Joseph Smith has been called a “prophet puzzle” by historians who find him enigmatic. Part of the answer to the prophet puzzle lies in Joseph’s adherence to the themes and teachings of the Bible. It is this preoccupation with the Bible and its precepts, scope, and ancient, non-Western settings that make Smith’s teachings seem strange. This session will argue that Joseph Smith’s teachings—including covenants, election, gathering, the pre-existence, three degrees of glory, the anthropomorphic nature of God, polygamy, and the plurality of gods—find precedent in and add to the Bible.

S. Eugene Needham, Jared Anderson