Brigham Young University Press
Encyclopedia
Brigham Young University Press (BYU Press) is the university press
of Brigham Young University
(BYU).
In its prime, BYU Press was a robust press publishing in a wide array of subjects, such as interior design, preschools, dancing, and wood-burning, as well as intellectual, scholarly and fine arts titles. In 1974, the press published Roughing it Easy: A Unique Ideabook for Camping and Cooking, by Dian Thomas, which later made the New York Times Best Seller list
.
The press also published works for Mormon readers and scholars, including BYU speeches and symposia proceedings and the periodical BYU Studies
. Amongst its major publications in Mormon history are James B. Allen
's Studies in Mormon History series, several of the "Charles Redd Monographs in Western History", the LDS Church's 1965 reprint of A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Fox and Quinn
's biographies of J. Reuben Clark
, and Davis Bitton
's Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies. The press itself received a 1978 Special Citation from the Mormon History Association
for encouraging and publishing fine Mormon histories that year. Many of its LDS books have been published in conjunction with Deseret Book
. It also maintained the imprint "Young House" during the 1970s.
BYU Press had a reputation of selecting for publication only church approved material. Press officials scrutinized and rejected manuscripts they found too technical or too controversial. These rejections include Dennis Lythgoe's Let 'Em Holler: A Political Biography of J. Bracken Lee
, Béla Petsco's Nothing Very Important and Other Stories (1979 AML
Best Fiction Award winner), and Science and Religion: Toward a More Useful Dialogue by several BYU faculty. In 1973, BYU Press recalled Thomas Cheney's The Golden Legacy: A Folk History of J. Golden Kimball, a new release, over concerns with some of Kimball
's vulgar language. The book was edited and republished by Peregrine Press in 1974.
In 1997, BYU Press returned as a logo under the Academic Vice President's office, intended for use with expanded distribution of some titles to other university libraries. Officials made clear that BYU Press would not be an organization or an office. The return was inspired by the production of new religious texts and the university's desire to clear out manuscripts to focus on publishing the papers of LDS Church founders Joseph Smith
and Oliver Cowdery
, which were then being developed by BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History. In 2005, the Joseph Smith Papers Project transferred from BYU to LDS Church headquarters, and began publication in 2008 with a new imprint, the Church Historian's Press
, rather than BYU Press. The Church Historian's Press may also publish the George Q. Cannon
journals, another project formerly slated for BYU Press.
BYU Press has also produced electronic resources from the LDS Church's historical records including Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU Family History Digital Archive.
worked as a proofreader, then copy editor at BYU Press. In this role he met Calvin Grondahl, whose Mormon-themed cartoons were rejected by BYU Press, yet he would later illustrate one of Card's early works, the 1981 Saintspeak
. Card's role at BYU Press led to his later editing job at the LDS Church's Ensign magazine.
University press
A university press is an academic, nonprofit publishing house that is typically affiliated with a large research university, and publishes work that has been reviewed by scholars in the field. It produces mainly scholarly works...
of Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU).
History
Brigham Young University Press was formed in 1967 through the consolidation of BYU's various publishing activities into one central organization.In its prime, BYU Press was a robust press publishing in a wide array of subjects, such as interior design, preschools, dancing, and wood-burning, as well as intellectual, scholarly and fine arts titles. In 1974, the press published Roughing it Easy: A Unique Ideabook for Camping and Cooking, by Dian Thomas, which later made the New York Times Best Seller list
New York Times Best Seller list
The New York Times Best Seller list is widely considered the preeminent list of best-selling books in the United States. It is published weekly in The New York Times Book Review magazine, which is published in the Sunday edition of The New York Times and as a stand-alone publication...
.
The press also published works for Mormon readers and scholars, including BYU speeches and symposia proceedings and the periodical BYU Studies
BYU Studies
BYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. Amongst its major publications in Mormon history are James B. Allen
James B. Allen (historian)
James Brown "Jim" Allen is an American historian of Mormonism and was an official Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972–1979.-Biography:...
's Studies in Mormon History series, several of the "Charles Redd Monographs in Western History", the LDS Church's 1965 reprint of A Comprehensive History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Fox and Quinn
D. Michael Quinn
Dennis Michael Quinn is a historian who has focused on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was a professor at Brigham Young University from 1976 until his resignation in 1988. At the time, his work concerned church involvement with plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto, in which...
's biographies of J. Reuben Clark
J. Reuben Clark
Joshua Reuben Clark, Jr. was an American attorney, civil servant, and a prominent leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . Born in Grantsville, Utah Territory, Clark was a prominent attorney in the Department of State, and Under Secretary of State for US president Calvin Coolidge...
, and Davis Bitton
Davis Bitton
-External links:*...
's Guide to Mormon Diaries and Autobiographies. The press itself received a 1978 Special Citation from the Mormon History Association
Mormon History Association
The Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
for encouraging and publishing fine Mormon histories that year. Many of its LDS books have been published in conjunction with Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
. It also maintained the imprint "Young House" during the 1970s.
