Category: Theology

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American History Ancient history Latter-day Saint History Theology

The Best of From the Desk: 2025 Year in Review

Illustrated scholar’s desk with an open annotated book, stacked manuscripts, and parchment sketches, with “2025” engraved on the wooden surface, symbolizing a year-in-review of historical and theological scholarship.

Another year is in the books—and it’s resulted in some thought-provoking scholarship. We’ve put together a list of 2025’s most influential interviews, along with fan favorites, and identified recently published pieces that are already trending. Plus, we’ve cut through the stats to highlight this year’s hidden gems. From Bruce Chilton’s groundbreaking work on the Aramaic Jesus to Jonathan Stapley’s unprecedented history of Latter-day Saint temple worship, these are 2025’s most noteworthy interviews in history, religion, and theology.

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Theology

Why Did Eerdmans Publish a Book on Latter-day Saint Theology?

A warmly lit stack of four hardcover Eerdmans theology books, including Latter-day Saint Theology among Christian Theologies, styled in rich leather tones with gold-embossed titles, symbolizing Eerdmans’ engagement with Latter-day Saint scholarship.

Eerdmans published Latter-day Saint Theology Among Christian Theologies by Grant Underwood as part of its long-standing commitment to showcase varied and responsible viewpoints that play a role in larger ongoing conversations. The book offers a structured comparison of Latter-day Saint beliefs with traditional Christian doctrines, written by a respected scholar within the Latter-day Saint faith tradition. In this interview, Editor-in-Chief James Ernest explains what it does—and doesn’t—mean when Eerdmans engages with Latter-day Saint theology.

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Devotional Theology

How Do I Receive and Recognize the Holy Ghost?

A young boy is charged to receive the Holy Ghost after being baptized by priesthood authority.

Learning to recognize the Spirit can take a lifetime to master. Latter-day Saints “receive the Holy Ghost” after baptism, but it can be a difficult charge to follow. While the Standard Works counsel seeking gifts of the Spirit, church members may feel guilty about not feeling a “burning in the bosom” or wonder whether they’ve done something to prevent the “constant companionship” of the Spirit. In this interview, Latter-day Saint scholar and teacher Robert L. Millet teaches how to receive the Holy Ghost, explains how it differs from the Light of Christ, and offers practical tips for recognizing the Spirit.

This is Part 2 of a two-part series about the Holy Ghost in Latter-day Saint theology. In Part 1, Charles Harrell discusses the Development of the Holy Ghost in Latter-day Saint Theology.

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19th Century Book excerpts Theology

Who Was the Early Mormon Jesus?

Anthony Sweat painting of the Mormon Jesus.
Anthony Sweat, "Man of Joy"

Christology—literally the “study of Christ”—was not one of the points of contention between early Mormons and their many antagonists. When Joseph Smith and his few followers founded a church in 1830, they drafted a set of Articles and Covenants that explained the church’s organization. In the tradition of creeds, they also listed a few core beliefs.

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Doctrine and Covenants Theology

Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants: A Maxwell Institute Book Series

All seven volumes of "Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants" presented on a table at the Maxwell Institute at BYU.

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship has released a seven-volume series exploring themes in the Doctrine and Covenants. Each book tackles a specific topic from Latter-day Saint scripture, with contributors like Terryl Givens (Agency), Janiece Johnson (Revelation), and Justin Collings (Justice). Over the coming year, we’ll update this series introduction with exclusive author interviews, offering behind-the-scenes insights into their work.

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Doctrine and Covenants Theology

Time: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants

Cubist-style painting of a serene Latter-day Saint woman before a Roman numeral clock and stylized temple, evoking the Doctrine and Covenants’ sacred theology of time.

The concept of time is one of many themes in the Doctrine and Covenants—and all of scripture. A new book from the Maxwell Institute calls it the “0th principle” of the gospel, a foundational value underlying every other principle we live by. Seeing time in this way can change how we worship, how we remember the past, and how we act in the present. In this interview, scholar Philip Barlow discusses Time: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants, exploring how becoming “time literate” can transform relationships, expand agency, and deepen joy.

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Devotional Theology

What I’ve Learned From 30 Years of Interfaith Dialogue

A group photo of Robert L. Millet, Richard Mow, and many other interfaith leaders.

Beginning in 1991, when I was appointed dean of Religious Education at BYU, and continuing well past my retirement from BYU in 2014, my interactions with men and women of various faiths have profoundly impacted me. They have broadened my horizons dramatically and reminded me—a sobering reminder we all need once in a while—that we are all sons and daughters of the same Eternal Father.

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Latter-day Saint History Theology

What Did the First Presidency Say About Evolution in 1909 and 1925?

Sepia illustration of early 20th-century Latter-day Saint leaders symbolizing the Church’s evolution discourse—featuring Joseph F. Smith, B.H. Roberts, James E. Talmage, and Joseph Fielding Smith, with background elements representing science and scripture.

In 1909 and 1925, the First Presidency stated that the Church has no official position on evolution. Shaped by their historical contexts, these statements reflected a range of views among Church leaders at the time. Decades later, Joseph Fielding Smith reinterpreted the statements, promoting a rigid anti-evolution stance that was not originally intended. Due in part to his prominence, this interpretation soon became the prevailing view among many Latter-day Saints. In this interview, Dr. Ben Spackman discusses his chapter about the First Presidency statements in a new BYU evolution book.

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Latter-day Saint History Scriptures Theology

Are There 3 Degrees in the Celestial Kingdom?

A symbolic depiction of layered heavenly light representing the possible degrees within the Celestial Kingdom, with radiant tiers ascending into celestial blue.

Did Joseph Smith teach that there are three degrees within the Celestial Kingdom? Modern Latter-day Saints often interpret Doctrine and Covenants 131 as supporting that view, referencing “three heavens or degrees.” However, historical evidence—including the original William Clayton journal entry—suggests this interpretation may be based on a misunderstanding of early terminology like “celestial glory.” In this interview, Bryan Buchanan builds on Shannon Flynn’s research to explore what Joseph Smith may have actually meant and how the idea of levels within the Celestial Kingdom evolved over time.

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Intellectualism Latter-day Saint History Theology

What Should Latter-day Saints Know About BYU’s Evolution Book?

Composite image showing a DNA strand, open scriptures, and the BYU campus—representing the themes of faith, science, and education in the BYU evolution book.

The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and Evolution is designed to help students reconcile faith in the Savior with scientific understanding of evolution. Published by BYU Life Sciences, the book affirms the Church’s neutral stance on evolution, corrects common misconceptions, and offers practical tools for bridging religion and science. In this interview, co-editor Jamie Jensen shares the book’s origins, purpose, and why this kind of reconciliation matters.

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