Podcasts about Maxwell Institute

Today I have a terrific interview with my colleague Philip A. Barlow on his new book Time, just out from the Maxwell Institute. Phil is a senior fellow and my colleague here at the Maxwell Institute. You'll notice his kindness and humor during the interview, and you'll also notice his wisdom and creativity. Phil is a legendary teacher: he taught for many years at Hanover College, and then served for more than a decade as the Leonard J. Arrington Chair of Mormon History & Culture at Utah State University. He's the author of an important book, Mormons and the Bible, and lots of other notable publications. He's currently working on a fascinating study of the war in heaven.

I'm delighted to share with you an interview with Dr. Amy Easton, who authored the volume Divine Aid in our new Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series. Amy is an associate professor of ancient scripture at BYU, where she also teaches in the global women's studies and American studies programs. Amy did her graduate work in literature, just like I did, and in addition to her work on the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants, she studies topics as diverse as 19th-century women's poetry and transatlantic travel literature. At the time of this recording, Amy was directing a study abroad program in London and we're grateful that she could join us despite having only a laptop to record on. Amy's book, Divine Aid, is all about the relationship Jesus wants to build with each of us. The Doctrine and Covenants shows us the Savior working in real time to build a parent-child relationship with real individuals.

In this episode, we continue our streak of interviews with the authors of our new book series, Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants. And today we've got a fascinating conversation with Dr. Mason Allred about his volume, Seeing.Dr. Allred is an Associate Professor of Communication, Media and Culture at Brigham Young University, Hawaii. He studied history with an emphasis on film and media studies, and he's published a number of books on visual culture. Basically, how everything from movies and TV to social media, art, print publications, and even advertising, shapes our lives and our society. So this made him the perfect person to write about spiritual sight in the Doctrine and Covenants. Not just the amazing visions of Joseph Smith, but how the ordinary act of looking can become a sacred practice for each one of us.

The Prophet Joseph Smith said the Doctrine and Covenants is “the foundation of the Church in these last days, and a benefit to the world, showing that the keys of the mysteries of the kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to man.” In 2025, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints study the Doctrine and Covenants, to learn of Him, apply the stories found in its pages to their own lives and explore thematically the invitation the Lord gives to all to come unto Him.  In this episode of the Church News podcast, Church News reporter Mary Richards is joined by Rosalynde Welch, a research fellow and associate director at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship at Brigham Young University. They explore the themes interwoven in this sacred book of scripture, from the role of prophets to the transformative power of repentance and agency.  The Church News Podcast is a weekly podcast that invites listeners to make a journey of connection with members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the globe. Hosts Jon Ryan Jensen, editor of the Church News, and Church News reporter Mary Richards share unique views of the stories, events, and people who form this international faith. With each episode, listeners are asked to embark on a journey to learn from one another and ponder, “What do I know now?” because of the experience. Produced by KellieAnn Halvorsen.

Today I'm joined by Dr. Amy Harris, a professor of family history in the Department of History at Brigham Young University. Amy studies families, women, and gender in early modern Britain. And she's written a number of books on some fascinating topics, including the dynamics of singleness and siblinghood in 18th century England. She's also an expert in the ethics, theology, and techniques of family history and genealogical research. And so she was the perfect person to write Redeeming the Dead, her recent book for the Maxwell Institute, part of our Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series. Amy had some great insights to share. I didn't realize, for instance, that the Church's focus on genealogy only began in 1894, 60 years after its founding, or that in the Doctrine and Covenants, baptism for the dead is the primary form of baptism, not just an optional extra. Dr. Harris jokes that family history is not just a hobby, but a subversive power to bring on the revolution, because it can help us relate to all human beings as children of God, not objects to be used. She believes that even the most disturbing historical records can be redeemed through temple work, but only if we focus on relationships rather than just names and dates as we do family history. This discussion will change how you think about family history and its role in the Restoration. I hope you enjoy it.

