Daily Universe (SVU edition)

This article was one of the two featured articles in the Southern Virginia University newsletter. Courtney was checking her mail when I heard her call for me to "come here." I went in and she had a huge grin on her face.

While reading the SVU newsletter she noticed that the photo for the second article looked familiar. She thought it was taken from the same angle as a picture Ethan had sent her. She clicked on the article and saw that it was a link back to a Daily Universe article written by Ethan! She thought that was really cool. Their two colleges collided at that moment. I had to tell Ethan and he was happy about it. SVU picked up the article pretty quickly because it had only just been published. What a cool experience for the kids.

BYU Religious Freedom Annual Review focuses on peacemaking

universe.byu.edu/2024/06/26/byu-religious-freedom-annual-review-focuses-on-peacemaking/
By Ethan PackJune 26, 2024

Bonnie H. Cordon, president of Southern Virginia University, participates in a panel with James Lambert, provost of SVU, Deidra K. Dryden, athletics director, and political science professor Jeremiah John. The panel focused on what SVU has done to promote peacemaking and civility within the university. (Ethan Pack)

Scholars and religious leaders from across the U.S. gathered at BYU’s Religious Freedom Annual Review on Thursday, June 20 and spoke on peacemaking and religious pluralism.

The conference began with opening remarks from Brett G. Scharffs, the director of the BYU International Center for Law and Religion Studies, and President Shane Reese. President Reese spoke briefly about his time on a panel of higher education leaders put on by the American Council on Education.

“It was a remarkable gathering of presidents who doctrinally and theologically had differences,” President Reese said, “and yet we were drawn together by a common purpose, which was the virtue-filled education that is largely missing in higher education today and that is candidly affiliate that is afforded us because of religious freedom.”

President Reese drew comparisons between BYU and other universities like Harvard, which were both founded by deeply committed religious believers forced to leave home due to persecution, he said.

“Religious freedom isn’t just good for BYU, and it’s not just good for other religiously affiliated institutions of higher education, or for higher education in general. No, religious freedom is a human good and it belongs to all, believers and nonbelievers alike,” he said.

After President Reese’s remarks, Ryan Burge, an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University and a pastor, spoke on significant statistics in the current religious freedom and pluralism climate.

“So here’s my argument in a nutshell. What America looks like in the future is simply this: There’s going to be a significant number of very religious, very conservative people on one side of the spectrum,” Burge said. “And on the other side of the spectrum, there’s going to be a very large, very non religious, very liberal group of people. And there’s going to be no one left in the middle.”

Ryan Burge shares statistics about religious growth and polarization within churches in the U.S. Burge teaches political science at Eastern Illinois University and is the pastor of his church. (Ethan Pack)

Burge urged attendees to work with those they disagree with to promote religious freedom for everyone. “We’ve got to understand that most people are willing to move this country forward. They’re willing to compromise. They’re willing to find middle ground,” he said.

Religious speakers, scholars and educators participated in panels throughout the day. Several sessions were dedicated to legal aspects of religious freedom, like The Religious Freedom Restoration Act at 30 session with speakers from Agudath Israel of America, Harvard Law School and the Wheatley Institute.

Other sessions focused on peacemaking for the rising generation. Bonnie H. Cordon, president of Southern Virginia University, and other professors and leaders from the university spoke on what they have done to help their students become peacemakers.

“Here at Southern Virginia University this next year, our goal is to practice, to help people see what they can be and how they can continue dialogue that becomes meaningful,” Cordon said. “What will happen? Relationships increase and all of a sudden, things change.”

This was the 11th year of the Religious Freedom Annual Review. This year was the first to include several breakout sessions geared towards young adults and the rising generation.

Daily Universe

How much are students willing to pay for subscriptions?

universe.byu.edu/2024/06/18/how-much-are-students-willing-to-pay-for-subscriptions/
By Ethan PackJune 18, 2024

Subscription-based services such as Amazon Prime, Apple Music and Disney+ have grown in both popularity and price throughout the past several years, tacking on dollars to students’ spending.

In a study done by C+R Research in 2022, consumers estimated spending an average of $86 per month on subscriptions. In reality, consumers spent an average of $219, or 2.5 times their original estimate.

Quizlet Plus is one of several educational subscriptions that gives customers access to new features. Companies regularly raise prices to find an optimal price that customers will pay. (Ethan Pack)

Several educational apps such as Duolingo, Kahoot and Quizlet have instituted subscriptions that make new and existing features part of paid tiers. Companies start charging for subscriptions at low prices, then raise them as they try to find the highest price most customers will pay, BYU finance professor Taylor Nadauld said.

