Episode 2o in the Interpreter Foundation’s series of mini-documentaries has now gone up online: Becoming Brigham, Episode 20 — Why are the Heavens Silent? Initially, Episode 21 had appeared on Meridian Magazine, out of sequence. But that has now been corrected, and Episode 21 will go up a week from today. (There is method in our madness.) I hope that you’re watching, enjoying, and spreading the word about these short video lessons on the history of the Church of Jesus... Read more
I pass on a little story that, among other places, I once saw in D. Michael Quinn’s The Mormon Hierarchy: Extensions of Power. I mention that particular source in order to win some credibility for the story. For some, Mike Quinn (perhaps alongside the now largely forgotten Grant Palmer) was the only honest historian of “Mormonism” in his day (as demonstrated by his departure from Brigham Young University and his eventual excommunication from the Church of Jesus Christ of... Read more
I’ve not yet read — nor, truth be told, have I so much as seen a copy of — Jeff Strong’s book Torn: Why People We Love are Leaving the Church and What We Can Learn from Them. It appears to be generating conversations, as is perhaps indicated by the fact that the Interpreter Foundation has already published Daniel T. Ellsworth’s “Beyond ‘Church Culture’: A Response to Jeff Strong’s Torn“ and by this typically thoughtful separate response from my... Read more
Newly published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 69 (2026): 49-60: “A Scientific Evaluation of the Zelph Revelation,” written by Jerry D. Grover Jr.: Abstract: Members of the 1834 Zion’s Camp expedition inspected a large mound along the Illinois River where a skeleton was uncovered and Joseph Smith had a revelatory experience identifying the individual as Zelph. Recent archeological excavations place the revelation in a chronological and ancient cultural context that now allows additional verification and... Read more
I have deliberately turned this blog away from politics. That hasn’t been easy to do so, because I have very strong political opinions and interests which were among the reasons for my launch of the blog in the first place. But I strongly support Ukraine’s resistance to Vladimir Putin’s immoral war of aggression against it, and I regard such support as a matter not merely of realpolitik but as one of moral principle. So I was impressed and moved... Read more
Unsurprisingly, since today is a Wednesday, an article has gone up on the perpetually unchanging website of the Interpreter Foundation: Reprint: “The Tests of Abraham and Sarah,” written by David R. Seely and Jo Ann Seely: Part of our book chapter reprint series, this article originally appeared in Abraham and His Family in Scripture, History, and Tradition, edited by Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, John S. Thompson, Matthew L. Bowen, and David R. Seely. For more information, go to https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/abraham-and-his-family. “In... Read more
“Come, Follow Me — Old Testament Study and Teaching Helps (2026): June 8-14: 1 Samuel 8-10; 13; 15-16 — “The Lord Looketh on the Heart,”“ written by Jonn Claybaugh Once again, Brother Claybaugh generously contributes a concise and helpful set of notes for students and teachers of the Sunday School curriculum of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In today’s edition of the Deseret News: “Faithful Answers for Difficult Conversations: Why more Latter-day Saints are turning to FAIR... Read more
Today was (and, for at least a little while in some time zones, still is) the 225th anniversary of the birth of President Brigham Young. To mark it, the Interpreter Foundation and Redbrick Filmworks have released Episode 19 of our Becoming Brigham mini-documentary series. It’s slightly more than twenty-one minutes long: Becoming Brigham Episode 19 — Another Birthday! 225 Years! I hope that you’ll enjoy it. I also wrote an article for Meridian Magazine: “Brigham Young’s 225th Birthday: Remembering... Read more
On 27 December 2025, I responded to that morning’s sad news with a blog entry here that I titled “Memories of President Jeffrey R. Holland.” Among the memories that I included in that blog entry was the following: I first met President Holland — to me, he has always been “President Holland,” from the beginning — when I was a new member of the faculty at Brigham Young University. And it wasn’t a very auspicious start. I had been... Read more
The Interpreter Foundation’s second (and final) day began early, at eight o”clock on a cold and rainy morning, with a really strong two-hour plenary session: Steve Smoot opened with a stimulating presentation on “The Combat Myth in Jacob’s Christological Reading of Isaiah.” Jeff Bradshaw followed with an insightful discussion entitled “Hidden in Plain Sight: The Precious Temple Teachings of the Small Plates of the Book of Mormon.” The weather turned sunny and beautiful in the afternoon. In the Thomas... Read more
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