Religious Education Commons^™

The Seven Seals, The Age Of The Earth, And Ongoing Revelation, Nicholas J. Frederick

BYU Studies

One of the more intriguing elements of the book of Revelation is its mention of a book sealed with seven seals (Rev. 5:1). As John’s vision progresses over the next two chapters, each of the seven seals is broken. These have been interpreted by scholars in a variety of ways. One interpretation, typically known as the “historicist” view, saw the seals as representing periods of time in the earth’s history, whether the entirety of the earth’s history from Adam on or just parts, such as early Christian history.1

Practical Faith For The Real World Reading As If, Believing As If, Kylie Turley

BYU Studies

A few years ago, I was talking with some friends about the Book of Mormon. Actually, if you know me much at all, then you know that those last five words are unnecessary. Of course I was talking about the Book of Mormon. My children have been known to complain that the Book of Mormon is all I talk about. But let’s continue the story: One of my friends indicated that we “cannot read the Book of Mormon down to the word level.” She insisted that it was just not possible to read it “as if individual words are meaningful.”

The Heyday Of The Mia Latter-Day Saint Youth Programs In The Postwar Era, Lisa Olsen Tait, Amber C. Taylor

BYU Studies

On Saturday, June 16, 1956, a crowd of twenty thousand spectators filled the University of Utah football stadium, nestled against the foothills to the east of Salt Lake City, to witness the Mutual Improvement Association (MIA) Dance-Drama Festival of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hopes were high that the weather would hold, since Friday night’s performance had been canceled because of rain. The weather did cooperate, and for over two hours, a massive procession of brightly costumed young women and men, representing almost every stake in the Church, presented a spectacular program of intricately choreographed dances and …

Using A Reconciliation Approach To Teach Evolution May Help Religious Students Remain Faithful, Danny Ferguson, Ethan Tolman, Spencer Shumway, Cassidy Shively

BYU Studies

Many religious people struggle to accept the theory of evolution, and about 40 percent of Americans reject the theory outright, preferring a literalist, creationist account that confirms a young earth.1 As Latter-day Saints ourselves, we understand the trepidation surrounding the idea that perhaps evolution contradicts our belief of an earth created by a loving Father and Savior. People may feel that the scientific theory of evolution implies that there is no need for a God or that our existence is simply an accident. As college-age youth, we are familiar with the struggles that students face as they confront evolution in …

Getting To 100, Vauna Davis

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Review: Latter-Day Saint Art: A Critical Reader Edited By Amanda K. Beardsley And Mason Kamana Allred Oxford University Press, 2024, Maddie Blonquist

BYU Studies

The Center for Latter-day Saint Arts’ impressive new volume, Latter-day Saint Art: A Critical Reader (Oxford University Press, 2024), makes an ambitious and long-awaited contribution to the fields of religious studies, art history, visual and material culture, and cultural theory. This edited collection is both intellectually and physically substantial, with over 600 pages, nearly 250 reproductions, and twenty-two authors from a myriad of disciplines. Scholars of history, art, film, and media studies share space with artists, museum directors, filmmakers, curators, theologians, and journalists who span the spectrum in their relationship to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The …

End Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Who Do I Say I Am: A Review Of Catholic Teachers’ Spiritual Identity And Factors Affecting Its Formation, Nancy Lourdes U. Toledo

Journal of Catholic Education

Teachers in Catholic schools are not only required to provide quality education through mastering the essential skills of pedagogy; they are also called to “be a reflection, albeit imperfect but still vivid, of the one Teacher” (Gravissimum educationis, 1965, para. 23). Thus, the spiritual identity of all teachers in Catholic schools, not only those who teach religious education, must be integrated with their professional identity. This review draws from 20 empirical peer-reviewed articles on Catholic school educators to understand how Catholic teachers see their spiritual identity as teachers and how these spiritual identities are formed. The results show …

Book Review Of New Techniques For Proving Plagiarism, Bernard J. Barrett

Journal of Catholic Education

Book Review

From Principles To Implementation: Evaluating Social Justice And Inclusive Education In Holy Cross Elite Institutions Of Bangladesh, Md Shaikh Farid

Journal of Catholic Education

This paper examines how Catholic Social Teaching (CST), particularly its commitments to social justice and inclusive education, is interpreted and enacted by the Congregation of Holy Cross within three elite institutions in Bangladesh. Drawing on institutional documents and semistructured interviews with educators and administrators, it analyzes how Catholic educational ideals are negotiated within competitive urban contexts. The findings show that while Holy Cross institutions articulate strong commitments to human dignity, moral formation, and service to the poor, these values are expressed mainly through institutional culture and outreach initiatives rather than systematically embedded in admissions, academic structures, or governance. Meritbased admissions, …

Designing A Catholic School In The Twenty-First Century, Emmanuel I. Ugwejeh S.J.

