Hyrum L. Andrus

Hyrum Leslie Andrus was a scholar, teacher, lecturer, and author. He was the first director of Religious Studies in the college administration. He taught Church history and doctrine for many years at Brigham Young University. He was also the director of the Latter-day Saint historical collection in the Harold B. Lee Library.

He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Andrus was born on March 12, 1924, in Lyman, Idaho, and was raised on a farm. He served in the United States Army during World War II. “As part of his military experience, the then Sergeant Andrus was assigned to carry the U.S. Colors, when the Army was welcomed into Korea as an occupation force; after which he was made the Field Sergeant of his company. As Field Sergeant he helped establish law and order in Korea and assisted in directing the repatriation efforts of Koreans. Hyrum also spent a short period of time in China.”[1]

After he was released from the Army, he served as a missionary in the East Central States Mission. After his mission, he studied at Ricks College and taught a missionary preparation class each week. He also wrote and published three editions of the proselyting plan Helps for Missionaries. He also wrote a program called Saints of the Latter Days, which the drama department produced on a local radio station. After receiving his bachelor’s degree he further studied at BYU, earning his master’s degree, as did his wife, Helen. In the Maxwell Graduate School at Syracuse University in New York, he continued his study on the social, economic, and political thought of Joseph Smith. His PhD was in the fields of political science, history, and American citizenship. His dissertation was entitled Joseph Smith, Social Philosopher, Theorist, and Prophet.

His publications include God, Man and the Universe; Principles of Perfection; Doctrines of the Kingdom; Joseph Smith the Man and the Seer; and They Knew the Prophet.

In 1994, Andrus and his wife Helen studied early manuscripts at the British Museum Library at the Oxford and Cambridge University libraries. Later he researched at the Vatican Library.

He passed away on October 23, 2015. He and his wife, Helen, were the parents of three sons.