Does the BYU ‘Honor Code’ Honor Mormon Values?

Does the BYU ‘Honor Code’ Honor Mormon Values? BYU is the production house of next-generation Mormonism. Perhaps feeling the pressure of this expectation, the university places great emphasis on the standards and principles that distinguish it from other universities. The Honor Code is often cited as a document that safeguards the values of both the university and of Mormonism, but for many students, it does the opposite: it restricts or reverses their quest for authentic spirituality while punishing dissent and exploration. This panel will examine the history of the BYU Honor Code and the ways that it constructs and deconstructs mainstream Mormonism. Drawing on research about activism and dissent at BYU, the panelists will offer a critique of the Honor Code through the perspectives of students whose spiritual quest put them at odds with their religion.

Tristan Call, Ashley Sanders, Caleb Proux