Involving Readers in the Latter-Day Saint Academic Experience
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Advisory Board Noel B. Reynolds, chair James P. Bell Donna Lee Bowen Douglas M. Chabries George Handley R. Kelly Haws Robert L. Millet Alan L. Wilkins Editor in Chief John W. Welch Church History Board Richard Bennett, chair 19th-century history Brian Q. Cannon 20th-century history Kathryn Daynes 19th-century history Gerrit J. Dirkmaat Joseph Smith, 19th-century Mormonism Steven C. Harper documents Frederick G. Williams cultural history Liberal Arts and Sciences Board Barry R. Bickmore, chair geochemistry David C. Dollahite faith and family life Susan Howe English, poetry, drama Neal Kramer early British literature, Mormon studies Steven C. Walker Christian literature Reviews Board Eric Eliason, co-chair English, folklore John M. Murphy, co-chair Mormon and Western Trevor Alvord new media Herman du Toit art, museums Angela Hallstrom literature Greg Hansen music Emily Jensen new media Gerrit van Dyk Church history Specialists Involving Readers Casualene Meyer poetry editor Thomas R. Wells photography editor in the Latter-day Saint Ashlee Whitaker cover art editor Academic Experience STUDIES QUARTERLY BYU Vol. 55 • No. 4 • 2016 ARTICLES 4 From the Editor 7 A Reflection from an African Convert on Official Declaration 2 Khumbulani D. Mdletshe 31 The Online Journal of George Q. Cannon Richard Dilworth Rust 47 The Brigham Young University Football Program and the Analytics Revolution Nelson Chung 85 Stephen H. Webb (1961–2016): Universal Scholar and Personal Friend Alonzo L. Gaskill 105 Empathy and the Atonement Tyler Johnson 123 Death Being Swallowed Up in Netzach in the Bible and the Book of Mormon David Larsen 141 Socrates’ Mission Daniel W. Graham ESSAYS 99 The Bass Coupler Marilyn Nielson 135 The Time It Takes to Age Rebecca Smylie POETRY 46 Heron Song Elizabeth Garcia 84 Gathering Vivian M. Adams REVIEW ESSAY 160 Transmitting Religion: A Look at Vern L. Bengtson’s Families and Faith: How Religion Is Passed Down across Generations Loren D. Marks BOOK REVIEWS 172 Exploring the Explanatory Power of Semitic and Egyptian in Uto-Aztecan by Brian D. Stubbs Reviewed by Dirk Elzinga 177 A Faded Legacy: Amy Brown Lyman and Mormon Women’s Activism, 1872–1959 by Dave Hall Reviewed by Lisa Olsen Tait 183 Mormon Feminism: Essential Writings, edited by Joanna Brooks, Rachel Hunt Steenblik, and Hannah Wheelwright Reviewed by Camille S. Williams 189 An 1860 English-Hopi Vocabulary Written in the Deseret Alphabet by Kenneth R. Beesley and Dirk Elzinga Reviewed by Brian D. Stubbs 193 Chicano While Mormon: Activism, War, and Keeping the Faith by Ignacio M. Garcia Reviewed by Jorge Iber 197 The Civil War Years in Utah: The Kingdom of God and the Territory That Did Not Fight by John Gary Maxwell Reviewed by Kenneth L. Alford 201 Sublime Physick by Patrick Madden Reviewed by Darlene Young BOOK NOTICES 204 Psalms of Nauvoo: Early Mormon Poetry A Missionary’s Story: The Letters and Journals of Adolf Haag, Mormon Missionary to Switzerland and Palestine, 1892 First Principles and Ordinances: The Fourth Article of Faith in Light of the Temple From the Editor John W. Welch ith the publication of this issue of BYU Studies Quarterly, I find Wmyself looking back to the end of 1991, when Macmillan’s Ency- clopedia of Mormonism was released, exactly twenty-five years ago. That monumental publication, to which over 750 authors contributed articles on more than 1,200 subjects, is still maintained by BYU Studies and is available online at eom.byu.edu. While some of its articles are obviously out of date (such as the entries on the Church in Africa or Temples, where the Church has seen dramatic growth in recent decades), much of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism is still an excellent place to look for initial articles on the doctrine, scriptures, biographies, history, organization, and culture of the Church. In many ways, the breadth of coverage and precision of details in the Encyclope- dia of Mormonism are echoed in the ongoing publication of articles in BYU Studies Quarterly that have steadily supplemented, updated, and added to the encyclopedia. Continuing in that long-standing tradition, this issue is filled with an excellent variety of very interesting and useful information. We are privileged to have all of these outstanding items in this journal. Pertinent to the modern worldwide Church, Khumbulani Mdletshe shares his personal history of conversion in South Africa and his call in 1985 to serve as a missionary in London, where he first learned about the 1978 revelation on the priesthood and its difficult history. Now a member of the Third Quorum of the Seventy serving in Africa, he tells 4 BYU Studies Quarterly 55, no. 4 (2016) From the Editor V 5 here his personal tale of growth through searching for answers and learning to trust in God and his prophets. Making an important contribution to Church history, Richard