Since the organization of the Church, leaders have called for world-wide religious liberty and harmony: “We claim the privilege of worshiping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience, and allow all men the same privilege, let them worship how, where, or what they may” (Articles of Faith 1:11). In this episode, Dr. Joshua M. Sears, associate professor of ancient scripture, details how we might answer the prophetic call to not only love and respect people of different faiths but to also learn from them. He discusses the importance of adapting trustworthy interfaith resources into our spiritual lives. Additionally, he details how to locate and evaluate reliable resources, and describes one ecumenical resource, BibleProject, as an example. Without diluting our doctrinal uniqueness or missionary mandate, we can build strong relationships with our religious neighbors and learn from the truth that is “scattered liberally across the globe” (Elder Christofferson).

Publications:

• “Learning from People of Other Faiths” (Religious Educator, 24.2, 2023)
• Covenant of Compassion: Caring for the Marginalized and Disadvantaged in the Old Testament (Religious Studies Center, 2021)
• “Study Bibles: An Introduction for Latter-day Saints” (Religious Educator, 20.3, 2019)
• “Deutero-Isaiah in the Book of Mormon” (Y Religion, episode 86, 2023)
• “Study Bibles for Saints” (Y Religion, episode 35, 2021)
• BibleProject Videos: https://bibleproject.com/explore/

Click here to learn more about Joshua M. Sears