Mormon scholar receives honor for work on international religious freedom and human rights

Professor Cole Durham, of the BYU Law School, was in Richmond, Virginia, earlier this month to receive the First Freedom Award.  

Professor Durham's work in promoting international religious freedom has gained him much attention around the world.  He has worked to improve religious liberties throughout the world in places such as Russia, Peru, and Iraq.  

Durham also organizes the annual International Law and Religion Symposium, held each October in Salt Lake City and Provo, Utah.  The event attracts government officials, religious leaders, clergy, scholars, and others from over 50 countries, including China, Spain, and India.

Howard W. Hunter Foundation at the Claremont University

Claremont University's School of Religion has launched a major Mormon studies program: the first of its kind outside of Utah.  

Claremont, east of Los Angeles, is a highly ranked educational institution dedicated to the liberal arts.  The School of Religion at Claremont is the top theological school outside the Ivy League (dominated by Divinity schools at Yale, Harvard, and Princeton).  

Claremont has graduated many Mormon students, taught numerous Mormon Studies classes, and held many conferences on the topic.  Now Claremont will have a research institute with endowed professorships, etc.  The Howard W. Hunter Foundation is in charge of obtaining the funds necessary to establish the school's new Mormon Studies program.

Quite exciting!

Conference on Global LDS Church and Public Perception

This coming Monday at BYU (Brigham Young University) in Provo, Utah, scholars, journalists, students, Mormons, non-Mormons, will gather at an all-day international conference to discuss the public perceptions of the Church throughout the world.

For more information, click here.