Thesis (M.A.)--B.Y.U. Dept. of Church History and Doctrine. / Electronic thesis. Also available in print ed.

The majority of male Ricks College students, while serving as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, spend two years living in geographically unfamiliar environments. This thesis compares the geographic literacy of those Ricks College males who have served LDS Church missions with those who have not. A test of geographic literacy was administered to 306 male Ricks College students. Returned missionaries demonstrated significantly higher knowledge of general cultural and physical geography than pre-missionanes. In contrast, returned missionaries demonstrated no greater ability to identify global places such as countries and cities. As expected, the returned missionaries possessed a superior knowledge of the regions in which they served.

This dissertation argues that there are unresolved doctrinal tensions in several Mormon doctrines. While many Mormon scholars have assumed that the same doctrinal views have been taught since the founding of the church in 1830, the weight of historical evidence argues directly against this assumption and indirectly against the church's claim to have exclusive possession of true doctrines. There have been three periods of doctrinal development in the Mormon church. During the first five years of the church's existence, 1830-1835, Joseph Smith taught the doctrines of early Mormonism. From 1835 until the 1950s, the doctrines of traditional Mormonism were taught. Mormon neo-absolutist, which arose in the 1950s and has sometimes been referred to it as Mormon neo-orthodoxy, has attempted to return to the more absolute, infinite view of God early Mormonism. Early Mormons taught that God was completely omniscient and omnipotent. There was no knowledge or power that God did not possess. Traditional Mormons redefined God's nature in light of the emerging unique Mormon metaphysics. Since God exists within an environment of intelligences, matter, time, space, and laws, he cannot be completely omniscient or omnipotent. Mormon neo-absolutist have returned to the early Mormon view that God possesses all knowledge and power without limitations. Early Mormonism taught that humans are finite, fallen, and sinful creatures who must be saved from condemnation primarily through the means of grace. Traditional Mormons embraced Joseph Smith's later teachings that humans have the same ontological status as God; therefore, they developed a more optimistic view of human nature and the potential for human exaltation to divine status. Humans could be exalted primarily through human effort and assisted only to a lesser degree by the grace of God. These historical changes in Mormon doctrines have contributed to a shift in the Mormon view of faith and reason. Until the rise of Mormon neo-absolutism, Mormons believed that their faith was rational and reconcilable with science. Because neo-absolutists have not been able to reconcile their views of God with the unique Mormon metaphysics, they have diminished the value of reason, science, and education for faith. / This item is only available to students and faculty of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. If you are not associated with SBTS, this dissertation may be purchased from <a href="http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb">http://disexpress.umi.com/dxweb</a> or downloaded through ProQuest's Dissertation and Theses database if your institution subscribes to that service.

Patterns of language loss were analyzed in twenty-five returned French-speaking missionaries who had spent from one-and-a-half to two years in a French-speaking environment and who had returned to the United States from four months to five years ago. The subjects were given a written vocabulary test and an oral interview to determine their proficiency in the language. The results of this study showed that the patterns or change in particular language forms varied according to each language form. Some categories showed an obvious pattern of loss while some varied from year to year, with no pattern of any kind in evidence. There was a definite pattern of loss found in vocabulary. There was more loss in the productive portion of vocabulary than in the recognition portion. There was also a decrease in overall proficiency in the language.

The purpose of this project was to determine if there was a difference between two methods of teaching seminary: (1) the traditional, authoritative, teacher-centered method, and (2) the group-guidance, student-centered method, with regard to helping the students in solving their problems and becoming better adjusted in their personal and social problems.

Thesis (M.E.)--B.Y.U. Dept. of Personnel and Guidance. / Electronic thesis. Also available in print ed.

Thesis (Ph. D., Education)--University of Idaho, March 27, 2009. / Major professor: Karen Wilson-Scott. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 221-225). Also available online (PDF file) by subscription or by purchasing the individual file.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2003. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 278-300).

Thesis (M.A.)--Colgate Rochester Divinity School/Bexley Hall/Crozer Theological Seminary, 1997. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 97-100).

Thesis (M.A.)-- Brigham Young University. Dept. of Art. / Bibliography: leaves 67-70.