meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Maxwell Institute Podcast

Maxwell Institute Podcast #175: Divine Law (Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants) with Justin Collings

Maxwell Institute Podcast

Maxwell Institute Podcast

Religion & Spirituality, Education, Christianity

4.8789 Ratings

🗓️ 25 February 2025

⏱️ 64 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

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

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

From Brigham Young University's Maxwell Institute, this is the Maxwell Institute,

0:12.8

Faith, Illuminating Scholarship.

0:15.8

I'm Rosalind Welch, Associate Director of the Institute and host of the podcast.

0:20.6

I've got a fantastic interview for you today,

0:23.3

but before we jump into it, I wanted to let you know about the Maxwell Institute blog, which you can

0:29.1

find by going to my.bbyu.edu and then clicking on the news and blog tab at the top. We'll be posting new content on the blog weekly,

0:40.4

including excerpts from each volume in themes in the Doctrine and Covenants.

0:45.3

In addition, twice a month,

0:47.0

we'll post a talk from Elder Neil A. Maxwell,

0:50.3

our institute's namesake and a towering figure in Latter-day Saint intellectual life.

0:56.6

With the help of the Maxwell family, we've identified 24 of Elder Maxwell's most enduring

1:02.0

talks, some of them previously unpublished, and will be making them available on our website.

1:08.7

These talks are a perfect gateway to Elder Maxwell for those who may not know his

1:13.4

work yet. When I told a friend about this project, she said, one of my favorite things is when my

1:19.3

sons discover Elder Maxwell. They'll start quoting some of his gems, and I just smile and nod.

1:26.9

I couldn't agree more, and I hope you'll make it a habit

1:29.9

to check the Maxwell Institute blog periodically. It's a great way to hear directly from our scholars

1:35.9

and get a taste of everything that's going on here. And now, on to the main feature. Today, I'm

1:43.7

joined by Dr. Justin Collings to discuss his new book,

1:47.7

Divine Law, just out from the Maxwell Institute, as part of its themes in the Doctrine

1:52.8

and Covenants series. This volume is one of seven, and will be featuring interviews with each

1:58.7

of the authors over the next few months.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Maxwell Institute Podcast, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Maxwell Institute Podcast and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2025.