Informed Saints

In June 1834, Joseph Smith's Zion's Camp climbed a burial mound above the Illinois River and uncovered a skeleton he called Zelph: a Lamanite warrior who fought under a prophet named Onandagus. Archaeologists have since excavated that very mound. So what does the dig actually tell us about Zelph, and about the Book of Mormon? Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot are joined by Jerry Grover, a Book of Mormon researcher and geologist, to walk through his study "A Scientific Evaluation of the Zelph Revelation," published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship (vol. 69, 2026). ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Further Readings: Primary source Jerry D. Grover Jr., "A Scientific Evaluation of the Zelph Revelation," Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 69 (2026): 49–60. https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/a-scientific-evaluation-of-the-zelph-revelation Jerry D. Grover Jr., A Scientific Evaluation of the Zelph Revelation (book). Book of Mormon Scientific and Linguistic Research, https://bmslr.org Historical documents discussed Joseph Smith, Letter to Emma Smith, 4 June 1834. The Joseph Smith Papers. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/letter-to-emma-smith-4-june-1834/1 History, 1838–1856, vol. A-1 [23 Dec. 1805–30 Aug. 1834], pp. 482–483 (the Zelph entry, with struck words). The Joseph Smith Papers. https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-a-1-23-december-1805-30-august-1834/488 History of the Church (the seven-volume documentary history), vol. 2, entry for 3 June 1834 Wilford Woodruff's journal account of Zelph. Wilford Woodruff Papers. https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/subjects/zelph-bofm Zion's Camp journal accounts (Woodruff, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith, Levi Hancock, Reuben McBride, Moses Martin, Sylvester Smith), as compiled in Godfrey, below Scripture references Doctrine and Covenants 103 Mormon 1:10–12 Mormon 4:16 Mormon 5:6 Mormon 6:2–6 4 Nephi 1:17, 20 Helaman 3:3–8 Alma 63:4–9 Alma 22:30–31 3 Nephi 16:1–3 Scholarly sources mentioned in the episode Kenneth W. Godfrey, "The Zelph Story," BYU Studies 29, no. 2 (1989). https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/byusq/vol29/iss2/3 Kenneth B. Farnsworth and Karen A. Atwell, Excavations at the Blue Island and Naples-Russell Mounds and Related Hopewellian Sites in the Lower Illinois Valley, ISAS Research Report 34 (Champaign: Illinois State Archaeological Survey, 2015) Kenneth B. Farnsworth, "Lamanitish Arrows and Eagles with Lead Eyes: Tales of the First Recorded Explorations in an Illinois Valley Hopewell Mound," Illinois Archaeology 22, no. 1 (2010): 25–48 Mark Alan Wright, "Heartland as Hinterland: The Mesoamerican Core and North American Periphery of Book of Mormon Geography," Interpreter 13 (2015). https://scho... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introducing Jerry Grover and the Zelph Mystery(00:00:34) - The Story of Zion's Camp and Zelph's Discovery(00:03:29) - Sourcing the Vision: Primary Documents and Manuscript Edits(00:05:43) - Key Agreed-Upon Facts About Zelph and Onondagus(00:10:27) - Testing the Vision Against Hopewell Culture Archaeology(00:13:41) - Excavating the Mound: Burial Evidence and Radiometric Dating(00:19:33) - Dating Conflicts: Zelph vs. the Book of Mormon Timeline(00:21:07) - Why Zelph's Story Doesn't Fit Book of Mormon Lands(00:24:37) - Possible Northward Migrations and Lineage Theories(00:26:18) - Geography Problems: Distance to Cumorah and Heartland Maps(00:28:32) - Timeline of Nephite Conflicts and the 'Last Battles'(00:31:06) - Balancing Faith, Science, and Epistemic Humility(00:33:38) - Closing Thoughts and Where to Find More Research

