Job Title:
Church History & Doctrine-Eternal Family CFS Professorial Faculty Position
Posting End Date: August 30, 2026
*NOTE: Last day to apply is Saturday, August 29, 2026 @ 11:59 p.m. (MST)
Position Start Date: July 1, 2027
Required Degree:
PhD or equivalent terminal degree in marriage and family studies, family science, human development or a related field from an accredited university. The required degree must be completed by start date.
Applications must include the following:
- mission alignment statement
- curriculum vitae
- letter of intent
- evidence of teaching
- samples of scholarship
- contact information for at least three professional references
Questions regarding the position can be directed to:
Jenet Erickson, Religious Education, Brigham Young University, 270B JSB, Provo UT 84602-4201, [email protected].
The Purposes of Religious Education and The Eternal Family course at BYU:
Religious Education plays a central role in the mission of Brigham Young University, which is “to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life” by providing an educational experience that is spiritually strengthening, intellectually enlarging, character building, and leads to lifelong learning and service. The distinctive purpose of Religious Education has been outlined in the Church Educational System’s Board-approved document, “Strengthening Religious Education in Institutions of Higher Education” (referred to hereafter as SRE). The SRE document guides all hiring decisions in Religious Education. Candidates should be familiar with the purpose of Religious Education as outlined in SRE and demonstrate a commitment to its principles and guidelines. Application materials should explicitly speak to the SRE while addressing the required experience and duties/qualifications for the position. All candidates must be members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in good standing, be grounded in the doctrines of the Church, and have the personal character, faith, testimony, and qualities of life to provide a powerful role model for students.
The Eternal Family (Rel C 200) is one of two cornerstone religion courses offered by the Department of Church History & Doctrine (CH&D) within Religious Education. All undergraduate students are required to take this course to graduate. The course seeks to help students understand, develop faith in, and strengthen their capacity to live and support the principles and doctrines laid out in The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The successful applicant will teach this course consistently. As a result, we are in search of a religious educator with training and expertise in the principles addressed in the Family Proclamation and taught in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Applicants must demonstrate their capacity for the highest quality of teaching, scholarship, and citizenship in relation to the qualifications, experience, and duties outlined below.
Experience:
Teaching: The primary responsibility of each religious educator at BYU centers on excellent teaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in a way that helps each student develop faith in and testimony of Jesus Christ, become lifelong disciples of Him, and strengthen their ability to respond with faith to whatever challenges they may face, find answers, and resolve doubts (SRE). The Department of Church History & Doctrine (CH&D) seeks to hire individuals who have demonstrated unusual potential for excellent teaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (SRE), especially considering the unique and complex experiences, questions, and challenges facing our students today. Preference will be given to candidates with teaching experience related to The Eternal Family (Rel C 200) as well as student-centered mentoring. Further demonstration of the ability to teach other courses offered in CH&D will be helpful. Click here for a complete list of courses currently taught in CH&D.
Scholarship: Scholarship is important to the work of a religious educator in CH&D. The candidate must demonstrate potential for scholarly work that is of high quality and advances the purposes of religious education as outlined in the SRE. Candidates may have expertise in a range of disciplines and fields, but preference will be given to candidates whose scholarly work and publications are related to the doctrine, principles and issues related to the Proclamation on the Family and who are active in their academic disciplines. Candidates are expected to draw on their scholarly training and expertise in the family to enhance their teaching and to support student learning and development.
Duties/Expectations:
Teaching: Excellent teaching of the restored gospel that fulfills the purposes outlined in the SRE is the primary responsibility of each faculty member in Religious Education at BYU. Full-time faculty teach four sections (two credits each) of primarily The Eternal Family course during each fall and winter semester and two sections (two credits each) during either spring or summer term. Student-centered mentoring is also expected. Depending on the candidate's demonstrated experience and training, they may also be asked to teach other courses offered in the department as part of the normal teaching requirements.
Scholarship: The primary role of scholarship in Religious Education at BYU is to support student learning and development. All scholarship must be of high quality and must advance the purpose of religious education (SRE), specifically related to the doctrine, principles and issues addressed in the Proclamation on the Family. Full-time faculty are required to produce gospel scholarship directed to Latter-day Saints and are also expected to remain active in their disciplines and produce scholarship directed to an academic audience. While not required, candidates are also encouraged to produce pedagogical scholarship aimed at improving teaching and learning. Full-time faculty are required to publish an average of one peer-reviewed publication per year. Modest funds provided by Religious Education are available by application for research and for travel to participate in academic conferences.
Citizenship: Full-time faculty represent BYU and Religious Education. They are expected to live their personal lives and to perform their professional responsibilities in accordance with the teaching and practices of the Church. Faculty members are expected to treat faculty, staff, students, and members of the broader civic and religious communities with respect and kindness. They are expected to be loyal to the leadership of the Church and the university. Faculty members must be active citizens in CH&D as well as in the college (BYU Religious Education), university, and other professional settings. This includes attending department, college, and university faculty meetings as well as fulfilling committee obligations and other ad-hoc assignments. For a description of principles and measures used for rank advancement and continuing faculty status following hire, see the following Religious Education Rank and Status document.
