What Did Boyd K. Packer Really Mean When He Said "Some Things That Are True Aren't Very Useful"?

One of the statements by an LDS General Authority which has been frequently used as grist for the propaganda mills of anti-Mormons is the following statement attributed to President Boyd K. Packer of the Quorum of the Twelve, namely "Some things that are true aren't very useful". Anti-Mormons impugn the motives of Elder Packer and claim his intent was to cover up controversial LDS history.

President Packer first uttered the statement back on August 22nd, 1981 during a talk entitled "The Mantle Is Far, Far Greater Than The Intellect", delivered to Church Educational System (CES) educators at Brigham Young University-Provo. The specific occasion was a CES symposium on the Doctrine and Covenants and Church History. President Packer's interest in this issue was prompted by his early work with CES, when he found that a number of teachers had become wholly secularized, leading to confusion by and substantial problems for teachers and students. The full 11-page address is available for free at THIS LINK. Here is the statement, embedded in context:

"There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not. Some things that are true are not very useful."

According to the Mormon Mission blog, President Packer discussed four cautions:

1. There is no such thing as an accurate, objective history of the Church without consideration of the spiritual powers that attend this work.

2. There is a temptation for the writer or the teacher of Church history to want to tell everything, whether it is worthy or faith promoting or not.

3. In an effort to be objective, impartial, and scholarly, a writer or a teacher may unwittingly be giving equal time to the adversary.

4. The final caution concerns the idea that so long as something is already in print, so long as it is available from another source, there is nothing out of order in using it in writing or speaking or teaching.

According to FairMormon, President Packer was not speaking to Mormon historians, but to CES employees. CES employees are not hired to provide a so-called "fair and balanced perspective" on Church history and doctrine, but to provide faith-promoting education by teaching LDS doctrine and promoting faith in its young people. Why would the LDS Church be obligated to give equal time to the opposition on their own flagship campus? One would expect the LDS Church to teach religious history in its seminaries and institutes, which is distinct from secular history. President Packer also pointed out that the historian or scholar who delights in highlighting the weaknesses and imperfections of present or past leaders in the name of so-called "transparency" destroys faith, and that a destroyer of faith -- particularly one within the Church, and more particularly one who is employed specifically to build faith -- places himself in great spiritual jeopardy. Furthermore, the problem with these "true" statements is not that they're not true, but that they're used in such a way or context as to give a misleading or even false impression. Church history can be as misleading as gossip and much more difficult, often impossible to verify. President Packer's concern was strictly with what happens in Church institutions, not with what happens in non-Church venues in which historians may participate.

The passage of time has not changed President Packer's mind. In July 2007, the LDS Church published the transcript of an interview he gave to PBS for their documentary The Mormons in which he reiterated this principle (HW is Helen Whitney, the interviewer):

HW: Is there a conflict between a faith-promoting work of scholarship and factual scholarship? Is there a conflict at all?

BKP: There can be. Some things that are true aren’t very useful. And there are those in the past who have looked at the leaders of the Church, for instance, and found out that they’re human and want to tell everything. There are steps and missteps that don’t help anything. Some think that to be totally honest they have to tell everything. They don’t. If they’ve got the mindset for that, then they’re always grumbling — they have an appetite for it. They’re free to do that, but it isn’t really productive, it doesn’t really make anybody happy.

Someone you knew, say when you were in college, made a terrible mistake. You knew about it, and it was forgiven and lived beyond. There’s little purpose in going back and digging that out and speaking of it when their children might be present — a lot of things that are true historically aren’t very useful and don’t generate happiness.

The second part of this excerpt is important, because it addresses the tendency of the elite to crucify public figures in the media for past indiscretions. What value is derived from dredging up a past indiscretion from which an individual has long since repented? The only purpose such "transparency" can serve is to divide and polarize. Our national obsession with race is an example of this problem; why do some LDS members continue to obsess with the Priesthood ban against blacks when it was resolved in 1978 and we know through revelation that all those who were denied the Priesthood through no fault of their own will be offered it in the spirit world? Either one believes it, or one doesn't. And if one doesn't, is it really wise and productive for one to hold an entire 15 million member church hostage to one's lack of faith?