Critics say the Book of Abraham facsimiles are just standard funerary papyri. But what if they were never meant to be read one at a time? Joseph Smith's sequence starts with an altar, ends with a throne, and puts a hypocephalus from a different mummy right in between. Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye and Stephen Smoot sit down with Egyptologist John S. Thompson (Scripture Central) to read Facsimiles 1, 2 and 3 together as one progression. John builds on Hugh Nibley, Blake Ostler and Kevin Barney. He also draws on his Interpreter article "We May Not Understand Our Words" and on A Guide to the Book of Abraham (BYU Studies), which he co-wrote with Stephen Smoot, John Gee and Kerry Muhlestein. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye In this episode:  • Why Facsimile 2, a hypocephalus, sits between two Book of Breathings scenes  • A grounded "syncretistic" path between pure Egyptology and ignoring Egypt  • John Gee on the Khoiak festival: lion couches, "chia pet" corn mummies, and Abraham in Osiris's place  • Facsimile 1, Figures 11–12: the pillars of heaven, Raukeeyang, and the waters above the firmament  • Syncretism in the Bible: Yahweh riding the clouds, Proverbs, the rich man and Lazarus  • D&C 1:24 and God speaking "according to their language"  • Facsimile 1 as both embalming scene and sacrifice  • Facsimile 2's day and night journey of the sun: Wepwawet, the akhet horizon, and Kolob beside Amun  • Facsimile 3: Ma'at, Anubis, Osiris-Hor "true of voice," Shulem, Isis as "throne," and "signifies"  • Why to go carefully with Facsimile 3 Sources mentioned:  • John S. Thompson, "We May Not Understand Our Words" (Interpreter): https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/we-may-not-understand-our-words-the-book-of-abraham-and-the-concept-of-translation-in-the-pearl-of-greatest-price  • A Guide to the Book of Abraham (BYU Studies Quarterly 61:4): https://byustudies.byu.edu/issue/61-4  • Blake Ostler, "Abraham: An Egyptian Connection": https://www.blakeostler.com/docs/Abraham.pdf  • Kevin Barney, "The Facsimiles and Semitic Adaptation of Existing Sources": https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book-chapter/facsimiles-and-semitic-adaptation-existing-sources  • Kerry Muhlestein, "The Religious and Cultural Background of Joseph Smith Papyrus I": https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1510&context=jbms  • Mark Alan Wright, "According to Their Language, unto Their Understanding": https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1020&context=sba  • John Taylor's 1843 Times and Seasons notice: https://bhroberts.org/records/s2dR6b-RSfLhc/john_taylor_says_joseph_promised_to_translate_more_of_the_book_of_abraham  • John Gee on the Khoiak festival: https://rsc.byu.edu/introdu... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and John Thompson's Background(00:02:48) - How to Approach the Facsimiles(00:03:43) - Syncretism as a Framework for Interpretation(00:09:58) - Ancient Examples of Syncretism(00:12:07) - Abraham and Osiris Syncretism(00:14:53) - Hebrew Concepts in Joseph Smith's Explanations(00:16:05) - Pillars of Heaven and Celestial Waters in Figures 11-12(00:19:03) - Syncretism in the Bible and Beyond(00:22:31) - Facsimile One: Sacrifice and Embalming Scene(00:25:50) - Facsimile Two: The Hypocephalus and the Sun's Journey(00:28:56) - Reading the Hypocephalus: Day and Night Journeys(00:32:12) - Temple Cosmology and the Journey of the Soul(00:40:32) - Figure One and the Celestial Residence of God(00:43:27) - Facsimile Three: Initiation and Enthronement(00:49:13) - Caution and Uncertainty in Facsimile Three(00:52:43) - Why Pictures? Pedagogy and the Plan of Salvation(00:56:05) - Scripture as a Temple Journey and Closing Thoughts

How do you know if a messenger is from God or the devil? Doctrine and Covenants 129 explains certain "keys" for discerning different spirits, and some Christians claim that the angel Moroni was really a demon. Barrett Burgin's short horror film "The Angel" probes these challenging questions, so in this episode, we'll be diving into the history and lore around how to discern an angel from a demon. The Angel Film: https://youtu.be/ACn_CT_7gtE?si=53FhGi9uuMYA-woD Alonzo Gaskill article on D&C 129: https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-8-no-1-2007/doctrine-covenants-1298-reality-satans-physicality ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by: The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye https://ancientamerica.org/ ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #lds #mormon #livestream #churchofjesuschrist Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction to Informed Saints and Guest Barrett(00:02:38) - Synopsis of the Film 'The Angel'(00:07:04) - How Would You Discern an Angel from a Demon?(00:10:23) - Doctrine and Covenants 129 Explained(00:14:46) - Handshake Test vs. Symbolic Interpretation(00:22:40) - Did Any Prophet Ever Actually Perform the Test?(00:26:03) - Historical Context and Canonization of D&C 129(00:28:59) - Demonic Laws, the Sign of the Dove, and Missionary Folklore(00:30:21) - Stephen's Mission Exorcism Story(00:33:59) - Joseph Smith's Preoccupation with Deception(00:37:38) - Was Joseph Smith Deceived by a Devil?(00:39:16) - Galatians 1:8 and the Angel of Light Debate(00:45:27) - Plural Marriage and the Angel with a Drawn Sword(00:49:32) - The Deeper Meaning of Deception and the Divine(00:53:03) - Why We Need D&C 129: Final Reflections(00:59:57) - Closing Thoughts from Barrett and Wrap-Up

