Passionate about the subject although the lectures seemed almost useless for getting a good grade. Most of the grade comes from quizzes based on reading the chapters.

Dr. MacKay is really passionate about what he teaches and his class is really easy. Just read the chapters and ask for your quizzes back... the secret to an A.

After reading the comments my fellow students wrote about Prof. MacKay below I am wondering if we had the same professor! His class wasn't perfect, partly because it was tough, but I enjoyed it-especially his lectures. I got a B- and I am usually a B to B+ student, so I suppose if you want an easy A don't take this course.

One of the best professors I have had a BYU. He was fun and interesting, but the work in the class was challenging. He was a little disorganized and it was hard to get an A.

He made me think in ways I have never thought before...very interesting...but very time consuming class...plan on reading everything...and reading crazy hard books (Imagined Communities)...overall though I would recommend this class!

TAKE THIS CLASS! Prof MacKay is da bomb. If you don't mind reading and you love exciting lectures and engaging teaching styles, plus someone who interested in your learning, take this class! Remember to talk to him not his TAs, he offers tons of help for struggling students.

He was my favorite prof. in the history department. He is fun to listen to and fair in his testing.

Good teacher. Going to class isn't necessary because he gives you all of the answers to the final and midterm, but his lectures are interesting. Everyone complained about his grading system because response papers hurt you if you don't turn them in but they're easy. Just do them. Take HIST 202 from him for sure.

your entire grade comes from the midterm and the final. for the midterm we had 83 possible essays to prepare for, and you don't know which ones he'll give you. I filled a blue book. if you're just looking for a C you'll be ok, but if you're the type that wants all A's find someone else. also, in order to get an A you need a 96% or higher.

Whole grade rides on the midterm and test, but it isn't hard because he gives you the answers to all the possible essays. Lectures are interesting but pointless, so don't worry if you miss a lot. People complain about the response papers but if you turn them in on time they're way easy. Just study the possible essays he gives you and you'll do fine

Most people in the class absolutely loved him. It was clear what you needed to know without going to lectures, but the lectures are the best thing about the course. Eventhough study guides tell you exactly what to study it was very challenging. great class, great teacher.

Interesting lectures, Thinks he is funny (only sometimes), encourage him to tell stories about his time fighting terrorism or his bike. He give you tons to study for the test, but the tests aren't that bad. I am going to take another one of his classes, so I will tell you later if he is good in an upper division.

I took this class during spring term, so it was a bit rushed. Prof McKay is a bit boring most of the time. He tries to be "provocative" and get students to argue with him. He gave us a project where we had to make a podcast, which was a pain! Other than that, easy papers and tests. I got a good grade with little effort, maybe thats just spring term

Dr. MacKay shines in small seminar type classes. Hist 390 (Hist. of Science) was one of the defining experience of my education, and this was largely due to Dr. MacKay's dynamic engagement with the students and with the material. He does expect you to work hard, but never will you feel that your time is being wasted. Highly recommended.

This class made me think, Dr. MacKay has a way of engaging history in a scholarly and often provocative way without driving you crazy with, for example, the details of obscure towns in China. I was undeclared, but I have now become a history major--after being pushed over the edge because of this class. Take it, work hard and become a change major.

Take this class, he is the best teacher I have ever had. His class was challenging, but awesome.

This class was hard work, but by far the best class I have had a BYU! I have never received such detailed feedback. I have taken 6-7 other history courses and did not learn as much in them as I learned in one class of Dr. MacKay's. Highly recommended

Very good teacher. The tests were reasonable, and the writing assignments were actually sort of fun! The text book was very interesting, but almost totally useless at the end of the day. The tests were all based 100% on his lectures. Take notes. Don't miss class, you lose lots of points if you are not in attendance on certain days.

Dr. MacKay's World Civ class is great! Some of my classmates have been mad, but that is only because BYU students are book burners. If your afraid of open discussions and new ideas you don't belong in college. But if you are ready to learn this is the professor for you!

An amazing teacher! He brings up historical topics that makes students think about new ideas. Organized, interesting lectures, tests were fair and he cared about the students. Overall great teacher.

I took a research class with Dr. MacKay and it was fantastic! Although this course was demanding he gave me all the tools I needed to do well. I have taken other classes from him as well and he is a fair grader and always willing to help. Great teacher

I really didn't think he was as great as alot of other people do. You'll spend 99% of time in class taking notes instead of listening to him lecture because he doesn't post his slides. Additionally, his exams are difficult to study for, even if you have his notes from class you have to know them in such exact detail that its difficult to do well.

