Informed Saints

Was Quetzalcoatl really Jesus Christ? Is the famous "Lehi Stone" actually a carving of Lehi's tree of life? And if the Book of Mormon is true, why hasn't DNA found the Nephites? A Mesoamerican historian who believes the Book of Mormon takes on the myths that never seem to die. In this episode, Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Dr. Mark Christensen, professor of history at Brigham Young University and a specialist in Nahuatl and Yucatec Maya, for a preview of his upcoming presentation at the Book of Mormon Culture Conference this November in Provo, Utah. His case: the Book of Mormon doesn't need our help being true — but it does deserve careful, responsible scholarship. Book of Mormon Culture Conference (November 2026, Provo, Utah): https://register.bomal.org/ ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Mark's previous conference talk on Nahua annals: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSz4qku3CvA Our episode on Meso America : https://youtu.be/lHEAG87wh9Y John E. Clark, "A New Artistic Rendering of Izapa Stela 5" (Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, 1999): https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol8/iss1/6 Dallin H Oaks Talk on Book of Mormon Historicity https://rsc.byu.edu/historicity-latter-day-saint-scriptures/historicity-book-mormon 0:00 Debunking Meso myths - Mark Christensen 4:34 Self-imposed assumptions  9:50 Meso model helps w/ BoM understanding  12:50 Quetzalcoatl issues  18:18 Christ-figure evidence? Other Gods? 22:45 What Nephite & Lamanite mean? 26:06 Small evidences from texts 33:45 Misinterpretations? 37:30 Why Bro Christensen believes the BoM We unpack: • Why the DNA objection assumes an empty hemisphere — and what migration across Beringia 16,000 years ago means for Book of Mormon peoples • Genetic drift, bottlenecks, and a drop of food coloring in a swimming pool • Flipping the question: not "Where is the Old World in the New?" but "How did the New World shape the Nephites?" • Why Mesoamerica checks the boxes: population density, writing, permanent architecture, social stratification, and intensive agriculture • Quetzalcoatl (Kukulkan), the feathered serpent — and how the "white bearded god" legend took shape in 16th-century Spanish mission schools before becoming Cortés, St. Thomas, and finally Christ • Ethan Smith's View of the Hebrews and Quetzalcoatl as Moses • Burned records, humidity, and temples built over temples — and why the Nephites feared losing their records too • No "Maya empire": rival city-states, local creation stories, and the Popol Vuh's hero twins • What "Nephite" and "Lamanite" really mean — 2 Nephi 5, Jacob 1, plural marriage in Jacob 2, and "many of them are our brethren" (Alma 31:35) • Nahua annals and the Book of Mormon's year-by-year "and it came to pass" entries • Izapa Stela 5: what John E. Clark's 1999 drawing revealed — bloodletting, the wind god Ehecatl, and a celestial caiman where "12 roots" were once seen • World trees in Mesoamerica and the ancient Near East, and how Lehi's tree of life fits an Old World setting • Why Mark still believes the Book of Mormon Subscribe to Informed Saints for faithful scholarship on scripture, history, and the ancient world. Study deeply, believe boldly. Featuring Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye,... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction and Guest Background(00:01:10) - DNA Myths and Book of Mormon Populations(00:04:30) - Nuanced Interpretation and Avoiding Gotcha Arguments(00:06:52) - Old World vs New World Imprint Methodology(00:09:35) - Why Mesoamerica Fits the Book of Mormon(00:12:05) - Quetzalcoatl Legend and Christ Associations(00:18:06) - Looking for Evidence of Christ in Mesoamerica(00:20:14) - Mesoamerican Pantheons and City-State Religions(00:22:46) - Rethinking Nephite and Lamanite Terminology(00:25:47) - Colonial Documents and Nahua Annals Parallels(00:29:00) - Izapa Stela 5 and the Tree of Life Debate(00:33:40) - Responsible Interpretation of Mesoamerican Art(00:37:22) - Why the Book of Mormon Is True

