Boyd Jay Petersen (born February 23, 1962) is program coordinator for

Mormon Studies Mormon studies is the interdisciplinary academic study of the beliefs, practices, history and culture of individuals and denominations belonging to the Latter Day Saint movement, a religious movement associated with the Book of Mormon, though not ...

Utah Valley University Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, Utah. UVU offers master's, bachelor's, associate degrees, and certificates. Previously called Utah Valley State College, the school attained university status in July 2008. History ...

(UVU) and teaches English and literature at UVU and Brigham Young University (BYU). He has also been a biographer of

Hugh Nibley Hugh Winder Nibley (March 27, 1910 – February 24, 2005) was an American scholar and an apologist of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) for nearly 50 years. He was a ...

, a candidate for the Utah House of Representatives, and president of the

Association for Mormon Letters The Association for Mormon Letters (AML) is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 to "foster scholarly and creative work in Mormon letters and to promote fellowship among scholars and writers of Mormon literature." Other stated purposes have inc ...

. He was named editor of '' Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' for the term 2016-2020.

Biography

Petersen was born in Provo, Utah, and raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). From 1980-1981, he was a proselyting missionary in Paris, France. After his mission, Petersen attended Brigham Young University (BYU), receiving his bachelor's degree in

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

and international relations in 1988. In 1995, he received an M.A. in comparative literature from the University of Maryland at College Park. In 2007, he completed his Ph.D. in comparative literature from the University of Utah's Department of Languages and Literature. Petersen has been an intern for the

U.S. House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they ...

, in the staff of the

U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources The United States Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is a standing committee of the United States Senate. It has jurisdiction over matters related to energy and mineral resources, including nuclear development; irrigation and recla ...

, and a Senior Information Specialist for the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress. In 1984, Petersen married Zina Nibley, a daughter of Hugh Nibley. They have four children and reside in Provo, Utah. In 2017, they were divorced. Petersen has been a lecturer in the honors program at BYU, and for the English and Humanities Departments at

, where he received a Faculty Excellence Award in 2006. Through his familial relationship to Hugh Nibley, Petersen authored the 2002 biography ''Hugh Nibley: A Consecrated Life''. Petersen has also published articles in several journals, including '' BYU Studies'', '' Sunstone'', '' Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'', and the '' Journal of Mormon History''. Petersen is the program coordinator for Mormon Studies at Utah Valley University. He has also been on the board of directors for the

(AML), Mormon Scholars in the Humanities, and '' Segullah'', a Mormon-themed literary journal. He served as AML's president from 2009-2010. He is book review editor for the ''Journal of Mormon History'', and was named editor for '' Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought'' for the 2016-2020 term.

Political campaigns

In March 2008, Petersen announced his candidacy for District 64 of the Utah State House of Representatives, running as a socially conservative Democrat in a heavily conservative region. He opposed Republican

Rebecca Lockhart Rebecca Dawn Lockhart (November 20, 1968 – January 17, 2015) was an American politician and Republican member of the Utah House of Representatives. Lockhart represented the 64th District in Provo, Utah. Lockhart was the first female Speaker ...

on a platform of ethics and health care reform, as well as improved public education. On the November 4 election, Petersen received 30 percent of the vote, losing to Lockhart's 66 percent. In 2012, Petersen ran again against Lockhart, who had since become the

Speaker of the House The speaker of a deliberative assembly, especially a legislative body, is its presiding officer, or the chair. The title was first used in 1377 in England. Usage The title was first recorded in 1377 to describe the role of Thomas de Hungerf ...

. On November 6, Petersen lost with 24 percent to Lockhart's 76 percent.

Published works

Books

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Articles

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Other

* * * * *"Eternity in an Hour" in ''Baring Witness'' edited by Holly Welker (University of Illinois Press, 2021)

Notes

External links

Petersen's blog

Faculty page at UVU

Faculty page at BYU

VoteForBoyd.com
website for Petersen's campaigns
Petersen's 2008 campaign blog
{{DEFAULTSORT:Petersen, Boyd 1962 births 20th-century Mormon missionaries 21st-century American biographers American essayists American Latter Day Saint writers American Mormon missionaries in France Candidates in the 2008 United States elections Brigham Young University alumni Brigham Young University faculty Literary scholars Living people American male biographers American male essayists Mormon studies scholars Writers from Provo, Utah Religious biographers University of Maryland, College Park alumni University of Utah alumni Utah Democrats Utah Valley University faculty Latter Day Saints from Utah Candidates in the 2012 United States elections