ABOUT THE FOUNDATION
The Interpreter Foundation is a nonprofit educational organization focused on the scriptures of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (the Book of Mormon, the Pearl of Great Price, the Bible, and the Doctrine and Covenants), early LDS history, and related subjects.
STUDY GOSPEL DOCTRINE
See an index of resources for each year of Gospel Doctrine lessons, including those from the Church, from the Interpreter Foundation and from other sites. Browse through our Old Testament KnoWhys or view our Gospel Doctrine Roundtables.
explore the Come, Follow Me Resource Index
see the Gospel Doctrine Lesson Index
READ THE JOURNAL
Read the journal online and gain new insights into the scriptures from our talented staff of writers.
NEWS & EVENTS
Come, Follow Me Resource Index
We are pleased to announce the availability of a Resource Index for the 2019 Come, Follow Me curriculum on the New Testament. The index, available at https://interpreterfoundation.org/come-follow-me/come-follow-me-new-testament-index/, provides access to useful...
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2018 Temple on Mount Zion Conference Schedule
Saturday, November 10, 2018, 9:00 am–5:00 pm 251 TNRB (N. Eldon Tanner Building), Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Sponsored by: BYU College of Humanities, Department of Asian and Near Eastern Languages The Interpreter Foundation The conference will...
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Save the Date — 2018 Temple on Mount Zion Conference
The 2018 Temple on Mount Zion Conference will be held on November 10 at BYU. More information will be posted in the near future.
read moreRECENT JOURNAL ARTICLES
Journal history
“By Small Means”: Rethinking the Liahona
Abstract: The Liahona’s faith-based functionality and miraculous appearance have often been viewed as incongruous with natural law. This paper attempts to reconcile the Liahona to scientific law by displaying similarities between its apparent mechanisms and ancient navigation instruments called astrolabes. It further suggests the Liahona may have been a wedding dowry Ishmael provided to Lehi’s family. The paper displays the integral connection Nephi had to the Liahona’s functionality and how this connection more clearly explains the lack of faith displayed by Nephi’s band during the journey than traditional conceptions of its faith-based functionality.
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Marjorie Newton’s Account of the Faith of the Māori Saints: A Critical Appraisal
Abstract: Marjorie Newton’s Mormon and Maori is a version of her 1998 thesis in which she rejects key elements of the Māori Latter-day Saint historical narrative. This contrasts with her earlier, faith-affirming Tiki and Temple. In Mormon and Maori Newton targets what she sees as Māori/missionary mythology. She has written for different audiences; one was for secular religious studies scholars, while the other was for faithful Saints. Midgley rejects Newton’s claim that a Mormon American cultural imperialism requires Māori to abandon noble elements of their culture. Faithful Saints are liberated from the soul destroying behavior that results from the loss of traditional Māori moral restraints. Midgley insists that Newton has little understanding of the deeper structures of Māori culture.
Review of Marjorie Newton, Mormon and Maori (Salt Lake City: Greg Kofford Books, 2014). 248 pp. $24.95 (paperback).
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Why Did Northern Israel Fall to the Assyrians? A Weberian Proposal
Abstract: This article is centered on possible causes for the fall of Israel and, secondarily, Judah. The topic is not new. The very destruction of these ancient kingdoms may be the cause for the production of much of the Biblical literature that drives our...
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Interpreter Radio Show — November 18, 2018
The November 18 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show was hosted by Bruce Webster and Mike Parker. Topics discussed include Thomas Wayment’s New Testament study bible and the FIRM Foundation’s annotated edition of the Book of Mormon.
The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective: Part 5, Building from Centers of Strength — Kisangani
In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[i] I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the...
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Interpreter Radio Show — November 11, 2018
The November 11 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show was hosted by Martin Tanner, Terry Hutchinson and John Gee. Topics discussed include new books and the historicity of the Book of Abraham.
The Church in the DR Congo: A Personal Perspective: Part 4, What Attracts People to the Church?
In a presentation at the 2018 FairMormon Conference,[i] I shared stories of some of the faithful Saints in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (Kinshasa). In this series of presentations, I would like to speak from a more personal perspective, reflecting on the...
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The Book of Abraham with Robin Scott Jensen
Guest interviewer Stephen Smoot visits with Latter-day Saint Church historian Robin Jensen about the newly released Revelations and Translations, Volume 4: Book of Abraham and Related Manuscripts.
Interpreter Radio Show — November 4, 2018
The November 4 broadcast of the Interpreter Radio Show was hosted by Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye and Stephen Smoot. Topics discussed included the Church’s musical pageants, the JSP Conference and the Book of Abraham, Book of Mormon geography, and anti-Semitism.
Donate to the cause
The Interpreter Foundation is a nonprofit organization. All journal publications and video presentations are available for free by digital download and streaming. The price of hard copy versions of journal articles covers only the cost of printing; books are typically priced to help cover both upfront pre-publication expenses and royalties to authors when applicable. In some cases, the Foundation may subsidize publication costs to keep retail prices affordable. The Foundation does not profit from sales of its publications.
