Religious Education Commons^™

Temple Theology: An Introduction. By Margaret Barker, Dean W. Collinwood, James W. Mcconkie

BYU Studies

Margaret Barker. Temple Theology: An Introduction. London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, 2004.

The Manuscript Of The Gospel Of Judas, S. Kent Brown

BYU Studies

This article discusses the Gospel of Judas, an Early Christian text found in Egypt about 1978 and published in 2006 with much media attention. The discovery of the manuscript of the Gospel of Judas raises questions about the manuscript's origin and if it could have been forged. The author discusses the book's similarities to and differences from the Nag Hammadi texts, Christian documents found in 1945. He describes the manuscript's condition when it was found, its contents, and the effect it may have on scholars' research on early Christianity. He also shares his own experience in viewing ancient papyrus documents …

A Latter-Day Saint Colloquium On The Gospel Of Judas: Media And Message, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel

BYU Studies

Due to the popularity of Dan Brown's novel The Da Vinci Code and the volume of media attention directed at the Gospel of Judas, both of which suggest searching for hidden meanings in religious traditions and alternative ways of viewing Bible texts and mainstream Christianity, BYU Studies addresses the Gospel of Judas through a series of articles. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel introduces the issue by explaining the Latter-day Saint perspective: some scholars question the New Testament narrative and wonder what other ancient, lost documents were left out, but Latter-day Saints view the Gospel of Judas as a text written by apostate …

Book Notices, Jedediah S. Rogers, Jeffrey Needle, Robert L. Maxwell

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

An Original Daguerreotype Of Oliver Cowdery Identified, Patrick A. Bishop

BYU Studies

During my graduate studies I took on the project of obtaining photographic images of each apostle of this dispensation. The task proved difficult, but I found photographic likenesses for all but seven members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My interest in collecting daguerreotypes has continued since that day, and it has led me to the discovery of what I believe is an original daguerreotype of Oliver Cowdery.

"Will The Murderers Be Hung?": Albert Brown's 1844 Letter And The Martyrdom Of Joseph Smith, Timothy Merrill

BYU Studies

Albert Brown’s November 11, 1844, letter from Nauvoo to his New York relatives adds significantly to the historical record of Joseph Smith’s martyrdom. Brown wrote from the perspective of one loyal to Joseph Smith. When studied in connection with antagonistic accounts published earlier in BYU Studies, readers of the letter can sense the views, loyalties, and hostilities of the bitterly divided factions that swirled around Joseph Smith as they once did around Jesus Christ.

A Chosen Generation, Ron Whitehead

Lake Union Herald

No abstract provided.

Biblical Truth And Theological Education: A Rhetorical Strategy., Patrick R. Keifert

Faculty Publications

No abstract provided.

2006 Perihelion - Oru Yearbook, Holy Spirit Research Center Oru Library

Perihelion: ORU Yearbooks

The Oral Roberts University Student Yearbook, the Perihelion, is produced by ORU Media and Communications department.

The images and files are copyrighted to Oral Roberts University and cannot be reproduced in any form without permission from ORU administration.

Journey Of Faith: From Jerusalem To The Promised Land, S. Kent Brown, Peter Johnson

Maxwell Institute Publications

The DVD documentary Journey of Faith (Maxwell Institute, 2006) continues in expanded form in this book, Journey of Faith: From Jerusalem to the Promised Land. The documentary was filmed in the Middle East at locations that scholars believe mark or approximate the route that took Lehi’s party across Arabia to reach the seaside location where they eventually embarked by ship to the New World. Like the DVD, the book will enrich one’s study of the opening chapters of the Book of Mormon.

Utah Historians And The Reconstruction Of Western History By Gary Topping, Brian Q. Cannon

BYU Studies

Gary Topping. Utah Historians and the Reconstruction of Western History. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, 2003.

Evolution: The Remarkable History Of A Scientific Theory By Edward J. Larson; Evolution And Mormonism: A Quest For Understanding By Trent D. Stephens And D. Jeffrey Meldrum With Forrest B. Peterson, William E. Evenson

BYU Studies

Edward J. Larson. Evolution: The Remarkable History of a Scientific Theory. New York: The Modern Library, 2004.

