministers from a wide range of Christian denominations performed marriages in Ohio. Attempting to compile a comprehensive list of such churches would be a mammoth task, but a sampling of the court records from several Ohio counties shows that representatives from at least a dozen religious denominations were actively solemnizing marriages. These denominations included Anabaptists, Baptists, Congregationalists, Disciples of Christ, Episcopalians, Evangelicals, German Reformed, Mennonites, Methodists, Presbyterians, Unitarians, Universalists, and, of particular interest to readers here, Latter-day Saints.

Establishing The Church Simply, John P. Livingstone

BYU Studies

The Church's concern for Native Americans led to the development of guidelines for simplifying curriculum and organization, thereby allowing indigenous priesthood leaders to move the Church forward more quickly and effectively where there are special language or cultural needs. The author, a former district and mission president, explores that development and shares his personal experience with the Church's simplified program.