BYU Education Week this August

A week or two ago, I signed a contract to speak at BYU Education Week in August of this year.  At this point, of course, I don’t know whether there will be a physical Education Week on the BYU campus.  I’ve been told that those in charge are still moving cautiously forward with plans for a gathering in Provo and, so far as I’m aware, that’s still the case.  Let us hope.  If it’s ultimately decided not to have people come to campus, then I would guess — though I have no privileged knowledge on this score — that Education Week might well go virtual.  Obviously, though, it could still be cancelled altogether.  Plenty of things have been.

We’ll see!

In the meantime, I thought that I would share the proposal that I made to the Education Week leadership, and that was accepted by them:

Series Title:  The Witnesses to the Book of Mormon

First Lecture:  The Three Witnesses

This class will discuss not only the specific experience of the Three Witnesses but their biographies thereafter and their lifelong characters and reputations.  Furthermore, it will discuss why they left the Church and whether or not they returned to it, and it will emphasize the consistency of their testimonies thereafter, sometimes under trying circumstances.  Many members of the Church are unaware of the details of their stories.

• I will show a 3-5-minute clip from the Witnesses film project, forthcoming in October.
• Oliver Cowdery
• Martin Harris
• David Whitmer

Second Lecture:  The Eight Witnesses

This class will discuss not only the specific experience of the Eight Witnesses but their biographies thereafter.  It will discuss why some of them left the Church but it will emphasize the lifelong consistency of their testimonies, sometimes under trying circumstances.  Many members of the Church are unaware of the details of their stories. 

• I will show a 3-5-minute clip from the Witnesses film project, forthcoming in October.
• Christian Whitmer
• Jacob Whitmer
• Peter Whitmer, Jun.
• John Whitmer
• Hiram Page
• Joseph Smith, Sen.
• Hyrum Smith
• Samuel H. Smith

Third Lecture:  The Unofficial Witnesses

This class will discuss the specific and varied experiences of several unofficial Witnesses to golden plates and other related objects, most of them women. Many members of the Church are unaware of the details of their stories. 

• I will show a 3-5-minute clip from the Witnesses film project, forthcoming in October.
• Emma Smith
• Lucy Mack Smith
• Josiah Stowell
• Mary Musselman Whitmer

Fourth Lecture:  What Difference Do They Make?

This class will address the significance of the differences between the different sets of Witnesses and how those differences strengthen their collective testimony.  It will also address several of the most important criticisms directed against the Witnesses by skeptics. 

• I will show a 3-5-minute clip from the Witnesses film project, forthcoming in October.