Mormon Interpreter Foundation

This post is a summary of the article “The Last Nephite Scribes” by Noel B. Reynolds in Volume 53 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/.   The Takeaway Noel Reynolds presents a detailed description of scribal activities in the Book […]

Review of Michael R. Ash, Rethinking Revelation and the Human Element in Scripture: The Prophet’s Role as Creative Co-Author (Redding, CA: FAIRLatterDaySaints.org, 2021). 770 pages. $34.95 (paperback). Abstract: A new book by Mike Ash examines to what degree the human mind is involved in receiving revelation. Ash sums up his view by saying, “prophets have a special calling, […]

Abstract In an earlier paper, I concluded that Lehi and Nephi were highly trained Josephite scribes and were associated with an official Jerusalem scribal school that preserved ancient Manassite traditions. There they acquired advanced writing skills and classical Hebrew and Egyptian, which would become the scriptural languages of the Nephite peoples. These they maintained in the […]

  This two-part essay is focused on four questions: Why, in contrast to many who study this chapter, can Latter-day Saints be confident that the Isaiah’s description of the Righteous Servant refers to Jesus Christ? Apart from the vivid word pictures in individual verses, what is the big picture being painted by Isaiah 53 (and […]

We are excited to announce our next Interpreter Foundation Study Tour. Based on the results of our travel survey and since we will be studying the New Testament next year in Sunday School, we have decided that our next tour will be to Turkey!

David Calabro explores what he describes as the “divine handclasp” in the Hebrew Bible. The term refers to a handclasp between God and his human servant that had a place in ancient Israelite temple worship.

Between March 7th and October 17th in 1954, Hugh Nibley delivered a series of 30 weekly lectures on KSL Radio that were also published as pamphlets. The series called “Time Vindicates the Prophets” was given in answer to those who were challenging the right of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints […]

This is an Interpreter Radio Roundtable for Come, Follow Me Old Testament Lesson 41, “The Redeemer Shall Come to Zion” on Isaiah 58–66. The panelists for this roundtable were Steve Densley, Mark Johnson and Matthew Bowen. This roundtable was extracted from the August 28th broadcast of Interpreter Radio. The complete show may be heard at […]

Isaiah 58:1-12 An Appropriate Fast and its Blessings This chapter offers helpful teachings about what is a true fast (verses 3-12) and what is a true Sabbath (verses 13-14). In verse 1 the Lord instructed Isaiah to “Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and shew my people their transgression.” This […]

  Introduction Since I was a young boy, I have loved Isaiah 53. There are three reasons that I like to call it the “crown jewel” of the Old Testament: Its literary beauty—both in the original, sometimes obscure, Hebrew text and in its magnificent King James Bible translation—the latter best experienced musically in listening to […]

Martin Harris was away from the church for many years before finally returning. Critics have tried to use the fact that he joined other denominations as something that invalidates his testimony of The Book of Mormon. What's the real story here?

This post is a summary of the article ““For Their Good Have I Written Them”: The Onomastic Allusivity and Literary Function of 2 Nephi 25:8” by Matthew L. Bowen in Volume 53 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/.   The […]

Review of Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days: Volume 3: Boldly, Nobly, and Independent: 1893–1955 (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 2022). 757 pages. $6.90 (paperback). Abstract: Volume 3 of Saints is a readable and engaging narrative discussing a dynamic and transitional period of the […]

Abstract: Nephi’s writings exhibit a distinctive focus on “good” and divine “goodness,” reflecting the meaning of Nephi’s Egyptian name (derived from nfr) meaning “good,” “goodly,” “fine,” or “fair.” Beyond the inclusio playing on his own name in terms of “good” and “goodness” (1 Nephi 1:1; 2 Nephi 33:3–4, 10, 12), he uses a similar inclusio (2 Nephi 5:30–31; 25:7–8) to frame and demarcate […]

In this essay John Gee draws a connection between the Egyptian “Book of the Temple” and the book of Exodus, both in structure and topic, describing the temple from the inside out. Gee concludes that both probably go back to a common source older than either of them.

  In this episode, our hosts Terry Hutchinson and Martin Tanner with guest Cheryl Bruno discussed Cheryl’s book Method Infinite: Freemasonry and the Mormon Restoration. You can listen to or download the September 11th broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. It will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast). The second portion of […]

  In this episode, our hosts Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye, Stephen O. Smoot and Hales Swift discussed articles in the latest issue of BYU Studies quarterly. You can listen to or download the September 4th broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. It will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast). The second portion […]

  In this episode, our hosts Steve Densley, Mark Johnson, Matthew Bowen and guest host Loren Spendlove discussed Loren’s article in the Interpreter Journal titled “There Is No Beauty That We Should Desire Him”. You can listen to or download the August 28th broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. It will also be included […]

  In this episode, our hosts Bruce Webster and Kris Frederickson discussed Daniel Peterson’s article “Should I Be My Brother’s Keeper? Yes and No” in the Interpreter Journal. You can listen to or download the August 21st broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show below. It will also be included in our podcast feed (https://interpreterfoundation.org/feeds/podcast). The […]

Between March 7th and October 17th in 1954, Hugh Nibley delivered a series of 30 weekly lectures on KSL Radio that were also published as pamphlets. The series called “Time Vindicates the Prophets” was given in answer to those who were challenging the right of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints […]