BYU Studies

New editor-in-chief, W. Justin Dyer, celebrates the legacy of BYU Studies as well as recognizing its hopes for the future.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 1 in 2026.

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Missionary culture has changed much throughout the years, even within the last year. Matt Lund explores some of the changing culture in an expository piece on missionary husbands.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

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Alexander L. Baugh offers his take on Kristy Wheelwright Taylor's Prepare Me for Thy Use. Taylor was the board secretary for the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation and shares her knowledge of Woodruff by exploring his journals (and other sources). This Book Review gives background to Woodruff's life as well as Baugh's suggestions on who should read this book.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

Read the full review here.

A philosophical journey through the idea of free will, combining important questions and religious beliefs. Thomas S. Hilton celebrates the beauty of what a soul means in Latter-day Saint belief and engages with potentially contrasting ideas to prove it.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

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A poem by Anabella Schofield paying a potent homage to bees and the state they represent.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

Read the full poem here.

 Reid L. Neilson compiles the work of Elder B. H. Roberts inspired by the 1893 World’s Parliament of Religions. Though the "Mormon Church" was not allowed to attend, that did not stop B. H. Roberts from gathering information given at the parliament. He was able to use the articles written there to inform Latter-day Saints about faiths different from their own.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

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Color Vision and Perception of the Sacred is a fascinating article about Scott R. Parkin's experience with having color blindness and what that has taught him about other's perceptions of the world.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

Read the full article here.

Jenet Jacob Erickson and Anson Savage analyze hundreds of references to technology in general conference talks over twenty years. Erickson and Savage come to understand what this "powerful tool" means for Latter-day Saint believers. Their findings help guide generations growing up with this technology.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

Read the full article here.

This article was originally given as remarks at the funeral service for Dean Jessee (1929–2025) on January 10, 2026, at the Chevy Chase Ward meetinghouse in Murray, Utah. Jessee was a noteworthy and productive historian who spent much of his professional life working on the papers of Joseph Smith.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

Read the full article online.

Mission plaques are a fun tradition, physicalizing purpose and testimony. This article not only covers the history of plaques themselves, but also takes a look at the most common scripture choices and why missionaries choose the scriptures they do.

Published in BYU Studies 65 no. 2 in 2026.

Read the full article here.