Audio podcast of the Interpreter Foundation

Abstract: In previous work, unexpected textual relationships between the Book of Mormon and the Book of Moses that seem consistent with a brass-plates version of Genesis with similarities to the modern Book of Moses were explored. However, there is a need for further research to examine the nature of the distribution of the parallels in the Book of Mormon to the Book of Moses to assess, for example, whether the connections are scattered randomly across the text or show any meaningful patterns. There is also a need to consider the relationship of the Book of Mormon to the rest of the Joseph Smith Translation to determine if the Book of Mormon's relationship with the Book of Moses (the first portion of the JST) is somehow unique or is consistent with the rest of Joseph's work with the translation of the Bible. Data related to both topics are treated here, showing that the Book of Mormon's relationship with the Book of Moses appears to be unique and consistent with an ancient brass-plates version of Genesis that influenced Book of Mormon personalities such as Lehi1, Nephi1, Jacob, and Alma2. Later portions of the JST lack numerous parallels with the Book of Mormon, except for a few sections that appear to have been imported from the Book of Mormon into the JST. Further, the distribution of parallels at the book level and the chapter level is consistent with a meaningful application of material from a brass-plates version of Genesis by authors or speakers familiar with the brass plates. The post Parallels between the Book of Moses and the Book of Mormon, Part 1: Details of Their Distribution and Relationships to the JST first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: The Christmas season evokes tender feelings within us as we contemplate the newborn Christ child, whose life and mission would change the world forever. Many retellings of the nativity story include the unusual—the awkward boy/innkeeper who impulsively offers his own room to Mary and Joseph or the Herdman kids who unwittingly impart a realistic view of the Christ child's birth. The Christmas star of Bethlehem, leading the wise men to the newborn baby, symbolically invites us to come unto Christ as we celebrate the season through memorable stories and Christmas songs. The post Christmas Stars: Inviting Us to Come to Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the December 15 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner and Terry Hutchinson discuss “Christmas, The Matchless Gift of God's Divine Son.” The post Interpreter Podcast — December 15, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the December 4 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for December 22 - 28 about Christmas. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Christmas for December 22 – 28 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: Political legitimacy is a key concept related to the exercise of political power. Legitimacy was especially critical for “irregular kings,” so named because they were not automatically legitimated by the existing political structure. There are many examples of apologetics from the literature of the Ancient Near East that sought to bolster the legitimacy of irregular kings. The Book of Mormon uses similar apologetics to legitimate its own irregular rulers. The most striking example is seen in the case of Nephi (son of Lehi). Nephi provides dozens of arguments that strengthen his status as a divinely sanctioned king within an Ancient Near Eastern framework. Startlingly, Nephi and other Book of Mormon prophets also seem to have viewed Joseph Smith, the future seer who would bring their words to light, in similar terms. Joseph appears to have been presented as the legitimate heir of the Nephite royal line. The prophecies of the Book of Mormon and Joseph's receipt of the royal artifacts serve to bolster this claim. The post Irregular Kings and Precious Things: Viewing Nephi and Joseph Smith through the Lens of Ancient Near Eastern Kingship first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the December 9 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, Kevin Christensen, and Mark Johnson discuss books and materials to aid Old Testament Study and Kevin's 2004 FARMS Review Article "The Deuteronomist De-Christianizing of the Old Testament". The post Interpreter Podcast — December 9, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the December 10 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and John Thompson discusses the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for December 5 - 21 about The Family: A Proclamation to the World. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: The Family: A Proclamation to the World , December 5 – 21 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: One of the most notable features of Nephi's small plates rendition of Isaiah chapter 2 (2 Nephi 12) is the prominent expansion of the nations theme with two additional clauses with the word nations (Hebrew gôyim) that are not found in the Masoretic text (from which the KJV has been translated). Nephi's text preserves the use of nations from Isaiah 2:2, 4 in 2 Nephi 12:2, 4, but also attests significant additional references to the nations in 2 Nephi 12:12, 14: “For the day of the Lord of Hosts soon cometh upon all nations, yea, upon every one . . .  