Informed Saints

Was Abraham really known as an astronomer in the ancient world—and does that help us understand why the Book of Abraham is so packed with stars, hierarchy, and cosmic teaching? In this episode we dig into a surprising (and wide-ranging) tradition found in Second Temple and later Jewish sources: Abraham as a learned observer of the heavens—sometimes described as an astronomer/astrologer—whose study of the stars connects to covenant, revelation, and even teaching kings. We walk through key texts and authors (including Jubilees/Qumran traditions, Josephus and the non-Jewish authorities he cites, Philo, and the Apocalypse of Abraham) and then compare how these themes converge with the Book of Abraham’s big moments—especially the idea that Abraham’s astronomy is used as a framework to teach Pharaoh and point to God’s order in the heavens. If you’ve only heard Book of Abraham discussions framed around “papyri/Egyptology,” this is a different angle: Abrahamic lore and ancient tradition—and why it’s worth taking seriously. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Additional Readings: Imitating Abraham: https://brill.com/display/title/71766?language=en&srsltid=AfmBOoqUl7u5gAnFpKwcYKgFeunFmD7l405iUb9eZOdI403OV4FVWKyz Abraham and His Family in Scripture, History, and Tradition: https://interpreterfoundation.org/books/abraham-and-his-family Traditions About the Early Life of Abraham: https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book/traditions-about-early-life-abraham Palmyra and Jerusalem: Joseph Smith’s Scriptural Texts and the Writings of Flavius Josephus: https://rsc.byu.edu/approaching-antiquity-joseph-smith-ancient-world/palmyra-jerusalem-joseph-smiths-scriptural-texts-writings-flavius-josephus https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/why-are-there-hebraisms-in-the-book-of-mormon https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/by-small-means-rethinking-the-liahona Subscribe for more deep-dive, text-based episodes on scripture, history, and restoration claims. ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #BookOfAbraham #Abraham #Kolob #ScriptureStudy #LDS #LatterDaySaints #BibleScholarship #SecondTempleJudaism #DeadSeaScrolls #Josephus #Philo #ApocalypseOfAbraham #AncientEgypt #Astronomy #FaithAndReason

Does God live on a planet called Kolob—or is Kolob a symbol? In this episode, we dive into Abraham 3 with an Egyptologist to unpack why the Lord shows Abraham the heavens before Egypt, and how the “astronomy chapter” becomes a powerful teaching tool about the plan of salvation.     You’ll learn why some scholars read Abraham’s cosmology through an ancient geocentric lens, how Kolob functions as a stand-in for Jesus Christ (near unto God, chief in authority, tied to creation), and why that actually makes the doctrine more compelling—not less.     We also explore the “real referent” question (including why Sirius is discussed as a serious candidate), the Egyptian wordplay connecting stars and spirits, and even the fascinating language around Shinehah/Shinneha as potentially tied to an Egyptian term for the sun’s ecliptic.       From there, Abraham 3 pivots into the Divine Council, “noble and great ones,” and foreordination—then dovetails straight into Abraham 4–5 where creation is described as organizing pre-existing chaos (a pattern that fits ancient Near Eastern creation imagery).     If you want to study deeply and believe boldly, this episode will give you a framework for reading Kolob and Abraham’s “weird” chapters with more clarity, context, and confidence. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Show notes: The read “A Guide to the Book of Abraham” visit the BYU Studies website: https://byustudies.byu.edu/issue/61-4 Articles on Kolob, Shinehah, and other issues discussed in this episode can be accessed here: https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/abrahamic-astronomy https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/shinehah-the-sun https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/kolob-the-governing-one https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-divine-council https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-foreordination-of-abraham https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-fall-of-lucifer https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/creation-from-chaos Stephen’s OG article on the divine council can be found here: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol22/iss2/4/ The Mormonr article on Kolob can be accessed here: https://mormonr.org/qnas/6F7xbc/kolob The foundational article on geocentric Abrahamic astronomy by Daniel Peterson, William Hamblin, and John Gee, is available here: https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/and-i-saw-stars-book-abraham-and-ancient-geocentric-astronomy byustudies.byu.edu Comment below: Do you read Kolob more as a literal star, a symbol, or both? ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #BookOfAbraham #Kolob #PearlOfGreatPrice #Abraham3 #ComeFollowMe #LatterDaySaints #LDS #MormonStudies #Egyptology #AncientNearEast #DivineCouncil #ScriptureStudy #Restoration #JesusChrist #GospelDoctrine

