The Interpreter Foundation Podcast

Review of Ben Witherington III, Rethinking Biblical & Systematic Theology (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2026), 232 pages, $39.00 hardback; and Ben Witherington III, The Problem with Evangelical Theology: Testing the Exegetical Foundations of Calvinism, Dispensationalism and Wesleyanism (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2005), 332 pages, $52.24 hardback.

The post Theology as Pretext first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

How did Brigham Young’s leadership during the Missouri exodus demonstrate both practical organization and deep compassion?

What does the kindness shown by the citizens of Quincy reveal about human goodness in times of crisis, and how did it impact the Saints’ faith?

How did the experiences of the Saints fleeing Missouri shape the identity and resilience of the early Church?

The post Becoming Brigham Episode 26: Interpreter’s Witnesses — Behind the Scenes first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: Alma 16 is an easily overlooked chapter in the Book of Mormon. It could be dismissed as a simple summary and “tidying up” of the narrative. It comes after two of the most dramatic scenes in the Book of Mormon, wherein women and children are burned to death in Ammonihah and Alma and Amulek are miraculously delivered from prison. It also directly precedes the account of the sons of Mosiah journeying to Lamanite lands to preach the gospel. However—as is the case with other chapters in the book of Alma that serve to summarize and conclude large sections of the text—Alma 16 is carefully developed, highly structured, and beautifully written. In this article, I will analyze the literary structure of Alma 16, which is composed of two major literary units. Both units are structured as chiasms in which the matching units share many strong links and parallels. These two chiasms also work together to engage the reader with striking parallels and dramatic contrasts. Alma 16, being the concluding chapter of Alma’s missionary efforts among the Nephites, reveals a particular splendor and distinction. The two main chiastic structures help with the exegesis of these verses by highlighting significant yet potentially underappreciated features.

The post The Literary Structure of Alma 16 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the July 16, 2026, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson discusses the Psalms, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and their application to the ancient temple with David Larsen.

The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — July 16, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

How did Brigham Young’s leadership during the Missouri exodus demonstrate both practical organization and deep compassion?

What does the kindness shown by the citizens of Quincy reveal about human goodness in times of crisis, and how did it impact the Saints’ faith?

How did the experiences of the Saints fleeing Missouri shape the identity and resilience of the early Church?

The post Becoming Brigham Episode 25: The Kindness of Quincy first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter, Avram and Thora interview Dr. Ryan Davis. Dr. Davis is a specialist in ancient Semitic poetry, studying how poetry expresses the relationship between worshipers and their gods, including the God of Israel. This episode looks at his piece, “Bearing Testimony in Hebrew: A Comparison of Ancient Israelite Temple Rituals with Modern Latter-day Saint Fast and Testimony Meetings,” first given at the Temple on Mt. Zion Conference in November 2018. In this episode, Dr. Davis talks about how the Psalms give us clues into the experiences of Israelites giving thanks at the ancient Temple. He then explores how those experiences helped establish the relationship between them and the God of Israel. Dr. Davis connects this process to that of modern Latter-day Saints who give thanks in their own Fast and Testimony meetings, creating continuity between the ancient and modern experience with God. The article is available to read at https://interpreterfoundation.org/reprint-bearing-testimony-in-hebrew

The post Conversations with Interpreter: Ryan Davis — Bearing Testimony in Hebrew first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

How did Brigham Young’s leadership during the Saints’ flight from Missouri reveal his character and prepare him for his later role as Church president? What does the kindness shown by the people of Quincy teach us about compassion in times of crisis, and how does it contrast with the persecution the Saints faced?

The post Becoming Brigham Episode 24: Leave No Poor Behind first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

Abstract: The significance of the Beatitudes, particularly their relationship to the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount, has long been debated. The Sermon has been shown to possess close similarities to certain instructions delivered in the temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Participation in temple ordinances is regulated by a series of sixteen questions regarding beliefs and behavior that are known as the Temple Recommend Interview Questions. Fourteen of these questions are asked of an individual desirous of initial entrance into the temple and participation in specific ordinances therein. The topics of these questions appear to correlate closely with the topics the Lord introduced in the Beatitudes as recorded in the New Testament and particularly in 3 Nephi 12. The two questions omitted in the initial interview, but asked of returning applicants, pertain to the keeping of temple covenants previously entered. Keeping covenants is also discussed in the Sermon but not in the form of a beatitude. Evidence shows that, through the Beatitudes, the Lord gave a preview of the qualifications needed by an individual for initial admission to the temple and participation in temple covenants; those same qualifications exist today. A clear association exists between the Beatitudes and the Sermon that follows.

The post Entry to the Temple Is through the Principles of the Beatitudes first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

In the July 2, 2026, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson discusses the physicality of the small plates in the Book of Mormon with John Gee from his presentation at the recent Small Plates of Nephi conference along with a paper from that conference on the unity of Isaiah.

The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — July 2, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.

How did Joseph Smith’s experience in Liberty Jail transform him spiritually, and why do many historians call it both a prison and a temple?

What specific leadership skills and experiences did Brigham Young gain while Joseph was in Liberty Jail that prepared him to lead the Church after the Prophet’s death?

Why is it significant that Brigham Young was already exercising authority to ordain Apostles and direct the Saints’ exodus before Joseph’s martyrdom—and what does that reveal about the foundation of Church leadership today?

The post Becoming Brigham Episode 23: Liberty—Jail or Temple? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation.