As Abraham’s heir, Isaac models the same values of peacemaking and hospitality as his father. Rebekah is an example of these values and is sought as a wife for Isaac. Previous themes of Genesis re-emerge in these chapters. Jacob receives the birthright even though he is the younger son. Jacob and Esau echo the story of Cain and Abel.

Episode 88 The story of Abraham continues with the narrative of Lot and the destruction of Sodom. The ambiguity of the characters and conversations makes interpreting events difficult. Abraham models appropriate hospitality while Lot imitates it. Ben offers a potential historical reading of the Sodom account that might help explain the strange sequence of events. What was the explicit sin of Sodom as opposed to the traditional view? Did God really command Abraham to sacrifice his son? Christopher brings in additional versions of the story from other traditions. Studying these additional versions and the story of Abraham in The Pearl of Great Price opens up a new interpretation. Might we…

The Biblical narrative of Abraham follows a chiasmic structure common to ancient Hebrew literature. Events proceed to a climax and then repeat in reverse order. The Book of Abraham in the Pearl of Great Price offers some enriching perspective to the overall story and highlights the key concept of Priesthood as a recurring theme and mode. Abraham is not only blessed, but is given the responsibility to bless all of humanity. The climax of the narrative centers on an unlikely person and offers profound insight into the character of God and his mercy. What is Abraham learning about God and what is significant about his literal and spiritual journey?

Readers of the Bible have wrestled with the narrative of the flood for centuries. How do we approach a text that portrays a God who does such things? What deeper understanding can we see in the symbolism of the story that doesn't require us to view God as vengeful and angry? In attempting to answer this question, a pattern of order, disorder, non-order, and reorder emerges. How does the text of the narratives of Noah and the Tower of Babel reveal an evolving understanding of God and humanity's relationship with the Divine?

Ben is joined by guest Dan Meehan in a discussion of Moses 7, the second half of the canonized "Book of Enoch". In his vision of the divine, Enoch sees a God who expresses emotion and feels sorrow. Enoch experiences the vastness of eternity and comes to know the bitterness of hell, as well as a fullness of joy. This chapter touches on some difficult themes that are often related to racism in scripture. What might these verses have meant to the early Saints and what can they mean to us today? Zion is taken up in process of time and Dan proposes an alternate interpretation of this concept that…

Christopher and Ben return to the previous week’s reading to touch on some themes from the Garden of Eden: trees, cherubim, and the flaming sword. The genealogy put forward in Genesis 5 presents more questions than answers about ante-diluvian longevity. The Book of Enoch as recorded in our canonized Book of Moses is but one of many Books of Enoch that have come to light over the centuries. The narratives and themes it presents are both unique to the Latter-day Saint tradition and similar to other apocryphal texts. What pearls of meaning do we find in the story of Enoch, his travels, his calling as a prophet, and his sermon…

In approaching Genesis 3-4 and Moses 4-5, Ben and Christopher continue their discussion of these creation and fall accounts as temple texts. We are to consider ourselves as Adam and Eve, recognizing our life in their experience in the Garden of Eden. Adam and Eve are created as ontological equals, as priest and priestess in the presence of God. What is a serpent doing in the Garden and why do our narratives equate the serpent with Satan? What can we learn from the differences between how Adam and Eve converse with God versus how Cain converses with God?

The Latter-day Saint tradition has canonized five different creation accounts. Despite intriguing differences, each of them can function liturgically—as does the temple account in temple worship. Christopher and Ben discuss all four creation accounts as descriptions of the dedication of the cosmos to God’s purposes rather than accounts of material origins. The teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the manner of dedicating a temple in antiquity fit well with this understanding of creation accounts. In discussing these creation accounts, Ben and Christopher lay a foundation for a discussion of humanity’s place in the cosmos and God’s purposes for humanity in the next episode.

themselves and their background for Old Testament studies. They cover where they're coming from, how they'll be approaching the Old Testament, and where they're going with their approach. This wide-ranging discussion deals with many of the questions on the minds of Latter-day Saints approaching the Old Testament such as: What is the Bible, or even scripture, in general, and the Old Testament in particular, and what do we do with them? How does revelation work? Who were the authors and what are the genres of the books that make up the library we call "the Bible" and what was the context and purpose of those authors in writing the texts?…

Ben and Shiloh close out this year's discussion on the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history with guest co-host Christopher Hurtado. It is evident in many places throughout Joseph Smith's life just how much of an impact the death of his older brother, Alvin, had on the way that Joseph saw the world. Section 137 gives us a lot of things to think about concerning how Joseph saw and experienced what he called were his "visions". In this section, while in vision, Joseph sees the great things and the great people in the celestial realm, and he even sees his parents there. It is interesting that his parents are still…