The Book of Abraham gets more criticism than almost any other LDS scripture—partly because we still have fragments of the papyri and people assume that “settles” everything. In this episode of Informed Saints, we sit down with Egyptologist Kerry Muhlestein to talk through what the evidence actually does (and doesn’t) let us conclude—and how Latter-day Saints can approach the questions without fear. We zoom in on Facsimile 1 and walk through details that often get ignored in quick social-media takes: the lion couch scene, ritual context, the possibility of an original ritual knife, and what the Egyptian concept of the Ba can mean (including why “angel” isn’t as random as critics claim). Then we pull back and show how the opening of Abraham’s story connects to covenant, temple themes, and even the cosmic scope of Abraham 3. If you’ve ever wondered, “Did Egyptologists really disprove the Book of Abraham?”—this is the deep, careful conversation you’ve been looking for. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Episode Relevant Readings: Kerry Muhlestein's article "A Priest, His Gods and His Depiction: Creation, Execration, and the Roles, Texts, and Vignette of Hor of Karnak" featured in this episode is available here: https://egyptianexpedition.org/articles/a-priest-his-gods-and-his-depiction/ Kerry's book "Let's Talk About the Book of Abraham" featured in this episode is available here: https://www.deseretbook.com/product/P5258289.html?srsltid=AfmBOoq6BoXHbWsXFxPQ7yyCatBMQLv1rgME_7c1Va_zyaGDV3asb7am The original papyrus vignette of Facsimile 1 can be accessed on the Joseph Smith Papers website: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/fragment-of-book-of-breathing-for-horos-a-between-238-and-circa-153-bc/1 Articles on Facsimile 1 appeared in BYU Studies (Volume 61, no. 4, 2022) that address the interpretation of the facsimile and the issues raised in this podcast: https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/approaching-the-facsimiles https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/facsimile-1-as-a-sacrifice-scene https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-idolatrous-priest-facsimile-1-figure-3 John Gee's chapter on the facsimiles in his book "An Introduction to the Book of Abraham" is also worth looking at to get an overview: https://rsc.byu.edu/introduction-book-abraham/facsimiles Mormonr and FAIR have also published articles on the facsimiles, and especially Facsimile 1, that address some of the issues also raised in this episode: https://mormonr.org/qnas/QKJuCb/book_of_abraham_facsimiles https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Book_of_Abraham_facsimiles/Facsimile_1 Further Readings: 1) Gospel Topics Essay — Translation and Historicity of the Book of Abraham (official) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/translation-and-historicity-of-the-book-of-abraham?lang=eng 2) Joseph Smith Papers — Revelations & Translations, Vol. 4: Book of Abraham (overview + context) https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/articles/revelations-and-translations-volume-4-book-of-abraham 3) Church History Topic — Book of Abraham Translation (official) https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/book-of-abraham-translation?lang=eng 4) Pearl of Great Price Central — Book of Abraham hub (faithful scholarship summaries) https://pearlofgreatpricecentral.org/book-of-abraham/ 5) BYU Religious Studies Center — “Egyptian Papyri and the Book of Abraham” (Kerry Muhlestein) https://rsc.byu.edu/no-weapon-shall-prosper/egyptian-papyri-book-abraham ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #InformedSaints #BookOfAbraham #Facsimile1 #JosephSmithPapyri #LDS #LatterDaySaints #MormonStudies #Egyptology #AncientEgypt #ScriptureStudy #ComeFollowMe #Temple #FaithAndScholarship #Abraham #ReligiousHistory

Breaking news in biblical studies: the “elect lady” in 2 John may not be a metaphor for the Church after all—she may be a real woman with a real name: Eclecte. In this episode, New Testament papyrologist Lincoln Blumell (with research assistant Spencer Kraus) explains the textual and grammatical puzzle behind 2 John’s opening, why the traditional reading created problems, and how ancient letter-writing conventions + manuscript evidence point to a restored reading that makes sense of the Greek.  We also talk about why this matters: what it could mean for how we read 2 John, what it suggests about women’s roles and authority in early Christian house churches, and how this connects with Restoration history—including Joseph Smith’s use of 2 John when organizing the Relief Society.  The book and other resources: https://amzn.to/4q2a5Mb https://www.deseret.com/education/2025/11/08/stunning-find-meet-the-missing-woman-in-the-bible-rediscovered-by-a-byu-researcher/ https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/finding-the-elect-lady ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #InformedSaints #BibleStudy #NewTestament #2John #BiblicalStudies #TextualCriticism #ChristianHistory #WomenInTheBible #GreekNewTestament #LatterDaySaints #ReliefSociety #ScriptureStudy

