Stephen David Ricks is a professor of Hebrew at

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

(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 Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

(LDS Church) and its teachings.

Biography

Ricks served as a

missionary A missionary is a member of a Religious denomination, religious group who 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.Thoma ...

for the LDS Church in

Switzerland Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located in west-central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north, and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east. Switzerland ...

. 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 university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

and

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

. 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. The organization was established in 1979 as a non-profit organization by John. W. We ...

(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) in Robert L. Millet, 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'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'' (formerly ''LDS Church News'') is a multi-platform supplement and subdivision of the ''Deseret News'', a Salt Lake City, Utah newspaper owned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (informally, the LDS Church). ...

'', 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)