Awesome teacher! Helpful, good sense of humor, awesome testimony, and brings a great spirit to the class. We have to make lesson plans, but you don't actually have to stand up and teach the class. You just help him from your seat. Easy.

LOVE brother Astel! i took him for both sections of book of mormon. Lots of little things that need to get done but his classes are fun, interesting and interactive. He's great! don't hesitate to sign up with him.

Good class. yo.

Nice Guy. You basically grade yourself on your participation and if you did the homework, kind of an 'honor system' type deal.

Brother Astel is so amazing! He made me see the Book of Mormon in whole new ways. He is so inspiring and as long as read the assigned reading, you pass the class no problem.

I try to only take religion classes from Brother Astel! He is a great teacher and i always learn a lot from his classes. He has a great sense of humor. The work is pretty easy. All that's really required is attendance and participation!

Bro. Astel has such great insights and teaches by the spirit. He is very inspiring.

Enthusiastic teacher with a good grasp of doctrine. He won't preach anything to you that's not official church doctrine. Also he's a lot of fun.

Super class material, great humor. Lots of work for a 2 credit class but it's not difficult.

I felt intimidated the first day of class. But he is amazing! Explains things very well and is very willing to help you if you do your part. Lots of small quizzes and attendance/journal checks. But all the little grades help your overall grade. Definitely recommend him!

Bro. Astel is a great teacher and I loved his lectures. However, he has a lot of work for a two credit class and a lot is in the testing center. The final and the midterm are both no scriptures and no notes. On top of that there are in class and testing center quizzes. It is doable, but there is a lot of effort required for this class

Fabulous teacher very approachable. I never found anything he said offensive as previous posts may claim. He speaks from a true love of the gospel, helps his students learn how to apply it in their lives, but his class is a lot of work as a college class should be. I would definitely take his class again!

There is a lot of work, but I learned so much from him. I could tell he loved all of us and he is great at applying things we learn to our lives. The quizzes were easy, open everything! If you just put in the effort you'll get an A, he grades pretty easy.

I love bro Astel! He is one of my best teachers! Though there were a lot of readings and his quizzes are all in testing center. But if you do the works, it is really easy class.

Bro. Astel is a great teacher! He definitely helps you understand the doctrine and can explain it in the simplest of terms for you. He can come off offensive at times, but I don't think he means to do so. He's a great teacher though.

Fantastic teacher. Uses personal experiences. Understands that this shouldn't be the most time consuming class on earth, so the assignments are relatively short and very doable. Fantastic and spiritual teacher. Easy quizzes and Final Test

Amazing teacher. He opened up the scriptures and had us entertained the whole time. He wants you to learn something from the class, so hes not going to make it super difficult. Highly recommend him as a teacher.

Awesome professor! There's no falling asleep in class. Very inspiring course.

Brother Astel is probably the happiest man I have ever met, and I don't say that lightly. Honestly if you are someone that needs a pick me up, chose brother Astel. There was a day he came to class with a migrane and he was still positive. After every class, I always found myself in a better mood and pondering the teachings of Christ.

I love this guy!! The spirit is so strong in this class. He expects you to do your work and be ready for class but he is also very loving and he really cares about you.

Great teacher. He knows the scriptures very well and is very entertaining. Instead of a 5 page paper we had to teach the class. Which meant we led discussion. I would definitely recommend this teacher.

Brother Astel was an awesome teacher. I loved going to class. The assignments are super easy. I would recommend Brother Astel to anyone. If I ever get a chance to take a class from him again, I will most definitely take it!

Bro Astel is one of my favorite teachers. He has a lot of compassion and he knows what he is talking about. Homework isn''t hard. You take a 3 question quiz everyday but they aren''t super difficult. Bro Astel is super funny and very spiritual. He really teaches with the spirit and knows what he is talking about. I highly recommend him

Funny guy. Class time wasn't extremely structured, but that's Family Foundations for ya. Graded on attendance. Lots of reading. Graded on your marked reading assignments and notes taken in and out of class. Small writing assignments based on 5 "Provident Living Projects" (bi-weekly goals). Lectures are fun and inspirational.

