Fred E. Woods

Bio: Professor Woods is a native of Southern California who converted to the LDS Church as a young adult. In 1991, he completed his Ph.D. at the University of Utah in Middle East Studies (with an emphasis in Hebrew Bible). Fred taught in the Church Educational System (Seminaries and Institutes) for twelve years, Ricks College (now BYU-Idaho) five years, and has been a professor at BYU since 1998. In 2001, he was a visiting professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, University of Iceland (twice), BYU-Hawaii for three summer terms (2004-2006) and a research professor at Australia Catholic University. Fred has been a research fellow for other institutions and was awarded the Richard L. Anderson research award in 2002. He was a Richard L. Evans Professor from 2005-2010. Fred and his wife JoAnna are the parents of five children and four granddaughters. Professor Woods will be a faculty member at the BYU Jerusalem Center from August 2013 to August 2014.  

Courses Currently Being Taught: Global Church History, Doctrine & Covenants and the Old Testament

Areas of Expertise: Mormon migration, Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), 19th century LDS Church History, the LDS global/international church  

Areas of Research (2012): Mormon Migration - I am the editor/compiler of the Mormon Immigration Index and the website: Mormon Migration http://mormonmigration.lib.byu.edu/ I am also currently writing a book and producing a film on the wreck and rescue of the Julia Ann (1855) which sunk while carrying Australian converts to America.  I am working on an international project of Icelandic Mormon History in Utah and Iceland with Iceland scholar, Kari Bjarnason.  I am also doing research on the leprosy settlement known as Kalaupapa on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.  I also am actively involved with interfaith dialogue. In addition, I am currently writing articles on Abraham, contact between the LDS missionaries and the London Missionary Society as well as conducting research on Mormon immigration to America during the Civil War. My last two books/documentaries are Mormon Yankees: Giants on and off the Court which was published in Spring 2012 and Finding Refuge in El Paso: The 1912 Mormon Exodus from Mexico, which will be released by November 1, 2012.    

Languages: Currently a moderate reading knowledge of Biblical Hebrew and have studied ten other languages for reading purposes.