Thesis (M.S.)--B.Y.U. Dept. of Religious Education. / Electronic thesis. Also available in print ed.

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

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

For tens of thousands of contemporary Latter-day Saint pilgrims, the Kirtland Temple near Cleveland, Ohio, provides an opportunity to visit a place where they believe Jesus appeared and restored long-lost priesthood powers. The Kirtland Temple, however, is not owned by the LDS church. Instead, the shrine is owned by a related denomination that has doctrinally aligned itself with mainline Protestant Christianity--the Community of Christ (formerly known as the RLDS church). Members of both churches include Kirtland on pilgrimage itineraries yet have understood the site's significance in radically different ways between themselves and within their denominations over time. The Kirtland Temple provides an opportune case study for changing contestation and cooperation by multiple groups at an American pilgrimage shrine--a phenomena that I term parallel pilgrimage. Two orienting metaphors help focus my moving picture of parallel pilgrimage: proximity (how the site ”moves“ in relation to changing pilgrimage routes, new shrines, and new interest groups) and performance (plays re-enacting the history of the temple and tour scripts, along with the reception of these performances). My study works out these two themes across the last forty years of change at the Kirtland Temple. Ultimately, I draw three main conclusions in my study. First, parallel pilgrimage at Kirtland Temple reveals sacred places, not simply pilgrimage routes, as itineraries in motion, constantly contested and constantly changing. Second, acts of cooperation and contestation at Kirtland Temple have formed a dialectical relationship that allowed the site to function. Acts of contestation helped the site retain its heightened importance while acts of cooperation allowed members from various denominations to minimize potentially disruptive conflict. Finally, in a wider context, parallel pilgrimage at Kirtland Temple, with its moving alliances and contested narratives, may be seen as suggestive of how many late twentieth-century Christians negotiated a pluralistic and fragmented religious America.

This thesis was designed to determine if a significant relationship exists between credibility and effectiveness in seminary teachers.Teacher credibility was determined by an adaptation of McCroskey's semantic differential scales used for measuring teacher credibility. Teacher effectiveness was determined by a matching scripture test.Chi square tests produced significant relationships between teacher credibility and the following: student religiosity, teacher influence and class attitude. The tests also produced significant relationships between teacher effectiveness and these variables: sex, student religiosity, teacher influence and class attitude. These relationships largely were what one would expect. The chi square test also produced a significant relationship between teacher credibility and teacher effectiveness. Thus the major expectation of the thesis was supported by the data: more credible seminary teachers are more effective.

This study conducted an audience analysis investigating welfare attitudes for Welfare Services, a division of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The data and results of this study were used by Welfare Services to prepare and present its message to its Mormon and non-Mormon audience. The sample population consisted of 170 respondents (130 Mormons and 40 non-Mormons). The study examined three areas: (1) Where people go when in need of assistance; (2) Rights and obligations associated with assistance; (3) Attitudinal perspectives of welfare and assistance.The findings of this study indicate that when in need, most people will first go to their families. Most people feel they have every right to ask and receive assistance from government agencies. Mormons report a right to receive help from their church; most non-Mormons do not feel a right to receive help from their respective churches. Most people report a willingness to repay assistance no matter who the assistance is received from. Welfare is viewed by most as a necessary evil. A major problem in receiving assistance is loss of self-esteem by welfare recipients.

This study was undertaken for the purpose of determining the effectiveness of L.D.S. Seminary-oriented home night program. The home night program consisted of an experimental group of students holding weekly home nights with their parents, following discussion of gospel principles in Seminary during the school hours. A control group was established which supplemented its program writing weekly summaries instead of directing a home night.

Because it seemed likely that teachers of adolescent Latter-day Saint boys and girls might benefit from an up-to-date view about what their students are personally concered, a need was felt for this particular kind of survey. A review of the related literature indicated a dearth of material in this area, particularly in connection with Latter-day Saint youth.

Since the days of Adam the Lord has called upon the priesthood to watch over the families: To see that fathers are doing their duty as patriarchs over their families, and to assist and encourage the fathers in this responsibility. Thus thwarting the efforts of Satan to lead the children of men astray. The principle has always been for the priesthood to watch over the families. But the process of how this is done has changed from time to time according to the needs of the people. This treatise covers the history of these changes in documentary form.In the days of Adam and the early fathers watching over the families was done by the oldest patriarch; in Moses' day it was done by the Levites. Prophets were also called to watch over the people. Christ directed his Apostles to ordain priests and teachers to watch over the Church in his day. When the Church was reorganized the Lord gave a revelation through Joseph Smith which restored the commandment to watch over the families by the priesthood. The process has experienced a succession of changes over the years until we have what we call home teaching today.

This study has been an attempt to examine the design, restoration and furnishings of the Beehive House to determine the degree to which the home was accurately restored, and to learn more about the key furnishings within the home.The answers to four questions have formed the body of the thesis:1. What was the historical background of the Beehive House to the times of its restoration?2. To what extent is the structural restoration authentic to the time of Brigham Young?3. What items were originally found in the Beehive House?4. To what extenet are the furnishings appropriate to the Beehive House?