I want to remind you, yet again, of the Orem, Utah, fireside that is approaching in little more than a week now and of the Interpreter Foundation conference that will follow on the weekend thereafter, on the campus of Brigham Young University: “Unveiling History: Six Days in August Fireside” (Wednesday, 25 September 2024). Incidentally, I’ve just seen a 32-minute slide show, created by Russ Richins, the producer of Six Days in August, that will, as I understand it, be... Read more
It appears that the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, once one of the two flagship periodicals of the old Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS) and of its successor, the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, is going the way of all flesh: The organizational changes at the Institute provide an opportune occasion to wind down production of its academic periodical, The Journal of Book of Mormon Studies. “The Journal was a vital home for... Read more
Along with Russell Richins, the producer for the Interpreter Foundation’s films Robert Cundick: A Sacred Service of Music (2017), Witnesses (2021), and Undaunted: Witnesses of the Book of Mormon (2022), as well as for the forthcoming Six Days in August (2024), I will be a guest on this evening’s installment of the Interpreter Radio Show between 7 PM and 9 PM, Utah time. The first hour of the program, as I currently understand it, will focus on the Come,... Read more
Somehow, I suspect that individual apostasy and immorality and other misbehavior may have been around since at least a little bit before The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The Times of London, though, seems to think that the Hulu miniseries is about a campaign by several young and idealistic crusaders for ecclesiastical reform, or something of that sort. And, suggests the Times, these insurgent feminist theologians are rocking the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to its very... Read more
“Aftermath of the Martyrdom: Aspirants to the Mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith,” written by R. Jean Addams Abstract: 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... Read more
Jeffrey Mark Bradshaw and Steve Densley created the following report of upcoming Interpreter Foundation events — above and beyond the Foundation’s weekly publication of articles and its weekly two-hour Interpreter Radio Show — for this afternoon’s iteration of the regular monthly virtual meeting that the leaders of the various organizations hold to coordinate matters between FAIR, Interpreter, Scripture Central, and the B. H. Roberts Foundation. I added a little bit to the report. Please recall that, according to some... Read more
We’re surrounded in this remote area of southeastern Utah by magnificent vistas and fascinating geology. And yet, one of the great things here, with the three other couples who have come here with us, as well as elsewhere is time spent simply talking, sharing stories, reflecting on our deepest believes. I always think, in such settings, of the familiar song from the late John Denver: I have to say it now, it’s been a good life all in allIt’s... Read more
Yet another new item has been posted on the moribund website of the Interpreter Foundation: Nibley Lectures: Come, Follow Me Book of Mormon Lesson 38: “Lift Up Your Head and Be of Good Cheer”: 3 Nephi 1-7. This week for Come, Follow Me lesson 38 covering 3 Nephi 1-7, we have lectures 80, 81, and 82 from Hugh Nibley’s Book of Mormon classes at Brigham Young University, covering Helaman 13–3 Nephi 7. During 1988, 1989, and 1990, Hugh Nibley... Read more
I attended the funeral this morning of my friend James Brown Allen, who passed away recently in his ninety-eighth year. In my experience, the faith-filled funeral services of good people are among the best and most inspirational of meetings, and this one was no exception. Neal Lambert, like the Allens a resident of the Jamestown Assisted Living Center, was the first speaker. They had known each other since the days when, as young men, they had worked in the... Read more
We were fortunate in casting a remarkable “Joseph Smith” (aka Paul Wuthrich, whom many of you will also know through his leading role in Escape from Germany) in our movie Witnesses. And we knew that we would need to be similarly fortunate in our casting of a Brigham Young for Six Days in August. Paul Wuthrich will reprise his role as Joseph Smith in Six Days in August. However — spoiler alert! — he does not last through the... Read more
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