Documents Required at the Time of Application:
The following documents are required with your application: a mission alignment statement, Curriculum Vitae, letter of intent, a list of three references from whom letters of recommendation could be requested, evidence of teaching including teaching videos and student evaluations of teaching (where available), and examples of best scholarship. Please attach your Mission Alignment Statement, Curriculum Vitae, Letter of Intent, Evidence of Teaching, Samples of Scholarship and List of Professional References to the faculty application.
Mission Alignment Statement: (no more than 1 page). BYU is committed to hiring faculty members who enthusiastically embrace and energetically advance its unique mission. To this end, please include a one-page mission alignment statement as part of your application that addresses how you might, as a BYU faculty member: (1) live a life of loyalty to Jesus Christ and His restored Church and align yourself with the doctrines and teachings of living prophets, seers, and revelators; (2) demonstrate intentionality in building faith in Jesus Christ and testimony of His restored gospel among students and others in the BYU community; and (3) teach your subject matter with the Spirit of God and strive to keep it "bathed in the light and color of the restored gospel" (Spencer W. Kimball).
Current Curriculum Vitae: In the CV, please include contact information as well as sections on education (degrees earned, universities attended, majors, etc.), teaching experience (courses taught, dates, universities/seminaries/institutes, etc.), publications, presentations, and other relevant experience.
Letter of Intent: (no more than 3-4 pages). Address this letter of intent to Anthony Sweat, chair of the Department of Church History and Doctrine. In the letter, please refer to the SRE and the experience and duties/expectations of the position description outlined above as you concisely and explicitly address the following points: (1) why you want to be a religious educator at BYU in CH&D (2) how your graduate school training and experience have prepared you to be successful in the posted position; (3) your teaching philosophy in religious education, including how to engage effectively and faithfully with students on sensitive and complex issues related to the doctrine of the family; (4) your research focus and agenda; (5) your commitment to citizenship; and (6) your commitment to fostering belonging and inclusion, and your plan (i.e., concrete pedagogical practices) to create a learning environment that will help to accomplish the purposes of Religious Education for all students. For further information on BYU's efforts and approach in this area, see BYU’s Statement on Belonging.
Evidence of Teaching: Please include evidence that demonstrates unusual potential for excellent teaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ (SRE). Applications will be strengthened by including as much of the following as possible: video recording(s) demonstrating excellent teaching in a religious education setting, particularly as it relates to The Eternal Family; select samples of excellent teaching materials such as PowerPoints, assignments, or syllabi; student evaluations of your teaching; and any other evidence that demonstrates potential for excellent teaching of The Eternal Family course. To include these with your application, please submit a document with a list of the evidence that you are submitting and active hyperlinks to view or download the teaching videos, PowerPoint slides, and any other teaching evidence. With each evidence listed, include a brief explanation of how the submitted evidence demonstrates your unusual potential for excellent teaching of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, and specifically The Eternal Family course.
Samples of Scholarship: Please provide up to three scholarship samples (pdf versions) that demonstrate your ability to produce scholarship that advances the purposes of religious education (SRE), and specifically elucidates the doctrine, principles and issues addressed in the Proclamation on the Family. On a separate document, please list each of the publications you included and provide a brief explanation of how each publication clearly demonstrates your ability to fulfill the scholarship expectations above.
Note: Failure to attach the required documents may result in your application not being considered.
This position requires the successful candidate to relocate and/or reside in Utah for the duration of their employment.
MISSION ALIGNMENT STATEMENT INSTRUCTIONS
If you are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
BYU is committed to hiring faculty members who enthusiastically embrace and energetically advance its unique mission. To this end, please include a one-page mission alignment statement as part of your application that addresses how you might, as a BYU faculty member: (1) live a life of loyalty to Jesus Christ and His restored Church and align yourself with doctrine and teachings declared by living prophets, seers, and revelators; (2) demonstrate intentionality in building faith in Jesus Christ and testimony of His restored gospel among students and others in the BYU community; and (3) teach your subject matter with the Spirit of God and strive to keep it “bathed in the light and color of the restored gospel” (Spencer W. Kimball).
If you are not a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints:
Applicants who are not members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints include a one-page mission alignment statement that describes understanding of and commitment to the Mission of Brigham Young University and the AIMS of a BYU Education.
EMPLOYMENT REQUIREMENTS
All new employees who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be required to hold and be worthy to hold a current temple recommend.
All faculty are required to abide by the university’s Honor Code and Dress & Grooming Standards. Preference is given to qualified candidates who are members in good standing of the affiliated church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Successful candidates are expected to support and contribute to the academic and religious missions of the university within the context of the principles and doctrine of the affiliated church.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY
Brigham Young University is an equal opportunity employer, including disability and protected veteran status.
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