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Latter-day Saints are recognized throughout the world by their peculiar dietary code known as the Word of Wisdom. It is accepted by the Church as revelation and contains both proscriptions and prescriptions. Different levels of interpretation, understanding and observance of the principles in the Word of Wisdom make it a unique Latter-day Saint religious health code. The study population consists of college-aged male and female members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Brigham Young University and a Latter-day Saint student stake affiliated with Utah Valley University. A questionnaire was conceptualized, designed and validated over a one year rigorous process. The responses of 720 participants were evaluated using frequency distributions and measures of central tendency. The t statistic was used for testing the null hypothesis of equality of means between independent groups and computed using approximate degrees of freedom from Satterhwaite's approximation when the variances between the two groups are unequal. Logistic regression was used with the stepwise option to identify demographic variables associated with selected interpretation variables. Two-sided tests of significance were based on the 0.05 level against a null hypothesis of no association. Participants generally interpret and comply with the proscriptions in the Word of Wisdom. Participants can identify the prescriptions, but actual behaviors are far below scientific and government recommended minimums. The interpretations and behaviors of this sample provide valuable insights for those interested in the Word of Wisdom and its connection to the standards of the Church.

The purpose of this study was to show by the use of the opinions of LDS athletes who have excelled in sports whether or not excellence in gospel living contributes to excellence in sports.Religion has played a role in sports from very early history and has continued to the present time. The degree of religious influence has been determined by the society of the time, whether it played a minor or a positive role.The results of the study pointed out the following:The teachings of the LDS Church had a positive influence, according to LDS athletes, on the fourteen qualities of sports that were selected by coaches representing excellence in sports. The areas they were positive in were moral laws, word of wisdom, and priesthood responsibilities. The athletes were in conflict on whether the Sabbath day was an influence or not on excellence in sports, and they determined that keeping current on Church happenings and paying Church financial obligations had no bearing on the athletic qualities.

The Word of Wisdom was announced by Joseph Smith as a revelation from God in 1833. The revelation prohibited the use of alcohol, tobacco, tea, and coffee. Its pronouncement came at a time when temperance movements were conspicuous throughout America. Interpretations and attitudes have changed toward the Word of Wisdom over the years. Before 1840 many Mormons considered abstinence important though Joseph Smith stressed moderation. Observance became lax as Mormons treked westward to settle Utah territory. Brigham Young stressed obedience to the revelation in the 1860's but never made observance obligatory. Under John Taylor in 1883, a Word of Wisdom reformation began. Taylor stressed that Church officers should obey the revelation as did successors, Wilford Woodruff and Joseph F. Smith. None of them required rigid compliance for procurement of a Temple recommend. Heber J. Grant preached the Word of Wisdom with zeal and during his administration, strict observance became a criterion of orthodoxy. Attitudes have changed little since Grant's time and today Word of Wisdom adherence is a distinguishing characteristic of Mormon society.

For many years, research and clinical practice in gerontology has been influenced strongly by cultural concepts that lead to an overall negative perception of the elderly. Recently, psychologists have examined wisdom in order to provide an alternative viewpoint to the negative conceptions of old age. This study investigated how the elderly perceived wisdom and how the psychosocial conflict of “Integrity versus Despair” was experienced by the elderly. The elderly were approached as primary sources of knowledge for their views on wisdom. Using grounded theory methodology, twenty-one volunteer participants, 70 years of age or older, from the Sierra Nevada foothills of California, were each interviewed twice for an hour in order to form an inductive, data-driven theory concerning wisdom. The elderly described wisdom as a multi-faceted construct with a wide range of components. The resulting theory displayed a process by which the foundations of wisdom were formed during a person's lifetime, what developmental processes lead to wisdom, and the ways in which wisdom was demonstrated in a person's life. Of interest to psychotherapists and developmental psychologists, the integration of Erik Erikson's identity conflict of “Integrity versus Despair” may be facilitated through positive thinking techniques used by the elderly to overcome depression and to maintain a positive mood state. Thus, wisdom, as seen from the perspective of the elderly, may provide our society with an alternative conceptualizations of aging and a way to overcome despair in late life. Wisdom may be the pinnacle of human achievement across a lifespan of development.

