Jay A. Parry
Encyclopedia
Jay Atwell Parry is an American
author
. He writes in several genre
s, but is primarily known for his LDS non-fiction
.
to Atwell Parry, an Idaho state senator, and Elaine Hughes Parry. He is the third child of seven. At the age of 13, he moved with his family to Melba, Idaho
, where he worked in his father's grocery store.
After high school, he attended Ricks College (now Brigham Young University–Idaho
) in Rexburg, Idaho
, where he served as editor of the school's literary magazine, Runes. When he turned 19, he served as a missionary
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Houston, Austin
, and San Antonio, Texas
from 1970 to 1972. Upon returning from his mission, he moved to Provo, Utah
to attend Brigham Young University
, from which he graduated in August 1974 with a bachelor's degree
in English
. He served in the United States Air National Guard
from 1972 to 1979, and wrote and edited the official newsletter for the Utah Air National Guard.
as a proofreader and copy editor. This led to him obtaining employment as associate editor for the Church's Ensign magazine from the mid-70's to the early 80's.
In the early 80's, Parry stopped working for the Church for a time, and joined a company called Information Design as a partner and writer. Information Design started an initiative called the Parenting Resource Group, which partnered with various doctors and social workers to publish self-help books about improving one's well-being and family. Its mission statement, printed in several of their publications, read: "The Parenting Resource Group is composed of parents, educators, and child development professionals who work together to compile easy-to-read helps for parents."
In 1982, Parry, in collaboration with Information Design, published The Santa Claus Book under the pseudonym Alden Perkes, a humorous Christmas book explaining the origins and mechanics of many Christmas folktales. He was invited as a guest on Good Morning America
, where he was interviewed about the book by co-host Joan Lunden
.
In 1985, Parry began working for the National Center for Constitutional Studies
(NCCS), a non-profit constitutionalist organization founded by political theorist W. Cleon Skousen
. Parry performed writing and editing duties for the Center's publications. It was during this time that he co-authored The Real George Washington, a biography of President George Washington published in 1991, written with Skousen and Andrew M. Allison. Political commentator Glenn Beck
has recommended this book numerous times, causing it to have a resurgence in popularity starting 2008.
Parry left NCCS in 1993 and started working for Latter-day Saint publisher Deseret Book
in 1994 as an associate editor. This position fostered a relationship between Parry and the publisher through which he began to publish more of his own works. In April 1998, Parry, along with his brother, Donald W. Parry
, published the first installment in their Understanding series, a collection of texts explaining the more difficult concepts of Christian
and LDS doctrine
through critical analysis and scriptural references. It was also during his time at Deseret Book that Parry compiled and edited the Best-Loved and Everyday books, two series that gathered inspirational stories and poems on different topics, each book revolving around a specific theme.
Due to budget and staffing concerns, Parry was released from his position at Deseret Book in November 2008. After working as a freelance
editor for over a year, he once again returned to employment for the Church in 2010, working as a writer and editor for the Church History Department
.
Throughout his professional career, Parry has continued to contribute freelance writing and research to various publications, including the Ensign and New Era
magazines. He has frequently collaborated with others in his writing. Some of his coauthors have included Kurt Hanks and Larry Belliston (Wake Up Your Creative Genius, Keeping Close, Discipline, Joseph Smith: The Boy...The Prophet, and The Santa Claus Book), Andrew M. Allison (The Real George Washington), Larry E. Morris (The Mormon Book of Lists), Jack M. Lyon, Linda R. Gundry, and Devan Jensen (the Best-Loved series), and Donald W. Parry (Symbols and Shadows and the Understanding series).
Topics have included:
.
Parry is good friends with author Orson Scott Card
. They met while working together for BYU Press in the early 1970s and later worked together at the Ensign magazine. They have collaborated on several projects, including the short story In the Doghouse
, originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact
and later compiled into a collection of Card's short stories, Maps in a Mirror
. Another collection of Card's short stories, Capitol
, is dedicated to Parry, and reads: "To Jay A. Parry, who has read everything and made it better."
Parry is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
. He writes in several genre
Genre
Genre , Greek: genos, γένος) is the term for any category of literature or other forms of art or culture, e.g. music, and in general, any type of discourse, whether written or spoken, audial or visual, based on some set of stylistic criteria. Genres are formed by conventions that change over time...
s, but is primarily known for his LDS non-fiction
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
.