A wonderful teacher. I wish I hadn't already taken all the classes he offers! Do what you are assigned, pay attention, and be on time, and you will get an A. He's funny, inspirational, a great role-model, and cares about you!

ProfessorBrother Astel (uh-stell) is really happy and really friendly teacher. He makes class very exciting and also tried to help you feel the spirit as well as help you to understand the most important and sometimes funny things about marriage. He also shared very personal experiences, which helped strengthen my testimony and He's awesome!!!!!!!

Bro. Astel is such a great teacher! Homework is just reading the section and writing three questions. You use the questions in class for the quizzes every class period. He is super entertaining and gives extra credit almost every class.

This class is very time consuming for a two credit religion class. Getting an A is possible but you have to work for it. I had more homework in this class than any of my other classes. I would recommend another teacher if you are taking other hard classes because this class demands a lot of time. Great teacher though and I liked class.

All you have to do is read what you are assigned, do the short assignment associated with each one, come to class, and laugh. He is very funny. He usually will not be on topic, he lets the discussion flow according to what the students are interested in. I learned a lot. It had nothing to do with the class book specifically though. Easy A. Fun.

Brother Astel is by far my favorite teacher I've ever had! There is a 5 multiple choice question quiz (questions provided by students) every class over what we read the night before. Bro Astel is seriously such a great and knowledgeable teacher and is willing to discuss anything and everything you have questions about!

You have 5 free absences until you lose all credit. No chance to makeup work. 5 question quiz at the beginning of every class over your readings. Homework reading material and making up 3 multiple choice questions over the prompts he gives you. No laptops allowed. Very funny man and a great person all around.

I LOVE BROTHER ASTEL! I would take from him over and over again! The class is very easy if you go, do the readings, and pay attention. The only thing that is kind of tough is his tests are closed book on ilearn. So you have to really pay attention to your readings throughout the semester!

Brother Astel wastes no class time because he knows his scriptures and can call upon verses off the top of his head. He care about what you want to discuss, and revolve his lecture around that. Always prepared. Good dad jokes, too.

Awesome teacher. If you like good class lectures and discussion, then take Brother Astel.

TAKE ASTEL. He's not boring whatsoever, and actually cares--it's wonderful! There are no tests, but there are MANY group projects. I hate group work, but he has fair grading. You have a Case Study, Oral Presentation (by yourself), and then the Futures Project which in like your final. You won't regret taking Astel!

Brother Astel is a great person. I missed one class though and my grade went down a lot. You HAVE to go to class to pass. His class is easy if you put in the work, but the tests were harder than I expected. The class was more work than I expected. He is very clear-cut and has good lectures. I would recommend him.

A professor invested in his students and in his work. He loves to make his class laugh and engage them. That said, he isn't going to make getting a good grade easy. From lengthy memorization assignments to daily reading assignments, it is easy to fall behind in this class. Attendance isn't mandatory but if you don't show up you will likely fail.

Brother Astel is one of my favorite religion teachers here, because he brings the spirit to the room very strongly when he wants to. I came to know Christ and His life in a deep manner as I took this class and I know one reason for that is because Bro Astel has an obvious love for His Savior and for the students. He also has a good sense of humor

He was super legit. Huge stickler for being on time and present, but his class was fairly enjoyable and he was incredibly intelligent and knowledgeable.

Great teacher. Work is easy. Attendance is a must. Take this class!

great teacher, he is a little strict. If you do your readings and attend class you will pass with an A.

Brother Astel is a great teacher. Super easy class. I can see what some people say about him being a little strict, but its fine. He really cares about the gospel and often brings the Spirit to class. Funny guy

He was a great teach. every entertaining.

Great guy. Spends most of class time telling funny but inspiring stories. You pass off a memorized paragraph of the Proclamation and an essay every 2 weeks. You have to read a talk 4 out of 7 days of the week and write a journal entry. If you're nice to him and show him you're willing to work hard, he will be even more helpful and lenient.

I really liked this class but it was so homework heavy! I wish I could have actually focused on just learning what he was teaching, but he gave so many projects at once that I felt overwhelmed. Attendance was mandatory but I really enjoyed the atmosphere of his class and he told interesting, touching stories and cracked jokes! I did learn a lot!

