Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Books Communism Evidence freedom government MIssionary work politics Scholarship Scripture Social Issues Society War

Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 4: Modern Scholarship and First-hand Sources on the Workings of Secret Combinations

  “And it [the Book of Mormon] shall come in a day when the blood of saints shall cry unto the Lord, because of secret combinations and the works of…

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Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Evidence freedom government Scholarship Scripture Secret Combinations Society War

Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 3: Circumstantial Evidence of Further Secret Combinations

  In Part 1, we considered the question of why secret combinations, one of the most prolific themes in the Book of Mormon, are so rarely discussed. In Part 2,…

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Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Books Evidence government politics Scholarship Secret Combinations Social Issues Society War

Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 2: Identified Secret Combinations

In Part 1 of this series (available at Meridian Magazine and in my recent post here), we considered why secret combinations, one of the most pervasive themes in the Book…

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Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon Books Communism Evidence government politics Scholarship Secret Combinations Social Issues Society War

A Practical Guide to Secret Combinations in the Book of Mormon, Part 1: Conspiracy Theories vs. Corruption Reality and Our Unjustified Reluctance to Apply the Book of Mormon

This post provides Part 1 of a four-part series for Meridian Magazine (https://latterdaysaintmag.com/) on secret combinations in the Book of Mormon. The series is based on a recent post here at…

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Posted in Book of Mormon Books government health history politics Race Science Secret Combinations Social Issues Society

Recalling the Tragic Tuskegee Experiment: A Case Study in “Secret Combinations” and How They Can Thrive for Decades

My recent post, “A Practical Guide to the Book of Mormon’s Most Neglected Theme, Secret Combinations,” examined the Book of Mormon’s teachings on “secret combinations” and how they are a…

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Posted in Book of Mormon government politics Secret Combinations Society Surviving War

A Practical Guide to the Book of Mormon’s Most Neglected Theme, Secret Combinations: A Source of Surprising Evidence and Urgent Modern Value

  One of the most common themes in the Book of Mormon is also one of the least discussed, or perhaps, the most embarrassing to address. This topic, however, demands…

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Posted in Book of Mormon Early Modern English Evidence language Scholarship Translation

Possible Benefits of the Broad Early Modern English Elements in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon as dictated by Joseph Smith contains a wide spectrum of Early Modern English (EModE) elements that distinguish it from the language of the King James Bible…

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Posted in abortion Book of Mormon freedom government Media News politics Secret Combinations Social Issues Society War

David French of the New York Times Speaking at BYU on Sept. 24: Some Thoughts and Questions for Students and Faculty

Update, Sept. 25 & 26, 2026: David French’s speech at the the BYU Forum on Sept. 24 was refreshingly non-political. It was rather short and light but very upbeat, with…

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Posted in Africa Apologetics Book of Mormon Friends Prayer Revelation Scholarship Service Stories

I’ve Stepped Down from My Executive Editor Role with Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, but Remain a Fan

I hope to write more frequently here, now that I’ve made a big change in my life. Over four years ago, shortly after returning to the United States from my…

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Posted in Antiquity Apologetics Arabian Peninsula Book of Mormon Book of Moses chiasmus Critics Evidence Hebrew language literature MIssionary work Origins poetry Problems Scholarship Witnesses wordplays

Speaking at the Independence, Missouri Stake Center on Thursday Afternoon, the Fourth of July

On Thursday, the Fourth of July, I’ll be attending a luncheon at the Independence, Missouri Stake Center of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints offered by the Hill…

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