Early life
Parry was born in Nampa, IdahoNampa, Idaho
Nampa is the largest and the fastest growing city in Canyon County, Idaho, USA. The population of Nampa was 81,557 at the 2010 census. Nampa is located about west of Boise along Interstate 84, and six miles west of Meridian. Nampa is part of the Boise metropolitan area...
to Atwell Parry, an Idaho state senator, and Elaine Hughes Parry. He is the third child of seven. At the age of 13, he moved with his family to Melba, Idaho
Melba, Idaho
Melba is a city in Canyon County, Idaho, United States. The population was 439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Boise City–Nampa, Idaho Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Melba is located at ....
, where he worked in his father's grocery store.
After high school, he attended Ricks College (now Brigham Young University–Idaho
Brigham Young University–Idaho
Brigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and transitioned from a junior college to a four-year institution in 2001, known for the greater part of its...
) in Rexburg, Idaho
Rexburg, Idaho
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 17,257 people, 4,274 households, and 2,393 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,534.4 people per square mile . There were 4,533 housing units at an average density of 928.4 per square mile...
, where he served as editor of the school's literary magazine, Runes. When he turned 19, he served as a missionary
Missionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Houston, Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, and San Antonio, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
from 1970 to 1972. Upon returning from his mission, he moved to Provo, Utah
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
to attend 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...
, from which he graduated in August 1974 with a bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in English
English studies
English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language , English linguistics English studies is an academic discipline that includes the study of literatures written in the English language (including literatures from the U.K., U.S.,...
. He served in the United States Air National Guard
Air National Guard
The Air National Guard , often referred to as the Air Guard, is the air force militia organized by each of the fifty U.S. states, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the territories of Guam and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the District of Columbia of the United States. Established under Title 10 and...
from 1972 to 1979, and wrote and edited the official newsletter for the Utah Air National Guard.
Career
While in college, Parry worked for the BYU PressBrigham Young University Press
Brigham Young University Press is the university press of Brigham Young University .-History:Brigham Young University Press was formed in 1967 through the consolidation of BYU's various publishing activities into one central organization....
as a proofreader and copy editor. This led to him obtaining employment as associate editor for the Church's Ensign magazine from the mid-70's to the early 80's.
In the early 80's, Parry stopped working for the Church for a time, and joined a company called Information Design as a partner and writer. Information Design started an initiative called the Parenting Resource Group, which partnered with various doctors and social workers to publish self-help books about improving one's well-being and family. Its mission statement, printed in several of their publications, read: "The Parenting Resource Group is composed of parents, educators, and child development professionals who work together to compile easy-to-read helps for parents."
In 1982, Parry, in collaboration with Information Design, published The Santa Claus Book under the pseudonym Alden Perkes, a humorous Christmas book explaining the origins and mechanics of many Christmas folktales. He was invited as a guest on Good Morning America
Good Morning America
Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...
, where he was interviewed about the book by co-host Joan Lunden
Joan Lunden
Joan Lunden is an American journalist, author and television host. She was the co-host of ABC's Good Morning America from 1980 through 1997 and is the author of 8 books...
.
In 1985, Parry began working for the National Center for Constitutional Studies
National Center for Constitutional Studies
The National Center for Constitutional Studies is an ultraconservative, religious-themed constitutionalist organization, founded by Mormon political writer Cleon Skousen. It was formerly known as The Freemen Institute....
(NCCS), a non-profit constitutionalist organization founded by political theorist W. Cleon Skousen
Cleon Skousen
Willard Cleon Skousen was an American author, conservative American Constitutionalist and faith-based political theorist. He was also a prolific popularizer among Latter-day Saints of their theology...
. Parry performed writing and editing duties for the Center's publications. It was during this time that he co-authored The Real George Washington, a biography of President George Washington published in 1991, written with Skousen and Andrew M. Allison. Political commentator Glenn Beck
Glenn Beck
Glenn Edward Lee Beck is an American conservative radio host, vlogger, author, entrepreneur, political commentator and former television host. He hosts the Glenn Beck Program, a nationally syndicated talk-radio show that airs throughout the United States on Premiere Radio Networks...
has recommended this book numerous times, causing it to have a resurgence in popularity starting 2008.
