In many cities around the world, the temple stands as a symbol of Christ and the purity and spiritual growth He offers. But how can we access that purifying power for ourselves—and why is it such an important goal? Professor Gaye Strathearn, who currently serves as an Associate Dean of BYU Religious Education, takes us metaphorically up Mount Sinai and into the mountain of the Lord—the temple—to discuss ways that God and Christ can purify and prepare a holy people.
Mar 01, 2023•57 min•Season 4Ep. 75
Elder Robert D. Hales taught, “We need to know the official doctrine of the Church so we are not diverted from Christ’s leadership.” But how can we know what constitutes Church doctrine? That has been the driving question behind the research of Professor Michael Goodman of BYU’s Church History and Doctrine department. In this podcast, he shares how church doctrine has been defined historically and highlights three specific criteria prophets, seers and revelators have consistently used to define ...
Feb 16, 2023•52 min•Season 4Ep. 74
How should we understand and live the law of consecration today? In this episode, Professor Steven Harper, a professor of Church history and doctrine, explains his research on the law of consecration. He articulates the revealed principles of the doctrine (rather than the “folk doctrine” surrounding it)—and helps listeners understand why the law of consecration is the ultimate expression of discipleship for Latter-day Saints.
Feb 01, 2023•54 min•Season 4Ep. 73
We have all inherited things from our parents: everything from genetics to family values. But how do parents pass on religious belief and faith to their children? Church history and doctrine professor Byran Korth talks about his research on religion and families, the parenting styles that help parents to transmit their faith to the next generation—and why this understanding is so crucial in our modern world.
Jan 16, 2023•46 min•Season 4Ep. 72
As we seek truth, we are asked to harmonize seeming paradoxes: balance the mind and the heart; learn by study and faith; be in the world but not of the world. How do we do this? In this episode, Dr. Casey Griffiths introduces us to the fascinating life of a scientist, educator, and apostle who exemplified this approach—Joseph F. Merrill—and why his work continues to influence Church members today.
Jan 02, 2023•57 min•Season 4Ep. 71
It is easy to assume that the records of the early Christians fall silent after the end of the New Testament. However, abundant information exists describing the lives, faith, and sacrifices of these earliest believers, details which are often overlooked by Latter-day Saints. In this episode, Jason Combs explores the world and worship of the ancient Christians in the centuries after the New Testament, helping us to learn from their experiences and to recognize them as our brothers and sisters in...
Dec 16, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 70
Joseph Smith once said, “It is the love of liberty which inspires my soul, civil and religious liberty to the whole human race.” This sentiment is equally relevant today. Dr. Robert Smith has dedicated much of his professional life to the study of religious liberty and the law. In this episode he discusses the campaign for religious liberty in our modern day—and why it is crucial to keep it.
Dec 01, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 69
In 1841, after years of sacrifice and travel, Orson Hyde arrived in Jerusalem. His brief but impactful mission had innumerable effects on the Church in the Holy Land. In this episode, Professor of Ancient Scripture David Whitchurch takes us through Orson Hyde’s journey, which paved the way for the miraculous opening of the BYU Jerusalem Center. Professor Whitchurch also reflects on his own journey of learning about this spiritual giant—and shows why Orson Hyde’s story is such an important exampl...
Nov 15, 2022•58 min•Season 3Ep. 68
America’s history with slavery is complicated and controversial, especially when considered in a religious context. On this episode, Professor Jordan Watkins takes us into antebellum America, showing how views over slavery were shaped by interpretations of the Bible and the country’s founding documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. He also examines ways these nineteenth-century interpretations continue to influence people today.
Nov 01, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 67
Some Latter-day Saints believe that the oath and covenant of the priesthood only applies to men. But in this episode, Professor Barbara Morgan Gardner uses Doctrine and Covenants 84 and the words of prophets and apostles to share an important truth: priesthood power and promises are available to all who receive the blessings of the temple. She also speaks on what the oath and covenant of D&C 84 means to her as a wife, a mother, and a daughter of God.
