Dann W. Hone

The Hone family has a long-time association with the Near East and the BYU Jerusalem Center. Brother Hone first visited Jerusalem as a BYU student in the 1973 Winter Bi-Year in the Biblelands semester program. A year after his return, he was employed on the Provo campus as an administrator responsible for the program's development and maintenance.

This service has led to over 22 years of experience working as one of the pioneers in the development of all aspects related to the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies a project of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He has made numerous trips to Europe (where he has spent nearly three years) and the Eastern Mediterranean, directing tours and study programs for the university to these areas. This labor has enabled him to assist nearly 40,000 Latter-day Saints in visiting the Holy Land. During these years of service, he has completed a BA degree at BYU, majoring in International Relations/Political Science, and an MA degree in Biblical History (historical geography of the Holy Land) from the Institute of Holy Land Studies in Jerusalem.

As a result of the above assignments, he and his family resided in Jerusalem for seven years from 1985 to 1992.  While in Jerusalem he was the Academic Coordinator for the center and Instructor of Biblical and Near Eastern studies. He has also served as an administrator for the Jerusalem Center Office in Provo, Utah, where he has taught Bible, Book of Mormon, and Pearl of Great Price courses for the Department of Ancient Scripture at BYU. He also has been doing research on ancient Semitic scripts.  Firesides, other speaking opportunities, and various callings after five years as the bishop of the Orem Utah Cherry Hill Fifth Ward has also taken a portion of his time. He completed a mission to Korea (1968-71), and he has served in the Church on stake and ward levels in various auxiliaries, priesthood presidencies, bishoprics, and as a teacher in priesthood quorums, Sunday School, and Young Men programs. He has worked in Scouting organizations for more than twenty years. While in Jerusalem he also participated in many civic and academic organizations. He was a member and editor of the International Rotary Club #249, Jerusalem, and an advisor to the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation.  

Brother Hone’s wife, Shirley, is a native of Salmon, Idaho. She attended Ricks College and Boise State University and was a dental assistant before her marriage in 1973 in the Idaho Falls Temple. Since that time she has taken some courses at BYU and accompanied her husband as an assistant tour director on many of the university tours and programs. She served in the Israel District and in branch, ward, and stake positions of presidency and teaching in the Relief Society, Young Women, and Primary organizations in her various home wards. Shirley has also served as a pianist and chorister in the various church auxilaries.

Dann and Shirley are the parents of four sons and two daughters.  All four of their sons, Jason, David, Joseph and John, have respectively served missions to Florida, Jamaica, the Philippines, and Hungary.

Tours Guided by Dann W. Hone