The full text of Dr. Marcus Martins' 2005 Convocation speech, "An Inevitable Paradox: Establishing a 'Peaceable Habitation' in a Violent World," is now available.
Dr. Martins received a B.A. in business, a Master's degree in Organizational Behavior, and a Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion, Race, and Ethnic Relations—all from Brigham Young University in Provo, UT. He was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. After joining the Church in 1972, Dr. Martins became the first Latter-day Saint with Black African ancestry to serve a full-time mission after the 1978 Revelation. He is about to celebrate his 25th Anniversary with his wife, Mirian Abelin Barbosa; they have four children.
Before coming to Laie, Martins taught at both BYU in Provo and BYU-Idaho. Now he has taught at all three BYU campuses. In 2002, he was elected "Teacher of the Year" by the President’s Council at BYU-Hawaii. He is currently the Chair of the Department of Religious Education.