Parry left NCCS in 1993 and started working for Latter-day Saint publisher 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...
in 1994 as an associate editor. This position fostered a relationship between Parry and the publisher through which he began to publish more of his own works. In April 1998, Parry, along with his brother, Donald W. Parry
Donald W. Parry
Donald W. Parry Ph.D. is a professor of Hebrew Bible in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University. He holds the Abraham O. Smoot Professorship. He is the author and editor of many works related to the Dead Sea Scrolls and the Old Testament...
, published the first installment in their Understanding series, a collection of texts explaining the more difficult concepts of Christian
Christian theology
- Divisions of Christian theology :There are many methods of categorizing different approaches to Christian theology. For a historical analysis, see the main article on the History of Christian theology.- Sub-disciplines :...
and LDS doctrine
Mormonism and Christianity
Mormonism and Christianity have a complex theological, historical, and sociological relationship. Mormons express the doctrines of Mormonism using standard biblical terminology, and have similar views about the nature of Jesus' atonement, bodily resurrection, and Second Coming as traditional...
through critical analysis and scriptural references. It was also during his time at Deseret Book that Parry compiled and edited the Best-Loved and Everyday books, two series that gathered inspirational stories and poems on different topics, each book revolving around a specific theme.
Due to budget and staffing concerns, Parry was released from his position at Deseret Book in November 2008. After working as a freelance
Freelancer
A freelancer, freelance worker, or freelance is somebody who is self-employed and is not committed to a particular employer long term. These workers are often represented by a company or an agency that resells their labor and that of others to its clients with or without project management and...
editor for over a year, he once again returned to employment for the Church in 2010, working as a writer and editor for the Church History Department
Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities...
.
Throughout his professional career, Parry has continued to contribute freelance writing and research to various publications, including the Ensign and New Era
New Era (magazine)
New Era is an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. First published in January 1971 along with the Ensign and the Friend, the New Era's intended audience has always been the youth of the Church...
magazines. He has frequently collaborated with others in his writing. Some of his coauthors have included Kurt Hanks and Larry Belliston (Wake Up Your Creative Genius, Keeping Close, Discipline, Joseph Smith: The Boy...The Prophet, and The Santa Claus Book), Andrew M. Allison (The Real George Washington), Larry E. Morris (The Mormon Book of Lists), Jack M. Lyon, Linda R. Gundry, and Devan Jensen (the Best-Loved series), and Donald W. Parry (Symbols and Shadows and the Understanding series).
Teaching
Parry has been an active participant in the Brigham Young University's Education Week every year since 1999. Education Week is an annual event of adult continuing education where hundreds of classes and workshops are held on the BYU campus. Parry teaches up to three series of classes a year (each series consisting of four different classes), focusing on topics that involve better understanding of the LDS Church's teachings. He has also taught several classes in conjunction with his brother, Donald W. Parry, referencing the books they have authored together. Two of his presentations were taped and are shown periodically on BYU-TV.Topics have included:
- Death and the Resurrection: Gifts from a Loving Father
- The Book of Revelation: A Vision for Our Day
- Isaiah's Glorious Message for Our Day
- The Mortal Messiah: Love, Power, and Sacrifice
- Receiving the Marvelous Grace of God: Precious Gifts for Daily Living
- Symbols and Shadows: Unlocking a Deeper Understanding of the Atonement
Personal life
Parry and his wife, Vicki, have seven children and nine grandchildren. They currently reside in Salt Lake City, UtahUtah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
.
Parry is good friends with author Orson Scott Card
Orson 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...
. They met while working together for BYU Press in the early 1970s and later worked together at the Ensign magazine. They have collaborated on several projects, including the short story In the Doghouse
In the Doghouse
"In the Doghouse" is a short story by Orson Scott Card and Jay A. Parry. It appears in his short story collection Maps in a Mirror. Card originally published this story in the December 1978 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.-Plot summary:...
, originally published in Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact
Analog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
and later compiled into a collection of Card's short stories, Maps in a Mirror
Maps in a Mirror
Maps in a Mirror is a collection of short stories by Orson Scott Card. Like Card's novels, most of the stories have a science fiction or fantasy theme...
