Y Religion

The first witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ were some of his female disciples. Mary Magdalene witnessed the empty tomb and was the first to encounter the risen Savior. Additionally, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and other unnamed women, who had come to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus, saw the empty tomb and reported it to the apostles. In this episode, Professor Gaye Strathearn explores the profound impact of the Easter events through the experiences of the women who witnessed the Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. She explains how Luke’s narrative, with support from the other Gospels, connects these women to Jesus’s ministry in Galilee and portrays them as dedicated disciples who ministered to Jesus and followed him to Jerusalem. Further, the discussion underscores the women’s loyalty and sacrifice, emphasizing their presence at the Crucifixion and their discovery of the empty tomb. In exploring these narratives, we can increase our knowledge of the enduring hope and faith that the Easter events inspire and add our own witness that “he is risen” (Mark 16:6).      Publications: “Women Witnesses of the Easter Events” in He Was Seen: Witnessing the Risen Christ, David M. Calabro and George A. Pierce, ed., Religious Studies Center, 2024. "The Chosen's Amplification of Women's Voices in Scripture," in Watching The Chosen: History, Faith, and Biblical Interpretation, Robert K. Gtarcia, Paul Gondreau, Patrick Gray, and Douglas F. Huffman, ed., Eerdmans, 2025. “Experiencing the Doctrine of Christ,” Religious Educator, 25.3, 2024. Sacred Time: The Sabbath as a Perpetual Covenant, Religious Studies Center, 2023. “Discipleship in the Olivet Discourse in Mark’s Gospel,” in “Behold the Lamb of God”: An Easter Celebration, Richard Neitzel Holzapfel, Frank F. Judd Jr. , and Thomas A. Wayment, ed., Religious Studies Center, 2008.  “‘Holiness to the Lord’ and Personal Temple Worship,” Religious Educator, 23.1, 2022.   Click here to learn more about Gaye Strathearn

According to the earliest gospel accounts, on the night before his crucifixion, Jesus dined with his disciples to observe the feast of the Passover and institute what would later become the Christian eucharist (or sacrament). What would it have looked like to sit down with them that night? In this episode, Professor Matthew Grey reassesses the New Testament narratives of the Last Supper, especially its physical setting and manner of dining, by examining modern research on early Jewish dining customs with archaeological data. He challenges traditional views of Jesus and his disciples dining in an affluent upper room with a Roman triclinium (banquet hall), as the event is often depicted in art. Instead, he argues that the meal likely took place in a modest, non-elite home and reflected the lower-class dining practices of the time: sitting on reed mats, sharing cooking pots in clusters of 3—4 individuals, dipping their hands or bread into the shared vessels, and passing around a shared cup of wine. Professor Grey details how examining these new perspectives might help us envision and experience a more accurate understanding of the Last Supper’s historical and social setting as described in the synoptic gospels.   Publications: “‘Where May I Eat the Passover with My Disciples?’: Reassessing the Urban Setting, Furnished Room, and Dining Practices of Jesus’s Last Supper,” in Pushing Sacred Boundaries in Early Judaism and the Ancient Mediterranean, Brill, 2023 A Place Called Gethsemane: Seeing the New Testament Story and Site in its First-Century Context with Richard Holzapfel, Deseret Book, 2025 “Simon Peter in Capernaum: An Archaeological Survey of the First-Century Village,” in The Ministry of Peter, the Chief Apostle, Religious Studies Center, 2014   Click here to learn more about Matthew Grey

How does understanding the interconnected purposes of the sacrament, as presented in Doctrine & Covenants 27, deepen our appreciation for this sacred ordinance? In this episode Matthew O. Richardson, professor of Church history and doctrine, discusses several key themes and gospel principles related to the ordinance of the sacrament. He presents three specific purposes: remembering the past, specifically the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ; looking forward to future redemption; and providing safety and protection in the present. Further, he discusses the historical context and symbolism of the sacramental emblems and connects them to putting on the armor of God and illustrates its role in providing spiritual protection. In understanding the symbolism of these emblems, we can enhance our worship experience and foster a closer relationship with the Savior.     Publications:  “Sacramental Connections: Deliverance, Redemption, and Safety (Doctrine & Covenants 27)” originally published in You Shall Have My Word: Exploring the Text of the Doctrine and Covenants (Religious Studies Center, 2012)  “We Have Now Received the Atonement” in Shedding Light on the New Testament: Acts—Revelation (Religious Studies Center, 2009)  “The Savior’s Love” in Our Savior’s Love: Hope & Healing in Christ (Religious Studies Center, 2015)  “Losing the Sacred Perspective: Social Ethics and Character Development” in Moral Foundations: Standing Firm in a World of Shifting Values (Religious Studies Center, 2008)    Click here to learn more about Matthew O. Richardson 

