Newell D. Wright

Newell D. Wright is Professor of Marketing and International Business at North Dakota State University in Fargo, North Dakota. Born in Provo and raised in Orem, Utah, he holds a Ph.D. in marketing from Virginia Tech (1993) and an MBA (1987) and a BA (1985) in French literature from Brigham Young University. He is widely published in the marketing discipline and is currently the editor of the Journal of Consumer Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Complaining Behavior. He has led or directed 57 study-abroad programs around the world since 1998 and has visited 51 countries, mostly with a group of students in tow. He is also a lifelong student of the Book of Mormon. He is married to the former Julie Gold of Abingdon, Virginia, and they are the parents of four children and the grandparents of six grandchildren.

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A Book of Mormon Metaphor for Young Service Missionaries

by Newell D. Wright | 07-12-2025

Recently, the church announced that young service missionaries would be integrated into teaching missions. But what is a young service missionary? Many members of the church are only now learning about service missions for young men and women, even though the program was officially started in 2019 after years of experimenting with the idea. In […]

Latter-day Saint Theology and the Problem of Evil

by Val Larsen, Newell D. Wright | undefined 64 | 05-23-2025

Abstract: The classical formulation of God as the sole, self-existent Being and ground of all that exists poses a philosophical problem. If God is omniscient and omnipotent, why does evil exist? Why does he not save humankind from moral and natural evil? If we embrace the full set of classical assumptions of creedal Christianity, these […]

The Holy Ghost in the Book of Moroni: Possessed of Charity

by Newell D. Wright, Val Larsen | undefined 57 | 06-09-2023

Abstract: The role played by the Holy Ghost is an especially important connecting thread that runs through the Book of Moroni. The book illuminates the various ways in which the Holy Ghost transforms fallen human beings into redeemed members of the kingdom of God. Three phrases — “cleave unto charity,” “possessed of it,” and “that […]

Theosis in the Book of Mormon:
The Work and Glory of the Father, Mother and Son, and Holy Ghost

by Val Larsen, Newell D. Wright | undefined 56 | 05-19-2023

Abstract: While some scholars have suggested that the doctrine of theosis — the transformation of human beings into divine beings — emerged only in Nauvoo, the essence of the doctrine was already present in the Book of Mormon, both in precept and example. The doctrine is especially well developed in 1 Nephi, Alma 19, and […]

Moving Beyond the Historicity Question, or a Manifesto for Future Book of Mormon Research

by Newell D. Wright | undefined 55 | 03-24-2023

Review of Daniel Becerra, Amy Easton-Flake, Nicholas J. Frederick, and Joseph M. Spencer, Book of Mormon Studies: An Introduction and Guide (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2022). 184 pages. $19.99 (hardback), $15.99 (paperback). Abstract: Book of Mormon Studies: An Introduction and Guide by four Brigham Young University religion professors reviews the field […]

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All journal publications and video presentations are available for free by digital download and streaming. The price of hard copy versions of journal articles covers only the cost of printing; books are typically priced to help cover both upfront pre—publication expenses and royalties to authors when applicable. In some cases, the Foundation may subsidize publication costs to keep retail prices affordable.