Did Joseph Smith ever reveal where the Book of Mormon took place? The very first missionaries told reporters that Lehi landed in Chile, and that the Nephites' final battle ran all the way from Panama to New York. So where did that picture come from, and has the question ever been settled by revelation? Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Matt Roper, veteran Book of Mormon researcher at Scripture Central (formerly with FARMS and BYU's Maxwell Institute). Together they trace nearly two centuries of what prophets, apostles, missionaries, and members have said about Book of Mormon geography. The conversation draws on Matt's article "Limited Geography and the Book of Mormon: Historical Antecedents and Early Interpretations," published in The FARMS Review (2004). Whether you lean Heartland, Mesoamerica, or haven't picked a map at all, this is the shared history behind every model. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Further Readings: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/book-of-mormon-geography https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1637&context=msr&fbclid=IwY2xjaw https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1821&context=msr&fbclid=IwY2xjaw https://cdn.interpreterfoundation.org/jnlpdf/roper-v16-2015-pp161-205-PDF.pdf?fbclid=IwY2xjaw https://www.plonialmonimormon.com/2019/06/a-review-of-the-annotated-edition-of-the-book-of-mormon-part-3a.html?fbclid=IwY2xjaw https://scripturecentral.org/archive/periodicals/magazine-article/editorial-thoughts-book-mormon-geography https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book/geography-book-mormon-events-source-book?fbclid=IwY2xjaw https://archive.org/details/brighamyounguniv00wilk/page/160/mode/2up https://scripturecentral.org/knowhy/why-did-the-lord-command-the-three-witnesses-to-rely-upon-his-word https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1525&context=jbms&fbclid=IwY2xjaw https://cdn.interpreterfoundation.org/jnlpdf/roperetal-v17-2016-pp13-61-PDF.pdf https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/zarahemla-revisted-nevilles-newest-novel If you love digging into the history and evidence behind the Book of Mormon, subscribe and join us for the next episode. Study deeply, believe boldly. <... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction: Has Book of Mormon Geography Been Revealed?(00:03:19) - Early Missionary Reports: The Hemispheric View Begins(00:08:40) - Understanding 'Continent' and 'Country' in Joseph Smith's Day(00:11:03) - Scale of the Americas and Early Saints' Limited Geographic Knowledge(00:13:28) - Grab-Bag Evidence and Learning Curve in the 19th Century(00:17:19) - Stephens and Catherwood: A Game-Changing Discovery(00:19:54) - Joseph Smith's Response and the Times and Seasons Articles(00:27:02) - Authorship Analysis of the Times and Seasons Articles(00:31:07) - Implications for Book of Mormon Geography Thinking(00:32:41) - Growing Interest in Central America Among Church Leaders(00:35:34) - Diversity of 19th Century Geography Theories(00:37:43) - Church Reluctance to Endorse an Official Map(00:41:56) - Early Limited Geography Models and Their Origins(00:46:48) - Brother Aoy's Letter and Limited Geography Map(00:52:40) - Key Takeaways on LDS Limited Geography Models(00:55:01) - Avoiding Hobby Horses: Caution and Current Church Counsel(00:57:15) - Closing Thoughts: Studying Geography with Humility