Today, I'm joined by Dr. Justin Collings to discuss his new book, Divine Law, just out from the Maxwell Institute as part of its Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series. This volume is one of seven and will be featuring interviews with each of the authors over the next few months. Justin Collings is the academic vice president of Brigham Young University and a distinguished scholar in his own right. He graduated from BYU and earned a law degree and a PhD in history from Yale, and clerked on the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In addition to his administrative duties, he remains a professor of law at BYU's J. Reuben Clark Law School, where he authored two books on constitutional law and history from Oxford University Press. Justin and his wife Lia live in Orem, Utah. And as you'll hear in our conversation, are the proud parents of eight children. As Justin admits, the topic of divine law may not strike you as immediately compelling. It might even spark some deep-seated fear or dread. But I think you'll find that he brings this book to life with careful thinking, real life examples, and most of all, a bedrock conviction grounded in the revelations that God is loving, merciful, and full of grace. Divine law and divine love in this way of looking at things are one and the same. Justin was a good sport to field some tough questions about punishment versus consequences and a threat versus a warning. But if you're expecting dry legalese, you'll be glad to find that Justin is a lively and lyrical writer and his book is studded with poetry. In fact, our discussion of poetry's relationship to scripture and its role in a spiritual life is one of my favorite parts of the interview. I think you'll enjoy it too. Purchase at the links below.https://a.co/d/fQPtRdBhttps://www.deseretbook.com/product/P6075136.html

This week, we are thrilled to welcome back Terryl Givens—one of our all-time favorite guests and collaborators and someone we always have a running list of topics for. This time, we're finally diving deep into the topic of agency and free will: it's something that has come up in many of our past conversations but never had its own dedicated discussion. Terryl's new book, Agency, is part of the Maxwell Institute's Doctrine & Covenants theological series, and it explores some of the most profound and challenging questions about what it truly means to have agency. For centuries, theologians and philosophers have debated whether free will truly exists or if what we call agency is merely an illusion— our choices predetermined by the unfolding of the universe, or so shaped by our biology and past that we don't have real choice. Terryl's work in this book finds that Mormonism has some compelling and unique insights on that central question, and explores some others: what role does community and authority play in expanding—or limiting—our agency? And how do we navigate the tension between obedience and authentic personal choice?In this conversation, we explore the dangers of turning scripture or prophets into idols, how our perception of God can sometimes become so skewed that it's actually a “false God,” and why Terryl doesn't believe that we'll ever be judged based on our beliefs alone. We also get into some fascinating intersections between agency, neuropsychology, philosophy, and even Darwinian evolution.This discussion left us with so much to think about, and we hope it does the same for you. So with that, let's dive in!

Welcome back to the Maxwell Institute Podcast! We are thrilled to be back with you for another series of conversations on "The Questions We Should Be Asking." When–and only when–we ask the right questions can we find the answers we need.In 2025, we'll return to a broader focus for our interviews–but never fear, we'll have plenty of discussion about the Doctrine and Covenants as we study it together in the global Church.Today, I talk with Terryl Givens, author of Agency in our new series, Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants. We'll get into all the knotty questions about agency: what actually is it, does free will really exist, and what does it mean to say that agency is relational?Purchase at the links below.https://www.deseretbook.com/product/6075134.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo1ejtN94I-MqlDGGmGETf1eKBIrNwWcLaUQYnHnvx_Yg6ReZkohttps://www.amazon.com/Agency-Doctrine-Covenants-Terryl-Givens/dp/0842501339

Welcome to our last episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast as we wrap up this Book of Mormon year. For this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Joseph Spencer, Associate Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship of the book of Moroni, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, and welcome to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast as we wrap up this Book of Mormon year. For this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Christopher Blythe, Assistant Professor of Humanities at BYU. In this episode, they discuss the text of the book of Moroni, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Morgan Davis, Neal A. Maxwell Research Fellow at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.In this episode, they talk about the scholarship of the book of Ether, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Rachael Johnson, Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Humanities, and former Postdoctoral Fellow for the Maxwell Institute.In this episode, they talk about the text of the book of Ether, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello and welcome to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. For this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Terryl Givens, a Senior Research Fellow at the Maxwell InstituteIn this episode, they discuss the scholarship of the book of Mormon, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome back to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. For this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Shon Hopkin, Department Chair of Religious Education at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the text of the book of Mormon, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. For this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Jennifer Lane, Research Associate at the Maxwell Institute.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship of the book of 3rd and 4th Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. For this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Daniel Belnap, Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship of the book of 3rd and 4th Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Disclaimer: The audio on this podcast episode is a little rough due to poor Internet connection. If you would like to read the transcript rather than listen to the podcast, it is available on our website at mi.byu.edu/podcasts/book-of-mormon-studies-podcast-helaman-scholarship-with-david-goreThanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. For this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with David Gore, Assistant Professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Minnesota Duluth.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship of the book of Helaman, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Tyler Griffin, Associate Dean of Religious Education at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the text of the book of Helaman, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

August 12-18 | Alma 43-52 | Joined by Scholar Jennifer Lane, Neal A. Maxwell Research Associate at the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, and Special Guest Richard Norby.

