Category: Theology

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Joseph Smith Theology

Does Absolute Power Corrupt? Joseph Smith’s Search for an Endowment of Power

Light piercing the Sacred Grove, Liberty Jail, and the Nauvoo Temple symbolizing Joseph Smith’s teachings that God’s absolute power is light, glory, and covenant law—not domination.

Society is conditioned by Lord Acton’s cynical—and historically accurate—observation that absolute power corrupts. Yet the revelations of Joseph Smith suggest this maxim is a symptom of the Fall rather than a definition of divinity. From the moment he knelt in the Grove and discovered a “form of godliness” devoid of power, the Prophet began a lifelong apprenticeship in a new paradigm. This wasn’t power as the world defines it—domination and control—but power as light, life, and law. From the mind-expanding definitions received in the crucible of Liberty Jail to the crowning ordinances of the Nauvoo Endowment, Joseph’s mission was to teach us that God is not a cosmic gatekeeper, but a Father inviting us to become joint-heirs to all He possesses.

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Brigham Young Latter-day Saint History Theology

What Did Brigham Young Say About the Curse of Cain?

Brigham Young in a 3/4-profile, sepia 19th-century study with an embossed ‘MARK OF CAIN’ title—illustrating what Brigham Young taught about the mark of Cain.

Brigham Young said that the “mark of Cain” referred to Black skin, and taught that the descendants of Cain were cursed because the Old Testament figure murdered his brother in the book of Genesis. While initially open to Black men holding the priesthood, Young’s stance shifted in 1849, eventually hardening into firm opposition communicated through racist language. Although never presented as a “revelation,” his arguments played a key role in the creation of priesthood and temple restrictions that lasted until the 1978 revelation. In this interview, scholar W. Paul Reeve explores the history and legacy of Brigham Young’s racial teachings.

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Latter-day Saint History Theology

How Did Latter-day Saint Doctrine of the Holy Ghost Develop?

An artistic depiction illustrating the Latter-day Saint doctrine of the Holy Ghost development. The image features the Nauvoo Temple (with its central spire), the Book of Mormon, a dove, and a full-body Holy Ghost silhouette, against a background of fire and spirit. It visualizes the transition from early scriptural views to the modern understanding of the Spirit as a distinct personage.

Latter-day Saint doctrine about the Holy Ghost has unfolded over time. Early Restoration scripture (e.g., Book of Mormon, Lectures on Faith) often referred to the Holy Spirit as “it,” echoing 19th-century Christian usage. In the 1840s, Joseph Smith began teaching that the third member of the Godhead was a distinct spirit personage. Willard Richards and Brigham Young later added new details, culminating in the 1876 canonization of D&C 130. Afterward, general authorities such as Joseph F. Smith and James E. Talmage clarified the extent to which the Spirit of God is a power or a person, leading to today’s doctrine. In this interview, scholar Charles Harrell traces the development of the Holy Ghost in Latter-day Saint theology.

This is Part 1 of a two-part series about the Holy Ghost in Latter-day Saint theology. In Part 2, Robert L. Millet addresses common questions about How to Receive and Recognize the Holy Ghost.

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Doctrine and Covenants Theology

Redeeming the Dead: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants

Baptismal font used for baptism for the dead, central to the Latter-day Saint doctrine of the redemption of the dead.

Redeeming the dead is central to Joseph Smith’s vision of uniting all humanity in a heavenly kinship. In Latter-day Saint practice, this doctrine is enacted through proxy ordinances—performed in temples—through which Christ’s gift of salvation is offered to every soul by linking the living with the departed. From Malachi’s prophecy in the Old Testament to Joseph F. Smith’s 1918 vision, scripture underscores that human connection is the heart of redemption. In this interview, Dr. Amy Harris shares insights from her contribution to the Maxwell Institute’s Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants book series.

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Joseph Smith Temples Theology

How Has Temple Worship Evolved Since Joseph Smith’s Time?

Composite image blending John’s vision of heaven from the book of Revelation with a modern Latter-day Saint temple, symbolizing the origins and evolution of temple worship.

Temple worship has changed in important ways since the 1830s. In Kirtland, Joseph Smith promised the Saints power from on high to preach the gospel and revealed washing and anointing rituals. By Nauvoo, his vision had grown, resulting in a temple endowment that constructed heaven on earth—ritually declaring men and women the celestial kings and queens from John’s vision in Revelation. Later leaders followed Joseph’s precedent of change, from Brigham Young’s adjustments to President Russell M. Nelson’s focus on Christ-centered covenants. In this interview, historian Jonathan Stapley discusses his book, Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship.

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Devotional Theology

The Resurrection We Didn’t Expect

Symbolic painting of Christ’s empty garden tomb at dawn, with golden light pouring from the entrance—evoking the miracle of resurrection and new life.

Paul’s thought did not run from plight to solution, but rather from solution to plight. -E. P. Saunders

Jewish people did not see themselves as in a dire predicament from which they needed rescue. By virtue of their place in the covenant, God’s loving care was the precondition in which they found themselves; their task was to honor the law as a pledge of their desire to maintain their blessedness. Neither did the apostle Paul “perceive himself to have a ‘plight’ from which he needed salvation.”

That is a version of Christianity we have rather imposed upon the past, largely a heritage of the fourth century, when it became common to think of the human condition as one in need of rescue.

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Brigham Young Theology

What Did Brigham Young Teach About Adam and God?

Brigham Young preaching a controversial sermon on Adam-God in 1852.

Brigham Young taught that Adam was an exalted being who came to earth from another world. His teachings are often called the “Adam-God theory” or “Adam-God doctrine,” though Young didn’t use either term. While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has distanced itself from Young’s teachings, the Adam-God theory remains a point of debate among scholars, fundamentalist groups, and critics of the faith. In this interview, author Samuel Weber explores the evolution of Brigham Young’s teachings about Adam and God.

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Theology

Adam Miller: The Christ Child

A painting of Joseph, Mary, and Jesus, conveying the feeling of what Christmas means to Adam S. Miller.

The Christmas story in Luke enables readers to consider the miracle of Christ coming to earth as a baby. A new book by Adam Miller examines the lessons we can learn from the condescension of God and highlights the blessings of seeking to become like little children. In this interview, Miller discusses his book, The Christ Child, and shares what Christmas means to him.

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Book excerpts Theology

The Latter-day Saint View of Human Nature

A young boy sitting in the cosmos looking at the expanse of the universe, suggesting the role of human nature in Latter-day Saint thought as taught by Truman G. Madsen.

The religion of the Latter-day Saints may be characterized as a confluence of normative Judaism and first-century Christianity. At its core is insight into human nature that Jesus both taught and exemplified.

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New Testament Theology

How Did Ancient Christians Understand the Divine Nature of God?

A painting show Jesus conveying his divine nature.

Latter-day Saints and mainstream Christians differ in how they understand the natures of God and of Jesus Christ. For instance, the Jesus Christ in the Book of Mormon doesn’t always align with the Savior in the Bible. But those differences might not be as extreme as is often assumed. In this interview, BYU’s Jason Combs discusses efforts by early Christians to understand the nature of Jesus Christ as both human and divine.

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