I had the opportunity to be at a gathering for the Interpreter online journal early in August where scholars Margaret Barker and Stephen Webb addressed the group in a Q&A format. It was an intriguing discussion. Margaret Barker, a Methodist scholar and founder of the Temple Study Group in England, has become a favorite among many Latter-day Saints for her exciting work on the temple, pre-exilic Israelite religion, and the connections between early Israelite temple worship and Christian theology. Stephen Webb may not currently be as familiar to Latter-day Saints, but he certainly should be. He has done a lot of research on Joseph Smith and, fortunately (I won’t say “surprisingly” because it shouldn’t be surprising that those who study the life and teachings of the Prophet come to admire him), really admires him.

The video is great and I highly recommend taking the time to watch it.