Trent D. Stephens and D. Jeffrey Meldrum with Forrest B. Peterson. Evolution and Mormonism: A Quest for Understanding. Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 2001.

"Lightning Out Of Heaven": Joseph Smith And The Forging Of Community, Terryl L. Givens

BYU Studies

Several weeks ago I received an email from someone who identified himself as a BYU student doing a research paper on the Prophet Joseph Smith. He asked, “Would you be kind enough to share with me what you feel the impact of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon on the world has been?” This was an important question, so I took time framing my reply. I wrote, “It was big.” However, upon reflection, I decided against sending that email. I did not want to do most of his work for him. I thought perhaps I would now revisit that …

Are Christians Mormon?: Reassessing Joseph Smith's Theology In His Bicentennial, David L. Paulsen

BYU Studies

Harold Bloom, the self-proclaimed “unbelieving Jew” and distinguished scholar, recently characterized Joseph Smith as “a religious genius,” stating that the religion Smith founded “is truly a biblical religion.” More recently, Carl Mosser has written concerning the doctrine of that religion: “Mormonism’s heresies are legion; they are also very interesting and often unique in the history of heresy.” Biblical or heretical? Of these two reactions, the charge of heresy has been far more common, especially among conservative Christian critics, who consistently draw a circle that leaves Joseph’s Mormonism out.

Old Testament Bibliography: Latter-Day Saint Publications, 1997-2005, David Rolph Seely, W. Kenneth Hamblin, Erica Lamb Holland

BYU Studies

This is a continuation of the comprehensive bibliography of LDS writings on the Old Testament published in BYU Studies 37, no. 2 (1997– 98), available at byustudies.byu.edu, under Resources. This bibliography includes publications from 1997 to the end of 2005 as well as a few older publications that were not included in the first bibliography

David O. Mckay And The Rise Of Modern Mormonism. By Gregory A. Prince And William Robert Wright, James B. Allen

BYU Studies

Gregory A. Prince and William Robert Wright. David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism. Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2005.

Full Issue, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life In God. By Dallas Willard, Godfrey J. Ellis

BYU Studies

Dallas Willard. The Divine Conspiracy: Rediscovering Our Hidden Life in God. New York: HarperCollins, 1997.

An Islander's View Of A Desert Kingdom: Jonathan Napela Recounts His 1869 Visit To Salt Lake City, Fred E. Woods

BYU Studies

Jonathan (Ionatana) Hawaii Napela (fig. 1) bridged cultures. As one of the first Hawaiian converts to Mormonism, he helped George Q. Cannon translate the Book of Mormon into the Hawaiian language in 1852–53, he instigated the first language training center for foreign missionaries in 1853, and he helped establish the first gathering place for the Hawaiian Saints in 1854. In 1869 Napela visited Salt Lake City. In an April 11, 1871, letter to Brigham Young, Napela recounted his visit as he reported it to the Hawaiian king, Kamehameha V. Written in Hawaiian, the letter is evidence of Napela’s ability to …

A Prologue To Genesis: Moses 1 In Light Of Jewish Traditions, E. Douglas Clark

BYU Studies

Referring to ancient and long-lost scripture that Joseph Smith restored, Wilford Woodruff declared it to be part of “the rich treasures that are revealed unto us in the last days.” One such treasure is Moses chapter 1, a scriptural jewel we have hardly begun to appreciate but whose luster has become more apparent in light of various ancient texts and traditions that have emerged since Joseph Smith’s day. So striking are the parallels as to recall Joseph’s own prophecy that “the world will prove Joseph Smith a true prophet by circumstantial evidence.”

Authority And Worldwide Growth, Roger R. Keller

BYU Studies

Although Davies stands outside the Latter-day Saint tradition, he stands outside with respect. The tools he uses are those of the anthropologist, sociologist, and theologian. Being from outside the Latter-day Saint tradition gives him a perspective that those within the tradition find hard to replicate, and that is precisely Davies’s strength. He sees things “Mormon” in a slightly different way than those within the tradition and raises interesting questions that should be answered.

