Engaging Gospel Doctrine

 Sharing the Gospel with the World     We all know Jonah as a fish story, but a close reading informed by literary and historical details reveals a profound, inspiring, and challenging message. This little book asks us foundational questions about the goodness of God and our responsibility to serve, love, and forgive beyond our […]

“Because of My Transgression My Eyes Are Opened”   This portion of the episode discusses the Adam and Eve narrative in historical and literary context, proposes theories of the Fall across the belief spectrum, and brings in insights from psychology to the question of human nature and improvement.   Recurring Donation: $5 $10 $25 $50 […]

The Word of Wisdom: “A Principle with Promise” We are what we eat (Or even better in German, Man ist, was man isst). This proverb is quite literally true biologically, but also bears social truth–we are who we eat with. Food shapes us physically, spiritually, and socially. The Word of Wisdom is known as the […]

“This Generation Shall Have My Word through You”   We usually don’t stop to think about it, but our conceptions of the nature of scripture play a key role in our understanding of spiritual reality. The fundamental question is: Do we use scripture to understand the rest of reality, or do we need to use […]

“They Taught with Power and Authority of God”   These chapters begin the story of the missionary efforts of the sons of Mosiah. Ammon and Lamoni take center stage, but the Lamanite woman Abish and her queen play key roles and Mormon emphasizes the contrasts between missionary and conversion experiences by paralleling the stories Ammon and Lamoni, […]

“Give Us Strength According to Our Faith … in Christ”   This lesson confronts us with hard, perhaps impossible questions. We read about a God who intervenes sometimes, but not others. Alma and Amulek are saved, but only after an extended time in prison. And the worst atrocity is not prevented at all–the murder of […]

“The Keystone of Our Religion”   What is your relationship with the Book of Mormon? Be honest. Start where you are. How can you improve it? This episode encourages class members to honestly discuss the Book of Mormon, explains the importance of this Book of Scripture, and covers additional topics such as truth, inspiration, and […]

“I Can Do All Things through Christ”   “I can do anything with Jesus” sounds more like a playground boast. But Paul’s advice to live with joy, and to spend our time thinking about what is most worthwhile… those principles merit application.     Class Member Reading: Philippians; Colossians; Philemon Additional Reading: “Pauline Epistles: Epistle to the […]

“For the Perfecting of the Saints”   Ephesians tells us to “put on the armor of God”; how do we integrate the principles of truth, righteousness, preparedness, faith, salvation, and the Spirit into our life? This eloquent work also urges us to fill our lives with goodness so that we can use our time well and […]

Jesus Christ: “The Author and Finisher of Our Faith”   The author of Hebrews presents to us a Jesus both unfamiliar and compelling–within the context of Judaism, but greater than Judaism: Jesus is an ideal High Priest, serving in the heavenly temple. Jesus serves with empathy and caring, and the author urges us to do good […]