Maxwell Institute Podcast

There’s a difficulty in reading the scriptures. I’m not referring to words on the page. I’m also not referring to the habit of scripture reading, though that could certainly apply, too. No, I’m referring to making the scriptures, whose figures and narratives are familiar to many Latter-day Saints, new and refreshing and insightful. In today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast,” we discuss two figures, and use the tools of academic research to better understand what their stories might mean and our disciples’ hearts to find out what their stories might mean for us. The post Abide: Judges 2-4; 6-8; 13-16 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

“This Church will stand, because it is upon a firm basis. … The Lord has shown it to us by the revealing principle of the Holy Spirit of light.” Lorenzo Snow, April 1900 That quotes embodies much of what is going on in the third volume of SAINTS, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ ongoing history being produced by the Church Historical Department. In it, we find Latter-day Saint Christians confronting new information, ideas, and grappling with changes required of the Saints as they entered the twentieth century and globalized throughout the early twentieth century. We learn about the end of sanctioned plural marriages and how African American converts lived with racism in their local congregations. We’ll also learn about how Saints around the world embraced the challenges brought on by Revolution, Depression and world wars, and came out as stronger Saints with vibrant testimonies of the restored gospel. In today’s episode, we speak with two of the writers and editors of the Saints projec

Scholars spend entire careers debating texts, their origins, their impact, and the most valuable contributions they make to broader understanding. At the Maxwell Institute, we participate in these debates, but recognize that a text’s value cannot be narrowed down to observable fact–the long-lasting test of scripture is how it shapes the readers’ or hearers’ faith. In today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast,” we discuss the book of Joshua, exploring the meanings of the Promised Land, archaeological possibilities and limits, and early Christians understanding of Joshua as a type of Christ. The post Abide: Joshua 1-8; 23-24 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Deuteronomy is the final book in the Pentateuch, containing Moses’ last sermons, as well as poetry regarding Israel’s future. Moses pleads with Israel not to repeat their past mistakes, such as falling into idolatry. They must keep their covenants and keep the law given by Yahweh, or else they will lose the Promised Land. What does that mean for Latter-day Saints today? We’ll discuss that, and much more, on today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.” The post Abide: Deuteronomy appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell once preached, “Faith also includes trust in God’s timing, for He has said, “All things must come to pass in their time.” (D&C 64:32.) Ironically, some who acknowledge God are tried by His timing, globally and personally!” We certainly see that in the Book of Numbers. The Israelites were thirsty but had no water. God directed Moses to provide for them. Aaron helped to lead Israel to the Promised Land, but his priestly vestments were taken from him and he died before Israel entered their destination. God sent fiery serpents but he also sent the brazen serpent to deliver His chosen people. We’ll discuss these events, and much more, in this episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.” The post Abide: Numbers 11-14; 20-24 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

When someone brings up Leviticus, my mind turns almost automatically to the Law of Moses. Which, I admit, doesn’t always seem like the most applicable thing to my life. However, when reframing it to think about the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I can’t think of anything more important for Latter-day Saints to know about. We’ll discuss the end of Exodus and parts of Leviticus in this episode of “Abide” A Maxwell Institute Podcast The post Abide: Exodus 35-40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Knowing how to transform conflict is critical in both our personal and professional lives. Yet, by and large, we are terrible at it. The reason, says longtime mediator Chad Ford, is fear. When conflict comes, our instincts are to run or fight. To transform conflict, Ford says we need to turn toward the people we are in conflict with, put down our physical and emotional weapons, and really love them with the kind of love that leads us to treat others as fellow human beings, not as objects in our way. We have to open ourselves up with no guarantee that anyone on the other side will do the same. While this can feel even more dangerous than conflict itself, it allows us to see the humanity of others so clearly that their needs and desires matter to us as much as our own. Ford shows dangerous love in action through examples ranging from his work in the Middle East to a deeply moving story about reconciling with his father. He explains why we disconnect from people at the very time we need to be most connec

Often, when we speak about matters of religion, we discuss belief. “I know the Church is true. I have received a witness for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I have had these experiences and share them in Sunday school and other venues. For me, though, faith also takes place in the fleshy here-and-now. My religion is taking the sacrament on Sunday with all the ties poking out of shirt collars, special trays for those who can’t have gluten, and the silent nod of a bishop signaling that the sacramental prayer has been offered correctly. It’s laying grass for a service project or the smell of campfire from youth conferences past. I suspect that as you’ve been listening to this that you, too, have been able to think of the physical, earthy stuff of Latter-day Saint belief, practice, and culture.  Today we are going to explore the “stuff” of religion, what scholars call material culture. Through an exploration of the mundane, what some might call the ordinary, we discover God’s presence and the fa

President Spencer W. Kimball said in 1976 that “Few men have ever knowingly and deliberately chosen to reject God and his blessings. Rather, we learn from the scriptures that because the exercise of faith has always appeared to be more difficult than relying on things more immediately at hand, carnal man has tended to transfer his trust in God to material things. Therefore, in all ages when men have fallen under the power of Satan and lost the faith, they have put in its place a hope in the “arm of flesh” and in “gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know” (Dan. 5:23)—that is, in idols. This I find to be a dominant theme in the Old Testament. Whatever thing a man sets his heart and his trust in most is his god; and if his god doesn’t also happen to be the true and living God of Israel, that man is laboring in idolatry.” What can we learn from the Old Testament about worshiping God and rejecting idols? We’ll explore that, and much more, in today’s episode of “

