Maxwell Institute Podcast

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.

Transcribed - Published: 12 May 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 1 April 2025

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.

Transcribed - Published: 17 March 2025

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

Transcribed - Published: 25 February 2025

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_Yg6ReZko (https://www.deseretbook.com/product/6075134.html?srsltid=AfmBOoo1ejtN94I-MqlDGGmGETf1eKBIrNwWcLaUQYnHnvx_Yg6ReZko)https://www.amazon.com/Agency-Doctrine-Covenants-Terryl-Givens/dp/0842501339 (https://www.amazon.com/Agency-Doctrine-Covenants-Terryl-Givens/dp/0842501339)

Transcribed - Published: 17 January 2025

Thank you for listening to the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast this year. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Transcribed - Published: 23 December 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 17 December 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.

Transcribed - Published: 13 December 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.

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 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.

Transcribed - Published: 2 December 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.

Transcribed - Published: 20 November 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.

Transcribed - Published: 1 November 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.

Transcribed - Published: 9 October 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.

Transcribed - Published: 2 October 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.

Transcribed - Published: 12 September 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.

Transcribed - Published: 4 September 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 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.

Transcribed - Published: 31 July 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.

Transcribed - Published: 10 July 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.

Transcribed - Published: 12 June 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.

Transcribed - Published: 2 June 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.

Transcribed - Published: 14 May 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.

Transcribed - Published: 8 May 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. 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.

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 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 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.

Transcribed - Published: 7 May 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 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.

Transcribed - Published: 30 April 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.

Transcribed - Published: 22 April 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.

Transcribed - Published: 16 April 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.

Transcribed - Published: 8 April 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.

Transcribed - Published: 22 March 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 5 March 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.

Transcribed - Published: 19 February 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.

Transcribed - Published: 5 February 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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/legal-perspectives-slaying-laban)

Transcribed - Published: 29 January 2024

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 (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 (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 (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 (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 (https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/content/legal-perspectives-slaying-laban)

Transcribed - Published: 29 January 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 14 January 2024

Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, host of the Maxwell Institute Podcast announces a new show–the Book of Mormon Studies Podcast, which will be hosted in this feed. 2 episodes will be posted each month, one exploring the assigned text from Come, Follow Me, and the other exploring the most important books or articles relating to it.

Transcribed - Published: 9 January 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 1 January 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 1 January 2024

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.

Transcribed - Published: 31 December 2023

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.

Transcribed - Published: 15 December 2023

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.

Transcribed - Published: 13 November 2023

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/ (https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/jeffrey-r-holland/souls-symbols-sacraments/)BYU Mission Statement (https://aims.byu.edu/byu-mission-statement#:~:text=The%20mission%20of%20Brigham%20Young,for%20perfection%20and%20eternal%20life.)MI Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/@byumaxwell) and Publications (https://mi.byu.edu/publications) Page

Transcribed - Published: 31 October 2023

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.

Transcribed - Published: 15 September 2023

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.

Transcribed - Published: 30 August 2023

This episode of the podcast is very close to my heart. I’m speaking with Dr. Miranda Wilcox, my friend and colleague, about a new book just out from the Maxwell Institute, written by the late Kate Holbrook and titled Both Things Are True. Miranda and I had the privilege of shepherding the book to completion after Kate died of cancer in 2022. Miranda, who is a professor of English at BYU, co-edits the Maxwell Institute’s book series we call “Living Faith,” a series now up to seventeen titles featuring scholars who write in a personal, conversational way from their professional expertise to strengthen faith. In that capacity, Dr. Wilcox served as lead editor for Both Things Are True, the latest book in the series. Kate Holbrook, who at the time of her death was the managing historian of women’s history at the Church History Department and a longtime friend and advisor to the Institute, spent her professional life discovering and amplifying the voices of other women, and mentoring other people in how to do the same. So Miranda and I wanted to find a very special lens to approach this very special book. We settled on a luminous essay by the French philosopher and mystic Simone Weil, a writer whom Kate revered and whose rigorous spirituality inspired Kate’s own scholarly methods. We felt that Weil’s essay resonates in profound ways with Kate’s aims in Both Things Are True, and we hope that the essay will be a kind of gift to you from Kate. We also hope, of course, that this interview will inspire you to buy the book and fully absorb the wisdom and compassion of Kate Holbrook. She wanted nothing more than to share what she had found.

