The Interpreter Foundation Podcast

Review of Grant Underwood, Latter-day Saint Theology among Christian Theologies (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2025). 640 pages. $39.99 (hardcover). Abstract: Grant Underwood’s recent book, Latter-day Saint Theology among Christian Theologies , is an excellent treatment on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints written primarily for those outside of our faith. However, it is...

In the March 19, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses Joseph's priesthood garment and his marriage to Aseneth, who converted to Judaism. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — March 19, 2026: Joseph’s Priesthood Garment and Marriage to Aseneth first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .

Dan, Camrey and Johnny discuss the conversion and baptism of Brigham Young. It took Brigham two years to accept the restored gospel. But once he did, he was totally committed. Our hosts also visit the grave of Brigham's first wife, Miriam Works Young. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 8: Was Brigham Young unsure about the Book of Mormon? first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .

In this episode, Dr. Matthew Bowen discusses his recent article in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , where he analyzes Mormon’s wordplay in what are commonly called the war chapters in Alma. Dr. Bowen builds on his previous work, connecting Nephi’s name with the Egyptian word nefer , meaning “good,” showing how the Book of Mormon authors will often associate Nephit...

Review of Michael Hawkins, Infinite Contingencies: Insights on Latter-Day Saint Doctrine and Practice (Springville, UT: Cedar Fort, 2025). 120 pages. $16.99 (paperback). Abstract: A recent book by Michael Hawkins provides subjective answers to timeless gospel questions and practices. Some readers will enjoy its novel approach and will gain insights that will help them live and apply the Restored g...

In the March 12, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest John Gee discuss John’s background, Hugh Nibley, and Joseph in Egypt. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — March 12, 2026 with John Gee first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .

Camrey continues her conversation with Susan Easton Black about the youthful Brigham Young. Our hosts also explore how Brigham came to encounter the Book of Mormon, and how he reacted to this new book of scripture. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 7: Young Brigham Young, Part Two first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .

In this episode, Stephen Smoot talks about his new study edition of the Pearl of Great Price, published by Scripture Central and the Interpreter Foundation. Stephen shares why he wrote this commentary, and what he feels Latter-day Saints can learn from reading a commentary on the Pearl of Great Price. The commentary builds on years of new work in the study of the Pearl of Great Price, making it an...

In the March 5, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest Brent Schmidt discuss BYU’s New Testament Commentary series, which Brent has been involved in. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — March 5, 2026 with Brent Schmidt first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .

We tend to think of Brigham Young as the stern-faced old man from the few existing photos. But what was he like during his formative years? Our hosts explore this question, and Camrey interviews Susan Easton Black to get the historian's perspective on the young Brigham. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 6: Young Brigham Young, Part One first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .

In this episode, Avram and Thora interview Matthew L. Bowen, a professor of Religious Education from Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Bowen has published numerous studies on ancient wordplay in the Book of Mormon. Bowen discusses his study recently published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship which explores Mormon’s use of the Hebrew root ḥayil/ḥêl, a root that has...

Review of Patrick Q. Mason and J. David Pulsipher, Proclaim Peace: The Restoration’s Answer to an Age of Conflict (Provo, UT: Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2021). 290 pages. $19.99 (paperback). Abstract: Proclaim Peace is a very timely and serious engagement with questions of peace. Consisting of roughly equal parts cha...

Abstract: God didn’t “set a mark” on Cain. Instead, he gave Cain a sign. The unfortunate translation of Genesis 4:15 in the King James Bible (KJV) has been the source of much misunderstanding over the years. This article is about the English words that the King James translators chose in Genesis 4:15 and the Hebrew words from which they are translated. It shows that the renderings of the words in...

In the February 26, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest John Thompson discuss John's new book Abraham and His Family in Scripture, History, and Tradition , coedited with Jeffrey M. Bradshaw, Matthew L. Bowen, and David R. Seely, and his article “‘Being of that Lineage’: Generational Curses and Inheritance in the Book of Abraham” from Volume 54...

Our hosts continue their discussion with Matt Grow, managing director of the Church History Department. Was Brigham a man of violence? He did use inflammatory rhetoric at times. But interestingly the actual evidence points toward his being a man of peace. And what do we know about whether or not Brigham Young was a racist? The post Becoming Brigham Episode 5 first appeared on The Interpreter Found...

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter , Thora and Avram speak with John Thompson about his paper from the 2025 Abraham and His Family Conference held at BYU in May 2025. Thompson, an Egyptologist who is a retired teacher for Seminaries and Institutes and a content creator for Scripture Central, discusses the idea that the life of Abraham as described in both Genesis and in the book of...

Abstract: For more than a century, Alma 29 has been read as a direct quotation from the prophet Alma. Yet, unlike every other extended quotation in Mormon’s record, this passage lacks attribution, framing, or transition. This anomaly has gone largely unnoticed because of a chapter break, added in 1879, that masks the continuity of Mormon’s voice from Alma 28 into chapter 29. This paper challenges...

In the February 19, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Martin Tanner describes how Mark Smith, PhD, Harvard researcher, now a professor at NYU, in his book The Early History of God: Yahweh and Other Deities in Ancient Israel , demonstrates ancient Israel, and early books of the Bible describe God (YHWH) as a divine human. This looks like Joseph Smith's descriptions of God i...

Is there any purpose to revisiting the life and times of Brigham Young? Don’t we already know everything there is to know about this sometimes-controversial historical figure? Camrey, Dan and John are joined in a roundtable discussion by Matt Grow, who is the managing director of the Church History Department. The post Becoming Brigham Episode 4 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter , our hosts, Avram and Thora Shannon looks at the second part of an article by Jeff Lindsay, a long time contributor to Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship , titled “Parallels between the Book of Moses and the Book of Mormon.” Where the previous episode looked at the methodology employed in finding parallels between the...

Review of Samuel T. Wilkinson, Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply About the Meaning of Our Existence (New York: Pegasus Books, 2024). 338 pages. $29.95 (hardback). Abstract: Many believers in God are troubled by assertions that the theory of evolution means life on earth is accidental and has no purpose. Additionally, some people worry that the theory’s implied selfishness and “surviva...

In the February 12, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Terry Hutchinson and his guest Mark Johnson discuss President Oaks’ first BYU devotional, Noel Reynolds and his work, concluding with Mark's comments about his Interpreter article about Moses Chapter 1 and its similarities to ancient Hebrew literary techniques as they are found in Genesis. The post Interpreter Insights...

In this episode, host Camrey Fox continues her visit with shorthand expert LaJean Carruth. LaJean compares Brigham to Enoch rather than Moses. She points out that many of the transcripts have never been translated before, and they give us new insights into his character and personality. Host John Wilson continues his discussion with Sam Weston about the assassination of Joseph Smith, and whether B...

In this episode of Conversations with Interpreter , our hosts, Avram and Thora Shannon speak with Jeff Lindsay, a member of the Board of Directors of the Interpreter Foundation. Lindsay’s article was published in two parts in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. This episode looks at the first part, where we discuss the methodology behind the article and the implicatio...

In the February 5, 2026 episode of The Interpreter Insights Podcast, our host Martin Tanner discusses how near-death experiences have influenced the Restored Gospel. The post Interpreter Insights Podcast — February 5, 2026 first appeared on The Interpreter Foundation .