Season 3 Episode 6 of the Scholars & Saints Podcast Now Available

Nicholas Shrum discusses Latter-day Saint temples with historian Jonathan Stapley.

The third season of Scholars & Saints continues! Host Nicholas Shrum (PhD Student in American Religions at the University of Virginia), continues to explore some of the most pressing issues, unique histories, and cutting-edge methods in Mormon Studies.

Season 3 Episode 6 – Latter-day Saint Temples: Past and Present (feat. Jonathan Stapley)

Latter-day Saint temples and their rituals have been an oft discussed and frequently misunderstood element of Mormon practice. But how can scholars hope to understand Mormon temples when their rituals are exclusive to members, and their liturgies kept secret?

Historian and scientist Jonathan Stapley discusses these questions on today’s episode of Scholars & Saints. Drawing on his brand-new book, Holiness to the Lord: Latter-day Saint Temple Worship, Stapley, drawing on newly released and digitized sources, argues that the temple is the place where Latter-day Saints are able to order their bodies, their communities, and their universe. By examining the history of the temple, specific liturgies, and the impact of race and gender prohibitions, Stapley shows how the temple has evolved over time to curate Latter-day Saint cosmologies.

To learn more about Jonathan Stapley and his work, visit his website.

What is Scholars and Saints?

Scholars & Saints is the official podcast of the University of Virginia’s Mormon Studies program, housed in the Department of Religious Studies. Scholars & Saints is a venue of public scholarship that promotes respectful dialogue about Latter-day Saint traditions among laypersons and academics. On this podcast, we dive into the academic study of Mormonism, engage recent and classic scholarship, interview prominent and up-and-coming thinkers in the field and reflect on Mormonism’s relevance to the broader study of religion.

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