Style Guide for Publications of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (3d ed.) (Church Style Guide)

Merriam Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11th edition (Webster’s 11th)

The Associated Press Stylebook and Libel Manual (2003, 38th ed.) (AP)

Harbrace College Handbook (12th ed.) (Harbrace)

The Editorial Eye [newsletter focusing on publications standards and practices] (Editorial Eye)

Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage (Dictionary of English Usage)

BYU Building Inventory (January 2005)

The BYU Style Guide is arranged alphabetically and includes the topical entries Campus Places and Spaces, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Terms, Computer Terms, Latin Terms, and Punctuation. Select the first letter of the entry you’re looking for. When more than one way is acceptable, the preferred way is listed first. Boldfaced entries reflect a strong preference.


A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A
Aaronic Priesthood; Melchizedek Priesthood; the priesthood

ABC (Advisement by Computer) Report: now progress report

Academic and Advisement Services, Student [formerly Admissions and Records]

academic degrees: When abbreviating, delete all periods unless they’re needed for clarity, which would be an exception.

Academic Information Management (AIM)

Academic Standards Committee

Academy, Brigham Young: academy, not Academy, when used by itself

ACCESS (Advocates for a Child’s Community Exposure and Socialization Success) [This is the Big Brothers/Big Sisters organization.]

Accessibility Center, University [formerly Services for Students with Disabilities]

Accommodations Office, Campus [formerly On-Campus Housing Office]

A.D. Means “in the year of our Lord” and comes before date: A.D. 1900; B.C. comes after the date: 1900 B.C.

Adam-ondi-Ahman

add/drop card

addresses [methods preferred by BYU Print and Mail Production Center]:

1. In regular, wrapping text: Insofar as possible, show the address the same way you wish people to copy it.

Student Academic and Advisement Services
Brigham Young University
A-153 ASB
Provo UT 84602

Admissions Office
J. Reuben Clark Law School
Brigham Young University
340 JRCB
Provo UT 84602

2. In a featured, displayed [centered] address:

Campus Accommodations
Brigham Young University
100 SASB
Provo, UT 84602

3. On an envelope to be read by a postal machine: Use all caps and no punctuation.

FINANCIAL AID OFFICE
BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY
A-41 ASB
PROVO UT 84602

Note: PO BOX—or PO Box when not on an envelope [no periods]

Admission and Scholarship Application, BYU; admission application; admission process

admissions advisors

Admissions and Records: now Student Academic and Advisement Services

Admissions Services [formerly School Relations/High School Recruitment]

Advanced Placement: Always capitalize. [“The Advanced Placement Program, established in 1955 by the College Entrance Examination Board, helps secondary schools offer college-level courses for advanced students. It sets, administers, and grades examinations and sends the grading documents to colleges, as well as providing consulting services to the schools. The program is administered by the Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N.J.”—Academic America Encyclopedia, vol. 1 (Princeton, New Jersey: Aretê Publishing Company, Inc., 1981), p. 110.]

Advisement by Computer (ABC) Report: now progress report

advisor; adviser [Church Style Guide]

ages: three years old; three-year-old child; a three-year-old [AP always uses numerals for ages. The BYU style is to spell out the ages one through nine.]

AIM (Academic Information Management); AIM System

Aims of a BYU Education, The [Capitalize but don’t italicize or enclose in quotation marks the full title of this “vision document” or its abbreviated title, Aims.]

Alcuin fellow

Alumni Association, BYU; Alumni Association

alumnus/alumni [male singular/male plural]; alumna/alumnae (female singular/female plural]; alum [used informally for either male or female]

ampersand: Avoid using the symbol & instead of the word and except in copying official titles. However, with publisher’s names in a bibliography, “either and or & may be used . . . , regardless of how it is rendered on the title page,” provided consistency is observed [15th Chicago 17.106].

and: Insert a comma before and in a series [see commas].

angel Moroni, the

Annual University Conference, BYU 2007; annual university conference

apostle Paul; Apostle Paul [Church Style Guide]

apostrophes:

•plurals: So far as can be done without confusion, “Words or hyphenated phrases that are not nouns but are used as nouns form the plural by adding s or es. . . . Capital letters used as words, abbreviations that contain no interior periods, and numerals used as nouns form the plural by adding s,” e.g., ifs and buts; dos and don’ts; the three Rs; all SOSs; the early 1920s; in twos and threes; CODs and IOUs [see 15th Chicago 7.14–16]. In some proverbial expressions the plural is formed by adding an apostrophe and s, e.g., Mind your p’s and q’s. Dot your i’s and cross your t’s.

possessives: For singular proper nouns ending in s, use only an apostrophe: Elder Oaks’ talk [AP]. For common nouns ending in s, add both the apostrophe and the s: the witness’s story.

applications:

Application for Admission to Graduate Studies
Application for Admission to the J. Reuben Clark Law School
Application for Graduation
Application, LDS Missionary Admission and Scholarship Deferment
Application to Resume Graduate Study

archive(s): Can be either singular or plural, depending on context. For example:

Brigham Young University Photoarchives consists of historical negatives and prints from 1839 to the present.
The Archives of Utah and the American West documents the state and selected aspects of the Transmississippi West.
Archives are kept to be used . . .
From a single letter to a complete working archive . . .

Area Authority Seventy

area code punctuation: (801) 422-1234; 801-422-1234 [equally acceptable]

Asian studies minor

associate degree; associate’s degree

Athlete Center, Student

Athletic Complex (comprises the Student Athlete Center and the Indoor Practice Facility)

audiovisual

Authorized Version, the [King James Version]

awards: Names of awards and prizes are capitalized, but some generic terms used with the names are not [descriptive words and phrases that are not actually part of the award’s name]. Examples: Guggenheim Fellowship (but a Guggenheim grant) [see 15th Chicago 8.89]. See also scholar and scholarship.

Academy Award

BYU Awards:

Abraham O. Smoot Citizenship Award
Alcuin fellow
Alumni Professorship Award
Alumni Service to Family Award
Ben E. Lewis Management Award
BYU-Sponsored Research Award
Creative Works Award
David O. McKay Fellowship
Distinguished Service Award
Eliza R. Snow Fellowship
Excellence in Teaching Award
Fred A. Schwendiman Performance Award
Honorary Alumni Award
J. Reuben Clark Jr. Fellowship
John A. Widtsoe Fellowship
Karl G. Maeser Distinguished Faculty Lecturer
Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Research and Creative Arts Award
Karl G. Maeser Excellence in Teaching Award
Karl G. Maeser General Education Professorship
Karl G. Maeser Professional Faculty Excellence Award
Outstanding Physical Chemistry Student
Part-Time Faculty Excellence Award
Phi Kappa Phi Award
President’s Appreciation Award
Sponsored Research Recognition Award
Student Award for Excellence in Teaching [formerly Cougar Groomer Award]
Technology Transfer Award
University Professorship Award
Wesley P. Lloyd Award for Distinction in Graduate Education
Young Scholar Award

Emmy
New York Drama Critics’ Circle Award
Nobel Peace Prize; Nobel Prize [but Nobel Prize in medicine, Nobel Prize winner, Nobel Prize–winning [use an en dash, not a hyphen, between Prize and winning in this instance] statesman, Nobel laureate]
Pulitzer Prize–winning author[use an en dash, not a hyphen, between Prize and winning in this instance also]
Rhodes Scholarship [but Rhodes scholar]

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B

baccalaureate, baccalaureate degree, bachelor’s degree

bachelor of general studies degree (BGS) [under the auspices of Independent Study]

Ballroom Dance Company, BYU

Band, Cougar Marching; there is also a Pep Band, which plays for basketball games

B.C.: 1900 B.C. [A.D. means “in the year of our Lord” and comes before date: A.D. 1900; B.C. comes after the date: 1900 B.C.]

