BYU Studies

This book notice by BYU studies editor Matthew B. Christensen explains the series of short books published by Deseret Books: The Let's Talk About series. This series examines interesting and difficult topics including: Let's Talk about Polygamy, Let's Talk about Religion and Mental Health, Let's Talk about the Book of Abraham, Let's Talk about Faith and Intellect, Let's Talk about the Law of Consecration, Let's Talk about Temples and Ritual, Let's Talk about Race and Priesthood, Let's Talk about the Translation of the Book of Mormon, and Let's Talk about Science and Religion. Each book in the series is written by a leading authority on their subject. Read the Book Notice Here!

This article, written by Scott C. Woodward, explores the scriptural evidence of Christ experiencing not only sin, but also individual physical and emotional pain as part of his Atonement. This is termed by Woodward as the "Empathetic Atonement." Although Woodward acknowledges that there is significant support for the fact that Christ does understand us perfectly, his analysis forwards the claim that the scriptures do not provide support that this was acquired through the act of the Atonement. CLICK HERE to read the article online

In this personal essay, Victoria Webb Rutherford shares her experience of fostering and adopting two boys who had suffered from complex trauma. She reflects on the challenges and joys of parenting children with unique challenges, and how her faith and family history helped her along the way. She also explores the meaning of grafting wild branches into a tame olive tree, as described in the Book of Mormon. This essay by Victoria Webb Rutherford received first place in the 2023 BYU Studies personal essay contest. You can read this personal essay for free at https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/wild-fruit/

This article by Brandon J. Metcalf and Jeffery L. Anderson explores the life and legacy of President Spencer W. Kimball, the twelfth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His journals span decades and document his personal growth, his health challenges, his ministry as an Apostle and a prophet, and his role in some of the most significant events in Church history. His journals rank among the very best kept by Church leaders and compare in importance to the Wilford Woodruff journals. The Woodruff journals stand as an essential source for nineteenth-­century Latter-­day Saint history, just as the Kimball journals do for the twentieth century. Both journal collections compare not only in chronological length but also in detail, insight, and ability to capture the personalities of their authors. You can read this article for free at https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/a-prophets-journey/

“He Is God and He Is with Them”: Helaman 8:21–23 and Isaiah’s Immanuel Prophecy as a Thematic Scriptural Concept by Matthew L. Bowen How does the Book of Mormon’s Immanuel Prophecy Connect the Nephites, the Mulochites, and Jesus Christ? The Book of Mormon contains many prophecies about the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. One of these prophecies is the Immanuel prophecy from Isaiah 7:14, which was fulfilled in a miraculous way by Christ’s birth to a virgin. But did you know that this prophecy also had an earlier fulfillment in the eighth century BCE, when Isaiah promised that God would be with the house of David and protect them from their enemies? And did you know that this prophecy had implications for the Nephites and the Mulochites, who were descendants of King David through Zedekiah and his son Muloch? In this article, Matthew L. Bowen explores how the Immanuel prophecy and its meaning of “God with us” became a key theme in the Book of Mormon, especially in the writings of Nephi2 and in the account of Christ’s visit to the Americas. You will learn how the Book of Mormon shows that God was with his people in ancient times, and how he is still with us today through his Spirit and his covenant.

This book notice by BYU Studies editor, Matthew B. Christensen, examines the recent book edited by Dallin D. Oaks, Paul Baltes, and Kent Minson. The book is an exploration of the significance and practices surrounding names within the context of the faith and culture of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Read the book notice here.

This book notice is about "Every Needful Thing: Essays on the Life of the Mind and the Heart," which was edited by Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye and Kate Holbrook. It is a collection of essays by Latter-day Saint women scholars from various disciplines and countries. The essays explore how writers balance their faith, scholarship, family, and community, and how they learn by both study and faith. Read Susan Elizabeth Howe's book notice, "Every Needful Thing: Essays on the Life of the Mind and the Heart, edited by Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye and Kate Holbrook" on byustudies.byu.edu by clicking here.

A poem by Daniel Teichert. This poem won third place in the 2022 Clinton F. Larson Poetry Contest, sponsored by BYU Studies. To read the poem on our website, click here.

The Book of Mormon Art Catalog is a digital database of over 3,000 images inspired by the Book of Mormon. It aims to recover the full history of art based on this book of scripture and inspire new and varied artistic production to further illuminate the scriptures and bring viewers closer to Christ.

Scott Hales reviews Joseph Smith and the Mormons, a graphic novel by Noah Van Sciver. Of the book, he wrote, "While no reader may be wholly satisfied with Joseph Smith and the Mormons, the book is unquestionably a landmark text in Latter-day Saint literature—it is, perhaps, the best Mormon graphic novel to date—and an important touchstone in artistic representations of Joseph Smith."