Maxwell Institute Podcast

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.

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.

In this week’s Old Testament Reflection, Kristian Heal explores the meaning and power of the question posed in Exodus 12:26: “And when your children ask you…” Drawing on the Exodus story, Heal reflects on what he calls the Bible’s tradition of prophetic audacity—the insistence that God is mightier than any empire, obstacle, or fear. This episode considers how story and ritual work together to sustain faith across generations. In Exodus 12, narrative gives way to law, memory becomes embodied in ritual, and parents are charged with passing on the reasons for hope through a culture of questions and answers. From Passover to Christian worship, Heal shows how sacred time, liturgy, and memory keep the mighty acts of God present and real. This audio essay invites listeners to consider how remembering—and retelling—God’s saving work shapes resilient faith in both ancient Israel and contemporary discipleship.

The story of the Exodus begins not with miracles or plagues, but with acts of quiet courage. In this Old Testament Reflection on Exodus 1–6, Rosalynde Welch explores the network of women who ensure the survival of the infant Moses—midwives, a mother, a sister, a princess, and a wife—each acting at great personal risk to preserve a life that will one day help liberate a people. Welch reflects on how these early chapters of Exodus reveal a deeper pattern in sacred history: God’s saving work often unfolds through “small-s saviors,” ordinary men and women who cooperate to protect life, resist injustice, and prepare the way for deliverance. Drawing connections from ancient Israel to the abolitionist work of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman, she invites us to consider how quiet acts of courage and partnership can shape the course of history.

How should we read the story of Joseph in Genesis 37–41? This essay examines four distinct approaches—ancient Jewish narrative expansions, early Christian typology, Latter-day Saint restoration readings, and contemporary biblical scholarship—to reveal the richness and complexity of scripture across time.

What do we do when scripture makes us uncomfortable? In this reflection on Genesis 18–23, Katie Paxman considers the story of Abraham and Isaac through the lens of empathy, friendship with God, and the courage to feel. Rather than rushing toward tidy theological explanations, she invites readers to linger in sacred discomfort—and discover how God may be teaching us through it.

Terryl Givens reflects on Genesis 15 and its profound connection to the everlasting covenant fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Through a striking and singular sacrificial ritual, Abraham witnesses a symbol of divine passage—a pattern later realized when Christ consecrated “a new and living way” through the veil of His own flesh. Givens traces how this imagery helps illuminate the Restoration’s temple theology, where disciples move step by step through covenantal life toward adoption, sanctification, and the presence of God. A thoughtful, beautifully drawn meditation that complements your Come, Follow Me study of the Old Testament.

Evolutionary ecologist and novelist Steven Peck brings scientific reasoning, theological imagination, and Restoration scripture into conversation as he examines one of the most striking scenes in all scripture—God weeping in Moses 7. Peck challenges traditional readings that frame God as the direct cause of suffering and instead portrays a compassionate Deity who mourns with creation and calls His children to alleviate pain alongside Him. Thoughtful, probing, and deeply pastoral, this reflection enriches your Come, Follow Me study with a renewed vision of God’s empathy and the sacred responsibility of human agency.

In this episode, we explore the profound meaning behind Eve’s name and her pivotal role in the story of humankind. Drawing on linguistic insights, ancient Hebrew, and Restoration scripture, scholar Morgan Davis uncovers how the original sound and symbolism of Ḥawwah—Eve—reveal a richer, more hopeful understanding of the first mother. We’ll examine how modern Bible translations shed light on wordplay long hidden in English, how divine breath and life echo through the Genesis narrative, and why Adam’s naming of Eve after the Fall is an act filled with honor, prophecy, and gratitude. Far from being a figure of blame, Eve emerges as a model of courage, wisdom, and forward‑moving faith. Join us as we rethink a familiar scripture story and rediscover Eve as the mother of all living—a title that carries beauty, depth, and enduring spiritual power.

Explore the meaning of Moses 1:39 and the concept of God’s “work and glory” in this episode of Old Testament Reflections. Philip Barlow examines the theological depth of immortality and eternal life, the significance of “glory” in scripture, and how these ideas shape Latter-day Saint understanding of God’s purpose. Perfect for listeners interested in Restoration scripture, biblical interpretation, and faith-based insights.

Join Rosalynde Welch for an interview with Dr. Kristian Heal. Reading scripture is one of the fundamental spiritual practices of Latter-day Saints. Dr. Heal shows how scholarship on the Bible can enrich our understanding of the ancient book that connects us to other faith traditions across the globe. We talk about what biblical studies is and is not; its gifts and its challenges for believing readers of the Bible; and what Latter-day Saints scholars, with our understanding of the Book of Mormon and modern scripture, can add to the discussion. These are the kinds of questions we hope to advance in coming years with the Institute’s Bible initiative.

In this conversation, we talk about what it means for a revelation to become scripture--a topic theologians call “canonization.” Steve shares a view of canonization that is less a single historical event and more a social process driven by countless individuals--men and women, adults and children--who return again and again to the text as a place to hear the voice of Christ. We talk about the Restoration’s unique view of revelation and scripture: for Latter-day Saints, it’s not the earliest divine word that is privileged, but the most current--and how this changes things for historians and believers. We talk about the future of the Doctrine and Covenants in our rapidly globalizing church, where the historical context of Joseph Smith’s revelations becomes ever more remote. And Professor Harper shares some thoughts on section 132, perhaps the most difficult of sections in the Doctrine and Covenants, and how frustration can be a gateway to revelation.

Do we really need to forgive our enemies? Take a deep dive into the topic of forgiveness, with Dr. Chad Ford, the author of 70x7: Jesus's Path to Conflict Transformation. Learn how forgiveness can transform your life and bring you peace, as you heed Jesus's call to forgive.As a professor of peacebuilding, Dr. Ford offers valuable perspectives on how to avoid or reconcile contention when life's inevitable disagreements arise, repair relationships, and transform destructive conflict into constructive peace.