Begotten, the Only

bell tower; carillon tower; Centennial Carillon Tower

Biology and Agriculture, College of; now College of Life Sciences

bishop, the; Bishop Hansen

block, first or second; fall block, winter block; first-block classes

Board, General Relief Society; general board

board of trustees [but BYU Board of Trustees], board [Church and BYU], trustee

Book of Mormon; Books of Mormon or copies of the Book of Mormon [as with the Bible, it is never italicized]

Bookstore, the; BYU Bookstore

brackets:

•brackets and parentheses, italicizing: If enclosing all italic material—or italic material next to the brackets or parentheses—the brackets or parentheses should also be italic. If only one end of the enclosed material is italic, both brackets or parentheses should be regular—i.e., roman—type [by the way, the name of this type style is not capped].

Brackets, not parentheses, are used to enclose editorial interpolations.

Brethren, the [applies to all General Authorities, including the Quorums of the Seventy]

Brigham Young Academy: academy, not Academy, when used by itself

Brigham Young University: university, not University, when used by itself

Brigham Young University must be in addresses. [Mail Services prefers that we spell it out rather than using just BYU. First-class mail doesn’t require a return address; campus mail does. The regulations for business reply mail differs. Check with Thom Roylance, (801) 422-3658.]

brother of Jared, the

BYU, not B.Y.U., B. Y. U., or the BYU [except in “The College Song”]

BYU or Brigham Young University must appear on front or back cover of all publications.

BYU Development: now LDS Philanthropies BYU; LDS Foundation: now LDS Philanthropies]

BYU–Hawaii and BYU–Idaho [use en dash]; but just BYU when referring to the Provo campus

BYU Health Plan Office

BYU, The Mission of

BYUSA (BYU Student Service Association)

BYU Spring/Summer Visiting Student Program; BYU Visiting Student Program

BYU Student Health Plan; student health plan

BYU-TV, KBYU-TV, KBYU-FM

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C

ca. [circa]

Campus Accommodations Office [formerly On-Campus Housing Office]

campus places and spaces:

•Brigham Square [plaza northwest of the Wilkinson Student Center]

•BYU Conference Center [south of the Caroline Harman Continuing Education Building; the two buildings share the same lobby but not the same name]

•Garden Court [skylighted room north of the WSC Ballroom]

•Harman Continuing Education Building, Caroline [on University Parkway just west of 900 East; its east side has mirrored windows that reflect the mountains; it shares a lobby with the BYU Conference Center but not its name]

•Joseph Smith Atrium [open area in the center of the Joseph Smith Building]

•Kimball Quad [area between the Kimball Tower, the Eyring Science Center, and the Joseph Smith and McKay buildings]

•Lee Lane [east-west walkway between the Law School and the Lee Library]

•Lee Quad [area between the Lee Library and the Knight, Smoot, and Harris Fine Arts buildings]

•Maeser Quad [grassy area between the Maeser, Brimhall, Joseph Smith, and Grant buildings]

•Marigold Mall [north-south walkway between the Fletcher, Clyde, Widtsoe, Martin, and Clark buildings]

•Native Garden [five native plant theme gardens on the hill south of the Joseph Smith Building]

•North Hillside [area below the Centennial Carillon Tower featuring the waterfall]

•Richards Quad [area between the Richards Building, the stairs to campus, the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse, and the Student Athlete Building]

•Sculpture Garden [area surrounding the Museum of Art]

•Smoot Mall [area north of the Smoot Building featuring the fountain and flowers]

•Terraced Garden [13 theme gardens on the hill above the Cluff Building greenhouses, designed and maintained by students]

•Wilkinson Way [north-south walkway west of the Bookstore and east of the Lee Library, formerly known as the Checkerboard Quad]

•WSC Terrace [large dining area north of the Cougareat]

campuswide; university-wide. Words ending in wide are “normally closed, but hyphenated after proper nouns, after most words of three or more syllables, or simply to avoid a cumbersome appearance. Hyphenated compounds retain the hyphen both before and after a noun.” [15th Chicago 7.90, part 2, p. 306]

Cannon Center Dining; Morris Center Dining [formerly Cannon Center and Morris Center]

capitalization:

•Titles of works (headline style): Capitalize the first and last words and all nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and some conjunctions (if, because, that, etc.). Lowercase articles (a, an, the), coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for, or, nor), prepositions, regardless of length, except when they are stressed (A River Runs Through It), used adverbially or adjectivally (Look Up or The On Button, respectively), and the words to and as in any grammatical function, for simplicity’s sake [see 15th Chicago 8.167].

Hyphenated words in titles: “(1) Always capitalize the first element. (2) Capitalize any subsequent elements unless they are articles, prepositions, coordinating conjunctions (and, but, for or, nor), or such modifiers as flat or sharp following musical key symbols. (3) If the first element is merely a prefix or combining form that could not stand by itself as a word (anti, pre, etc.), do not capitalize the second element unless it is a proper noun or proper adjective. (4) Do not capitalize the second element in a hyphenated spelled-out number (Twenty-one, etc.). (5) Break a rule when it doesn’t work [e.g.,] Twenty-First-Century History—the word first, if lowercased, would look inconsistent here; Hand-me-downs and Forget-me-nots—lowercase short and unstressed elements; Run-ins and Take-offs—lowercase short and unstressed elements” [15th Chicago 8.170].

Lowercase words like chapter and part in text [see 15th Chicago 8.189–190]

Lowercase the names of majors except for those that are already proper nouns, e.g., English, European studies,

Lowercase university when used alone.

Lowercase semesters and terms, i.e., fall semester, spring term.

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints terms [See also specific entries, e.g., gospel and sacrament meeting, and entries under Church Terms.]:

•Capitalize second and third person pronouns referring to Deity, but lowercase the relative pronouns who, whom, and whose.

•Capitalize the word Spirit in references to the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ, but lowercase it in references to the spiritual component of the soul or to a quality of tone, feeling, attitude, or influence: We must live by the Spirit; There was a beautiful spirit at the meeting; While His body was in the tomb, the spirit of Christ visited the spirits in paradise; The Spirit of Christ is given to all persons so they can know good from evil.

Church: Capitalize when it is used in place of the specific, fuller title of the Church of Jesus Christ.

“Lowercase references to [the devil] and his followers. . . . Exceptions include those references used as proper names: Lucifer, Perdition, Satan.” [Church Style Guide 7.12]

•plurals of capitalized terms:

15th Chicago 8.57: “The generic term (mountain, etc.) is . . . capitalized . . . when it is used of two or more names, both beginning with the generic term (Mounts Washington and Ranier). When the generic term comes second and applies to two or more names, it is usually lowercased (the Illinois and Chicago rivers).” [In this latest edition, the Chicago Manual of Style contradicts its 14th edition, which follows.]

14th Chicago 7.43: “The University of Chicago Press now recommends that when a generic term is used in the plural either before or after more than one proper name, the term should be capitalized if, in the singular form and in the same position, it would be recognized as a part of each name. Formerly such plural terms were capitalized only when preceding the proper names.” [Examples: Lakes Erie and Huron, Mounts Everest and Rainier, the Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, the Sociology and Psychology Departments.]

