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In 2022 the Church History Symposium explored religious liberty as a significant theme in the history and doctrine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Over thirty presenters shared research into various case studies related to the conference theme, amply illustrating how the Latter-day Saint experience provides distinctive perspective on this important principle.

[1] As Elder Gerrit W. Gong stated in the closing keynote address, many people know that Latter-day Saints care about religious liberty, but that commitment “may appear to some to be current, American, and political.” Instead, he argued that a commitment to religious freedom for all people is “deeply rooted . . . in the core and longstanding doctrinal, historical, and global belief and experience of the Latter-day Saints.” The selections in this volume sample the depth and breadth of belief and experience behind that commitment.

This book would not be possible without the selfless contributions of many people, including the symposium program committee, the presenters and authors, the editorial committee, anonymous reviewers across the globe, and the editorial team of the Religious Studies Center at Brigham Young University. Scholars at Brigham Young University and the Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spearheaded plans for the conference and the book, but we benefited greatly from the expertise and energy of scholars from a wide array of backgrounds. We express deep thanks to all who contributed to the symposium and to this volume of selected scholarship. Today the meaning and significance of religious freedom continues to spur debate as people weigh complex decisions and sensitive value judgments. We hope that readers will find new insights into the meanings of religious liberty and deeper appreciation for its significance as a foundational human right and a just and peaceable cause to sustain across the earth, for people of all backgrounds and beliefs.

This book is dedicated to Dr. Kate Holbrook of the Church History Department. Best known for her contributions to Latter-day Saint women’s history, Kate had an abiding interest in the way religious minorities manage their relationship to a broader world. She helped organize the conference, introduced Sarah Barringer Gordon’s opening keynote, and contributed her own research as part of Elder Gong’s closing remarks. Kate described nineteenth-century Latter-day Saints as “a people who believed in the rule of law and could take the long view.” This characteristic was vital when commitments to divine law and the demands of conscience came into conflict with the requirements of human law and responsible citizenship. Through her research, and her own example, Kate showed how Latter-day Saint women managed such conflicts with courage, grace, and active but patient participation in the political system, traits needed more than ever today. Tragically, she succumbed to cancer in 2022, quieting a forceful, reasonable, and charitable voice far too soon. We miss her.

John C. Thomas

Robert C. Freeman

Kate Holbrook

R. Devan Jensen

Robert T. Smith

Jeremy Talmage

Benjamin Whisenant

2022 Church History Symposium Committee

Notes

[1] Recordings of most presentations at the March 2022 conference are currently available through the Religious Studies Center’s archive of past conferences online. See .