Brother Astel is a really fun and engaging professor. He makes the coursework easy to understand and tests and homework are easy to understand and take. Just don't ask any stupid questions and you'll do fine.

Brother Astel is a great teacher! You can definitely tell that he loves the gospel and is trying to bring the spirit in his lectures. He tells funny stories and makes the class entertaining. If you want a good class take him!!

Bro Astel comes off as intimidating at first but over time you realize how much he really loves the gospel and the scriptures. He's pretty open about his expectations from the get-go. He shares a lot of stories but for the most part ties them back into the gospel message. He knows his stuff. Give him a chance and you'll come to love him.

Professor Astel seemed to love to teach - which gave the class a great feedback to him. It is easy to get grades, just take notes and show up.

Brother Astel is amazing! He genuinely cares about his students and meets with them individually during the semester. Attendance is mandatory. He provides extra-credit and group discussions are largely part of his lectures. Brother Astel brings the spirit into the class every time. Brother Astel's class is testimony builder for sure.

Bro. Astel really enjoys teaching. This was very apparent in his Global Hotspot: Pakistan class, as his lectures were fun and engaging. He is very good about making time and talking with individual students after class. He doesn't have the greatest memory, so you will have to hound him regarding grades and personal matters. Great Professor though!

Brother Astel is the very best! Take any religion class you can from him. He is incredibly smart and knows a ton about all gospel related things. He makes the whole class laugh and loves to tell stories and go off on tangents. Despite this I learned a ton and looked forward to each class. He invites a strong spirit into the room.

This was a Pakistan class and it was taught well and he made it interesting. Theres lots of HW, but its easy to do, mostly participation. Take this dude for your 2nd humanities credit, its pretty easy

He passes too much reading assignments and if you're into more teaching doctrine than giving opinion, I wouldn't take class with him. He gives too much of his own opinion and I honestly did not agree. Also, if you have a baby, DON'T ever bring to class because he will tell you to get out and he won't be polite he will not even excuse himself for it

He is a great teacher! His passion about what he teaches is contagious which helps you learn the material. Make sure to do the readings and the quizzes will generally go just fine for you.

Brother Astel was great! He doesn't like emails and wants you to talk to him in person which helped build a relationship with him. He is very smart and knows a lot about the gospel and scriptures so I learned a lot.

He is fun and easy to follow and really gets you interested in the class. He is blunt but I think that its a good thing because people need to hear it sometimes. He is a BYUI religion teacher and that's just how most of them are. If you are offended easily, dont take a religion class.

Brother Astel was a good teacher. He wants the best for all of his students and enjoys having genuine conversations with each kid. Some of his assignments include memorization quizzes and speaking prepared lessons for the class, but he makes it very low pressure. Hes one of the nicest guys I have met. Would reccomend.

Brother Astel is the best religion teacher that I have ever taken a class from. He wants all of his students to succeed. He made sure that we all felt comfortable. He always got to know us personally and he is very knowledgable on the scriptures and church doctrine!

Brother Astel is a superb teacher. He cares about each and every one of his students and is available outside of class. He gives his honest opinions on matters and knows how to handle a classroom. He is extremely funny and can relate to students well. Loves telling stories and often gives class time to answer questions students have. 100% reccomend

I took multiple of Brother Astel's classes. He really knows his doctrine and teaches with the Spirit. While Brother Astel doesn't always sugar coat things, he cares about his students deeply. He is a great guy, he is funny, and you can tell he loves the gospel.

I love Brother Astel! He knows what he's talking about when he teaches and he makes it fun by telling personal stories and sometime going off on tangents. I've taken 2 classes from him so far and I loved both. Just make sure you read what you have to before class, write in your journal, and you'll pass. I love him to death tho.

I had Brother Astel For my first religion course here at BYU-I and had to have him again. For my second religion course he was even better! The work load is a average amount, but if you pay attention and come to classes you will succeed. It isn't an easy A but an A is very achievable. He cares for all of his students, and loves what he does.