For the language learning app Duolingo’s premium subscription, “I would probably pay $10 more from what it is now,” BYU student Cindy Hernandez said. She said she would pay this amount because the app helps her learn and she finds that valuable.

However, Hernandez would not pay an additional $10 a month for an app such as Apple Music.

“I’m not really learning anything from it. It’s just kind of a comfort,” she said.

Companies rely on subscriptions because it makes revenue more consistent, Nadauld said. When a customer signs up, they are less likely to stop paying for the service.

“It’s a little harder to get someone to pay you every single time they use a product,” he said, “than it is to get them to pay you once and then hope that they keep paying you.”

 If customers feel they are paying more than what a service is worth, they might cancel, Nadauld said.

“If I was really invested in it, the most I’d be willing to pay is probably about $10. Maybe up to $12 depending on specifically what the subscription is and whether or not they’re making any improvements,” BYU student Cael Erickson said of monthly subscriptions. Erickson does not pay for any subscriptions, but said he would be most likely to pay for a music-streaming app.

In addition to maintaining customers, companies who operate a subscription business model can be acquired at a higher price because their revenue model is more stable and forecastable, Nadauld said.

While subscription-based business models may not be what’s best for consumers, “it’s best for the company in terms of making them more attractive as an acquisition target,” Nadauld said.

Subscription models are likely here to stay, he said, but new technologies will arrive that will help people manage their various subscriptions.

“So ironically, people will get one more subscription that helps them manage all of their other subscriptions. That’s what I think is gonna happen,” he said.

Subscription tracking services include Rocket Money, PocketGuard and Trim, among others. While many of these services offer free features, they offer paid features as well.

Daily Universe

Water safety is a priority, Utah officials say

universe.byu.edu/2024/06/03/water-safety-is-a-priority-utah-departments-say/
By Ethan PackJune 3, 2024

River rafters float down the Provo river. Utah law states that everyone must wear a life jacket when recreating on rivers, regardless of age. (Ethan Pack)

As more people are enjoying water activities such as boating and rafting during the summer, safety professionals shared tips to stay safe on the water.

Organizations such as the Utah Drowning Prevention Coalition, Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation and recreation centers provided guidelines for staying safe in the water.

For lakes and rivers, wearing a lifejacket is the biggest preventative action a person can take to stay safe, according to Steve Bullock, chief of law enforcement for the Utah Division of Outdoor Recreation.

“My message really is the life jackets only work if you wear them. So we want adults and parents, even though their kids are wearing them, to also wear them and to find one that’s comfortable,” Bullock said.

Boating accident data is sent to the U.S. Coast Guard who compiles it into a yearly report. In 2023, 75% of fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those victims, 87% were not wearing a life jacket.

In addition, a Utah speed and proximity law mandates that boats traveling fast enough to make a wake should give everyone 150 feet of space or slow down, which can help prevent collisions and capsizing, Bullock said.

Rivers specifically can be more dangerous than lakes due to the faster current and rapidly changing depths, he said.

“There’s a constant current pulling you down, across rocks, across bends, different depths where the river could be wide and make just a couple feet deep in one area, and then you come across a bend and suddenly it’s over your head,” Bullock said. “Or there’s branches and trees, snags that can hold you down under the water.”

While Utah law mandates everyone 12 and under to wear a life jacket on a lake, everyone floating on a river has to wear a life jacket.

“Whether you’re just going down the Provo River or the Weber river, or you’re going down Skull Rapid on the Colorado River, life jackets are just a requirement and it’ll keep you afloat and give you a chance to save yourself and others,” Bullock said.

BYU student Weston Smith floated down a Utah River in May and said he could understand why life jackets are a requirement.

“It constantly goes from deep to shallow and scraping up your knees. It’s super murky. You can’t see the depth, no depth perception of the water,” Smith said.

Smith has also gone river rafting in Moab and was kept afloat by his life jacket.

“It was a struggle as I was being pulled under by the current, but in the end the life jacket clutched up,” he said. “The life jacket did help me despite the current.”

In pools and recreational centers, life jackets are less of a requirement but awareness and good decision making are keys to staying safe, Kathleen Steadman, aquatic operations manager at South Davis Recreation District, said.

“Children five and under need to have a parent within arm’s reach of them at all times,” Steadman said. “Children eight and under still need to have a parent in the aquatic area with them.”