This is the first class I have loved at BYU. MacKay kept me wanting more. His test are hard, but he gives you options and gives you the opportunity to learn in the best way possible for you. His TAs give away all the answers, so go to their office hours.

Great teacher, If he taught other classes I would sign up for every one. Extremely knowledgeable. Keeps the lectures fun and to the point. The tests are out of this world hard. you basically cannot have a life if you want to pass them, but he makes up for it by his style and attitude. great teacher.

Dr. MacKay knows more about Church History than anyone I have ever met! His lectures drew me in and he was always willing to help students in the class do better.

He knows everything about Church history. His goal is to make sure that you learn. You have weekly quizzes that are open note and the test questions are taken from the quizzes and are also open note. If you want to learn more about the Church, take this class.

Dr. MacKay knows everything there is to know about church history and wants you to know it too. Great lectures. He is very helpful and goes out of his way to help his students. One of the best religion teachers I've taken from.

Awesome professor! His class was not that difficult. He had weekly quizzes and a midterm and final. Everything was open notes. They're timed, but I wouldn't worry about that. I finished the quizzes and tests in about 10 and 30 minutes, respectively. It's more than enough time. The negative comments about him are from lazy students. Take his class!

Religion professors are generally EFY like, but not Dr. MacKay. I actually felt that my religion course was part of my education.

Solid course. Dr. Mckay lit up the class every week, tests were all open book, and I felt like I was constantly learning something I hadn't known about. I had already taken the second half of D&C; I now wish I had taken it from Mckay.

Bro Mackay is super chill. Here's the low down. Class lectures are alright. Small open note/unlimited time quizzes each week, very easy. have to find 3 doctrines in the reading each week. super easy. Midterm is 1 hour timed, open note/open class slides. Final is unlimited time, open note, open class slides. An alright class overall. VERY EASY A!!!

MacKay was awesome! He knows so much about the Doctrine and Covenants and can explain it in a way that is logical and not an approach known by many. He finds information outside of the book just as important as informantion inside the book. So it makes for a dynamic class. His quizzes and tests are online and not very difficult. I recommend him!

Such a great professor! He's super passionate about the subject and has amazing insights. Probably the best religion teacher I've had. He really wants you to understand the material so all quizzes have been open note and powerpoint, this includes the final and midterm! Seriously take D&C from him.

Best religion professor at BYU. Doctrinally sound, intellectually engaging, and materially I had never heard before all semester long. I would sit in his lectures every week without the class. I hated the quizzes and tests.

Requires several hours of video watching, along with reading, outside of class before lecture, and then expects class time to be a "discussion". This was rarely the case and largely he spent time discussing things that the church had no official stance on. WAY TOO MUCH WORK FOR A RELIGION CLASS. Recommend taking this class from anyone else.

He is very passionate, a great guy who loves church history. However, his grading isn't exactly clear. His midterms take too long and they are all essay questions. Yes they are open note take home but the essay questions are vague and include too much information for 300- 500 word essays. I liked him but I would recommend someone else.

Great class from a great professor - a spiritual history course analyzing the early days of the church, and respectfully addresses many of the crazy stuff of the church from that era (from money-digging to polygamy to temple). Timed open-note tests through Learning Suite and the final project aren't hard either.

If you want an easy seminary like class take someone else. Reasonable workload. Never shy about interesting or hard topics.

He is by far the greatest professor I've ever had. He has all of the quizzes and tests are online and open book/powerpoint/etc. so you can focus on learning what will help you spiritually instead of every detail of church history. He is incredibly knowledgeable (it will blow your mind) and I PROMISE this class will change your life if you let it.

Dr. MacKay is a religion professor that isn't shy about the "edgy" topics of church doctrine. He isn't going to sugar coat anything. I wouldn't recommend this class for someone whose testimony is easily shaken though. His class is great for people who are not afraid to ask the controversial questions. Dr. MacKay usually has some excellent answers.

Prof MacKay was amazing! He is the best religion teacher I've ever had. He worked on the Joseph Smith Papers and so he is an expert on early church history. He's passionate about the subject and wants every student to get an A. His lectures were fun and I learned things I never would have anywhere else. This is a must take class for any BYU student

He is extremely knowledgeable about church history and doctrine, but he doesn't expect his students to be. The class is an easy A with just an hour or two of out-of-class work each week. Open book tests were easy. Don't expect to learn much about the D&C. He teaches church history and tells us when the D&C sections fit in. We didn't even read them.