I took Brother Astel for "Global Hotspot: Pakistan" and he was really great! It took him a while to get into the lecture; however, he was very passionate about everything he taught. There is one major group project and one major presentation-if you prepare readily you will get an A. Attendance is mandatory! Brother Astel wants you to do well!

A very loving, and smart man. Care about his students!

I love Brother Astel! I've had him twice. You need to read from the student manual and the scriptures because there's a short quiz at the beginning of each class. You have to write a couple of papers. I really felt the Spirit when he taught and he shares personal stories. I will take him again if I can.

Brother Astel is a great teacher. He is to-the-point and knows his scriptures well. He will teach you a lot of you are attentive & prepared. I have taken multiple classes from Brother Astel and have always found the class work to be easy. Dont take his class if you are easily offendedhe can be blunt, but I found it refreshing in todays world.

Brother Astel is the man! He has the best way of bringing the spirit into class. I learned somthing new every single day in his class. Basically show up for class and you will get an A no problem at all!

Looking at all of the reviews I noticed that a lot of the bad ones come from the first day of class. I will admit, sometimes Brother Astel can give a rough first impression, but if you stick through you will find that he really cares about his students and the work he does. If you are someone who turns in work on time you will easily be just fine.

Professor Astel was one of my favorite professors. He was always very respectful of students, never disparaging if someone made a strange comment in class. His class was a safe place to learn. He was very sincere about the course material and wanted to help inspire students.

I was nervous to take brother Astel's class based on the reviews but I was pleasantly surprised! Just do the reading and study the proclamation and you will easily get an A. I went to office hours once to get a grade fixed and he made it so easy, he really wants you to just learn and succeed! Best religion professor I've had yet.

There's a binder that you have to go through and annotate throughout the course of the semester, but there's plenty of time to go through it and get it done, he's really fair and always open to the students. His office is practically always open and if you miss any quiz or test you can always go to him to make it up. Very personable and likeable.

Brother Astel is a great teacher but gets easily distracted. Not my favorite religion teacher but the class was easy and clear expectations. There is a reading due at the beginning of class and you have to memorize the proclamation - that's it!

This class has helped me gain my testimony so much. All you have to do is read a talk before class, then take a tiny bit of notes. No tests, just memorizing the Proclamation. He is funny, has so much knowledge on the gospel, and answers every question. Also very open to helping your grade. Overall a good guy!

He really wants you there. He has rules, but they really do benefit you. Do this, and you will succeed in the class and will feel the spirit. There is a lot of reading though.

I liked this class but there was a lot of Perusall homework. We had a few mini quizzes on the Family Proclamation and then we took the Family Proclamation test in the testing center at the end of the semester, so study up! The material was so good and our discussions were really interesting and powerful.

Brother Astel is a pretty good teacher. There is a decent amount of reading and notes for each class, but nothing at all unmanageable. He likes telling personal stories, and while they can feel long at times, they are fun to hear. He likes calling himself "Papa Astel" and he cares a lot about his students.

He is a fantastic teacher; he truly loves what he does. I advise you to do the readings because it's all part of the final project; if you do what is asked of you, it's a super easy and fun class.

Brother Astel is one of my favorites. His homework takes maybe an hour a night and as long as you complete it, you're golden. He is clearly passionate about his classes and has such an in depth knowledge. I absolutely recommend him, you will be entertained and feel so loved, plus his class is so easy, attend, do your reading, and pay attention.

Brother Astel is such an amazing teacher and he clearly cares about the things he teaches about! I promise that if you take a class from Brother Astel, you will leave each class period having been edified and filled with joy! Definitely recommend! 10/10

He really cares about what he teaches. He unapologetically teaches the stance of the church on controversial topics. If you are offended easily don't take his class but I loved receiving clarity on topics that other church leaders have been vouge or taboo. He assigns a lot of reading but it helps get the most of the class. Same with attendance.

To be honest this guy is pretty sweet. He is funny and shares lots of great insights. He definitely is a bit strict with certain things like using your computer in class of if you wear a hat, he will ask you to take it off. But he is great, id take him again. He can also get pretty serious sometimes but if you can take it you are chilling.