Welcome, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Jennifer Champoux, Director of the Book of Mormon Art Catalog, the most comprehensive digital compilation of Book of Mormon Art in existence.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship of Alma 30-63, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, and thank you for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with John Welch, the founder of FARMS. In this episode, they discuss the text of Alma, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, and thank you for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Sharon Harris, a Professor of Humanities at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the book of Alma, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Kimberly Matheson, the Laura F. Willes Research Fellow at the Maxwell Institute.In this episode, they discuss the text of the book of Alma, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast. In this episode, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Daniel Becerra, a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the book of Mosiah, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye, our longtime associate at the Maxwell Institute, died on April 23rd, 2024. We join with many in mourning her loss and celebrating the remarkable legacy she left in the form of books, articles, and lots and lots of podcasts and videos. Melissa was a gifted speaker, warm, funny, faithful, and so smart.We wanted to re-release some of the Maxwell Institute interviews and lectures she delivered over the years. We are delighted to re-release her 2019 Living Faith Lecture, which she titled Making Zion. Melissa delivered this lecture here at BYU to celebrate the recent publication of her memoir, entitled Crossings. I hope you'll be as moved by Melissa's words in this lecture as I was.

Melissa Wei-Sing Inouye, our longtime associate at the Maxwell Institute, died on April 23rd, 2024. We join with many in mourning her loss and celebrating the remarkable legacy she left in the form of books, articles, and lots and lots of podcasts and videos. Melissa was a gifted speaker, warm, funny, faithful, and so smart.We wanted to re-release some of the Maxwell Institute interviews and lectures she delivered over the years. In this 2023 interview on her book, Sacred Struggle, Finding Christ on the Path of Most Resistance, Melissa and I talked about the ways that our collective struggles to build Zion can help us grow toward our divine potential. I especially loved her insight that over the course of history, many people have had visions and seen angels. What's remarkable about our faith tradition is not only its supernatural origins, but the fact that our church has held together over generations. We've somehow figured out how to get along well enough to survive and grow. And that is remarkable. Melissa attributes this strength to our doctrine of Zion, and she invites us to update our idea of service to include listening carefully to our brothers and sisters who may be different from us. I hope you enjoy this interview with our beloved friend, the one of a kind, Melissa Inouye.

Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye, our longtime associate at the Maxwell Institute, died on April 23rd, 2024. We join with many in mourning her loss and celebrating her remarkable legacy. Melissa was a gifted speaker, warm, funny, faithful, and so smart. We wanted to re-release some of the Maxwell Institute interviews and lectures she delivered over the years.In this 2019 interview hosted by Blair Hodges, Melissa talks about her book, Crossings, a bald Asian American Latter-day Saint woman scholar's ventures through life, death, cancer, and motherhood, not necessarily in that order. Crossings is my personal favorite of Melissa's many writings. As you'll hear in this interview, Melissa combined a scholar's understanding of how institutions work.With the believer's experience of the trust and belonging in a Latter-day Saint ward, to me, this is what made Melissa's perspective on our religious life together so powerful. I hope you enjoy this interview with a consummate disciple-scholar, Melissa Inouye.

Hello, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Nicholas Frederick, a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the text of the book of Mosiah, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Steven Peck, a Biology Professor at BYU and a Visiting Fellow at the Maxwell Institute. In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the books of Enos, Jarom, Omni, and Words of Mormon, giving them context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Steven Peck, a Professor of Biology, and Visiting Fellow at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the books of Enos, Jarom, Omni, and Words of Mormon, giving them context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Joseph Spencer, a Professor of Ancient Scripture at BYU. In this episode, they discuss the text of the book of Enos, Jarom, Omni, and Words of Mormon, giving them context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Hello, and thanks for listening to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Kristian Heal, a Neal A. Maxwell Senior Research Fellow, and former co-host of the Abide podcast.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the book of Jacob, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

While our editing team is working on the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, we decided to re-release an episode from The Questions We Should Be Asking featuring Kimberly Matheson. We hope you enjoy it. If you can take the time to write us a positive review wherever you're listening to this, we would love to hear your feedback.