Brother Mackay was a great teacher. He works with you and if you are willing to try to get a better grade he will let you take stuff over. He always emailed me back immediately. His lectures are boring and really not beneficial. The material is easy to comprehend and you can do it on your own. I highly recommend him if you would like a good grade!

Dr. Mackay is so amazing! If there was anybody to take a class about Joseph or D&C, he's your man. He is very straightforward about what is expected. He reminded us of the final project several times several weeks before it was due, which shows that he wants everybody to pass. The worst grade he assigns for the final project is a B+.

Honestly a gem of a professor, because he doesn't make religion class ridiculously difficult like some professors do. If you do the 5 assignments (deadline date of end of semester), go to class & answer the daily topic's question, you shouldn't have a problem at all getting an A. Can be frustrating to get in contact with, but the TA's are helpful.

The people below me must be stupid or something - this guy is perhaps the best religion professor at BYU. There's no reading, no homework (except for 5 "assignments" due at the end of the semester), and the midterm/final are online (he gives you the answers beforehand, plus it's open note). Missed 3 weeks of class and didn't impact my grade at all.

This class wasn't difficult at all, but it taught me a lot!

Dr. MacKay is funny, down-to-Earth, and knowledgeable. Going to class is enjoyable and I learned a lot about church history that I hadn't known before. The tests were slightly difficult because the questions were specific and it took considerable time to prepare and you weren't guaranteed a wonderful grade. He doesn't always cover planned material.

Lecture based and manageable. I learned more in Dr. MacKay's class than any other class I've taken at BYU. He addressed things I cared about and introduced me to new ideas that I was unaware of before. I have been thinking about his lectures ever since the class.

Dr. MacKay is a straight fire ball savage. His unlimited knowledge of teenage mutant turtles is unbelievable. If you attend his class you will surely be shell shocked (no pun intended ;) by his intelligence. I would highly recommend you take this unbelievable course. Go Utes

Amazing professor! I loved having him teach my Joseph Smith history class. He is so knowledgeable about church history, as he was on the Joseph Smith papers committee. Plus, REL C 341 has been so enjoyable, spiritually enlightening, and EASY with him. We have 1 reading and short paper per class, and an open book midterm and final. Amazing class!

If you want an easy class, THIS IS IT. He literally dropped the final... you just gotta go, do the group projects and he will never grade you hard if you're engaging with the material. The class is not really spiritually edifying, mostly comes at it from an academic perspective but super interesting.

Charismatic professor, and even better lecturer. People complain about not posting grades, but if you do the weekly assignments he will more than likely give you a 100% on all of them-- not a big deal. Big midterm, but there's no final. Take the class for interest in the subject b/c the readings are long, but worth the time. I loved the class!

Take 225 from Dr. Mackay if at all possible!!! He is super funny but also knows what he's talking about and doesn't shy away from difficult topics. I learned something new and felt the spirit every time that I went to class. This was my favorite class that I have taken at BYU, if you show up and do the group projects then you will get an A.

Brother Mackay is a way awesome professor for a religion class. I've taken him for D and C and for church history and he's the man. His midterms are easy, finals sometimes even easier. He gives great lectures and is willing to discuss the hard questions.

Please take from Brother MacKay! He is hilarious and such a progressive guy (something I really appreciate in a religious professor). His lectures were so spiritual and truly intellectually enriching, it's not just like Sunday school. Literally, all you have to do to pass is go to class. I cannot recommend him highly enough.

10/10 would recommended. Great class and lecture. All tests are open book/open note/ take at home. Which is great. Missing lecture affects your grade however you dont want to miss a lecture because the class is intriguing.

Favorite professor in the religion department. His grading is disorganized but if you do the readings and the "essays" (typically a pgh or two) you'll get an A. I could tell Dr. Mackay knows what he's talking about (he worked on the Joseph Smith papers) and he doesn't water things down and approaches difficult topics with nuance and expertise.

Professor MacKay's class was the easiest religion class I've taken so far. Having little to no stress about the assignments or tests made it easier to listen to all the crazy stories he talked about in class. Assignments were short and we took an open book essay test for the midterm, then no final.

Show up, learn. he will get side tracked with tangent questions, so speak up if you want the answer to the assignment of the day if he doesnt get around to it

EASIEST 2 credits of my life! We had a reading assignment (which was sometimes long but usually not horrible) for about 70% of the class periods, and each required a VERY short writeup about the reading. Attendance graded. Midterm was all essay but all open book online. This guy is way chill and the lectures and readings were quite fascinating.

By far the best religion professor i have had. Sure he can be very disorganized with the grading, but it was so easy that i never really had to worry about it. There are a few assignments that take 5 min max to complete, and a midterm and final. For the exams, he literally will give the answers in class for his review. Easy A

very inspirational and knows how to teach and have a good time..

Great teacher, I love his lectures. Got on here just because of how good he was.

Whoever doesn't like MacKay is just pissy because he tells doesn't hide church history and says truths about LDS culture that people don't want to hear. Take this class. Easiest A of your life, and his testimony is amazing. He will make you love the prophet Joseph Smith for who he is, because after working on the JS Papers, he is an expert.

He is awesome. The people who wrote negative reviews took his summer class and didn't do there work. He knows his stuff and honestly is a friend I run into on campus

Dr MacKay provided the most inspirational and spiritual learning atmosphere I've ever experienced in a religion class. You could skip the readings or lectures, as he didn't give any tests. But I found myself doing both the whole semester because HE'S THAT GOOD. He pushes you to be open-minded and is blunt about church history. Just inspirational.

I absolutely loved Professor Mackay. This was my first semester at BYU (transfer from UVU) and my testimony has grown significantly. I loved the readings he gave us, right amount of workload for 2 credit class and really enjoyed his lectures. I always looked forward to class. My understanding of Joseph Smith and the temple grew significantly.

Great! He challenges your way to see things and pushes you to analyze principles with critical thinking. If you are used to the "baby boomer" way to learn religion, don't take his class. If you are open to new ideas and really want to learn, go ahead and take it.

Easy A, not an overwhelming class. You learn a lot about the early church and Joseph Smith which is both really fascinating and important! Super solid class, I would recommend it to anyone because you learn a lot and its not unnecessarily hard and is low pressure

This class was LITERALLY an answer to prayer. Brother MacKay is so passionate about what he teaches, and I learned SO MUCH about Joseph Smith, the Priesthood and temple covenants. I had a great experience in this class. I took it to learn more about Joseph Smith and it strengthened my testimony in SO MANY WAYS. Completely inspired. 100% recommend.

Sometime I hated him, and sometimes I loved him. He opened up my eyes to themes and knowledge within the Book of Mormon that changed how I few sacred text. If you are interested in the nitty gritty of the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he has the doctrine. He just struggles sharing it in a way that is appealing. Easy A if you care.

he is absolutely amazing ! super respectful, we have amazing discussions in class and he's very flexible when it comes to assignments (which are very little to start with ). I admire his determination to make sure that everything he knows and tells about a religion is correct. i would a hundred percent recommend ( plus you can get a good grade )

So interesting. Hes thought and kind. Careful about load. Way more than just a world religions class.

NOT EASY. I learned a lot about other religions in a very positive way. He pushed me to understand them while encouraging me to respect them. It took a lot of time. The assignments were cool. the Emodules were way better than a textbook, but had occasional glitches.

Robust, but not overly difficult. Very cool class. Don't take if your looking to do any work.

My response is for a COVID semester, so it may not be relevant otherwise. Mckay used tech in good ways. His discussions were interesting and spiritual. Test was not too bad, but I worked more than I wanted to in this class. McKay is helpful and flexible.

One of my favorite religion classes. There were interactive lectures do every week that were just completion grades, one assignment about class discussion, and sometimes another assignment during the week. Not much work. There was also just a final, which was super low stress. Definitely recommend taking 351 from him.

- If you're looking for an A this is your class, but I can't talk for an in-person experience. We had assignments that were graded on completion and we had a database of questions that he took questions from and that was our final. He does a good job of organizing the class. Only complain is that he is not very accessible.

I had some serious setback with health. Dr. MacKay was so helpful. I learned so much in this class. There was a lot of work, but he is so transparent about what he wants from you that you can get an A without jumping through hoops and worrying about deceptive questions.

Dr. MacKay does a good job dealing with World Religions. I'm sure that it is hard because sometimes students would say things that were not correct and he would still find a way to be respectful. His class helped me respect other religions. He lets you disagree with him as long as you back up your arguments.

Prof MacKay is a good guy and teacher. Occasionally his homework and lectures can bounce around a bit and be a little unorganized. However, all of the content is there and he does a good, fun job teaching it. I think his perspective of other religions is amazing and he is very respectful. A decent amount of time in homework but it isn't hard.