Critics have mocked Alma 7:10 for nearly 200 years: the Book of Mormon says Christ would be born “at Jerusalem,” even though the New Testament says Bethlehem. But once you dig into ancient geography, manuscripts, and archaeology, the criticism gets a lot less confident—and the evidence gets surprisingly strong.  In this episode of Informed Saints, we break down what “Jerusalem” can mean in an ancient context, why the Book of Mormon repeatedly refers to the “land of Jerusalem,” and how sources like the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Amarna Letters, and a 7th-century BC Bethlehem bulla (“Bethlehem for the king”) point to Bethlehem functioning within Jerusalem’s broader district/administrative world—especially in Lehi’s time.  We also zoom out and ask an important question: what does modern scholarship even say about the Bethlehem tradition, and why do some scholars propose alternatives (including Jerusalem)? Most of all, we keep the focus where Alma puts it: Christ’s mission, Atonement, and Resurrection—not just a pin on a map.  Here are some additional resources: Matt Roper, “Anachronisms: Accidental Evidence in Book of Mormon Criticisms—Chapter 6: Old World Jounreys by Land and Sea,” Interpreter 65 (2025), items 172 and 173; https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/anachronisms-accidental-evidence-in-book-of-mormon-criticisms-chapter-6-old-world-journeys-by-land-and-sea ​ Scripture Central. “Why Does the Book of Mormon Talk about a ‘Land of Jerusalem’? (1 Nephi 3:9),” KnoWhy 495 (December 20, 2018); https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/why-does-the-book-of-mormon-talk-about-a-land-of-jerusalem ​ Neal Rappleye, “Why Did Alma Say Christ Would Be Born in Jerusalem? Surprising Evidence of the Book of Mormon,” LDS Living, December 21, 2017; https://www.ldsliving.com/why-did-alma-say-christ-would-be-born-in-jerusalem-surprising-evidence-of-the-book-of-mormon/s/87333 ​ Gordon Thomasson, “Revisiting the Land of Jerusalem,” in Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon (FARMS, 1999); https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/revisiting-thelandofjerusalem ​ Daniel C. Peterson, “Is the Book of Mormon True? Notes on the Debate,” in Book of Mormon Authorship Revisited (FARMS, 1997); https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/book-mormon-true-notes-debate ​ Joseph Feilding Smith, “Is There a Contradiction between Alma 7:10 and Matthew 2:5–6?” Improvement Era, April 1955; https://scripturecentral.org/archive/periodicals/magazine-article/there-contradiction-between-alma-710-and-matthew-256 #InformedSaints #BookOfMormon #Alma710 #JesusChrist #Bethlehem #Jerusalem #BibleStudy #ChristianHistory #Archaeology #DeadSeaScrolls #LatterDaySaints #FaithAndReason 

In 1828, Martin Harris carried copied characters from the gold plates to Professor Charles Anthon in New York City—and walked away more convinced than ever that the Book of Mormon was real. Anthon, however, later claimed the whole thing was nonsense. So who do we believe, and what actually happened in that office?  In this episode of Informed Saints, Jasmin Rappleye sits down with Neal Rappleye and Stephen Smoot to walk through every major source on the Anthon visit—from Martin’s own accounts to Anthon’s three conflicting letters and the memories of people who knew them both. We talk about “shorthand Egyptian,” the strange list of languages (Egyptian, Chaldean, Assyriac, and Arabic), early 1800s Egyptology, and new scholarship on what the characters Martin showed might have been. We also dig into Isaiah 29 and the famous line, “I cannot read a sealed book,” and how both skeptics and believers have used this story. If you’ve ever wondered whether Martin Harris was duped or whether the Anthon episode can still fit a believing, historically informed view of the Restoration, this conversation is for you. Come study the evidence, think through motives and memory on both sides, and see how you can study hard and believe boldly as a Latter-day Saint today. Resources: Get the FAIR volumes mentioned in the episode now! https://linktr.ee/fair.bookstore Primary Sources & Scripture •Joseph Smith—History 1:63–65 (Pearl of Great Price) – Canonized account of Martin Harris’s visit to Charles Anthon.  