•words derived from proper names: If the dictionary doesn’t give you the answer, you can follow the Chicago Manual of Style’s rationale: “Personal, national, or geographical names, and words derived from such names, are often lowercased when used with a nonliteral meaning. For example, ‘an excellent Swiss gruyere’ refers to a cheese made in Switzerland, whereas ‘swiss cheese’ is an American cheese with holes in it.” Other examples: arabic numerals, arctic boots, bohemian, dutch oven, french fries, italicize, roman type [see 15th Chicago 8.65].

Carillon Tower, Centennial; carillon tower; bell tower

Cashiers’ Office: now Student Financial Services

catalog; catalogue

CD [compact disc; a financial certificate of deposit]

CD-ROM [compact-disc–read-only memory]

celestial kingdom

center: Lowercase the word center when it appears by itself [see 15th Chicago 8.73 and 8.75].

Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Text (CPART)

Center for Service and Learning [formerly Jacobsen Center for Service and Learning]

CES firesides: Usually held the first Sunday of the month, these are sponsored by the Church Educational System (CES) and are broadcast via satellite to college-age young adults across North America.

chair, not chairman [Exception: when a General Authority is a chairman]

chaplain, university

chapter: In text the word chapter is lowercased and spelled out. Chapter titles are set in roman type and enclosed in quotation marks.

children of Israel

Christmas Day [or Eve], Christmas holidays, Christmas night, Christmastime

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints terms:

Aaronic Priesthood; the priesthood
Adam-ondi-Ahman
angel Moroni, the
apostle Paul; Apostle Paul (Church Style Guide)
Area Authority Seventy
Authorized Version, the [King James Version]

Begotten, the Only
bishop, the; Bishop Cranney
Board, [Relief Society, etc.] General; general board
Book of Mormon; Books of Mormon or copies of the Book of Mormon [like the Bible, never italicized]
Brethren, the [applies to all General Authorities, including the First and Second Quorums of the Seventy]
Brigham Young University’s relationship to the Church: Instead of saying BYU is sponsored by the Church, say, “BYU is affiliated with the Church.”
brother of Jared, the

celestial kingdom
CES firesides: Usually held the first Sunday of the month, these are sponsored by the Church Educational System (CES) and are broadcast via satellite to college-age young adults across North America.
chairman not chair when person is a General Authority
children of Israel
Church Educational System (CES)

Church’s name [from its 5 March 2001 news release]: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is calling on its members, news organizations and others to use its full and correct name and to avoid use of the term ‘Mormon Church.’. . . Avoid references to ‘Mormon Church,’ ‘LDS Church’ or ‘The Latter-day Saints Church.’ When a shortened reference is needed in news reporting or other instances, the terms ‘the Church’ or ‘the Church of Jesus Christ’ are encouraged. When referring to members, the term ‘Latter-day Saints’ is preferred, though ‘Mormons’ is acceptable. ‘Mormon’ is correctly used in proper names such as the Book of Mormon, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir or Mormon Trail, or when used as an adjective in such expressions as ‘Mormon pioneers.’ The term ‘Mormonism’ is acceptable in describing the combination of doctrine, culture and lifestyle unique to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”

Style guide note: When reporting about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, please use the complete name of the Church in the first reference. For a subsequent reference, the full name or the contractions “the Church of Jesus Christ” or “the Church” are appropriate. For more information on the use of the name of the Church, go to www.media.lds.org under Quick Facts and FAQ’s, Style Guide.

Community of Christ [formerly the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]
conference, annual [April] or semiannual [October] general; April conference; [official: 173rd Annual General Conference]; Manchester England Area Conference
consecration, the law of
councilor, high [not high councilman]
counselor in the bishopric; First Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric [Capitalize the callings of General Authorities.]
Creation, the

degrees of glory, the three

Deity, pronouns referring to: Thee, Thine, Thou, Thy. “Capitalize second and third person pronouns referring to Deity”: Thee, Thine Thou, Thy, He, His, Their. [Church Style Guide 7.5] “Lowercase the relative pronouns who, whom, and whose.” [Church Style Guide 7.6]
devil, the [“Lowercase references to Satan and his followers. . . . Exceptions include those references used as proper names: Lucifer, Perdition, Satan.”] [Church Style Guide 7.12]
pronouns referring to Deity: Thee, Thine, Thou, Thy. “Capitalize second and third person pronouns referring to Deity”: Thee, Thine Thou, Thy, He, His, Their. [Church Style Guide 7.5] “Lowercase the relative pronouns who, whom, and whose.” [Church Style Guide 7.6]

early-morning seminary
elders quorum president
Emeritus, General Authority
Ensign [long i sound], the

family, home, and personal enrichment night; enrichment night
family home evening
Family: A Proclamation to the World," "The; the proclamation on the family; family proclamation
fast day; fast Sunday; fast offerings
Father in Heaven
firesides, CES: Usually held the first Sunday of the month, these are sponsored by the Church Educational System (CES) and are broadcast via satellite to college-age young adults across North America.
First Presidency, the; First Quorum of the Seventy, the

General Authority
General Board, Relief Society; general board
general conference, annual [April] or semiannual [October]; April conference; [official: 173rd Annual General Conference]
general priesthood meeting
gentile [adj], Gentile [n]
gift of the Holy Ghost, the
Golden Rule, the
gospel, the

Handcart Company, Martin
Heavenly Father; our heavenly mother; our heavenly parents
high councilor [not high councilman]
high priests group leader
holy: the Holy Bible; the holy priesthood; the holy scriptures
home, family, and personal enrichment meeting; enrichment meeting
Homefront television commercials

iron rod, the

kingdom of God, the; the kingdom of heaven
King James Version, the

large plates of Nephi, the
last dispensation, the
Last Supper, the
law of Moses
LDS Missionary Admission and Scholarship Deferment Application
leadership meeting, stake
(lost) 10 tribes of Israel, the
Lucifer; devil, the [“Lowercase references to Satan and his followers. . . . Exceptions include those references used as proper names: Lucifer, Perdition, Satan.”] [Church Style Guide 7.12]

meetinghouse
Melchizedek Priesthood; the priesthood
Millennium, the [religious event]
mission: Ecuador Guayaquil Mission; Idaho Boise Mission
morningside
Mosaic law; law of Moses

Nativity, the
non–Latter-day Saint [to be avoided]

Only Begotten Son, the

paradise
Passover, the feast of the
patriarchal blessing
Pioneer Day
pioneers, the
plan of salvation, the
premortal life, pre–earth life
Presidency, the First
president of the Church; President Hinckley; general president of the Relief Society
Presiding Bishopric, the
priesthood; Aaronic Priesthood; Melchizedek Priesthood
priests quorum, president of the
Primary [class, teacher, etc.]
Prince of Peace, the
Proclamation to the World," "The Family: A; the proclamation on the family; family proclamation
promised land, the
prophet Elijah, the

regional representative [no longer current in Church usage]
Relief Society, general president of the; the Relief Society General Board
Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, the: now called the Community of Christ
Resurrection, the
returned missionary; recently returned missionary

Sabbath [day, school], the
sacrament, the; sacrament meeting
saints [general references to righteous people]; Saints [specific references to members of the Church of Jesus Christ in all dispensations, e.g., “Paul wrote to the Saints in Corinth.” “The Saints left Nauvoo in the winter of 1846.”]
Samaritan, the Good
Satan
Saturday evening session [of stake conference]
scriptures, the holy
Second Coming, the
seminary, LDS [just seminary okay when addressing an LDS audience]
Sermon on the Mount, the
seven Presidents of the First Quorum of the Seventy, the
Son of God; Son of Man
son of the morning [Lucifer]
Spirit [when referring to the Holy Ghost and the Light of Christ]; spirit [when referring to the spiritual component of the soul, either mortal or immortal, or to a quality of tone, feeling, attitude, or influence]
spirit world, the
standard works, the
star of Bethlehem, the
stick of Joseph, the; the stick of Judah

Ten Commandments, the
thou, thee, thine [in reference to Diety, pronouns are generally lowercased, as per the scriptures]
tithe payer; full-tithe payer
tree of knowledge of good and evil, the
Twelve Apostles, the Quorum of the [not Council of the Twelve Apostles]; Elder Henry B. Eyring of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles [lowercase unless in display type], Quorum of the Twelve

united order, the
University Devotional Assembly
Urim and Thummim, the

Visitors’ Centers [Church]; Visitors Center [at BYU]

War in Heaven, the
Women’s Conference, BYU
Word of Wisdom, the

civil rights legislation

Class of 1988 reunion; the Class of 1988

Class Schedule, Winter 2004 [not italicized or enclosed in quotation marks]; current class schedule

classwork [Webster’s 3d Intl.], but course work

co- compounds: Check Webster’s, including the list on p. 236.

