Ether 6-11 take readers on a journey of the violent and turbulent world of the Jaredite kings. It is almost like the Book of Mormon in miniature: we have a heavenly ocean crossing, prophetic peoples ruled by kings, a series of wicked and righteous kings, secret Gadianton-esque societies, wars andContinue Reading

These beginning chapters in Ether teach us the importance of prayer, how to receive revelation, and how the Lord communicates with us. In this podcast we discuss the idea of light and air questions, and why the distinction matters. These chapters are also a type of the journey that weContinue Reading

These chapters are an excellent illustration of how to raise a righteous family in the midst of great spiritual wickedness. Mormon is an excellent model of how to do this. Bryce lays out the argument in our podcast that Mormon probably was working on his editing and constructing of theContinue Reading

3 Nephi 12-14 is very similar to the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. This text is a temple ascension text, or what modern Saints call an endowment. In this podcast, we worked to demonstrate the depth and breadth of this sermon, with the hopes that thoseContinue Reading

The Mahan Principle Moses 5.30-31 And Satan sware unto Cain that he would do according to his commands. And all these things were done in secret. And Cain said: Truly I am Mahan, the master of this great secret, that I may murder and get gain. Wherefore Cain was calledContinue Reading

An excerpt from his book Since Cumorah, chapter 10, pages 264-290. Prophets in the Wilderness The Desert Sectaries It is only in our own generation that we have begun to realize the enormous importance in Judaism and Christianity of the people who flee to the desert. They are not merelyContinue Reading

The following is an excerpt from The Message of the Joseph Smith an Egyptian Endowment by Hugh Nibley. Commentary: The Garden of Abundance It would seem that the standard procedure in the mysteries is to enter a new life or a new world through a garden, where one rests forContinue Reading

James – An Overview The letter of James takes its name from the attribution of authorship in 1.1; the letter itself does not otherwise identify its author. Some scholars suggest that the author is the brother of Jesus (Matthew 13.55; Mark 6.3) and the head of the church in JerusalemContinue Reading

The following message was given by Hugh Nibley on February 24, 1965. A discussion of the religious and cultural impact of Egypt, Babylon and other neighbors on events in Israel. — Midgley For an audio recording you can access part 1 here and part 2 here. I am grateful toContinue Reading

Helaman 12 talks about the dangers of wealth. It says: 1 And thus we can behold how false, and also the unsteadiness of the hearts of the children of men; yea, we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put theirContinue Reading