New Y Religion episode is out! Synopsis: Scriptures are a revelatory tool. Although using it may be intuitive to some, like any tool some expert instruction is often helpful to unlock its full capacity. While many Christians know what a “Study Bible” is to aid them in understanding, fewer Latter-day Saints know about or utilize one. In this episode, professor Joshua Sears introduces the concept, addresses common reservations, and shares insightful reasons why a study Bible can be a great asset to our scripture study. “Study Bibles for Saints,” by Joshua Sears https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion

Today we observe Independence Day in the United States. We are thankful for our many freedoms, especially the freedom of religion. Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Call for papers! For the 2022 Church History Symposium, scholars of all backgrounds are invited to submit proposals specifically addressing the theme of “Latter-day Saints and Religious Liberty: Historical and Global Perspectives.” Call for papers: https://rsc.byu.edu/sites/default/files/conference/call/2022_Church_History_Symposium_Call.pdf Symposium information: https://rsc.byu.edu/conferences/church-history The Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University together with the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announce the 2022 Church History Symposium to be held on March 10–11, 2022. The symposium will convene at Brigham Young University on March 10 and at the Assembly Hall in Salt Lake City on March 11. Keynote speakers include Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Sarah Barringer Gordon, University of Pennsylvania Professor of Constitutional Law and History. Throughout the history of the symposium, presenters have included notable General Authorities of the Church, historians, scholars, educators, and authors. This symposium was established to explore annually a topic of special interest in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Historians and scholars meet to share the fruits of their research with each other and a general audience of interested Latter-day Saints and friends. Selected papers from previous symposia have been printed in books copublished by the Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book.

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Start your week off right with the RSC’s “Come, Follow Me” featured reading, “The Joseph Smith Translation: A Primary Source for the Doctrine and Covenants," by Robert J. Matthews. Read it here: https://rsc.byu.edu/sperry-symposium-classics-doctrine-covenants/joseph-smith-translation-0 Artwork: “Gift and Power of God,” by Anthony Sweat

Today we spotlight BYU Religious Education prifessor Michael Goodman. Born and reared in Southern California, he joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints just before his eighteenth birthday. Goodman served two missions to Bangkok, Thailand; one a year after joining the Church, and the other from 1997 to 2000 as a mission president. Go to https://religion.byu.edu/directory/mike-goodman to check out the rest of his bio and to see which classes he will teach next semester!

Save the date! The Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University together with the Church History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announce the 2022 Church History Symposium to be held on March 10–11, 2022. The symposium will convene at Brigham Young University on March 10 and at the Assembly Hall in Salt Lake City on March 11. Keynote speakers include Elder Gerrit W. Gong, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Sarah Barringer Gordon, University of Pennsylvania Professor of Constitutional Law and History. We invite scholars of all backgrounds to submit proposals specifically addressing the theme of “Latter-day Saints and Religious Liberty: Historical and Global Perspectives.” Proposals should consist of a brief abstract (no more than 500 words) and a current CV. Proposals may be sent to churchhistorysymposium2022@gmail.com. Deadline for submissions is September 15, 2021. Notification of acceptance will be given by October 15, 2021

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

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!

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!

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.

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