Was Quetzalcoatl really Jesus Christ? Is the famous "Lehi Stone" actually a carving of Lehi's tree of life? And if the Book of Mormon is true, why hasn't DNA found the Nephites? A Mesoamerican historian who believes the Book of Mormon takes on the myths that never seem to die. In this episode, Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Dr. Mark Christensen, professor of history at Brigham Young University and a specialist in Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya, for a preview of his upcoming presentation at the Book of Mormon Culture Conference this November in Provo, Utah. His case: the Book of Mormon doesn't need our help being true — but it does deserve careful, responsible scholarship. Book of Mormon Culture Conference (November 2026, Provo, Utah): https://register.bomal.org/ ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Mark's previous conference talk on Nahua annals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSz4qku3CvA Our episode on Meso America : https://youtu.be/lHEAG87wh9Y John E. Clark, "A New Artistic Rendering of Izapa Stela 5" (Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 1999): https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol8/iss1/6 Dallin H Oaks Talk on Book of Mormon Historicity https://rsc.byu.edu/historicity-latter-day-saint-scriptures/historicity-book-mormon 0:00 Debunking Meso myths - Mark Christensen 4:34 Self-imposed assumptions  9:50 Meso model helps w/ BoM understanding  12:50 Quetzalcoatl issues  18:18 Christ-figure evidence? Other Gods? 22:45 What Nephite & Lamanite mean? 26:06 Small evidences from texts 33:45 Misinterpretations? 37:30 Why Bro Christensen believes the BoM We unpack: • Why the DNA objection assumes an empty hemisphere — and what migration across Beringia 16,000 years ago means for Book of Mormon peoples • Genetic drift, bottlenecks, and a drop of food coloring in a swimming pool • Flipping the question: not "Where is the Old World in the New?" but "How did the New World shape the Nephites?" • Why Mesoamerica checks the boxes: population density, writing, permanent architecture, social stratification, and intensive agriculture • Quetzalcoatl (Kukulkan), the feathered serpent — and how the "white bearded god" legend took shape in 16th-century Spanish mission schools before becoming Cortés, St. Thomas, and finally Christ • Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews and Quetzalcoatl as Moses • Burned records, humidity, and temples built over temples — and why the Nephites feared losing their records too • No "Maya empire": rival city-states, local creation stories, and the Popol Vuh's hero twins • What "Nephite" and "Lamanite" really mean — 2 Nephi 5, Jacob 1, plural marriage in Jacob 2, and "many of them are our brethren" (Alma 31:35) • Nahua annals and the Book of Mormon's year-by-year "and it came to pass" entries • Izapa Stela 5: what John E. Clark's 1999 drawing revealed — bloodletting, the wind god Ehecatl, and a celestial caiman where "12 roots" were once seen • World trees in Mesoamerica and the ancient Near East, and how Lehi's tree of life fits an Old World setting • Why Mark still believes the Book of Mormon Subscribe to Informed Saints for faithful scholarship on scripture, history, and the ancient world. Study deeply, believe boldly. Featuring Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye,... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and Guest Background(00:01:10) - DNA Myths and Book of Mormon Populations(00:04:30) - Nuanced Interpretation and Avoiding Gotcha Arguments(00:06:52) - Old World vs New World Imprint Methodology(00:09:35) - Why Mesoamerica Fits the Book of Mormon(00:12:05) - Quetzalcoatl Legend and Christ Associations(00:18:06) - Looking for Evidence of Christ in Mesoamerica(00:20:14) - Mesoamerican Pantheons and City-State Religions(00:22:46) - Rethinking Nephite and Lamanite Terminology(00:25:47) - Colonial Documents and Nahua Annals Parallels(00:29:00) - Izapa Stela 5 and the Tree of Life Debate(00:33:40) - Responsible Interpretation of Mesoamerican Art(00:37:22) - Why the Book of Mormon Is True