Journal of Catholic Education

Data show an increasing number of Catholic schools from elementary to tertiary levels in developing countries, especially countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. These new Catholic schools seem to follow the industrial-era school design trajectories. However, the exigencies of the 21st century require a paradigm shift, ensuring that Catholic schools move away from the industrial method of education that did not attend to the specific educational needs of the student to a kind of education that further enriches the holistic education offered by the Catholic school. This enrichment includes architectural designs that support Catholic educational ideals and practices that preserve the earth. …

Reading Through The Eyes Of Faith: Introducing A Catholic Literary Lens To The English Language Arts Classroom, Julia French, Michael Macaluso

Journal of Catholic Education

Despite the proliferation and use of literary lenses in English Language Arts classrooms, one lens still seems to be missing from theorization, formulation, and thus practical implementation: religion. This absence is well-noted in the field, as positive depictions of Christian themes in books are rare and religion is rarely discussed as an identity marker that fosters growth and development. This article attempts to address that absence in two ways: first by conceptualizing and developing a Catholic literary lens that could be used in middle and secondary classrooms and second by offering practical suggestions for using this Catholic lens in ELA …

Shaping A Wellness-Oriented Culture: A Mixed-Methods Exploration Of The Mental Health Training And Stigma Reduction Among College Seminarians, Evan P. Taja-On

Journal of Catholic Education

Mental health is vital to seminarians' holistic development, playing a crucial role in their personal growth and pastoral readiness. Equipping seminarians with mental health training enhances their human formation and addresses stigma, creating a foundation for more compassionate and effective ministry. The study utilized an explanatory research design with 11 college seminarians as the participants. The study reveals that mental health training significantly improved seminarians' knowledge, awareness, and beliefs, leading to a more supportive and informed approach to mental well-being. Seminarians transitioned from initial skepticism to active mental health advocacy, recognizing the importance of psychological support alongside spiritual care. The …

Individual Or Shared Identity? Perceptions Of School Climate In Catholic Schools By Ethnic Background, Daniel Hamlin, Curt Adams

Journal of Catholic Education

School climate has been routinely associated with positive student outcomes. Scholars have found that Catholic schools promote positive school climate by emphasizing shared identity and values. However, others argue that this approach serves the interests of dominant groups, producing poor school climates for minority students. To explore these claims, this study examined perceived school climate among students (n = 22,286) and parents (n = 12,997) in Catholic schools with different racial/ethnic compositions. Results indicated that students attending majority-minority (50%> and 90%>) and Hispanic-serving Catholic schools report similarly to their peers attending less diverse Catholic schools. Results from …

Dear Adam, Cristie Cowles Charles

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Baptisms For The Dead, Stacy Delange

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

“Off To Greek Camp”: A History And Examination Of Greek America And Its Adaptation Of American Summer Camp Culture, Julia J. Walsh

Honors Theses

Camps are one of the most distinct institutions of American childhood, offering children a place to socialize and explore their identities. Since the late 19th century, camps have been used to inspire religious, social, and ethnic identity. Extensive research has been done into some kinds of summer camps, this thesis attempts to add to this literature through analysis of Greek Orthodox Summer Camp programs run under the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America (The Metropolis of Boston Camp and Ionian Village). This dissertation examines the role of the modern religious summer camp in building and maintaining Greek American and Greek Orthodox …

Brigham Young Unfiltered His Life, Conversion, And Faith In His Own Words, Lajean Purcell Carruth

BYU Studies

On October 6, 1867, the Saints met in the new Salt Lake Tabernacle for the first time. Brigham Young rose, made some remarks about the still unfinished state of the organ, and then dedicated the tabernacle to the Lord. This dedicatory prayer was completely unknown until I found the original shorthand record of it several years ago and transcribed it; prior to that time, the earliest known dedication of the tabernacle was 1875. He prayed, “O God our Heavenly Father who dwells in the heavens, in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ we come before thee at this time …

Full Issue

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Artist’S Note On This Is . . ., Eli Peterson

BYU Studies

The First Vision has always been an inspiration to me—the opening of heaven, the burst of such a powerful presence that our Father in Heaven and Savior brought to the earth after nearly two thousand years.

