Talk:Brigham Young University Jerusalem Center

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Date: 23:55, 11 June 2008 (UTC)
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[edit] Directors of the Center

I'm compiling a cited list here to be fleshed out:


-- Wrad (talk) 22:12, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

Cool. I called BYU and they said James Kearl (citation needed) is the current director, although he is not on-site. --Eustress (talk) 22:31, 6 June 2008 (UTC)
It looks like his official title is "Assistant to the President for the Jerusalem Center" [1]. Different from director of center, I guess? Wrad (talk) 22:45, 6 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] shining eyes

"When the Church was negotiating with the Jewish officials regarding the purchase of land and the construction of the Jerusalem Center, one of the conditions for approval was that we would not proselytize citizens in Israel. Reportedly, after we had pledged acceptance of that condition, someone in Israel said to a member about the agreement, "But how do you stop the shining in your eyes? Every one of you has it" (in Cheryl Brown, "Bright Minds and Broken Hearts," Brigham Young University 1996­97 Speeches [Provo: BYU, 1997], 172). What a tremendous compliment to our students and members who are lighting candles--lights shining forth as righteous examples." http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=511 A more detailed version of the story is here.

This is one of the more famous stories about the Center within the LDS Church, but I don't know where to put it quite yet. Wrad (talk) 19:29, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

Maybe this type of stuff could go in some kind of "Legend" or "Legacy" section? --Eustress (talk) 19:44, 7 June 2008 (UTC)
Yeah, we need a section that briefly summarizes the LDS view of Jerusalem and ties that into the Center as a spiritually significant place to Latter-day Saints. Wrad (talk) 19:53, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

Gathering other LDS bits here:

Another example of President Hunter's courage and determination to complete a task given him by the First Presidency is demonstrated by the completion of the Jerusalem Center. President Hunter purchased the land, supervised the architecture and construction of the center, and negotiated with government and religious leaders the teaching objectives for the center. During the years it took to complete the Jerusalem Center, President Hunter demonstrated a steadfastness and courage against opposition. He told those who worked with him, "Go ahead, move forward. Don't take counsel from your fears." How often we don't even try, and we fail simply because of our fear of failure. http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=7708


Resolving family problems lies at the heart of the Arab-Israeli conflict in the Middle East. "We are two brothers," a priest in Jerusalem said to me, "born in the same cradle." In the Jerusalem Center we employed both Israeli and Palestinian workers. They worked side by side--respectfully, for the most part; hopefully; and with responsibility. That microcosm of Holy Land society leads me to believe--to hope--that there is a solution to the anger between the two peoples. As I discussed such things with my friends on both sides of the issues, I was amazed to discover that everyone--really everyone whom I knew--wanted peace. They wanted the leaders to work out solutions. They didn't hate each other. They knew there was some way to live together to the mutual benefit of both sides without encroaching on each other's beliefs.

I watched Abdullah, a Palestinian worker, stand respectfully at attention on the balcony of the Jerusalem Center as the siren sounded for Prime Minister Rabin's funeral after he was assassinated. I saw our Israeli security chief hire Palestinian workers to help guard the center, and on one occasion when fire broke out because children were playing with matches under some nearby brush, my Israeli friend watched one of our fine Palestinian workers wade into that fire with our fire hose, remarking to me, "When I'm in trouble, I want Ali to be right there. Ali is a brave man." http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=496

For the past several years I have assisted President Howard W. Hunter, who was assigned by the First Presidency to acquire land in Jerusalem and direct the building of the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. We worked very closely with President Jeffrey R. Holland, David Galbraith, Robert Taylor, Fred Schwendiman, and many, many others in this great endeavor. Through a series of miracles, a center came into being and is now being used by students of this university. The building is magnificent. It is a veritable jewel. None of us who have been involved can explain what we feel in our souls regarding that wonderful edifice. The building is close to some of the places made sacred by the presence of the Savior. It is worthy of the Holy City. It is worthy of this great university and its sponsoring institution, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. But the building alone does not bless. Now our great challenge is to use the building so that it somehow, someway, influences the lives of those who study there, who pray there, who worship there--and who change and become more worthy. The magnificence of the center alone may inspire, but our many educational facilities and activities on this campus and elsewhere will get no one into the kingdom of God. So, where is the Church then? http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=7043

Or as we have recently described the purpose of the BYU Jerusalem Center, our purpose is not only to orient our students to the Holy Land, but to orient them to the holy life. How can we do that? Each teacher, faculty or staff, must find his or her own way, and some settings are more natural than others for making connections that help students see how secular interests fit within the larger sacred sphere. http://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=11610

here is a good story about a BYU musical production in Tel Aviv during the protests. I like Elder Hunter's quote in it.

--- Wrad (talk) 19:40, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Legacy

Here's what I'm seeing for a legacy section after a review of what we have to work with:

  • A description of LDS beliefs about Jerusalem
  • The Center as it stands in relation to those beliefs
  • The Center as a place for spiritual growth for students
  • The Center as an example to Israel of who Latter-day Saints are

-- Wrad (talk) 19:59, 7 June 2008 (UTC)

I don't know. The third and last one look more appropriate for the website of the Church or the center. I don't think you can find reliable, impartial refs for them. — Frecklefσσt | Talk 16:40, 9 June 2008 (UTC)
The whole point of this section is to round things off with a section about what the center means to latter-day saints. It isn't intended to be impartial. It's like explaining the significance of Mecca to Muslims. If you don't explain it, you aren't getting the full picture, and there's no way to be impartial about it. Wrad (talk) 20:20, 9 June 2008 (UTC)
Noted, but it can be presented in a NPOV manner. Everything can. You can say the Church intends for students to grow spiritually while at the center, but you can't say "students grow spiritually because of their time at the Center" unless you quote it from somewhere, such as someone's testimony. But then that's not very NPOV, even if it is quoted.
The same goes for "the Center as an example to Israel of who Latter-day Saints are". You can say the Church hopes Israeli's get a better understanding of who Latter-day Saints are because of the Center. But you can't say the Center is an example to Israeli's of who the Latter-day Saints are. That's not NPOV. Again, you can quote something to that effect, but you can't state it in the rest of the prose of the article, because it's not NPOV.
You seem to be an experienced editor here and are well-versed in NPOV. So, I think we're on the same page here. I just wanted to make sure everything is presented according to Wikipedia standards. — Frecklefσσt | Talk 12:13, 10 June 2008 (UTC)
I think we're on the same page too. Have a look at the section after it's written. Wrad (talk) 20:15, 10 June 2008 (UTC)

[edit] GA?

I think we're about ready for GA, once the last few refs are fleshed out. Wrad (talk) 18:16, 11 June 2008 (UTC)