Skip to main content
Intellect

Author of "A Return to Modesty" at BYU lecture Jan. 15

Wendy Shalit, author of "A Return to Modesty: Discovering the Lost Virtue," will discuss "Modesty: The Last Taboo" at a free lecture Wednesday (Jan. 15) at 6 p.m. in the Joseph Smith Building Auditorium on the Brigham Young University campus.

The lecture will be followed by a question-and-answer session as well as a book signing in the JSB foyer hosted by the BYU Bookstore.

The public is welcome to attend all events.

In her ground-breaking book, Shalit argues that modesty and honor are virtues that all men and women should treasure, and explores the history of modesty and how it has been misunderstood.

"As long as we've been human, both men and women have needed to protect their sexual vulnerability," Shalit says. "The reason for modesty is not shame, but to safeguard the preciousness of intimacy and the dignity of humanity itself."

"Wendy Shalit advocates that the 'sexual liberation' movement has done far more to enslave women and men than liberate them," says BYU religion professor Brent L. Top. "She also advocates a return to traditional virtues, and believes that society would be better as a result."

"We're pleased to have her on campus because of our parallel beliefs on the importance of virtue," he said.

The address is sponsored by BYU Religious Education, Student Life, and the College of Fine Arts and Communications.

Related Articles

data-content-type="article"

BYU student shines in prestigious Chinese Bridge competition, attracting over 100 million viewers

September 25, 2025
BYU sophomore Ashley Breinholt placed second in the global finals of the Chinese Bridge competition on Aug. 24 in China. Breinholt’s finish marks the highest placement ever achieved by a BYU student in the event’s 24-year history.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

I love to see the temple… but I need a microscope

September 23, 2025
In honor of BYU’s 150th anniversary, electrical engineering professor Greg Nordin and student Callum Galloway have created 150 microscopic replicas of existing LDS temples, all on a 12-by-19 millimeter microchip. Each of these unique temples — 150 different floor plans to celebrate 150 years of BYU — is less than a grain of rice in length.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"

New BYU microscopes offer atomic-level imaging, student-led research

September 09, 2025
At many universities, student researchers rarely get the chance to even see a transmission electron microscope, or TEM, up close—let alone use one. At BYU, undergraduate students are about to run the show.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText= promoTextAlignment=
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage= overrideTextColor= promoTextAlignment= overrideCardHideSection=false overrideCardHideByline=false overrideCardHideDescription=false overridebuttonBgColor= overrideButtonText=