Gilbert W. Scharffs
Encyclopedia
Gilbert Woodrow Scharffs (born 1930) is a Latter-day Saint religious educator and author.
in the East German Mission
of the LDS Church in the late 1950s, where he served as editor for publications and later second counselor to the Mission President
. In 1959 he was married in the Salt Lake Temple
to Laura Virginia Smith, a granddaughter of LDS President Joseph F. Smith
. They would have four children, one of which, Brett
, would become a legal scholar.
Scharffs received a B.A.
in marketing from the University of Utah
in the class of 1954, a masters degree in business from New York University
, and a Ph.D. in religion from Brigham Young University
(BYU) in 1969. His doctoral research was on the history of Mormons in Germany, where Scharffs had served as a missionary, and his dissertation was published by Deseret Book
in 1970. Historian Donald Q. Cannon
considers Scharffs' dissertation as part of the "major scholarly contribution to the study of Mormon history" that occurred during the 1960s.
For many years Scharffs taught with the Church Educational System
(CES). He was on the faculty of the Institute of Religion
adjacent to the University of Utah
for 27 years, having served as director following Reed C. Durham
in 1974. Scharffs also taught at BYU.
Among other callings in the church, Scharffs has served multiple times as a stake missionary, a bishop in the early 1990s, and a counselor in a stake presidency.
in 1994.
Scharffs response to The God Makers is also available online at the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research's website.
Biography
Scharffs was born to Fritz and Louise Scharffs and raised in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He served as a missionaryMissionary (LDS Church)
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
in the East German Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
of the LDS Church in the late 1950s, where he served as editor for publications and later second counselor to the Mission President
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
. In 1959 he was married in the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
to Laura Virginia Smith, a granddaughter of LDS President Joseph F. Smith
Joseph F. Smith
Joseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
. They would have four children, one of which, Brett
Brett Scharffs
Brett Gilbert Scharffs is the Francis R. Kirkham professor at the J. Reuben Clark Law School of Brigham Young University and the associate of the International Center for Law and Religion Studies located at the same school....
, would become a legal scholar.
Scharffs received a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
in marketing from the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in the class of 1954, a masters degree in business from New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
, and a Ph.D. in religion from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU) in 1969. His doctoral research was on the history of Mormons in Germany, where Scharffs had served as a missionary, and his dissertation was published by Deseret Book
Deseret Book
Deseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
in 1970. Historian Donald Q. Cannon
Donald Q. Cannon
Donald Quayle Cannon is a retired professor at Brigham Young University who specializes in Mormon history, particularly early Mormon history and international Mormon history....
considers Scharffs' dissertation as part of the "major scholarly contribution to the study of Mormon history" that occurred during the 1960s.
For many years Scharffs taught with the Church Educational System
Church Educational System
The Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
(CES). He was on the faculty of the Institute of Religion
Institute of Religion
Institutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
adjacent to the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
for 27 years, having served as director following Reed C. Durham
Reed C. Durham
Reed Connell Durham, Jr. is a historian of the Latter Day Saint movement and former director of the Institute of Religion in Salt Lake City, Utah for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
in 1974. Scharffs also taught at BYU.
Among other callings in the church, Scharffs has served multiple times as a stake missionary, a bishop in the early 1990s, and a counselor in a stake presidency.
Books
Issued again in 1989, republished by BookcraftBookcraft
Bookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
in 1994.
Scharffs response to The God Makers is also available online at the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research's website.
Sources
- Meridian Magazine bio
- FARMS bio listing
- Bio from Ensign, April 1971. p. 31
- Millennial Press bio
- Robert C. Freeman and Jon R. Felt. German Saints At War. (Springville, UT: Cedar Fort Inc., 2005) p. xiv
- Daily Herald of Provo article that mentions Scharffs work
External links
- Review of Mormonism in Germany by Douglas F. ToblerDouglas F. ToblerDouglas F. Tobler is an emeritus professor of German and Holocaust history at Brigham Young University .-Biography:Tobler is a native of Cedar City, Utah. He served as a missionary in the Swiss-Austrian Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He has bachelors and masters...
, published in BYU StudiesBYU StudiesBYU Studies is a multidisciplinary journal dedicated to publishing articles on a broad array of topics related to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...