Author Description

This volume presents a collection of essays dedicated to the life and work of a great scholar, John W. Welch, a polymath who is known to his many friends as “Jack.” It honors a man who has contributed prodigiously—as author, editor, and organizer—to a growing body of rigorous, faithful Mormon scholarship.Volumes such as this, which celebrate the life and career of an esteemed colleague, are typically described with the German term "festschrift," a word that denotes not only festive celebration but esteem, respect, and gratitude for contributions that deserve to be honored. We deliberately use the word "honor" in the subtitle of this book, intending to express precisely those sentiments.Those who have watched and worked with Jack over many years of extraordinarily rich productivity have sometimes wondered whether he ever sleeps. All have benefited enormously from his work and remarkable insights.