President Packer was not trying to suppress truth. He merely wants the Church Educational System to fulfill its primary mission -- to help grow faith and develop testimonies. Controversial Church history can be discussed in other venues, in other ways, and at other times. The LDS Church has sought to allay the historical doubts of members by publishing a series of essays about historical events which are more forthcoming than in the past, so the Church clearly has no desire to "cover anything up".

LDS Church Names Area Seventy Kevin J. Worthen 13th President Of Brigham Young University At Provo

Screenshot from KSL

During the weekly Tuesday devotional conducted at BYU-Provo on March 11th, 2014, President Henry B. Eyring, First Counselor in the First Presidency announced that 57-year-old Area Seventy Kevin J. Worthen has been selected to be the 13th President in the history of the school. He replaces Cecil O. Samuelson, who has led the university since 2003. The Provo Daily Herald included a list of all previous BYU Presidents in their story.

The official change of command does not take place until May 1st. Since Worthen is the current advancement vice president of BYU, the transition between Samuelson and him should be effortless. During his acceptance speech, Worthen said he was both honored and humbled, and noted that he doesn’t anticipate any radical changes under his leadership, since the mission of the university remains the same. At the same time, he finds that no one is really given this kind of assignment merely to maintain the status quo, so he will put his personal stamp on the job, so to speak. His working class background as a coal miner will keep him sensitive to the need to keep BYU education affordable; tuition has been increasing incrementally, jumping from $2,355 LDS/$4,710 non-LDS in 2012-13 to $2,500 LDS/$5,000 non-LDS students in 2014-15.

In his youth, Worthen served as a missionary in the Monterrey, Mexico mission. In their official press release, the LDS Church noted that the search committee, appointed by the university’s board of trustees, considered many outstanding, well-qualified men and women for the position, including internal and external candidates from academe and industry, before settling on Worthen. They did not name the others who were considered. Here's their summary of Worthen's impressive background:

Worthen also is the Hugh W. Colton Professor of Law at BYU and has particular expertise in federal Indian law. He is a former Fulbright scholar and clerked for Justice Byron R. White of the U.S. Supreme Court and Judge Malcolm R. Wilkey of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit Court. He also has been an associate attorney for Jennings, Strouss & Salmon in Phoenix.

A native of Carbon County, Utah, Worthen earned an associate degree from the College of Eastern Utah, where he was co-captain of the varsity basketball team. While at CEU, he also worked during the summer months as an underground coal miner in the Plateau Mine in Wattis, Utah.

Worthen earned his bachelor's and juris doctor degrees from BYU. He is currently serving as an Area Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He and his wife, Peggy Sealey Worthen, have three children and one grandchild.

According to the Deseret News, rumors about the end of Samuelson's tenure surfaced three years ago when he was 69. He was serving as a general authority of the LDS Church in its Quorum of the Seventy. Quorum members regularly gain emeritus status when they turn 70, and some wondered if that change might also include a change of assignment in the BYU president's office. President Thomas S. Monson granted Samuelson emeritus status in October 2011, two months after Samuelson's 70th birthday. Although no specific reason has been given for the change of command, President Eyring paid tribute to Samuelson's leadership, saying "President Samuelson has served this institution with great distinction and it is important for the faculty, staff, students and supporters of this university to know that the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve and Board of Education unanimously recognize the great work and devotion of President Cecil O. Samuelson to this university. Truly his leadership and influence for good cannot be measured." The majority of previous BYU presidents served less than 10 years, so Samuelson's tenure was at the median.

The BYU Presidency can be a stepping stone to service on the Quorum of the Twelve. Two current apostles, Dallin H. Oaks (1971-1980) and Jeffrey R. Holland (1980-1989), served as BYU Presidents.

