If you haven’t visited our YouTube channel before, now is a great time to check it out! We have hundreds of videos designed to enrich your gospel learning and provide powerful insights through faith-filled gospel scholarship. https://www.youtube.com/user/BYURelEd/featured

Brad W. Farnsworth, who retired in May, was an instructor in the Department of Ancient Scripture. Born in Monterey, California, Brad was raised in a military family and lived in various states, graduating from Provo High School. He served as a vice president at both BYU-Hawaii and BYU in Provo before joining Religious Education full time on July 1, 2009. He specialized in teaching the Book of Mormon.

Have you listened to the newest Y Religion episode yet? Check out this insightful podcast by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion The most recent episode, “Mosaics of Faith,” with Matthew Grey, discusses details from a recent synagogue excavation, and how the archaeology of Roman Galilee can inform our understanding of the Bible.

Andrew C. Skinner, who is retiring in July, is a professor of Ancient Scripture. Born and raised in Colorado, he earned a BA in history from the University of Colorado, an MA from the Iliff School of Theology in Jewish studies, a ThM from Harvard University in biblical Hebrew, and a PhD from the University of Denver in European and Near Eastern history specializing in Judaism. He did graduate work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is a former chair of the Department of Ancient Scripture (1997-2000), former dean of the College of Religious Education (2000-2005), founding executive director of the Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (2005-2008), and holder of the Richard L. Evans chair of Religious Understanding (2010-2013). Dr. Skinner is the author or co-author of 21 books, over 200 articles on religious and historical topics, editor or co-editor of seven books, a member of the Board of Directors of the Dead Sea Scrolls Foundation, and a member of the Baskerville Institute for Religious Diplomacy. Dr. Skinner has filled six assignments with his family at the BYU Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, where he served as a faculty member, teaching scripture and ancient Near Eastern history, and as associate director for academics and dean of students. He is married to Janet Corbridge Skinner, and they are the parents of six children and grandparents of ten.

Y Religion podcasts are amazing! This week’s episode is especially good. Check it out by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion to play it directly from the web. It’s also available on Spotify, Google Play, Apple Podcasts, Pandora, and Stitcher!

Do you want more in-depth information about the early Restoration? Watch our book trailer for “Raising the Standard of Truth: Exploring the History and Teachings of the Early Restoration,” edited by Scott C. Esplin. In this trailer, Esplin describes the purpose and outline of the book, with topics including doctrinal teachings about consecration, Zion, the kingdoms of glory, and work for the dead. Link in our bio! Photo: @baileestonesphotography

Congratulations to Anthony Sweat, who won the Association for Mormon Letters Award for his book “Repicturing the Restoration.” This volume explores Sweat’s paintings of some of the underrepresented events in order to expand our understanding of the Restoration. http://associationmormonletters.org/blog/2021/06/2020-aml-award-winners/

The newest episode of Y Religion, “Mosaics of Faith,” with Matthew Grey, is out now!  Since 2012, archaeologists at the Galilean village of Huqoq have been uncovering an intricate mosaic floor of an ancient synagogue. This fifth-century mosaic depicts biblical scenes of Samson, Jonah, Noah’s ark, Pharaoh’s army, and snapshots of daily life in antiquity.  In this episode, BYU religion’s Dr. Matthew Grey—who was supervising the synagogue excavation when it was uncovered—discusses details from this discovery and how the archaeology of Roman Galilee can inform our understanding of the Bible.  Visit https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion to listen to it directly on the web!

BYU Religious Education’s Steve Harper, who spoke at the university devotional a few weeks ago, encourages us to embrace complexity and ask questions to aid in our journey to pure truth. Visit https://speeches.byu.edu/talks/steven-c-harper/how-i-became-a-seeker/ to listen, watch, and read this devotional!

A recent review in @byustudies offers high praise for Covenants and Communities: Jews and Latter-day Saints in Dialogue. Reviewer Bradley J. Kramer writes, “This is the ultimate goal of interfaith dialogue—for participants to truly see each other and come together in a close, informed, mutually respectful, and mutually beneficial relationship—and I think this book represents a significant step forward in reaching that goal, especially for Latter-day Saints and Jews.” He continues, “In the end, my only major criticism of this book is that it is too short. Even after reading nearly 400 pages, I wanted more. . . . Jews and Latter-days Saints have so much to discuss and so much to learn from each other. My only consolation is that this book is volume one of a series of volumes that promises to go on and on, and I, for one, am eager to read them all.” Read the full review: https://byustudies.byu.edu/article/understanding-covenants-and-communities-jews-and-latter-day-saints-in-dialogue/ “Covenants and Communities”: https://rsc.byu.edu/book/understanding-covenants-communities

We’re really excited for the newest edition of the Religious Educator, which is coming soon! Follow @byu.rsc or go to https://rsc.byu.edu/ to learn more about it!

Steven C. Harper, professor of Church history and doctrine, is speaking at this week’s BYU devotional! Attend or tune in on BYUtv TOMORROW to hear his address! https://www.byutv.org/player/7e808f2d-cfd2-48f9-a696-6a1a39c00782/byu-devotional-address-steven-harper-6821