On this episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast interviews Jeffrey Cannon, a Laura F. Willes Research Associate and BYU Professor of Ancient Scripture. Jeff is currently teaching The Book of Mormon part 2 and Foundations of the Restoration.They delve into the book of Jacob, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome to another episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Timothy Farrant, a postdoctoral fellow at the Maxwell Institute.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the book of 2 Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Welcome to the third episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Joshua Sears, a professor of ancient scripture at BYU.In this episode, they discuss the text of Book of 2 Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Part 2 of the 1 Nephi episode with Jasmin Rappleye.Welcome to the second episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Jasmin Rappleye Gimenez, the Communications Director of Scripture Central.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the Book of 1 Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.References:Approaching the Tree: Interpreting 1 Nephi 8. Eds. Benjamin Keogh, Joseph M. Spencer, and Jennifer Champoux. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2023. Available at https://a.co/d/7o8VLDr Spencer, Joseph. 1st Nephi: a brief theological introduction. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2020. Available at https://a.co/d/8hdesoi Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and JoAnn H. Seely. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2004. Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/glimpses-lehi%E2%80%99s-jerusalem Reynolds, Noel B. “The Political Dimension in Nephi's Small Plates.” BYU Studies Quarterly27:4 (1987). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/node/128 Hardy, Grant. Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2010. Bradley, Don. The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon's Missing Stories. United States, Greg Kofford Books, 2019. Welch, John W. “Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1:1 (1992). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/legal-perspectives-slaying-laban

Welcome to the second episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast talks with Jasmin Rappleye Gimenez, the Communications Director of Scripture Central.In this episode, they discuss the scholarship surrounding the Book of 1 Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.References:Approaching the Tree: Interpreting 1 Nephi 8. Eds. Benjamin Keogh, Joseph M. Spencer, and Jennifer Champoux. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2023. Available at https://a.co/d/7o8VLDr Spencer, Joseph. 1st Nephi: a brief theological introduction. Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University, 2020. Available at https://a.co/d/8hdesoi Glimpses of Lehi's Jerusalem. Eds. John W. Welch, David Rolph Seely, and JoAnn H. Seely. Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, Brigham Young University, 2004. Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/glimpses-lehi%E2%80%99s-jerusalem Reynolds, Noel B. “The Political Dimension in Nephi's Small Plates.” BYU Studies Quarterly27:4 (1987). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/node/128 Hardy, Grant. Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader's Guide. United Kingdom, Oxford University Press, 2010. Bradley, Don. The Lost 116 Pages: Reconstructing the Book of Mormon's Missing Stories. United States, Greg Kofford Books, 2019. Welch, John W. “Legal Perspectives on the Slaying of Laban.” Journal of Book of Mormon Studies 1:1 (1992). Available at https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/legal-perspectives-slaying-laban

I'm talking today with Professor Michalyn Steele, a member of the faculty at the J. Reuben Clark Law School, about Bryan Stevenson and his best-selling book Just Mercy. Stevenson has spent his career assisting people in some of the worst circumstances I can imagine: those on death row or facing a life sentence. He's also a Christian, and his faith in Jesus and love of the Bible are on full display in his book. Professor Steele helped me see what Stevenson's work with imprisoned people can teach all of us about mercy and justice. This is something she knows firsthand from her own experience ministering to incarcerated women in her community. As she says, “we're in a web of hurt and brokenness, but we're also together in a web of healing and mercy.” Too often, though, we look away from that web and choose not to see our brothers and sisters in their lowest moments. Or we simply don't know how to make the connections we want to make. How to “get proximate”, as Stevenson puts it, is a question we should be asking--and it's the topic of our conversation today. I hope you enjoy it.

On this episode of the podcast, I interview Dr. Brigham Frandsen, professor of economics at Brigham Young University. Brigham happens to be my little brother, but I've looked up to him almost my whole life for his intelligence and his goodness. I invited Brigham on the show because I was curious about what disciple-scholarship looks like in quantitative or technical disciplines. Most of my guests this season have been scholars of the humanities--history, philosophy, literature--things like that. It's not hard to draw connections between those fields and the faith that we share. But are the methods and findings of economics, engineering, and mathematics equally relevant to the gospel? I think Dr. Frandsen shows convincingly that they are. Brigham shared with me an economics paper looking at the effects of certain policies aimed at rehabilitating ex-offenders by making it easier to get jobs after they've served their time. But those policies turn out to have unintended consequences that may harm employment opportunities for certain groups with clean records. So how do we protect the innocent, while helping those who want to turn their lives around? It turns out that this is a question with profound implications for lived Christian discipleship, and with immediate application in religious settings like a Latter-day Saint ward.

Welcome to the first episode of the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, where Rosalynde Welch, Associate Director of the Maxwell Institute and Host of the podcast interviews Kimberly Matheson, a Laura F. Willes Research Fellow at the Maxwell Institute. In this episode, they discuss the book of 1 Nephi, giving it context for readers of the Come, Follow Me curriculum for 2024.

