Church History Symposium: 'Go Ye into All the World'
E-mail story
It's easy. Send a link to the story you were just reading to a friend. Just fill out the form on this page and we'll send it along.
Your name and e-mail address are transmitted to the recipient. Otherwise, it is considered private information; see Privacy policy.
PROVO, UTAH
Although some of the materials and training for missionary work have changed over the past few decades, the main purpose remains the same, presenters said during the annual Church History Symposium at Brigham Young University on March 5. Classes were held in the BYU Conference Center in Provo.
"We are going to change missionary methods over and over again, but there is one thing that will never change," said Dennis Wright, one of the presenters and a professor of Church history at BYU. "And that's the power of a personal testimony."
This year's symposium, the theme of which was "Go Ye into All the World," focused on the growth and development of missionary work since the restoration of the gospel.
More than 30 presenters shared insights on a variety of gospel themes — all related to the topic of missionary work.
The theme of missionary work allowed presenters to explore topics such as the history of missionary work, the evolution of missionary training centers and missionary work in relation to specific areas of the world.
One presentation looked to the women involved in missionary work in the early days of the Church. Presenters explored the lives of both women acting as missionaries through sharing their testimony vocally with their families and friends, as well as some of the unsung heroines who continued to be faithful while their husbands were away serving missions.
The keynote speaker, R. Lanier Britsch, former professor of history at BYU, spoke of the boldness of the Mormon missionary enterprise and the growth of the Church.
"Although policies and procedures change, and teaching methods are changed, developed, refined and modified, all of the changes occurred within the bounds of revelation from the Lord," Brother Britsch said.
The annual Brigham Young University Church History Symposium is sponsored by the BYU Religious Studies Center in an effort to bring historians together to share their research on a specific topic or special interest in the history of the Church.