Transcribed - Published: 1 August 2023

Life is a learning experience, they say. If so, what have you learned from life? Do you know it for sure? Absolutely sure? I’ll confess, this line of questioning leaves me feeling trapped in a mental corner. Is there a better question we should be asking?Today on the podcast I talk with Katie Paxman, associate professor of philosophy at BYU. Dr. Paxman studies the work of David Hume, and she’s thought a lot about certainty, humility, and the ambition to form true beliefs. Our conversation helped me to reframe my question in a more productive way. Rather than getting trapped in skepticism, I should ask: “what kind of person do I want to be when I encounter uncertainty?”Elder Richard G. Scott said, “I am convinced that there is no simple formula or technique that would immediately allow you to master the ability” to decide questions with absolute certainty. Instead, he goes on, “essential personal growth will come as you struggle to learn.“ Katie helped me approach that struggle with more humility, hope and faith. I hope you enjoy the conversation.

Transcribed - Published: 17 July 2023

Today I’m speaking with Dr. Joseph Stuart, assistant professor of history at Brigham Young University. Dr. Stuart studies race and American religion, and we knew right away that we wanted to talk about Dr. Martin Luther King and the ongoing fight for civil rights and racial harmony in our society. Joseph had the great idea to pair one of Dr. King’s speech with a related talk by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf. Both of these deeply Christian men challenge us to wake up to the world around us and look for our individual places in God’s unfolding work of restoration. In his 2019 speech to the NAACP, President Nelson quoted 2 Nephi 26:33, “black and white, bond and free, male and female… all are alike unto God,” and then said: “You who are gathered here in this room strive to make this heavenly truth an earthly reality. I commend you for it. And yet we all realize that, as a society and as a country, we have not yet achieved the harmony and mutual respect that would allow every man and woman and every boy and girl to become the very best version of themselves.” In this conversation, Dr. Stuart and I talk about how we as Latter-day Saints can likewise “strive to make the heavenly truth” of racial equality “an earthly reality.” He provides fascinating historical background for Martin Luther King’s ministry, and he puts it all into a gospel context. Dr. Stuart’s name and voice will be familiar to long-time listeners, because he hosted this podcast when he worked at the Institute as our public communications specialist a few years ago. It was fun to welcome him back on the other side of the microphone! I hope you enjoy the interview.

Transcribed - Published: 28 June 2023

Today on the podcast I talk with Ryan Davis, associate professor of political science at BYU. Dr. Davis is a philosopher, a quick and humorous conversationalist, and a great storyteller. He suggested that there might be a better way to approach belief. What if we get curious not only about the content of the specific beliefs that we hold, but also about how we hold them? What if we attend to our ways of believing as much as to our articles of belief? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said “The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.” Christ commanded us to “be not afraid; only believe.” Could it be that believing, when undertaken with integrity and courage, is important in itself? Ryan and I swapped stories, bonded over our love of ice cream, and even shared a few riddles. I hope you enjoy listening in as much as I enjoyed the conversation.

Transcribed - Published: 12 June 2023

What does it mean to be an objective judge of history--of personal history, family history, or shared human history? Are charity and objectivity opposites--or are they partners? Today on the podcast I talk to Jenny Hale Pulsipher, a professor of history at BYU and a contributor to the Maxwell Institute’s recent book Every Needful Thing: Essays on the Life of the Mind and the Heart. As an historian, Jenny specializes in finding the nuance in complex historical figures--never excusing wrongdoing, but never losing sight of the gospel’s witness that we are all children of God. In the October 2022 General Conference, Sister Anette Dennis, Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, asked, “How many wounded individuals do we have among us? How often do we judge others based on their outward appearance and actions, or lack of action, when, if we fully understood, we would instead react with compassion and a desire to help instead of adding to their burdens with our judgment?” Jenny and I talked about how to balance objectivity and charity by adding, not subtracting, individual perspectives; and about how open-eyed interaction with our families and our histories can strengthen, not weaken, our bonds of love. We talked about the ways that the histories we tell might unknowingly burden the wounded. Jenny shared an amazing story about her own family history, and she talked about how her youthful testimony of the Book of Mormon grew through a challenge that forced her to revisit the questions she brought to it. Thanks for joining us today, and I hope you enjoy this conversation with Jenny Pulsipher.

Transcribed - Published: 16 May 2023

How can we best care for the beautiful planet God has given us for our home? And why do our relationships with other humans matter so much in the work of stewardship and conservation? Today on the podcast, Rosalynde talks to Ben Abbott, a professor of Plant & Wildlife Sciences at BYU. As a scientist, Ben specializes in ecosystem ecology — the complex ways that living and non-living components interact in a given place. But he’s found that his work as a teacher and mentor has shaped his research as much — or more! — than his rugged fieldwork.The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #160: How Can We Be Effective Stewards of the Earth? Featuring Ben Abbott (https://old-wp.byu-dept-maxwellinstitute-prd.amazon.byu.edu/maxwell-institute-podcast-160-how-to-be-a-steward/) appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU (https://old-wp.byu-dept-maxwellinstitute-prd.amazon.byu.edu).

Transcribed - Published: 15 April 2023