Stephen David Ricks is a professor of Hebrew at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

(BYU) and an author and co-author of several books and articles defending

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) and its teachings.

Biography

Ricks served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group which is sent into an area in order to promote its faith or provide services to people, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care, and economic development.Tho ...

for the LDS Church in

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. He received his Ph.D. from the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California) is a public land-grant research university in Berkeley, California. Established in 1868 as the University of California, it is the state's first land-grant u ...

and

Graduate Theological Union The Graduate Theological Union (GTU) is a consortium of eight private independent American theological schools and eleven centers and affiliates. Seven of the theological schools are located in Berkeley, California. The GTU was founded in 1962 ...

. From 1988 to 1991 Ricks was the president of the

Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies The Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) was an informal collaboration of academics devoted to Latter-day Saint historical scholarship. ThFoundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS)was established in 1979 as a ...

(FARMS) and from 1991 to 1997 he served as the chairman of FARMS board of directors. He was the founding editor of the ''

Journal of Book of Mormon Studies The ''Journal of Book of Mormon Studies'' is an annual peer-reviewed academic journal covering topics surrounding the Book of Mormon. It is published by the University of Illinois Press on behalf of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Sch ...

'' serving as editor from 1992 to 1997. From 1992 to 1996, Ricks also served as the associate dean of general education and honors at BYU. Among Ricks's writings is "Joseph Smith and 'Majic': Methodological Reflection on the Use of a Term" (with

Daniel C. Peterson Daniel Carl Peterson (born January 15, 1953) is a former professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic in the Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages at Brigham Young University (BYU). Background A native of southern California, Peterson receiv ...

) in

Robert L. Millet Robert L. Millet (born 30 December 1947) is a professor of ancient scripture and emeritus Dean of Religious Education at Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. Millet is a Latter-day Saint author and speaker with more than 60 published w ...

, ed., ''To Be Learned is Good if...'' (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1987). Ricks also co-authored ''Who Shall Ascend into the Hill of the Lord?'' with Legrand L. Baker. He edited ''Warfare in the Book of Mormon'' with William J. Hamblin and translated

Klaus Vondung Klaus Vondung (born 16 July 1941) is a German scholar on the fields of cultural and German studies. The focus of his academic work lies on the interplay of literature, politics and religion during the German Empire, Nazi Germany and beyond. Ear ...

's ''The Apocalypse in Germany'' into English. Ricks has been involved in promoting positive relations between the LDS Church and Jewish groups.''

Church News The ''Church News'' (or ''LDS Church News'') is a weekly tabloid-sized supplement to the ''Deseret News'' and the ''MormonTimes'', a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It is t ...

'', April 24, 2004.

Notes

References

* Contributors listings in Parry et al., ed., ''Echoes and Evidences of the Book of Mormon'' p. 504.
listing of BYU Near Eastern Studies faculty

Neal A. Maxwell Institute author bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ricks, Stephen D. 20th-century Mormon missionaries Latter Day Saints from Utah American Mormon missionaries in Switzerland Brigham Young University faculty Living people University of California, Berkeley alumni American Latter Day Saint writers Editors of Latter Day Saint publications Latter Day Saints from California Year of birth missing (living people)