Swimming in a pool, lake or river is similar to driving or operating a firearm, Steadman said. Staying aware of hazards and not getting complacent is important to having a safe, enjoyable time.

“The pool or the lake is the same thing. You can’t just take it for granted and just assume, ‘Hey, we’re good to have fun and nothing’s going to happen,'” she said.

Underestimating hazards like deep water, exhaustion, cramps, shock from cold water or waves generated by weather on a waterfront can result in tragedy, but staying aware of your own limitations and planning accordingly can prepare you for an enjoyable time on the water, Steadman said.

“Approach it with that more cautious mindset of, ‘If we’re going to go have a fun day at the pool, the best way to have this fun day and not end in tragedy is to be overly cautious and take steps to make sure that those things don’t happen.'”

Both the UDPC and the Utah Division of Natural Resources websites have more information on laws, best practices and water conditions.

Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation

"They Were Steadfast and Immovable”

by Michelle Pack

Jun 2, 2024

Alma the Younger Preaching by Gary L. Kapp

When Alma’s people began to “wax proud” (Alma 4:6), he was saddened. “There began to be great contentions among the people” (Alma 4:9), and the wickedness of the members of the Church had become a “great stumbling block to those who did not belong to the church” (Alma 4:10). As a way to combat this wickedness, Alma appointed a chief judge to take over the temporal affairs of the people, but he kept the office of high priest for himself. He then began preaching, using his testimony to dispel the false doctrines which had been circulating and to teach the people to come unto Christ (Alma 4:16–20). Alma could see no other way “that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them” (Alma 4:19). Pure testimony can touch hearts and help us feel the Spirit of the Lord. The spirit of pure testimony can inspire people to change. 

Wilford Woodruff felt this spirit of pure testimony while in Clithero, England, for a conference among the Saints. On May 11, 1845, he recorded, “I blessed the bread and wine and it was administered to the Saints after which the time was tak[en] up by the Brethren and Sisters in bearing testimony of the work of God, and the power of God rested upon the congregation until it melted us into tears. . . . I was so overwhelmed with the spirit and power of God and simplicity of the people I could scarcely speak.” That is the power of the Spirit when righteous Saints bear pure testimony. Pure testimony has the strength to inspire us to be better.

Have you ever felt sadness at someone else’s choices and wondered what you could do to help? In my experience, lecturing people on their unwise choices does little to change their behavior and could lead to hard feelings. But there is something we can do that will make a difference: we can bear our testimony in words and in action.

A testimony, as taught by Elder Gary E. Stevenson, is “your belief or knowledge of truth given as a spiritual witness through the influence of the Holy Ghost. Acquiring this witness will change what you say and how you act.” We bear testimony when we “share spiritual feelings with others.” However, as Elder Stevenson explains, “Another way you share your testimony is through righteous behavior.” Each time we act in accordance with our beliefs, we are an example to others and give them a guide to follow. When we bear our testimony through our actions, we can strengthen the testimony of others, give them strength to do what is right, and stand out as a guide to follow.

Let’s follow Alma’s and Wilford Woodruff’s examples and accept the invitation given by Elder Stevenson: “I invite you to seek opportunities to bear your testimony in word and in deed.”

Endnotes: 

1. Wilford Woodruff’s Journal, May 11, 1845, p. 79, The Wilford Woodruff Papers, 

   https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/documents/d79049d1-19c5-4968-92f0-1f9e33aaab4b/page/cfc8d4a5-a05b-434e-a5d3-f4377a137643?utm_source=Article%206/2&utm_medium=Website&utm_campaign=CFM6/2.  

2.  Gary E. Stevenson, “Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony,” October 2022 general conference, ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

3.  “Nourishing and Bearing Your Testimony,” ChurchofJesusChrist.org.

Daily Universe

Ethan has an internship with the Daily Universe that will last through Fall of 2024. He is a desk editor. He will continue to write articles for the Daily Universe through his internship so I will post those here.

BYU professor shares similarities between temples, BYU learning spaces

universe.byu.edu/2024/05/21/byu-professor-shares-similarities-between-temples-byu-learning-spaces/
By Ethan PackMay 21, 2024

Professor Rick Jellen gives the forum address on May 21, 2024. Jellen was awarded the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award in 2023. (Ethan Pack)

Plant and wildlife science professor Rick Jellen shared insights from his research and how he views the connection between temples and BYU campus learning spaces in a forum given on May 21 in the Marriott Center.

