I was happy teaching for 10 years at the University of Utah law school, but I recently rejoined the faculty at BYU law. At the time I went to the University of Utah, I was told that I was the first and only person to leave a professorship at BYU law to head up north, and to my knowledge, I am the only person to have made the move back down south.
It made a lot of sense to me to move to the University of Utah initially. I was recruited by a mentor, one of the most respected criminal law professors in the country, Paul Cassell, who was working on reducing draconian federal drug sentences. I liked the University of Utah law school, where I served as associate dean. My students were bright and motivated, my colleagues were brilliant and supportive, and my dean was friendly and driven. While at Utah, I had calls from other schools who asked me to consider interviewing over the years, but not even a coveted position at a Top 15 program could motivate me to interview elsewhere. So why leave?
I entered academia because I wanted to make a difference in the world. My mother was a political activist in revolutionary Iran, fighting for freedom and democracy, and eventually spending time in political prison for her bravery. Through miracles, my family fled a war-torn Iran to the United States. I have always felt an obligation to use my newly-found freedom to improve the lives of others. This is why I chose criminal justice reform — to help those dealt a difficult hand in life who need an advocate to improve their conditions. Specifically, I have focused my career on reducing incarceration rates in America.
However, 12 years into my career I realized I was missing some of the best techniques for fighting mass incarceration. My academic playbook, like many of my colleagues’, included policy and empirical data, theoretical frameworks, constitutional interpretation, structural solutions and legislative change. But I realized I was missing something vital.
The missing piece came from inspired colleagues. Professor Jocelyn Simonson recounts in her book, “Radical Acts of Justice,” how church congregations in Louisiana made remarkable impacts in the area of bail reform. A reverend would simply show up to court and sit next to an accused person and provide support for him. That simple act of love and ministering had the power to transform those courtrooms.
In courtrooms where the church congregants would be present, judges set 50% lower bail amounts than when no church congregant was present. Paul Heaton at the University of Pennsylvania found that simply assigning a friend, or “advocate,” to a defendant also led to a reduction in rearrests. I started to realize that changing the minds of judges and the hearts of defendants was possible through values I tried to live by in my personal life — friendship, ministering, love and mercy — values informed by my religious beliefs. I started to grasp that these values were applicable in my academic career too.
I decided I wanted to study how religion solves social problems, like crime, so I met with Elder Clark G. Gilbert, the commissioner of Church Education — a meeting that was decisive for me in choosing to return to BYU. In conversation with him, Shane Reese and other administrators, I was struck by their faith in the rising generation of students, mentored by faculty committed to a vision to integrate spiritual and secular learning.
I initially left an associate deanship at the University of Utah law school to teach at BYU because I could participate in faith-centered scholarship. But the highlight of my last year has been my time with the students, who like me were motivated to find something different at BYU.
One of my students thoughtfully expressed this sentiment: “One of the biggest reasons I chose BYU over any other school was to grow spiritually. So, I love when my professors help me grow not just intellectually, but also as a disciple of Christ.” Another said, “I think it is probably very easy to walk away from (criminal law) cynical about humanity and the lengths we can go to hurt others. I know this is probably unavoidable, but if any efforts could be made to curb some of that, that would be appreciated.” They came to BYU for a spiritually enlarging education.
Recent enrollment trends suggest this sentiment isn’t unique to my students or BYU. While higher education enrollment has declined nationally, overall enrollment at religious colleges and universities is growing, and has been for some time. As someone who has taught at a secular university for the last 10 years, I have to say being able to expand my faith alongside academic questions and classroom teaching has been nothing less than life-changing.
The goal is to publicly become a whole person, as Harvard Professor Ruth Okediji told students at BYU this last year. She said: “Jesus answered questions with questions, like the philosophers; he spoke in parables, like law professors; he treated physical diseases, just like physicians. ... Loving God with all that you are means that there’s only one you.” It is a gift in today’s world to be one whole person at your place of employment.
In hiring interviews, a common question people are asked is, “Why do you want to work here?” And a typical good response is to demonstrate an understanding of the company’s mission, values or achievements and how they align with your skills, goals and personal values. When there isn’t alignment with the mission or values, that naturally matters too.
A business leader I know had an employee who was writing negative public reviews about the company online and speaking negatively about the company to any employee who would listen. No one faulted this organization for making a change. It is the same at BYU. The students and members of the church donate sacred funds to educate the youth to become thoughtful, knowledgeable leaders. While this might involve addressing difficult issues and questions at times, it also involves a commitment by educators to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its doctrines, policies and aims.
In a world where it is no longer acceptable to “yuck someone’s yum,” it makes sense a university would be concerned to see professors who are not on board with the faith’s teachings and school’s mission, openly challenging such teachings in classes or even behind closed doors, especially with students they have been hired to mentor both intellectually and spiritually.
Thoughtful inquiry will continue to be very important. For instance, I designed a course called “The Pursuit of Happiness,” focused on how following God’s laws leads to individual and collective happiness. In this class, we are discussing courage in faith and examining under the rules of evidence the testimonies of the three witnesses of the Book of Mormon in a mock trial. We will not skirt around history, but we will also testify of spiritual truths and prophetic witnesses of Jesus Christ. And more importantly, we will work on enhancing Christian virtues like humility, forgiveness, consecration and righteous judgment that are critical to being a disciple first before a lawyer.
BYU, like its peer religious institutions, embraces that it is different. It is an academically-rigorous research institution whose primary focus is educating the minds and hearts of the rising leaders of the church. These students are not looking to professors to cast shadows of doubt on their fledgling faith. The world is full of a growing number of agnostic and religious “nones.” There are plenty of internet mentors who will provide cynicism and secular skepticism for BYU students to consider. They don’t need to come to campus for that kind of challenge as it surrounds them at every turn.
Students come to BYU for mentorship in how to balance their discipleship alongside their intellectual reasoning, to study philosophies of Kant while considering the laws of Moses and the teachings of Jesus Christ. This is the unique educational experience that members of the church all over the world seek at BYU. In a world where there is a shortage of higher education options that promote faith, and where some are afraid to publicly worship God, having a place to embrace the restored gospel of Jesus Christ feels like a refuge. And I couldn’t be happier to work at the refuge that is BYU.