“This Church will stand, because it is upon a firm basis. …
The Lord has shown it to us by the revealing principle of the Holy Spirit of
light.”

Lorenzo Snow, April 1900

That quotes embodies much of what is going on in the third
volume of SAINTS, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ ongoing
history being produced by the Church Historical Department. In it, we find Latter-day
Saint Christians confronting new information, ideas, and grappling with changes
required of the Saints as they entered the twentieth century and globalized
throughout the early twentieth century. We learn about the end of sanctioned
plural marriages and how African American converts lived with racism in their
local congregations.

We’ll also learn about how
Saints around the world embraced the challenges brought on by Revolution,
Depression and world wars, and came out as stronger Saints with vibrant
testimonies of the restored gospel. In today’s episode, we speak with two of
the writers and editors of the Saints project, Lisa Olsen Tait and Scott Hales,
about how and why the Saints project as created, resources available to deepen
Latter-day Saints’ understandings of the past through approved resources, and
much, much more.

The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #143: Saints in a Modernizing World, with Lisa Olsen Tait and Scott Hales appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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Scholars spend entire careers debating texts, their origins, their impact, and the most valuable contributions they make to broader understanding. At the Maxwell Institute, we participate in these debates, but recognize that a text’s value cannot be narrowed down to observable fact–the long-lasting test of scripture is how it shapes the readers’ or hearers’ faith. In today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast,” we discuss the book of Joshua, exploring the meanings of the Promised Land, archaeological possibilities and limits, and early Christians understanding of Joshua as a type of Christ.

The post Abide: Joshua 1-8; 23-24 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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Deuteronomy is the final book in the Pentateuch, containing Moses’ last sermons, as well as poetry regarding Israel’s future. Moses pleads with Israel not to repeat their past mistakes, such as falling into idolatry. They must keep their covenants and keep the law given by Yahweh, or else they will lose the Promised Land. What does that mean for Latter-day Saints today? We’ll discuss that, and much more, on today’s episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.”

The post Abide: Deuteronomy appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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Elder Neal A. Maxwell once preached, “Faith also includes trust in God’s timing, for He has said, “All things must come to pass in their time.” (D&C 64:32.) Ironically, some who acknowledge God are tried by His timing, globally and personally!” We certainly see that in the Book of Numbers. The Israelites were thirsty but had no water. God directed Moses to provide for them. Aaron helped to lead Israel to the Promised Land, but his priestly vestments were taken from him and he died before Israel entered their destination. God sent fiery serpents but he also sent the brazen serpent to deliver His chosen people. We’ll discuss these events, and much more, in this episode of “Abide: A Maxwell Institute Podcast.”

The post Abide: Numbers 11-14; 20-24 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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When someone brings up Leviticus, my mind turns almost automatically to the Law of Moses. Which, I admit, doesn’t always seem like the most applicable thing to my life. However, when reframing it to think about the Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ, I can’t think of anything more important for Latter-day Saints to know about. We’ll discuss the end of Exodus and parts of Leviticus in this episode of “Abide” A Maxwell Institute Podcast

The post Abide: Exodus 35-40; Leviticus 1; 16; 19 appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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Knowing how to transform conflict is critical in both our personal and professional lives. Yet, by and large, we are terrible at it. The reason, says longtime mediator Chad Ford, is fear. When conflict comes, our instincts are to run or fight.

To transform conflict, Ford says we need to turn toward the people we are in conflict with, put down our physical and emotional weapons, and really love them with the kind of love that leads us to treat others as fellow human beings, not as objects in our way. We have to open ourselves up with no guarantee that anyone on the other side will do the same. While this can feel even more dangerous than conflict itself, it allows us to see the humanity of others so clearly that their needs and desires matter to us as much as our own.

Ford shows dangerous love in action through examples ranging from his work in the Middle East to a deeply moving story about reconciling with his father. He explains why we disconnect from people at the very time we need to be most connected and the predictable patterns of justification and escalation that ensue. Most importantly, he gives us a path to practice dangerous love in the conflicts that matter most to us.

In today’s episode of the Maxwell Institute podcast, we explore the meaning of dangerous love, how it works on a theological and a practical level, and how we can be Latter-day Saint peacebuilders in the world. 
As always, please follow us on social media at @byumaxwell on YouTube, Instagram, and Facebook, and sign up for our newsletter at https://mi.byu.edu/monthly-mi-news/. Without any further ado, here’s Professor Chad Ford.

The post Maxwell Institute Podcast #141: Loving Dangerously, with Chad Ford appeared first on Neal A. Maxwell Institute | BYU.

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