Does anyone know what this is about - a very terse article came across my FB newsfeed that BYU is changing it's graduation requirements to no longer require scripture based religion classes but ones that focus more on gospel themes, modern day prophets and doctrine.

I remember at BYU I HAD to take two semesters of Book of Mormon and then about 8 more random religion credits, which included two New Testament classes and a World religions class. Now it sounds like they aren't having you take actual courses studying actual scriptures (although maybe the BoM still) but classes entirely spun by the church. That's so worthless - a whole semester's worth of credits and you don't even take any religion credits that have to do with any other religion - it's all about the brainwashing now?

Link: http://www.kutv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/LDS-Church-makes-first-cirriculum-change-in-years-53973.shtml#.VFEV7cjnZjp



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2014 12:37PM by CA girl.

Sounds like word is getting around:

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1416903,1417355#msg-1417355

I saw that thread and for some reason thought it was about the Sunday School curriculum - should have clicked on the link. And that they were arguing about it, not that it was a done deal at BYU. Interesting - you are right. It's becoming more mainstream.

Could this be part of a larger effort that includes the essays?

Announcement: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/enigmaticmirror/2014/10/27/new-byu-religious-education-curriculum/

Reaction from one of the old-school apologists, DCP's cohert, Bill Hamblin:

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/enigmaticmirror/2014/10/27/new-byu-religious-education-curriculum/

Interesting links folks. Thanks!

I don't think they really want anyone actually reading the POGP or D&C

I would love to see this move lose them their accreditation!

How would it do that? Individual programs are accredited, not the university as a whole. Requiring particular kinds of religion classes that are not part of a major or minor would not have any effect on their accreditation for say, social work.

+1000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Those religion credits have always been worthless at real schools anyway.

Someone posted here a little while ago that the "Proclamation on the Family" was also a required course.

Removing anything that resembles scholarship and replacing it with the same old ym/yw lessons the students have had since they were twelve is a huge slap in the face to any member of the church who is trying to pay for their anticipated education. Why not just stay home and pay only 10% of your income to hear what's going to cost you 85% at BYU?

There was never any real scholarship in a religion class at BYU before this though.

I see this as dumbing down the 9th grade level of classwork to an 8th grade level. It was never college level to begin with.

out of that worthless little pamphlet that isn't even big enough to line a birdcage with???

Well, I have to admit - I have to admire that kind of creativity. Almost arachnoid, really - spinning a whole semester, right out of one's anal aperture. Talk about mighty thin material. . .

The religion classes have always been a joke, with a few exceptions. I took one New Testament class from a professor who had to leave towards the end of the semester to go to Egypt at the Egyptian government's request. Apparently he was an expert in Coptic.

Otherwise, when I transferred to another school for awhile, none of my religion classes were given credit, even as general education credit.

Even as a TBM at BYU, I tried to take more mainline religion classes like New Testament and World Religions (which covered Buddhism, Sikhism, Islam etc.) Other than the required two Book of Mormon classes, I mean. And you are right, it still didn't do a bit of good - not even on my mission. But if they are dumbing down already dumb classes, I feel sorry for the students.

I did the same. My World Religions class was taught by Spencer Palmer, who portrayed the priest in the temple film where Gordon Jump portrayed Peter.

World Religion classes are wonderful opportunities to help students identify signs and connect them to themes, i.e., analytical thinking skills.

At BYU they were never that - it was more marveling at the weird shit people believe who don't have the restored gospel. Not helpful for developing deeper thinking.

Another brainwashing tool described with the same words used by other colleges. Interestingly, other colleges don't accept BYU World Religion classes even when they give credit for their own.

I do believe that these changes are part of a pattern that we recognize as a decision made at the highest echelons. It has been determined that the church must be moved away from its root doctrines and its history if it is to survive. In order to do that, the leadership must control the message completely, even if it involves devaluation of scriptures, abandonment of former prophet's sacred works and allowing pigeon poop to remain on Brigham Young's statue.

There is nothing really sacred in Mormonism. We saw that when the controllers changed the temple ceremony as a result of unfavorable focus group results. When I was a Mormon, a changed temple ceremony was given as the reason for the Great Apostasy, the whole purpose for the Lord restoring the true gospel through a modern prophet.

Opening the door to "The Negro," and dumping the death threat rituals in the temple ceremony were the initial signs we look for as indicative of a huge change in Mormon culture.



Kathleen Waters

There was some of that but we had a Korean professor who actually knew something about Eastern Religions so I learned a lot. Either way, it was still better than a semester studying the Pearl of Great Price. Or nowadays, the Proclamation on the Family.