LDS Church Continues Counteroffensive Against Radical Feminism; Elder M. Russell Ballard Speaks At BYU Devotional

Conscious of the fact that radical feminism has gained a foothold among members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Church launched a counteroffensive against radical feminism which actually began during the April 2013 General Conference. And on August 20th, 2013, Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve served as the Church's latest point man when he delivered an address at a devotional attended predominantly by females at BYU-Provo. The occasion was this year’s BYU Campus Education Week. The transcript of speech will eventually be archived HERE, and the video is available HERE beginning at the 21-minute point.

Taylor Street does a fine job summarizing Elder Ballard's speech on The Digital Universe. Elder Ballard's objective was to confront the false preconceived notions of women’s roles within the Church often voiced by journalists and non-Mormons. Most importantly. Elder Ballard expressed five key points to provide a proper perspective about the roles of women in the Church:

(1). Our Heavenly Father created both man and woman, and that gender is eternal. Of course, this statement will be difficult for those with gender identity disorders to digest, but the bottom line is your sexual identity is signified by your genitalia. Gender identity disorders could simply be another of those challenges some chose to accept prior to mortality, which is why the Church launched a campaign to remind members to behave in a more Christ-like and inclusive fashion towards those with gender identity issues.

(2). The LDS Church is the Lord’s church, governed by leaders with divine priesthood power. Elder Ballard said both men and women are essential to the priesthood; it cannot work successfully without both men and women. But he specifically cautioned women “not assume a role that is not yours” by encroaching on priesthood roles. The latter is undoubtedly a subtle response to the Ordain Women movement.

(3). Although men and women’s roles differ, God doesn’t view one or the other as more important. "Equal" doesn't mean "identical"; it can mean "complementary". And no man can achieve exaltation in the celestial kingdom without a woman by his side, nor can a woman achieve the same status without a man. This would explain why in 1 Corinthians 11:11-12, the Apostle Paul states "Nevertheless neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord. For as the woman is of the man, even so is the man also by the woman; but all things of God".

(4). Both men and women are endowed by the same priesthood power and subsequently have equal access to priesthood keys, even though only men get ordained. The fact that only men get ordained may very well increase their level of accountability.

(5). Women are counseled to learn and understand the doctrine of the gospel, allowing them to bear testimony in a complex, troubling world. The answers to many of the issues can be found not only in the scriptures, but in the writings of previous Church presidents. A thorough understanding of Gospel principles will assure people that no blessing denied to someone in this world through no personal fault will be forever withheld; the blessing will be offered in the next world. This is why we perform proxy ordinances for the dead in our temples. We are also not expected to become perfect in this life, but merely to learn how to conquer sin.

In closing, Elder Ballard bore his testimony of the importance of women in the Church. “Sisters, your sphere of influence is one of unique spirit, one that cannot be duplicated by men,” Ballard said. “No one can defend our Savior with anymore persuasion and power than you. … The Church needs your voices now more than ever.”

Reaction: The only reaction so far has been posted on Feminist Mormon Housewives, which is not representative of mainstream LDS opinion. Many of the women who post there are pretty far gone; not only do they believe the LDS Church is a "patriarchy", but some believe patriarchy is inherently evil. Three comments capture the variety of opinion (after the jump):

Former BYU Professor Steven Jones Resurfaces After BYU Gently Kicked Him To The Curb Over Controversial 9/11 Paper In 2006

Little has been publicly heard of former BYU-Provo Professor Steven Jones, who was gently kicked to the curb by BYU in September 2006 after he released his controversial
19-page academic paper in November 2005 entitled "Why Indeed did the WTC Buildings Collapse", which attempted to show how the laws of physics do not support the WTC's freefall and, consequently, the official government story. He suggested 13 reasons why the official story should be challenged. While expressing doubt about the government's version of 9/11, he called for an independent investigation concerning the strange collapse of WTC Buildings #1 and #2, which were struck by airliners, as well as #7, which was NOT struck by an airliner, something the 9/11 Commission failed to do and something the Bush Administration adamantly opposed. Dr. Jones, who served as a bishop in the BYU 99th Ward and as high councilor in the BYU 10th Stake during that time, remains a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; his daughter just returned home from serving a mission in Baton Rouge, LA.