Code, BYU Honor [not BYU Code of Honor]; Honor Code; Church Educational System (CES) Honor Code [when applicable to all four institutions: BYU, BYU–H, BYU–I, and LDS Business College]

college advisement center(s); CACs; College of Life Sciences Advisement Center [exception : the David O. McKay School of Education Advisement and Certification Office; Education Advisement and Certification Office ]

Colombia [country], Columbia [city, river, university]

Commandments, the Ten

commander/editor in chief [Webster's]

commas:

•introductory phrase: “An adverbial or participial phrase at the beginning of a sentence is usually followed by a comma, especially if a slight pause is intended. A . . . very short introductory phrase does not require a comma except to avoid misreading” [see 15th Chicago 6.25] No comma following an introductory phrase of fewer than five words unless needed for clarity.

commas in a series: Although AP doesn’t put one before the and, for clarity’s sake it is preferred that this comma be included.

•When a comma is required after a possessive noun that ends with an apostrophe, the comma follows the apostrophe: “Were the drawings the architects’, or were they yours?” [See 15th Chicago 6.8.]

commencement: April or spring commencement exercises; August or summer commencement [official name: 131st Summer Commencement Exercises [spelled out as “One Hundred and Thirty-First . . . ” on all program covers]; BYU Commencement, university commencement; December graduation

committees: Cap titles of one-of-a-kind committees; lowercase informal ones, e.g., “Her courses must be preapproved by her graduate committee.”

Academic Standards Committee
Clinical Psychology Committee
Undergraduate Scholarship Committee

compound words:

•Check the dictionary to see if a word is hyphenated or not. If the word isn’t there, don’t hyphenate it unless the hyphen is needed to prevent misleading the reader.

•Recommendation: Check the spelling in Webster’s 11th [Many compound words are shown in list form, as with co-compounds on p. 236. See also 15th Chicago 7.82–7.90]

computer terms:

CD [compact disc, as well as the financial certificate of deposit]
CD-ROM
courseware
database [Webster’s 11th]
disc or disk? compact disc [CD]; digital videodisc [DVD]; laserdisc; videodisc; Zip disc; floppy disk [Webster’s 11th]
e-terms:

e-business [exception: BYU’s Rollins Center for eBusiness, e.g., “The Marriott School hosts a top-ranked e-business research facility called the Rollins Center for eBusiness.”]; E-business [beginning word in a line]

e-commerce [in text]; E-commerce [beginning word in a line]

e-mail; E-mail [beginning word in a line]

e-mail addresses: Usually no caps are necessary, though Unix machines are case sensitive.

e-merchants

e-recruiting [Career Placement Services]

Ethernet
home page [Webster’s 11th]
Internet, the
intranet
online [adj, adv]
printout [n]; print out [verb + adv]
Web, the [Webster’s 11th: “capped”] [because World Wide Web is a proper noun]
webcam [Webster’s 11th: “often capped”]
webcast [Webster’s 11th: “often capped”]
webmaster [Webster’s 11th: “often capped”]
Web site [Webster’s 11th]
World Wide Web [Webster’s 11th]

conference, annual [April] or semiannual [October] general; April conference; [official: 173rd Annual General Conference]; Manchester England Area Conference

Confidential Report, Honor Code Commitment and

consecration, the law of

Constitution, the U.S.; the Constitution [only when U.S.]

Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement [don’t add word form]; Continuing Student
Ecclesiastical Endorsement interview

Continuing Student Enrollment and Scholarship Deferment Application

convocations; convocation exercises

“Cougar Fight Song” [This is the song that begins with “Rise and shout! The Cougars are out!”]

Cougar Stadium is now LaVell Edwards Stadium: Home of the BYU Cougars.

Cougareat Food Court

councilor, high [not high councilman]

counselor: lowercased except when referring to the Church’s First Presidency, then First Counselor

course numbers and their titles in text: Cap and spell out any abbreviations and set off with commas, but don’t italicize unless no course number is given: “Philosophy 105, Reasoning and Writing, was the course I took.” [Exception: Catalogs and class schedules, etc., that are filled with information about courses; common sense dictates the use of abbreviations here.]

courseware

course work, but classwork [Webster’s 3d Intl.]

CPART (Center for the Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts)

Creation, the

cross-country skiing [Webster’s]. Exception: We spell cross country without the hyphen when referring to the track and field event, even when used as an adjective, because nationwide it is spelled this way by those involved with the sport.

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D

Daily Universe, the

Dance Department

Ballet Division
Ballroom Dance Division
Modern Dance Division
World Dance Division [was Folk Dance Division]

Dancers’ Company, The

dashes [see also 15th Chicago 6.80–6.96]:

•em dash is used to:

amplify or explain (My friends—that is, my former friends—ganged up on me.)

separate the subject from a pronoun (Consensus—that was the will-o’-the-wisp he doggedly pursued.)

indicate a sudden break (Will he—can he—obtain the necessary signatures?)

•en dash (half the length of an em dash and longer than a hyphen) is used to:

“connect continuing, or inclusive, numbers, dates, time, or reference numbers” [see 14th Chicago 5.115] Note: “For the sake of parallel construction the word to, never the en dash, should be used if the word from precedes the first element; similarly, and, never the en dash, should be used if between precedes the first element” [15th Chicago 6.83]

“link a city name to the name of a university that has more than one campus” (BYU–Idaho) [see15th Chicago 6.83–86]

database [Webster’s 11th]

de Jong Concert Hall

dean’s list, the; National Dean’s List

dean’s office

Debate Theatre, Merrill

deferment forms:

Continuing Student Enrollment and Scholarship Deferment Application [for currently enrolled students]
LDS Mission Deferment [for missionaries]

degrees, academic: When abbreviating, “Chicago now recommends omitting [periods] unless they are required for tradition or consistency” [15th Chicago 15.21]. The BYU style is to delete all periods unless they’re needed for clarity, which would be an exception. When academic degrees are referred to in general terms, they are not capitalized [see 15th Chicago 8.32].

associate degree, associate•s degree
baccalaureate, baccalaureate degree, bachelor•s degree
doctoral degree, doctorate, doctor•s degree
juris doctorate
master•s degree

degrees of glory, the three

Deity, pronouns referring to: Thee, Thine, Thou, Thy. “Capitalize second and third person pronouns referring to Deity”: Thee, Thine Thou, Thy, He, His, Their. [Church Style Guide 7.5] “Lowercase the relative pronouns who, whom, and whose.” [Church Style Guide 7.6]

department: Department of Exercise Sciences; Exercise Sciences Department; the department; Sociology and Psychology departments [15th Chicago 8.73]

departmental review board

devil, the [“Lowercase references to Satan and his followers. . . . Exceptions include those references used as proper names: Lucifer, Perdition, Satan.”] [Church Style Guide 7.12]

Development, BYU: now LDS Philanthropies BYU; LDS Foundation: now LDS Philanthropies

devotionals; BYU devotional; devotional assemblies [but not forum assemblies—it•s redundant]

Dining, Cannon Center; Morris Center Dining [formerly Cannon Center and Morris Center]

Directory, BYU Telephone

disc or disk: compact disc [CD]; digital videodisc [DVD]; laserdisc; videodisc; Zip disc

disabilities: Students with disabilities are served by the University Accessibility Center.

