Maxwell Institute Podcast

Maxwell Institute Conversations are special episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast, hosted by Terryl Givens and created in collaboration with Faith Matters Foundation. Audio and video available. Thomas Wirthlin McConkie was born into a prominent American Latter-day Saint family, but the faith didn’t resonate with him as a teenager. He disconnected from the Church and began exploring the wider world’s faith traditions. He followed a thread through eastern religion and philosophy, then was surprised when that thread guided him all the way back to the faith of his youth. As a Latter-day Saint specialist in meditation and adult psychological development, Thomas Wirthlin McConkie appreciates how connecting with his past opens a new vision of the future. About the Guest Thomas Wirthlin McConkie is author of Navigating Mormon Faith Crisis: A Simple Developmental Map and the founder of Lower Lights School of Wisdom. He has been practicing mindfulness and other meditative techniques for twenty years and studying their effects on human potential. He lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with his partner Gloria and their dog Luna. The post MIConversations #8—Terryl Givens with Thomas Wirthlin McConkie, “The spiritual journey” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

We’re extremely excited that the Maxwell Institute Study Edition of the Book of Mormon has finally been published. We see it as a watershed moment in the history of Latter-day Saint scripture publishing. It’s the first study edition ever published by a church affiliate, and it includes new formatting, useful footnotes, original artwork, and more. Editor Grant Hardy and artist Brian Kershisnik join us to talk about the new edition and all the work that went into it, on this episode of the Maxwell Institute Podcast. About the Guests Grant Hardy is a professor of history and religious studies at the University of North Carolina at Asheville. He is the editor of The Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Edition (University of Illinois Press) and author of Understanding the Book of Mormon: A Reader’s Guide (Oxford University Press), in addition to several other books and articles on Chinese history, ancient historiography, and studies of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Brian Kershisnik is an American painter. He studied art at the University of Utah, Brigham Young University, and the University of Texas at Austin. He started a studio in Kanosh, Utah, in 1991 and in 2006 he established another studio in Provo, Utah, where he currently lives with his wife, Faith, their dog, and thousands of bees. His notable works include a portrait of Leslie Norris, Nativity, and She Will Find What Was Lost. The post Editing and illuminating the Book of Mormon, with Grant Hardy and Brian Kershisnik [MIPodcast #90] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

According to historian Colleen McDannell, women have played vital roles in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from the beginning. From the hard-scrabble pioneer worker to the Progressive Era suffragette, from the domestic housewife to the working mother, the international convert, the single adult, the black Latter-day Saint—each have contributed to the church’s development and growth in their own important ways. In this episode Dr. McDannell introduces us to many of these women whose stories are told in her new book Sister Saints: Mormon Women since the End of Polygamy. About the Guest Colleen McDannell is Professor of History and Sterling M. McMurrin Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Utah. One of the nation’s foremost experts on American religious history, she is the author of several books including Material Christianity, Heaven: A History, and her latest book, Sister Saints: Mormon Women since the End of Polygamy. The post ‘Sister Saints,’ with Colleen McDannell [MIPodcast #89] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Many believers live their entire lives without learning much about other people’s religion. Maybe some people avoid interreligious dialogue because they think they already know their religion is true. Maybe some people fear that such exchanges might somehow change them and they don’t want change. In this episode we’re joined by Catherine Cornille. She’s a Catholic theologian at Boston College and an enthusiastic supporter of interreligious dialogue. We’re talking about her book, The Impossibility of Interreligious Dialogue. If you’ve ever wanted to have better conversations with people of different faiths—or even with people of your own faith who see things differently—this episode is for you. Cornille identifies behaviors to cultivate when talking to people who see things differently. She says interreligious dialogue can teach us so much about other religions, but also so much more about our own. Special thanks to our friends at Brigham Young University’s Wheatley Institution, who invited Dr. Cornille to deliver last year’s Truman G. Madsen Lecture on the Eternal Man. About the Guest Catherine Cornille is the author of The Im-Possibility of Interreligious Dialogue. She earned her PhD in Religious Studies from the Catholic University of Leuven (Belgium). She recently presented the 2018 Truman G. Madsen Lecture on the Eternal Man at Brigham Young University. Cornille is also founding and managing editor of the book series “Christian Commentaries on Non-Christian Sacred Texts,” and the editor of The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Inter-Religious Dialogue. The post The risks and rewards of interreligious dialogue, with Catherine Cornille [MIPodcast #88] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Maxwell Institute Conversations are special episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast, hosted by Terryl Givens and created in collaboration with Faith Matters Foundation. Audio and video available. A lot has changed for Thomas Wayment since this he sat down for this conversation with Terryl Givens. At the time, Thom was a professor of ancient scripture working on a new translation of the New Testament intended for Latter-day Saints. Now he’s teaching classical studies and his translation has been published by the Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book—just in time for Latter-day Saint Sunday school’s focus on the New Testament. This conversation focuses on his new translation and other insights from his work in biblical scholarship. About the Guest Thomas A. Wayment is a professor of Classical studies at Brigham Young University, where he previously worked as publications director of the Religious Studies Center and as a professor of ancient scripture. He received his BA in Classics from the University of California at Riverside and his MA and PhD in New Testament studies from the Claremont Graduate School. Dr. Wayment’s research interests include the historical life of Jesus, New Testament manuscript traditions, the life of Paul, and the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. The post MIConversations #7—Thomas Wayment with Terryl Givens, “Translating a new New Testament” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

