Audio podcast of the Interpreter Foundation

We tend to think of Brigham Young as the stern-faced old man from the few existing photos. But what was he like during his formative years? Our hosts explore this question, and Camrey interviews Susan Easton Black to get the historian's perspective on the young Brigham. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 6: Young Brigham Young, Part One first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode, Avram and Thora interview Matthew L. Bowen, a professor of Religious Education from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Bowen has published numerous studies on ancient wordplay in the Book of Mormon. Bowen discusses his study recently published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship which explores Mormon's use of the Hebrew root ḥayil/ḥêl, a root that has a wide range of meanings, including “wealth,” “abundance,” and “army.” Bowen argues that Mormon deploys this in a variety of ways in his portrayal of the people of Helam in Mosiah 23, providing new perspectives on the idea of prosperity in the Book of Mormon. Building off of Bowen's paper, this episode talks about how this helps us better understand other ancient aspects of Nephite culture like orality and the centrality of the Exodus narrative. The post Conversations with Interpreter Episode 5: Matthew Bowen, “Naming and Narrative Irony in Mosiah 23” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Patrick Q. Mason and J. David Pulsipher, Proclaim Peace: The Restoration's Answer to an Age of Conflict (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021). 290 pages. $19.99 (paperback). Abstract: Proclaim Peace is a very timely and serious engagement with questions of peace. Consisting of roughly equal parts challenging scriptural exegesis, well-documented historical research, and earnest social activism, it may be taken as exemplary of current LDS academic opinion and institutional action on the interface between religion and politics. This work compels us to consider a critical question: Do we interpret the core meaning of peace as a temporal project of seeking justice? Or do we understand, contextualize, and moderate our passion for temporal justice relative to a promise of eternal peace? If we are intent on unifying heaven and earth, we should be careful from which direction we are working. The post Where Will We Turn for Peace? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: God didn't “set a mark” on Cain. Instead, he gave Cain a sign. The unfortunate translation of Genesis 4:15 in the King James Bible (KJV) has been the source of much misunderstanding over the years. This article is about the English words that the King James translators chose in Genesis 4:15 and the Hebrew words from which they are translated. It shows that the renderings of the words in that verse are inconsistent with how the KJV treats the same words and grammatical features in other passages. The result is a translation that cannot be justified from the Hebrew Bible. The post The Lord Gave Cain a Sign first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the February 26, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest John Thompson discuss John's new book Abraham and His Family in Scripture, History, and Tradition, coedited with Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Matthew L. Bowen, and David R. Seely, and his article “‘Being of that Lineage': Generational Curses and Inheritance in the Book of Abraham” from Volume 54 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — February 26, 2026 with John Thompson first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Our hosts continue their discussion with Matt Grow, managing director of the Church History Department. Was Brigham a man of violence? He did use inflammatory rhetoric at times. But interestingly the actual evidence points toward his being a man of peace. And what do we know about whether or not Brigham Young was a racist? The post Becoming Brigham Episode 5 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter, Thora and Avram speak with John Thompson about his paper from the 2025 Abraham and His Family Conference held at BYU in May 2025. Thompson, an Egyptologist who is a retired teacher for Seminaries and Institutes and a content creator for Scripture Central, discusses the idea that the life of Abraham as described in both Genesis and in the book of Abraham shows a progression in hiscovenant relationship with God. Thompson argues that this relates to Abraham's almost being sacrificed and then being commanded to sacrifice his own son. Although the scriptures talk about this in terms of the relationship between sons and fathers, the pattern presenting in scripture is part of the experience of everyone on the covenant path. The post Conversations with Interpreter: Episode 4 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: For more than a century, Alma 29 has been read as a direct quotation from the prophet Alma. Yet, unlike every other extended quotation in Mormon's record, this passage lacks attribution, framing, or transition. This anomaly has gone largely unnoticed because of a chapter break, added in 1879, that masks the continuity of Mormon's voice from Alma 28 into chapter 29. This paper challenges the traditional attribution and argues that Alma 29 is more likely Mormon's editorial reflection than Alma's psalm. While the study focuses on Alma 1–29, the editorial patterns it identifies—Mormon's consistent use of speaker attribution, narrative framing, and formal introductions to quoted speech—hold true across his entire abridgment. Alma 29, if understood as Alma's psalm, would stand out as the sole exception, with no introduction to mark a change in speaker. Close attention to verb tense usage, narrative posture, and thematic continuity with Alma 28, together with the prophetic vocabulary Mormon uses elsewhere, suggests that these words reflect Mormon's own meditation. Attributing Alma 29 to Mormon reframes the chapter as the theological culmination of his editorial design. Mormon situates his record within a prophetic chain stretching from Joseph in Egypt, through Nephi, to his own day. His repeated use of “my brethren” reflects covenant kinship rather than contemporaneity, and his testimony of a “holy calling” reveals a prophet who, even in an age of societal collapse, experienced his own quiet triumph in saving souls. The post Alma or Mormon? The Voice of Alma 29 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the February 19, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Martin Tanner describes how Mark Smith, PhD, Harvard researcher, now a professor at NYU, in his book The Early History of God: Yahweh and Other Deities in Ancient Israel, demonstrates ancient Israel, and early books of the Bible describe God (YHWH) as a divine human. This looks like Joseph Smith's descriptions of God in his accounts of the First Vision. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — February 19, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Is there any purpose to revisiting the life and times of Brigham Young? Don't we already know everything there is to know about this sometimes-controversial historical figure? Camrey, Dan and John are joined in a roundtable discussion by Matt Grow, who is the managing director of the Church History Department. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 4 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter, our hosts, Avram and Thora Shannon looks at the second part of an article by Jeff Lindsay, a long time contributor to Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, titled “Parallels between the Book of Moses and the Book of Mormon.” Where the previous episode looked at the methodology employed in finding parallels between the Book of Mormon and the Joseph Smith Translation as found in the Book of Moses, this episode discusses specific parallels. The episode highlights new parallels uncovered by Lindsay. We also discuss some of the parallels that Lindsay has found especially meaningful and intriguing. You can find the full article at https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/parallels-between-the-book-of-moses-and-the-book-of-mormon-part-2-the-updated-list-of-146-parallels. The post Conversations with Interpreter: Episode 3 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Samuel T. Wilkinson, Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply About the Meaning of Our Existence (New York: Pegasus Books, 2024). 338 pages. $29.95 (hardback). Abstract: Many believers in God are troubled by assertions that the theory of evolution means life on earth is accidental and has no purpose. Additionally, some people worry that the theory's implied selfishness and “survival of the fittest” mantra have terrible implications for human society. Samuel T. Wilkinson's book Purpose is a thoughtful addition to the literature corroborating compatibility between creation by God and the theory of evolution. Evolution has a random component, but the critical selection step is non-random. Moreover, the process is iterative. As evidence for non-randomness, Wilkinson cites convergent evolution (where similar traits emerged in divergent organisms). Numerous examples suggest that natural selection has limited choices, not infinite or random possibilities as was once thought. Wilkinson discusses how human behavior and evolution imply that life has purpose. These purposes are compatible with teachings embraced by diverse believers in God. Behavioral studies strongly suggest human beings evolved to have both good and evil natures and to have ultimate happiness in loving family relationships. Such relationships build good lives and societies. Facilitating all of this, natural selection appears to occur at individual, kin, and group levels. When combined with the observation that we can freely choose, our dual nature suggests that this life is a test. For Wilkinson and others, harmony between faith in God and evolutionary theory came through epiphanies and by reasoning. These experiences increased their faith in God. Amid difficulties, persisting with faith is rewarded. The post Epiphanies and Reasonings: Compatibility between Evolutionary Biology and Divine Creation first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the February 12, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest Mark Johnson discuss President Oaks' first BYU devotional, Noel Reynolds and his work, concluding with Mark's comments about his Interpreter article about Moses Chapter 1 and its similarities to ancient Hebrew literary techniques as they are found in Genesis. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — February 12, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode, host Camrey Fox continues her visit with shorthand expert LaJean Carruth. LaJean compares Brigham to Enoch rather than Moses. She points out that many of the transcripts have never been translated before, and they give us new insights into his character and personality. Host John Wilson continues his discussion with Sam Weston about the assassination of Joseph Smith, and whether Brigham was behind it. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 3 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter, our hosts, Avram and Thora Shannon speak with Jeff Lindsay, a member of the Board of Directors of the Interpreter Foundation. Lindsay's article was published in two parts in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. This episode looks at the first part, where we discuss the methodology behind the article and the implications of it for the Book of Mormon, for Joseph Smith's New Translation, and for the relationship between the Bible and the Book of Mormon. The article shows places where the Book of Mormon authors are aware of a Genesis text that has strong affinities to our Book of Moses in the Pearl of Great Price, bringing a deeper dimension to Joseph Smith's translational output. The post Conversations with Interpreter: Episode 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the February 5, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses how near-death experiences have influenced the Restored Gospel. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — February 5, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode, host Camrey Fox visits with 19th century shorthand expert LaJean Carruth and finds out some surprising things about the differences between previously published statements by Brigham and the actual original transcripts. Meanwhile host John Wilson meets with Sam Weston, an expert on the assassination of Joseph Smith. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 2 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this, the inaugural episode of Conversations with Interpreter, our hosts, Avram and Thora Shannon speak with Dennis Newton about his article, “The Islamic Jesus” in Volume 66 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. The article is a review of the book by Mustafa Akyol, The Islamic Jesus: How the King of the Jews Became a Prophet of the Muslims. Dennis is a long-time student of world religions and a past contributor to The Interpreter Foundation. He discusses how Jesus is understood within Islam, and what these perspectives can teach us about faith, respect, and shared truth. The post Conversations with Interpreter: Episode 1 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: What does it mean for the Church to be “true and living”? Is it prideful to make such a claim? Why is it important that the Church be both? The post True and Living first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the January 29, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson discusses the new Becoming Brigham video series with Dan Peterson, President of The Interpreter Foundation. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — January 29, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this inaugural episode, hosts John Wilson and Camrey Fox, along with Professor Dan Peterson, visit the Carthage Jail to discuss a theory by some enemies of the Church that Brigham Young was behind the death of Joseph Smith. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 1 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: The name Helam, attested as a place name in the Bible is also attested as a personal and place name in the Book of Mormon. Evidence suggests that this name is derived from the Hebrew noun ḥayil/ḥêl, which has a wide range of meaning, including “wealth,” “abundance,” “power,” and even “army” (including Pharaoh's “army” or “host”). The form of Helam suggests the meaning, “[God is] their wealth,” “[God is] their abundance,” “[God is] their power,” and even “[God is] their army.” Although the promise latent in the name Helam is celebrated in their exceeding prosperity and abundance, Alma1's people also meet with a dramatic and ironic (apparent) reversal of this abundance and prosperity, when an army of the Lamanites occupies Helam and brings them into bondage. Mormon draws multiple lessons from this event, and he draws substantively from the language of Alma2's conversion accounts to narrate this event and its meaning. The post “They Did Multiply and Prosper Exceedingly in the Land of Helam”: Naming and Narrative Irony in Mosiah 23 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the January 22, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses the book of Genesis from the viewpoints of Judaism, Catholicism, Protestantism, and Latter-day Saints. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — January 22, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the January 15, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our hosts Terry Hutchinson and Martin Tanner interview Jeffrey Bradshaw about Abraham, Enoch, and Melchizedek. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — January 15, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: This article seeks to shed light on an under-researched subject: the more negative public responses to the first five years of the Latter-day Saint mission in Britain, from 1837 to 1842. Sufficient research attention has not been given, to date, to the full range of responses of the British people to the arrival of the new Church on their shores. These responses were often—although by no means exclusively—unfavorable. In short, what we have here is the story of what happens when strangers arrive bearing a message of a newly restored gospel to an insular society that has both a rigid class system and incumbent churches that regard themselves as the only legitimate forms of Christianity. It is a story that offers some lessons for modern times. The post Early Anti-Mormonism in Great Britain, 1837–1842 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the January 8, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner and Terry Hutchinson interview Jeffrey Bradshaw about the Book of Genesis. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — January 8, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: In exploring the connections between the texts of the Book of Mormon and the Book of Moses, several updates to previously published parallels need to be made, including the discovery of even more apparent parallels. The total number of proposed parallels that cannot readily be explained by the language of the King James Bible now stands at 146. In this article I present the current list and the updates. Of particular importance may be the expanded findings related to Samuel the Lamanite and connections to the account of Enoch in the Book of Moses in updated Parallel 86. The post Parallels between the Book of Moses and the Book of Mormon, Part 2: The Updated List of 146 Parallels first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the inaugural episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our hosts Martin Tanner and Terry Hutchinson discuss the new podcast, its focus and format. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — January 1, 2026 first appeared on 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.