Grant Hardy is among the preeminent scholars of the Book of Mormon. The North Carolina history professor has produced two volumes on Mormonism's sacred text: a study edition from Brigham Young University's Maxwell Institute, and a reader's edition from the University of Illinois Press — and now, from Oxford University Press, a third, The Annotated Book of Mormon. His latest effort is hailed as “the world's first fully annotated, academic edition of the Book of Mormon.” Indeed, its 900 pages have almost as many footnotes and commentary as the text itself. Hardy lays out the narrative like a series of stories, not as short verses, with extensive commentary and analysis about important themes, biblical connections and symbolic meanings. At the end, he adds essays to explore various ways of thinking about the Book of Mormon — as literature, ancient history, fiction, revealed scripture and world scripture. On this week's show, he talks about this massive undertaking; what Latter-day Saints often get wrong about their foundational text; why context matters when reading it; how the Book of Mormon compares and complements the Bible; and why, as a believer in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and as a scholar, he finds the book “amazingly coherent and consistent.”

Today on the podcast I'm talking with Dr. Mary Eyring, associate professor of English at Brigham Young University. Dr. Eyring studies early American literature, and her research has immersed her in the physical and spiritual suffering of ordinary women and men who, like the man Elder Eyring spoke of, reached their breaking point but had to go on. In our conversation, we turn to the work of theologian Sarah Bachelard, author of a short book titled Experiencing God in a Time of Crisis. We talked about how to move forward when a crisis, whether sudden or slow-motion, causes spiritual collapse, and how the pattern of the atonement can give us something to hold on to. Mary taught me a better question for a time of crisis. As natural as it is to ask “How could this happen?”, a better question might be: “How is God grieving in this situation?” Grieving as God grieves, not as our anxious and frightened human minds want to, can lead us through the valley of the shadow of death into a larger and truer life.

Today on the podcast I'm talking with Dr. Christopher Oscarson, a scholar of environmental humanities and an associate dean of undergraduate education at BYU. Christopher, or Chip as he's known, recently delivered an address entitled “Let Your Education Change You,” and I wanted to talk with him about another important speech he cited in his talk, President Spencer W. Kimball's landmark address “The Second Century of Brigham Young University.” Dr. Oscarson challenged me to ask not how learning can help me get ahead, but how it can refine my character. We talk about the challenges of faith-based higher education, whether real learning can happen outside the classroom, and why President Kimball worried about “invading ideologies.” I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Life's resistance is the topic of my guest Melissa Inouye's new book, Sacred Struggle: Seeking Christ on the Path of Most Resistance. Dr. Inouye works in the Church History Department, where she specializes in global Christianity and the global Latter-day Saint tradition. Her new book draws on both her professional expertise and her personal experience to think about why and how and what to do when life is just … hard. The book is divided into three sections: struggles that result from human bodies and agency, the sacredness of our fellow creatures, and the imperative to build Zion. In each case, Melissa shows how sources of resistance can transform us into beings more like our Heavenly Parents--wiser, more loving, and more aware of the entire human family. At the same time, she manages never to romanticize or minimize suffering. She's honest about anguish, but she's tenacious in clinging to our vision of Zion. One of the things I enjoyed most about this book is Dr. Inouye's love of the scriptures. She turns often to scripture for truth and encouragement, and she has a way of finding new meaning in familiar words. I decided to organize our conversation around a few of the most interesting scripture discussions in the book, and I think you'll be surprised and enlightened at what she's found.

On this episode of the Maxwell Institute podcast, I talk with Rachael Johnson, a postdoctoral fellow at the Maxwell Institute, and a brilliant young scholar of early modern intellectual history. Dr. Johnson studies Christian theologies of embodiment -- the spiritual and religious significance of Christ's body, and of our own bodies made in his image.Elder Jeffrey R. Holland taught powerfully that “We simply must understand the revealed, restored Latter-day Saint doctrine of the soul, and the high and inextricable part the body plays in that doctrine.” Our bodies are the ever-present condition of our experience, so it's easy to tune them out and ignore--or resent--their role in our spiritual life. But Dr. Johnson gave me a whole new understanding of how our bodies can connect and empower us in light of the teachings of the Restoration and the gospel of Christ. ReferencesCaroline Walker Bynum. "Why all the fuss about the body? A medievalist's perspective." Critical inquiry 22.1 (1995): 1-33.Jeffrey R. Holland. “Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments.” https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland/souls-symbols-sacraments/BYU Mission StatementMI Youtube and Publications Page

