Scripture Conversations

Moroni concludes his father's book with his own potent chapters.  But in his first verse, he says he hadn't planned originally to write them. What would we have lost if Moroni hadn't added these ten chapters? Why does he include what he chooses? What do we learn about faith, hope, and charity? Why does he close the book the way he does? In this episode, BYU professors Tyler Griffin, Dan Belnap, Jared Halverson, and Josh Sears explore these chapters in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The Book of Ether is the story of the rise and fall of a nation, inserted by Moroni. But there is more going on here.  Jaredites are gentiles, or non-Israelites.  The Book of Ether seems also to be a reflection on gentiles in the promised land, an audience the Book of Mormon speaks to.  What do we learn from the powerful and tragic history of the Jaredites? What lessons does Moroni emphasize? In this episode, BYU professors Jared Ludlow, David Calabro, Josh Matson, and Joseph Spencer explore these chapters in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The books of 4th Nephi and Mormon contrast the best of times and worst of times for the people in the Book of Mormon.  After living a Zion-like society for hundreds of years where there never were a happier people, they digress into tribal warfare and destruction.  What happened? What do we learn from 4th Nephi to emulate today? Conversely, what do we learn from the societal and religious breakdown in Mormon's times to avoid? In this episode, BYU professors Josh Sears, Jared Halverson, Stephan Taeger, and Robbie Taggart explore these chapters in an inspiring scripture conversation.

Continuing the sacred ministry of the Savior to the Nephites, on his second day ministry the Lord prays with the people in an intercessory way using words that cannot be written. He then teaches the people, expounding verses from Isaiah, Micah, and Malachi and expounds all things from the beginning.   His ministry concludes with marvelous healings and events. In this episode, BYU professors Tyler Griffin, Josh Sears, Gaye Strathearn, and Hank Smith explore these chapters in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The pinnacle of the Book of Mormon is our Savior Jesus Christ's ministry to the Nephites.  On his first day ministry the resurrected Lord appears and invites the people to personally feel his wounds, teaches of his gospel, calls and commissions the twelve disciples, delivers a sermon similar to the Sermon on the Mount, heals their sick, and institutes the sacrament. These chapters are divine. In this episode, BYU professors John Hilton, Brad Wilcox, Josh Sears, and Keith Wilson explore these chapters in an inspiring scripture conversation.

President Ezra Taft Benson (1899–1994) observed that the Book of Helaman “reveals many parallels to our own day as we anticipate the Savior's second coming” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1987, 3). The book details the Nephites vacillating between righteousness and wickedness, their wars, and secret combinations by the Gadianton Robbers. It also contains the preaching and prophecies of Helaman, Nephi, and Samuel the Lamanite.  What are we to learn from this potent book? What are its themes, structure, and messages? In this episode, BYU professors Jan Martin, Joseph Spencer, Ross Baron, and Dan Belnap explore this book and these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The last quarter of the Book of Alma focuses on a series of conflicts between Nephites and Lamanites.  Amalickiah and Ammaron, with other dissenters, act as the catalysts of a long battle. Captain Moroni, Helaman, the stripling warriors, and others respond to help the Nephites survive and restore peace. Why are these battles in the Book of Mormon? How do they fit into the larger context of the Book of Alma, and what do we learn from them? In this episode, BYU professors Joseph Spencer, Ross Baron, Joshua Matson, and Robbie Taggart explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The middle chapters of the Book of Alma have a strong emphasis on missionary stories and events. Alma 9-14 is about Alma and Amulek's preaching in Ammonihah.  Alma 17-26 centers us on Ammon with King Lamoni and Aaron with Lamoni's father. Last, Alma 30-34 take us to Alma and Amulek's missionary encounters with Korihor and the Zoramites. In this episode, BYU professors John Hilton, Jan Martin, Tyler Griffin, and Dan Belnap explore these missionary journeys and teachings in an inspiring scripture conversation.

Alma 5-7 are Alma's words and sermons to the people and cities of the Nephites.  Why does he leave the chief judgment seat to go preach as the Church's high priest? What are the problems he is seeing in the Nephite church? What are the solutions? And how do they relate to the modern church? In this episode, BYU professors Dana Pike, Avram Shannon, Shon Hopkin, and Daniel Becerra explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

Abinadi is a pivot point in the story of the Book of Mormon.  Much of the remaining text in the Book of Mormon are people impacted by Abinadi's ministry. How is Abinadi's sermon related to King Benjamin's? What are Abinadi's key messages? How is Jesus our “father,” and we are to be his “seed”? In this episode, BYU professors Jared Ludlow, Nick Frederick, Jan Martin, and Joshua Sears explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

King Benjamin's speech is one of the most remarkable sermons in the Book of Mormon.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell called this speech “a manual of discipleship.” What is King Benjamin teaching us about being a true disciple of Christ regarding service, obedience, and “prosperity”?  And what does Benjamin's experience with an angel and the angel's words teach us about Christ and being born again by Him? In this episode, BYU professors Nick Frederick, Andrew Skinner, Gaye Strathearn, and Avram Shannon explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