However, Dr. Jones has resurfaced in this subforum on the LDS Freedom Forum, and apparently he posts there regularly. He makes no dramatic new revelations, but merely shares his perspective six years after the fact. He makes it clear that he and BYU did NOT part on unfavorable terms. In response to another poster, Dr. Jones wrote:

It is a concern to me as well, AGStacker. And I don't understand it. It was painful for me and my family. We will understand some day.

You know, I served as on the Stake High Council in the BYU 10th Stake then as a Bishop in the BYU 99th Ward, while I was serving also as a Full Professor of Physics. I gave it my all.

I thought I should at least deserve a hearing, a chance to hear the charges against me and answer them -- which I requested, as noted in the newspaper.

Dr. Jones also noted that he published several peer-reviewed papers on 9/11:

-- Steven E. Jones, “What accounts for the molten metal observed on 9/11/2001?”, Journal of the Utah Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, 83:252, Apr 2006.
-- S.E. Jones, et al. "Fourteen Points...", Open Civil Engineering Journal, April 2008.
-- K. Ryan, J. Gourley and S.E. Jones, "Environmental Anomalies at the World Trade Center: Evidence for Energetic Materials", Environmentalist, August 2008.
-- Niels Harrit, Jeffrey Farrer, Steven Jones, et al. "Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe", THE OPEN CHEMICAL PHYSICS JOURNAL, April 2009.

Dr. Jones hints that the suppression of competing theories about 9/11 has caused him to question what other coverups governments may be capable of:

Yes, certainly. Clandestine weapons of war and torture are terrible. Such weapons can and have been used for false-flag attacks which are historically precedented.

In the pages of this forum and elsewhere, I have spoken against wars of aggression and against torture, and against abridgements of human freedom including the right to seek redress for grievances, the right of free speech, the right of habeus corpus, and the right of freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures -- and the right of due process when charged of wrong-doing. My experience and observation -- we are losing those rights vouch-safed in the Constitution of the United States of America by the founders.

BYU's Maxwell Institute Purges Mormon Studies Review Editor Daniel Peterson And Four Of His Associate Editors; John Dehlin Accused Of Instigating It

The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University has conducted a Soviet-style purge, firing longtime Mormon Studies Review editor Daniel Peterson. Peterson himself reveals that the purge included four of his associate editors; Louis C. Midgley, George L. Mitton, Gregory L. Smith, and Robert B. White.

Peterson, an expert on Islamic and Arabic studies and a weekly columnist for the Deseret News, edited Mormon Studies Review for 23 years. He also helped establish Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) in 1979 to promote, coordinate, and publicize Book of Mormon research. In 1998, both FARMS and the Review were brought into BYU under the umbrella of the Maxwell Institute. Commentary published in the Review was often quite robust, particularly when rebutting those who challenged LDS origins. But the tipping point may have come from a 100-page article about John Dehlin, a church member in Logan who launched Mormon Stories, which welcomes those who question aspects of LDS history, practice and theology. Dehlin decided the article was an ad hominem attack upon him, and so he allegedly cried on the shoulder of his own personal General Authority. The next thing we knew, Maxwell Institute Director Gerald Bradford pulled the article from the journal, and shortly thereafter, the axe fell on Peterson. But in his Examiner piece, Timothy Berman cautions us that he found no substantial evidence to support the Tribune's assertion that Dehlin had exerted any type of influence to have an article removed from publication, nor any evidence that the article actually made any personal attacks against Dehlin.

Surprisingly, neither the Deseret News nor KSL Channel 5, both owned by the LDS Church, have published stories on this development as of this post.

The Maxwell Institute published their own somewhat cryptic response. They noted that they are continually striving to align its work with the academy's highest objectives and standards, as befits an organized research unit at Brigham Young University. But while they profess gratitude for the contributions of Daniel Peterson and his four associate editors, they are now assembling a board of scholars to advise them on the selection of a new editorial team. They are suspending publication during the reorganization. Basically, a bunch of high-falutin' language essentially devoid of any meaningful substance. MormonScriptureExplorations is less charitable; they say the Institute has gone into full damage-control and stonewall mode.

