Fall semester is about to begin! Be on the lookout for our social media takeover on the @brighamyounguniversity Instagram account in early September!

Education Week has officially begun! Be sure to attend classes by our professors of both Ancient Scripture and Church History and Doctrine! Photo by Douglas Lopez on Unsplash

If you haven’t already, check out our Roundtable Scripture Discussions on the Book of Mormon! Uploaded last year, these discussions provide valuable insight to concepts found within the Book of Mormon. Watch them by going to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLc5yYrpPFm2vyDwtqZKGP-X4728vHZYBf.

Announced earlier this month, major changes in leadership took place in the Religious Studies Center and Religious Education at BYU. Esplin is a professor of church history and doctrine at BYU. Prior to working with BYU Religious Education, he taught for the Church Educational System for nine years. Esplin has a BS in business administration and an MEd and PhD in educational leadership and foundations, focusing his studies on the history of Church academies. His current research examines the history of Latter-day Saint education and the development of Church historic sites. Jared W. Ludlow has taught in Ancient Scripture at BYU since 2006. Ludlow has a bachelor's degree in Near Eastern studies, a master's from the University of California at Berkeley in Biblical Hebrew, and a doctorate in Near Eastern religions from UC-Berkeley and the Graduate Theological Union. We congratulate and welcome Scott Esplin, Gaye Strathearn, Tyler Griffin, and Jared Ludlow!

What does it mean that our Savior is both human and divine? This is a question Christianity has wrestled with for centuries, with profound theological implications. In this latest episode, BYU religion’s Dr. Jason Combs insightfully explains four types of beliefs about the nature of Christ that were prevalent in ancient Christianity, why this dialogue was important, and how learning from ancient Christians can help Latter-day Saints to better understand the God we worship. https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion

Found in the latest edition of the Religious Educator (vol. 22, no. 2), Keith H. Lane’s article “Christ as Our Law: He Who Sanctifies, Enlightens, and Saves,” is now available online for free! Find it by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-22-no-2-2021/christ-our-law-he-who-sanctifies-enlightens-saves. This article is originally from a presentation at the Sidney B. Sperry Symposium on October 23, 2020. Image: “Christ Visits the New World,” by Walter Rane

Doctrine and Covenants section 88, the focus of this week’s “Come, Follow Me” reading, is often referred to as the “Olive Leaf.” Check out the RSC’s supplementary reading, titled “The Olive Leaf and the Family of Heaven,” by Samuel Morris Brown. https://rsc.byu.edu/you-shall-have-my-word/olive-leaf-family-heaven

Check out “The School of the Prophets” on our YouTube channel! It goes well with the content in this week’s “Come, Follow Me” reading. https://youtu.be/9AtAr70laT8

BYU Church history and doctrine professor Anthony Sweat shared four resources to help deepen your “Come, Follow Me” study of the Doctrine and Covenants in the Spring 2021 issue of BYU’s Y Magazine. “See Also: Dig Into Church History” --> https://magazine.byu.edu/article/see-also-dig-into-church-history/ Image: “Pioneer Girls” by Anthony Sweat

The newest Y Religion episode is out! Check it out by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/civil-war-saints/have-we-not-had-prophet-among-us-joseph-smiths-civil-war-prophecy.

BYU’s Religious Studies Center recently released a new book titled “Truth Seeker: The Life of Joseph F. Merrill, Scientist, Educator, and Apostle,” by Casey Paul Griffiths. Learn more about the book by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/book/truth-seeker.

Supplement your “Come, Follow Me” reading this week with our YouTube video “Doctrines of Exaltation,” which covers Doctrine and Covenants section 84! https://youtu.be/edXxezkh3V8