King Benjamin's speech is one of the most remarkable sermons in the Book of Mormon.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell called this speech “a manual of discipleship.” What is King Benjamin teaching us about being a true disciple of Christ regarding service, obedience, and “prosperity”?  And what does Benjamin's experience with an angel and the angel's words teach us about Christ and being born again by Him? In this episode, BYU professors Nick Frederick, Andrew Skinner, Gaye Strathearn, and Avram Shannon explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

Jacob is one of the key doctrinal teachers in the Book of Mormon. After preaching in Jacob 2-3, he writes to future readers of the Book of Mormon in Jacob 4-6. What is Jacob's goal and purpose in writing these important chapters? Why does he include Zenos' allegory of the olive tree, and what does it teach us? In this episode, BYU professors Keith Wilson, Shon Hopkin, Dana Pike, and Kerry Muhlestein explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

Central to the Book of Mormon is the doctrine of how Israel was scattered, and how they will be gathered. When and how was Israel scattered? How will they be gathered in the last days? Why is this so important to God's work? In this episode, BYU professors Joseph Spencer, Terry Ball, Gaye Strathearn, and Kerry Muhlestein explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

One of the Book of Mormon's purposes is to testify to the world that “Jesus is the Christ, the Eternal God.”  Central to Christ's divinity is the doctrine of His divine atonement.  What does the word atonement mean? How do the prophets in the small plates of Nephi explain and teach about the Lord's atonement? In this episode, BYU professors Andrew Skinner, Avram Shannon, Jan Martin, and Eric Huntsman explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

One of the powerful aspects of the Book of Mormon is that “the doctrine of Christ” is taught and explained clearly and overtly, particularly in 2 Nephi 31 and 3 Nephi 11, throughout the entire Book.  What is the doctrine of Christ, where do we find it, and how do we apply it? In this episode, BYU professors Brad Wilcox, Brad Farnsworth, George Pierce, and Kerry Muhlestein explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

Isaiah is one of the main voices in the Book of Mormon, particularly in 2 Nephi. Why did the Nephite prophets cite him so often? How do they interpret and apply his teachings? How does the original chaptering of the Book of Mormon give us insight into how Nephi uses Isaiah? In this episode, BYU professors Dan Belnap, Joseph Spencer, Terry Ball, and Josh Sears explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

In his small plates, Nephi embedded his little brother Jacob's landmark doctrinal sermon, found today in 2 Nephi 6-10. What does Jacob teach us about the infinite atonement? How and why is Jacob using Isaiah? How do we apply Jacob's sermon to ourselves? In this episode, BYU professors Dana Pike, Tyler Griffin, Keith Wilson, and John Hilton III explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The concepts taught by Lehi found in 2 Nephi chapter 2 contain some of the most insightful teachings in the Book of Mormon, particularly related to the Fall, transgression, sin, agency, opposition, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. What unique doctrine does this chapter teach?  How did the doctrine of the Fall develop over the history of Christianity? How can we approach Eve's choice? In this episode, BYU professors Jan Martin, Dan Judd, Dan Belnap, and Jason Combs explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The prophet Nephi wrote the book of 1st Nephi about 30 years after the events transpired, including the major family split from his older brothers. The way Nephi structured his writing was purposeful and careful. What was his intent, and how did he craft his narrative? In this episode, BYU professors Jared Ludlow, Amy Easton-Flake, Joseph Spencer, and Tyler Griffin explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

Joseph Smith famously called the Book of Mormon “the most correct of any book on earth and the keystone of our religion.”  What does “THE most correct” mean from a textual and doctrinal perspective? In this episode, BYU professors Gaye Strathearn, Joseph Spencer, Nick Frederick, and Tyler Griffin explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

It's well known that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. But what exactly is “translation,” and what does it mean to Joseph Smith? How is the Book of Mormon's revelatory translation different than a typical academic understanding of translation? Last, what changes have been made to the Book of Mormon in various editions? In this episode, BYU professors Dan Belnap, Nick Frederick, Keith Wilson, and Michael Hubbard MacKay explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

The Book of Mormon is a compilation of many other ancient scriptural sources, such as the Brass plates, record of Lehi, small plates of Nephi, large plates of Nephi, and record of the Jaredites. How did Mormon pull these courses come together to create his book, and what's the logic to its organization? In this episode, BYU professors Kerry Muhlestein, Dana Pike, Dan Belnap, and Frank Judd explore these questions in an inspiring scripture conversation.

What is the Book of Mormon? If you had to write a paragraph responding to that question, what would you say? How would your answers compare to what the Title Page of the Book of Mormon summarizes as its purpose? In this episode, BYU professors Shon Hopkin, Brad Farnsworth, Joseph Spencer, and George Pierce explore the Book of Mormon's purpose and Title Page in an inspiring scripture conversation.