Y Religion

In this episode, Michael J. Biggerstaff, assistant professor of ancient scripture, invites listeners to see Proverbs as far more than a collection of memorable sayings. He explains how Proverbs serves as a practical guide to navigating life's hardest decisions, combining faith, reason, observation, and experience to help us develop true wisdom, or "skill in living." He explores how Proverbs teaches us to think deeply, embrace complexity, and exercise agency wisely as we choose between the paths of wisdom and folly. Along the way, he discusses the book's ancient roots, the meaning of the "fear of the Lord," the symbolism of Lady Wisdom, and the role of repentance as a continual course correction back toward God. Professor Biggerstaff shows that Proverbs is not about finding simple answers but about becoming the kind of disciple who can recognize truth, make better choices, and grow through both successes and mistakes. Ultimately, Proverbs teaches that choosing wisdom is choosing Jesus Christ.  Publications: "The Wisdom of Proverbs," in From Wilderness to Monarchy: The Old Testament Through the Lens of the Restoration, Religious Studies Center (2025) "An Unconventional Mercy: Prophecies of Destruction as Divine Instruction," in Tender Mercies and Loving-Kindness: The Goodness of God in the Old Testament (2025) "Korihor as a Religious Bully," in Book of Mormon Insights: Letting God Prevail in Your Life, Religious Studies Center (2024) "An Intertextual Reading of Amos 3:7," Vetus Testamentum 76.2, Brill (2026) Click here to learn more about Michael J. Biggerstaff

How can parents find hope and resilience when children make difficult choices? In this episode, Dr. Justin Dyer and Dr. Philip Allred address the heartache parents feel when children take unexpected or contrary paths — and share faith‑centered principles that restore hope and strengthen families.

How is technology shaping modern family relationships? In this episode, Dr. Laura Padilla-Walker and Dr. David Schramm tackle the impact of smartphones and social media on today's families, revealing the pitfalls, possibilities, and practical strategies for raising kids in a hyper‑digital world.

What impact do fathers have on children and family life in the world we live in today? In this episode, Dr. David Dollahite and Dr. Justin Dyer explore the meaningful and often underrecognized influence of fatherhood in emotional, spiritual, and social development.

What makes the influence of motherhood both unique and sacred, and how does it shape children, families, and society? In this episode, Dr. Jenet Erickson and Jennifer Thatcher explore the role of mothers in nurturing identity, fostering development, and strengthening both family and community life.

What do effective parents consistently do to help their children thrive? In this episode, Dr. Craig Hart and Dr. Stephanie Sorensen explore practical, research‑backed parenting habits that foster healthy development and strengthen family well‑being."

What creates a strong and lasting marriage? In this episode, Dr. Brian Mead and Gaylamarie Rosenberg explore the habits, skills, and principles that contribute to healthy, enduring marital relationships.

What misconceptions about marriage can lead to unrealistic expectations? In this episode, Gaylamarie Rosenberg addresses common myths and replaces them with research-based and experience-informed truths about lasting marriage.

How can individuals approach dating with intentionality and long-term purpose? In this episode, Dr. Brian Willoughby and Dr. Barbara Morgan Gardner discuss how to prepare for marriage, overcome fear in dating, and practical skills for marriage.

How is the family changing, and what does that mean for society and faith today? In this episode, Dr. Justin Dyer and Jennifer Thatcher explore trends and challenges in family life and consider sources of hope for the future. 

Y Religion Presents: The Eternal Family is a limited-series podcast for summer 2026 that explores the doctrine, challenges, and lived realities of family life in today's world. Across thirteen episodes, leading scholars and teachers examine topics including the changing nature of families, the divine framework outlined in The Family: A Proclamation to the World, preparing for and strengthening marriage, effective parenting, and the sacred roles of mothers and fathers. The series also addresses timely issues such as gender, faith, digital culture, and supporting loved ones through hardship. Together, these conversations offer research-based insights and gospel-centered principles to help individuals and families build resilient, Christ-centered homes.

How does God's love keep showing up for us, even when we struggle? In this episode Professor Aaron Schade reframes the book of Judges as more than a collection of heroic stories. Instead, he describes it as a sobering account of spiritual decline, broken covenants, and the consequences of living according to "what is right in our own eyes." Professor Schade explores the recurring cycle found in Judges: ancient Israel turns away from God, experiences suffering, cries out for relief, and is delivered only to fall again. Rather than celebrating the judges as flawless leaders, he highlights their imperfections and the deeper message of the text as a lament over moral confusion and a society unraveling without covenant guidance. Further, Professor Schade explains that at the center of the book of Judges is the example of God's steadfast, unwavering love. Even as His people struggle to truly repent, He continues to reach out, deliver, and invite them back into a relationship with Him. This episode invites us to wrestle with difficult questions about agency, obedience, and discipleship while discovering the powerful truth that God's love persists. Even in the midst of our failures, God's love is always calling us back to Him. Publications: "Broken laws as 'Every Man Did That Which Was Right in His Own Eyes,'" in From Wilderness to Monarchy: The Old Testament Through the Lens of the Restoration, Religious Studies Center (2025) From Creation to Sinai: The Old Testament Through the Lens of the Restoration, Religious Studies Center (2021) The Book of Moses: From the Ancient of Days to the Latter Day, Religious Studies Center (2021) "'Many Plain and Precious Things': Using the Joseph Smith Translation in Teaching the Old Testament," Religious Educator 26.3, Religious Studies Center (2025) Phoenician Inscriptions (Writings From the Ancient World, Number 45), with Robert D. Homstedt and Philip Schmitz, Society of Biblical Literature (2026) "Sacred Center: The Iron Age Temple at Biblical Ataroth," Biblical Archaeology Review, Biblical Archaeology Society (2026, forthcoming) Click here to learn more about Aaron Schade

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