Most biblical scholars say that the birth of Christ took place between 6 and 4 BC. A rigorous evaluation of the evidence often enables scholars to zero in on the year 5 BC, but there’s not much consensus beyond that. BYU scholar Jeffrey R. Chadwick believes he can further pinpoint the birth of Christ to December 5 BC. In this interview, he explains how his unique approach uses Latter-day Saint scriptures, such as the Book of Mormon, to estimate the year and month of Jesus’ birth.
Spencer W. Kimball’s quotes are still relevant decades after his passing. In addition to authoring books such as The Miracle of Forgiveness, President Kimball also gave many general conference addresses and BYU devotionals. He is remembered for receiving the revelation that ended the Priesthood and Temple Ban against individuals of Black African descent, for overseeing a new edition of the English scriptures, and for his mottos “lengthen your stride” and “do it.” Similar to our Dallin H. Oaks Quotes page, this post features quotes from Spencer W. Kimball on a variety of topics, including repentance, revelation, families, and more. Please leave a comment if there’s a quote you’d like considered for inclusion.
Present-day editions divide the Book of Exodus into 40 chapters. This practice is not rooted in Jewish tradition but was borrowed from Christian Bibles. In the late Middle Ages, the Church forced Jews to engage in disputations, which usually focused upon the interpretation of scriptural passages. This necessitated a common, standardized system of reference, and so the Christian chapter and verse numberings were introduced into the Hebrew manuscript Bibles by Rabbi Solomon ben Ishmael (ca. 1330).1
Editorial Note: This is an authorized excerpt from “The JPS Torah Commentary: Exodus” published by the Jewish Publication Society.
BYU scholar Kent P. Jackson has produced a modern translation of Genesis for Latter-day Saints. Published as a standalone hardcopy book, it features a literal translation of the Hebrew text formatted alongside the Joseph Smith Translation and Jackson’s personal commentary. While the author had long planned to translate Genesis to help Latter-day Saints become familiar with modern translations, the book’s publication coincided with the Church’s updated instructions on Study Bibles in late 2025. In this interview, Jackson sheds light on his translation process, provides examples from the book, and highlights details especially important to church members.
There are nearly 1,300 Eliza R. Snow discourses on record. After spending decades privately lifting others through poetry, Snow shifted to a more public ministry when Brigham Young asked her to help rebuild Relief Societies in Territorial Utah. Terrified of public speaking, Eliza nonetheless accepted the prophet’s call. Several themes appear in the speeches she would later give, including charity, unity, and ministering as the Savior did. In this interview, editor Sharalyn Howcroft discusses Eliza’s teachings about overcoming trials as found in the newly-published book, “Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow.”
Emma Smith, the “First Lady of the Restoration,” is something of an enigma. It is surprising, in light of history, biography, legend, and folktale, how little we really know of her as a person, as Joseph’s closest companion, from almost the beginning of his calling to its tragic end. Fortunately, what history does not provide, our creative faculties can furnish by imagining her presence and personality. The poem I introduce here is an example of what life might have been like for this remarkable woman, who was ever more central to the restoration than all but her prophet-husband.
Gordon B. Hinckley was a beloved Church leader whose quotes are still relevant today. President Hinckley gave many general conference addresses and other devotionals and is known to this day for his focus on civility, family, and temple building. Similar to our collection of Dallin H. Oaks Quotes, this page features President Hinckley’s teachings on a variety of topics, including family, interfaith work, temples, and more. Please leave a comment if there’s a quote you’d like considered for inclusion.
The Akedah—Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22—has long been read as the Bible’s ultimate test of faith and obedience. The Hebrew word means “to tie up” or “to bind,” describing what Abraham does to Isaac in response to God’s command to kill his son. He sets out without telling Sarah, fully intending to murder his child, only for the Lord to intervene at the last moment with a critical message. Abraham’s trial of faith is so devastating that he never again speaks to Isaac, Sarah, or God. Philosophers and theologians have interpreted the story in strikingly different ways: Did God expect Abraham’s obedience—or yearn for his “pious irreverence”? In this interview, scholar Aaron Koller explores the history of interpreting the Akedah, examining what this haunting episode means for readers of faith.
The Neal A. Maxwell Institute recently published nearly two dozen of Elder Maxwell’s best—and hardest-to-find—talks. When his family proposed the idea, the institute immediately agreed and set to work. The addresses were selected in part for their relevance to modern church members. For example, “Great Answers to the Great Questions” examines whether a redeeming Christ still matters, while “A Choice Seer” distinguishes Joseph Smith’s paradigm-shifting revelations from his self-confessed flaws. The end result is a rare collection of discourses by Neal A. Maxwell that acquaints younger generations with the apostle who championed the concept of Latter-day Saints as “disciple-scholars.”
Jesus presents a vision of discipleship in the Gospel of Luke that is simultaneously costly and rewarding. For example, it is here that Jesus asks the rich young ruler to forsake his possessions and tells followers to “hate” their families. Luke’s Gospel is also unique in its depiction of discipleship as a physical and spiritual walk with Jesus toward—and beyond—the cross. In this interview, New Testament scholar S. Kent Brown discusses the hard sayings of Jesus in Luke, concluding that discipleship requires total surrender, finds ultimate meaning in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and empowers individuals to strengthen rather than forsake family relationships.