Category Archives: News

Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit

Dear Friends of Temple Studies,

We invite you to join us on February 7 at The Leonardo museum in Salt Lake City to take in the Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit: Life and Faith in Ancient Times.  Salt Lake is one of only ten cities in the U.S. to host the Scrolls before they return to Israel.  For general information about this exhibition, see http://www.theleonardo.org/exhibits/discover/dead-sea-scrolls-life-and-faith-ancient-times/.

We have arranged for a 1pm introductory lecture, followed by Q&A, with Risa Kohn, a prominent Scrolls scholar who is a main curator of the exhibit.  At 2pm we will enter the exhibit itself, which generally requires about two hours to survey adequately.  We have also arranged special pricing for our group: $15 per person (rather than the standard $24 price).  In order to secure this price and a seat at the lecture, however, one will need to register by January 15 via the link below.  

You are of course free to visit the exhibit without the lecture and on your own at the regular price on some other occasion; the exhibit will remain at the museum into April, though it is hard to anticipate the crowds toward the exhibits closing date in warm weather.

Kind wishes,

Gary Anderson
John Welch
Philip Barlow
Temple Studies Academy Executive Committee

Major Update to Temple Studies Bibliography

The Academy for Temple Studies announces a major update of “A Temple Studies Bibliography,” now available at the Academy’s website.  It features over 500 new entries, bringing the total to over 8,000.  Hundreds of minor corrections and changes have also been made to existing entries.   To view just the updates check the Bibliography tab for “Additions to this Update.”

2012 Conference Proceedings Book “Mormonism and the Temple” now available as Free PDF

proceedings book

PDF of proceedings book

The conference that was held in Logan, Utah, on October 29, 2012, entitled “Mormonism and the Temple: Examining an Ancient Religious Tradition” has had its proceedings published in book form. This book has been available to conference attendees, and for ordering for several months.  The proceedings are now also available for free in PDF format for download.  Click here to download the proceedings book.

This book includes presentations from the following:

  • Gary N. Anderson, Philip L. Barlow, and John W. Welch, “About This Publication”
  • Philip L. Barlow, “Welcome and Opening Comments by Presenters”
  • Margaret Barker, “Restoring Solomon’s Temple”
  • Laurence Paul Hemming, “Chapel, Church, Temple, Cathedral: Lost Parallels in Mormon and Catholic Worship”
  • Margaret Barker and Laurence Hemming, “Questions and Answers”
  • John F. Hall, “Ancient Mediterranean Temple Ceremonies: Vestiges of the Rites of Enoch and Precursors to the Hebrew Temple Ceremonial”
  • John W. Welch, “The Temple, the Sermon on the Mount, and the Gospel of Matthew”
  • Daniel C. Peterson, “A Divine Mother in the Book of Mormon?”
  • Danel W. Bachman, “A Temple Studies Bibliography”
  • LeGrande Davies, “Temples–Bridges of Eternity”
  • John L. Fowles, “The Temple, the Book of Revelation, and Joseph Smith”
  • John W. Welch and Presenters, “Closing Comments”

Announcing “The Lady of the Temple” Fall 2013 Conference

The Academy for Temple Studies and the Utah State University Religious Studies program announce a conference we believe may be of interest to you, entitled “The Lady of the Temple: Examining the Divine Feminine in the Judeo-Christian Tradition.”  It will be held on October 23, 2013, on the campus of Utah State University. We invite you to save the date.

You may see more details and register on the Conference page of the Academy for Temple Studies website.

New “Reviews” Feature at Academy’s Website

The Academy for Temple Studies has added a new feature to its website. A tab entitled “Reviews” will provide a drop-down menu to three sections: 1) “Book Reviews,” and 2) “Article Abstracts.” This is in keeping with the Academy’s goal of providing useful information regarding the publication of materials about the Temple, and will be a valuable supplement to “A Temple Studies Bibliography.” Users may help build these collections by contributing reviews of books, articles and others items found in the bibliography. See details under the “Invitation” portion of “Reviews.”