MormonScriptureExplorations published a cogent analysis. They say this is the culmination of a decade-long struggle between radically different visions for the future of the Institute. While Peterson wanted to continue the traditional heritage of FARMS, providing cutting edge scholarship and apologetics on LDS scripture, Gerald Bradford wants to move the Institute in a different direction, focusing on more secular-style studies that will be accessible and acceptable to non-Mormon scholars. Bradford is especially opposed to LDS apologetics, which he wants to terminate entirely as part of the mission of the Institute. He feels apologetics should be done by FAIR (The Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research (http://www.fairlds.org/) or other groups. In this other post, they directly compare the Institute's previous mission statement with their current mission statement.

BYU Professor Randy Bott Responds To LDS Church Statement Disavowing Bott's Remarks About Race

BYU Professor Randy Bott has now responded to the official statement by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints disavowing remarks about race attributed to Bott in the Washington Post. BYU University Communications also released a statement on February 29th, in which Dean of Religious Education Terry Ball said “The comments attributed to Professor Bott do not reflect the teachings in the classroom at Brigham Young University”, and BYU Spokeswoman Carri Jenkins said Bott’s discussion of this topic is being handled as an internal matter. See previous post for more details on the Church's statement and the fallout.

The BYU Daily Universe reports that although Professor Bott told them he was not available for comment, he later released a statement saying he fully endorsed the Church’s statement regarding the article in the Washington Post. Furthermore, his students said he discussed the interview in class and said he felt he was misrepresented. “He said they had a nice long interview, like two hours long,” said Quinn Rice, a freshman in Bott’s mission prep course. “He said that he was misquoted, and misrepresented. He’s such a great and spiritual professor. He wouldn’t go against the Church’s principles.”

Meanwhile Carri Jenkins, who also explained that BYU's media policy is that they ask members of their campus community not to speak for the university or the Church, added that Jason Horowitz, the author of the Washington Post article, made no attempt to contact the University Communications office when he arrived on campus. “We were aware when [Horowitz] came. He did not make any contact through our office,” Jenkins said. “He did not contact us before he came. We were made aware through members of our campus community, but he did not work through our office. I know that in some cases he simply appeared in people’s offices.” The fact that Horowitz did not contact the Communications office has triggered speculation that he was hoping to portray the LDS Church as racist by entrapping BYU people into giving unfiltered statements.

One Black student reacted in a mature fashion. Camlyn Giddins said she found little to worry about in it, saying “It’s just an opinion, so why should I get mad". However, a group of BYU students from the Provo Peace Forum plan a two-hour protest on March 2nd. From 10:30 A.M. until 12:30 P.M., they plan to distribute fliers on BYU’s campus. The students are careful to emphasize that they are not protesting Professor Bott or his comments directly, but rather that their goal is to assist generally in eliminating racism from the modern Mormon narrative.

A comment posted by Eric to the BYU Student Review story records reaction from Ryan Bott, identified as a son of Randy Bott:

“As many of you know, my dad (Randy) has been in the news… The explanation is simple… yes, he did grant an interview to Washington Post to discuss 'Mitt Romney'. The reporter told him that he had cleared the interview with BYU and the Dean of Religion – which he found out this morning was a lie. The reporter misquoted and misrepresented the majority of the interview. My dad has been asked by BYU and the church to remain silent, but I feel his side should be told.

Some have noticed that we have deactivated the Know Your Religion Blog [Ed. Note: webcache available HERE]… This was not done as an admittance of guilt, but was done at the request of BYU until things settle down.

Any of you who personally know my father, know that he is definitely NOT a racist, as the media would have you believe. It amazes me that no one at BYU or the church seem to care to give him the benefit of the doubt, investigate what was really said; instead it seems easier to just believe a liberal Washington Post Reporter, go on 'hear-say', and throw my dad under the bus.

Here’s hoping that people will take the time, and reflect on their experiences with my dad and judge him according to his works, rather than lies that a reporter makes up to stir the pot during an election season.

