President Russell M. Nelson was sustained as the 17th president and prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January 2018.  Things in the Church have not been the same since.  BYU religion professor Mark Ogletree has recently published on President Nelson’s tenure, and his remarkable life that prepared him for this moment. This episode explores the ministry of Russell M. Nelson, giving powerful lessons from this modern prophet, seer, and revelator. 

While many commandments are fairly clear, how to “remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy” has been debated for millennia. Professor Gaye Strathearn from BYU Religious Education has researched this discussion during the centuries surrounding Jesus’s mortal ministry. This episode explores efforts to navigate the Sabbath day by Israelites in the late second temple period, and how we can learn from them to remember and keep the Sabbath holy today.

What does it mean that our Savior is both human and divine? This is a question Christianity has wrestled with for centuries, with profound theological implications. In this insightful episode, BYU religion’s Dr. Jason Combs explains four types of beliefs about the nature of Christ that were prevalent in ancient Christianity, why this dialogue was important, and how learning from ancient Christians can help Latter-day Saints to better understand the God we worship. 

My God, why hast thou forsaken me? Over the years, that spiritual cry has been felt internally and uttered verbally by many believers in their most pressing trials, including by Jesus upon the cross.  But does it mean what we think? BYU religion professor Shon Hopkin has published on the background and significance of that phrase. In this episode he analyzes and applies Messianic verses from its origin in Psalm 22, strengthening our hope in our trials through Christ’s suffering and redemptive triumph. 

Scriptures are a revelatory tool.  Although using it may be intuitive to some, like any tool some expert instruction is often helpful to unlock its full capacity. While many Christians know what a “Study Bible” is to aid them in understanding, fewer Latter-day Saints know about or utilize one. In this episode, professor Joshua Sears introduces the concept, addresses common reservations, and shares insightful reasons why a study Bible can be a great asset to our scripture study.

Although it is common to view Gadianton and his followers in the Book of Mormon as driven by a purely evil desire for power, there could be more to their movement.  Why else could their rebellion persuade “the more part of the righteous…to believe in their works” (Helaman 6:38)?  Professor Dan Belnap examines the root of this rebellion, and why it may have more application today than some might think. 

Since 2012, archaeologists at the Galilean village of Huqoq have been uncovering an intricate mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue.  This 5th century mosaic depicts biblical scenes of Samson, Jonah, Noah’s ark, Pharaoh’s army, and snapshots of daily life in antiquity. In this episode, BYU religion’s Dr. Matthew Grey—who was supervising the synagogue excavation when it was uncovered— discusses details from this discovery, and how the archaeology of Roman Galilee can inform our understanding of the Bible.  

The word “liminal” isn’t in most people’s everyday vocabulary.  Although the word is rare, the experience it summarizes is not, particularly in religious life. Liminality means to be in an in-between space, on the verge of transformation, or at a threshold—like a doorway. In this insightful episode, Dr. Charles Swift analyzes the Brother of Jared’s liminal experience in Ether 2 and 3, and what it can teach us today about  our own interactions with and answers from the Lord.

The Prophet Joseph Smith once taught that “all priesthood is Melchizedek.”  Thus, the restoration of the priesthood can be understood as a series of heavenly events, including a relatively unknown experience with the Lord at Peter Whitmer Sr.’s farmhouse.  In this powerful episode, Dr. Michael Hubbard MacKay explains what happened “in the chamber of old Father Whitmer” (D&C 128:21) and why it matters to our understanding of priesthood.

One of the great debates of the 16th century took place between William Tyndale and Thomas More over Tyndale’s translation of the Bible into English. Both men knew how words had the power to shape theology.  Tyndale’s translation informed later English translations, including the King James Version.  But were Tyndale’s choices right? In this episode, Dr. Jan Martin shares her research on how the King James language in the Book of Mormon provides amazing insights into these theological translation debates.