Oct 15, 2022•52 min•Season 3Ep. 66
Netflix’s 2021 docuseries Murder among the Mormons reached #2 on the most-viewed list in the week it came out. But how much did the documentary actually get right? In this episode, Professor J. B. Haws gives his perspective as a Church historian, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses of the docuseries as well as the theological implications of the Mark Hoffman murders—and the reason why this story still matters.
Oct 01, 2022•51 min•Season 3Ep. 65
In 1903, Latter-day Saint Apostle Reed Smoot was elected by Utah to become a United States senator. However, many in the country and Senate did not want to seat Elder Smoot due to his leadership position in the Church and because of the Church’s practice of polygamy. In this episode, Dr. Carter Charles recounts this history and President Theodore Roosevelt’s defense of Reed Smoot and the Latter-day Saints.
Sep 15, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 64
Although its stories took place thousands of years ago, the Old Testament provides potent lessons to help confront contemporary challenges, including the world’s growing refugee crisis. In this episode, Dr. George Pierce shares research insights about ancient Israel to help us care for the displaced and marginalized in our midst.
Sep 01, 2022•53 min•Season 3Ep. 63
How did Joseph Smith translate the Book of Mormon? Joseph’s brief answer was “by the gift and power of God,” sometimes adding that it was done by means of “Urim and Thummim.” Some have asked why Joseph Smith didn’t give more specific details about the process. In this enlightening episode, translation scholar Dr. Michael Hubbard MacKay discusses his research on the “incommensurability” of Joseph Smith’s divine translation work and why it gives insight into expressions of religious truth and expe...
Aug 15, 2022•51 min•Season 3Ep. 62
The Law of Moses gives divine direction for how God’s covenant people should care for displaced refugees, foreigners, and strangers, who are referred to in the Bible as ‘ gēr .’ In this episode, Dr. Krystal Pierce of BYU’s Ancient Scripture Department shares her published research on the teachings and narratives in the Old Testament and Book of Mormon related to what are commonly called the “Gēr Laws,” and discusses ways in which we can apply those teachings as covenant people today....
Aug 01, 2022•43 min•Season 3Ep. 61
How do Latter-day Saints perceive images of Christ’s suffering on the cross? How does artwork influence their understanding of the Savior’s Atonement? What does it mean that Christ shed His blood for us? In this powerful episode, Dr. John Hilton III shares findings from his continued research related to the Crucifixion of Jesus Christ, and why embracing Christ’s death upon the cross can deepen our worship of Him.
Jul 15, 2022•42 min•Season 3Ep. 60
For many Latter-day Saints, there is a strong desire to visit sacred sites of the Restoration, such as the Sacred Grove or Carthage Jail. These historic places can help us better understand the past as we strive to live the gospel in the present. In this episode, Dr. Scott Esplin discusses the value of historic Latter-day Saint sites, how the Church acquired some of them, and how we can all learn from them, regardless of where we live.
Jul 01, 2022•37 min•Season 3Ep. 59
The events recorded in the gospels took place in the Garden of Gethsemane are sacred to our faith. Although we can envision the olive trees of the garden, where did they press its oil, from which the translated word “Gethsemane” derives? Thanks to archeological research, including some by BYU ancient scripture professor Matthew Grey, there are possible answers. In this episode Dr. Grey discusses research on the Gethsemane grotto and explores potential reasons why this location matters.
Jun 15, 2022•57 min•Season 3Ep. 58
It’s likely that many of you have heard of the name Hugh Nibley. Over a nearly fifty-year career as a BYU professor, he became one of the most prolific scholars and authors in the history of the Church. In this episode, Dr. Joseph Spencer shares his research publication on Nibley’s influence as one of the great figures in the field of Book of Mormon studies.
Jun 01, 2022•33 min•Season 3Ep. 57
The Community of Christ, formerly known as the “Reorganized” Church or “RLDS,” is a global restoration faith which traces its origins to the life and ministry of Joseph Smith. In this episode, Dr. Keith Wilson of BYU Religious Education provides a fascinating historical and doctrinal journey of two different restoration faiths that share the same roots by comparing each church’s respective views of Joseph Smith’s First Vision throughout the years.
May 15, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 56
For over sixty years, BYU Studies Quarterly has published scholarship informed by the restored gospel of Jesus Christ on a broad range of topics that are of interest to Latter-day Saints. In this episode, Dr. Steven Harper, the current editor of BYU Studies, discusses some of the most significant articles in the history of BYU Studies.
May 01, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 55
Because we live in a day where prejudice and discrimination of all kinds remain fundamental problems across the globe, members of the Church have been counselled “to abandon all personal prejudices.” In this episode, Jan Martin of BYU Ancient Scripture shares her research publication about Samuel the Lamanite and what a past prophet’s experience with discrimination can tell us about confronting and eliminating prejudice in our personal lives.
Apr 15, 2022•46 min•Season 3Ep. 54
Although it is common to cite Isaiah’s remarkable prophecies about the Savior, Isaiah’s repeated teachings related to the poor usually don’t receive as much attention. In this episode, emeritus BYU Ancient Scripture professor Dana M. Pike shares his latest publication that magnifies Isaiah’s teachings to provide “a strength to the poor” (Isa. 25:4)—a timeless message applicable today. Dr. Pike also shares about his work on the Dead Sea Scrolls and insights about studying the Old Testament from h...
Apr 02, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 53
Latter-day Saints are a covenant-centric faith, led by the oft-repeated messages of President Russell M. Nelson to continue “on the covenant path.” But what is this covenant path, and how is it a Restoration of “the covenants of the Father of heaven unto Abraham” (1 Nephi 22:9)? In this episode, BYU professor of Ancient Scripture, Kerry Muhlestein, shares insights from his recent publication to help us better understand the blessings that come to those who enter and live the Abrahamic covenant....
Mar 15, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 52
This April, the newly remodeled Washington D.C. Temple will hold its public open house for hundreds and thousands of visitors, marking the latest in a long line of historical events related to the Latter-day Saints’ presence in the nation’s capital. In this episode, Dr. Ken Alford reviews his co-edited research publication covering many of those notable events, along with his specific chapter on Latter-day Saints in Arlington National Cemetery.
Mar 01, 2022•55 min•Season 3Ep. 51
April 6th is commonly taught by Latter-day Saints to be Jesus’s birth date. Some Church leaders, however, have explored other options, saying the date “is not a settled issue.” In this episode, Professor Jeff Chadwick discusses his publications that academically explore the dates of Jesus Christ’s birth and death, highlighting important aspects of our faith that arise from dating theses scriptural events.
Feb 15, 2022•50 min•Season 3Ep. 50
In the summer of 1830, the Prophet Joseph Smith began an audacious undertaking: to translate the Holy Bible. But what was this Bible “translation”? Was he reading from other languages? Was he restoring the Bible text to its earliest condition? Was it an inspired commentary? Is the JST canonized scripture? And, did Joseph ever finish the complete translation? In this episode, Dr. Jared Ludlow shares his recent publications tackling these questions and more.
Feb 01, 2022•52 min•Season 3Ep. 49
Like complementary colors, women and men are meant to work in harmony to bring their inherent and unique qualities to parenting. Dr. Jenet Erickson specializes in research related to the distinct contributions of mothers and fathers in child development. In this episode, she shares some of her research about what the spring 2020 Covid pandemic illuminated about the work and family desires of men and women and ways their complementary contributions can be harmonized.
Jan 15, 2022•47 min•Season 3Ep. 48
For centuries, some readers of Genesis have blamed Eve for the evils of the world because she ate the forbidden fruit in Eden. But Latter-day Saint scripture opens the way for different views, including seeing Eve’s decision as visionary and courageous. Our interpretations of Eve have not always been this positive, however, and historical Christianity’s interpretations haven’t always been that negative. In this episode Dr.’s Amy Easton-Flake and Mark Ellison expand our understanding of Eve....
Jan 01, 2022•53 min•Season 3Ep. 47
Every worthy, baptized member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can and should receive a patriarchal blessing, which provides inspired personal direction from God. There are many common questions surrounding patriarchal blessings: Why should I get one? What will it say? Why does my lineage matter? With whom can I share it? How should I prepare? In this episode, professor Brad Wilcox shares insights to these questions and more from his research and publication on patriarchal bles...
Dec 15, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 46