Just thought you should know the truth behind the story…"

BYU Student Brittany Molina Gets The Last Laugh, Lands Modeling Job At Chris And Kate's

Remember BYU student Brittany Molina, who got a mash note from a male student on February 14th telling her that her skirt was too short despite the fact she was wearing leggings underneath? Well, it looks like she got the last laugh. She's landed an endorsement and modeling job with Chris and Kate's, a Utah-based clothing company that specializes in modest attire. KSL news video embedded below:

BYU student chided for outfit becomes model for modest clothing company | ksl.com

According to her Twitter site, Brittany was extended the offer on February 19th. Brittany says she still doesn't know who gave her the note, and doesn't seem too particularly interested in finding out. Apparently the Honor Code office has not gotten involved, because she maintains a highly positive attitude towards both BYU and the LDS Church as evidenced by a post on her blog. She writes the following:

When I was being interviewed I really didn't know what to say but to be very careful in my wording because I truly love BYU, and I think the Honor Code is here to protect us and help us be better people. but like I said earlier, the honor code is to help us be modest. not be self-righteous and judgmental. I LOVE the LDS faith. (I served a mini mission and during high school I invited all of my friends over for discussions.) So I didnt want the news people to cut me in a way that was unfavorable towards the church or BYU. But, after thinking about it. I really wish I would have shared more of my thoughts (to the people of the LDS faith, not for the whole world...) about how men like this really aren't approaching the situation in the right way.

More perspective on the guy who gave the note to Brittany is presented on By Common Consent, in the form of this comment:

BYU Student Says: February 16, 2012 at 2:04 pm
I know the guy who wrote the note. We were roommates last year. I would recognize that handwriting anywhere, and I know that he studies in the Tanner Building where this girl was studying, according to the original post on Facebook.

He’s an idiot. He also doesn’t believe women should have the right to vote. (If they’re doing as the Lord commands and staying home, and if they’re doing what the Lord commands and being of one heart and one mind with their husband [who incidentally belongs to the Constitution Party], then there’s no need for them to vote because their husband can handle the affairs outside the home. It’s the system God ordained, don’t you argue with me you follower of Satan, you!)

The best part is that he probably made some sort of lewd remark about the girl (either to himself or to a friend), then wrote the note anonymously and gave it to her, without any idea of the hypocrisy of it all. And he probably felt super righteous for doing it, too, and anybody who questions his methods or motives is simply questioning God. After all, the Honor Code was written by God.

Goodness I hated living with him.

(He once took our dishes — every last one of them — and took them to his parents’ house in Lehi. He left a passive aggressive not saying that if we weren’t responsible enough to wash them, we weren’t responsible enough to have them.)

Oh, and his number one complaint about BYU and life in general is that women won’t go out with him. I wonder why.

The story continues to spark debate, although most people are supportive of Brittany. The BYU Student Review has picked up the story, and a sampling of some of the 107 comments posted to the KSL story are presented below:

Bitsko3 posted 1 day ago:
LOL! I love it!

She was wearing thick winter leggings. Totally opaque. She was covered from neck to toes and all the way to her wrists. Short of a burqa she could not possibly have been more covered up.

Whoever wrote her that note has some very serious issues. Especially worrisome is the fact that he was concerned that the sight of her bare hands and face was dangerous to his moral purity. In other words, he was concerned that the mere presence of a female, with any part of her anatomy visible to his eye, could cause him to lose control of himself.

Sounds like a budding rapist to me.

green_eggs posted 14 hours ago:
This article provides a great opportunity to discuss leggings or any other form fitting clothing. Wearing leggings (even opaque) does not provide excuse to wear skirts or shorts that are cut shorter than what you'd normally wear. I've noticed women who believe that leggings give allowance to wear even only a long shirt with no dress. This is NOT modest.

This girl's outfit is no where near a burqa. I'm not saying that burqas are right or wrong, but they are not form fitting. Form fitting clothing "leaves little to the imagination".

Would this girl truly have worn the exact same dress on campus if she wasn't wearing the leggings?

