BYU Studies Symposium Notes

BYU STUDIES SYMPOSIUM: 

Establishing the Church on Earth, With Heaven's Hand: 

According to the Laws of God and Man--Legal Insights into the Organization of the Church (David Stott):  Next month marks 180 years since the organization of the church.  There are no minutes of the meeting on April 6, 1830.  Some guess work has to be used.  It oopened with prayer.  Vote to accept Joseph and Oliver Cowdery as "teachers in the things of the Kingdom of God" and be organized.  They gathered in the farmhouse of Peter Whitmer.  Ordination of Joseph Smith as "prophet, seer, revelator, and translator" and Oliver Cowdery as elder.  Blessed bread and wine.  Confirmation of Holy Ghost to "each individual member".  Received revelation (Later D&C 21).  Called and ordained others to priesthood offices.  Testimonies.  In additional to this being spiritually significant to those who attended, there were legal reasons  David Whitmer said, "The reason we met on that day was this; the world had been telling us that we were not a regularly organized church, and we had no right to officiate in the ordinance of marriage, hold church property, etc."  In the 1800's a Corporation is defined as  a legal entity composed of individuals united under a common name, the members of which succeeded each other.  Benefits of Religious Corporations:  1.  Perpetual succession.  2.  Property management.  3.  Legal rights:  contracts, seals, etc.  New York Religions Incorporation Statute:  1.  Minister gives notice of meeting to congregation.  2.  Congregation assembles at the church where church regularly meets to worship.  3.  Two elders elected to preside at election of trustees, judge the trustee's qualifications and return name of winners  4.  Three to nine trustees elected to take over church's property and transact church's affairs.  5.  Certificate filed with county clerk.  Fee paid.  Fulfilled on April 6, 1830?  1.  Joseph Smith gave notice of the upcoming meeting.  2.  The Whitmer's home could qualify, although the Whitmers had never hosted a formal church meeting before April 6, 1830.  It was the setting for future conferences.  3.  While Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were sustains as leaders of the Church, there is no record that they ever presided over the election of any trustees  4.  Documents list six elders as original members, but there is no record that the congregation voted on them, and they did not perform trustee-like duties afterward.  5.  No one has found such a certificate nor record of a fee paid.  However, historical records are lost and after all these years it's hard to say what was really the case.  If they didn't form a religious corporation, what did they form?  A religious society is a regularly operating church that did not hold incorporated status.  There were churches being formed all the time.  Most of them were branches of already formed churches.  For example, the Presbyterian church required two ruling elders, usual exercises of public worship, election of the ruling elders, setting apart of elders, and baptisms.  The Methodist church required finding a permanent leader, preacher received congregation, and enrolled names in general register.  The Baptist church required uniting in mutual covenant, articles adopted, church name given, and officers elected.  Episcopal required notice given, articles of Association adopted, adopt a name, and elect officers.  According to the customs of the day, Joseph Smith notified brethren that he had received commandment to organize the Church.  A sustaining vote was taken as to whether the congregation accepted Joseph and Oliver as their leaders.  Members oversaw the administration of the sacrament, prophesied and witness.  Joseph and Oliver ordained elders to other priesthood offices, confirmed members, and performed baptisms.  Church adopted official name, commandment received to keep a record, Articles and Covenants.  Nowhere do records mention incorporation, but merely organization.  They organized legally according to established practices.  Laws of the land can be considered as common law.  Ten months previously Joseph Smith had been commanded to organize the church.  He formed a religious society, not necessarily a religious corporation.  The manuscript history emphasizes obeying the will of the Lord. 

