Robert J. Matthews

Robert James Matthews (12 September 1926 – 30 August 2009) was a Latter-day Saint religious educator and scholar, teaching in the Departments of Ancient Scripture and Religious Education at Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah.

Beginning with personal contacts early in his career, Matthews was instrumental in conciliating relations between religious scholars affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and the Community of Christ, which had separated in a schism in the 1840s. The two religious communities, and their scholars, had long been at odds over access to and interpretation of important early texts of the Latter Day Saint movement. Matthews was particularly influential when, in 1969 and 1970, scholars affiliated with the Community of Christ were invited to meetings of the Mormon History Association. The new scholars were welcomed and some were chosen as officers in the organization in later years. Matthews is also noted for his promotion of the concept that the currently available text of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible is reliable and authentic.

Biography

Matthews was born in Evanston, Wyoming., the youngest child of immigrant parents who independently joined the LDS Church in England and moved to the United States. He earned an BS degree in Political Science, an MS degree in Geography, and a PhD degree in Ancient Scriptures, all from Brigham Young University. His doctoral dissertation was titled A Plainer Translation: Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible — A History and Commentary.

Matthews and his wife Shirley Neves were the parents of four children: Camille, Daniel, Robert, and Tricia.

Matthews died 30 August 2009 in Provo, Utah, after an extended hospitalization for complications following open heart surgery.

Teaching and scholarship

Matthews began teaching in the Church Educational System in 1955, beginning as a seminary teacher in Soda Springs, Idaho. He also taught institute classes in Southern California under the direction of Paul H. Dunn and was a course writer and editor with the seminaries and institutes division of the Church Educational System.

In 1968 Matthews received his Ph.D. in Ancient Scriptures from Brigham Young University. He began teaching in the Division of Religious Education at Brigham Young University in 1971. He served as dean of Religion Education at Brigham Young University for 8½ years, and subsequentally was a professor and department chair of the Ancient Scripture Department until his retirement in 1992.

Matthews has the distinction of being the first person from the LDS Church allowed by the Community of Christ to work with the original manuscript of the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible, which was in their possession. He was a principal collaborator involved in compiling the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, and authored articles on the Book of Moses and the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible.

LDS Church service

From 1946 to 1948 Matthews was a Mormon missionary in California, a portion of the Western States Mission of the LDS Church. His mission president was Oscar W. McConkie, father of Bruce R. McConkie.

In the 1970s, Matthews served on the Church Adult Correlation Committee of LDS Church. Earlier he had served as a bishop and high councilor and stake president. In the mid-1990s, Matthews was the first president of the Mount Timpanogos Utah Temple. At the time of his death he was serving as a stake patriarch.

Matthews was the chief editor of the LDS Church's 1979 Bible Dictionary, which is printed together with the church's English-language edition of the King James Bible.

Publications

• "A Plainer Translation": Joseph Smith's Translation of the Bible, a History and commentary (Brigham Young University Press: Provo, Utah, 1975). ISBN 0842514112, OCLC 1230845
• A Burning Light: The Life and Ministry of John the Baptist (Brigham Young University Press: Provo, Utah, 1972). ISBN 0842514708, OCLC 481178
• Selected Writings of Robert J. Matthews (Deseret Book: Salt Lake City, 1999). ISBN 1573455520, OCLC 42290385
• "Historicity and the Children of God" in Paul Y. Hoskisson, ed., Historicity and the Latter-day Saints Scriptures (Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University: Provo, Utah, 2001). ISBN 1577349288, OCLC 48749213

References

• Dust Jacket of "A Plainer Translation.
• Deseret News article at http://www.deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,695206730,00.html
• In My Life: Robert J. Matthews at http://famouspeopleihaveknown.blogspot.com/2008/07/robert-j-matthews.html