We're diving into the top highlights and reveals of the October 2026 General Conference, including a surprising address from President Christofferson on the spiritual dangers of gambling. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by: The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye https://ancientamerica.org/ ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #lds #mormon #livestream #churchofjesuschrist Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro and General Conference Memes(00:03:49) - Ward Radio After Party and Conference Overview(00:06:35) - Elder Christofferson's Gambling Talk Introduced(00:08:15) - Personal Stories of Gambling and the 2005 Hinckley Talk(00:11:01) - Gambling vs Investing Debate(00:17:12) - Sports Betting, Corruption, and Predatory Apps(00:19:51) - Perceived Control, Addiction, and Being a Stumbling Block(00:24:19) - Was This New Counsel? Generational Context on Gambling(00:30:26) - Super Chat and Transition to President Oaks' Talk(00:30:59) - President Oaks on Doubt, Scripture, and Faith/Science(00:35:04) - Temple Prep Talks: Elder Gong and Elder Bednar on Sealing(00:39:11) - Orson Pratt Diagram and Sealing Complexity(00:42:49) - NFL Players at Conference and Elder Sikahima's Talk(00:45:58) - Sister Runia on Suffering and the Gospel as a Rock(00:48:31) - Elder Kearon's Glider Analogy and Jesus' Love(00:50:25) - Audiobook Narrator Jokes for Elder Kearon(00:52:09) - Elder Cook on Virtue and Moral Foundations Theory(00:55:13) - Elder Gilbert on Truth and Love Balance(01:01:01) - Elder Morgan's Convert Story and Loving Those Who Leave(01:04:09) - Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Conference Talks

Jesus told us to search Isaiah diligently—so why does it so often feel like a closed book? What if the passages that confuse us most are actually some of the most carefully crafted poetry in all of scripture? Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Dr. Donald W. Parry—professor of Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls at BYU, a member of the international team of Dead Sea Scrolls translators since 1994, and one of the few scholars with his depth of expertise on the Great Isaiah Scroll (and Jasmin and Stephen's former Hebrew professor!). Drawing on his paper "Unlocking Isaiah's Closed Book," published in Steadfast in Defense of Faith: Essays in Honor of Daniel C. Peterson (Interpreter Foundation), and his new translation of Isaiah, Don walks through the three barriers that keep readers out of Isaiah—and the keys that let them in. A perfect companion for studying Isaiah in Come, Follow Me. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye In this episode: • The 3 barriers to reading Isaiah: poetry, about 60 different speakers, and figures of speech • Hebrew parallelism 101—1,100+ examples in Isaiah (Isaiah 1:3; 65:14; 54:7) • Why Mark Twain mocked the Book of Mormon's repetition—and why it's great Hebrew • Plural amplification: why the Book of Mormon says "bloodsheds" • Lady Zion and the nursing mother (Isaiah 49:14–15) • Isaiah's rare rhymes: mishpat/mispach and tsedaqah/tse'aqah (Isaiah 5:7) • Gendered-noun patterns (Isaiah 43:16), "eat or be eaten" with the Hebrew verb 'akal (Isaiah 1:19–20), and the Lord as attorney and judge (rîb, Isaiah 3:13) • Chiasmus: 100+ in Isaiah (Isaiah 6:10; 60:1–3) and 300+ in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 4:33–35; 15:25) • Qumi ori ("arise, shine")—and a speculative thought on the name Cumorah • 44 figures of speech: "as scarlet… white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18), "Holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3), exclamations, metonymy, personification, and rhetorical questions • Prophetic past tense in Isaiah 53—and how Abinadi explains it (Mosiah 16:6) • Why Isaiah is a Jehovah-focused book: the divine name about 450 times and 200+ direct quotations • Joseph Smith's Hebrew studies with Joshua Seixas—and how to start learning biblical Hebrew yourself Go deeper with Don's work: → A New Translation of Isaiah: Based on Ancient Scrolls and Texts (FAIR): https://fairlatterdaysaints.org/store/product/a-new-translation-of-isaiah-based-on-ancient-scrolls-and-texts/ → "Unlocking Isaiah's Closed Book" (Interpreter Foundation): https://interpreterfoundation.org/reprint-unlocking-isaiahs-closed-book → Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon (Maxwell Institute): https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi/61 → Learn biblical Hebrew with Don (textbook + online courses): https://hebrew.byu.edu → Jesus Christ in Scripture with Don Parry & Tammy Uzelac Hall: https://www.youtube.com/@JesusChristinScripture Study deeply, believe boldly. ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introducing Dr. Don Perry and His Dead Sea Scrolls Career(00:03:18) - Barriers to Understanding Isaiah: Poetry, Speakers, Figures of Speech(00:04:26) - Synonymous and Antithetical Parallelism Examples(00:08:33) - Plural Amplification and Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon(00:10:08) - Dialogue and Emblematic Figures of Speech(00:11:43) - Similes, Metaphors, and Personification in Isaiah(00:15:32) - Grammatical and Phonological Parallelisms(00:17:53) - Gendered Nouns and Grammatical Mood Contrasts(00:19:45) - Wordplay, Progression, and Legal Language in Isaiah(00:21:50) - Chiasmus in Isaiah and the Book of Mormon(00:27:42) - Complexity of Book of Mormon Chiasmus as Evidence(00:29:25) - Why Isaiah Used Parallelisms(00:30:30) - Isaiah's 44 Literary Devices and Similes Revisited(00:34:17) - Duplication, Exclamation, and Exaltation in Isaiah(00:38:45) - Metonymy, Motive Clauses, and Prophetic Past Tense(00:42:43) - Personification and Rhetorical Questions Continued(00:44:06) - Isaiah as a Book About Jesus Christ (Jehovah)(00:48:20) - Reverence for the Name Jehovah and Sacred Space(00:50:54) - Learning Biblical Hebrew Today and Joseph Smith's Example

Everyone knows where the Hill Cumorah is… right? Joseph Smith received the gold plates from a hill in upstate New York. But is that the same hill where Mormon hid the Nephite records and the Nephites made their last stand in Mormon 6? It's one of the most debated questions in Book of Mormon geography, and the history behind it may surprise you. In this episode of Informed Saints, Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot walk through what the Book of Mormon itself says about Cumorah, trace when the New York hill first came to be called by that name, and look at what the Church has officially said. Along the way they draw on the Joseph Smith Papers, the Church's "Book of Mormon Geography" statement, and the Hill Cumorah issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, including archaeologist John E. Clark's assessment of the site. Chapters: 0:00 The Hill Cumorah background  5:35 Is it in New York? 12:00 Assessing the sources  16:57 What’s from Joseph Smith? 21:21 David Whitmer sources  25:27 The Church’s position  28:00 What the BoM says? 35:15 Looking at the archeology  42:50 Another candidate in Mexico  47:00 Conclusion - Learning more ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Further Readings: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Hill Cumorah issue: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol13/iss1/ "Book of Mormon Geography," Gospel Topics: www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/book-of-mormon-geography Our Book of Mormon geography episode with Brant Gardner: https://youtu.be/lHEAG87wh9Y https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/hill-cumorah-site-guide/03-curators-notes https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book/introduction-study-book-mormon https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/MStar/id/27175/ https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/41 https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/the-cowdery-conundrum-olivers-aborted-attempt-to-describe-joseph-smiths-first-vision-in-1834-and-1835 https://bhroberts.org/records/pWTXhj-mc2Zjf/w_w_phelps_identifies_the_hill_cumorah_as_being_in_new_york https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-a-1-23-december-1805-30-august-1834/9 https://bookofmormonresources.blogspot.com/2016/10/ramahcumorah.html https://bhroberts.org/records/zrSENb-yN34Vd/heber_c_kimball_recounts_the_cumorah_cave Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction: Where is the Hill Cumorah?(00:01:08) - Book of Mormon Text: Details About Cumorah(00:05:37) - Distinguishing the Plates' Location from the Battle Site(00:06:53) - Origins of the Name 'Cumorah' for the New York Hill(00:08:51) - Oliver Cowdery's Letter Seven and the Mound Builder Myth(00:11:45) - Assessing the Reliability of Cowdery and Phelps(00:16:39) - What Joseph Smith Actually Said About Cumorah(00:19:17) - Lucy Mack Smith and David Whitmer Accounts(00:24:28) - Recap of Historical Sources and Timeline(00:25:14) - The Church's Official Neutral Stance on Geography(00:27:18) - Does New York Fit the Book of Mormon's Geographic Clues?(00:31:05) - Moroni's 35 Years and the Cumorah Cave Legends(00:35:10) - Archaeological Evidence (or Lack Thereof) at the New York Hill(00:37:55) - The Arrowhead Anecdotes: Critical Evaluation(00:42:43) - A Mesoamerican Candidate: Cerro El Vigía in Veracruz(00:46:49) - Closing Thoughts and Respecting Different Views