A Revelation Given to Oliver, Hyrum, Josiah and Joseph... Ye Shall Go to Kingston.  The Canadian Copyright Revelation.  (Stephen Ehat): Joseph Smith received a revelation which gave four men command to go to Kingston. Ontario.  Kingston was home to a number of printers who were able to purchase a copyright.  Just this last year a copy of this revelation was published.  Joseph Smith said he granted the four men to purchase a copyright IF the people would not harden their hearts.  We see John Whitmer's copy of the revelation.  Previously, this revelation was misunderstood.  William McClelland contradicted himself in commenting on it, saying no copy existed but that he had read a copy of it.  The revelation was conditional, but William McClelland considered it a false prophecy. David Whitmer likewise mentions this, but says they failed to sell the copyright and does not mention the condition "if they harden not their hearts."  The trip was to sell a copyright not to secure one.  No promise was actually given that they would sell a copyright.  McClelland and Whitmer got some facts right, but many wrong.  They were wrong in asserting that this was a failed revelation.  No promises were given, and we can see that now that the actual revelation has been published.  What was the copyright they were trying to sell? It was probably the common-law prepublication, author's copyright, one that the prophet already possessed.  A copyright is intangible personal property, but it is a right and can be enforced in law.  This is what the law was in Great Britain and in the United States and Canada.  This is important so we can ask an important question:  When did the copyright of the Book of Mormon come to be?  Under the common law of the State of New York, the prophet acquired the copyright the moment pen was put to paper. He as possessed of it long before the book was published.  The document he filed simply stated what he already had.  Later registration simply recorded what already existed.  They wanted to sell rights to print the book with the prophet's permission.  The four emissaries were able to find able purchasers in Kingston, but were not able to find willing purchasers there. Lake Ontario was frozen over that winter and the four crossed over on the ice into Canada.  They could have ridden horses over the lake.  There is much more to be discovered about this revelation. 
Looking for God's Hand in History (Brian O. Cannon):  Providential history fell from fashion but was revived in the 1900's.  A Christian view of history believes in an intervention by God.  God is sovereign in the affairs of man.  God will triumph.  God's will is to be accomplished.  In the 1950's and 1960's it became respectable to be a Christian and also a scholar.  The Christian historian could look for God in history.  Could divine influence be behind historical occurrences?  God is resourceful in dealing with His children.  You can identify God's hand in things like the Fall of the Roman Empire.  By the mid 1970's, liberal scholars' views began to change.  In 1975 "A Christian View of History" expressed skepticism about easy answers regarding God's dealings in history.  The Old Testament seems to say that those who obey the commandments are blessed and those who don't are punished.  But in the New Testament it seems to say that even the righteous will suffer.  Newer scholars took a look at American Wars and concluded that they had been unjust and Christians had perverted  judgment to promote them.  Some Christians were uncomfortable with these contentions.  Some believe that God is present but we can't discern His hand in history.  In recent years other scholars have pursued other options.  Some believe that God intervenes in specific incidences.  God is the author of peace.  The believing historical might look for good coming out of evil--such as a better standard of living coming out of the plague for those who survived.  Believing historians can see interventions from God without necessarily writing about it.  Some say the fall of corrupt civilizations are the evidence of God's hand.  Many Christians profess God's hand in their own personal lives.  Many scholars write with the idea that revelation has ceased.  Latter-day Saints of course have a different canon.  We can draw upon modern prophets.  In 1970 a BYU professor outlined that humans have agency and their actions make a difference in history.  God has intervened, in Christ's ministry and the restoration of the Gospel.  But respecting agency can delay ultimate outcomes.  How does our understanding of revelation impact history?  There are three possible paths LDS historians can take--the impact of revelation, taking a middle ground between saying nothing is the result of God's intervention and saying that everything is, and divine inspiration granted to men and women.  God's purposes can entail failure in one goal but success in the ultimate goal.  Even the most faith filled historians work without the mantle of authority.  We should not claim to know more of God's dealings than we can really know.  When Christian's try to explain what God is doing, we need to add a "perhaps" which allows God to come in and say, "actually, no." We can see things, but sometimes they're through a glass darkly. 

