Religious Education Commons^™

“The Gospel Of Intelligence And Culture”: Literature And Literary Instruction In The Twentieth-Century Mia Curriculum, Michael Austin, Rachel Meibos Helps

BYU Studies

In his journal for April 29, 1888, Bishop Orson F. Whitney recorded a curious meeting that he had with an Apostle. “Had a long conversation in the morning with Apostle Moses Thatcher,” wrote Whitney. “He gave me a blessing and set me apart to deliver a lecture on Sunday, June 3rd next, at the Mutual Improvement Conference in the Tabernacle. My subject is Home Literature. I consented to deliver it, though very busy and overworked, at the request of the Authorities.” This remarkable assignment— he was called and set apart to give a speech in the way men at the …

The Baptismal Chair, Ellis William Leroy Jr.

BYU Studies

It was a cool cloudy day when I arrived at his home some years past. His hospice nurse was attempting to console his family. He was nearing the end of his life. He was frail and partially conscious but knew we were there. He had always been a stoic man and had worked until disability forced him to retire. He had been confined to a wheelchair for several years. There were no complaints that day, and he was comfortable. He had no desires other than to be with his wife, who had preceded him in death. Now he lay in …

Vengeance Is Mine: The Mountain Meadows Massacre And Its Aftermath By Richard E. Turley Jr. And Barbara Jones Brown, Kent P. Jackson

BYU Studies

September 11, 1857.

Thirteen years earlier, the Prophet Joseph Smith was murdered while in state custody. The Latter-day Saints had been driven from their homes in Missouri and Illinois, with no protection from those states or from the United States. The U.S. Army was on its way to the Utah Territory to put down a rebellion that didn’t exist, and Utahns thought they might be driven from their homes once again. Because of the anticipated military invasion, leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had recently told settlers in Utah not to sell food, including grain, to …

Documents, 1 January–15 May 1844: Vol. 14 Of The Documents Series Of The Joseph Smith Papers, Richard E. Bennett

BYU Studies

Having grown up on a diet of Joseph Fielding Smith’s Essentials in Church History, B. H. Roberts’s Comprehensive History of the Church, and the six-volume History of the Church, which for me and so many others was once the gold standard for the study of Church history, I am convinced that the Joseph Smith Papers are a shaft of incredible new light, a welcomed revelation of sorts, a coming-out party to document Joseph Smith’s life and ministry.

I Have Dreamed With Her: The Fruitful Relationship Between Minerva Teichert And Alice Merrill Horne, Laura Paulson Howe

BYU Studies

Minerva Teichert was asked to give the eulogy at the funeral of her agent, mentor, and friend, Alice Merrill Horne, in 1948. “I think one of the greatest things [Horne] did,” Teichert mused in her speech, “was to insist that I get a washing machine. I had lived too long in Fort Hall Bottoms. I looked open-eyed, almost horror stricken, as I said—‘You don’t mean an electric washer, do you?’ ‘Of course I do,’ she answered, ‘why not? No one deserves one more than you. I’ll sell some thing and help you out. You’d have your washing done in an …

“Life And Death, Blessing And Cursing” New Context For “Skin Of Blackness”: In The Book Of Mormon, T. J. Uriona

BYU Studies

For many readers of the Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 5 can prove rather challenging. Not only does this chapter contain the actualization of a curse and the apparent genesis of an outgroup, but it also states that “the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon” this group because of their iniquity (2 Ne. 5:21). Given the prevalence of racial thought in society today, this passage has been interpreted as a hurtful reference to a phenotypic change in skin color brought on by a divine curse, leading many researchers to propose alternatives to a purely racialized …

Thoughts, In Threes, Isaac James Richards

BYU Studies

Between husband and wife, a vow.

Between past and present, the now.

Boxwoods, Andrew Maxfield

BYU Studies

Your canvas drop cloth pressed like guest linens

even for yard work,

pungent green bits collecting at your knees

as you worked the hedge flanks

with the gray rechargeable clippers.

The King Follett Sermon: A Biography By William V. Smith, Matthew B. Christensen

BYU Studies

The King Follett Sermon: A Biography by William V. Smith is a carefully crafted book that delves into the life and significance of one of the most influential sermons in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Smith brings to light the story behind the creation and reception of the King Follett Sermon, delivered by Joseph Smith on April 7, 1844.