and upon all the nations which are lifted up, and upon every people.” These variants are consistent with—and may even be explained by—Nephi's declaration of intent in 2 Nephi 25:3: “Wherefore, I write unto my people, unto all those that shall receive hereafter these things, which I write, that they may know the judgments of God, that they come upon all nations, according to the word which he hath spoken” (2 Nephi 25:3). This purpose in writing might explain additional textual variants in 2 Nephi 12–24 that pertain to coming judgments upon the nations, which is a dominant theme of the writings of Isaiah, which Nephi incorporated into this part of his record. The post “Upon All the Nations”: The gôyim in Nephi's Rendition of Isaiah 2 (2 Nephi 12) in Literary Context first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the December 4 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses finding the Messiah in the Old Testament. The post Interpreter Podcast — December 4, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the November 20 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Kris Frederickson, and Bruce Webster discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for December 8 – 14 covering the Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2 for December 8 – 14 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: Taylor Petrey's Queering Kinship in the Mormon Cosmos attempts to “queer” Latter-day Saint concepts to create an account more congenial to queer theory, a postmodern philosophy and approach to texts. Here the aim is to destabilize and deny sexual essentialism, the law of chastity, and the eternal destiny of humanity as understood by the Saints. The words of Church leaders are misrepresented through omission and reorganization. Readings of Latter-day Saint scholars and scripture likewise suffer distortion and inaccurate representation. The work betrays several double standards, including the intellectual colonialism inherent in the efforts to distort and thereby appropriate Latter-day Saint culture and writings for its own purposes. Means to avoid this negative pattern are suggested, including rigorous honesty in textual claims and the participation of the scholarly community in effective peer review of irresponsible or misleading work. The post Intellectual Colonialism and Air Bud Theology: More on Queer Theory and the Church of Jesus Christ first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the November 20 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson and John Gee interview Lincoln Bluemell, the author of Lady Eclecte: The Lost Woman of the New Testament. The post Interpreter Podcast — November 24, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the November 6 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, Kevin Christensen, and Mark Johnson, discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for December 1 – 10 covering D&C 133 – 134 with special guest Stephen Taysom. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 137 – 138 for December 1 – 7 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: Stories of giants have occurred throughout the ages and in different cultures. These stories contrast to the scientific evidence that there never have been races of giant humans, even though there are some specific cases of unusually tall individuals. If the stories don't come from true experience, where do they come from? The post Of Book of Mormon Stories—and Giants first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the November 20 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Kris Frederickson, and Bruce Webster discuss how to respond to critics of the Church. The audio track is also included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feed/podcast). The post Interpreter Podcast — November 20, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the November 5 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Hales Swift, and Brent Schmidt discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for November 24 – 30 covering D&C 135 – 136. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 135 – 136 for November 24 – 30 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Lincoln H. Blumell, Lady Eclecte: The Lost Woman of the New Testament (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2025). 314 pages. $48.00 (hardcover). Abstract: For centuries, the consensus reading of 2 John 1 maintained that the epistle was written to a local church, metaphorically addressed as an “elect lady.” This has most especially been the case over the last 150 years of scholarship. However, new findings from Lincoln Blumell challenge the consensus reading, restoring the elect lady to her proper place as an actual individual in the early Christian world. This lady, moreover, can be identified by name, and it is only through haplography that confusion over her identity has been introduced at all. Blumell's restoration of the text of 2 John 1, based on papyrological and manuscript evidence, is groundbreaking work that will shape scholarship on the New Testament and early Christianity for years to come. The post Finding the Elect Lady first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the November 6 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, Kevin Christensen, and Mark Johnson interview special guest D. John Butler, who raised funds benefiting the family of the Michigan chapel shooter. The post Interpreter Podcast — November 6, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 29 Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and John Thompson discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for November 17 – 23 covering D&C 133 – 134. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 133 – 134 for November 17 – 23 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: This paper examines the claim that Joseph Smith was not the author of the verses in Doctrine and Covenants 132 related to the doctrine of plural marriage. Our examination first describes the current controversy on the authorship of section 132. We next present historical evidence on the provenance of this section. We then present stylometric evidence on the possible authorship of the text. While it has been asserted that Brigham Young or perhaps some other individual was the author of section 132, our examination provides solid support for the Church's claimed origin of the section. Our extensive statistical analyses indicate there is no stylometric evidence that Brigham Young or any other potential candidate provided the words in the text of the revelation. The post Historical and Stylometric Evidence for the Authorship of Doctrine and Covenants 132 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the November 5 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Hales Swift, and Brent Schmidt discuss the life and personality of Joseph Smith. The post Interpreter Podcast — November 5, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 15th Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Kris Frederickson and Bruce Webster discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for November 10 – 16 covering D&C 129 – 132. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 129 – 132 for November 10 – 16 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: The Restoration of the Gospel began in an atmosphere of ardent and urgent expectations of the Second Coming of Christ. We are, after all, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those expectations were shared far beyond the ranks of those who eventually joined the Church. But the early nineteenth-century men and women who did become Latter-day Saints were commanded that, having been warned, they should warn their neighbors. However, nearly two full centuries since the founding of the Church, and more than two centuries since Joseph Smith's First Vision, the Lord's Second Advent has still not arrived. Does that mean that this isn't a time for warning? That the time to warn our neighbors hasn't yet come? No, not at all. We remain under the divinely given obligation to spread the word and, yes, to warn. And there are many ways to do so. The post “A Voice of Warning” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 29, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and John Thompson interview special guest Richard E. Turley Jr. about President Dallin Oaks (Turley is the author of In the Hands of the Lord: The Life of Dallin H. Oaks) and Turley's upcoming Joseph the Prophet biography commissioned by the First Presidency. The post Interpreter Podcast — October 29, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 7th Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, Kevin Christensen, and Mark Johnson discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for November 3 – 9 covering D&C 125 – 128. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 125 – 128 for November 3 – 9 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: This study argues that the Book of Mormon both adopts and develops the instructional wisdom tradition found in Proverbs 1–9 and other pre-exilic Near-Eastern texts. After outlining the structure, rhetoric, and themes of Hebrew instructional wisdom, it tracks those features through major Book of Mormon discourses. Particular attention is given to the personification of Wisdom, the tree-of-life and great-whore polarity, temple motifs, and the democratic invitation to pursue the “mysteries of God” through personal revelation. The analysis suggests that Book of Mormon authors preserve a strand of Israelite temple wisdom largely suppressed in the post-exilic biblical record. By reading restored scripture back into its ancient literary context, the paper offers fresh insight into both corpora: Proverbs' “enigmas” become transparently eschatological, while the Book of Mormon's doctrinal core takes on new depth as a deliberate wisdom inheritance. The study concludes that recognizing this shared sapiential framework clarifies the Book of Mormon's purpose as a covenant guide and underscores its claim to recover “plain and most precious” truths lost from the biblical canon. The post “His Secret is with the Righteous”: Instructional Wisdom in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 15, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Kris Frederickson and Bruce Webster discuss the new First Presidency and the shooting at the Chapel in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The post Interpreter Podcast — October 15, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 5th Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Hales Swift, and Brent Schmidt discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for October 27 – November 2 covering D&C 124. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 124 for October 27 – November 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: This article is part two of an analysis of the literary structure of Alma 17–27. The current article analyzes the literary structure of Alma 21–22, which is “an account of the preaching of Aaron and Muloki and their brethren to the Lamanites” as noted in the heading before Alma 21. These two chapters were originally a single chapter in the first edition of the Book of Mormon. When Alma 21–22 is treated as a single chapter, it appears to have been organized into an extended parallel structure (A-B-C-A'-B'-C') in which matching elements share many strong links and parallels. This literary structure highlights the extraordinary range of missionary experiences that can occur while preaching the gospel. There also appears to be an eight-element chiasm that consists of Alma 21–22 and the conclusion to the preaching efforts of the sons of Mosiah in the first fifteen verses of Alma 23. This is the second of three macro-chiasms characterizing the overall structure of Alma 17–27. The post The Literary Structure of Alma 21–22 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 23, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner and Bruce Webster discuss insights on Marriage, The Family: A Proclamation to the World, and low marriage rates. The post Interpreter Podcast — September 23, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 24th Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson. John Gee, and John Thompson discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for October 20 – 26 covering D&C 121–123. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 121–123 for October 20 – 26 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: In the Book of Mormon, the term disciple occurs fifty-five times. Of those, forty-eight are unambiguous references to the Twelve called by the risen Christ to preside over his new-world Church. The remaining six instances could plausibly be read either as references to more generic followers of Jesus or as references to the Nephite Twelve. If they are read as references to the Nephite Twelve, subtle themes emerge, generating insights into Mormon's life, the apostasy in 4 Nephi, Mormon's letters to his son, and the translation process of the Book of Mormon. The post Reading Disciple Consistently As New-world Apostle in the Book of Mormon first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 7, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, Kevin Christensen, and Mark Johnson discuss the passing of President Nelson and General Conference. The post Interpreter Podcast — October 7, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the October 5, 2025, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses the shooting at the Chapel in Grand Blanc, Michigan. The post Interpreter Podcast — October 5, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 23rd Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner and Bruce Webster discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for October 13 – 19 covering D&C 115–120. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 115–120 for October 13 – 19 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 14, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and John Thompson interview Jonathan Stapley about his new book, Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship. The post Interpreter Podcast — September 24, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: As is well known, the Book of Mormon is a brief spiritual account from many centuries of Lehite and Jaredite peoples. Some of its authors mentioned that the book contains very little (not even 1%) of what happened, especially of non-spiritual matters. Nevertheless, from the tidbits of information found in the book, many have deduced or speculated on aspects of Nephite, Lamanite, and Jaredite life, including where the events took place. In Book of Mormon Ecology, R. Kent Crookston analyzes agricultural, ecological, and physical information in the Book of Mormon and proposes that its peoples lived in a Mediterranean climate, not in Mesoamerica. Seeds from Jerusalem growing well in America, seasons of grain and fruit, and east winds have good connections to Mediterranean climates. His analysis raises pertinent questions about Mesoamerican models. However, many conclusions have a weak basis or do not consider other evidence strongly correlated to a Mesoamerican setting, including ecological factors. For other details, reasonable explanations also fit a Mesoamerican model. A definitive post-oceanic locale of Book of Mormon peoples remains elusive and controversial because of meager non-spiritual information in the book, multiple plausible interpretations of non-spiritual words, and insufficient archaeological data throughout the Americas. The post Some Good Questions, but Large Inferences from Tidbits first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 14th Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, Kevin Christensen, and Mark Johnson discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for October 6 – 12 covering D&C 111–114. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 111–114 for October 6 – 12 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 14, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, Kevin Christensen, and Mark Johnson interview Scott Marianno and Reid Neilson about their new book, The Salt Lake Temple. The post Interpreter Podcast — September 14, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: Numerous discussions of the similarities between the LDS temple endowment and Masonic rites exist, which give the impression that the two overlap considerably. Rather than focus on the similarities themselves, this paper seeks to quantify how much the two rites overlap by performing a textual analysis. In the first section, the named entities, clothing, props, and participants in the ceremonies are compared. In the second section a line-by-line comparison identifies similar wording, structure, and meaning in the text, which results in a 10% to 17% overlap between the texts. The third section involves comparing sequences of one to five words in the text. For this task, three additional texts were included for comparison: portions of the Pearl of Great Price, the Odd Fellows rite, and the mystagogical catechesis (an initiation into mysteries). In some instances, comparisons indicate more similarity between the Masonic and Odd Fellows ceremonies than between the LDS endowment and the Masonic rite. The post A Textual Comparison of Masonic Rites and the LDS Temple Endowment first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 7th Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Brent Schmidt, and Hales Swift discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for September 29 – October 5 covering D&C 109–110. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 109–110 for September 29 – October 5 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 7, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner, Brent Schmidt, and Hales Swift discuss what is church doctrine and what is scripture. The post Interpreter Podcast — September 7, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: In Cease to Contend: Healing a Nation Through Christlike Civility in Politics, Rodney Dieser offers a timely and faith-centered response to the growing crisis of political polarization and incivility. Grounded in the Savior's admonition to avoid contention, Dieser draws from scripture, Church teachings, historical examples, and cognitive behavioral therapy to help readers recognize and overcome thought patterns that fuel division. This review explores the book's integration of gospel principles with therapeutic tools, highlighting the power of humility, empathy, and reframing as antidotes to anger and dehumanization in public discourse. By invoking figures such as Pahoran and Abraham Lincoln, the book provides both spiritual and practical models for engaging in political conversations with grace and restraint. The post Learning Political Civility from Pahoran to Lincoln first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 4th Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson and MArtin Tanner discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for September 22 – 28 covering D&C 106–108. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 106–108 for September 22 – 28 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the September 3, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson and Martin Tanner discuss with special guest Ben Spackman the newly published The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and Evolution, edited by Jamie L. Jensen, Steven L. Peck, Ugo A. Perego, and T. Benjamin Spackman. The post Interpreter Podcast — September 3, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: This paper explores the conclusions that can be drawn from a Mesopotamian origin theory for the Jaredites. The goal is to show that the story of Jared's daughter in Ether 8 could be a ritual similar to hieros gamos, or sacred marriage, from Mesopotamia. To achieve this, etymologies are given for three names (Jared, Ether, and Akish). These interesting etymologies help substantiate the sacred marriage theory for Ether 8. Finally, a comparison between Ether 3 and Ether 8 show that both illustrate an initiation into the divine. In the former case, it is a righteous initiation into the divine; in the latter, it is an initiation into an idolatrous imitation of the divine. The post Possible Remembrance and Re-enactment of Old World's Hieros Gamos in the Book of Ether first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the second August 21st Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and John Thompson discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for September 15 – 21 covering D&C 102–105. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 102–105 for September 15 – 21 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the August 22, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and John Thompson discuss various recent articles in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship and recent posts on By Common Consent and Times and Seasons titled (in part) “Are Latter-day Saints Happier?”. The post Interpreter Podcast — August 22, 2025 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

  In the second August 21, 2025 episode of The Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson, John Gee, and John Thompson discuss various recent articles in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship and recent posts on By Common Consent and Times and Seasons titled (in part) “Are Latter-day Saints Happier?”. You […] The post Interpreter Podcast — August 21, 2025b first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: In his book, The Islamic Jesus, Muslim author Mustafa Akyol paints a portrait of the Qur'an's Isa (Jesus) and attempts to locate this picture within the landscape of Judeo-Christian biblical scholarship. He is excited to find Islamic Jesus parallels within the Gospels, the Epistle of James, and early non-canonical Christian writings such as the Didache and the Gospel of Thomas. Akyol follows the path of these discoveries to so-called “Jewish Christianity” and postulates that remnants of this Christian movement might have been active in seventh-century Arabia. Ultimately, he writes to encourage Muslims to embrace Jesus as a focal point of much-needed reform within the Islamic world. In my review, I highlight three major themes in Akyol's book. Each theme represents a topic over which I believe Latter-day Saints can ally with our Muslim neighbors theologically or at least glean helpful learnings from Akyol's journey of discovery. The post The Islamic Jesus first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the August 21st Come, Follow Me segment of the Interpreter Foundation Podcast, our hosts Bruce Webster, Kris Frederickson, and MArtin Tanner discuss the Come, Follow Me Doctrine & Covenants lesson for September 8 – 14 covering D&C 98–101. The post Interpreter Come, Follow Me Podcast: Doctrine & Covenants 98–101 for September 8 – 14 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.