Jeff Probst is best known for his role as the host of Survivor (featuring contestants like Dawn Meehan) but he initially auditioned for The Amazing Race. He can’t imagine life any other way now.
The Council of Fifty was a secret organization founded by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1844. The previously inaccessible records — or minutes — kept by the group remained a source of much speculation until they were made public in 2016.
The life of Parley P. Pratt is inextricably linked with the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While it’s true that he left a detailed description of Joseph Smith’s appearance, there’s much more to his story.
Each year, Clayton Christensen finishes his class at Harvard Business School by giving a lecture on the lessons he has learned during his life. In 2010, he was asked to give a summary of those lessons to the entire student body. Christensen’s lessons were soon being referred to in academic journals and news outlets around the world—and for good reason.
The words of Abraham aren’t limited to the Bible. Join Egyptologist John Gee as he discusses Joseph Smith and the Book of Abraham, including his new introduction guide to Abraham’s book in the Pearl of Great Price.
Dr. Gabriele Boccaccini discusses the Enoch Seminar, a group devoted to studying the common roots of early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
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Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones
Seer stones have long been a part of religious history but are largely absent from religious discussions today. Nonetheless, seer stones are currently undergoing something of a renaissance, especially as they relate to Joseph Smith and the translation of the Book of Mormon.
After receiving interview responses from R. Eric Smith and Matthew J. Grow for an interview, it occurred to me I may have forgotten an important question.
Experts are often asked the same questions over and over. Yet are there questions they wish someone would ask?
As it relates to the Council of Fifty minutes, I asked R. Eric Smith this very question in an addendum to the “10 questions” interview.
What would the American Revolution look like if you weaved together the stories of six people into a narrative? Author Russell Shorto explains.
“The Council of Fifty: What the Records Reveal About Mormon History,” is a timely book published by BYU’s Religious Studies Center. While the minutes of the council were published in their totality via the Joseph Smith Papers in 2016, they still remain somewhat inaccessible to general readers. “The Council of Fifty” contains 15 essays by leading scholars about relevant topics of interest.