“Nearly 150 years ago, BYU’s first president, Karl G. Maeser, had a remarkable vision that convinced him of this institution’s divine mission. (President Maeser) stated, ‘I have seen Temple Hill filled with buildings — great temples of learning, and I have decided to remain and do my part,’” Jellen said. “Just like the Orem Temple, there is a light that emanates from the BYU campus atop what was known to Brother Maeser as ‘Temple Hill.’”

Jellen echoed President Maeser’s words when comparing BYU campus buildings to temples and said they are “sacred precincts where the BYU community engages in the discovery and transmission of light and knowledge.”

“All of us on this campus are teachers — faculty, staff, administrators, as well as students — who approach our subjects ‘bathed in the light of the restored gospel’ of Jesus Christ,” Jellen said.

Students, faculty and staff on BYU campus receive endowments of light and knowledge that enable them to magnify their talents and personal missions, he said. Jellen noted this is similar to the blessings received when serving in the temple.

“If we recognize and retain in remembrance the sacred nature of this university, I believe it will impact the way we view our work here at BYU,” he said. 

Jellen also spoke of his research, for which he was awarded the Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Award in 2023. He focused his research on uncovering the genetic behavior of quinoa and oats and then using genetic strategies to improve crops.

Through his research, Jellen discovered certain genes in oats that make it easier for them to grow, as well as where they come from. Jellen’s research on quinoa began in the early 2000s and has grown significantly since then, he said. Very little research on quinoa genetics had been done before Jellen began work with other BYU plant genetics faculty.

Jellen also spoke of truth, both temporal and spiritual. 

Truth from one discipline will never contradict truths from another, and when it seems to do so, it is often a matter of gaining faith and continuing the search for more information, he said.

“Sometimes there may appear to be conflicts between spiritual and secular truths. When these arise, we can have faith that we are missing critical information,” he said.

Jellen closed with his testimony. The diligent pursuit of knowledge with the Lord’s help “will enrich our lives, enhance our happiness, glorify God and magnify our talents and abilities to provide consecrated service to the blessing of His children and the edification of His Kingdom,” he said.

Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation

 

“He Worketh in Me to Do According to His Will”

by Michelle Pack

Apr 14, 2024

Jacob and Enos by Scott Snow

On April 22, 1860, Wilford Woodruff spoke in the Tabernacle. He began his discourse by saying, “I always feel much pleasure in addressing a congregation of Saints when I am inspired by the Holy Ghost, for then I can be of benefit to those who hear. . . . We are all dependent upon the Lord, upon his holy Spirit, and upon the testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ for instruction . . . to edify, encourage, sustain and aid us in magnifying our callings in this life.” Wilford knew that God would work through him if he followed the guidance of the Spirit.

The ancient prophet Mormon did not know why the Lord had inspired him to include the small plates of Nephi in the Book of Mormon. He wrote, “And I do this for a wise purpose; for thus it whispereth me, according to the workings of the Spirit of the Lord which is in me. And now, I do not know all things; but the Lord knoweth all things which are to come; wherefore, he worketh in me to do according to his will” (Words of Mormon 1:7).

Are we allowing the Lord to work through us for the benefit of others? Are we standing boldly, as Wilford Woodruff and Mormon, to declare that we want to be inspired by the Holy Ghost so we can be a benefit to others?

Years ago, I decided to ask God for daily promptings to serve. Everything went fine until the third day. A family in our ward was struggling. The mother had just had their third child, money was tight, and the father was gone a lot for work. This woman’s name came to mind, but I didn’t know her very well, so I ignored the prompting. By the afternoon, I knew I was supposed to do something. I felt prompted to make a loaf of bread so I would have an excuse to go to their home. I made the bread, went to their house, and knocked on the door.

When she answered the door, she was surprised to see me. She invited me in, and we sat at her kitchen table to visit. From there, I could see into her overflowing laundry room. I suddenly had a prompting to ask if I could help with her laundry. I didn’t know how she would react to that request. After struggling for a few minutes, I asked her if I could take a few laundry baskets home to wash and dry for her. With tears in her eyes, she told me that her biggest stress right then was the laundry, and she would appreciate the help.

I learned that day that the Spirit knows better than we do what someone needs. We need to be like Wilford Woodruff and depend on the Lord to “aid us in magnifying our callings in this life.” We need to be brave and act.

Endnotes:

 1. https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/p/7D3Q