Alan K. Parrish is a professor of religious education at Brigham Young University (BYU) who has written books and articles related to American education and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), most notably a biography of John A. Widtsoe. From 1978 to 1984 Parrish was the director of the LDS Institute of Religion in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1984 he joined the faculty of BYU.