Let’s talk about the Polysophical Society.
No, it’s not an aristocratic union of Victorian socialites.
Neither is it BYU Continuing Education’s version of The Office’s Finer Things Club, meeting each Tuesday in the breakroom to discuss Jane Austen over tepid Earl Grey.
It was, of all things, a precursor to the BYU Continuing Education we know and love. In short, we wouldn’t be where we are without it.
Origins
The word “Polysophical” has long been circulating in Latter-day Saint circles. Its meaning is reasonably straightforward. Poly is synonymous with “many” or “much”; soph means “wisdom.” Polysophical, then, is anything having to do with a great degree of wisdom.
As far back as 1854, Lorenzo and Eliza R. Snow organized a society around this principle. According to Eliza, the group was a “gathering for social, literary, and a general cultivation for mind and manners” and a “magnificent moral, intellectual, and spiritual picnic.” Many prominent Church leaders were members, like Brigham Young and Wilford Woodruff.
Each week, members would arrive at Lorenzo’s home, which he decorated for the occasion; given no more than fifteen minutes each, members would present everything from poetry to bagpipes to Italian drama. Despite the society's disbanding in 1856, the philosophy stuck, giving rise to a wave of similar groups across Salt Lake Valley.
In the 1870s, the concept made its way to BYU. President Maeser had the idea to found the university’s very own Polysophical Society, which he did. Four meetings were held weekly, exploring three distinct subject matters: political science and civil government; science; and literature, music, and fine arts. The program’s purpose was to enlighten the minds of the students who attended.
By the 1900s, the society had evolved to more closely resemble today’s devotional program, with high-profile lecturers travelling from in and out-of-state to offer their wisdom to the BYU community. A highlight from among these distinguished speakers was Mrs. Zina Y. Williams, daughter of Brigham Young himself.
Even though the Polysophical Society may be a thing of the past, its influence is still present in BYU Continuing Education. We still meet to discuss science, humanities, and the arts, it's just at camps instead of in a home. We still listen to distinguished presenters at the top of their fields, but they’re spread across countless distinct learning experiences, from Women’s Conference to Young Authors’ Academy. In a very real sense, we are a Polysophical Society, offering enlightenment across countless fields to millions of individual learners. Though we no longer gather by candlelight to recite verse and ponder phrenology, the spirit of the Polysophical Society will live on.