In a world obsessed with speed, what if the answers we need come only when we slow down and listen? In this episode, Professor Steven C. Harper invites us to pause, reflect deeply, and attune ourselves to the voice of God. Drawing from his book Wrestling with the Restoration: Why This Church Matters, Dr. Harper combines rigorous scholarship with faith to thoughtfully address critiques of the Restoration. He explores complex questions–such as the translation of the Book of Mormon and the origin of the Book of Abraham–and counsels us to slow down and carve out time to ask, "What do I know?" and "How do I know it?" Ultimately, Dr. Harper offers practical ways for us to develop our own personal of witness of Jesus Christ and the Restoration through careful study, sincere reflection, and spiritual seeking.

Publications:

• Wrestling with the Restoration: Why This Church Matters, Deseret Book (2024)
• Let's Talk About The Law of Consecration, Deseret Book (2022)
• "'That They Might Come to Understanding': Revelation as Process," in Raising the Standard of Truth: Exploring the History of Teachings of the Early Restoration, Religious Studies Center (2020)
• First Vision: Memory and Mormon Origins, Oxford University Press (2019)
• Making Sense of the Doctrine & Covenants, Deseret Book (2012)
• The Joseph Smith Papers, Revelations and Translations, Volume 1: Manuscript Revelation Books, Church Historian's Press (2011)
• Website: https://www.stevencraigharper.com/

Click here to learn more about Steven C. Harper

Shrouded in rumor and myth, the name of Adam-ondi-Ahman (mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 116) has sparked questions for two centuries. In this episode, Professor Alex Baugh clarifies what we know—and what we don't—about this location that holds great significance in both antiquity and early Restoration history, as well as in future prophecy. Adam-ondi-Ahman is revealed to be in Daviess County, Missouri, and is the location where Adam and Eve lived after being cast out of Eden. Joseph Smith was recorded to have said that is also "the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or the Ancient of Days shall sit as spoken of by Daniel the prophet."

Publications:

• "The History and Doctrine of the Adam-ondi-Ahman Revelation (Doctrine & Covenants 116)," in Foundations of the Restoration: Fulfillment of the Covenant Purposes, Religious Studies Center (2016)
• The Voice of the Lord: Exploring the Doctrine and Covenants, Religious Studies Center (2024)
• Joseph Smith and His First Vision: Context, Place, and Meaning, Religious Studies Center (2021)
• Latter-day Saints in Washington, DC: History, People, and Places, Religious Studies Center (2021)
• Conversations with Mormon Historians, Religious Studies Center (2015)
• Banner of the Gospel: Wilford Woodruff, Religious Studies Center (2010)
• Days Never to be Forgotten: Oliver Cowdery, Religious Studies Center (2009)

Click here to learn more about Alex Baugh

How do we reconcile our expectations with God's unfolding plan? In this episode, Professor Derek Sainsbury explores the remarkable life of Nancy Naomi Tracy–a woman whose unwavering faith and bold defense of religious liberty and temple service helped shape the early Latter-day Saint experience. Through persecution, political exile, and personal loss, Nancy remained devoted to the gospel. Professor Sainsbury draws from her writings and activism to reveal how she navigated the tension between personal hopes and divine direction, offering a compelling lens into the cost of conviction and the legacy of spiritual resilience.

Publications:

• "'We Have Not Been Allowed to Worship as We Please': Nancy Naomi Tracy and the Denial of Latter-day Saint Religious Liberty," in Religious Liberty and Latter-day Saints: Historical and Global Perspectives (Religious Studies Center, 2023)
• Joseph Smith as a Visionary: Heavenly Manifestations in the Latter Days (Religious Studies Center, 2025)
• "Befriending the Constitutional Law of the Land" in Doctrine and Coveants Insights: Capstone of Doctrinal Understanding (Religious Studies Center, 2025)
• Storming the Nation: The Unknown Contributions of Joseph Smith's Political Missionaries (Religious Studies Center, 2020)
• "'For the General Good of Mankind': Why Joseph Smith's Presidential Campaign Matters," Religious Educator, 21.3 (2020)

Click here to learn more about Derek Sainsbury