Most people having a faith crisis are fighting on the branches — polygamy, DNA, the Book of Abraham, race and the priesthood — when the actual problem is buried somewhere underneath. What happens if you go all the way down to the roots and ask why anything exists at all? Use discount code INFORMED15 for 15% off Walker Wrights Book! https://fairlatterdaysaints.org/store/product/nourishing-the-roots/ Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Walker Wright, author of Nourishing the Roots: Seeking the Foundations of Latter-day Saint Testimony, published by FAIR. Walker takes a faith crisis apart from the bottom up — existence, intelligibility, morality, consciousness, God, the Resurrection, and the gold plates — and closes with the story of losing his sister at 11 and the years of atheism that followed. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye In this episode: Elder Uchtdorf's roots-and-branches metaphor, mapped onto the first three temple recommend questions Why a branch you're struggling with can sometimes just be pruned — and why you still have to face the hard issues eventually Larry Corbridge's primary vs. secondary questions, and why an organism explains it better than concentric circles Why no artifact from the ancient Near East or Mesoamerica will move a committed skeptic — and what "lucky guess" really means Why nothing can predate existence, and what that implies about something self-existent, necessary, and eternal Laws of nature, why math matches them, and Joseph Smith's revelations on the light of truth that was not created or made Where objective morality comes from, and why the Holocaust is the test case Andrew Ferguson on Thomas Nagel: why no materialist actually lives like a materialist Fine-tuning and Martin Rees's Just Six Numbers — expand slightly faster or slower and there's no you The multiverse, the inverse gambler's fallacy, and why it's fine-tuning with extra steps The hard problem of consciousness, "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?", and how Mind and Cosmos got Nagel ostracized Philosophical zombies, the China brain, and Alvin Plantinga on other minds and properly basic belief Eternal intelligence, the mind of man, and the hierarchy of intelligences in Abraham 3 Miracles, divine healings, and what an exorcism implies about a hierarchy of spirits Are Latter-day Saints materialists? Goodness, truth, beauty, and the telos of eternal progression The Resurrection as the decisive revelation — Paul's undisputed letters, the Gospels as Greco-Roman biographies, and a crucified messiah nobody expected Why the eleven witnesses come up in every Christian-atheist debate, and why William Lane Craig and Trent Horn brush past them Oliver Cowdery's hand in the printer's manuscript, Martin Harris's matter-of-fact language, and how early those sources really are What kind of person could have written the Book of Mormon — Tolkien after twenty years at Oxford, or a farmhand with a stone in a hat? John Clark's 1% problem and Matt Roper's work on anachronisms Why Moroni's promise is a targeted spiritual experience and not Pam feeling God at Chili's Walker's sister Nicole, the MTC moment that changed everything, and why a faith crisis is like a horror movie Further Readings: Use discount code INFORMED15 for 15% off! https://fairlatterdaysaints.org/store/product/nourishing-the-roots/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Nourishing the Roots: Seeking the Found(00:00:37) - Walker on James Bond and the First Vision(00:01:22) - Describing the Roots of Christianity(00:04:47) - Like an Organic Plant, Faith Needs Nourishment(00:07:49) - The Reasons for Why Does Everything Exist?(00:13:25) - Does Moral Value Exist?(00:16:16) - Materialism and the Psychopath(00:20:59) - Doctor Strange on the Multiverse(00:24:13) - On the Problem of Consciousness(00:28:41) - Bluey The Bat Is For Real(00:29:06) - What is Consciousness?(00:33:24) - Nagel: The Problem of Consciousness(00:38:15) - The Real Evidence of the Resurrection(00:42:40) - The Evidence for the Gold Plates(00:47:08) - Joseph Smith on the Book of Mormon(00:51:18) - The Book of Mormon: An Experience of Truth(00:56:54) - In the Elevator With Infinite Truth(01:00:45) - What Happened to My Faith in the Latter Day Saints(01:06:23) - Nourishing the Roots: Seeking the Foundations of Latter Day

