The Interpreter Foundation sponsored a conference on November 9, 2013, entitled “Science & Mormonism: Cosmos, Earth & Man” in Provo, Utah. It was filmed. Videos of each of the presentations are now available for free viewing on The Interpreter Foundation’s YouTube channel, or at MormonInterpreter.com. They are also embedded below. [Read more…]
Click to see the flyer with schedule
The 42nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium this year will be focused on the topic of the temple, specifically “Ascending the Mountain of the Lord: Temple, Praise, and Worship in the Old Testament.” It will be held on Saturday, October 26, 2013, in the Joseph Smith Building (JSB) auditorium and adjacent buildings at BYU in Provo, Utah. Admission is free, and no registration required. It is open to the general public.
Below is a comprehensive list of all the scholars presenting and their topics. It is a smorgasbord of fantastic scholarship that will be presented on the temple. There will be seven concurrent sessions going on, so you’ll need to pick and choose very carefully which presentations to attend. Fortunately, many of the papers will be published. [Read more…]
PDF Flyer for Science & Mormonism Symposium
One of the criticisms often leveled at the Church and the restored gospel, and even more broadly at Christianity in general, is that it is “behind the times” with regards to science. Critics point to past teachings that coincide with creation, evolution, genetics and DNA, archaeology, paleontology, geology, neurology, and other areas to show how “out of touch” and “out of date” the Church is in these areas. These criticisms are even pointed toward teachings we find in the temple, particularly those regarding the creation of the Earth and of mankind. Some have lost their faith over what they view as the “incompatibilities” of modern science and the gospel. This need not be. [Read more…]
“God took Enoch,” illustrated by Gerard Hoet, 1728 Figures de la Bible
The Academy for Temple Studies in co-sponsorship with USU Religious Studies Program have announced a conference centered on the figure of Enoch and the temple. The keynote speaker will be George W. E. Nickelsburg, who is a well-known expert on 1 Enoch. Others will also present on Enoch literature and temple themes. The conference will take place in two locations, in Logan on February 19, and in Provo on February 22, 2013.
Below is the full press release announcement from the Academy’s website: [Read more…]
Speakers at the symposium “Mormonism and the Temple: Examining an Ancient Religious Tradition”
A couple days ago I received notice of a new conference that will be taking place at Utah State University, in Logan, Utah, on October 29, 2012. The topic will be “Mormonism and the Temple: Examining an Ancient Religious Tradition.” This symposium comes as a collaboration between a new U.S. based temple studies organization called Academy for Temple Studies together with Utah State University Religious Studies program.
This looks like it will be a singular event, with a fantastic line-up of well-known scholars speaking about the temple throughout history! I will certainly be in attendance, and hope to see many of you there too. Please help spread the word of this inaugural conference by sharing news of this event with your friends and family. It’s easy, you can click the “Like” button below to quickly share this link on your Facebook timeline with all your friends, or click the “Send” button below to quickly send this link privately to certain friends, family, groups, or any email address. (Note, these buttons are only visible on the TempleStudy.com website.)
Here is the full press release about the conference: [Read more…]