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Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship

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Old Testament Reflections

For Such a Time as This: Reflections on Esther

Rosalynde F. Welch
By Rosalynde F. Welch
July 27, 2026 06:18 AM
Rosalynde Welch reflects on Esther through a 1985 Relief Society performance by her mother, showing how scripture takes on new meaning as each generation interprets, performs, and applies it to its own time.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Once Lost, Religious Authority Is Hard to Rebuild: Reflections on Ezra and Nehemiah

Rosalynde F. Welch
By Rosalynde F. Welch
July 20, 2026 05:30 AM
Rosalynde Welch examines Ezra and Nehemiah as a story of rebuilding religious authority through scripture, covenant renewal, temple worship, and the people’s renewed trust in God.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

On Bended Rules: Reflections on 2 Chronicles 14–20; 26; 30

Morgan Davis
By Morgan Davis
July 13, 2026 05:30 AM
Morgan Davis reflects on Uzziah, Hezekiah, and Passover to explore the difference between prideful presumption and humble covenant-seeking when imperfect circumstances complicate obedience.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

A Prophet Named Huldah: Reflections on 2 Kings 16–25

Morgan Davis
By Morgan Davis
July 06, 2026 05:30 AM
Morgan Davis reflects on the prophet Huldah’s crucial role in 2 Kings 22, where her prophetic witness confirmed the authority of the rediscovered book of the law and helped shape Josiah’s reforms. Though often overlooked, Huldah stands as a significant figure in the formation of biblical faith and sacred history.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

What Are Miracles For? Reflections on 2 Kings 2–7

Philip Barlow
By Philip Barlow
June 29, 2026 05:30 AM
In this essay on 2 Kings 2–7, Philip Barlow reflects on Elisha’s miracles and asks what miracles are for, how we should understand them, and what place they ought to have in a life of faith.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Zeal and the Still Small Voice: Reflections on 1 Kings 12–13; 17–22

Morgan Davis
By Morgan Davis
June 22, 2026 05:30 AM
Morgan Davis reflects on Elijah’s encounter with the still small voice in 1 Kings 19, exploring how God’s quiet instruction challenges zeal, violence, and spiritual overconfidence. In a world often drawn to loudness and certainty, Elijah’s story invites us to listen again for the voice of perfect mildness.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Lessons From Life’s Complex Stories: Reflections on 2 Samuel 11–12

Avram Shannon
By Avram Shannon
June 18, 2026 04:57 PM
Avram Richard Shannon reflects on the complex story of David, Bath-sheba, and Uriah, inviting readers to seek moral and spiritual lessons from scripture without oversimplifying the lives of real people.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Abigail in Between: Reflections on 1 Samuel 25

Kristian Heal
By Kristian Heal
June 08, 2026 05:30 AM
In this reflection on 1 Samuel 25, Kristian Heal explores Abigail’s courageous peacemaking between David and Nabal and invites readers to consider how Christ can transform foolishness, resentment, and offense into wisdom, reconciliation, and peace.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Saul Among the Prophets: Reflections on 1 Samuel 8–16

Kristian Heal
By Kristian Heal
June 05, 2026 11:48 AM
Kristian Heal considers Saul’s calling, the Spirit’s role in shaping Israel’s leaders, and the deeper theological debate over kingship in the books of Samuel. Drawing on Deuteronomy, Judges, and later texts, he explores what Saul’s rise and decline reveal about covenant responsibility, prophetic authority, and the kind of king Israel was meant to have.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

The Beauty and Risks of Costly Love: Lessons from Ruth

Rosalynde F. Welch
By Rosalynde F. Welch
May 25, 2026 05:30 AM
Rosalynde F. Welch explores the book of Ruth through the lens of “costly love,” considering the beautiful and complicated ways Orpah, Ruth, and Boaz each respond to need, loyalty, and covenant. The article asks what faithful self-giving looks like when sacrifice is both spiritually powerful and morally risky.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Longing for a Better Way: Reflections on the Book of Judges

J. B. Haws
By J. B. Haws
May 18, 2026 05:30 AM
In this reflection on Judges, J.B. Haws revisits the story of Gideon—not only as a thrilling account of miraculous deliverance, but as a morally complex story that asks what happens after victory, when fear, vengeance, power, and faith become difficult to untangle.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

“As I Was with Moses”: The Book of Joshua and Filling Prophetic Shoes (Joshua 1–8; 23–24)

Scott Esplin
By Scott Esplin
May 11, 2026 05:35 AM
Scott Esplin reflects on Joshua’s calling to succeed Moses and the Lord’s promise, “As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.” This essay explores how faith in God’s constancy helps us move beyond comparison and find courage in our own callings.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

“Hear, O Israel”: Reflections on Deuteronomy 6–8; 15; 18; 29–30; 34

Andrew Reed
By Andrew Reed
May 07, 2026 08:26 AM
Andrew Reed reflects on Moses’s final teachings in Deuteronomy, highlighting covenant remembrance, holiness, care for the poor, prophetic succession, and trust in God’s promises.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Perceiving the Wild Abundance of the Wilderness: Thoughts on Numbers 11–14, 20–24, 27

Robbie Taggart
By Robbie Taggart
April 27, 2026 05:30 AM
In the wilderness of Numbers, suffering and abundance exist side by side. Robbie Taggart explores how God’s grace can feel both daily and overflowing—and how our ability to perceive divine abundance, even in hardship, shapes whether we wander in despair or awaken to the promised land already before us.
1 Min Read
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Podcasts

Miracles and a World of Sacred Matter: The Questions We Should Be Asking, with Melissa Faith Jensen and Sam Petersen

By Melissa Faith Jensen
April 22, 2026 07:07 AM
Rosalynde Welch sits down with graduating student researchers Melissa Jensen and Sam Petersen to explore how faith and scholarship come together at the Maxwell Institute. Melissa shares insights from her work on the Book of Mormon, offering a fresh perspective on miracles as divine help to accomplish God’s purposes. Sam reflects on Joseph Smith’s teachings about sacred matter, suggesting that the material world is not separate from the divine but filled with it. Together, their conversations highlight what it means to pursue “disciple scholarship”—a life of learning that deepens faith, invites better questions, and draws us closer to God.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

Beginning Again: Reflections on Exodus 35–40 and Leviticus

By Jenny Champoux
April 20, 2026 05:30 AM
What does it mean to begin again? Drawing on Exodus 35–40 and Leviticus, Jennifer Champoux shows how ancient patterns of covenant and cleansing reveal Christ’s power to offer renewal, healing, and fresh starts.
1 Min Read
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Podcasts

Abide: Easter (Maxwell Institute Podcast Classics)

Joseph R. Stuart
By Joseph R. Stuart
April 15, 2026 08:40 AM
In this classic Maxwell Institute Podcast episode, Kristian Heal explores the profound connections between Easter, Christian tradition, and the Old Testament, emphasizing the importance of understanding the historical and spiritual significance of the resurrection. Guests share personal insights, theological reflections, and cultural experiences that deepen faith and appreciation for Easter's meaning.
1 Min Read
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Old Testament Reflections

God’s Trustworthiness and Becoming a Kingdom of Priests: Reflections on Exodus 19–20

Avram Shannon
By Avram Shannon
April 13, 2026 05:21 AM
In Exodus 19–20, God invites Israel into a covenant relationship built on trust, not transaction. Avram Shannon explores how this covenant was meant to shape Israel into “a kingdom of priests” and what that vision means for us today as we learn to trust God—before we even know what He will ask.
1 Min Read
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