The Interpreter Foundation Podcast

This is an Interpreter Radio Roundtable for Come, Follow Me Old Testament Lesson 51, “I Have Loved You, Saith the Lord” on Malachi. The panelists for this roundtable were Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye, Stephen O. Smoot, and Hales Swift. This roundtable was extracted from the November 6th broadcast of Interpreter Radio. The complete show may be heard at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-November-6-2022/. The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com. Call in to 801-254-1640 with your questions and comments during the live show.

The Interpreter Radio Show is a weekly discussion of matters of interest to the hosts, guests, and callers of the show. The views expressed on the Interpreter Radio Show are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Interpreter Foundation, nor should statements made on the show be construed as official doctrinal statements of the Church.

 

Abstract: The seeming appearance of a lineal or generational curse in the Book of Abraham has been used erroneously to marginalize people and justify racist ideas in Latter-day Saint history. To avoid any further misinterpretation of scripture in ways that are hurtful to others, the following attempts to elucidate the meaning of lineal curses within the Book of Abraham’s claimed ancient provenance. “Cursed” often reflected a simple legalistic concept, applicable to any person regardless of race, that meant one was currently in a state of disinheritance. An individual might be in a state of disinheritance if they violated any requirement necessary to receive their inheritance, and any descendant who remained an heir of a person who no longer had an inheritance to give was also considered disinherited or “cursed,” even though they may have personally done nothing wrong. This ancient understanding of cursing as disinheritance provides better context and clarity to many of Joseph Smith’s revelations and translations, including the Book of Abraham. Arguably, the scriptures and revelations of the Latter-day Saint tradition, including the Bible, indicate that the eternal blessings of a kingdom (land) and priestly kingship/queenship (priesthood) originate from God but must be inherited through an unbroken ancestral chain forged via covenant. Indeed, the express purpose of sealing children to parents in modern Latter-day Saint temples is to make them “heirs.” Consequently, moving towards a better understanding of the roles inheritance and disinheritance play in receiving the divine blessings of the covenant might be beneficial generally and help readers avoid racist interpretations of the Book of Abraham and other scripture. This is especially the case when it is understood that being disinherited, in a gospel context, does not need to be a permanent status when one relies on the grace of the Holy Messiah and [Page 98]submits to those divine laws and covenant rites whereby one can literally inherit the promised blessings.

The Book of Abraham, which Joseph Smith started publishing in 1842 as a divinely revealed translation of a text “purporting to be the writings of Abraham … upon papyri,” gives a first-person account of two major events from the patriarch’s life: 1) his initial calling by God at an altar where he nearly experienced capital punishment at the hands of a “priest of Elkenah,” who “was also the priest of Pharaoh” (see Abraham 1:1–31) and 2) his later covenant with God that included divine temple-like instruction concerning pre-mortal spirits (whose organization and relationships are compared to various heavenly bodies) as well as the creation of the earth and mankind (see Abraham 2:1–5:21).1 Passages within the first event appear to suggest that some kind of generational curse prohibited the king of Egypt from having the right to priesthood. The reader is told that from the biblical Ham “sprang that race which preserved the curse in the land” and that Pharaoh, as a descendant of Ham, was “of that lineage by which he could not have the right of Priesthood,” though the pharaohs generally would “fain claim it from Noah, through Ham” (Abraham 1:21, 24, 27).

 

In this episode, our hosts Bruce Webster, Kris Frederickson and Martin Tanner introduce our new show format. Each show will be divided into a number of segments that may vary from week to week. One segment will provide information that will supplement the study of the Come, Follow Me lesson material for 2023 and will be called “The New Testament in Context.” Another segment will provide evidences in support of the Church, or responses to criticisms of the Church and will be called “Advocacy of the Restored Gospel.” As a starting point, this segment will use the new Institute manual entitled “Answering My Gospel Questions.” Finally, there will be a segment of general discussion that may include comments on recent Interpreter Foundation publications or activities.

You can listen to or download the non-Come, Follow Me portions of the November 20th broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. These three audio tracks will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast):

The “New Testament in Context” portion of this show will be posted on December 20, the week before the beginning of the first Come, Follow Me lesson for the 2023 year.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com. Call in to 801-254-1640 with your questions and comments during the live show.

 

Original air date: November 20, 2022. These recording have been edited to remove commercial breaks.

Restoration Advocacy, Part 1: How did King James Bible verses end up in the Book of Mormon?

Restoration Advocacy, Part 2: How do I find good information to answer my questions?