BYU Press had a reputation of selecting for publication only church approved material. Press officials scrutinized and rejected manuscripts they found too technical or too controversial. These rejections include Dennis Lythgoe's Let 'Em Holler: A Political Biography of J. Bracken Lee
J. Bracken Lee
Joseph Bracken Lee was a political figure in the state of Utah, United States. A Republican, he served two terms as the ninth Governor of Utah , six two-year terms as mayor of Price, Utah , and three terms as the 27th mayor of Salt Lake City ., Lee is the most recent Governor of Utah who was not a...
, Béla Petsco's Nothing Very Important and Other Stories (1979 AML
Association for Mormon Letters
The Association for Mormon Letters is a nonprofit founded in 1976 to promote quality writing "by, for, and about Mormons." The broadness of this definition of Mormon literature has led the AML to focus on a wide variety of work that has sometimes been neglected in the Mormon community...
Best Fiction Award winner), and Science and Religion: Toward a More Useful Dialogue by several BYU faculty. In 1973, BYU Press recalled Thomas Cheney's The Golden Legacy: A Folk History of J. Golden Kimball, a new release, over concerns with some of Kimball
J. Golden Kimball
Jonathan Golden Kimball was a prominent and well known leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, serving as a member of the First Council of the Seventy from 1892 until his death in 1938. He is considered one of the most colorful and beloved of the Church's General Authorities...
's vulgar language. The book was edited and republished by Peregrine Press in 1974.
Decline and return
Financial troubles struck the press in the late 1970s, leading to a decision for it to only print internal university publications, making it essentially defunct for many authors and scholars. In 1984, the press was replaced by BYU Print Services.In 1997, BYU Press returned as a logo under the Academic Vice President's office, intended for use with expanded distribution of some titles to other university libraries. Officials made clear that BYU Press would not be an organization or an office. The return was inspired by the production of new religious texts and the university's desire to clear out manuscripts to focus on publishing the papers of LDS Church founders Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith
Joseph Smith was founder of what later became known as the Latter Day Saint movement or Mormons.Joseph Smith may also refer to:-Latter Day Saints:* Joseph Smith, Sr. , father of Joseph Smith...
and Oliver Cowdery
Oliver Cowdery
Oliver H. P. Cowdery was, with Joseph Smith, Jr., an important participant in the formative period of the Latter Day Saint movement between 1829 and 1836, becoming one of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon's golden plates, one of the first Latter Day Saint apostles, and the Second Elder of...
, which were then being developed by BYU's Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History. In 2005, the Joseph Smith Papers Project transferred from BYU to LDS Church headquarters, and began publication in 2008 with a new imprint, the Church Historian's Press
Church Historian's Press
The Church Historian's Press is an imprint dedicated to publishing scholarly works about the origin, history, and growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, rather than BYU Press. The Church Historian's Press may also publish the George Q. Cannon
George Q. Cannon
George Quayle Cannon was an early member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and served in the First Presidency under four successive presidents of the church: Brigham Young, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, and Lorenzo Snow...
journals, another project formerly slated for BYU Press.
Recent work
The following are some of the more notable recent publications by BYU Press:- Elwin C. Robison's 1997 book, The First Mormon Temple, Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
Special Citation winner. - Glen M. LeonardGlen M. LeonardGlen Milton Leonard is an American historian specializing in Mormon history.- Background :Leonard is a native of Farmington, Utah. He received his Ph.D. in history from the University of Utah. For a time he was managing editor of Utah Historical Quarterly. He has taught at both Brigham Young...
's 2002 book, Nauvoo: A Place of Peace, a People of Promise, Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
Special Merit Citation Book Award winner. - James B. AllenJames B. Allen (historian)James Brown "Jim" Allen is an American historian of Mormonism and was an official Assistant Church Historian of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972–1979.-Biography:...
’s 2002 book, No Toil nor Labor Fear: The story of William Clayton. - Carol Cornwall MadsenCarol Cornwall MadsenCarol Cornwall Madsen is an emeritus professor of history at Brigham Young University where she was a research historian with the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History. She also served as associate director of BYU's Women's Research Institute...
's 2006 book, An Advocate for Women: The Public Life of Emmeline B. Wells, 1870-1920, Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
Best Book Award winner. - Reid Nielson's 2006 book, Taking the Gospel to the Japanese, 1901–2001, Mormon History AssociationMormon History AssociationThe Mormon History Association is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and understanding of all aspects of Mormon history to promote understanding, scholarly research, and publication in the field...
Geraldine-McBride Woodward Award winner, for the best international Mormon history publication.
BYU Press has also produced electronic resources from the LDS Church's historical records including Selected Collections from the Archives of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and BYU Family History Digital Archive.
Trivia
Before achieving wide notability, and after his own theater company failed, Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card
Orson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
worked as a proofreader, then copy editor at BYU Press. In this role he met Calvin Grondahl, whose Mormon-themed cartoons were rejected by BYU Press, yet he would later illustrate one of Card's early works, the 1981 Saintspeak
Saintspeak
Saintspeak is a satirical look at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by LDS author Orson Scott Card. It is modeled after The Devil's Dictionary by Ambrose Bierce....
. Card's role at BYU Press led to his later editing job at the LDS Church's Ensign magazine.