. Another collection of Card's short stories, Capitol
Capitol (collection)
Capitol was Orson Scott Card's second published book. This collection of eleven short stories set in the Worthing series is no longer in print...
, is dedicated to Parry, and reads: "To Jay A. Parry, who has read everything and made it better."
Parry is an active member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Fiction
- The Burning (1991)
- The Santa Claus Book (published under the pseudonymPseudonymA pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Alden Perkes, 1982)
Short Fiction
- Christmas Offerings (published in Once Upon a Christmastime: Short Stories for the Season, Deseret Book, 1997)
- Moulder Moulder (published in Chrysalis 10, Doubleday, 1983)
- "Magdalena Katalena Hoopensteiner Walleniner Hokum Mokum Pokum Was Her Name" (published in New Era, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980)
- Brother Angelo (published in Ensign, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1980)
- Gods in the Fire, Gods in the Rain (published in Chrysalis 5, Zebra, 1979)
- In the DoghouseIn the Doghouse"In the Doghouse" is a short story by Orson Scott Card and Jay A. Parry. It appears in his short story collection Maps in a Mirror. Card originally published this story in the December 1978 issue of Analog Science Fiction and Fact.-Plot summary:...
(published in Analog Science Fiction and FactAnalog Science Fiction and FactAnalog Science Fiction and Fact is an American science fiction magazine. As of 2011, it is the longest running continuously published magazine of that genre...
, 1978) - Roboroots (published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine, 1978)
- The Year We Discovered Tradition (published in Ensign, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1977)
Understanding series
- Understanding the Parables of Jesus Christ (2006)
- Understanding Death and the Resurrection (2003)
- Understanding the Signs of the Times (1999)
- Understanding the Book of Revelation (1998)
- Understanding Isaiah (1998)
Other nonfiction works
- Symbols and Shadows: Unlocking a Deeper Understanding of the Atonement (2009)
- The 12 Purposes of Life: A Down-to-Earth Guide for the Mortal Traveler (2005)
- The Real George Washington: The True Story of America's Most Indispensable Man (1991)
- Soldiers, Statesmen & Heroes: America's Founding Presidents (1990)
- The One-Minute Secret (1989)
- Traveling With Kids: 101 Tips for a Great Trip (1989)
- The Mormon Book of Lists (1987)
- Eternal Pursuit: The Mormon Trivia Book (1985)
- Keeping Close: How to Make Your Relationships Work (published under the pseudonym Joanna Benton, 1983)
- 101 Ways to Boost Your Child's Self-esteem (1983)
- Wake Up Your Creative Genius (1983)
Children's Books
- Joseph Smith: The Boy...The Prophet (1981)
- Lehi & the Liahona (1979)
- Joseph Smith & the Priesthood (1979)
- Wilford Woodruff at Benbow Farm (1979)
Poetry
- You, Simeon, Spirit-filled (published in Christmas Classics: A Treasury for Latter-day Saints, Deseret Book, 1995)
- Christchild (published in The Magic of Christmas: A Collection of Stories, Poems, Essays and Traditions by Favorite LDS Authors, Deseret Book, 1992)
- Nauvoo Remembers (published in Ensign, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1979)
- Nursery Corner (published in Ensign, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1978)
- The Silent Places (published in Ensign, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1975)
Best-Loved series
- Best-Loved Talks of the LDS People (2002)
- Best-Loved Christmas Stories of the LDS People (2001)
- Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Volume 3 (2000)
- Best-Loved Humor of the LDS People (1999)
- Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Volume 2 (1999)
- Best-Loved Stories of the LDS People, Volume 1 (1997)
- Best-Loved Poems of the LDS People (1996)
Everyday series
- Everyday Answers: True Stories About God's Presence in Our Lives (2003)
- Everyday Heroes: True Stories of Ordinary People Who Made a Difference (2002)
- Everyday Miracles: True Stories About God's Hand in Our Lives (2001)
Other compilations
- The Gift of Eternal Life (2003)
- The Gift of the Atonement (2002)
- I'll Be Home for Christmas: True Stories for the Season (1998)
- Poems that Lift the Soul (1998)
- Once Upon a Christmastime: Short Stories for the Season (1997)
- LDS Women's Treasury (1997)
- Keeping Christmas: Stories from the Heart (1996)
- Christmas Classics: A Treasury for Latter-day Saints (1995)