Discontinuance Office

doctorate [noun]; doctoral or doctor•s [adj.] degree

do•s and don•ts; ins and outs

Dress and Grooming Standards, BYU [or CES]; also capitalize when used in tandem with the Honor Code [Put a the before both Honor Code and Dress and Grooming Standards so they appear as the separate entities they are, i.e., the Honor Code and the Dress and Grooming Standards; lowercase when used in general terms]

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E

early-morning seminary

Earth Science Museum

Ecclesiastical Endorsement, Continuing Student [don’t add word Form]; Continuing Student Ecclesiastical Endorsement interview; ecclesiastical endorsement

Education Advisement and Certification Office [formerly Education Advisement Center (EAC)]

editor/commander in chief [Webster's]

elders quorum president

e-terms:

e-business [exception: BYU’s Rollins Center for eBusiness, e.g., “The Marriott School hosts a top-ranked e-business research facility called the Rollins Center for eBusiness.”]; E-business [beginning word in a line]

e-commerce [in text]; E-commerce [beginning word in a line]

e-mail; E-mail [beginning word in a line]

e-mail addresses: Usually no caps are necessary, though Unix machines are case sensitive.

e-merchants

e-recruiting [Career Placement Services]

ELWC: now WSC (Ernest L. Wilkinson Student Center)

Electronic Handbook of University Organization, Policies, and Procedures; BYU Electronic Handbook; electronic handbook

emeritus, professor; professor emeritus of art; General Authority Emeritus

Encore [Performing Arts Management newsletter]

Engineering and Technology, Ira A. Fulton College of

Ensign [long i sound], as with the Church magazine

Enter to Learn; Go Forth to Serve: If you choose to capitalize the initial letters, do not enclose in quotation marks (Enter to Learn; Go Forth to Serve). If you choose to capitalize only the first word of the motto/slogan and leave the rest of the words lowercased, then enclose in quotation marks (“Enter to learn; go forth to serve”). [See also 15th Chicago 6:52–6.54, 8:209–210.]

Ethernet [Wired Style: Principles of English Usage in the Digital Age]

Evening Classes; Evening Classes office

exams:

American Government or Comparative Government Advanced Placement Exam
Comprehensive English Examination
Senior Proficiency Examination
Sophomore Examination

Exercise Sciences, Department of [was Physical Education Department]

Expo 89 [Logos such as this one used for a world’s fair do not include an apostrophe before the year.]

ext. in text; Ext. on forms; whole telephone number, (801) 422-____, usually preferred in text

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F

“Fact File”: See the Index section on the BYU home page <http://www.byu.edu/home3.html>. Click the letter F and then Fact File. Here you will find the most up-to-date official information relating to BYU. Janet Rex in Public Communications, telephone (801) 422- 8373, is in charge of it.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

Family, Home, and Social Sciences, College of

family home evening

Family: A Proclamation to the World," "The; the proclamation on the family; family proclamation

FARMS (Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies): now Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

fast day; fast Sunday; fast offerings

Father in Heaven

fax [Webster’s]

fellow, fellowship: a fellow of the Royal Academy; Fulbright fellow; Fulbright Fellowship; fellowship

fellowman [Church Style Guide], fellow man [Webster’s 11th]

Fieldhouse, Smith

Financial Aid [not Aids] Office

Financial Services, Student [formerly Cashiers’ Office]

firesides, CES: Usually held the first Sunday of the month, these are sponsored by the Church Educational System (CES) and are broadcast via satellite to college-age young adults across North America.

first-block classes

first come, first served

First Presidency, the; Second Quorum of the Seventy, the

first-priority deadline

Food and Care Coalition [not Food and Shelter Coalition]

Foreign Language Housing [was Foreign Language Student Residence; abbreviation remains the same: FLSR]

forms: Capitalize Form when it’s in the title across the top of the page; otherwise lowercase it or delete it from the title being discussed. Following are some of the forms used at BYU:

ABC Forms
Challenge Examination Form
Change of Major Form
Change of Registration Form
Class Credit Request Form
Class Request Form
Clearance to Register Form [Evening Classes]
Faculty/Mentor Support Form
Financial Certification Form [Office of Graduate Studies 9-93]
Form 8c [Graduation Application]
Form I-20
Grade Change Authorization Form
Incomplete Grade Continuation Form
Intent to Register Form
Needs Analysis Form [ACT]
Registration Confirmation Form
University Honors Graduation Commitment Form

forums [not forum assemblies]

Foundation, LDS: now LDS Philanthropies; BYU Development: now LDS Philanthropies BYU

Founders Day

French bread, french fry [often capped], French horn [all Webster’s]

Freshman Planning System [Web]

Freshman Seminar [School of Music]

Frisbee [Webster’s 11th]

Frisbee, Ultimate [or Ultimate]

full-time, part-time [adj. and adv.]

fund-raiser, fund-raising [noun and adj.] [Webster’s]

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G

Gallery, Secured

Games Center

Garden Court

Gates Opera Workshop Music Theatre, B. Cecil

General Authority

General Board, Relief Society; general board, the

General Catalog, BYU: now the BYU Undergraduate Catalog [Title is not italicized or enclosed in quotation marks; it is lowercased when referred to as “the undergraduate catalog” and BYU doesn’t precede it]

general conference, annual [April] or semiannual [October]; April conference; [official: 173rd Annual General Conference]

GE course list

General Education and Honors Office: now Undergraduate Education Office

general education: A revised general education (GE) program and university core (in which GE and religion requirements are combined) was implemented in fall 2004. It is administered collaboratively by the deans of Undergraduate Education and Religious Education under the direction of the academic vice president.

The university core subtitles that follow are usually capitalized:

Doctrinal Foundation

1. Book of Mormon

2. New Testament

3. Doctrine and Covenants

The Individual and Society

4. Wellness

Citizenship

5. American Heritage

6. Global and Cultural Awareness

Effective Communication

7. First-Year Writing

8. Advanced Written and Oral Communication

9. Quantitative Reasoning

10. Languages of Learning (foreign language or math)

11. Civilization 1 (to ca. 1500)

12. Civilization 2 (from ca. 1500)

13. Arts

14. Letters

Scientific Principles and Reasoning

15. Biological Science

16. Physical Science

17. Social Science

Core Enrichment: Electives

18. Religion Electives (six elective religion hours required)

Open Electives

general priesthood meeting

general studies, bachelor of (BGS) [under the auspices of Independent Study]

gentile [adj], Gentile [n]

gift of the Holy Ghost, the

Golden Rule, the

gospel, the

GPAs: 3.5 GPA. Exception: 3.50 for scholarship purposes and when together in text with GPA like 3.85

grade point average

graduate coordinator

Graduate Council

Graduate Record [no s] Examination (GRE) [GRE Exam okay, too]

graduate school [when speaking generally]

Graduate Studies [formerly Office of Graduate Studies]

Graduation Evaluation Office [part of Student Academic and Advisement Services]

grant-in-aid [Webster’s]

great works and arts engagement requirement; great works [when referring to the requirement]

great works requirement packet

Ground Zero (when referring to New York World Trade Center site)

Guide, Honors Program Course

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H

half: one-half [adj. or noun]; a half hour [Webster’s], one and a half years, a year and a half, one and one-half; a full half-century; half full, half empty, half price; two 12 1/2-year-olds, a 1 1/2-year-old boy; halftime [n]; half-time [adj, adv]; half-million; half our goal of $1,000; half jeering; half joking [see Webster’s 11th and 15th Chicago 7.90, part 2]

Handcart Company, Martin

Health and Human Performance, College of [formerly College of Physical Education]

health care [noun and adj.]

