Join us for this semester's Prospective Missionary Devotional! Richard and Valerie Heaton will talk about how to prepare and what to expect. Thu, Oct 23 at 7 PM. In person at BYU WSC Ballroom or live stream at https://religion.byu.edu/missionarydevotional.

In recognition of the 30th anniversary of the family proclamation, a two-day conference will be held at BYU on September 25–26, 2025, focusing on how the proclamation continues to be an extension of the Savior's divine mercy and loving help for all of God's children as they navigate the realities of mortality. Sister Amy A. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency will be the keynote speaker. BYU faculty and young adults will deliver presentations during the two-day conference that will encourage and inspire attendees to experience Jesus Christ through the divine truths of the family proclamation, assisting them in their "quest for perfection and eternal life." All BYU students, faculty, and staff are invited to attend. For conference information and details see: https://religion.byu.edu/family-proclamation-anniversary.

BYU Religious Scholarly Publications continues its Faith and Cookies series this semester starting Thursday, September 18 at 11 AM in 3714 HBLL. Justin Dyer, BYU Professor of Church History and Doctrine and Editor of BYU Studies will give a presentation on how students' well-being is impacted by attending a religiously-affiliated university.

The Fifth Annual Richard L. Evans Memorial Lecture will be given by Rabbi Shai Held, President and Dean of the Hadar Institute. His lecture is titled “Do Jews and Christians Love in the Same Way?” Rabbi Held is a philosopher, theologian, and biblical scholar and is the author of Abraham Joshua Heschel: The Call of Transcendence (2013), The Heart of Torah: Essays on the Weekly Torah Portion (2017), and importantly for this event, his most recent book, Judaism is About Love: Recovering the Heart of Jewish Life (2024). The Evans Memorial lecture will be held on September 17, 2025 at 7:00pm in the Hinckley Center Assembly Hall.

Brigham Young University's Religious Education and Moral Education Professorship, led by Michael Hubbard MacKay, are seeking to develop more enriching interfaith relationships and explore the place of interfaith at faith-based universities through our "Interfaith & Faith-Based Universities" conference. An impressive group of scholars, practitioners, and students from religious and secular institutions will be presenting their work at BYU on September 17 and 18. On September 17, scholars and practitioners will present their work in the Education in Zion Theater of the Joseph F. Smith Building (B192 JFSB). The night will conclude with the Fifth Annual Richard L. Evans Memorial Lecture. On September 18, there will be a student workshop in 382 JSB and student presentations in Room 3380 of the Wilkinson Student Center. All sessions are open to the public. We welcome your attendance at any session. More information at https://religion.byu.edu/moral-education-professorship

Abraham and His Family in Scripture, History, and Tradition: a conference held at BYU on May 3 and 10 in 251 TNRB. Live stream also available. Through Abraham’s faithfulness, he merited the stunningly universal promise of God that “in [him] shall all families of the earth be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). Latter-day Saints, in common with those in many other religious traditions, rejoice in the ongoing fulfillment of that promise. However, though the blessings patiently, and sometimes painfully, secured by his family through unwavering faith in the face of trial and heartache are well-documented in scripture, the wealth of insights that ancient and modern scholarship can shed on these scriptural accounts is generally underappreciated. This two-day conference will gather scholars from Latter-day Saint and other traditions to discuss the enduring legacy of Abraham and his immediate family in scripture, history, and tradition. A primary focus of the conference will be focus on covenant- and temple-related themes that have been deeply woven into relevant accounts in the Bible, the Qur’an, and other religious texts. In addition, believing that authentic history sits behind modern scripture, special emphasis will be given to ancient threads relating to Abrahamic material in the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Book of Abraham. More details at https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2025-abraham-and-his-family-conference/

BYU's Easter Conference is a little more than a week away! With presentations from Ryan Sharp and Stephan Taeger, associate professors of Ancient Scripture at BYU, plus keynote address by Marcus Martins, BYU-Hawaii emeritus faculty, attending the conference is a great addition to your celebration of the Easter season. Join us in the Joseph Smith Building auditorium on Friday, April 11, at 7 PM.

From producer Fred E. Woods, BYU professor of Church History and Doctrine, comes an insightful new documentary exploring the rich history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in St. Louis, Missouri. The film delves into the contrasting experiences of the Saints on different sides of the state during the 19th century. While persecuted in Western Missouri, St. Louis became an unexpected refuge—an oasis of tolerance and inclusion for the Saints. Through historical accounts, expert interviews, and powerful storytelling, this documentary sheds light on the pivotal role St. Louis played in the Church’s journey and how it remains a place of strength and community for Latter-day Saints today. Dr. Woods will be lecturing on and screening the film this Thursday, April 3, at 11 AM in B-192 JFSB.

BYU Easter Conference is around the corner! Friday, April 11, 7 PM, Joseph Smith Building Auditorium.

Are you planning to serve a mission soon? Join us for the next Prospective Missionary Devotional on February 26 at 7 PM. In-person and live stream available. More info at https://religion.byu.edu/missionarydevotional.

Save the Date! The annual Religious Education Symposium will be held on January 24 and 25, 2025. More info: https://rsc.byu.edu/conferences/sperry