Prior to their exodus west, nearly 90,000 converts journeyed across the seas to join the saints in America. In this episode Fred E. Woods, professor of Church history and doctrine, details the faith and immigration experiences of these saints as he discusses his recent publication Ports to Posts: Latter-day Saints Gathering in the Nineteenth Century. Professor Woods explores the port of Liverpool, England, the main point of embarkment for many converts, examines sailing conditions across the Atlantic for converts and non-converts alike, and details the arrival of these early pioneers into American harbors and the various posts they made contact with along the way. In addition to exploring how these converts gathered unto Zion, Professor Woods shares why so many members left their homelands to “be gathered in unto one place” (Doctrine & Covenants 29:7).     Publications:  Ports to Posts: Latter-day Saint Gathering in the Nineteenth Century (University of Nebraska Press, 2025)   Saints by Sea—Latter-day Saint Immigration to America website  “The Saints of Las Vegas” (Y Religion, episode 82, 2023)  Bright Lights in the Desert: The Latter-day Saints of Las Vegas (University of Nevada Press, 2023)  The Latter-day Saint Image in the British Mind (Greg Kofford Books, 2022)  “The Ascension of Abraham: A Mortal Model for the Climb to Exaltation” (Religious Educator, 23.2, 2022)  “Conversions, Arrests, and Friendships: A Story of Two Icelandic Police Officers” (Religious Educator, 20.1, 2019)  Saints of Tonga: A Century of Island Faith (Religious Studies Center, 2019)  Kalaupapa: The Mormon Experience in an Exiled Community (Religious Studies Center, 2017)  Sacred and Historical Places Hawai’i: A Guide to LDS Historic Sites in Hawai’i with Mary Jane Woodger and Riley Moffat (Mormon Historic Sites Foundation, 2016)  “Launching Mormonism in the South Pacific: The Voyage of the Timoleon” in The Growth and Development of Mormon Missionary Work (Religious Studies Center, 2012)    Click here to learn more about Fred E. Woods 

Nick Frederick, a professor specializing in the relationship between the Book of Mormon and the New Testament, dives deep into the fascinating parallels between the Book of Revelation and the Book of Mormon. He discusses Nephi's visions as a reimagining of Revelation's imagery and explores three transformative revisions regarding Christ’s visits and His Crucifixion. Frederick emphasizes how these texts provide reassurance for believers, contextualizing end times through Christ's ministry rather than just as future predictions.

Michael A. Goodman, a BYU professor and expert on Church history, discusses the evolving views on marriage and family in modern society. He examines the impact of expressive individualism and the sexual revolution on family stability, contrasting these with biblical teachings. Goodman highlights the significance of 'The Family: A Proclamation to the World' as a divine response to contemporary challenges, advocating for a return to timeless truths amidst cultural shifts. He stresses the importance of prophetic guidance in understanding these eternal principles.

On the day after his Resurrection, the Savior appeared to those who knew him best during his mortal ministry—Mary Magdalene, Cleopas, ten of the apostles, and many other followers. While they saw him physically, they did not recognize him. Instead, they mistook him for a gardener, stranger, passing traveler, and even another prophet, as they misunderstood his role as the Redeemer of Israel or the promised Messiah. Rather than rebuking them, the Savior and ministering angels worked to correct their mistaken expectations by teaching them the true identity of Christ. In this episode, Professor Krystal V. L. Pierce describes how the Resurrected Savior opens the spiritual eyes and minds of his followers and disciples, in ancient and modern times, through visual, audible, and tangible signs and teachings. By learning to identify the spiritual nature of the Savior, we can prepare to see him physically in the Second Coming.      Publications: “Seeing, Knowing, and Recognizing the True Identity of Christ” in He Was Seen: Witnessing the Risen Christ (Religious Studies Center, 2024) Book of Mormon Insights: Letting God Prevail in Your Life, ed. Kenneth L. Alford, Krystal V. L. Pierce, and Mary Jane Woodger (Religious Studies Center, 2024) “The Tower of Babel, the Jaredites, and the Nature of God” by George A. Pierce and Krystal V. L. Pierce in They Shall Grow Together: The Bible in the Book of Mormon (Religious Studies Center, 2022) Approaching Holiness: Exploring the History and Teachings of the Old Testament, ed. Krystal V. L. Pierce and David Rolph Seely (Religious Studies Center, 2021) “The Ger in the Pentateuch and the Book of Mormon: Refugee Treatment under the Mosaic Law” in Covenant of Compassion: Caring for the Marginalized and Disadvantaged in the Old Testament (Religious Studies Center, 2021) “Egypt and the Egyptians” in Pearl of Great Price Reference Companion (Deseret Book, 2017) “Egypt’s New Kingdom” in A Bible Reader’s History of the Ancient World (Religious Studies Center, 2016) “The Brazen Serpent as a Symbol of Jesus Christ: A Dichotomy of Benevolence and Admonition” in I Glory in My Jesus: Understanding Christ in the Book of Mormon (Religious Studies Center, 2023)   Click here to learn more about Krystal V. L. Pierce

Anthony Sweat, a Professor of Church History and Doctrine at BYU and author, shares insights into rethinking the image of Jesus. He discusses his artistic depiction of Christ, challenging Eurocentric views with historical accuracy. Sweat introduces a four-part study method from Doctrine and Covenants 19:23 to deepen our understanding of Christ's character and teachings. He emphasizes listening to divine guidance and the importance of personal study, urging listeners to embrace a nuanced view of Christ's mercy and justice.

In this engaging discussion, Casey Paul Griffiths, a BYU professor and author of the Scripture Central Commentary on the Doctrine and Covenants, highlights the ongoing nature of revelation within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He emphasizes the significance of the newly released four-volume commentary and the Joseph Smith Papers project. Griffiths reveals how the Doctrine and Covenants serves as living scripture, encouraging personal interaction with divine guidance. He passionately asserts that miracles continue today, inviting everyone to actively participate in this unfolding narrative.

Kenneth L. Alford, a BYU professor specializing in religious education and Latter-day Saint art, dives into the treasure trove of the Book of Mormon Art Catalog. He shares how over 8,000 artworks can enhance scripture study and teaching. Alford explains practical tips for navigating the catalog using search filters, emphasizing the impact of visual aids on understanding scripture. He also discusses the catalog's evolution, artistic diversity, and the intriguing background of renowned artist Averd Fairbanks. Art isn't just aesthetic—it's a bridge to deeper faith and learning.