Religious Education Commons^™

"In The Land Of The Chaldeans": The Search For Abraham's Homeland Revisited, Stephen O. Smoot

BYU Studies

Readers of the Hebrew Bible first encounter Abram (later Abraham), the spiritual father of the three great monotheistic faiths—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—at the end of Genesis 11. There they discover he was the son of a certain Terah and claimed “Ur of the Chaldeans” as his home (Gen. 11:28). Being as central as Abraham is to the patriarchal narratives of Genesis and, subsequently, to the faith of scores of believers across the globe, both faithful and nonbelieving readers have turned a critical eye toward the passages where Abraham makes an appearance and have attempted to discern if any historicity lies …

The Political Climate Of Saxony During The Conversion Of Karl G. Maeser: With Special Reference To The Franklin D. Richards Letter To Brigham Young, November 1855, A. Legrand Richards

BYU Studies

In September 1855, Franklin D. Richards, who was serving as “President of the Church in Europe,” toured the Church membership on the Continent. In three weeks, he visited the members in France, Switzerland, and Italy, bearing testimony, strengthening the members, and hearing the stories of their struggles.

Constructively Broken, Sarah D'Evegnee

BYU Studies

“Crazy world. Cockeyed.”

Mr. Savo, in The Chosen, by Chiam Potok

I Have Traced A Jagged Autumn, Scott Cameron

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Evolving Faith: Wanderings Of A Mormon Biologist, Blake T. Ostler

BYU Studies

Steven L. Peck. Evolving Faith: Wanderings of a Mormon Biologist.

Provo, Utah: Neal A. Maxwell Institute, 2015.

Defender: The Life Of Daniel H. Wells, Cherry B. Silver

BYU Studies

Quentin Thomas Wells. Defender: The Life of Daniel H. Wells.

Logan: Utah State University Press, 2016.

The Bible, Mormon Scripture, And The Rhetoric Of Allusivity, Jeffrey D. Tucker

BYU Studies

Nicholas J. Frederick. The Bible, Mormon Scripture, and the Rhetoric of Allusivity.

Madison, N.J.: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2016.

Far Away In The West: Reflections On The Mormon Pioneer Trail, Veronica J. Anderson

BYU Studies

Far Away in the West: Reflections on the Mormon Pioneer Trail, edited by Scott C. Esplin, Richard E. Bennett, Susan Easton Black, and Craig K. Manscill (Provo, Utah: BYU Religious Studies Center, 2015)

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

"I Was Not Ready To Die Yet": William Stowell's Utah War Ordeal, R. Devan Jensen, Kenneth L. Alford

BYU Studies

In the fall of 1857, twenty-one-year-old Cynthia Jane Stowell bade farewell to her husband, William R. R. Stowell, a lieutenant in the Utah militia working to hinder the US Army from entering Utah Territory. Cynthia, who was pregnant, was tending nine children—six of whom were orphans she and William had adopted. Sophronia Stowell, a plural wife of William, also had children to tend. That winter they received news that William had been captured and was being held as a prisoner of war at Camp Scott, near Fort Bridger, in present-day Wyoming. The two women must have worried that they might …

Jewels, Michelle Forstrom

BYU Studies

The first time it happened, I was seven. My grandma had mailed me a tiny ring for my birthday, an aquamarine set in silver. I clapped my hands and couldn’t stop jumping when I saw it. It was the first piece of jewelry I had ever owned; like wearing a piece of the sky. I took it everywhere—presenting my hand to the world, palm down, as if I were queen. It was the most beautiful ring in the history of rings.

Ways Of Thinking, Dawn Baker Brimley

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Kingship, Democracy, And The Message Of The Book Of Mormon, Gregory Steven Dundas

BYU Studies

Chapter 29 of the book of Mosiah, in which the people of Zarahemla transform their government from a monarchy to a rule of judges, is a crucial—indeed, pivotal—chapter in the Book of Mormon. Modern readers of the book, particularly those of us raised in Western nations, are prone to react very positively to this story, viewing it as the creation of a free, democratic system, and we are inclined to read this account with something of the same thrill with which we observed the freedom-loving, democratic urges of peoples worldwide, most notably in Eastern Europe in 1989 and in more …

From The Editor, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

The year 2017 promises to be a very exciting year for readers of BYU Studies Quarterly. With many challenges as well as positive developments happening around the world, we expect that our readers are on the constant lookout for solid information and commendable perspectives. The carefully written and rigorously peer-reviewed pages of this journal continue to offer new insights into old problems and to bring old wisdom to bear on new issues. With this in mind, my thoughts returned to the frequently cited section 88 of the Doctrine and Covenants.