Joseph Smith As An American Restorationist, Richard T. Hughes

BYU Studies

Richard Bushman’s wonderfully expansive paper “Joseph Smith’s Many Histories” reminds us in forceful ways of the historical complexity that helped create the Mormon Prophet, Joseph Smith. Bushman also reminds us that while historical complexity is embedded in history, it embeds itself as well in the hearts and minds of human beings who discover the various realities of history and then appropriate those realities for their own purposes. As an illustration of this point, Bushman tells the story of Christopher Columbus— how his standing as the grandfather of the United States was neither acknowledged nor celebrated until after 1776.

Joseph Smith And The Past, John W. Welch

BYU Studies

My thoughts on Joseph Smith’s interest in past worlds cluster into three sections. The first deals with the challenge of evaluating and assessing Joseph Smith’s recoveries of texts or views from past worlds or civilizations. The second develops a list of ways in which the past functioned in Joseph Smith’s process of continuing revelation. The third focuses on the dynamic link between the past and the present in Joseph Smith’s concept of priesthood authority and its restoration.

Joseph Smith In A Personal World, Dallin H. Oaks

BYU Studies

My subject is Joseph Smith in a personal world. My lens is primarily a personal one—his impact on me and believers I have known during my lifetime. I will also discuss Joseph Smith’s own personal world and his impact on his acquaintances and friends. A major focus will be Joseph Smith’s role as a prophet and his teachings on the reality of revelation. By prophet I mean one who speaks for God in revealing divine truth to others. By revelation I mean God’s communication to man—to prophets and to every one of us, if we seek.

Part 5: Joseph Smith And The Making Of A Global Religion, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

Spawned in the Burned-over District of upstate New York and classified by historians for decades as a western American church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints now faces the challenge of broadening its scope and its reach into many countries of the world. In this context, scholars have examined some of the more poignant challenges that Latter-day Saints face in making the transition from being a regional sect to becoming a global religion in terms of teachings, practices, language, and cultural differences. What does it take, beyond a burgeoning membership, to become a bona fide world religion? To …

Introduction, Richard L. Bushman, James H. Hutson, Robert L. Millet, Richard E. Turley Jr., John W. Welch

BYU Studies

No abstract provided.

Part 1: Joseph Smith In His Own Time, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

As scholars look back on Joseph Smith two hundred years after his birth, several historical questions capture their immediate attention. How was Joseph Smith shaped or constrained by his moment in history? How much was Joseph Smith a product of his own time? To what extent can he be explained in terms of the prevailing attitudes of his day? Is it more illuminating to think of him as a critic or as a product of American culture? Should he be seen as an American prophet or in a larger world setting? In many areas of historical inquiry, America as an …

Attempting To Situate Joseph Smith, Grant Underwood

BYU Studies

Undergirding Richard Bushman’s insightful paper is a profound recognition (and a reminder) that histories are the creations of authors, not photographs of the past. Every aspect of writing a history, from the selection of sources to the interpretation of those sources bears the imprint of the author. The profoundly precarious and contingent character of all reconstructions of the past led Roland Barthes to quip that biography is “a novel that dare not speak its name.” Clearly, this is an overstatement, but it does warn us away from an unhealthy critical complacency when engaging in studying written histories.

Part 2: Joseph Smith And The Recovery Of Past Worlds, Byu Studies

BYU Studies

Almost beyond measure, Joseph Smith was spiritually and intellectually occupied with the past. He worked insatiably from 1828 to 1835 on his translations of the Book of Mormon, the Book of Moses, the Old and New Testaments, and the Book of Abraham. He drew great knowledge and strength from the revelations received by past prophets and patriarchs, and he sought to see as they had seen and to know as they had known. In considering Joseph Smith’s recovery of past worlds, the following chapters address several questions. What are modern scholars to make of Joseph Smith’s efforts to recover past …

Joseph Smith: Prophecy, Process, And Plenitude, Terryl L. Givens

BYU Studies

Joseph Smith was an explorer, a discoverer, and a revealer of past worlds. He described an ancient America replete with elaborate detail and daring specificity, rooted and grounded in what he claimed were concrete, palpable artifacts. He recuperated texts of Adam, Abraham, Enoch, and Moses to resurrect and reconstitute a series of past patriarchal ages, not as mere shadows and types of things to come, but as dispensations of gospel fullness equaling, and in some cases surpassing, present plenitude. And he revealed an infinitely receding premortal past—not of the largely mythic Platonic variety and not a mere Wordsworthian, sentimental intimation—but …