General Discussion: Kevin Christensen’s article about Margaret Barker in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The Interpreter Radio Show is a weekly discussion of matters of interest to the hosts, guests, and callers of the show. The views expressed on the Interpreter Radio Show are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Interpreter Foundation, nor should statements made on the show be construed as official doctrinal statements of the Church.

 

 

In this episode, our hosts Bruce Webster, Kris Frederickson and Martin Tanner introduce our new show format. Each show will be divided into a number of segments that may vary from week to week. One segment will provide information that will supplement the study of the Come, Follow Me lesson material for 2023 and will be called “The New Testament in Context.” Another segment will provide evidences in support of the Church, or responses to criticisms of the Church and will be called “Advocacy of the Restored Gospel.” As a starting point, this segment will use the new Institute manual entitled “Answering My Gospel Questions.” Finally, there will be a segment of general discussion that may include comments on recent Interpreter Foundation publications or activities.

You can listen to or download the non-Come, Follow Me portions of the November 20th broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. These three audio tracks will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast):

The “New Testament in Context” portion of this show will be posted on December 20, the week before the beginning of the first Come, Follow Me lesson for the 2023 year.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com. Call in to 801-254-1640 with your questions and comments during the live show.

 

Original air date: November 20, 2022. These recording have been edited to remove commercial breaks.

Restoration Advocacy, Part 1: How did King James Bible verses end up in the Book of Mormon?

Restoration Advocacy, Part 2: How do I find good information to answer my questions?

General Discussion: Kevin Christensen’s article about Margaret Barker in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The Interpreter Radio Show is a weekly discussion of matters of interest to the hosts, guests, and callers of the show. The views expressed on the Interpreter Radio Show are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Interpreter Foundation, nor should statements made on the show be construed as official doctrinal statements of the Church.

 

 

In this episode, our hosts Bruce Webster, Kris Frederickson and Martin Tanner introduce our new show format. Each show will be divided into a number of segments that may vary from week to week. One segment will provide information that will supplement the study of the Come, Follow Me lesson material for 2023 and will be called “The New Testament in Context.” Another segment will provide evidences in support of the Church, or responses to criticisms of the Church and will be called “Advocacy of the Restored Gospel.” As a starting point, this segment will use the new Institute manual entitled “Answering My Gospel Questions.” Finally, there will be a segment of general discussion that may include comments on recent Interpreter Foundation publications or activities.

You can listen to or download the non-Come, Follow Me portions of the November 20th broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. These three audio tracks will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast):

The “New Testament in Context” portion of this show will be posted on December 20, the week before the beginning of the first Come, Follow Me lesson for the 2023 year.

The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com. Call in to 801-254-1640 with your questions and comments during the live show.

 

Original air date: November 20, 2022. These recording have been edited to remove commercial breaks.

Restoration Advocacy, Part 1: How did King James Bible verses end up in the Book of Mormon?

Restoration Advocacy, Part 2: How do I find good information to answer my questions?

General Discussion: Kevin Christensen’s article about Margaret Barker in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship

The Interpreter Radio Show is a weekly discussion of matters of interest to the hosts, guests, and callers of the show. The views expressed on the Interpreter Radio Show are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Interpreter Foundation, nor should statements made on the show be construed as official doctrinal statements of the Church.

 

This essay examines the details of ongoing wars between science and religion and shows why they are not only futile and senseless, but also unnecessary. Sometimes such battles cause people to forget important ideals that science and religion hold in common. It is important for religious movements to stay focused on religion and not embrace in their central belief systems some particular scientific theory or worldview that will eventually become obsolete with continued research advances. As Holmes Rolston observed, “The religion that is married to science today will be a widow tomorrow.” Both scientists and religious believers can stand in awe at the majesty of the universe. So why all the fighting?

Presented at:

2013 Interpreter Symposium on Science & Mormonism: Cosmos, Earth & ManSaturday, November 9, 2013https://interpreterfoundation.org/conferences/2013-symposium-science-mormonism-cosmos-earth-man/

Article Reprint:

“Science & Mormonism Series 1: Cosmos, Earth, and Man, Science vs. Religion: Can this Marriage Be Saved?”, The Interpreter Foundation, November 4, 2019https://interpreterfoundation.org/reprint-sm1-1-science-vs-religion-can-this-marriage-be-saved/

Conference Proceedings:

Cosmos, Earth, and Man at https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/science-and-mormonism-cosmos-earth-and-man/

Listen to an audio recording of this talk:

Download PDF

  Download audio recording

 

Between March 7th and October 17th in 1954, Hugh Nibley delivered a series of 30 weekly lectures on KSL Radio that were also published as pamphlets. The series called “Time Vindicates the Prophets” was given in answer to those who were challenging the right of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to call themselves Christians.

