Philosophical Essay Contest
David H. Yarn, Jr. began teaching religion at Brigham Young University in 1946. Having received the personal encouragement of Harold B. Lee, then of the Council of the Twelve, and of LeGrand Richards, then Presiding Bishop, Brother Yarn interrupted his teaching career to study philosophy at Columbia Unvierstiy. Upon completing his doctorate degree, he returned to BYU and, on 1 August 1950, initiated the program in philosophy that continues to this day. When he retired in 1985, Brother Yarn had been a professor of philosophy and theology for nearly four decades. He has served as Dean of the College of Religious Instruction, as President of the BYU Eighth Stake, as Chairman of the Department of Philosophy, as as President of the Atlanta Georgia Temple; he has also held numerous other ecclesiastical and professional offices. Brother Yarn has written or edited more than a dozen books and about fifty articles. He has delivered hundreds of special lectures on philosophical and religious topics. Throughout his life, he has been an outstanding example of the highest gospel principles.
In recognition of Brother Yarn’s dedicated service, the Department of Philosophy is pleased to offer the David H. Yarn Scholarship.
CATEGORY: Philosophy. Scholarships will be awarded for the best essays on any philosophical topic. Careful analysis and exceptional writing are required.
RULES: All undergraduate students currently enrolled at Brigham Young University are eligible. Essays should be between 3,000 and 5,000 words and conform to MLA standards. Only one essay per person may be submitted. Submissions should be sent to ByuYarnContest@gmail.com. Submissions must include two pdf documents attached to a single email: (1) a cover page that includes the submitter’s name, student ID number, address, phone number, and paper title, and (2) an essay that is formatted for blind review (submitter’s name or any identifying information MUST NOT appear in the body of the paper or next to page numbers). All essays must be received by 11:59 p.m. on February 10th. All submissions become the property of the Philosophy Department. Winning essays are automatically accepted for publication in Aporia, the BYU undergraduate philosophy journal.
Papers will be judged by a committee made up of members of the Philosophy Department. Winners will be announced soon thereafter, and all decisions are final. The sponsors reserve the right to withhold any or all prizes if no submitted papers are deemed worthy of being awarded the prizes or to alter the cash amounts in the event that two or more papers are judged equally worthy of prizes. Prize monies may be subject to state and federal tax.
AWARDS: The following prizes will be awarded:
First Prize: $1,000
Second Prize: $750
Third Prize: $500