Wilford Woodruff's Recording of Testimony March 12, 1987, Salt Lake City, Testimony in Context of New Discoveries (Richard Neitzel Holzapfel):  He spoke his testimony into a "talking machine" and this has been preserved and is in the church archive.  He as baptized in the 1830's and was acquainted with Joseph Smith.  He was a remarkable record keeper.  He dedicated the Salt Lake Temple.  Recording was made on three wax cylinders.  Over time our memories are shaped by our experiences.  When he made a note in his journal about a date with a young woman at BYU years ago, it didn't have much significance.  But since that young woman later became his wife, he now expounds on that memory when recounting it to his children and grandchildren.  Our memories do play tricks on us.  Wilford was an eye witness to events in church history in the 1840's.  There are many events of which there is no contemporary record so we have to rely on people's reminiscences.  In 1844 there was uncertainty of who the next prophet would be.  March 26, 1844, a counsel was held and last charge given, but why was this not recorded in Wilford Woodruff's diary?  No diary contains an account of the meetings, although it was one of the longest counsel meetings held in Nauvoo.  They considered sacred and confidential matters, and this is probably why none of the participants wrote about them in their diaries.  In October 1844 Wilford Woodruff began to talk about the last charge meeting in seeking to settle the controversy of who would succeed as prophet.  He choose to speak on this subject in his recording.  President Woodruff's words were transcribed and kept in the Church Archives in Salt Lake City.  Joseph Daynes, from Daynes Music, was President Wilford's son in law and had access to a recording device which he brought to President Woodruff with the idea in mind to capture his testimony.  They then played the actual recording from the old cylinder.  He bore a testimony that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and had given him his endowments, and had also given endowments to Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and others.  He remembered Joseph Smith speaking with power from God.  He was in his 91st year of age when he bore this testimony and was the last person left alive in the flesh to have witnessed these meetings firsthand.  He was acutely aware of his witness as to meetings held with Joseph Smith.  He doesn't talk about the first vision, the restoration of the priesthood, or essential building blocks of the restoration, but rather speaks of events he was a firsthand witness to.  Wilford Woodruff provides his memory and interpretation of events.  His testimony is invaluable as an eye witness.  He gave similar testimony on many occasions previous to this.  Wilford Woodruff was personally involved in these events--not as an observer, but as a participant.  He wanted to present an accurate recording of these events for the benefit of generations yet unborn.  He had his counselors also bear testimony that they had heard him bear this testimony as it was recorded. 

Coming to Terms:  The Challenge of Creating Christian Vocabulary in a Non-Christian Land (Van C. Gessel):  He is a student of Japanese culture so begins with an apology as to his inadequacies.  "Please forgive me for having been born."  Our problems with language began before the Tower of Babel.  Certainly there was and is a Celestial language, but words can be twisted to convey half truths, as was done by the serpent to Adam and Eve. There is a corruption in communication.  Part of our fallenness is through our ability to communicate.  Language only gives a portion of what we think.  We not only speak but think in a specific language.  The things in heaven cannot be fully expressed by language.  All forms of language are symbols.  It was a challenge to translate the Book of Mormon into Japanese which had different definitions of things like the Godhead.  It's like dancing on ropes with feathered legs.  Some feel that if there is no specific Japanese word for a certain connotation, we have to create one. The results have ranged from mediocre and disastrous.  Latter day Saint missionaries arrived in Japan later than the Catholics and Protestants.  They had been struggling for many years with translating Christian vocabulary. Sometimes Latter day Saints adopted the same vocabulary that existed in earlier translations of the Bible. This was problematic.  No Japanese word for "soul" exists that means both spirit and body. Sometimes Japanese Buddhist terms were used to describe Christian terms.  One Catholic priest declared that salvation can only come from Dainichi, which actually meant a Buddhist god.  Lacking a name for God makes it difficult to be converted to God.  Many names for God are used in Japan by Christians.  Tenshu, Shin, Kami+ sama have been used. These mean:  Lord of Heaven, the incomprehensible power of nature, the Honorable Mr. Spirit Essence that resides in the trees, streams, and our deceased ancestors.  Tortured translations could cause some Japanese Christians to say they believe in the gods of Shinto or Buddhism.  Buppo can be used to mean Christian faith or Buddhist Law.  Tamashii can mean spirit or spirit essence in all kami.  Tera means church or Buddhist temple.  Nambanji can mean Catholic church or Buddhist temple of the Southern Barbarism.  If one wishes to treat the truth with words of error and lies, they impart the wrong meaning.  Using foreign terms to express Christian vocabulary may not convey meaning to Japanese listeners.  Some words are: Amma can mean soul, anjo for angel, fides for faith, graca for grace, inferno for hell, orotio for prayer, and spirito for spirit.  To Japanese ears this can sound like gibberish.  Exporting foreign words into Japanese does not convey clear meaning.  Foreign religious terms still used in Japan:  Amen, pan Sute-ku & Wa-do, Baputesuma and Endaumento. These are borrowed words or loaned words.  The problem with using borrowed words in Japanese is that they stand out like sore thumbs to the Japanese ear.  This presents a huge barrier before core doctrines can even be taught.  Only 1% of the Japanese are converts.  Part of the problem is explaining the gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that can be delicious to them.  There are words, phrases or grammatical expressions that can easily be misinterpreted, or interpreted in multiple and sometimes contradictory ways.  Ten no On-chichi can mean Heavenly Father or can also be defined as zenjinrui no rei no chichi, the Father of all mankind which is a Spirit. Only Begotten Son can mean only child.  Michi can mean the path or way, or is also do, as in Shinto Dao de Jing, the mother that rears the ten thousand creatures, each after its kind.  There are terms that just don't communicate, no way, no how.  Some words impede communication.  Kan'in means adultery or advowtry.  Nobody would know what advowtry would mean.  The word chosen for atonement, aganai/shokuzai, means to pay money to get something out of hock.  This does not give a clear understanding of atonement.  If we're ever to free ourselves from secular vocabulary, we'll need to make our own translation of the Bible in Japanese, which would be a daunting task that he would not wish on anyone.  However, words are not our only weapon.  We've been commanded to take the gospel to every people and every tongue.  We have the responsibility to keep trying to improve our communication skills.  After all we can do, it is by the grace of God adding His convincing power of the Holy Ghost, that men are converted.  He who receives the Word of God by the Spirit understands by the Spirit.  The Spirit will give utterance and fill in the linguistic gaps once we've done all we can do. 

