Ben and Shiloh continue their discussion of the Sermon at the Temple, as they discuss the various vignettes that Christ reveals pertaining to what a Beatitude-living disciple of Christ looks like in various situations. They discuss various topics of the Sermon pertaining to alms giving, prayer, forgiveness, fasting, the doctrine of two masters, anxiety, seeking for the kingdom of God, judgment, the Golden Rule, action and iniquity, and the wise and foolish man. As the new Moses, Jesus Christ declares that the law of Moses has been fulfilled in him, as his life and example was what the law of Moses had looked forward to as a type and shadow.…

Shiloh and Ben embark on discussing a favorite topic: The Beatitudes and the Sermon at the Temple (equivalent to the Sermon on the Mount in the Book of Matthew in the Gospels) . The Beatitudes are the Preamble to the rest of the Sermon at the Temple, and it is impossible to really understand the rest of the Sermon if we miss the importance and setting of the Beatitudes. In both the Sermon on the Mount (in Matthew) and in the Sermon at the Temple (3 Nephi), the settings are symbolically the same: a high place / the temple. Whereas we often glance over the Beatitudes are simply random and…

Ben and Shiloh tackle really interesting and difficult chapters in the Book of Mormon where the sign of Christ's death comes to the Americas. Most Book of Mormon scholars conclude that a possible volcano is what caused every mentioned calamity from the mist of darkness, to the lightning, the geographic upheaval, the liquefaction of cities into the sea, fire from heaven and consuming cities, cities being covered with earth, etc. There are a few lack-of-congruence issues in the text concerning Samuel's prophecy of the signs of Christ's death and the interpretation of events of those who lived through it. A few ideas are discussed on how to resolve the congruence…

Shiloh and Ben move into talking about the fulfillment of Samuel's prophecies concerning the birth of Jesus Christ. Nephites who were baptized into the Church because they had seen signs did not experience deep conversion to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Nephites and Lamanites combine forces to thwart the Gadianton Robbers. While Mormon explains that "it was the custom among all the Nephites to appoint for their chief captains, (save it were in their times of wickedness) some one that had the spirit of revelation and also prophecy" and that "Gidgidoni was a great prophet" (3 Ne 3:19), there is still ample evidence that the depth of the Nephite "righteousness"…

Ben and Shiloh talk about Samuel the Lamanite preaching to and calling the Nephites to repentance. Why did the Lord send a Lamanite to call repentance to the Nephites when they already had Nephi, the prophet, there preaching the same message? The pattern of Samuel’s preaching reflect the same patterns of Abinadi and Alma the Younger, as he preaches the good news and signs of the Savior’s birth. Shiloh and Ben discuss the nature of God in how it relates to Helaman 12:3 and to Samuel’s words of God’s active vengeance. Is there a different way to view God than as an actively vengeful God?

Shiloh and guest-host Christopher Hurtado talk about the state of Nephite affairs after the official "War Chapters" conclude. Political intrigue, pride in the Church, international conflict, and a failed military bid to regain lost lands find the Nephites at a loss. Christopher and Shiloh discuss myth narratives and find interesting verses that combine the Garden of Eden myth together with the Lehi/Nephi Dream myth in how to become one with God. Nephi and Lehi go out to preach the world of God and follow the pattern set forward by their great-grandfather, Alma the Younger, as the Lamanites repent and become converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. We see another…

Shiloh and Ben discuss the last half of the War Chapters in the Book of Mormon and question some possibilities that the War Chapters may have been the first thing that Mormon compiled in the Book of Mormon as a young military general. Why and in what way are the Anti Nephi Lehis talked about differently in Alma 53 and 56 than in Alma 26? Captain Moroni is a complicated character that is often quick-to-anger and condemnation, but he consistently expresses a strength of heart and mind to cease bloodshed and fighting mid-battle to let the enemy go free with an oath. After Captain Moroni breaths many threatenings and admonitions…

Ben and Shiloh continue their discussion on the first half of the War Chapters in the Book of Mormon. There is a lot to say about the the Nephite narratives and identities in how they view themselves and the Lamanites that frame and contextualize the discussion and that are sometimes taken for granted in analyzing the text. Were there missed opportunities for the Nephites to end war through other non-military means? Were the Nephites always truly expressing the seeming justness of their cause? Did the Nephites always live up to their standards of belief concerning war? Just how much like the Nephites are we today, and can we gain any…

Shiloh and Ben begin a preliminary discussion to contextualize the war chapters. They explore the observations for the Lord's stated means of deliverance in Mosiah 7:33, the Lord's standard for "justified" self-defense and warfare in D&C 98, and what it means to go beyond what is merely justified into the realms of what is counted as "righteousness." In Alma 43:47 it states "the Lord has said that: Ye shall defend your families even unto bloodshed." Yet, in this seeming universal command to take up arms to spill the blood of brother's or sister's life in defense of our families, we see righteous examples counter to the popular interpretation of this…

Ben and Shiloh talk about Alma's fatherly admonitions to his sons Helaman and Shiblon. They talk about clues that Alma leaves us into the foundations of his own testimony, and discuss about the nature of and doctrine of "Christ" as found in these chapters. While we typically talk about the "doctrine of Christ" in general terms as simply the gospel, there is another more nuanced discussion that Shiloh and Ben explore as to what "Christ" is as the archetype of our humanity and what it means to take that name upon ourselves.