William Bickerton was a coal miner from England who emigrated to the United States and joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1845. Without ever having met the church’s founding prophet, he soon came to see himself as Joseph Smith’s true heir, leading what came to be called simply The Church of Jesus Christ, but more commonly referred to as the Bickertonites. Despite founding the third largest church tracing its lineage back to Joseph Smith, Bickerton’s biographer Daniel P. Stone calls him a forgotten prophet—and he’s not referring to the memories of members of the Salt Lake-based church. He says in many ways Bickerton has been forgotten in his own movement. About the Guest Daniel P. Stone holds BA and MA degrees in history from the University of Florida and Florida Atlantic University. He has taught classes at Broward College, Schoolcraft College, University of Detroit Mercy, and Wayne County Community College. Currently he is a researcher at a private library-archive in Detroit, where he and his wife Laura, and daughter, Lily, live. He is a deacon in the Church of Jesus Christ established by William Bickerton. The post William Bickerton: Forgotten Latter Day Prophet, with Daniel P. Stone [MIPodcast #87] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Maxwell Institute Conversations are special episodes of the Maxwell Institute Podcast, hosted by Terryl Givens and created in collaboration with Faith Matters Foundation. In this episode Terryl Givens sits down with Margaret Blair Young to talk about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Congo, faith transitions, spiritual healing, writing, and more. About the Guest Margaret Blair Young is an American author, filmmaker, and writing instructor who taught for 30 years at Brigham Young University. She’s written with Darius Grey about early black Latter-day Saints and her latest project is a film about more recent black converts in Africa. The film is called Heart of Africa. The post MIConversations #6—Terryl Givens with Margaret Blair Young, “The deep waters” appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

The religious marketplace in Denmark was thrown wide open in 1849 when the country ratified its first democratic constitution. After nearly a thousand years of state control, the people were guaranteed religious freedom. No more would Danes automatically be Lutheran. Missionary-minded Christians from around the world flocked to Denmark. Thousands upon thousands of Danes joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this episode, Dr. Julie K. Allen joins us to talk about these converts as described in her new book Danish But Not Lutheran: The Impact of Mormonism on Danish Cultural Identity 1850-1920. About the Guest Julie K. Allen is a professor of comparative literature at Brigham Young University and author of Danish, But Not Lutheran: The Impact of Mormonism on Danish Cultural Identity, 1850-1920. Before coming to BYU she held the position of Paul and Renate Madsen Professor of Danish in the Scandinavian Studies Department at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The post Danes, Lutherans, and Latter-day Saints, with Julie K. Allen [MIPodcast #86] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

This year marks forty years since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began, once again, to ordain black members of African descent to its priesthood. Forty years since the church began administering it sacred temple ordinances to black women and men. Over the past forty years the body of scholarship on race and the Church has expanded, with the biggest advances happening over the past ten years. Max Perry Mueller’s book is one of the latest offerings. It’s called Race and the Making of the Mormon People (University of North Carolina Press). About the Guest Max Perry Mueller is assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Nebraska. He is author of Race and the Making of the Mormon People.The post Race and the Making of the Mormon People, with Max Mueller [MIPodcast #85] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Jane and Emma is a new film based on the historical relationship of Jane Manning—one of the few black converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during its infancy—and Emma Smith, who presided over the Church’s women’s organization, the Relief Society, and who was married to the prophet Joseph Smith. It’s an emotional film that delves into some of the most sensitive issues in Latter-day Saint history, including racial tension, polygamy, and the death of Joseph Smith. In this special episode we’re joined by the director of Jane and Emma, Chantelle Squires, and Melissa Leilani Larson who wrote the screenplay. Learn about the challenges and rewards of film-making, the intricacies of creating historical fiction, and more. Trailer About the Guests Chantelle Squires is producer and director of Jane and Emma. Among other things she also produced and directed “Reserved To Fight,” a feature length documentary that aired nationally on PBS. She won an Emmy for her work on the third season of “The Generations Project” with BYUtv. Melissa Leilani Larson wrote the screenplay for Jane and Emma. She’s written and produced a number of plays including “Little Happy Secrets” and “Pilot Program,” some of which appear in the book Third Wheel from BCC Press. Larson also wrote the screenplay for Freetown, winner of the Ghana Movie Award for Best Screenplay and the Utah Film Award for Best Picture. The post The making of Jane and Emma, with Chantelle Squires and Melissa Leilani Larson [MIPodcast #84] appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.