Covenantal Faithfulness in the Land of Zion  (Taylor Halverson):  The Lord offers hints that Zion is a physical location and covenants are associated with the land.  A land is given in exchange for faithfulness.  In D&C 59 God establishes the stipulations for covenantal faithfulness in the land of Zion.  A suzerain is a great lord of king who exercises some form of dominion over a dependent person.  Suzerain vassal treaty instruction--preamble, historical prologue, stipulations, recording and depositing the text, list of witnesses, curses and blessing.  Stipulations are Thou shalts and Thou shalt nots.  The Ten Commandments are examples of this.  D&C 59 says, "Yea blessed are they who have obeyed my gospel; for they shall receive for their reward the good things of the earth."  We need to demonstrate our faithfulness to God.  In the last dispensation, God invited his people to a land of promise, to Zion.  This promise was conditioned on faithfulness to the stipulated terms of the covenant.  Similar to the covenant with Israel at Mr. Sinai, God stipulated many of the Ten Commandments as the basis for demonstrating covenant fidelity.  What more appreciate covenant could God implement with his people in the last dispensation?  Zion, therefore is both a covenant and a place.  The place of Zion is secured by a covenant. The covenant is meaningless without a place to live the covenant.  Ultimately, God's use of an ancient treaty format to invite his people into Zion both physically and covenantally reinforces the responsibility that those of the restoration have to fulfill the covenant that they might enjoy the fruits of Zion. 

Jean Valjean and Alma the Younger:  Putting on the Armor of Light (Robin Hancock):  He tries to read 50 books a year on all different subjects.  In 2004 he read Les Miserables.  It became the longest running play on Broadway.  The Lord in His mercy to gather His children, finds other ways to inspire his children. Jesus Christ is the light.  If people won't come to church, they can be inspired in their entertainment.  "It's a Wonderful Life" is a great inspiring story.  Latter-day Saints are inspired by the story of Alma the Younger and his transformation from a sinner to a missionary.  The story of Jean Valjean and his turning his life toward the light, is a great inspiration.  Readers were influenced by this novel.  He was a released convict who could not get a room in the inn.  But he found a kindly bishop who took him in.  Having been in prison for 19 years he had bad habits and stole silverware from the bishop.  Caught by the police, the bishop gave the silverware to him and told him he'd forgotten to take the candlestick also. He could see a gentler light shining on his soul and was able to change his life.  He'd never cried in that 19 years in prison, but now he was open to the Light of Christ and he was able to change his life.  The bishop didn't just save Valjean from prison, but changed his whole former path of life.  Now look at the story of Alma the Younger and it enhances our understanding.  Alma was a miserable one, the vilest of sinners.  He could not have been much further from the light of the gospel.  His father's prayers had brought an angel to visit him.  One of the most popular songs from Las Miserables is "Bring Him Home."  Alma the Younger was brought home.  The Light of Christ fused Alma's soul with joy.  He later asked "Have you tasted of the light?"  Every living organism has an inner drive for turning toward the light and growth.  The difference between a plant and man is that we have our agency.  Light has transformative power but we can choose to turn toward it or away from it.  Alma and Jean Valjean were both miserable and racked with torment.  The critical moment for both turned on Light.  The moment of transformation hinges on the prominent role of light.  Light is the organizing element.  Reaching for the light saved them from spiritual destruction.  Revealed gospel knowledge enriches the great literature of the world. 