Learning Eternal Truths In Joseph And Emma Smith’S Restored Kirtland Home, Aaron L. West

BYU Studies

At the beginning of 2023, the historic sites of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints featured twenty-five toured historic homes.1 That’s a lot of old houses. And the number recently increased by one. On August 29, 2023, the restored home of Joseph and Emma Smith in Kirtland, Ohio, opened for guided tours (fig. 1).

So the Church now has another historic home, restored after more than a decade of meticulous work, including historical research, architectural studies, and archaeological excavations. What makes this home worth so much time and so many resources?

What’S In A Name?: The Growing Focus On Jesus Christ (By Name) Since 2000 In General Conference Talks, Grant Madsen, Joseph Corey

BYU Studies

In the last talk of the Sunday morning session of the October 2018 general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (hereafter “the Church”), President Russell M. Nelson felt “compelled to discuss . . . a matter of great importance.” He recognized that nicknames such as “Mormon Church” or “LDS Church” had a certain acceptance and utility, particularly in a world dominated by social media. Still, he called on members to rely on the full and proper name of the Church moving forward. “What’s in a name or, in this case, a nickname?” President Nelson asked. “When …

Blessings For Jean, Heather Sundahl

BYU Studies

I get the call on Monday. Grandma Jean is being transported from her nursing home to the ER. There is blood in her urine. Her body has still not healed from the pelvic fracture a month prior, and I wonder—all of us do—if this is it. At ninety-five, my husband’s fierce grandma is failing in body and fading in mind.

One Week Before Kindergarden, Ali Benson Moulton

BYU Studies

I see you from the window

As I do dishes

Again—

Sunshine soaking your hair

Mud soaking your dress

As you pet the cat and eat garden peas.

Crack

Peel

Chew

Pet

Again and again

For an hour or more.

The Annotated Book Of Mormon Edited By Grant Hardy, Joshua M. Sears

BYU Studies

Grant Hardy’s The Annotated Book of Mormon shares its literary DNA with four previous works. Hardy’s first take on a specialized Book of Mormon edition was The Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Edition, published by the University of Illinois Press in 2003. It reformatted the text so that poetry was presented in poetic stanzas, and prose text appeared in paragraphs with the punctuation modernized (most notably by including quotation marks). Section headings helped readers easily navigate literary units. Footnotes were used sparingly and identified dates, the source of quotations, narrative threads, and the locations of original chapter breaks. Appendices …

End Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Laicisation Of Principalship In Australian Jesuit Province Schools, Christopher John Kitching

Theses

This study examines the introduction of lay (non-religious) principals into three of the four Australian Jesuit Province schools, and their influence on Ignatian Spirituality and the Jesuit charism within the tradition of Catholic education in Australia. This study coincides with a decrease in the number of clergy available to provide extensive academic, pastoral, and social justice activities throughout the Australian Jesuit Province. First, this study seeks to explain the values, understandings, and pedagogy of the schools, their heritage, and contribution to Australian Catholic education as well as the contribution of the laity in partnership with the (Society of Jesus) Jesuits. …

Healing A Broken Spirit, David Sedlacek, Beverly Sedlacek

Faculty Publications

Abuse of any kind as well as significant losses such as death of a loved one can result in a broken spirit (Proverbs 15:13, 17:22). However, we have a wonderful God who heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds (Isaiah 51:3). He often leads us into communities where we can experience being seen, soothed, safe, and secure. This chapter describes the experience of brokenness and the process of healing integrating both biblical and interpersonal neurobiological perspectives.

Self-Harm: Warning Signs, Risk Factors, And Prevention, Alina M. Baltazar

Faculty Publications

Rates of suicide and self-harm have been increasing in children and adolescents over the last 20 years (CDC, 2022). Suicidality and self-harm are preventable, treatable, and manageable. Parents and those who work with children, teens, and young adults are an important part in addressing this issue. This article reviews the current statistics of suicide and self-harm, role of trauma, risk-factors, causes, prevention, and treatment options. Practical tips and resources are included. The reader will better understand the phenomenon and know how self-harm and suicide can be prevented and treated.

