By Stacey Wismer
Students are realizing that the scriptures can be applied to every academic subject.
The week before school started administrators encouraged professors to use scriptures in their courses, except for math and science classes.
Douglas Johanson, a visiting math instructor from Las Vegas, Nev., challenged himself to use a scripture for every lesson.
'Sometimes it fits, sometimes it''s a stretch,' Johanson said.
Most people don''t think calculus and logarithms apply to the standard works, he said. Johanson shows his students how the scriptures can relate to any subject.
For example, Johanson uses Luke 14:28 to relate cost, revenue and profit: 'For which of you, intending to build a tower sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it?'
Some of the math principles are directly in the scriptures; others have strong parallels, Johanson said, referring to the math concept of continuity and the continuity of the priesthood.
Johanson cites other instances such as families of functions and the large occurrence of the word family in the scriptures. Infinity is another concept that correlates between the scriptures and calculus.
Scriptures are especially comforting on test days. Johanson uses D&C 38:30 to reassure his students: 'If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear.'
Johanson carefully chooses scriptures to relate to each concept he teaches.
Once Johanson has his lesson plans, he turns to his scriptures on disk to search for math concepts and terms contained in the standard works.
Finding a parallel between his lesson and the scriptures takes anywhere from five to 30 minutes, Johanson said.
'For some lessons, I have to look and look,' he said. 'It took me a long time to find something on logarithms. Moses is not going to go around talking about logarithms.'
Johanson finally settled for the scriptures in the 14th chapter of Leviticus that talks about the 'log' of oil.
'The students realize that some of these scriptures are a stretch,' he said.
Still, the students appreciate the prayer and scripture at the beginning of each class.
'It''s wonderful that he uses scriptures in math class,' said Kevin Crowley, 23, from Bountiful, Davis County, majoring in computer science. 'It adds a new perspective on incorporating scriptures in the classroom.'
Troy Pollard, 23, from Colorado Springs, Colo., majoring in civil engineering, also likes the way Johanson utilizes the scriptures.
'It''s interesting how he brings up things you never really thought were math related,' Pollard said. 'He brings up a point, and after thinking about it, the concept makes sense.'
As Johanson''s first year of teaching at BYU, he has brought new insights into the math program. However, this will be his only year teaching at BYU.
Johanson is part of a program that brings in high school teachers to keep math education students up-to-date on current teaching methods.
'We know what it''s like out there in the real world,' said Johanson, who has taught high school math for the last nine years in Las Vegas.
Johanson became interested in teaching math while stationed in Germany, serving in the Air Force.
While tutoring children at his daughter''s school, Johanson caught the vision. 'I loved the ah-ha look and the twinkle in their eyes when they understood a concept.'
Johanson went on to get his teaching certificate after 20 years of flying jets for the Air Force.
When the opportunity came up to teach at BYU, Johanson flew at the chance.
'The Y is the Y,' he said. 'Why wouldn''t anyone want to teach at the Y?'
Johanson especially enjoys the opportunity he has to make parallelisms and tie in the scriptures with his classes.