Why Have Native American Wards? (Jessie L. Embry):  She said she heard an interesting discussion of the problems of language in teaching the gospel in Japanese.  She wants to talk about native American wards, which includes several cultures.  There were a lot of native Americans at BYU who were not active in the church and did not feel included in regular wards.  In 1965 a native American ward was created and the people involved seemed to enjoy it.  But several years later this ward was dissolved and direction was given that all cultures should be given consideration in regular wards.  However, a married group of native Americans continues to meet as a ward even today and they meet in her stake.  It helps bring people together.  It brings together a lot of tribes.  There can be problems associated with this. 

The Nauvoo Music and Concert Hall:  A Prelude to the Exodus (Darrell Babidge):  In Nauvoo, music came from the concert hall, but this was short lived.  It was filled with music for a few short months and became a haven.  Parts of the building were used for a school while the rest of the building was finished.  Brigham Young gave sermons in the building. A grant concert of instrumental music for three days was a celebration of the completion of the building.  It could seat 700-800 people.  Heber C. Kimball gave a dedicatory prayer. The room was filled with intense and burning melody.  John Taylor wrote a song called "The Seer" about Joseph Smith.  Parley P. Pratt wrote "Sacred to Truth This Hall Shall be."  The hall was filled to overflowing.  The program changed nightly.  The concert was a great success.  Joseph Smith had hoped the building would be filled with music for many years, but it was among buildings the saints tried to sell before leaving to head west.  People were trying to sell their homes as well.  In 1846 the last concert was held.  The building was sold to the Episcopal Church and a few years later there was no longer any building standing there. 

Luke 13:23-30 and the Israelite Temple (Matthew Brown):  Luke talks about the quantity of individuals saved.  There are sections that match with verses in Revelation 21 and 22.  They talk about entering in at the gate.  Many seek to enter in and shall not be able.  There are angels at the gates.  There is a river of the water of life and a tree that bears fruit.  Taught in the streets.  Workers are iniquity shall depart.  The first shall be last.  There is a close connection between these two New Testament sets.  Tabernacle pillars and veil with cherubim. The entrance liturgy.  Luke 13:25-27 and Psalms 24:7-10. Request for entrance through a gate.  Response from the Lord.  Statement by petitioner about identification.  Response from the Lord. Second century Christian writers specified that the Savior entered Heaven through its doors.  December 24, 562 dedication rites were held for Hagia Sophia. There was the element of knocking on the church doors to gain entrance, saying "Lord, Lord, open to us."  The bishop struck the door frame three times with his staff as he allowed them to enter.  The bishop represented Jesus Christ. "To stand without and to knock" was done at early churches. 