The first sacrament meeting of the Restoration was held on a Tuesday. Latter-day Saints once drank homemade currant wine from a shared cup, sang hymns one line at a time because half the congregation couldn't read, and listened to music playing during the administration of the sacrament. Almost everything we picture when we say the word "church" is younger than we think. Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot trace nearly two centuries of change in Latter-day Saint Sabbath worship — from open-air preaching in the Nauvoo grove to the 2026 two-hour block. There is no single standard history of this subject yet, so this episode pulls the thread together from separate histories of the sacrament, the Relief Society, the Sunday School, the Aaronic Priesthood, Primary, and the Young Women — including Justin Bray's work on the early sacrament. Chapters: 0:00 Intro - Current Church Schedule Changes  6:16 Sacrament Meeting History 14:22 The Sacrament History 32:12 Relief Society & Youth Program Changes 36:36 Sunday School Changes 42:42 Young Men’s & Women’s 49:00 Age Categories 53:25 Conclusion - Inspired Direction ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Church Changes Bibliography  “https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/sacrament-meetings?lang=eng,” in Church History Topics.  “https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/sunday-school?lang=eng,” in Church History Topics.  “https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/young-women-organizations?lang=eng,” in Church History Topics.  “https://churchhistorylibrary.churchofjesuschrist.org/guides/young-women-organization?lang=eng,” Church History Library Research Guides.  “https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/topics/relief-society?lang=eng,” in Church History Topics.  Janene Wolsey Baadsgaard, “https://www.thechurchnews.com/1999/3/20/23249076/cover-story-sunday-school-grew-from-humble-start/,” Church News (March 20, 1999).  Justin R. Bray, “https://rsc.byu.edu/you-shall-have-my-word/lords-supper-early-mormonism,” in You Shall Have My Word: Exploring the Text of the Doctrine and Covenants, ed. Scott C. Esplin, Richard O. Cowan, and Rachel Cope (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 2012), 64–74.  Justin R. Bray, "https://rsc.byu.edu/sacred-time/sabbath-sacrament-latter-day-saints," in Sacred Time: The Sabbath as a Perpetual Covenant, ed. Gaye Strathearn (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University; Salt Lake City: Deseret Book), 207–42.  Rachel Cope, "https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-15-no-3-2014/thoughts-reclaiming-history-relief-society," Religious Educator 15, no. 3 (2014): 91–101.  William Hartley, https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/my-fellow-servants-essays-on-the-history-of-the-priesthood/from-men-to-boys, in My Fellow Servants: Essays on the History of the Priesthood (Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 2010).  William Hartley, https://byustudies.byu.edu/online-book/my-fellow-servants-essays-on-the-history-of-the-priesthood/mormon-sundays, in My Fellow Servants: Essays on the History of the Priesthood (Provo, UT: BYU Studies, 2010).  Glen M. Leonard, “https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1974/12/125-years-of-the-sunday-classroom?lang=eng,” Ensign (December 1974).  Janet Peterson, “https://rsc.byu.edu/firm-foundation/young-women-zion-organizational-history,” in David J. Whittaker and Arnold K. Garr, eds., A Firm Foundation: Church Organization and Administration (Provo, Utah: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2011), 277–94.  Mary Jane Woodger, “https://rsc.b... Chapters (00:00:00) - The Changes to the Church Schedule(00:01:13) - The Changes to the Church's History(00:06:05) - Wonders of the First Day(00:09:39) - Wonders of the First Division on Sunday(00:14:22) - The Sacrificial Birth(00:20:03) - The Concerns of Conservative Members About the Sacrament(00:24:43) - The Sacrament Worship of the Old Church(00:30:28) - Q&A: The Quaker(00:32:14) - The Auxiliaries of the Latter Day Church(00:37:59) - Teachers in the Aaronic Priesthood(00:44:50) - Primary and Young Women's Program in the Church(00:50:04) - The Correlation Revolution: When Everything Collapses Under the Church(00:55:13) - Wonders of the Church