Course Syllabus

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Note: This course code has changed from FDREL 333 to REL 333. You may occasionally see references to the old course code or title.

Welcome to the online version of REL 333: Teachings of the Living Prophets! This course is unique and will prove to be very exciting and rewarding if you are willing to put in the effort. The ninth Article of Faith states, "We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God." Additionally, we learn from the Old Testament that "Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). Understanding how God speaks to man is the key to our happiness.

Course Structure

Course Description

This course centers its emphasis on the role, function, and teachings of living prophets, seers, and revelators as building blocks of faith in a world of challenge and confusion.

Objectives

Department of Religion Central Aim

The purpose of religious education is to build testimonies of the restored gospel by teaching the scriptures and writings of modern-day apostles and prophets. Measurable outcomes should include a better understanding of the doctrine, history, places, and peoples as given in the inspired revelations. It is also desired that commitment to God will flourish as individuals deepen their knowledge, prepare themselves for the sacred ordinances of the temple, and determine to serve the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints through missions and day-to-day activity in the Lord's kingdom.

Department of Religion Measurable Outcomes

  1. Students will gain a better understanding of scriptural history and people surrounding the standard works of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
  2. Students will gain greater knowledge of the doctrines, principles, and ordinances of peoples found in the scriptures and those practiced in the restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as they study and compare the writings of both past and present-day prophets.
  3. Students should have the ability to clearly discuss the basics of the above, teach them in their homes and in church responsibilities, and others interested in their religious beliefs.
  4. As the gospel is taught and the spirit is invited into the classroom, faith will increase and commitment to God will flourish and better prepare students for the sacred ordinances of the temple, missionary work, and community and church service.

The Teachings of the Living Prophets Course Objectives

  1. Identify, describe, and apply the doctrines and principles taught by latter-day prophets, emphasizing those found in the most recent general conference.
  2. Discover and share key aspects of the workings of God in the lives and backgrounds of the current First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
  3. Describe the order of succession in the First Presidency and apostolic seniority, what it means to preside, and the principle of revelation as it relates to jurisdiction.
  4. Define priesthood, priesthood keys, and delegated authority.
  5. Exemplify faith in Jesus Christ by applying the teachings in both word and deed of the living prophets and esteem them above personal, philosophical, and political ideologies.

Required Materials

Time Commitment

The BYU-Idaho standard is that students should expect to spend three to four hours of work per week for every credit hour. For this two-credit class, students should plan on spending six to eight hours on their coursework per week.

Course Grade

Grading Philosophy

There are two important and very different grading systems used in this class. The first and most important regards how well students are doing in the process of learning by the power of the Holy Ghost to become better Latter-day Saints. The Lord⁠—and only the Lord⁠—can judge how well students do in this area. He will bless students for the sincere efforts that they make to increase their knowledge of the gospel. The other grading system is the one that will determine students' grades for the course.

This religion class will allow students to experience the scriptures, the words of the living prophets, and the Spirit in a college setting. Students' grades will be determined by the "Course Activities and Point Distribution" chart below. Students should keep in mind that the real objective of this class has a much higher purpose than the grades that they will receive at the end of the semester. Grades reflect the academic work that students put into the class. It would be a real tragedy for a student to earn an A in the academic process and receive an average or below-average grade when it came to changing their life for the better. Through students' own efforts, they can be successful in both.

Course Activities and Point Distribution

Course Activities and Point Distribution
Activity Points
Introduction Assignments
  • Ice Breaker
  • What I Hope to Gain From This Class
  • Favorite Conference Talk
 30-point subtotal
  • 10 points
  • 10 points
  • 10 points
Assessments and Exams
  • Intro and Syllabus
  • Chapter 1
  • Chapter 2
  • Chapter 3
  • Chapter 4
  • Chapter 5
  • Chapter 6–7
  • Midterm
  • Final Exam
 350-point subtotal
  • 10 points
  • 35 points
  • 35 points
  • 35 points
  • 35 points
  • 35 points
  • 30 points
  • 50 points
  • 85 points
Teachings of Apostles
  • Life and Testimony (15 apostles x 6 points each)
  • President Nelson Write-Up
  • President Oaks Write-Up
  • President Eyring Write-Up
  • Write-Ups for other apostles (12 apostles x 10 points each)
  • Teach a Friend (President Nelson activity = 10 points, 8 other activities x 5 points each)
 320-point subtotal
  • 90 points
  • 20 points
  • 20 points
  • 20 points
  • 120 points
  • 50 points
Capstone Practicum
  • Topics Discussion Board
  • Choose Topics
  • Checkpoint 1
  • Checkpoint 2
  • Completed Practicum (Worth 250 points)
    • 8 Topics with 10 Referenced Quotes (80 quotes, 1 point each)
    • 8 Position Statements (8 x 10 points each)
    • Application Experience Write-Up
    • Professionalism
 300-point subtotal
  • 4 points
  • 4 points
  • 32 points
  • 10 points
  • Complete Capstone Practicum
    • 80 points
    • 80 points
    • 80 points
    • 10 points
Total Points for the Course 1000 Points

Course Grade Breakdown

Course Grade Breakdown
Letter Grade Percentage Range
A  100–93
A- 92–90
B+ 89–87
B 86–83
B- 82–80
C+ 79–77
C 76–73
C- 72–70
D+ 69–67
D 66–63
D- 62–60
F 59 and below

Assignment Descriptions

Introduction Assignments

Students will complete W01 Icebreaker: Meet One Another, W01 Reflection: What I Hope to Gain From This Class, and W03 Reflection: Favorite Conference Talk.

