Walk With Me Towards A Christ-Inspired Shepherd-Leader Apprenticeship Model Of Leadership Development,
2024
Brigham Young University
Walk With Me Towards A Christ-Inspired Shepherd-Leader Apprenticeship Model Of Leadership Development, J. Gordon Daines Iii, David L. Rockwood
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
This paper reviews the literature on leadership development that focuses on Jesus Christ, then introduces a Shepherd-Leader Apprenticeship (SLA) model of leadership development. The SLA model describes how Jesus Christ develops leaders. It builds on previous scholars’ work on Christ’s leadership development approach and adds the concept of situated cognition and iterative (as opposed to linear) steps. The scriptures show how Christ used this model to develop the leadership skills of his disciples who served in a variety of capacities and roles. Christ used the SLA model with a variety of individuals who felt varying degrees of comfort with their …
Rahab And The Perpetuation Of Deliverance,
2024
Brigham Young University
Rahab And The Perpetuation Of Deliverance, Amy H. Fisher
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
Deliverance is clearly the major theme of the memorable Exodus story, but the Exodus is not the only Old Testament account that teaches profound lessons about God’s redemption. The story of Rahab—the woman of Jericho—is situated in relation to the Exodus through shared images and narrative elements to highlight additional insights about God’s power to save. Specifically, the Rahab story shows that God continues in the temporal, collective delivery of his covenant people even after Egypt. God is also interested in both the temporal and spiritual deliverance of individuals, as shown in the life of Rahab herself. Finally, the story …
It Helps To Have A Village,
2024
Brigham Young University
It Helps To Have A Village, Daniel C. Peterson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In preparing the next generation, it really is helpful when parents don’t stand alone and they have the help of others outside the family. This is one of the reasons why the seemingly growing gulf between gospel values and the values of the societies around us is such a cause for concern: “The truths and values we embrace are mocked on ev’ry hand.”1 All of us have benefited from innumerable influences—from teachers in and out of the Church, from writers, from youth leaders, from coaches, from role models of all kinds. We may even have forgotten many of those influences, …
Uncanonized Revelations,
2024
Brigham Young University
Uncanonized Revelations, Kent P. Jackson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In an important new volume, we now have easy access to revelations received by the Prophet Joseph Smith that were not included in the Doctrine and Covenants.
“I Shall Gather In”: The Name Joseph, Iterative Divine Action, And The Latter-Day Harvest Ingathering Of Israel As Themes In 3 Nephi,
2024
Brigham Young University
“I Shall Gather In”: The Name Joseph, Iterative Divine Action, And The Latter-Day Harvest Ingathering Of Israel As Themes In 3 Nephi, Matthew L. Bowen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The identity of “the people of Nephi who were spared, and also those who had been called Lamanites, who had been spared” (3 Nephi 10:18) as “a remnant of the seed of Joseph” (3 Nephi 5:23; 10:17; compare Alma 46:23–27; Ether 13:6–10) or “a remnant of the house of Joseph” (3 Nephi 15:12) is key to understanding Jesus’s Isaiah-based teaching at the temple in Bountiful in 3 Nephi. That teaching emphasizes iterative divine action (implied in the name Joseph [yôsēp], compare yôsîp) to restore and gather Israel and Judah. Like Mormon’s prophecies in 3 Nephi 5:23–26 and 26:8, Jesus’s sermon …
Nameless: Mormon’S Dramatic Use Of Omission In Helaman 2,
2024
Brigham Young University
Nameless: Mormon’S Dramatic Use Of Omission In Helaman 2, Nathan J. Arp
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
There are many reasons why a narrator may choose to provide or withhold the names of various characters. This article hypothesizes that Mormon intentionally omitted the name of a key character from the book of Helaman related to the origin of the Gaddianton robbers. While it is not possible to know exactly what information Mormon and other Nephite recordkeepers had or preserved, it is at least plausible that Mormon might have intentionally omitted the name of a clandestine operative in the first two chapters of Helaman as a specific strategy to emphasize this operative’s secrecy and allow the reader to …
Lds Perspectives On The Atonement?,
2024
Brigham Young University
Lds Perspectives On The Atonement?, Blake T. Ostler
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement promises to provide new perspectives on the atonement that reflect awareness of scriptural and theological scholarship. The essays on the scriptural background are solid. The essays providing theological perspectives are uneven, at best. Indeed, the theological essays show little awareness of the major works in philosophical theology in the last sixty years—with one notable exception. Moreover, a feminist perspective that argues against seeing Christ’s blood that he shed as an appropriate basis for atonement theory receives the greatest attention. This review elucidates, explores, assesses, and critiques these approaches.
