Message from Reid L. Nielson, Fall 2025
Dear Friends of BYU Religious Publications,
Over the past six months, remarkable things continue to happen within our three organizations devoted to producing outstanding scholarship on the gospel of Jesus Christ. I have been uplifted as I have read the books produced by the Religious Studies Center, reviewed the articles published in the pages of BYU Studies and the Religious Educator, and attended the events of the Maxwell Institute. Our hope and promise is that everything we produce is aligned with the mission of the Church and University. We want truth seeking souls to search out our offerings and be edified by what they find within our pages and programming.
Increasingly, we are making our content available through digital offerings. Since the beginning of this year, the Maxwell Institute, for example, has been featuring classic addresses by their namesake, Elder Neal A. Maxwell, on a bimonthly basis on their website. Click on the QR code in this newsletter to listen to the late Apostle’s landmark addresses, including “Notwithstanding My Weakness,” “Joseph Smith: A Choice Seer,” and “Meek and Lowly.” The Maxwell Institute’s blog is another source of thoughtful and faithful musings by scholars committed to bringing together the mind and the heart, as encouraged in the revelations of the Restoration.
BYU Studies, the university’s premier interdisciplinary journal, has contributed three issues so far this year. Working with their academic authors, the editorial team has address timely topics, including the wonder of scripture, the early development of Church administration, interfaith engagement, the Joseph Smith Papers project, faith and science, and the Book of Mormon. After seven years of wonderful service as editor in chief of BYU Studies, Steve Harper completed his leadership term this summer. His successor, Justin Dyer, is a respected sociologist and faculty member in Church history and doctrine. The BYU New Testament Commentary also released Paul’s Epistles to the Thessalonians earlier this year.
The Religious Studies Center continues to help produce and make available the Y Religion podcast with our partners in Religious Education here at BYU. Over the past year, inspiring religious educators like Anthony Sweat, Matthew Richardson, Gaye Strathern, Jan Martin, and Tyler Griffin have reflected on their own published gospel scholarship and shared their witnesses of the Savior and His gospel. Listeners are encouraged to hear these faith-promoting voices as they commute, hike, cook, and relax in their daily lives. Each time I finish listening to one of these podcasts, I feel edified and more committed to consecrating my own scholarship to the Kingdom.
Lastly, I want to highlight the outstanding scholarship printed within the pages of the Religious Educator, which is published by the amazing team at the Religious Studies Center. Each year they produce three issues, including the proceedings of the annual Church Educational System Religious Educators Conference held each June at BYU. Two issues have already been published this year, which feature articles on the atonement of Jesus Christ, teaching and artificial intelligence, Seminary life preparation lessons, innovating Institute, finding peace, Apostle David W. Patten, visions of salvation, and so much more.
All of this content can be accessed through the QR codes sprinkled throughout this newsletter. I invite you to take some time and browse the multitude of books, articles, blogs, podcasts, event recordings, and addresses featured above. You too will be educated and enlightened by the scholarly contributions of these contributors from across the Church and the Church Educational System.
Reid L. Neilson
Assistant Academic Vice President
BYU Religious Publications