This lecture looks at the idea of miracles within the Church and compares them with those found in the world.

All 30 recordings are available immediately in the Complete Bibliography for Hugh Nibley (CBHN) at https://interpreterfoundation.org/bibliographies/hugh-w-nibley/lectures/

 

This is an Interpreter Radio Roundtable for Come, Follow Me Old Testament Lesson 50, “Holiness unto the Lord” on Haggai; Zechariah 1–3; 7–14. The panelists for this roundtable were Martin Tanner and Terry Hutchinson. This roundtable was extracted from the October 30th broadcast of Interpreter Radio. The complete show may be heard at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreter-radio-show-October-30-2022/. The Interpreter Radio Show can be heard Sunday evenings from 7 to 9 PM (MDT), on K-TALK, AM 1640, or you can listen live on the Internet at ktalkmedia.com. Call in to 801-254-1640 with your questions and comments during the live show.

The Interpreter Radio Show is a weekly discussion of matters of interest to the hosts, guests, and callers of the show. The views expressed on the Interpreter Radio Show are those of the individuals involved and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Interpreter Foundation, nor should statements made on the show be construed as official doctrinal statements of the Church.

 

Episode 1 ⎜ Episode 2 ⎜ Episode 3 ⎜ Episode 4 ⎜ Episode 5 ⎜ Episode 6 ⎜ Episode 7 ⎜ Episode 8 ⎜ Episode 9 ⎜ Episode 10 ⎜ Episode 11 ⎜ Episode 12 ⎜ Episode 13 ⎜ Episode 14 ⎜ Episode 15 ⎜ Episode 16 ⎜ Episode 17 ⎜ Episode 18 ⎜ Episode 19 ⎜ Episode 20 ⎜ Episode 21 ⎜ Episode 22 ⎜ Episode 23 ⎜ Episode 24 ⎜ Episode 25 ⎜ Episode 26 ⎜ Episode 27 ⎜ Episode 28 ⎜ Episode 29 ⎜ Episode 30 ⎜ Episode 31 ⎜ Episode 32

 

The need to stand as a witness is not just something from historical times, but just as necessary today. President of the Interpreter Foundation, Dan Peterson, shares his witness of the witnesses, and of the Book of Mormon.

This is the thirty-second in a series compiled from the many interviews conducted during the course of the Witnesses film project. This series of mini-films is being released each Saturday at 7pm MDT. These additional resources are hosted by Camrey Bagley Fox, who played Emma Smith in Witnesses, as she introduces and visits with a variety of experts. These individuals answer questions or address accusations against the witnesses, also helping viewers understand the context of the times in which the witnesses lived. This week we feature Daniel C. Peterson,

Abstract: The Book of Mormon story of Jacob and Sherem has been evaluated and interpreted from many different viewpoints over the years. In his retelling of the story, Jacob crafted a cautionary tale of religious hubris and self-importance that can serve as an important lesson for members of the church today. In this paper I use various methodologies to examine the interaction between Jacob and Sherem — including comparative scriptural analysis, semantics, and Hebraic syntax and structural elements — in an attempt to increase our understanding of the relationship between Jacob and Sherem.

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In this paper I endeavor to interpret the interaction between Jacob and Sherem in novel ways. I explore various elements of the story through comparative scriptural study, semantic analysis, and examination of Hebraic semantics and parallel structures. I demonstrate that Sherem was probably a resident of Jacob’s Nephite community, that likely the two rivals knew each other well and engaged in repeated conversations with other, and that Jacob employed the use of Hebrew word repetition and parallel structures in his retelling of the story. While Sherem rebuked Jacob by accusing him of leading the people away from “the right way,” we can observe that Sherem was the guilty party and not Jacob. Although Sherem demanded a sign from God, an act that culminated in his own death, I demonstrate that it was Sherem himself who became “a sign and a proverb” to the Nephites (see Ezekiel 14:8).

There Came a Man

The final chapter of the book of Jacob describes an encounter between Jacob and a man named Sherem, who came “among the people of Nephi:”

[Page 66]And now it came to pass that some years had passed away and there came a man among the people of Nephi whose name was Sherem. And it came to pass that he began to preach among the people and to declare unto them that there should be no Christ. (Jacob 7:1–2)1

Keith Thompson asked: “Who was Sherem, and where did he come from? Was he a Nephite, a Lamanite, or someone else, perhaps a wandering Jaredite or a Mulekite?”2 Some Latter-day Saint scholars have proposed that the wording of this passage — “there came a man among the people of Nephi” —indicates that Sherem possibly came from outside the local Nephite community.