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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Posted in Apologetics Book of Mormon chiasmus Critics Evidence language Prayer Problems Scholarship Scripture

Thoughts from a Sunday School Lesson on Enos and the Words of Mormon

  During our recent Sunday school lesson on Enos and the Words of Mormon, I had the chance to point out a couple of apparent problems in the text that…

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Posted in Ancient Near East Antiquity Arabia Arabian Peninsula Book of Mormon Evidence Faith Problems Scholarship

Further Thoughts on Nephi’s Three-Day Journey: Going the Distance with Google Earth

My recent post on Nephi’s three-day journey, the leg of Lehi’s Trail that reaches the River Laman in the Valley of Lemuel, discussed the significance of Exodus themes in Nephi’s…

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Posted in Atonement Book of Mormon Doctrine Grace Missionaries Repentance Stories War

The Glue of Forgiveness and the Anti-Nephi-Lehies (the People of Ammon)

As I ponder the many messages of Christmas, one in particular comes from a dramatic story in the Book of Mormon about a large group of Lamanites, the “Anti-Nephi-Lehies” or…

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Posted in Arabia Book of Mormon Evidence Origins Problems Scholarship

Nephi’s Three-day Journey into the Wilderness: The Natural vs. the Naturalistic Reading

Of the many interesting details in Nephi’s description of his journey through the Arabian Peninsula, one of the first comes after his mention of reaching the “borders” of the Red…

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