Assessments and Exams

This course includes seven quizzes that assess students' understandings of the reading from the Teachings of the Living Prophets Student Manual. These quizzes are open-manual and timed, and they consist of multiple-choice, matching, and true-or-false questions. There will be a midsemester exam covering the quiz materials and a final exam covering the identification of the 15 apostles.

Life and Testimony of Each Apostle

Students will read biographical information about each Apostle and watch a video of each Apostle's testimony. They will then write two paragraphs: one that states how the biographical information impressed them and one regarding the impact of the Apostle's testimony.

Readings, Write-Ups, and Teach a Friend

In Weeks 04–13 (excluding Week 07), students will have the wonderful opportunity to study recent general conference talks given by members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. They will also search ChurchofJesusChrist.org for one additional address of their choice from each Prophet and Apostle. As they study these talks, they are encouraged to add quotes to their capstone practicums. They will then share the insights that they gained from reading the talks with someone outside of the class. Students should note that some weeks require them to submit short write-ups sharing what they learned from the talks that they read. Other weeks, students will participate in class discussion boards, in which they will be expected to share insights with their classmates about what they learned from the assigned talks. This will provide students with some variety and allow them to connect in different ways with each other.

Capstone Practicum

The capstone practicum consists of three phases.

Phase 1

In "Phase 1" of the practicum, students are given four required topics to study, and they will select four additional topics of interest to study throughout the semester.

Phase 2

"Phase 2" consists of finding quotes about the eight topics that relate to students during this time of their lives. For each topic, students must collect a minimum of ten quotes each from the living prophets. These quotes will help students better understand what the Lord and His servants teach concerning these issues and how one can more fully submit to God's will. It is important for students to gather quotes throughout the semester as they complete the assigned readings. At the end of the semester, they will be asked to write position statements for each of the eight topics. (The position statement should only be completed after students have finished gathering the ten quotes for each of their eight topics.) Each position statement should be a personal statement of conviction and intended action regarding the topic.

Phase 3

For "Phase 3" of the practicum, students will each choose one topic from the original eight and, beginning in Week 08, apply it in their lives for the final six weeks of the semester. "Phase 3" requires at least a two- to three-hour effort in total. At the end of the semester, students will complete write-ups about their "Phase 3" experiences.

Policies

Learning Model

BYU-Idaho Learning Model Vision Statement

At BYU-Idaho, we foster faith-building and life-changing learning. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, the gifts of the Holy Ghost, our commitment to the restored gospel, and our effort to build a Zion learning community motivates us to learn and teach by study and by faith.

Underlying Assumptions

  1. Everybody at BYU-Idaho is a learner and a teacher.
  2. Learners and teachers at BYU-Idaho are at different levels in their individual progress towards learning by study and also by faith.
  3. The principles of the Learning Model apply to all aspects of the BYU-Idaho experience.

Principles-Learners and teachers at BYU-Idaho

  1. Exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as a principle of power
  2. Understand that true teaching is done by and with the Spirit of the Holy Ghost.
  3. Lay hold upon the word of God as found in the Holy Scriptures and in the words of the prophets in all disciplines.
  4. Act for themselves and accept responsibility for learning and teaching.
  5. Love, serve, and teach one another.

Honor Code

The Code of Honor, Dress and Grooming Standards, and Academic Honesty apply to this class. Although it is online, students must remember that they still need to live by the Honor Code standards. This is especially true as it relates to Academic Honesty (because of the nature of the course design, students will do significant amounts of self-reporting). Each of us has made a commitment to follow these guidelines. Therefore, it is incumbent on each of us to live true to our commitment and covenants.

Late Work

All course activities have solid due dates or deadlines. Failure to meet the stated due dates will result in the reduction of students' grades for that particular activity. There will be no make-up work available for missed activities, so it is beneficial to complete work early.

Resources

BYU-Idaho Support Center

The BYU-Idaho Support Center (BSC) is designed to help any students taking online courses at BYU-Idaho. If a student has questions about an online course or any feedback concerning online courses, instructors, or their online learning experience, they may contact the BSC.

BSC Contact Information

Phone: 1-208-496-1411

Text Messaging: 1-855-808-7102

Email: onlinelearning@byui.edu

Live Chat: Click Here

Website: https://www.byui.edu/online/online-support-center

Hours: Monday–Friday, 7 a.m.–7 p.m. (mountain time)

University Policies

Students with Disabilities

Brigham Young University-Idaho is committed to providing a working and learning atmosphere that accommodates qualified persons with disabilities. If you have a disability and require accommodations, please contact the Disability Services Office at (208) 496-9210 or visit their website and follow the Steps for Receiving Accommodations. Reasonable academic accommodations are reviewed for all students who have qualified documented disabilities. Services are coordinated with students and instructors by the Disability Services Office.

This course may require synchronous meetings. If you are currently registered with the Disability Services Office and need an interpreter or transcriber for these meetings, please contact the deaf and hard of hearing coordinator at (208) 496-9219.

Other University Policies

Student Honor and Other Policies

Please read through the document called University Policies. It gives important information about the following topics:

  • Student Honor
    • Academic Honesty
    • Student Conduct
      • Sexual Harassment
  • Student with Disabilities
  • Complaints and Grievances
  • Copyright Notice

Go to the Student Resources module to review further resources and information.

Course Summary:

Date Details Due