The Ancient Doctrine Of The Two Ways And The Book Of Mormon, Noel B. Reynolds

BYU Studies

From its opening pages to the end, the Bible describes a bifurcated world in which God bids, commands, and teaches the people he has created to follow him in the way of righteousness, and in which the devil leads people into wickedness. And while great blessings and cursings are promised and realized in this life according to which way people choose to live their lives, the final judgment comes after this life when all will be judged according to whether they chose to follow good or evil. This way of seeing things surfaces explicitly in various texts and is known …

End Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Church Library Coordinating Committee And The Correlation Of Meetinghouse Libraries, Cory Nimer

BYU Studies

Beginning in the late 1950s, many religious groups in the United States saw a growing interest in the development and improvement of libraries. Within some denominations, organizations were created to advocate library programs and promulgate standards and guidelines. This effort included the establishment of the Parish Library Section of the Catholic Library Association in 1957 and the formation of the Lutheran Church Library Association the following year. A drive toward greater cooperation and professionalization culminated in 1967 with the creation of the Church and Synagogue Library Association, a nonprofit, nondenominational organization that provided conferences and publications for training church librarians.

From The Editor, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

This being the one hundredth issue of BYU Studies Quarterly for which I have served as editor in chief, this occasion calls for a moment of grateful celebration. I am extremely thankful for the numerous people whose goodwill and devoted service make the continued publication of this journal possible. Their wise judgment and brilliant assistance mean the world to me! They include longtime BYU faculty members in many disciplines, members of our staff and editorial boards, a steady stream of new blood from undergraduates who toil happily as interns and budding colleagues, as well as committed authors, university administrators, and …

Thirteenth Apostle: The Diaries Of Amasa M. Lyman, 1832-1877, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel

BYU Studies

Scott H. Partridge, ed. Thirteenth Apostle: The Diaries of Amasa M. Lyman, 1832-1877.

Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2016.

Samuel And His Nephite Sources, John Hilton Iii, Sunny Hendry Hafen, Jaron Hansen

BYU Studies

Samuel the Lamanite is a unique and powerful individual in the Book of Mormon. Dennis Largey described him as “one of the most colorful figures in the Book of Mormon,” stating that “few readers can forget the image of this fearless servant of God announcing the dramatic signs of Christ’s birth and death, crying repentance from the walls of Zarahemla."

Joseph Smith's Dog, Old Major, Alexander L. Baugh

BYU Studies

When it comes to history, interesting information is often found in the little-known, incidental details. Discovering the lesser-known facts in people’s lives helps one understand more about their disposition, character, temperament, motivation, and personality—who they really were and what they were like. One such aspect of the life of Joseph Smith is how he came to own a dog and his close relationship with this canine companion.

Masters Of Light: Coming Unto Christ Through Inspired Devotional Art, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel

BYU Studies

Herman du Toit. Masters of Light: Coming unto Christ through Inspired Devotional Art.

Springville, Utah: Cedar Fort, 2016.

From The Editor, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

The front and back covers of this issue of BYU Studies Quarterly feature a unique stained glass window. It is found in the chapel of the La Cañada Ward meetinghouse in Southern California. Since I grew up in that ward, where my parents lived and served for fifty years, I have many special personal reasons for wanting to share these pictures with all who enjoy this journal.

Against The Wall: Johann Huber And The First Mormons In Austria, Melissa Howland

BYU Studies

Against the Wall: Johann Huber and the First Mormons in Austria, by Roger P. Minert (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City, Deseret Book, 2015)

The Mapmakers Of New Zion: A Cartographic History Of Mormonism, Brandon S. Plewe

BYU Studies

Richard V. Francaviglia. The Mapmakers of New Zion: A Cartographic History of Mormonism.

Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2015.

Margaret Barker's "The Lord Is One"–A Response, Andrew C. Skinner

BYU Studies

Margaret Barker’s essay “The Lord Is One” aims at extending the discussion about the doctrine of theosis or deification of humans back to its earliest scriptural roots. From a certain perspective, then, the title of the essay could very well be changed from “The Lord Is One” to “The Lord Is Many,” for by its very definition that is the nature of theosis—many gods. Barker’s paper provides a resource in helping us trace the Old Testament roots and rituals of the doctrine of theosis.

"What Is It About This Place?": Truman Madsen, Religious Education, And The Mission Of Byu, Bruce C. Hafen

BYU Studies

Barnard (“Barney”) Madsen has written a readable, thoughtful, and well-informed biography about his charismatic father, Truman Madsen. Although Truman didn’t keep a conventional journal, he maintained “journal files”—“crucial journal entries or documents he preserved for his posterity.” Those files, along with Barney’s intimate and observant relationship with his father, have now yielded rich biographical resources.

No Words, Elizabeth Dodds

BYU Studies

After all these years, I’m still afraid of getting a brain aneurysm. Just a few weeks ago in church, my head started hurting, and I reached up and felt a vein throbbing on the side of my skull. I leaned over to my uncle sitting beside me and whispered, “What if it’s a brain aneurysm?” He laughed and said it wasn’t. “But how can you be sure?” I thought. Because I looked up brain aneurysms a long time ago and found out that they have no symptoms. No warnings before they hit you like an air bag. Wham. Suddenly, there’s …

Eighth Witness: The Biography Of John Whitmer, Kyle R. Walker

BYU Studies

Ronald E. Romig. Eighth Witness: The Biography of John Whitmer.

Independence, Mo.: John Whitmer Books, 2014.

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.