Super easy class. Modules to watch before class (can take some time), in class assignments that are easy. Final test questions come from quiz questions. Again, super easy. Additional assignments are also very easy. Overall, I didn't enjoy the structure of the class. Information overload. However, it was easy...I just didn't learn all that much.

This was the most incredible class I've ever taken, and Prof Mackay is a big part of that in the way he presents super fascinating concepts and leads discussion on them. This class literally changed my outlook on life... participate! Not hard, although some modules took me hours. Incredible teacher, albeit not the easiest to reach outside of class.

He talked about other religions in a positive light and taught how all the major religions can be beautiful beliefs with good intent. The homework was always helpful and interesting and was not hard. My only complaint is that he did not grade anything until the last couple weeks of class.

MacKay knows his stuff. It is clear that he is passionate about what he teaches and clearly wants to help others learn as well. The class was not difficult, but I did genuinely learn about other religions. The tests were clear and open notes, as well. He makes expectations obvious and wants students to succeed.

This is the first religion class that I have genuinely enjoyed and felt the spirit. He is all about experience-based learning and there weren't any exams. I was able to grow as a person and learn how to be more appreciative and loving toward other religions. I think that it was cool how he would challenge my way of thinking about certain things.

Take this class! I wish every college student had access to this course, it was very eye opening, made me think a lot, but not difficult at all. I wish I hadn't taken it in a Spring term, I'd have loved to have more time to consider the things we discussed in class. Only complaints: Doesn't grade till the end, hard to reach outside of class.

On the fence? TAKE THIS CLASS. This was the best class I've ever taken at BYU (I'm a senior). Easy to get 100% on Inquisitive quizzes (it provides you with the information to get it right) and no tests! But the real reason you should take this is you will learn and grow so much. Every lesson was just fascinating. MacKay is great. 10/10 recommend.

I have never wanted to be more engaged in world! Some work, all doable and interesting. He is always kind. Will work to help you.

In Fall 2022, his class was so interesting. Class was about right for work load and he is so helpful. If you get behind or struggle with attendance he still helps. I focused in on the most important parts of the Restoration, but then he enabled us to explore things I've always wondered about. Game changer for me.

Wow! The very best. Assignments on Canvas were so interesting and did not overwhelm me. But, class is what I was impressed with most. He is a really caring guy with a million interesting things to say. Don't list to the haters, they actually love him, they just don't like homework.

Favorite religion professor. Cares more about you learning to respect and love people from different religions than about memorizing everything there is to know about other religions. Very experiential learning, like one time we went outside and just did yoga for class. Do the assignments and you'll easily get an A.

Fantastic professor. Definitely take world religions from him. He emphasizes learning about the religion through experience and not just reading or lecture. No real exams or major grades. Just lots of small assignments each week. He is also understanding and flexible. I took the blended course and I liked it.

This class is straight busy work but it is super easy to get an A. The subject matter is also intriguing. I think the issue is it was a well-designed course but then I would bet the department probably stepped in and said "you know what this needs? MORE busy work." No beef with the professor, he's fantastic. Very good class. No tests.

Great content, great professor, TOO MUCH BUSY-WORK. If you want to spend more time on a 2 credit class than your major and general 3 credit classes, this is the one for you. Can't complain too much about the class aside from that.

I actually took 393R which is an interfaith religion class. I would 100000000% recommend that class to anyone and since he's the only one who teaches it right now I would recommend Mike as well. Is really good at helping you learn for yourself. Super disorganized and causes a lot of confusion but is the chillest when it comes to grades.

I was waitlisted four separate times before I finally got into this class and it didn't take long for me to find out why! He is an amazing professor and handles these topics with such respect and love for all people. I walked away from this class with such a rich understanding of other religions and how we can work together in unity!

He is the best! I took the blended World Religions course and it was a LOT of weekly assignments and work, but there were no tests or crazy projects. They were fun and engaging most of the time, and the material was very interesting and important to know.

Engaging professor with a wealth of knowledge. Interesting assignments and projects, but a lot of work upfront. Definitely worth the effort - Unstuck AI really helped me stay on top of the workload. Solid A grade, would take again.

I will preface this review with this: If you haven't taken an in-person class with Dr. MacKay, you should do that ASAP. He is the best religion professor in the department and he is wicked smart. This class is easy and straight forward. It is very assignment heavy but they are simple and engaging. No tests, fun, engaging and enjoyable. Mike = GOAT

The class was really easy, but I didn't get any responses from him the entire semester. He has great content and the class is set up well, but there wasn't much communication. It would be nice to have more access to external help.