The Mormon Education Reform That Almost Changed Everything

Описание: Newsletter: https://benjaminpark.kit.com/e8e78e2331

What if the LDS Church once sent its best religion instructors to be trained at one of America’s most liberal universities? In this video, historian Benjamin Park uncovers the forgotten story of the “Chicago Experiment,” a bold modernization effort in the 1920s and 30s that nearly transformed BYU and LDS education forever. From evolution in the classroom to summer seminars at Aspen Grove, the Church once supported academic freedom—until the backlash began.

We explore the rise of this academic renaissance under Franklin Harris, how church authorities like James Talmage and John A. Widtsoe embraced modernist theology, and how figures like J. Reuben Clark and President Heber J. Grant ultimately reversed course. You’ll learn how one student survey, a controversial lecture, and a speech called The Charted Course shut it all down—and how that battle still shapes BYU and Mormon education today. A must-watch for anyone interested in Mormon history, academic freedom, or religion and modernity.

Books:
American Zion: https://amzn.to/4j8Ms16
Kingdom of Nauvoo: https://amzn.to/4cmigxw

American Universities and the Birth of Modern Mormonism, 1867–1940 by Thomas W. Simpson: https://amzn.to/450cKyB

“The Chicago Experiment” by Casey Griffith (Sunstone Magazine)
https://www.sunstonemagazine.com/the-...

Video Chapters:
0:00 What Was the Chicago Experiment?
1:17 Franklin Harris Reforms BYU
2:58 Church Leadership Embraces Modernism
4:02 Religion Courses Beyond Mormonism
5:04 LDS Scholars Sent to the University of Chicago
5:57 What “Modernist” Meant in the 1920s
7:03 Fundamentalism vs. Modernism: Cultural War
8:10 Aspen Grove Becomes an Academic Hub
8:55 Shocking 1935 BYU Student Survey Results
10:18 The Church Begins to Crack Down
11:53 The Charted Course: Death of the Experiment
12:55 Fallout: Historians Leave, Reforms Die
13:59 BYU’s Modern Contradictions
15:09 History Doesn't Always Progress
16:10 Book + Article Recommendations

#BYUHistory
#MormonEducation
#ChicagoExperiment
#LDSChurch

About This Channel:
Welcome to the channel! I’m Dr. Benjamin Park—historian, author, professor, and unapologetic history geek. If you're tired of hearing that everything is unprecedented or nothing like this has ever happened before, you're in the right place. This channel dives into the complex (and fascinating) intersections of American religion, politics, and culture. I bring history out of the ivory tower and into real-world conversations—making it relevant, accessible, and even a little fun. Expect weekly deep dives, quick takes on current events, book recommendations, and sharp insights from the past to help us understand our present. From Mormon history to the abolitionist movement and beyond, let’s unpack how we got here—and where we might be going. Subscribe and geek out with me on the power of the past.

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