On today's bonus episode of Scholars & Saints, host Nicholas Shrum sits down with UVA's Richard Lyman Bushman Chair of Mormon Studies Laurie Maffly-Kipp. The two discuss Professor Maffly-Kipp's academic background and entrance into Mormon Studies, her goals and ongoing initiatives within the program, and what makes UVA such a unique place for the study of Mormonism. If you're looking to learn more about UVA Mormon Studies, and how Mormon Studies programs function at academic institutions and with the broader public, then this episode is for you!

Make sure to visit the UVA Mormon Studies website to learn more about our upcoming events, scholarly resources, library collection, and other announcements. You can also give to support UVA Mormon Studies in our endeavor to promote scholarly research and facilitate better public understanding of all branches of Mormonism.

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.

Our 21st century digital age provides countless and unprecedented opportunities for identity development and cultural engagement. But how might these new means of social interaction impact religious institutions and their public image?

On today's episode of Scholars & Saints, host Nicholas Shrum seeks out these answers with the help of Oklahoma State University's Professor of Media and Strategic Communications Rosemary Avance. In her recent book, Mediated Mormons: Shifting Religious Identities in the Digital Age, Avance explores how the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints created and negotiated its public image during the "Mormon Moment" of the 2010's. Avance and Shrum discuss the different media focuses during this period, including Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign, online discussions around caffeine, the Gospel Topics Essays, and more.

You can learn more about Rosemary Avance, her research, and her academic interests by visiting her faculty page.