Did Korihor Usurp The Words Of Zeniff?,
2024
Brigham Young University
Did Korihor Usurp The Words Of Zeniff?, Elliott Jolley
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
The Book of Mormon contains several instances where a speaker or author in the Book of Mormon quotes a previous one. This article presents one such example: It appears that Korihor usurped the words of Zeniff, quoting some of them for his own purposes. The context of this reference to Zeniff’s words lies in Korihor’s claims that the Nephites were in bondage to the priests, just as the Lamanites wanted to bring Zeniff’s people into bondage. The connections between these two passages cross multiple generations and narrative events internally, and multiple pages of translated, dictated manuscript by Joseph Smith. It …
Insights Into The Story Of Korihor Based On Intertextual Comparisons,
2024
Brigham Young University
Insights Into The Story Of Korihor Based On Intertextual Comparisons, Noel Hudson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
A brief outline of the saga of Korihor, the Anti-Christ, is provided along with a discussion of his affinities with other Book of Mormon anti-Christs, including those in the order of Nehors. Literary allusions suggesting Korihor as a foil to the king of the Lamanites are examined. Evidence of a schism among the order of Nehors leading to violence is discussed. Korihor’s unusual death is examined within the context of the theme of crushing the serpent from the stories of Adam, Eve, and Cain.
The Man With No Name: The Story Of The Brother Of Jared As An Anti-Babel Polemic,
2024
Brigham Young University
The Man With No Name: The Story Of The Brother Of Jared As An Anti-Babel Polemic, Walker Wright
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Within the text of the Book of Mormon, the name of Jared’s brother is never revealed. Various reasons have been offered for the lack of a name, but nothing conclusive has been offered. Taking a cue from the polemical nature of Old Testament theology, this paper argues that the opening of the book of Ether is a polemic against Babel, with the brother of Jared being contrasted against the people and ruler of Babel. Led by the mighty hunter Nimrod, the people of Babel refused God’s command to multiply and fill the earth. Instead, they gathered together, built a tower …
A Model For Looking Deeply And Deeply Looking,
2024
Brigham Young University
A Model For Looking Deeply And Deeply Looking, Godfrey J. Ellis
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Peter Williams, an independent biblical scholar, has written an analysis of the parable of the prodigal son in a fascinating attempt to demonstrate two truths. The first is that one of the most overlooked attributes of the Savior is his brilliant and analytical mind. In the process, Williams reveals many intricacies hidden in the parable. He also reminds readers of the role of the Old Testament in the understanding and appreciation of the teachings of Jesus. These contributions, by themselves, demonstrate the value of the book. The second truth is that Jesus, himself, and not the gospel writers or the …
More Evidence For Alma As A Semitic Name,
2024
Brigham Young University
More Evidence For Alma As A Semitic Name, Neal Rappleye, Allen Hansen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Beginning with Hugh Nibley, several Latter-day Saint scholars have highlighted a deed found among the Bar Kokhba documents as evidence of the name Alma as a Jewish male name in antiquity. Here we highlight a second attestation of the same name used for a Jewish male from a slightly earlier period, as well as other evidence from Hebrew toponymy that helps corroborate not only that Alma is a Hebrew name, but also supports the etymology proposed by Latter-day Saint scholars and is suggestive of wordplays previously identified in the Book of Mormon text. Past critics have mocked the name Alma …
Nurture And Harvest: A Continued Conversation With The Annotated Book Of Mormon,
2024
Brigham Young University
Nurture And Harvest: A Continued Conversation With The Annotated Book Of Mormon, Kevin Christensen
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Because Grant Hardy’s important book deliberately contextualizes the Book of Mormon in light of “the generally agreed upon findings of modern biblical scholars and historians,” it invites further discussion on points in which the Book of Mormon and other significant biblical scholars and historians challenge those findings. Hardy also declares that his commentary “is consistently focused on the plain meaning of the text,” which is understandably appealing, but which is in tension with Joseph Smith’s foundational observation that “the different teachers of the religion understood the same passages of scripture so differently as to destroy all confidence in settling the …