BYU Student Brittany Molina "Counselled" For Provocative Dress In Valentine's Day "Love Note"

Brittany Molina, with the "love note"

This story has become truly viral, having been picked up internationally by the Daily Mail. A coed at Brigham Young University in Provo received what she thought was a love note, but turned out to be a critique for excessively provocative attire.

On February 14th, Brittany Molina, a 21-year-old accounting student, was handed a note by an unidentified male student. Since it was Valentine's Day, she thought it was going to be a love note. Imagine her surprise and her initial anger when she read this:

"You may want to consider that what you're wearing has a negative effect on the men (and women) around you. Many people come to this university because they feel safe, morally as well as physically, here. They expect others to abide by the Honor Code that we all agreed on. Please consider your commitment to the Honor Code (which you agreed to) when dressing each day. Thank you."

Since it came from a peer rather than someone in authority, she was initially riled up, even though the Honor Code encourages students to bring violations to their peers' attention, so she posted the note with a photo of herself and the clothes she was wearing online. Within 24 hours, it went viral. Her Twitter site is publicly available, but you must be a Facebook member to view her Facebook page. KSL news video embedded below:

Student tweet sparks conversations about BYU's dress code | ksl.com

There has been no official reaction from the BYU Honor Code enforcement office. BYU's honor code states that women's dress is "inappropriate when it is sleeveless, strapless, backless, or revealing; has slits above the knee; or is form fitting. Dresses, skirts, and shorts must be knee-length or longer." The latter phrase is the bone of contention; as is evident in the photo posted above, Brittany's dress is above the knee, but she's wearing non-form fitting leggings beneath it. Because of the leggings, it would not have occurred to me that it might be an Honor Code violation, but a number of people believe the leggings don't matter; the length of the skirt alone still constitutes an Honor Code violation. The dress code was obviously written to discourage female students from wearing miniskirts, but leaves a grey area when shorter dresses are worn in concert with leggings. The male student apparently took Elaine Dalton's "Guardians Of Virtue" talk a bit too seriously.

Oops! BYU Daily Universe Accidentally Captions Conference Photo "Quorum Of The Twelve Apostates"

Post updated to include KSL Channel 5 news video.


The Brigham Young University newspaper The Daily Universe committed a world-class faux pas on Monday April 6th, 2009 when it put out an edition with a photo captioned "Quorum of the Twelve Apostates". As a result, The Daily Universe took the extraordinary step of recalling all its 18,500 copies from newsstands around campus and the community to reprint the entire 14-page issue, and also posted a public apology online. According to NewsNet IT director Daryl Gibson, it is the first time the paper has been pulled because of a news error in his more than 30 years of working at BYU. Full story from The Daily Universe. Now picked up by the Deseret News and KSL Channel 5; news video embedded below. Discussion on CougarBoard.com

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

The error appeared in a photo caption referring to activities at the General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this past weekend. The caption read in part, “Members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostates and other general authorities raise their hands in a sustaining vote...”. [Ed. Note: Big hat tip to Laura Miller for the photo]

It appears the error was inadvertent, according to Rich Evans, editorial manager for The Daily Universe. “Our copy editor in charge of the front page, who was under deadline pressure, was using spell check on her page and had misspelled the word apostle”, Evans said. “One of the first options that came up on InDesign’s spell check suggestions was the word apostate. Unfortunately that’s the one she clicked on. It still should have been caught by two more levels of review after that, but again with deadline looming, the worst possible thing happened”.

Once the mistake was noticed, all available copies of the newspaper were removed from the racks and replaced with a sign directing students to view the paper online, according to Brad Rawlins, chair of the Department of Communications. Rawlins said they would reprint the paper and re-stock racks with the corrected version by Monday afternoon. Rawlins also said, "We don’t think this error is glib or cute or humorous. We understand people will take offense to the error. We ourselves are offended as a department for this error. We have a deep regret that it appeared in today’s paper.”

A few people were a bit piqued. “I think people need to proofread better,” said Elizabeth Kent, a pre-business management major from Malad, Idaho. “But I don’t know how many people will notice.” However, there has been no official reaction from Temple Square; the Brethren probably got a big laugh over it.