What do we make of times in scripture where violence occurs, especially when the destruction comes because of God's commands? In this episode, Professor David M. Calabro discusses his article "'Thou Shalt Utterly Destroy': Understanding the Biblical Ḥērem", which grapples with the troubling and often misunderstood concept of ḥērem—the ritualized devotion of people, cities, and goods to God that appears in the conquest narratives of Deuteronomy and Joshua.

Calabro explains that while ḥērem is frequently read today as indiscriminate violence or genocide, its ancient meaning is far more complex. Rooted linguistically in ideas of holiness and consecration, ḥērem reflects an ancient Near Eastern way of framing warfare in theological, often hyperbolic terms. By placing Israel's scriptures alongside archaeological evidence, inscriptions from neighboring cultures, and restored gospel truths, the episode shows how biblical language of total destruction functioned within a shared cultural hyperbolic idiom, and that ḥērem is not ultimately about ethnicity or nationality, but about covenant loyalty, repentance, and one's response to God.

Rather than resolving all moral and theological questions, Calabro's work invites listeners to read these texts with greater historical awareness, humility, and a willingness to work with God to understand His ways.

Publications:

• "Thou Shalt Utterly Destroy" : Understanding the Biblical Ḥērem in From Wilderness to Monarchy (Religious Studies Center, 2025)
• "Behold Our God Is with Us": Realism and Divine Focus in Mormon's War Narratives in This Great and Lasting War (Religious Studies Center, 2025)
• A Third Look at the Lord's Hand "Stretched Out Still" (Isaiah 2–14) in Tender Mercies and Loving-Kindness (Religious Studies Center, 2025)
• The Arms of His Love: Gesture and Meaning in the Book of Mormon in In the Eyes of the Ancients (Religious Studies Center, 2026)

Click here to learn more about David Calabro

How can we better incorporate prophetic messages in our lives, while also using them to bless the lives of those we love? In this episode, Scott C. Esplin, dean of Religious Education at BYU, discusses his article "Department and Individual Efforts to Amplify Prophetic Messages," coauthored with Brad Streeter, Rory Bigelow, Aaron Shumway, and David Peck. Drawing on a panel presentation from the 2024 Church Educational System Religious Educators Conference, Dean Esplin explores how religious educators can more faithfully emphasize and transmit the teachings of living prophets. Responding to counsel from Elder Clark G. Gilbert, the panel framed gospel teaching through the metaphor of an amplifier, namely prophetic messages serve as the input, educators function as the amplifier, and students receive the output. Further, Dean Esplin explains that prophets teach with clarity, repetition, and inspired emphasis, centering their messages on Jesus Christ, covenant belonging, and revealed priorities for our time. Ultimately, gospel teachers succeed when they faithfully proclaim the Lord's words and invite learners, through the Spirit, to hear and act.

Publications:

• "Department and Individual Efforts to Amplify Prophetic Messages," with Brad Streeter, Rory Bigelow, Aaron Shumway, and David Peck, Religious Educator, 25.3 (2024)
• Raising the Standard of Truth: Exploring the History and Teachings of the Early Restoration, Religious Studies Center (2020)
• The Voice of My Servants: Apostolic Messages on Teaching, Learning, and Scripture, Religious Studies Center (2010)
• Elder Clark G. Gilbert, "A Prophet in the Land: Current Prophetic Emphases to Young Adults," Seminaries and Institutes Annual Broadcast (2023)
• Elder Clark G. Gilbert, "Speak, Lord; for They Servant Heareth," Seminaries and Institutes Annual Broadcast (2024)

Click here to learn more about Scott Esplin

What did Jesus actually look like, and does it matter? In this episode, professor of ancient scripture Daniel Becerra discusses his new book Picturing Christ, co‑authored with Jennifer Champoux, Mark D. Ellison, and Matthew J. Grey. The book traces how Christians, Latter-day Saints and others, have imagined and portrayed Jesus across two millennia of art and what these evolving images reveal about a shared desire to understand the divine through faith and culture.

Becerra explains that while what Jesus did matters more than how He looked, the way we picture Him still shapes how we relate to God and understand the scriptures. He dives into how assumptions formed by analyzing familiar artwork can influence our spiritual interpretation in subtle ways. The conversation also highlights what archaeology and historical research can teach us about Jesus's real-world context. Insights from excavations, early Christian artifacts, and material culture help ground scriptural stories in historical reality, enriching the way listeners imagine scenese from the New Testament.

Through Picturing Christ, Becerra et al. invites listeners to see the Savior through a broader historical and artistic lens by opening fresh perspectives on the scriptures and deeping our discipleship.

Publications:

• Picturing Christ: Understanding Depictions of Jesus in History and Art, co-authored with Jennifer Champoux, Mark D. Ellison, and Matthew J. Grey, Deseret Book (2026)
• 3rd, 4th Nephi: The Book of Mormon: Brief Theological Introductions 9, The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (2021)
• Book of Mormon Studies: An Introduction and Guide, co-authored with Amy Easton, Nicholas J. Frederick, and Joseph M. Spencer, Religious Studies Center (2022)
• Highlighted artwork:
• • Jesus and the disciples at the Last Supper, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
  • Making Space for Us, Michelle Franzoni Thorley
  • Early Morning with the Savior, Sopheap Nhem
  • Homeless Jesus, Timothy P. Schmalz
  • The Christ of the Breadlines, Fritz Eichenberg
  • Last Supper Sculpture, National Museum of African American History & Culture

Click here to learn more about Daniel Becerra