Discipling The Whole Student, Scott R. Ward, David Sedlacek, Rogelio Paquini, Jasmine Fraser

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

A Critical Look At Modern Graduate Education Through The Lens Of Ancient Textbooks, Oliver Glanz

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Challenges Of Depression: Biblical Background And Impact On The Dynamics Of Family Relationships, Anna Galeniece, Eriks Galenieks

Faculty Publications

Today we are witnessing a global epidemic of rapidly spreading mental health problems among all age groups. However, a growing mental health crisis among youth is of particular concern. According to the World Health Organization, “1 in every eight people in the world live with a mental disorder.”1 The informative data are more than impressive. For many reasons, the accurate picture of various mental health disorders is much more widespread than the latest accessible information indicates. The fundamental question revolves not only around the mental health challenges of the afflicted but especially around its practical aspect: How can ordinary people …

“Dumb” Puns In Alma 30: A Mesoamerican Twist On Korihor’S Talionic Punishment, Mark Alan Wright, Neal Rappleye

BYU Studies

Evidence for the use of both puns and talionic (or reciprocal) punishment by peoples of the Book of Mormon is well attested. To complement previous research in these areas, which focused primarily on data from the ancient Near East, we argue that Mesoamerican wordplay and legal systems may also be evident in the account of Korihor recorded in Alma 30. Recognizing these connections to the text’s plausible cultural and linguistic context illuminates why Korihor receives the punishment he is given: it was no arbitrary consequence, but one tailored to his accusations in an irony-laden narrative that would have been easily …

That They May Be Light, Stephanie Hock

BYU Studies

When covenant women are together, they become each other’s shelter. The storms might be raging around them, but they don’t feel the rain or hear the thunder because they’re so busy laughing and loving each other. They carry burdens collectively as they walk forward toward the light. They encourage each other to keep going and lean on each other when it’s hard. I have found that walking through the storms of life with these women at my side has brought more relief than I could ever imagine.

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

"He Is God; And He Is With Them", Matthew L. Bowen

BYU Studies

The prophet Isaiah foretold to Ahaz and the house of David: “Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14). Latter-day Saints often interpret and teach the “Immanuel” prophecy of Isaiah 7:14 as a simple, straightforward messianic prophecy with a single fulfillment in the birth of Jesus Christ. Most pay little attention to the historical circumstances in which Isaiah gave the prophecy—namely, the Syro-Ephraimite crisis prior to the Assyrian invasion in the eighth century BCE. The idea of a more immediate, contemporary fulfillment …

Weaving, Christine Bird

BYU Studies

Morning enters and splits the Hogan

and she wakes from dreams of mountains,

hungry for offerings tall for maize

her eyes hold visions until she sees

patterns her mother taught her

Embracing Our Highest Worship: Some Thoughts On Our Approach To The Temple, Tyler Johnson

BYU Studies

I understate the matter when I say the temple strikes different Church members differently. I have friends who entered the temple for the first time many years ago and felt immediately at home. Indeed, they resonate with President Henry B. Eyring, who once said, “The first time I walked just a few feet into the temple I had the feeling that I had been here before. In an instant, the thought came to me that what I recognized was a sense of peace beyond anything I had felt before in this life, but that I seemed to recognize, and almost …

Building An Innovative “Latter-Day Saints Without Borders” Organization, Warner Woodworth

BYU Studies

This article is a reflection and a call to action for many readers who may share a concern about how to reduce human suffering and empower the poor around the world. It is an attempt to describe stories of Latter-day Saints who became social entrepreneurs by laboring to practice our religion—that is, people willing to help the poor, feed the hungry, serve the homeless, and bless the sick everywhere. Attending sacrament meetings on Sundays, accepting a Church calling, doing weekly temple service, being a neighborhood ministering brother or sister, holding daily prayer and scripture reading—all are well and good. Yet …

Both Things Are True By Kate Holbrook, Katie Lewis

BYU Studies

Kate Holbrook was a professional historian (PhD, Boston University), a gospel scholar (MTS, Harvard Divinity School), a mother of three daughters, and a champion of Latter-day Saint women’s voices. She worked for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as the managing historian of women’s history and edited several books in her efforts to amplify women in the Church. Before Holbrook’s life ended, Rosalynde Welch from the Maxwell Institute asked Holbrook if she would provide her own voice as well. Both Things Are True is Holbrook’s collection of personal essays edited and compiled by Rosalynde Welch, Jana Reiss, Jenny …