I guess what learned from Spencer Palmer were the precepts of men, mingled with scripture.

Um, my fingers got twisted...my screen name should have had (nli) rather than (nil)

*mutters: programmer for nearly 40 years and I still can't type!

The changes about to take place at BYU campuses are PRECISELY tied in with the whitewashing decree of the meetinghouse libraries (ward resource centers). That cleansing is to be completed no latter than Dec. 31, 2014.

http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1413299
http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1416079

Anagrammy's description of the "weird shit" that IS Mormonism aptly describes to the "materials" being tossed out of meetinghouse libraries so that only material newer than 2004 remains.

Once we step back and witness several changes happening simultaneously it becomes crystal clear -- LDS Inc. is accelerating its sanitizing and whitewashing across the board. They are in a full-court panic for survival.

EDIT: I see that poster Elder Berry made the same observation yesterday. Good One EB. http://exmormon.org/phorum/read.php?2,1416903,1416936#msg-1416936



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2014 08:27PM by jiminycricket.

I agree with both you and Anagrammy -- IMO this represents a major course correction on the part of the Mormon church.

I cannot believe that there is a class at a university level on the Proclamation of the Family.

Seriously?

Let's see. For the first two weeks our course of study will be the first eight lines of the Proclamation. Prayerfully prepare the answers to the questions that have been provided. Be ready to give your testimony if you are so called on to share. This proclamation is one of the very most important and crucial documents that you will study and learn more about in your college years. Be clean in spirit and body so that you can be a vessel and receive this mighty message. This means no chewed gum or those dreadful sessions, you know what I am referring to, where you waste your time and the Lord's time.

Dum dee dum dum



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/29/2014 07:49PM by presleynfactsrock.

Maybe this is a way to get better recruits for the football program, specifically non-mormons with great skills more focused on getting out of school without the religion.

BYU has a lot of good academic programs. It's the religious conformity that brings its reputation down.

I think they would make the religion classes more inclusive if that were the case. It sounds like the religion requirement has gotten more Mormon-centric. No studying stuff like the bible, that contradicts Mormonism on so many things. Let's just teach what the prophets are saying.

What the prophet is saying:

LET'S GO SHOPPING!

Mormonism was a disaster when I was a mormon.
It now looks like it's going to step it up a notch or two and become an even bigger disaster.

I'm so glad I left. I'm even happier that my husband and kids left. This means my grandkids won't ever be mormon. With a little luck, they'll never see the inside of a Mormon church, let alone the temple.

I guess they don't want people questioning the old scriptures.

If this does result in a dumbing down of the BYU religion curriculum (something I scarcely thought was possible), then it creates a new issue for the students.

The gulf between the classes in the religion department and what is expected at the rest of the university will only widen. Students will wonder what is up with that. I know that I did.

I hope this results in more going to the internet and Library to discover what really is up with that. I'm glad I did. It's been a life changing experience.

I so testify...Amen.

This is a change in requirements, but they may be using the same syllabus from previous classes.

In other words, giving the appearance but not substance of mainstream Christianity. Certainly giving plausible deniability to critics which may be digging when Mitt runs again.

LDS Inc is playing a dangerous game here, as they risk alienating their most stalwart donation base.

I can just imagine how jaded the courses on World Religions are....make all religions except the CULT look absolutely awful, an abomination!

Are they going to change the name of BYU to something that reeks less of racist/rapist/molester?

I would be ashamed to attend that school.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/30/2014 01:37AM by verilyverily.

Actually, we mostly concentrated on what the religions taught and what their beliefs were and where they originated. Occasionally the teacher would compare how close they were to Mormon beliefs but alas, they missed the fullness of the gospel but that is about all. It wouldn't have happened at TCU or Auburn or Florida State or USC but my professor at least certainly didn't talk about how horrible the religions were. Just the once in a while comparison to Mormonism.

And the problem with your statement is that, while the religion requirement and the overwhelming majority of religion department classes are undeniably awful, BYU is a good school in a lot of aspects. I got a great education there and it's only embarrassing now because people assume I am LDS when they hear I went there. I worked for about a year after graduating for a UC system school in California - a top notch school that was harder to get into and way more expensive than BYU. Although I worked there rather than attended, I was understandably interested in their journalism department and their school newspaper. While the variety of content was better than BYU's (understandably) the quality of the writing was worse and the editorial mistakes were appalling - I knew better in high school but definitely BYU's journalism department taught me at a much higher level than this so-called elite CA school did.

So while no one is more embarrassed to admit they were ever Mormon than I am, I got a good education at BYU and think it's easy for you to take pot-shots at something you know nothing about.