We're diving into the top highlights and reveals of the October 2026 General Conference, including a surprising address from President Christofferson on the spiritual dangers of gambling. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by: The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye https://ancientamerica.org/ ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. #lds #mormon #livestream #churchofjesuschrist Chapters (00:00:00) - Intro and General Conference Memes(00:03:49) - Ward Radio After Party and Conference Overview(00:06:35) - Elder Christofferson's Gambling Talk Introduced(00:08:15) - Personal Stories of Gambling and the 2005 Hinckley Talk(00:11:01) - Gambling vs Investing Debate(00:17:12) - Sports Betting, Corruption, and Predatory Apps(00:19:51) - Perceived Control, Addiction, and Being a Stumbling Block(00:24:19) - Was This New Counsel? Generational Context on Gambling(00:30:26) - Super Chat and Transition to President Oaks' Talk(00:30:59) - President Oaks on Doubt, Scripture, and Faith/Science(00:35:04) - Temple Prep Talks: Elder Gong and Elder Bednar on Sealing(00:39:11) - Orson Pratt Diagram and Sealing Complexity(00:42:49) - NFL Players at Conference and Elder Sikahima's Talk(00:45:58) - Sister Runia on Suffering and the Gospel as a Rock(00:48:31) - Elder Kearon's Glider Analogy and Jesus' Love(00:50:25) - Audiobook Narrator Jokes for Elder Kearon(00:52:09) - Elder Cook on Virtue and Moral Foundations Theory(00:55:13) - Elder Gilbert on Truth and Love Balance(01:01:01) - Elder Morgan's Convert Story and Loving Those Who Leave(01:04:09) - Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Conference Talks

Jesus told us to search Isaiah diligently—so why does it so often feel like a closed book? What if the passages that confuse us most are actually some of the most carefully crafted poetry in all of scripture? Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Dr. Donald W. Parry—professor of Hebrew Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls at BYU, a member of the international team of Dead Sea Scrolls translators since 1994, and one of the few scholars with his depth of expertise on the Great Isaiah Scroll (and Jasmin and Stephen's former Hebrew professor!). Drawing on his paper "Unlocking Isaiah's Closed Book," published in Steadfast in Defense of Faith: Essays in Honor of Daniel C. Peterson (Interpreter Foundation), and his new translation of Isaiah, Don walks through the three barriers that keep readers out of Isaiah—and the keys that let them in. A perfect companion for studying Isaiah in Come, Follow Me. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye In this episode: • The 3 barriers to reading Isaiah: poetry, about 60 different speakers, and figures of speech • Hebrew parallelism 101—1,100+ examples in Isaiah (Isaiah 1:3; 65:14; 54:7) • Why Mark Twain mocked the Book of Mormon's repetition—and why it's great Hebrew • Plural amplification: why the Book of Mormon says "bloodsheds" • Lady Zion and the nursing mother (Isaiah 49:14–15) • Isaiah's rare rhymes: mishpat/mispach and tsedaqah/tse'aqah (Isaiah 5:7) • Gendered-noun patterns (Isaiah 43:16), "eat or be eaten" with the Hebrew verb 'akal (Isaiah 1:19–20), and the Lord as attorney and judge (rîb, Isaiah 3:13) • Chiasmus: 100+ in Isaiah (Isaiah 6:10; 60:1–3) and 300+ in the Book of Mormon (1 Nephi 4:33–35; 15:25) • Qumi ori ("arise, shine")—and a speculative thought on the name Cumorah • 44 figures of speech: "as scarlet… white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18), "Holy, holy, holy" (Isaiah 6:3), exclamations, metonymy, personification, and rhetorical questions • Prophetic past tense in Isaiah 53—and how Abinadi explains it (Mosiah 16:6) • Why Isaiah is a Jehovah-focused book: the divine name about 450 times and 200+ direct quotations • Joseph Smith's Hebrew studies with Joshua Seixas—and how to start learning biblical Hebrew yourself Go deeper with Don's work: → A New Translation of Isaiah: Based on Ancient Scrolls and Texts (FAIR): https://fairlatterdaysaints.org/store/product/a-new-translation-of-isaiah-based-on-ancient-scrolls-and-texts/ → "Unlocking Isaiah's Closed Book" (Interpreter Foundation): https://interpreterfoundation.org/reprint-unlocking-isaiahs-closed-book → Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon (Maxwell Institute): https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/mi/61 → Learn biblical Hebrew with Don (textbook + online courses): https://hebrew.byu.edu → Jesus Christ in Scripture with Don Parry & Tammy Uzelac Hall: https://www.youtube.com/@JesusChristinScripture Study deeply, believe boldly. ===Discover=== If any of our thoughts resonated with you, consider learning more about the single most influential book in our lives. https://www.discoverbookofmormon.org/ ===Content Disclaimer=== The views expressed represent ours alone and do not necessarily reflect the official position of The Church of Jesus Christ of... Chapters (00:00:00) - Introducing Dr. Don Perry and His Dead Sea Scrolls Career(00:03:18) - Barriers to Understanding Isaiah: Poetry, Speakers, Figures of Speech(00:04:26) - Synonymous and Antithetical Parallelism Examples(00:08:33) - Plural Amplification and Hebraisms in the Book of Mormon(00:10:08) - Dialogue and Emblematic Figures of Speech(00:11:43) - Similes, Metaphors, and Personification in Isaiah(00:15:32) - Grammatical and Phonological Parallelisms(00:17:53) - Gendered Nouns and Grammatical Mood Contrasts(00:19:45) - Wordplay, Progression, and Legal Language in Isaiah(00:21:50) - Chiasmus in Isaiah and the Book of Mormon(00:27:42) - Complexity of Book of Mormon Chiasmus as Evidence(00:29:25) - Why Isaiah Used Parallelisms(00:30:30) - Isaiah's 44 Literary Devices and Similes Revisited(00:34:17) - Duplication, Exclamation, and Exaltation in Isaiah(00:38:45) - Metonymy, Motive Clauses, and Prophetic Past Tense(00:42:43) - Personification and Rhetorical Questions Continued(00:44:06) - Isaiah as a Book About Jesus Christ (Jehovah)(00:48:20) - Reverence for the Name Jehovah and Sacred Space(00:50:54) - Learning Biblical Hebrew Today and Joseph Smith's Example

Everyone knows where the Hill Cumorah is… right? Joseph Smith received the gold plates from a hill in upstate New York. But is that the same hill where Mormon hid the Nephite records and the Nephites made their last stand in Mormon 6? It's one of the most debated questions in Book of Mormon geography, and the history behind it may surprise you. In this episode of Informed Saints, Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot walk through what the Book of Mormon itself says about Cumorah, trace when the New York hill first came to be called by that name, and look at what the Church has officially said. Along the way they draw on the Joseph Smith Papers, the Church's "Book of Mormon Geography" statement, and the Hill Cumorah issue of the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, including archaeologist John E. Clark's assessment of the site. Chapters: 0:00 The Hill Cumorah background  5:35 Is it in New York? 12:00 Assessing the sources  16:57 What’s from Joseph Smith? 21:21 David Whitmer sources  25:27 The Church’s position  28:00 What the BoM says? 35:15 Looking at the archeology  42:50 Another candidate in Mexico  47:00 Conclusion - Learning more ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye Further Readings: Journal of Book of Mormon Studies, Hill Cumorah issue: https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/jbms/vol13/iss1/ "Book of Mormon Geography," Gospel Topics: www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/gospel-topics/book-of-mormon-geography Our Book of Mormon geography episode with Brant Gardner: https://youtu.be/lHEAG87wh9Y https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/manual/hill-cumorah-site-guide/03-curators-notes https://scripturecentral.org/archive/books/book/introduction-study-book-mormon https://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/digital/collection/MStar/id/27175/ https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/lucy-mack-smith-history-1844-1845/41 https://interpreterfoundation.org/journal/the-cowdery-conundrum-olivers-aborted-attempt-to-describe-joseph-smiths-first-vision-in-1834-and-1835 https://bhroberts.org/records/pWTXhj-mc2Zjf/w_w_phelps_identifies_the_hill_cumorah_as_being_in_new_york https://www.josephsmithpapers.org/paper-summary/history-1838-1856-volume-a-1-23-december-1805-30-august-1834/9 https://bookofmormonresources.blogspot.com/2016/10/ramahcumorah.html https://bhroberts.org/records/zrSENb-yN34Vd/heber_c_kimball_recounts_the_cumorah_cave Chapters (00:00:00) - Introduction: Where is the Hill Cumorah?(00:01:08) - Book of Mormon Text: Details About Cumorah(00:05:37) - Distinguishing the Plates' Location from the Battle Site(00:06:53) - Origins of the Name 'Cumorah' for the New York Hill(00:08:51) - Oliver Cowdery's Letter Seven and the Mound Builder Myth(00:11:45) - Assessing the Reliability of Cowdery and Phelps(00:16:39) - What Joseph Smith Actually Said About Cumorah(00:19:17) - Lucy Mack Smith and David Whitmer Accounts(00:24:28) - Recap of Historical Sources and Timeline(00:25:14) - The Church's Official Neutral Stance on Geography(00:27:18) - Does New York Fit the Book of Mormon's Geographic Clues?(00:31:05) - Moroni's 35 Years and the Cumorah Cave Legends(00:35:10) - Archaeological Evidence (or Lack Thereof) at the New York Hill(00:37:55) - The Arrowhead Anecdotes: Critical Evaluation(00:42:43) - A Mesoamerican Candidate: Cerro El Vigía in Veracruz(00:46:49) - Closing Thoughts and Respecting Different Views