Applying Modern Source Criticism to Accounts of the Book of Mormon Plates (Larry E. Morris):  What is source criticism?  Everything from diaries to letters, everything under the sun, we need to ask questions to try to decide how much we want to trust that document.  He wanted to compare documents about the Book of Mormon plates with documents about Lewis and Clark documents which were from the same time period.  Historians like firsthand accounts.  Every time a story passes from one person to another, it loses details or details are added.  How much time passed from the event itself until it was recorded?  The statements about the plates were recorded within months of the event, at the latest 9 months.  With Lewis and Clark, some of the entries were completed months after the event. Group statements.  Plates:  Three witness and eight witnesses both gave group statements.  L&C:  petition to senate and house, signed by eight expedition members, undated.  Provenance of compositions. Plates:  Original signed documents not extant.  L&C: Early notes used in writing journals are not extant.  Original not extant, printed in 1845.  Physical ability to observe.  No reason to believe either group was affected by limitations in sight or hearing.  Social ability to observe.  Plates:  Witnesses were farmers who spent their days pulling up stumps, clearing rocks, plowing fields, etc.  L&C:  Expedition members were either experienced soldiers or woodsmen and hunters. When they spoke to Indians, they needed a translator.  Sometimes they had to use translators who weren't very good so it's hard to trust what they wrote about what the Indians said.  Ability to report.  Plates:  Witnesses may have originally been biased in Joseph's favor and may have felt pressure to conform; later,  however, most were biased against Joseph and probably felt pressure to deny previous testimony.  L&C:  Captains were under pressure to cast Jefferson in a positive light, men under pressure to cast captains in positive light.  Character or reliability of witnesses. In both cases, people had good reputations.  They were honest and law abiding citizens.  Contradiction or corroboration.  Plates:  There are 40 instances when one of the eight witnesses related his testimony.  Statements contradicting these witness statements come from third hand and anonymous sources.  L&C:  Internal consistency among various journals, with George Shannon also offering corroboration.  Examples of contradictory views from Indians.  Intent of compositions.  Plates:  Three witnesses bore record of the reality of the plates and the work.  The eight witnesses bore record of the reality of the plates only.  L&C: Find most direct water route across continent.  Best historical record.  Plates:  Strong corroboration from several first and second hand sources.  L&C:  Very limited corroboration from other sources.  There is actually better evidence for the plates than there is for the record of the Lewis and Clark expedition.  He believes the existence of the plates is without question. 

A-UN, Alpha and Omega, the Name of God Intoned by Koma-inu at Japan's Shinto Shrines. (Mark A. Riddle):  On either side of the entrance to a Japanese Shinto shrine, there is a matched pair of creatures that are mirror images of each other.  They are lion dogs, but are not realistic representations of lions or dogs.  They are composite mythical beasts.  Often one of the pair is a unicorn.  One has its mouth open and uttering "ah" and the other has it's mouth closed and is uttering "mmm."  This is the Asian equivalent of Alpha and Omega, or saying what we can recognize as the name of Jesus Christ.  This is name by which He is known by all the world.  He showed pictures of several examples of this.  They are symbolic and are supposed to prevent evil spirits from entering by saying the name of God.  The Bible associates the lion with Judah.  The unicorn or wild ox is associated with Joseph.  The combination of the lion and unicorn represents Judah and Joseph.  We find in the symbolism of the lion and unicorn in Japan the uniting of Joseph and Judah also.  This is not accidental.  The royal arms of Scotland also has the lion and the unicorn together.  They make claims that British royalty were descended from King David.  These symbols can be traced across Asia spanning four millennia.  From very earliest temples we know anything about, these symbols were present.  They flank thrones and temples.  He believes the symbolism  was developed by the dispersed of Israel in Japan and was originally intended to mean these things. 

The Letters of Gordon B. Hinckley: (Matthew Wilcox): In doing research on Elder Hinckley, you can really see humor and insight into his personality by reading his letters.  When he was a missionary in England, missionary methods were not very effective in trying to bring interest to uninterested crowds. When he returned home, Elder Hinckley wrote letters, giving reports to Elder Joseph F. Merrill.  He talked about illustrated lectures.  He appealed to the First Presidency and it about took the heart out of him.  President McKay had an appreciation for these things.  He used his sense of humor saying there had been very little setup and a good deal of upset.  This humor helped him get through these things, a recently returned missionary working with the church leaders.  He spent his time getting lectures in order and gathering materials he felt missionaries needed in Europe.  This was in 1935, in the middle of the great Depression.  He was torn about whether to see the lecture business through, go to school, or find work elsewhere.  Elder Merrill wrote saying Elder Hinckley should be given a job.  He became quite frustrated when two months after coming home, he didn't feel he had concrete results.  He gave all of himself in England and continued to do that after his mission.  He was working and praying against terrific odds.  He was finally offered a job.  He had to find his own desk and typewritten and paper.  He's an example of giving your whole soul.  He showed his characteristic wit.  He was given the talent and drive and motivation he needed to get the job done.  He was even then being prepared for someday being the prophet.