In July of 2022, Rosalynde Welch had a distinct impression while cleaning her house — that she should reach out to Kate Holbrook and ask how she could help share more of Kate's own writing and thinking with the world.As many of you know, Kate was a historian, scholar, and a light in so many lives. Kate had been previously diagnosed with a rare eye cancer, which had just entered a terminal phase. As she cleaned, it struck Rosalynde that Kate had spent so much time promoting others' voices, particularly the voices of women, that the insights Kate herself needed to share were preserved. She reached out immediately, and Kate responded gratefully. Rosalynde, and a few others who she mentions in the episode, began an urgent work of gathering, compiling, and filling in gaps to complete what is now a brand new book of Kate's writing: Both Things Are True, which is part of the BYU Maxwell Institute's Living Faith series. Kate, tragically, would pass away only a few weeks after this work began, in August of 2022.And we want to be really clear about this  — this is a really special book. What comes shining through so clearly is Kate's gentle nature alongside her “backbone of steel” (as Rosalynde puts it), and perhaps more than anything, her authentic discipleship. As the book's title indicates, it wrestles with what Joseph Smith called contraries: how the church can be both true, and open to further truth; how revelation can be, how what Kate calls “the crucible of housework” can bring about a sense of both inadequacy and divinity. And, true to Kate's hope that she'd be remembered for her recipes, the book ends with Kate's own recipe for what she calls “the perfect chocolate bundt cake.”Our guest, Rosalynde, is an incredibly insightful scholar who currently works as a Senior Research Fellow at the Maxwell Institute. She has also hosted the Maxwell Institute podcast since March of this year, a resource which we can't recommend strongly enough, especially with Rosalynde at the helm.

President Nelson recently taught, “As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths.” The prophet has asked us how we “Hear Him”--but have you thought about how you “See Him”? Do you bring pictures or other artistic representations of Christ into your spiritual life? For today's episode I interview Dr. Anthony Sweat, an oil painter himself and a professor of Church history and doctrine at BYU. Dr. Sweat has thought a lot about art and faith, in his creative and his scholarly pursuits. We discussed a fascinating article he co-authored analyzing Latter-day Saints' preference for pictures of Christ praying in Gethsemane over Christ on the cross. We talk about why this might be the case, why we should make a point to include the crucifixion in our spiritual reflection, and how to incorporate art more deliberately into our faith lives. Instead of asking, “What picture would look best above the couch?” Anthony challenged me to ask, “What am I seeking from art, and do my artistic choices lead me to Christ?” It's not always about what looks prettiest. It can be hard to view the death of the Savior. But the experience can draw us to him. Join us, and see what you think.

Today I'm speaking with Dr. Ryan Tobler, a scholar of American religious history. Dr. Tobler worked as a postdoctoral fellow here at the Maxwell Institute for a year, and now is off to a new position as a lecturer at the University of Heidelberg. We'll miss him, but we're thrilled for his success. Ryan and I discussed an article he wrote about the beginnings of the practice of baptism for the dead among the early Saints. He taught me that baptism for the dead doesn't only answer questions about the afterlife. Baptism for the dead is also for the living: it's profoundly empowering in modern life, changing our relationship to our own inevitable death and healing our troubled relationship with our bodies. President Nelson taught that “Jesus Christ is the reason we build temples.” Dr. Tobler shows us how baptism for the dead kickstarted the modern Restoration of temple work, and how it draws us to Christ in its symbolism, its ritual, and its real spiritual power. I was really inspired by this conversation, and I hope you can feel the power of the ideas we discussed.

This week we're sharing something really special  — it's Terryl Givens' talk that opened last year's Restore gathering. In it, Terryl gets more personal than we've ever heard him, telling a dramatic story about nearly drowning off the West coast of Africa and how the experience has helped him frame key aspects of his faith.Terryl also shares some other really meaningful moments from his life and career. In one of our favorite moments, he says "I have come to know the love of God as it is manifest in a community of people working to keep one another from drowning."We imagine that almost all of you know Terryl by now, but as a reminder, he's a Neal A. Maxwell Senior Research Fellow at BYU's Maxwell Institute. He formerly held the Jabez A. Bostwick Chair of English and was Professor of Literature and Religion at the University of Richmond. He is the author of many books about Latter-day Saint history and culture, including, along with his wife Fiona, All Things New, which was published by Faith Matters in 2020.