Most people having a faith crisis are fighting on the branches — polygamy, DNA, the Book of Abraham, race and the priesthood — when the actual problem is buried somewhere underneath. What happens if you go all the way down to the roots and ask why anything exists at all? Use discount code INFORMED15 for 15% off Walker Wrights Book! https://fairlatterdaysaints.org/store/product/nourishing-the-roots/ Jasmin Rappleye, Neal Rappleye, and Stephen Smoot sit down with Walker Wright, author of Nourishing the Roots: Seeking the Foundations of Latter-day Saint Testimony, published by FAIR. Walker takes a faith crisis apart from the bottom up — existence, intelligibility, morality, consciousness, God, the Resurrection, and the gold plates — and closes with the story of losing his sister at 11 and the years of atheism that followed. ===Informed Saints Credits=== Produced by The Ancient America Foundation Producer: Spencer Clark Hosts: Stephen Smoot, Neal Rappleye, Jasmin Rappleye In this episode: Elder Uchtdorf's roots-and-branches metaphor, mapped onto the first three temple recommend questions Why a branch you're struggling with can sometimes just be pruned — and why you still have to face the hard issues eventually Larry Corbridge's primary vs. secondary questions, and why an organism explains it better than concentric circles Why no artifact from the ancient Near East or Mesoamerica will move a committed skeptic — and what "lucky guess" really means Why nothing can predate existence, and what that implies about something self-existent, necessary, and eternal Laws of nature, why math matches them, and Joseph Smith's revelations on the light of truth that was not created or made Where objective morality comes from, and why the Holocaust is the test case Andrew Ferguson on Thomas Nagel: why no materialist actually lives like a materialist Fine-tuning and Martin Rees's Just Six Numbers — expand slightly faster or slower and there's no you The multiverse, the inverse gambler's fallacy, and why it's fine-tuning with extra steps The hard problem of consciousness, "What Is It Like to Be a Bat?", and how Mind and Cosmos got Nagel ostracized Philosophical zombies, the China brain, and Alvin Plantinga on other minds and properly basic belief Eternal intelligence, the mind of man, and the hierarchy of intelligences in Abraham 3 Miracles, divine healings, and what an exorcism implies about a hierarchy of spirits Are Latter-day Saints materialists? Goodness, truth, beauty, and the telos of eternal progression The Resurrection as the decisive revelation — Paul's undisputed letters, the Gospels as Greco-Roman biographies, and a crucified messiah nobody expected Why the eleven witnesses come up in every Christian-atheist debate, and why William Lane Craig and Trent Horn brush past them Oliver Cowdery's hand in the printer's manuscript, Martin Harris's matter-of-fact language, and how early those sources really are What kind of person could have written the Book of Mormon — Tolkien after twenty years at Oxford, or a farmhand with a stone in a hat? John Clark's 1% problem and Matt Roper's work on anachronisms Why Moroni's promise is a targeted spiritual experience and not Pam feeling God at Chili's Walker's sister Nicole, the MTC moment that changed everything, and why a faith crisis is like a horror movie Further Readings: Use discount code INFORMED15 for 15% off! https://fairlatterdaysaints.org/store/product/nourishing-the-roots/ Chapters (00:00:00) - Nourishing the Roots: Seeking the Found(00:00:37) - Walker on James Bond and the First Vision(00:01:22) - Describing the Roots of Christianity(00:04:47) - Like an Organic Plant, Faith Needs Nourishment(00:07:49) - The Reasons for Why Does Everything Exist?(00:13:25) - Does Moral Value Exist?(00:16:16) - Materialism and the Psychopath(00:20:59) - Doctor Strange on the Multiverse(00:24:13) - On the Problem of Consciousness(00:28:41) - Bluey The Bat Is For Real(00:29:06) - What is Consciousness?(00:33:24) - Nagel: The Problem of Consciousness(00:38:15) - The Real Evidence of the Resurrection(00:42:40) - The Evidence for the Gold Plates(00:47:08) - Joseph Smith on the Book of Mormon(00:51:18) - The Book of Mormon: An Experience of Truth(00:56:54) - In the Elevator With Infinite Truth(01:00:45) - What Happened to My Faith in the Latter Day Saints(01:06:23) - Nourishing the Roots: Seeking the Foundations of Latter Day