By CARMEN COLE
James E. Faulconer, dean of General Education and Honors, will speak on remembrance at today’s Devotional in the JSB Auditorium.
“I’m going to talk about why memory and recollection aren’t the same thing and how memory is important to us,” said Faulconer, also a professor of philosophy. “Memory is found in things like symbols. I am also going to talk about why recollection is important to us when we’re down.”
Faulconer said he is going to spend most of his time sharing personal experiences with recollection, including using his wedding ring as an example to show how symbols work.
The Devotional address also goes along with 1 Nephi 1:20 in the Book of Mormon, Another Testament of Jesus Christ. The scripture describes the Jews’ hatred for Nephi’s father Lehi.
The end of the verse says, “But behold, I Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their flesh, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.”
Faulconer said he chose remembrance as a topic because it is interesting to him.
The Devotional will be broadcast live in the Varsity Theatre and in 2084 JKHB as well as on KBYU-TV (channel 11) and KBYU-FM (89.1).
This is Faulconer’s first time giving the Devotional address.
“I’m happy to be able to speak to BYU students,” he said. “It’s a privilege to do it.”
Faulconer will be dean of General Education and Honors for two more years. Last year he was the acting dean, and before that the associate dean. He has also been chair of the Department of Philosophy.
Faulconer came to work at BYU in 1975. Previously he graduated from BYU in 1972 with a degree in English, then received his master’s degree and Ph.D. from Pennsylvania State University.
He is married to Janice Allen. They have four children.