Aftermath Of The Martyrdom: Aspirants To The Mantle Of The Prophet Joseph Smith,
2024
Brigham Young University
Aftermath Of The Martyrdom: Aspirants To The Mantle Of The Prophet Joseph Smith, R. Jean Addams
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
In the weeks, months, and years following the murders of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hyrum, several aspirants stepped forward to claim the mantle of the prophet. Who were these individuals with claims to the leadership of the church? What were their motives? How were these men able to inspire large numbers of saints to follow them? What became of their efforts and how are their works manifest in the present day? The reasons that members or prospective members chose or rejected the claims of these aspirants are examined, as are the churches of the organizations that were …
The Anomaly: Elliott West’S Continental Reckoning And Its Latter-Day Saints,
2024
Brigham Young University
The Anomaly: Elliott West’S Continental Reckoning And Its Latter-Day Saints, Robert Swanson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This review explores how Latter-day Saints are portrayed in a new landmark history of the American West. Noting the author’s generally accurate portrayal of the Saints, this review focuses on some areas that were missing in this Bancroft Prize winning book that has numerous implications for Latter-day Saint studies.
“That They May Know That They Are Not Cast Off Forever”: Jewish Lectionary Elements In The Book Of Mormon,
2024
Brigham Young University
“That They May Know That They Are Not Cast Off Forever”: Jewish Lectionary Elements In The Book Of Mormon, Bradley J. Kramer
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
It is not uncommon for Jews who join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to notice connections between certain events in the Book of Mormon and modern Jewish practices associated with the feasts of Passover, Weeks, Tabernacles, and Rosh Hashanah. Aware that traditional Christianity holds not only that Jews were ousted from God’s covenant but that Jewish traditions in support of that covenant are spiritually worthless, these Jews find great comfort in these connections as well as in Book of Mormon statements that affirm their continued inclusion in that covenant. But aren’t there also connections to the modern …
Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood,
2024
Brigham Young University
Restoring Melchizedek Priesthood, John S. Thompson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
Church historical sources make four differing claims as to when, how, and by whom Melchizedek priesthood was restored. These seemingly conflicting sources have led to many theories about what happened, including the idea that Joseph Smith changed his narrative and rewrote history as his ideas of priesthood evolved. A closer look at the sources, more carefully defining the terminology, and being more aware of ancient patterns provide a better solution for understanding the purpose and relationship of these four narratives and thus the nature of the Melchizedek priesthood Joseph Smith restored.
Full Issue,
2024
Brigham Young University
Full Issue
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
From Biology Major To Religion Professor: Personal Reflections On Evolution,
2024
Brigham Young University
From Biology Major To Religion Professor: Personal Reflections On Evolution, Joshua M. Sears
BYU Studies
When I arrived at Brigham Young University as an excited freshman, my plan was to major in biology. I had really enjoyed biology in high school and scored a perfect 5 on the AP exam, so I figured this was something I could be good at. That first year I took courses in general biology, biodiversity, chemistry, and physical science.
Translation And The World Order,
2024
Brigham Young University
Translation And The World Order, Richard Lyman Bushman
BYU Studies
Joseph Smith published three books he called translations: his masterwork, the Book of Mormon, translated from gold plates when he was twenty-four and published in March 1830; the eight chapters of the book of Moses based on Genesis in the Bible, begun in June 1830 and completed by February of the following year; and the book of Abraham, translated from scrolls that the Church purchased from Michael Chandler in 1835 and published in 1842. It is hard to think of any prophetic figure in religious history who relied as extensively on translations to spread his message as did Joseph Smith.