Health Center; Student Health Center [formerly McDonald Health Center]

Health Plan, BYU Student; student health plan [or requirement]

Health Plan Office, BYU

Health Professions Advisement Office

Health Science, Department of [formerly Department of Health Sciences]

Heavenly Father; our heavenly mother; our heavenly parents

Hemisphere, Northern, Southern, Eastern, or Western [15th Chicago 8.]

Heritage Scholarship [formerly Trustees Scholarship]: full LDS tuition for eight semesters; number given varies

high councilor [not high councilman]

high priests group leader

Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center, Gordon B.; Hinckley Center (HC)

Hinckley Scholarships [Abrelia Clarissa Seely Hinckley and Edwin Smith Hinckley]: one year, full tuition plus stipend. The most prestigious private scholarships awarded, they go to both women and men BYU juniors and seniors—the Abrelia Clarissa to women and the Edwin Smith to men. The number of awards varies from year to year depending on available funding.

holy: the Holy Bible; the holy priesthood; the holy scriptures

Homecoming, BYU; Homecoming; Homecoming week, game, etc.

Homecoming Spectacular

Homefront television commercials

home, family, and personal enrichment; enrichment night

home page [Webster’s 11th]

Honor Code [not Code of Honor]; Church Educational System (CES) Honor Code

Honor Code Advisory Council; Honor Code Office; Student Honor Association [not Honor Code Council]

Honor Code Commitment and Confidential Report

honor societies:

Golden Key National Honor Society
Phi Kappa Phi
[See also Accreditation and Affiliations section of BYU Undergraduate Catalog.]

Honors Program, BYU:

Honors Center

honors education

Honors Education Office, General and: now Undergraduate Education Office

honors GE and religious education classes

Honors Major Reading List [French and Italian Department only]

Honors Program, BYU; Honors Program [when referring to department name]

Honors Program Course Guide

honors recommended reading list: now great works list; great works [when referring to list]

honors senior seminar

Honors Student Council

honors students [both BYU and generically]

honors thesis

Honors, University; graduation with University Honors

Hosting Services: now Public Affairs and Guest Relations [address: VCTR]

Housing Office: now called Campus Accommodations Office [formerly On-Campus Housing Office]. There is also the Off-Campus Housing Office and the Student Family Housing Office [not Married Housing]

hyphens:

•Check the dictionary to see if a word is hyphenated or not. Note: If the word isn’t there, don’t hyphenate it unless the hyphen is needed to prevent misleading the reader.

•Recommendation: Photocopy 14th Chicago 6.32–42 and Table 6.1 or 15th Chicago 7.90 for answers to most questions re: compound words. Check the spelling in Webster’s 11th.

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I

Incomplete Grade Contract

Independent Study [delete Office wherever possible, but cap if used with proper name]

Indoor Practice Facility

infinitives: Lowercase to in the middle of headline-style titles [15th Chicago 8.167]

information desk, ASB Information Desk, WSC Information Desk

information booth

in-house [adj. or noun]

in residence, artist/composer/poet [Webster's]

Inscape [student literary journal]

Insight [student nonfiction journal]

iron rod, the

institutes:

Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts (ISPART)

Institute for Latter-day Saint History, Joseph Fielding Smith

Insurance Office, Student: now BYU Health Plan Office

insurance plan, student health: Replace with BYU Student Health Plan

Intermountain West; intermountain region; intermountain area [established area is capped, but directional/adjectival use is not] [Chicago 7.36]

International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations

International Cinema program

International Folk Dance Ensemble, BYU

International Services

International and Area Studies, Department of

International Study Programs: Study Abroad, International Volunteers, International Internships, and Field Studies are all entities of International Study Programs, which is under the auspices of the David M. Kennedy Center.

Internet, the

internships:

International Internship [under the auspices of the David M. Kennedy Center]
New York internship [Department of Communications]

Intramural Office

intranet

introduction [lowercased when referring to part of a book; see 15th Chicago 8.189]

ISPART (Institute for the Study and Preservation of Ancient Religious Texts)

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J

Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, BYU; Jerusalem Center

Jerusalem Center Office

Jerusalem Program

Joseph F. Smith Building [new building located approximately where the Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center was]

Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History

Joseph Smith Building [BYU campus]; Joseph Smith Memorial Building [in Salt Lake City; former Hotel Utah]

Joseph the Prophet; the Prophet [Joseph Smith] (but: the young prophet, the boy prophet, the prophet of the Restoration) [Church Style Guide 7.11].

Jr., Sr.: “Commas are no longer required around Jr. and Sr. If commas are used, however, they must appear both before and after the element. Commas never set off II, III, and such when used as part of a name.” [15th Chicago 6.49] “Suffixes such as ‘Jr.’ are retained [when the name is inverted for] indexing but are placed after the given name and preceded by a comma: King, Martin Luther, Jr.; Stevenson, Adlai E., III” [15th Chicago 18.41].

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K

KBYU-TV, KBYU-FM, BYU-TV

Kennedy Center, David M. [President Holland “made a very explicit promise to the Board of Trustees that we would never refer to it as simply ‘the Kennedy Center.’ . . . Always use the ‘David M.’ with reference to ‘Kennedy.’” (Pres. Holland to DMK Center, University Relations, and Development personnel in memo dated 7-23-85)]

kingdom of God, the; the kingdom of heaven

King James Version, the

Knight Mangum Building [no hyphen]

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L

Lamanite Generation: now called Living Legends

large plates of Nephi, the

last dispensation, the

Last Supper, the

Latin terms, punctuation, and meaning:

ca. [circa, about, approximately]

e.g., [exempli gratia, for example—not to be confused with i.e.; term is preceded and followed by commas]

et al. [et alii or et alia, and others—normally used of persons; no period after et]

ibid. [ibiedem, in the same place; see 15th Chicago 16.47–48 for correct usage]

i.e., [id est, that is—not to be confused with e.g.; term is preceded and followed by commas]

law of Moses

Law School, BYU; J. Reuben Clark Law School; Law School [when referring to BYU Law School]

LDS Missionary Admission and Scholarship Deferment Application

LDS Philanthropies [formerly LDS Foundation]; LDS Philanthropies BYU [formerly BYU Development]

leadership meeting, stake

Leading Edge [student science fiction publication]

Learning Center, McKay Teaching and

learning resource centers, library LRC

letters as letters: “Individual letters and combinations of letters of the Latin [English] alphabet are usually italicized: The letter q; a lowercase n; a capital W; ‘The plural is usually formed in English by adding s or es’; ‘He signed the document with an X’ ; ‘I need a word with two e’s and three s’s. Roman type, however is traditionally used in two common expressions: ‘Mind your p’s and q’s!’ and ‘dotting the i’s and crossing the t’s.’” [15th Chicago 7.63]

libraries:

•Harold B. Lee Library; Lee Library; the university library [not BYU Library]
•Howard W. Hunter Law Library; Hunter Law Library; law library

Life Sciences, College of [formerly College of Biology and Agriculture]

Lighting the Way for the 21st Century capital campaign, Lighting the Way campaign [no quotes]

Lighting the Y [no quotes]

lists:

•When list is within text, surround with double, not single parentheses: (1) or (a)
•When making a stacked list, place a period afterward: 1., A., or a.

Living Legends [formerly Lamanite Generation]

London Program [a Study Abroad program]

(lost) 10 tribes of Israel, the

Lucifer; the devil [“Lowercase references to Satan and his followers. . . . Exceptions include those references used as proper names: Lucifer, Perdition, Satan.”] [Church Style Guide 7.12]

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M

McKay Teaching and Learning Center

macroeconomics [Webster’s]

Madsen Recital Hall

Maeser Awards [See also awards.]

magazines/newsletters:

ChEn, published by the Department of Chemical Engineering
Clark Memorandum, published by the J. Reuben Clark Law School
College of Health and Human Performance Newsletter, published by the College of Health and Human Performance
Encore, published by Performing Arts Management
Focus on the Faculty, published by the Faculty Center
Frontiers, published by the College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences
Learning the Healer’s Art, published by the College of Nursing
Marriott Alumni Magazine, published by the Marriott School of Management
McKay Today Magazine, published by the David O. McKay School of Education
Scholarsheet, The, published by the Hinckley Scholarship Association
Toccare, published by the Department of Physics and Astronomy
Y News, BYU community’s newsletter published by University Communications

Mail Production Center, Print and (PMPC) [Mail Services is part of this organization.]

majors: Lowercase the names of majors except for those that are already proper nouns, e.g., English, European studies,

Marching Band, Cougar

Margetts Arena Theatre

Marriott School of Management is to be used “in all titles, section headings, addresses, indexing, etc. In effect, the Marriott School of Management remains the official name for the school.” Marriott School may alternate with Marriott School of Management in text. [11-29-99 memo from Alan L. Wilkins]

Martin Luther King Day holiday [according to three calendars. It’s okay to add Jr., but avoid the possessive.

master of education degree, not Master of Education degree [in text]

master’s degree [15th Chicago 8.32].

Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Neal A. [formerly FARMS (Foundation of Ancient Research and Mormon Studies)]

meetinghouse

Melchizedek Priesthood; Aaronic Priesthood; the priesthood

mentored learning experience [clarifying hyphen unnecessary]

mentored-student learning [not student-mentored learning]

Merrill Debate Theatre

Millennium, the [the religious event]

Miller Analogies Test

mission: Ecuador Guayaquil North Mission; Idaho Boise Mission

Mission of Brigham Young University, The [Capitalize but don’t italicize or enclose in quotation marks the title of this “vision document.”]

moot court room

morningside

Morris Center Dining; Cannon Center Dining [formerly Morris Center and Cannon Center]

Mosaic law; law of Moses

mottoes and slogans: If you choose to capitalize the initial letters, do not use quotation marks (Enter to Learn; Go Forth to Serve). If you choose to capitalize only the first word of the motto/slogan and leave the rest of the words lowercased, then use quotation marks (“Enter to learn; go forth to serve”). [See also 15th Chicago 6:52–6.54, 8:209–210.]

Mountain West Conference (MWC)

Multicultural Student Services

multipurpose area

museums:

Earth Science Museum
Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum [never Bean Museum; we promised the donor]
Museum of Art; MOA
Museum of Peoples and Cultures

music dance theatre: The degree in music dance theatre is an interdisciplinary degree offered through the cooperative involvement of the School of Music, the Department of Dance, and the Department of Theatre and Media Arts.

Music, School of [formerly Department of Music]

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N

names: When in doubt, refer to the BYU Undergraduate Catalog (which departments are invited to check annually for errors), the person’s office, or, if he or she is a “celebrity,” on the Internet.

•Commonly misspelled names:

Larry EchoHawk
Kieth Merrill
John A. Widtsoe

•Space between initials: B. H. Roberts [spaces—15th Chicago 15.12] ; AP style, however, would omit spaces

The following prefer no periods following the initials in their names:

Jack H Goaslind
Daniel K Judd
Brayden G King
Richard L Manning
Hal G Moore
Stephen L Richards
Michael M. O [no period after the O] Seipel
Ronald J Staheli
Dennis L Thomson
J Paul Warnick
Kevin J Worthen

Native American [preferred when referring to an American Indian]

Native American studies minor

Nativity, the: Capitalize “biblical and other religious events and religious concepts of major theological importance” to emphasize their unique nature and to avoid ambiguity [14th Chicago 7.92 and Church Style Guide 7.53].

Nelke Experimental Theatre

newsletters/magazines:

ChEn, published by Department of Chemical Engineering
Clark Memorandum, published by the J. Reuben Clark Law School
College of Health and Human Performance Newsletter, published by College of Health and Human Performance
Encore, published by Performing Arts Management
Focus on the Faculty, published by the Faculty Center
Learning the Healer’s Art, published by the College of Nursing
Marriott Alumni Magazine, published by the Marriott School of Management
McKay Today Magazine, published by the David O. McKay School of Education
Scholarsheet, The, published by Hinckley Scholarship Association
Toccare, published by Department of Physics and Astronomy
Y News, BYU community’s newsletter published by University Communications

Nobel Peace Prize; Nobel Prize; Nobel Prize in medicine; Nobel Prize winner, Nobel Prize–winning statesman [use an en dash, not a hyphen, between Prize and winning in this instance]; Nobel laureate

non–Latter-day Saint [to be avoided]

north central Utah

numbers:

•When using either cardinals (one) or ordinals (first) in ordinary text, spell out numerals one through nine and write Arabic numerals for 10 and above (even if they occur in the same paragraph). Numerals give eye-relieving contrast to all the words in the copy.

However, in numeral-dense copy such as the catalogs and class schedules, spell out numerals one through ninety-nine, except for credit hours, which are always in numerals—including 1 credit hour.

age: The above “ordinary text” rule applies, except when newspaper (AP) style is preferred. Then all ages are expressed in numerals [e.g., He is 3 years old].
All 12- to 13-year-olds are eligible.”

Arabic numerals are usually preferred to Roman numerals [e.g., in course titles, etc., in BYU Undergraduate Catalog, such as Real-Time Computer Systems 1]
money: $20 [not $20.00] when no cents are involved

percentages: In scientific and statistical copy use the symbol % for a percentage; in humanistic copy, the word percent. Whether the word or the symbol is used, the quantity is expressed by a numeral (1 percent).

quantities consisting of both whole numbers and fractions should be expressed in numerals, e.g., 8 1/2-by-11-inch paper:

Write no. Instead of using # symbol.

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O

off campus and on campus after the noun, off-campus and on-campus before the noun, as with many other combinations. Look up compound words individually in the dictionary if you have any doubt.

offices:

Office of Information Technology
Office of Research and Creative Activities (ORCA)
Student Employment Office (SEO)
Transfer Evaluation Office
Veterans Support Office

official grade roll

Oliver House

online [adj/adv, Webster’s 11th]

Only Begotten Son, the

OneStop

Open Major Advisement Center: now University Advisement Center

Orientation; New Student Orientation

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P

paradise

Pardoe Drama Theatre

parentheses and brackets, italicizing: If enclosing all italic material—or italic material next to the brackets or parentheses—the brackets or parentheses should also be italic. If only one end of the enclosed material is italic, the brackets or parentheses should be regular type, i.e., roman.

