MOM: Baptists At Byu

Apr 2011 Issue

By Nettie H. Francis
There are Baptists on the BYU campus. It’s true. I know first-hand. I attended BYU and graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. At the beginning of my senior year, the professor in our multi-cultural education class told us that our semester assignment was to attend a campus club for the next nine weeks. She passed a sign-up sheet around the room with the available clubs listed on it.

I was at first hopeful that I could attend the Japanese club, since I had served a mission in Japan, or that I could choose the German club, since I had Germanic ancestry. However, when the list finally reached my side of the room, the only available club left to join was the Baptist Club. (Yes, BYU has a Baptist Club.)
Although I had close friends who were Lutheran, Jewish, Presbyterian and Catholic, I had to admit that I didn’t know much about the Baptist Church. Somewhat reluctantly, I signed up. This semester would definitely be a “cultural” learning experience for me.

I was thrilled to learn that one of my favorite professors, Dr. Eula Monroe, was the club advisor. She was teaching in the BYU Education College on leave from Western Kentucky University in her hometown of Bowling Green, Kentucky. Dr. Monroe was friendly, strict, knowledgeable, personable…and totally Baptist—an interesting twist among a dominant Mormon campus community.

The Baptist club met every Friday for lunch. The first week of my assignment, I took my lunch and met with them in an empty classroom. I must admit, I was a little nervous. ‘How will Baptists accept a Mormon?’ I wondered. We started the meeting with a prayer, and then joined together in Bible study.

Despite my trepidation, it was exhilarating! We all loved God and Jesus Christ, we all loved the Bible, and we all loved to learn. Some of us studied the King James Version of the Bible, while others read the New International Version. It was wonderful to read together in the different translations, and the variety deepened our understanding.

I was the only non-Baptist in the group, but quickly became acquainted with their beliefs and ideas. We discussed different points of doctrine—usually agreeing, but sometimes disagreeing. However, we were always cordial and respectful with one another. I was in awe of the students. Imagine being a Baptist at BYU!

The semester flew by, and soon it was time to leave the club, but I left with a renewed sense of culture, variety, respect, and of the ideals on which our country was founded. It was proof of the American principle that different ideas, religions, races, creeds and colors can live side by side, grounded in a mutual belief in God.

We attend church every Sunday. So do many of our neighbors and friends. Our next-door neighbors are devout Catholics. Every Sunday, they pull out of their driveway on their way to church at just about the same time that we drive away. We smile and wave, and are grateful for church-going friends. Our neighbors on the other side of our house are professed atheists. They don’t worship on Sunday morning, yet they are respectful of our devotion, and plan neighborhood activities around our commitment to keep Sunday a family day. Another neighbor is Presbyterian. Since she is elderly, we sometimes give her a ride to her church on the way to our own.

Teaching religious respect is an important task of parents. When our Catholic neighbors christened their daughter, we all attended the service. The Catholic chapel was beautiful, and my children deeply appreciated watching a service in a different religion. When my son was baptized, these same neighbors—Catholic, Atheist, and Presbyterian—attended the baptismal service at our church. At Christmas time, our elderly neighbor invited us to a beautiful Christmas concert in the Presbyterian chapel. Complete with French horns and The Hallelujah Chorus, it was a thrilling evening which my children won’t forget. My neighbor also pointed out the beautiful murals—painted by a Mormon artist—on the Presbyterian Church ceiling.

On our drive to our own chapel, we pass three other churches. I am always grateful to see the parking lots full on Sunday morning. It represents the many people who “Keep the Sabbath Day Holy” and worship—even if a bit differently than we do. And when parents at my children’s schools talk openly about their church activities, I am grateful for devotion-loving families similar to mine.

Dr. Monroe continued teaching at BYU. After her initial year ended, she chose to stay on at the university as a professor, and has now taught there 19 years. When my sister graduated from college, I ran into Dr. Monroe at the commencement exercises. Still a devout Baptist, she continues to be a favorite among BYU Education students. She is an example of a devoted woman—even as a religious minority.

Dr. Monroe is a good reminder of American ideals and freedoms. But beyond that, she reminds me of one semester when I stretched outside of my understanding and gained an appreciation for a different view of life. I will always be grateful for my experience with the BYU Baptist Club. It was worth the grade.

Nettie Francis is Editor of The Wyoming Woman Magazine.