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<p>Social workers interact with clients, colleagues, policies and organizational structures regularly in their practice. There are times throughout a social worker’s field experience that she or he may encounter a difficult or challenging practice moment. Although there is an existing literature about ‘critical incidents’ in practice, there is minimal exploration of how social workers describe, experience, reflect upon and understand these difficult practice moments. What happens when we encounter difficult moments? Do we feel prepared and confident in our abilities? Do we experience it as a learning opportunity? How do these moments impact our practice moving forward? This study is based on six one-to-one, narrative-based interviews with social workers from various fields of practice and seeks to better understand how social workers experience difficult practice moments. I explore the personal ways in which the social workers chose to share their stories to demonstrate the significance of the moment to them individually. I also explore themes identified by the social workers including: emotional journeys, working through the moment, discomfort with uncertainty and theoretical versus practice wisdom. The themes identified by this particular group of social workers reveal the complexities and impacts of experiences with difficult practice moments. Furthermore, the social workers’ narratives revealed that a shift in language from ‘critical incident’ to ‘moment of tension’ would better conceptualize the fluidity of these experiences. Because social workers will continue to experience challenging moments in practice, it is essential that we enhance our understanding of these experiences. We must also appreciate the significance of these moments to social workers and promote the inclusion of their voices in further exploration of moments of tension in practice.</p> / Master of Social Work (MSW)

This study examined the concept of "wisdom" from the perspective of "sophiology"--a current in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Russian religious philosophy--particularly as it was used in the writings of Vladimir Solovyov, Pavel Florensky, and Sergius Bulgakov. The purpose of the study was to examine how the sophiological perspective as developed in these authors could inform an understanding of "wisdom" in the field of adult learning. The nature of "wisdom" has been one of the major themes in both Eastern and Western traditions of philosophical and theological thought for thousands of years. In the mid-nineteenth century, however, the epistemological tendency to approach the world exclusively from the standpoint of observation and experiment reduced "wisdom" to nothing more than technical knowledge verified by experience. The concept/construct of wisdom, however, has been experiencing resurgence in the social sciences, including the field of adult learning. My research did not, however, find an instance in which the sophiological perspective had informed the field's understanding of wisdom. For this reason, the perspective of sophiology and its potential contribution to adult learning offered a unique research opportunity. In this study, I sought to add another dimension to the already multi-faceted nature of wisdom in the field of adult learning. I also hoped to enhance the value of sophiological thought by demonstrating its application to a field with which it had not been previously associated. I sought to accomplish these objectives using the method of hermeneutics, an interpretive mode of inquiry with both reproductive and productive aspects. The reproductive aspect established the historical and philosophical context of the three thinkers and discussed how their sophiological texts aided an understanding of their thought as a whole, and vice versa. The productive aspect explored applications of sophiological thought to the field of adult learning. Since I was the "research instrument" for the study, I also introduced the reader to aspects of my own background and experience that prepared me for this interpretive inquiry. / Ph. D.

In K-12 education, student voice is not often considered when establishing curriculum, addressing school policy, or creating a climate that reflects culturally inclusive teaching practices. Across education systems serving Indigenous communities within the United States, the voices of youth as a form of contribution are silenced, which echoes further attempts towards the erasure of the existence of these communities. The context of the study highlighted various strengths through their traditions, languages, and cultural teachings. While Indigenous communities exist globally, this study centered on Indigenous communities from the North American continent, specifically those Native to the Hawaiian Islands. To learn about the lived experiences of Indigenous youth’s strengths embedded in cultural assets, the following research questions guided this qualitative study: 1) What wisdom and cultural practices do Indigenous youth carry with them into schools? and 2) In what ways can educators support youth voice through culturally sustaining and revitalizing pedagogical practices? This research leveraged Yosso’s (2005) Community Cultural Wealth framework and McCarty and Leeʻs (2014) Culturally Sustaining and Revitalizing Pedagogy to highlight diverse forms of capital embedded within Indigenous youth. Analysis revealed significant themes related to various forms of cultural wisdom and knowledge in that embody the circle of reciprocity, community, Indigenous forms of artistry, and advocacy. Recommendations for integrating culturally sustainable and revitalizing pedagogical practices are provided for school administrators and educators.

This work is concerned with the word berith (covenant) in the historical and wisdom books of the Old Testament, and continues research done in previous articles on berith in the Pentateuch and the prophetic literature. The main aim is to discuss in some detail the texts containing the word berith in the historical and wisdom books of the Old Testament and to examine the meaning and use of the word in these writings. The interrelationships between berith and other words in the contexts in which they appear are explored and explained. Finally, berith in the historical and wisdom books usually refers to one of the covenants of the Pentateuch, and which of these is applicable in each case will also be discussed. / Old Testament & Ancient NE / M.Th. (Old Testament)