Easter. A time for Christians to consider the life, atoning sacrifice, and miraculous resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. How can we use our knowledge of the Old Testament to deepen our Easter experiences? And how can understanding how other religions approach Easter help us commit to being better Christians and Latter-day Saints. The post Abide: Easter appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

“When we begin to see ourselves as the prodigal in that famed biblical parable, we are better able to minister to that prodigal daughter or that prodigal father. When we see them as in process and recognize the same in ourselves, we can forgive their wandering because we know we must.” The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #140: Prodigals All, with Spencer Fluhman appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

In some ways, Israel has to be feeling pretty great in Exodus 14-17. They’re finally escaping enslavement and have been delivered by God through His prophet. On the other hand, they are also between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea. Spoilers: they escape. But they didn’t know that until the moment of deliverance–they had to have faith that the Lord would provide a way for them. What can we learn from the ancient Israelites living, figuratively and literally, on the water’s edge? We’ll discuss that and more on today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.” The post Abide: Exodus 14-17 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

God delivers us. That’s one of the central takeaways of Exodus’s story. But what do we do to ensure that we remember that takeaway? In this episode of Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast, we discuss what it means to hold on in the face of adversity, to remember the actions that ensure our temporal and spiritual salvation, and much more. The post Abide: Exodus 7-13 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Exodus: a movement of the people. As we move into the second book of the Tanak, or Old Testament, we have more than a movement of people. We have a flurry of new people, ideas, and we see Jehovah’s miraculous work through ancient Israelite eyes. But how can we be moved? How can we learn to see God’s orchestrations and work to become a part of them? We discuss that and much more in today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.” The post Abide: Exodus 1-6 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Throughout the Old Testament we learn much about the relationships of tribes, clans, and family groups. We began discussing Israel’s family in the last episode, focusing on Joseph, the favored son sold into Egypt whose meteoric rise in Egyptian politics through the spiritual gift of interpreting dreams ultimately provided a land inheritance that would keep the family together. What can we learn in the last chapters of Genesis about spiritual gifts, brotherly love, and how understanding biblical narrative can make sacred stories more clear? We discuss that, and much more, on today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.” The post Abide: Genesis 42-50 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

The version of Joseph in Egypt I got growing up was shaped heavily by Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Despite the delightful music and vivid color, there’s far more to the Joseph narrative than even Donny Osmond can share in 90 minutes. In today’s episode of Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast, we explore several key themes in the story of Joseph in Egypt. The post Genesis 37-41 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Volume 5 of the Revelations and Translations series from the Joseph Smith Papers Project presents all extant fragments of the original manuscript of the Book of Mormon. For the first time ever, researchers have access to a photograph and color-coded transcripts of each fragment of the manuscript, showing every change made and which scribe made it. The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #139: The Original Manuscript of the Book of Mormon, with Robin Scott Jensen appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Readers of the Tanak or Old Testament see that The Lord marks Israel as a chosen people. Modern Latter-day Saints identify with being a “peculiar people.”  But what does it mean to be a chosen people? And how does one’s peculiarity mark boundaries of values, identity, and peoplehood? Chosenness does not mean a life without disappointment or despair, but it does bring comfort in recognizing the divine power of our Heavenly Parents’ love for all of their children. In today’s episode of Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast, we dive into Genesis 28-33 to explore Chosenness in three ways: covenant relationships, expectations, and longing as it affects the ancient Israelites and modern Saints alike. The post Abide: Genesis 28-33 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

As Genesis marches on we are introduced to new people, whose lives are in some ways different than our own, but in many ways are similar. In this episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast,” we meet Isaac and Rebekah, who push us to think about what our responsibilities are in our families, and how we can understand people and their faith in all their complexity. My name is Joseph Stuart, I’m the public communications specialist at the Maxwell Institute. Kristian Heal is a Research Fellow at the Institute, and each week we will be discussing the week’s block of reading from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. We aren’t here to present a lesson, but rather to hit on a few key themes from the scripture block, so as to help fulfill the Maxwell Institute’s mission to “inspire and fortify Latter-day Saints in their testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and engage the world of religious ideas.” Today we are joined by one of our research assistants, C

Today, Dr. Elisa Eastwood Pulido joins us to discuss her book, The Spiritual Evolution of Margarito Bautista: Mexican Mormon Evangelizer, Polygamist Dissident, and Utopian Founder, 1878-1961 (Oxford University Press, 2020). Dr. Pulido’s book is the first full-length biography of Margarito Bautista (1878-1961), a celebrated Latino Mormon leader in the U.S. and Mexico in the early twentieth century who was a Mexican cultural nationalist, visionary, founder of a utopian commune, and Mormon dissident. Surprisingly little is known about Bautista’s remarkable life, the scope of his work, or the development of his vision. Elisa Eastwood Pulido draws on his letters, books, pamphlets, and unpublished diaries to provide a lens through which to view the convergence of Mormon evangelization, Mexican nationalism, and religious improvisation in the U.S. Mexico borderlands. The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #138: The Biography of Margarito Bautista, with Elisa Eastwood Pulido appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | B