A recent article from the Salt Lake Tribune showcases how the Mormon church education commissioner Clark Gilbert has implemented stringent measures to ensure that faculty members across church-affiliated institutions, including Brigham Young University and BYU-Idaho, align with the church’s teachings. Professors are now facing many hardships. Their social media posts are being audited, many are being fired for showing LGBTQ+ and feminist support, or for experiencing doubts in their Mormon beliefs. Some professors are being terminated simply because their spouse stopped believing in the church. Top scholars no longer want to apply to BYU and many professors are seeking employment elsewhere. These changes have led many to argue that this approach suppresses academic freedom and creates an environment of fear among BYU faculty members, who may feel pressured to conform to specific interpretations of Mormon church doctrinal teachings to maintain their position.
Join us today as we talk in-depth about these controversies and the recent news article from the Salt Lake Tribune titled “Dark Days: BYU professors are running scared as premier LDS school steps backwards.” According to the US and World News Report, BYU ranked #61 in 2017 and then dropped to #109 in 2024 out of 436 National Universities, but are these new changes going to drop the university’s ranking? Join the livestream to share your own personal experiences in this regard!
Link to the original article: https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2025/01/05/byu-blue-why-these-are-dark-days/