The Wonder Is Scripture, Jared Halverson

BYU Studies

It’s an honor to be associated in any way with this institute, as it’s my second-favorite thing named after Elder Neal A. Maxwell. The first is my eldest son, whose middle name was an obvious choice, largely because my wife loves Elder Maxwell even more than she loves me, which might be a problem were it not for the fact that I agree with her. I once spent so much time in this library creating a compilation of Elder Maxwell’s talks that by the time I was finished, my wife had called the police to report a missing person. When …

James Walks Home From Nain, Robbie Taggart

BYU Studies

A pleasant place, he thinks as they descend the steep hill where sparrows dance, making their way among the tombs that line their narrow path. He imagines the lives and dreams of the inhabitants of these stone rooms. The way their voices have flown like leaves, the way they abide like trees.

“Struck With Wonder And Amazement” On Reading The Book Of Mosiah, Joseph M. Spencer

BYU Studies

The Wonder of Scripture”: that’s the title of this lecture series.1 Book of Mormon scholar that I am, that title draws my mind to a passage in our keystone scripture. It’s a passage where the word “wonder” is used in connection with people’s responses to sacred records—to scripture. Tucked away somewhere most of us wouldn’t think to look, the Book of Mormon stages a remarkable scene that’s precisely about the wonder of scripture. I can’t help seeing that as just a little too appropriate, so I’d like to examine that scene. I’m going to argue that Mormon, serving simultaneously in …

Seam Allowance, Sarah Hafen D’Evegnée

BYU Studies

The shirts hang like a battalion of cotton soldiers on the large metal rack sticking out of the wall. I remove them from the hangers one by one, letting my fingers linger over the stripes, checks, and plaids. Some of them still feel new. The laundry room mingles the freshness of laundry soap with the odor of aging linoleum and tangy, rusty overtones— the same way it has for the past twenty-five years. My children’s younger faces, their grins all gaps and crowded teeth, peer out at me from an assortment of paper flowers glued to a frame on the …

Front Matter

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Words Never To Be Forgotten The Thoughtful Legacy Of Neal A. Maxwell, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

Many people in the world today cherish precious memories of times when Elder Maxwell (1926–2004) indelibly touched their lives. In so many cases, the thoughtful and thought-filled legacy of Neal A. Maxwell has left us all with a trove of words never to be forgotten.1 In subtitling this article “The Thoughtful Legacy of Neal A. Maxwell,” the ambiguity embedded there is intentional. His legacy is not only full of thought but also thoughtful. Everything he said and did was perfectly framed and eloquently stated; and, more than that, it was also perfectly thoughtful, kind, and concerned about other people. I …

“There Is Law” Joseph Smith’S Use Of Arbitration To Protect The Book Of Mormon, Jeffrey N. Walker, Andrew H. Hedges, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat

BYU Studies

This case marks the first time Joseph Smith invoked his legal rights to safeguard work connected with his prophetic calling from abuse or exploitation. The case arose from Abner Cole’s1 January 1830 efforts to publish Book of Mormon excerpts in his newspaper The Reflector, which he printed on the same Palmyra, New York, press that the Book of Mormon was being printed on. The case was evidently settled in Joseph Smith’s favor through arbitration, an out-of- court option for adjudication that New York law considered legally binding.2

This Branch Of The Church The Early Development Of Local Administration In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Part 2, The Church In Flux, 1846–1851, Brandon Plewe

BYU Studies

A primary concern of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the spiritual and physical welfare of its members, and local congregations have always been the primary mechanism for that ministry. However, the structure and leadership of local administrative organizations has changed significantly over the history of the Church, most significantly under its first two presidents, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. During these years, the terms and structures that are familiar to us—wards, presidents, bishops, stakes, and so on—emerged, but so did many practices that did not survive the 1877 Priesthood Reorganization.

Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1

Restoration Quarterly

PDF of the cover of Restoration Quarterly: Vol. 67, No. 1.

This repository hosts selected Restoration Quarterly articles in downloadable PDF format. For the benefit of users who would like to browse the contents of RQ, we have included all issue covers even when full-text articles from that issue are unavailable. All Restoration Quarterly articles are available in full text in the ATLA Religion Database, available through most university and theological libraries or through your local library’s inter-library loan service.

Theopoetics Prothesis: An Exploration In Faith And Form, Elise Aleman, Elise Aleman

College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

My work is rooted in the biblical definition of faith: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). Like the Bible’s layered complexity—its patterns, metaphors, and cultural references—faith is not merely intellectual but an active trust in what is unseen. It transcends knowledge, anchoring itself in conviction and hope. This intersection of theology and lived experience is at the core of my practice.

Theopoetics—a framework that fuses theology and artistic expression—shapes my approach, allowing faith to be embodied through form rather than merely explained. Two seemingly distinct bodies of work—one centered …