Maxwell Institute Podcast

Today on the podcast I talk with Ryan Davis, associate professor of political science at BYU. Dr. Davis is a philosopher, a quick and humorous conversationalist, and a great storyteller. He suggested that there might be a better way to approach belief. What if we get curious not only about the content of the specific beliefs that we hold, but also about how we hold them? What if we attend to our ways of believing as much as to our articles of belief? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said “The size of your faith or the degree of your knowledge is not the issue—it is the integrity you demonstrate toward the faith you do have and the truth you already know.” Christ commanded us to “be not afraid; only believe.” Could it be that believing, when undertaken with integrity and courage, is important in itself? Ryan and I swapped stories, bonded over our love of ice cream, and even shared a few riddles. I hope you enjoy listening in as much as I enjoyed the conversation.

What does it mean to be an objective judge of history--of personal history, family history, or shared human history? Are charity and objectivity opposites--or are they partners? Today on the podcast I talk to Jenny Hale Pulsipher, a professor of history at BYU and a contributor to the Maxwell Institute’s recent book Every Needful Thing: Essays on the Life of the Mind and the Heart. As an historian, Jenny specializes in finding the nuance in complex historical figures--never excusing wrongdoing, but never losing sight of the gospel’s witness that we are all children of God. In the October 2022 General Conference, Sister Anette Dennis, Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency, asked, “How many wounded individuals do we have among us? How often do we judge others based on their outward appearance and actions, or lack of action, when, if we fully understood, we would instead react with compassion and a desire to help instead of adding to their burdens with our judgment?” Jenny and I talked about how to balance objectivity and charity by adding, not subtracting, individual perspectives; and about how open-eyed interaction with our families and our histories can strengthen, not weaken, our bonds of love. We talked about the ways that the histories we tell might unknowingly burden the wounded. Jenny shared an amazing story about her own family history, and she talked about how her youthful testimony of the Book of Mormon grew through a challenge that forced her to revisit the questions she brought to it. Thanks for joining us today, and I hope you enjoy this conversation with Jenny Pulsipher.

How can we best care for the beautiful planet God has given us for our home? And why do our relationships with other humans matter so much in the work of stewardship and conservation? Today on the podcast, Rosalynde talks to Ben Abbott, a professor of Plant & Wildlife Sciences at BYU. As a scientist, Ben specializes in ecosystem ecology — the complex ways that living and non-living components interact in a given place. But he’s found that his work as a teacher and mentor has shaped his research as much — or more! — than his rugged fieldwork.The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #160: How Can We Be Effective Stewards of the Earth? Featuring Ben Abbott appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Research Fellow Kimberly Matheson explores the essence and significance of prayer, delving into its purpose and meaning beyond simple requests. She discusses the power of communal prayer, shares personal experiences, and offers encouragement for those feeling stuck in their prayer life.

Meet Rosalynde Frandsen Welch, our new host for the MIPodcast. Rosalynde is the Associate Director of the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, where she coordinates faculty engagement and co-leads a special research initiative. Her research focuses on Latter-day Saint scripture, theology, and literature. She holds a PhD in early modern English literature from the University of California, San Diego, and a BA in English from Brigham Young University. She is the author of Ether: a brief theological introduction, published by the Maxwell Institute, as well as numerous articles, book chapters and reviews on Latter-day Saint thought.In this episode, Rosalynde introduces The Questions We Should Be Asking, a new season that explores questions that help build faith. The first full-length episode of the podcast will be posted on March 28, 2023.The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #158: Introduction to The Questions We Should Be Asking with Rosalynde Welch appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

In the nineteenth century, a fascination with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints made Mormons and Mormonism a common trope in French journalism, art, literature, politics, and popular culture. Heather Belnap, Corry Cropper, and Daryl Lee bring to light French representations of Mormonism from the 1830s to 1914, arguing that these portrayals often critiqued and parodied French society. Mormonism became a pretext for reconsidering issues such as gender, colonialism, the family, and church-state relations while providing artists and authors with a means for working through the possibilities of their own evolving national identity. The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #157: Latter-day Saints in the French Imagination, with Corry Cropper, Daryl Lee, and Heather Belnap appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

It’s Christmas! This may feel like an awkward lesson to have in the discussion of the Old Testament, it’s at least how I felt. But in considering the topic more deeply, I can’t think of a better way to prepare for celebrating the Savior’s birth. We’ve spent the year reading the scriptures that He read and recognizing the ways that ancient Israel expected a Savior to redeem them. We discuss the Old Testament in light of the Promised Lamb of God in this episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.” The post Abide: Christmas appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

Finding Christ in the Covenant Path offers a fresh but faithful focus on the journey of covenants and discipleship through the double lens of ancient words and medieval images. The first part of the book helps us see Christ’s identity as our Redeemer by exploring the ancient words that connect covenants, redemption, worship, the presence of the Lord, and sitting down enthroned in God’s presence as his children and heirs. The second part of the book reveals Christ as our ransom by exploring medieval images, particularly the image of Christ. With personal anecdotes, historical background, and scriptural analysis, this section uses devotional images and late medieval practices of contemplation as a strategy to come unto Christ. By using medieval images as a counterpoint to Restoration practices and ordinances, we can more fully appreciate the gift of God’s Son and see that gift with fresh eyes. The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #156: Finding Christ in the Covenant Path, with Jennifer C. Lane appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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In 2007, the Museum at Eldridge Street opened at the site of a restored nineteenth-century synagogue originally built by some of the first Eastern European Jewish immigrants in New York City. Visitors to the museum are invited to stand along indentations on the floor where footprints of congregants past have worn down the soft pinewood. Here, many feel a palpable connection to the history surrounding them. Beyond the Synagogue argues that nostalgic activities such as visiting the Museum at Eldridge Street or eating traditional Jewish foods should be understood as American Jewish religious practices. In making the case that these practices are not just cultural, but are actually religious, Rachel B. Gross asserts if one looked outside of traditional institutions and practices, such as attendance at synagogue or membership in Jewish Community Centers, they would see that the embrace of nostalgia provides evidence of an alternative, under-appreciated way of being Jewish and of maintaining Jewish continuity. Tracing American Jews’ involvement in a broad array of ostensibly nonreligious activities, including conducting Jewish genealogical research, visiting Jewish historic sites, purchasing books and toys that teach Jewish nostalgia to children, and seeking out traditional Jewish foods, Gross argues that these practices illuminate how many American Jews are finding and making meaning within American Judaism today. The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #155: Nostalgia as Jewish Religious Practice, with Rachel B. Gross appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.