The hardest part of the class for me was: 3-4 talks to read every week and memorizing the Family Proclamation. Tests you on sections of the Proclamation throughout the semester, besides that, no quizzes. Big thing with him is to not be on your phone / laptop during class. You'll have a FIRE binder at the end of the semester. Great guy!

Brother Astel is amazing!! He has so much knowledge of the gospel and genuinely cares about us. He is funny and very generous in extra credit and making sure we do well in the class. I would take him again for any religion class!!

He does a great job teaching, but there isn't always a lot of opportunity for student participation.

He likes to talk a lot, but he tries his best to stay on topic and pull some jokes from time to time. He leaves pre-class assignments all the time so be ready to read a lot, he loves his class and knows what he is saying, and if he doesn't he will just say that he doesn't know about than topic and drops it immediately. Super chill guy

You need to do the reading before class to get through the class. He does not go through all the reading material in class, but he talks about questions the students bring to class. The material is excellent, he's always available to talk with you, and if you miss something you can talk with him to full credit back.

Brother Astel is so hilarious, making his lectures that much more captivating. He can seem a little uptight at times, but he's actually just a big teddy bear who loves his many, many students. I have learned so much from this course. He goes off of our questions we send him before class to build his lectures. He's a genius and a spiritual giant.

Brother Astel is great! He is very caring and class is not very hard. I have taken 3 different classes from him and he has a very easy class routine. just make sure you do the reading and quizzes before class and SHOW UP, and you will do great.

Class was kind of boring sometimes, but the assignments are easy and overall I do feel like I gained knowledge and testimony from this class. Very sweet, cares about accomadating students.

BEST TEACHER EVER!!! I LOVE Brother Astel. Even when I was falling behind, he never gave up on me and he helped me catch up. He's now my best buddy. I had him for The Eternal Family, and I plan on having him again for Foundations of the Restoration. He's hilarious, energetic, and genuinely cares about everyone. Please join Brother Astel's class!!!!

He teaches about the same in each class. There are daily readings, which can be quite long. Then there are reading quizzes taken every day in class. They are generally about 1-3 questions and he let us use the people around us and often gave us multiple attempts. Pretty easy to get an A if you do the readings and show up to class. Great lectures.

Brother Astel brings infectious energy to the classroom. While personal stories dominate the lectures, the course content is solid. Stay focused, complete the readings, and utilize unstuck study for efficient study prep. A rewarding class overall.

I was having a really hard time, and His class just helped me to get to a much better place. He was so inspirational and funny and taught me so much. Im really glad I got to take his class. There is lots of reading and I always forget to turn in my notes on time, and he is strict with assignments but it was worth it.

Brother Astel was an amazing teacher I would highly recommend him! In Eternal Families, you are expected to read the talks before class and come prepared with pre class notes, but it took me maybe 30 minutes at the most to prepare. His classes are entertaining and keep you interested in the lesson.

He is so funny and this was by far my favorite class I took this semester. He is so funny and I am never looking at the clock in his class. Overall I would recommend him to anyone looking to take a religion class and can get him as their teacher.

I loved this class! Brother Astel brought the Spirit into his lessons so strongly each time and I loved going to it. The pre class readings were just the right length and well selected, I never felt overwhelmed in this class.

Brother Astel is cool but pretty crazy. He loves to get distracted, so we rarely finish a lesson in class, but his stories are pretty funny and entertaining. There seems to be a lot of assignments compared to friends in other sections. It isn't too hard to pass the course, but make sure to read between the lines and try to exceed his expectations.

Amazing professor. You have to read a few general conference talks before class and write a paragraph of notes on it and then another paragraph of what you learned in class but it really wasn't that hard. He is such a sweet teacher and so kind. I loved his lectures and the spirit he invited into his class. I truly loved his class

This guy is one of the funniest professors I've ever had. Are some of his jokes and videos kinda raunchy? Yes. It improves the experience. He is hard-hitting on doctrine and does not sugar coat the truth, but is so caring, and still loves everyone. He also does not put up with one person answering all the questions and makes everyone participate.