https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/scriptures/pgp/js-h/1?lang=eng •Joseph Smith Papers – “Appendix 2: Copies of Book of Mormon Characters” – High-res images and background on the various “characters” documents (including those related to the Anthon story).  https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/appendix-2-copies-of-book-of-mormon-characters-introduction ⸻ Scripture Central & Doctrine and Covenants Central •Scripture Central – “Anthon Transcript” (Encyclopedia Entry) – Clear overview of what the Anthon Transcript is, what happened with Martin Harris and Charles Anthon, and why it matters.  https://scripturecentral.org/archive/articles/encyclopedia-entry/anthon-transcript •Doctrine & Covenants Central KnoWhy – “What Do We Know About the ‘Anthon Transcript’?” – Accessible summary that walks through the documents, competing accounts, and how this episode fits into the coming forth of the Book of Mormon.  https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/knowhy/what-do-we-know-about-the-anthon-transcript/ •Doctrine & Covenants Central KnoWhy – “Why Did Martin Harris Consult with Scholars like Charles Anthon?” – Explores why Martin sought outside validation and how multiple scholars (not just Anthon) fit into the story.  https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/knowhy/why-did-martin-harris-consult-with-scholars-like-charles-anthon/ ⸻ Faithful Scholarship & Deep Dives •BYU Studies – “The Anthon Transcript: People, Primary Sources, and Problems” by Stanley B. Kimball – Classic study that gathers the main historical sources and analyzes what we can (and can’t) know about the visit.  https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/the-anthon-transcript-people-primary-sources-and-problems •Journal of Book of Mormon Studies – “The Anthon Transcripts and the Translation of the Book of Mormon: Studying It Out in the Mind of Joseph Smith” by David E. Sloan – Looks at how this episode connects to Joseph’s translation process and “studying it out” (D&C 9).  https://scripturecentral.org/archive/periodicals/journal-article/anthon-transcripts-and-translation-book-mormon-studying-it-out-mind-joseph-smith •Interpreter / Scripture Central – “Looking Again at the Anthon Transcript(s)” by John S. Thompson (2025) – A recent article arguing that Harris likely showed Anthon more than one transcript and what that means for the history and the characters.  https://interpreterfoundation.org/looking-again-at-the-anthon-transcripts/ •FAIR – “Book of Mormon/Translation/Anthon transcript” – Faithful Q&A-style overview that addresses common questions and criticisms about the Anthon Transcript and related issues.  https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/answers/Book_of_Mormon/Translation/Anthon_transcript ⸻ ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #AnthonTranscript #BookOfMormon #LDSHistory #Mormonism #JosephSmith

The Pearl of Great Price is the most unstable book in the Latter-day Saint canon. It started as an 1851 pamphlet in Liverpool, was reshaped by Orson Pratt in the 1870s, canonized in 1880, streamlined by James E. Talmage in 1902, expanded in 1976, and reworked again in 1979–81. And in the 1970s, Elder Bruce R. McConkie even drafted a never-published edition that would have added huge chunks of the JST, the Wentworth Letter, the Lectures on Faith, and two brand-new Articles of Faith.  In this episode of Informed Saints, we walk through the wild, moving target that is the Pearl of Great Price and ask what it teaches us about an open — and living — canon. We talk about Franklin D. Richards’ original British pamphlet, Orson Pratt’s edition that briefly included D&C 132 and a canonized hymn, Talmage’s quiet changes to the Articles of Faith, the short life of Joseph Smith’s and Joseph F. Smith’s visions inside the Pearl of Great Price, and the “McConkie edition” that almost changed everything.  Along the way, we explore: • How something goes from newspaper article to canonized scripture • Why some revelations and theological texts never made it into the standard works • What criteria leaders actually use when they consider new scripture • Why canonization is a community process, not a solo prophetic decree • What it really means to have an “open” and “living” canon as Latter-day Saints  We also introduce The Pearl of Great Price Study Edition by Stephen O. Smoot, published with the Interpreter Foundation and Scripture Central, and talk about how textual variants, facsimile changes, and manuscript history can actually strengthen faith when we understand the human side of scripture.  If you’ve ever wondered, “Could we get new scripture?” or “Should I be worried that our canon has changed so much?” — this episode is for you. At Informed Saints, we show that you can study deeply and still believe boldly. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Donate today: ancientamerica.org/donate/ Resource Guide: https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/the-pearl-of-great-price https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/EoM/id/4040/ https://interpreterfoundation.org//books/the-pearl-of-great-price-study-edition https://biblecentral.info/library/book/pearl-of-great-price-study-edition/ https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/content/library/pearl-of-great-price-first-edition-1851?lang=eng https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/site/the-pearl-of-great-price ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #InformedSaints #PearlOfGreatPrice #LDS #Mormon #Restoration #LatterDaySaint #ScriptureStudy #ChurchHistory #DoctrineAndCovenants #BookOfMormon #OpenCanon #LivingCanon #BruceRMcConkie #ScriptureCentral #InterpreterFoundation

Are “anachronisms” proof that the Book of Mormon is a modern forgery—or are critics leaning on outdated data? In this intro episode, we break down what anachronisms actually are and walk through a massive new study that tracks 226 critical claims from 1830 to today. The result? About 77% of those supposed anachronisms now have archaeological or historical support in the ancient Old and New Worlds.  We’ll explain in plain language: What an anachronism is (and why George Washington with a machine gun is a "perfect" example) How horses, steel, cities, roads, cement, and other “impossible” Book of Mormon details have fared as archaeology has advanced Why translation, loan-shifting (like calling a peccary a “pig”), and limited excavation in the Americas matter for this discussion How Matt Roper’s new Interpreter Foundation study updates earlier work by John Clark and shows the Book of Mormon aging surprisingly well in light of new evidence  At Informed Saints, we study hard and bring our receipts. This episode is your intro to anachronisms: what critics claim, what the data actually say, and why Latter-day Saints can be both faithful and intellectually honest about ancient texts. Sources: https://scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jmh/article-abstract/48/4/1/318163/Apologetics-and-Antiquity-Book-of-Mormon-Reception https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/john-bernhisels-gift-to-a-prophet-incidents-of-travel-in-central-america-and-the-book-of-mormon https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/why-did-the-lord-command-the-three-witnesses-to-rely-upon-his-word https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/john-bernhisels-gift-to-a-prophet-incidents-of-travel-in-central-america-and-the-book-of-mormon/ https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/591852 https://www.monticello.org/research-education/thomas-jefferson-encyclopedia/jeffersons-excavation-native-american-burial-mound/ https://journal.interpreterfoundation.org/anachronisms-accidental-evidence-in-book-of-mormon-criticisms-introduction/ https://www.nsf.gov/science-matters/horses-part-indigenous-cultures-longer-western https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/why-things-move-a-new-look-at-helaman-12-15 https://www.byui.edu/speeches/kim-b-clark/the-prophet-joseph-smith #InformedSaints #BookOfMormon #Anachronisms #BookOfMormonEvidence #LDS #Mormon #Restoration #FaithAndScholarship #Apologetics #ScriptureStudy #ChurchHistory #Christianity #ReligiousStudies

Did the Church change its story on the Book of Mormon translation—or are critics missing something important?   In this episode of Informed Saints, Jasmin Rappleye sits down with Neal Rappleye and Stephen Smoot to unpack recent online controversy over the Church’s new “Translation of the Book of Mormon” article and statements that the text came by “divine revelation.” Drawing on Doctrine and Covenants passages, early witness accounts, and Joseph Smith’s own statements, they explore how early Latter-day Saints understood the relationship between translation, revelation, seer stones, and the Urim and Thummim, and why calling the Book of Mormon both a translation and a revelation is not new language at all.    In this episode: Why a viral ex-Mormon Reddit thread claims the Church “changed translation to revelation” What Joseph Smith meant by translating “by the gift and power of God” How early Saints— including the witnesses—described the Book of Mormon Whether “revelation” implies backing away from historicity What a “revelatory translation” tells us about God’s purposes for the Book of Mormon   Resource Guide: Official Church Resources •Book of Mormon Translation – Topics & Questions (ChurchofJesusChrist.org) Concise Q&A overview of how the Church currently explains the translation, including seer stones, plates, and eyewitnesses. https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/book-of-mormon-translation-joseph-smith-plural-marriage    •Gospel Topics Essay: “Book of Mormon Translation” In-depth official essay with historical context and primary sources about the mechanics of translation and the phrase “by the gift and power of God.” https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics-essays/book-of-mormon-translation?lang=eng    •Elder Ulisses Soares – “The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon” (April 2020 General Conference) Apostolic perspective on why the Book of Mormon’s coming forth is best understood as a miracle of revelation and translation together. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2020/04/23soares?lang=eng    •Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, “The Miraculous Translation of the Book of Mormon,” Liahona, Mar. 2024 Recent Church magazine article summarizing eyewitness accounts and explaining the role of seer stones, interpreters, and the plates. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2024/03/united-states-and-canada-section/02-the-miraculous-translation-of-the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng      Faithful Scholarship & Deep Dives •Stephen O. Smoot – “Is the Book of Mormon a ‘Translation’ or a ‘Revelation’?” FAIR 2023 Conference Explores how early Latter-day Saints used “translation” and “revelation” as overlapping categories of seership, and what that means for the Book of Mormon today. https://www.fairlatterdaysaints.org/conference/2023-defending-the-book-of-mormon-conference    •“Firsthand Witness Accounts of the Translation Process,” in The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon (BYU Religious Studies Center) Collects primary statements from Emma Smith, Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Joseph Knight Sr., and others describing how the translation actually looked in practice. https://rsc.byu.edu/sites/default/files/pub_content/pdf/Firsthand_Witness_Accounts_of_the_Translation_Process.pdf    •Stephen D. Ricks – “Translation of the Book of Mormon,” in Pressing Forward with the Book of Mormon (FARMS/Book of Mormon Central) A brief, faithful scholarly summary of what it means that Joseph translated “by the gift and power of God.” https://archive.bookofmormoncentral.org/sites/default/files/pressing_forward_63_-_translation_of_the_book_of_mormon.pdf    If you’re navigating questions about how the Book of Mormon came forth, or have heard that the Church is rewriting its narrative, this conversation offers historical context and a faithful, clear explanation. — Subscribe to Informed Saints for more thoughtful Latter-day Saint discussions, and if you find this episode helpful, please leave a rating and review so others can discover the show.

Can Latter-day Saints and other Christians actually be closer in theology than most people think? In fact are “Mormons” Trinitarians? In this episode we sit down with BYU historian and theologian Grant Underwood, author of Latter-day Saint Theology Among Christian Theologies, to talk about where Latter-day Saint beliefs line up with Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions—and where they really are distinct. We get into God’s nature, the Trinity, embodiment, salvation, and why words like “Christian,” “orthodox,” and even “theology” get used so differently online.    Underwood shows that a lot of the online “Mormons aren’t Christian” arguments come down to definitions, not devotion—and that many Latter-day Saints would benefit from seeing themselves inside the wider Christian conversation, not outside it. This episode is perfect for Latter-day Saints who talk with evangelical friends, for Christians who are curious about LDS beliefs, and for anyone who wants a calmer, better-informed way to talk about God. ⸻ In this episode you’ll hear about: •Why Latter-day Saints should care about “theology,” not just “doctrine” •How Latter-day Saints and other Christians talk past each other using the same words differently •LDS belief in an embodied God and how that compares to creedal Christianity •“Separate-being” or “social” Trinitarianism and why it’s closer than people assume •LDS inclusivism: affirming the Restoration while honoring centuries of sincere Christians •How publishing with Eerdmans opened the door for real dialogue between traditions •Surprising overlaps with Eastern Orthodoxy on deification and theosis •Why better definitions can “bulldoze down” unnecessary walls between believers  ⸻ For viewers coming from other Christian traditions: This episode is not a debate. It’s an attempt to show the actual range of Christian belief across 2,000 years, and to place Latter-day Saints inside that bigger story instead of outside it. If you’ve only seen LDS beliefs described in polemical books or social posts, this conversation will feel very different.  ⸻ Subscribe for more long-form, faithful, informed conversations on Latter-day Saint history, doctrine, and how we fit in the wider Christian world.   #LatterDaySaint #Mormonism #Christianity #InformedSaints #GrantUnderwood #LDSTheology #Restoration #Trinity #Theosis #BYU #FaithAndReason #Interfaith