"The basic gift given me is a need to keep yourself as open and tolerant as possible. It's sharpened my feeling for subtle differences and the need to pay attention to them. When you're working in Guatemala, it's so obviously a different place that your cultural antennae are up and you're trying to beam in as much information as possible. Here, it's a much more subtle thing. In the last 10 years, I've certainly learned, I hope, to function smoothly in this environment."

Being non-LDS in the LDS environment has posed challenges, too.

"The one downside to being here in Utah Valley is there is somewhat a sense of social isolation," Houston says. "You are involved in your own church community, but you never really belong. LDS sociality is directed through the wards. Occasionally, we'll attend a dinner or a potluck. But you never feel completely integrated. I suspect that sense of isolation might grow over time. This might not be a bad time to depart, when we're still feeling very happy about Utah." Houston says BYU's emphasis on spiritual aspects influenced his work in a positive way.

"I think a lot of Western scholarship is affected by existential philosophy. It's all hammered down to the level of the individual and an absolute freedom of choice of the individual," he says. "In my opinion, working at BYU and what this society has shown me is that there are collective ways of doing things. Sometimes we have to think toward spirituality as a pivotal part of human nature.

"That has been a tremendous benefit, intellectually, being out here. For me, archaeology has always been morally and spiritually uplifting because it's about pure truth and an attempt to open our eyes and increase human understanding."

Many others in his profession around the world regard religion and spirituality as human inventions, he says, intended to mystify and control people.

"These are premises about human behavior that are deeply rooted in anthropology," Houston says. "If anything, these are ideas from the 1960s and 1970s. A role BYU could play in the future is asserting the primacy of spirituality in human experience." BYU's administration has been nothing but supportive, he adds.

"It's an administration that more or less leaves you alone," he says. "When they do intervene, it's usually in a positive way, to help you get your research done. I'm not a member of the LDS Church, but I've never found the slightest bit of pressure of any sort to interpret certain things a certain way."

Houston praises BYU for its vast collection of information.

"It has one of the great private libraries of Mayan archaeology," he says. "BYU has extraordinary holdings that are matched by very few universities in this country. The other thing BYU is celebrated for, and needs to be celebrated more for within this community, is its long tradition of scholarship in Mexico and Central America, going on 50-60 years. My colleagues have been producing widely respected scholarship. Sometimes I think the university should pay more attention to the treasures it has here. In some ways, my departure, I hope, will remind the administration of what remains here and how precious it is and that that legacy needs to be reinforced." Houston plans to return to Utah when he can, to visit friends and to ski what he calls "the world's greatest snow." In fact, his son may attend UVSC in the fall. Until then, he will settle into his new surroundings.

"I think change induces growth," Houston says. "I've had that experience here, and I hope that will happen at Brown, too."

---

E-mail: jeffc@desnews.com