Dil- worth Rust introduces historians and readers everywhere to the jour- nals of President George Q. Cannon now being released online. As one of the key developers of this massive database, Rust shares his enthusi- asm for these journals and explains their importance as a resource filled with information about the Church in the late nineteenth century. For readers interested in sports and statistics, Nelson Chung writes about the BYU football program and the “analytics revolution.” This article gives an overview of the growing field of sports analytics and then analyzes BYU football in that light, examining ideas about positions, recruiting, and how BYU has used this technology in recruiting players for three of the most important positions on any football team. It then tries to divine the new coaching staff’s likelihood of using these tools. In the realm of theology and interfaith dialogue, Alonzo Gaskill writes in memory of the Christian scholar Stephen H. Webb, who died earlier this year. Published several times in recent issues of BYU Studies Quarterly, Stephen possessed, and generously shared, one of the most brilliantly articulate minds ever to engage with Mormon thought. For all, his loss is tragic. For a new scriptural insight, David Larsen examines closely the semantic range of meanings behind the Hebrew word that is translated as “victory” in Isaiah 25:8, “He will swallow up death in victory.” Similar statements in the Book of Mormon appear to be dependent variations on this hopeful and eternal theme. Returning to the age-old question of the problem of pain and suf- fering, Tyler Johnson’s essay searches in Mormon theology for answers. Johnson sees empathy as God’s answer to human suffering, pointing out that in many ways we are God’s hands in extending that empathy. Philosophy professor Daniel Graham argues that Socrates, the para- gon of intellectual inquisitiveness, was not only devoted to rationality but also to spirituality. As such, the famous Greek wise man shows that Athens and Jerusalem may not be as completely alien to each other as some have thought. Reveling in wonderful English literature, three essays in this issue express meaningful lessons learned by an unsuspecting organist, by a sensitive observer of the aging process, and by a conscientious person striving to transmit religion through generations. And poets gather for 6 v BYU Studies Quarterly us beautiful images of those who “dangle cherries” for earrings and heron’s wings that “crescendo the air.” As always, the book reviews in this issue strive to keep discerning readers current on recent publications. In this issue, they spotlight new studies about the Civil War in Utah, the surprising appearance of Semitic and Egyptian roots in Uto-Aztecan languages, an unusual vol- ume presenting Hopi phonetics in the Deseret Alphabet, the challenges of being Chicano while Mormon, the determined life of Amy Brown Lyman, a collection of writings by Mormon feminists, an elegant col- lection of early Mormon poems, the story of a pioneering missionary to Switzerland and Palestine, and interesting interconnections between the fourth Article of Faith and the temple. Because this year also marks the completion of my twenty-fifth year as editor in chief of this amazingly rich and beautiful publication, let me take this opportunity to thank all of the editors, staff members, web designers, student interns, advisors, and supporters for their contribu- tions to all that this quarterly accomplishes. Few academic journals even dream of trying to cover such a wide diversity of topics as does BYU Studies Quarterly. The vibrant diversity of types of materials brought out four times a year through this publication stretches us and epitomizes for readers everywhere the Latter-day Saint axiom that all truth can be drawn together and encompassed in one great whole. As has been stated on the inside back cover of every issue of BYU Studies in the last twenty-five years, this periodical continues to explore scholarly perspectives on all kinds of Latter-day Saint topics. This pub- lication remains committed to seeking truth “by study and also by faith” (D&C 88:118) and recognizes that all knowledge without charity is noth- ing (1 Cor. 13:2). Because BYU Studies Quarterly can print only what it receives, I also thank authors from all around the world who voluntarily submit their fruitful research on productive questions that have captivated their sus- tained interests and endless hours of careful research and writing. Please enjoy every page in this issue of BYU Studies Quarterly, and by all means feel free to let us hear from you. A Reflection from an African Convert on Official Declaration 2 Khumbulani D. Mdletshe he Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will commemorate Tin June 2018 the fortieth anniversary of the coming forth of Offi- cial Declaration 2. This anniversary is an opportunity to reflect on the legacy of the priesthood ban and the 1978 revelation.