Dear Friends of the Widtsoe Foundation,
This has been an exciting two years for the Foundation. We began last April with a stirring keynote address by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf at our inaugural dinner symposium on the USC campus. Pres. Uchtdorf expressed support and challenged us to fulfill our mission of creating a chair in Mormon Studies that would bear John A. Widtsoe’s “noble name.” Three more symposia/events followed with some of the preeminent scholars of the Church.
Now, with BYU Law Professor Jack Welch named as the Distinguished Scholar of the Foundation and the Office of Religious Life at USC, we are on track to amplify the work of the Foundation significantly. Besides our public conferences, we will use digital tools and technologies to bring the best LDS scholarship to a worldwide audience of scholars, Church members, and faith leaders – and will launch gospel initiatives that establish the foundation as a primary source for Mormon theological perspectives and scholarly collections.
You are a critically important part of the Widtsoe Foundation’s work. We value your input, and seek your ideas and support in all that we do. We hope that this periodic newsletter will be a useful way to keep you informed of new developments and be part of a meaningful and ongoing dialogue.
Sincerely,
Larry L. Eastland, Ph. D.