Skip to main content
College of Humanities
Philosophy
Donate



Undergraduate LDS Philosophy Workshop

“And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom; seek learning, even by study and also by faith.” (Doctrine & Covenants 88: 118)

Faculty Supervisor: Dr. Taylor-Grey Miller, Department of Philosophy

Location: Philosophy Department Seminar Room (4088 JFSB)

This is a 6-week extra-curricular, high-impact seminar with the following scheduled dates:

            Tuesday, Jan 19: 7-8:30pm

            Tuesday, Jan 26: 7-8:30 pm

            Tuesday, Feb 2: 7-8:30 pm

            Tuesday, Feb 9: 7-8:30 pm

            Tuesday, Feb 16: 7-8:30 pm

            Tuesday, Feb 23: 7-8:30 pm

Call for Participants

            BYU affords its students and faculty a unique opportunity to learn in the light of the restored gospel, and the university has recently emphasized the importance of pursuing a “gospel methodology” in our research. The Department of Philosophy in conjunction with the LDS Philosophy Project, is continuing an undergraduate research workshop over 6 weeks of the winter semester with the aim of aiding students in undertaking their own research projects in LDS philosophy. LDS philosophy broadly construed includes any philosophical research that engages philosophically with some aspects of core Latter-day Saint commitments and/or practices. Types of projects can include but are not limited to:

                        1.     Use philosophical methods to illuminate/give a theory of an LDS theological commitment.
                        2.     Use philosophical methods/concepts to clarify a certain reading of scripture.
                        3.     Show how a general philosophical problem can be addressed by appeal to resources in the
                                    LDS tradition.
                        4.     Use philosophical methods/concepts to raise a challenge for certain understandings of scripture
                                    or theology.
                        5.     Give a comparative philosophical analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of an LDS and
                                    non-LDS conception of some theological matter.
                        6.     Show how a philosophical perspective or issue can be transposed faithfully into an LDS
                                    theological setting.

            To participate in this seminar, students should include a 200-400 word sketch of the topic of the research project they aim to undertake and at least 1-2 papers from the relevant philosophical literature that they plan to engage with. The seminar aims to help students produce a final research paper that can be submitted to a departmental essay contest that carries a significant prize bursary. Sessions in the seminar will be devoted to helping students advance in these research projects and expand their horizons for what faithful LDS Philosophy can be. 

            This year, we will accept between 2-4 promising project proposals. Deadline for proposal submission is Dec 31, 2025. Notification of acceptance will be issued by January 7, 2026. Applicants should have completed Philosophy 300.