The Interpreter Foundation Podcast

In this episode, Dr. Matthew Bowen discusses his recent article in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, where he analyzes Mormon’s wordplay in what are commonly called the war chapters in Alma. Dr. Bowen builds on his previous work, connecting Nephi’s name with the Egyptian word nefer, meaning “good,” showing how the Book of Mormon authors will often associate Nephite or Nephi with ideas that are positive and pleasing to God. In this article, Dr. Bowen contrasts that with names coming from the Hebrew root mlk, which refers to kingship or rulership. In the podcast, Bowen discusses how this can indicate oppressive behavior that is displeasing to God. Mormon uses this wordplay in Alma to illustrate how the Lord wants individuals to focus on the true king, Jesus Christ, who brings everything good.

The post Conversations with Interpreter: Matt Bowen and “Inspired by a Better Cause” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Michael Hawkins, Infinite Contingencies: Insights on Latter-Day Saint Doctrine and Practice (Springville, UT: Cedar Fort, 2025). 120 pages. $16.99 (paperback).

Abstract: A recent book by Michael Hawkins provides subjective answers to timeless gospel questions and practices. Some readers will enjoy its novel approach and will gain insights that will help them live and apply the Restored gospel. Its unsystematic and lay approach, however, is neither apologetic nor scholarly.

The post An Unsystematic Dive into Gospel Questions first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the March 12, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest John Gee discuss John’s background, Hugh Nibley, and Joseph in Egypt.

The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — March 12, 2026 with John Gee first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Camrey continues her conversation with Susan Easton Black about the youthful Brigham Young. Our hosts also explore how Brigham came to encounter the Book of Mormon, and how he reacted to this new book of scripture.

The post Becoming Brigham Episode 7: Young Brigham Young, Part Two first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode, Stephen Smoot talks about his new study edition of the Pearl of Great Price, published by Scripture Central and the Interpreter Foundation. Stephen shares why he wrote this commentary, and what he feels Latter-day Saints can learn from reading a commentary on the Pearl of Great Price. The commentary builds on years of new work in the study of the Pearl of Great Price, making it an incredibly valuable study resource. Stephen also discusses the most interesting parts of researching and writing the study edition, as well as some harder elements behind-the-scenes that were more difficult.

The post Conversations with Interpreter Episode 6 Stephen Smoot: The Pearl of Great Price – A Study Edition for Latter-day Saints first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the March 5, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest Brent Schmidt discuss BYU’s New Testament Commentary series, which Brent has been involved in.

The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — March 5, 2026 with Brent Schmidt first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

We tend to think of Brigham Young as the stern-faced old man from the few existing photos. But what was he like during his formative years? Our hosts explore this question, and Camrey interviews Susan Easton Black to get the historian's perspective on the young Brigham.

The post Becoming Brigham Episode 6: Young Brigham Young, Part One first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode, Avram and Thora interview Matthew L. Bowen, a professor of Religious Education from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Bowen has published numerous studies on ancient wordplay in the Book of Mormon. Bowen discusses his study recently published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship which explores Mormon’s use of the Hebrew root ḥayil/ḥêl, a root that has a wide range of meanings, including “wealth,” “abundance,” and “army.” Bowen argues that Mormon deploys this in a variety of ways in his portrayal of the people of Helam in Mosiah 23, providing new perspectives on the idea of prosperity in the Book of Mormon. Building off of Bowen’s paper, this episode talks about how this helps us better understand other ancient aspects of Nephite culture like orality and the centrality of the Exodus narrative.

The post Conversations with Interpreter Episode 5: Matthew Bowen, “Naming and Narrative Irony in Mosiah 23” first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Review of Patrick Q. Mason and J. David Pulsipher, Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021). 290 pages. $19.99 (paperback).

Abstract: Proclaim Peace is a very timely and serious engagement with questions of peace. Consisting of roughly equal parts challenging scriptural exegesis, well-documented historical research, and earnest social activism, it may be taken as exemplary of current LDS academic opinion and institutional action on the interface between religion and politics. This work compels us to consider a critical question: Do we interpret the core meaning of peace as a temporal project of seeking justice? Or do we understand, contextualize, and moderate our passion for temporal justice relative to a promise of eternal peace? If we are intent on unifying heaven and earth, we should be careful from which direction we are working.

The post Where Will We Turn for Peace? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: God didn’t “set a mark” on Cain. Instead, he gave Cain a sign. The unfortunate translation of Genesis 4:15 in the King James Bible (KJV) has been the source of much misunderstanding over the years. This article is about the English words that the King James translators chose in Genesis 4:15 and the Hebrew words from which they are translated. It shows that the renderings of the words in that verse are inconsistent with how the KJV treats the same words and grammatical features in other passages. The result is a translation that cannot be justified from the Hebrew Bible.

The post The Lord Gave Cain a Sign first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.