Parents Guide

part: Part A, Part 1, when designating so-labeled sections of applications [but lowercased when referring to part of a book; see 15th Chicago 8.189]

part-time, full-time [adj. and adv.]

Passover, the feast of the

patriarchal blessing

PE [not P.E.]

Pell Grant, federal

Pep Band [plays for basketball games; different from Cougar Marching Band]

percentages: In scientific and statistical copy use the symbol % for a percentage; in humanistic copy, the word percent. Whether the word or the symbol is used, the quantity is expressed by a numeral (even 1 percent).

Philanthropies, LDS [formerly LDS Foundation]; LDS Philanthropies BYU [formerly BYU Development]

Physical Education, College of: now is College of Health and Human Performance

Physical Education, Department of: now is Department of Exercise Sciences [There is, however, a major in physical education.]

Ping-Pong [trademarked name for table tennis]; ping-pong [v]

Pioneer Day holiday

pioneers, the

Placement Center: now called Career Placement Services

plan of salvation, the

plurals: “So far as it can be done without confusion, single or multiple letters, hyphenated coinages, and numbers used as nouns [whether spelled out or in numerals] form the plural by adding s alone.” [Chicago 7:6]. Examples: the three Rs; the early 1920s; thank-you-ma’ams. “Abbreviations with periods, lowercase letters used as nouns, and capital letters that would be confusing if s alone were added form the plural with an apostrophe and an s.” [15th Chicago 7:16]. Examples: MA’s and PhD’s; x’s and o’s; SOS’s. Also: do’s and don’ts [but see also 15th Chicago 7.14].

PO Box [not P.O. Box]

podcast

Point of the Mountain

possessives:

•With proper nouns ending in s, add the apostrophe only: Elder Oaks’ talk; with common nouns, add both the apostrophe and the s: the witness’s story.
Founders Day, BYU [day for founders]; doctor’s orders [orders of the doctor]; teachers guide [guide for teachers]
6 hours’ work

Practice Facility, Indoor

pre–earth life; premortal life

predental, premedical, prelaw

pre-engineered [Webster’s], pre-engineering

preinternship conditioning

premortal life; pre–earth life

prepositions in titles: Cap when five or more letters [If you follow AP style, cap when four or more letters.]

Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST)

president of BYU, president of the university, president of the Church [when speaking generally], president of the U.S.

President Smith, President-Elect Jones; general president of the Relief Society

Presidential Citation, Presidential Medallion, President’s Annual Appreciation Award

President’s Club

President's Leadership Council (PLC) for BYU's Provo campus; however, Presidents' Leadership Council for BYU–Hawaii (PLCH) because the council includes both the president of BYU–Hawaii (BYUH) and the president of the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC)

Presidency, the First

Presiding Bishopric, the

Press, University [The entity once housed in the University Press Building (UPB) was dissolved in 1984. Today the Print and Mail Production Center offers printing, copying, and mail services. For information regarding use of the BYU Press imprint, contact the academic vice president’s office.]

priesthood; Aaronic Priesthood; Melchizedek Priesthood

priests quorum, president of the

Primary [class, teacher, etc.]

Prince of Peace, the

Princeton Review, the [don't italicize; it is an organization, not a publication]

Print and Mail Production Center (PMPC) [formerly Print Services, University Press, or “the Press.” For information regarding use of the BYU Press imprint, contact the academic vice president’s office.

printout [n]; print out [verb + adv]

problem solving [noun]; problem-solving attitude [adj]

Proclamation to the World," "The Family: A; the proclamation on the family; family proclamation

Professional Certificate [for teachers]

program: Check the BYU Undergraduate Catalog for treatment of specific programs.

progress report [formerly ABC (Advisement by Computer) Report]

promised land, the

pronouns referring to Deity: Thee, Thine, Thou, Thy. “Capitalize second and third person pronouns referring to Deity”: Thee, Thine Thou, Thy, He, His, Their. [Church Style Guide 7.5] “Lowercase the relative pronouns who, whom, and whose.” [Church Style Guide 7.6]

prophet:

•Joseph the Prophet; the Prophet [Joseph Smith] (but: the young prophet, the boy prophet, the prophet of the Restoration) [Church Style Guide 7.11].

•Gordon B. Hinckley is President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints [“Capitalize the . . . callings of General Authorities . . . by virtue of their positions as General Authorities.”] [Church Style Guide 7.24]

•Alma the prophet; the prophet Elijah [Church Style Guide 7.11]

Prospective Law Student Evaluation

Public Affairs and Guest Relations [formerly Hosting Services]

punctuation:

A punctuation mark should be in the same style as the word preceding it, e.g., a boldface word should be followed by a boldface period., an italic word should be followed by an italic comma, etc.

brackets and parentheses, italicizing: If enclosing all italic material—or italic material next to the brackets or parentheses—the brackets or parentheses should also be italic. If only one end of the enclosed material is italic, the brackets or parentheses should be regular type, i.e., roman.

apostrophes:

•plurals: So far as can be done without confusion, single or multiple letters, and numbers used as nouns (whether spelled out or in numerals) form the plural by adding s alone, e.g., do’s and don’ts; ins and outs; the three Rs; all SOSs; the early 1920s; in twos and threes; CODs and IOUs; . . . mind your p’s and q’s; dot your i’s and cross your t’s. [15th Chicago 7.63]

•possessives: For singular s words and other sibilants, use AP style: i.e., with proper nouns, add the apostrophe only: Elder Oaks’ talk; with common nouns, add both the apostrophe and the s: the witness’s story.

commas:

•introductory phrase: No comma following an introductory phrase of fewer than five words unless needed for clarity. [See 14th Chicago 5.38, plus AP as appropriate.]

•commas in a series: Although AP doesn’t put one before the and, for clarity’s sake it is preferred that this comma be included.

•When a comma is required after a possessive noun that ends with an apostrophe, the comma follows the apostrophe: “Were the drawings the architects’, or were they yours?” [See also 15th Chicago 6.121–6.123.]

dashes: [see also 15th Chicago 6.80–6.96]:

•em dash is used to:

amplify or explain (My friends—that is, my former friends—ganged up on me.)

separate the subject from a pronoun (Consensus—that was the will-o’-the-wisp he doggedly pursued.)

indicate a sudden break (Will he—can he—obtain the necessary signatures?)

en dash (half the length of an em dash and longer than a hyphen) is used to:

“connect continuing, or inclusive, numbers, dates, time, or reference numbers” [see 14th Chicago 5.115] Note: “For the sake of parallel construction the word to, never the en dash, should be used if the word from precedes the first element; similarly, and, never the en dash, should be used if between precedes the first element” [15th Chicago 6.83]

“link a city name to the name of a university that has more than one campus” (BYU–Idaho) [see15th Chicago 6.83–86]

hyphens: check the dictionary to see if a word is hyphenated or not. Note: If the word is not there, don’t hyphenate it unless the hyphen is needed to prevent misleading the reader.

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Q

question-and-answer session

quotations:

double and single quotation marks: Single quotation marks enclose quotations within quotations; double marks, quotations within these; and so on, e.g.:

“Don’t be absurd!” said Henry. “To say that ‘I mean what I say’ is the same as ‘I say what I mean’ is to be as confused as Alice at the Mad Hatter’s tea party. You remember what the Hatter said to her: ‘Not the same thing a bit! Why you might just as well say that “I see what I eat” is the same thing as “I eat what I see”!’” [14th Chicago 10.26; see also 15th Chicago 6.8]

punctuating direct, published quotations: Quote verbatim “every word, every capital letter, and every mark of punctuation exactly as it is in the original.” [Harbrace College Handbook (12th ed.), p. 408]

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R