Sanctuary: Discovering the Temple

Circumscribing Truth: Ritual and the Shared Search for the Divine with Dave Butler

Something I have wrestled with in my own faith journey is how I can simultaneously feel such a strong witness of restored gospel truths and ordinances while also recognizing immense truth and beauty in other religions. In this conversation, Dave shares his journey of developing a deep love and appreciation for all faith traditions, and how embracing other religions has not threatened his own faith but has actually deepened and informed it. Together, we explore ritual as a means of connecting to the divine, forming our identity, and discovering the common threads of ritual across faith traditions—something Dave attributes to God inspiring people “in their own language and symbols.” One temple teaching I love is the invitation to participate in God’s work of circumscribing all truth into one great whole. Joseph Smith was a seeker of all truth and implored us to be the same. This conversation felt like an opportunity to reach wider, embracing more truth and, ultimately, more of humanity within the arms of our faith. Dave offers a vision of rooting ourselves deeply in our faith while also reaching far and wide to gather all of God’s children to the table. I am finding that, rather than separating us from the rest of humanity, temple worship invites us into deeper communion with the whole human family and our shared longing to encounter the divine. David Butler is a speaker, author, and storyteller who helps people see faith and scripture in fresh, hopeful ways. Through teaching, tours, and creative faith projects, he invites others along to discover wonder, grace, and a deeper love for God. Follow Dave on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/mrdavebutler/] Listen to Dave’s podcast Don’t Miss This [https://www.dontmissthisstudy.com/] Enroll in Dave’s Holy Envy course [https://www.dontmissthisstudy.com/holyenvyworldreligioncourse?utm_source=ig&utm_medium=social&utm_content=link_in_bio&fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQMMjU2MjgxMDQwNTU4AAGnpq7cadnYCXoUYnn-ZRtT9KbageCEsJ0ib_L9QnE-C1crlK3DiD0Tfo6qyXY_aem_VR-FaAzAzT5fMjt_mIf0fw&brid=YWdncwH5duvABPLAMLc_m4xc7Z6Z] Explore Dave’s tours [https://megslist.myflodesk.com/travel?fbclid=PAQ0xDSwKwYoBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABp-CArIvZpWWOT3g1PE7hGJR80uHmycoBYy5bK1ezK5HFsFsQ2feT77-IcYMu_aem_J-97QaiJCGCG_F4NuPJ3IA&utm_content=link_in_bio&utm_medium=social&utm_source=ig] Subscribe to keep up with Sanctuary! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sanctuarypod.org [https://www.sanctuarypod.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Feminism, Authority, and Garments: A conversation with Deidre Green

As a feminist and lifelong member of the LDS faith, Deidre brings an important voice to this community. In this episode, she shares her own temple journey, which—like mine—began with challenges but ultimately evolved into something deeply meaningful. She describes the temple as a space that empowers her as a woman and expresses her belief that it holds a vision of who women truly are and who God is inviting them to become. In the second half of the episode, we explore the garment. Deidre has drawn fascinating meaning from it, some of which we discuss here. I highly recommend reading her article [https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/clothing-ourselves-in-christ] for Wayfare, where she delves more deeply into this topic—it was an impactful read for me. She speaks about the garment as a symbol of the veil and suggests that, in wearing it, we are perpetually standing before the veil, declaring, “Here I am,” and communicating to God our openness, trust, and willingness to submit to His will. Step by step, God has drawn me into this holy surrender, transforming me and setting me free in more ways than I can express. Deidre Green is Assistant Professor of Latter-day Saint/Mormon Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California. She is the author of multiple books, chapters, and articles related to feminist theology, Kierkegaard, and Mormon Studies. Deidre co-edited with Eric Huntsman Latter-day Saint Perspectives on Atonement (University of Illinois Press, 2024) and authored Jacob: A Brief Theological Introduction. Read Deidre’s Wayfare article on Garments here. [https://www.wayfaremagazine.org/p/clothing-ourselves-in-christ] Subscribe to keep up with Sanctuary! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sanctuarypod.org [https://www.sanctuarypod.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Learning the Language of the Ancient Temple: A conversation with Matthew Grey

Matt is a strong believer in developing an understanding of the biblical temple to increase our temple literacy, and he has dedicated most of his life’s work to studying this very thing. This episode felt like a continuation of my previous conversation with Josh Matson. Matt helps us explore more deeply the similarities and differences between the modern LDS temple and the ancient Israelite temple. Something I deeply value is the ability to hold space for differences in cultures and religions while recognizing the validity in all of them. I love that this is something Matt truly stands for in his work. Sometimes, as humans, it can make us uncomfortable to observe differences in our core experiences and beliefs. But I believe in a God who reaches all of Their children and wants us all to sit at the table together. My biggest takeaway from this episode was the reminder that expanding my knowledge prepares me to receive revelation—which is ultimately the intention behind the entire temple experience. It is a gift and message received by revelation and is best understood through revelation. If Sanctuary offers you anything, I hope it helps prepare you to experience your own sacred, divine encounter. Matthew J. Grey is a professor of ancient scripture and the coordinator of the ancient Near Eastern studies program at Brigham Young University. He researches the material culture of daily life in Roman Palestine and for over twenty years has been involved in archaeological excavations, research, and publications relating to the world of the New Testament. Subscribe to keep up with Sanctuary! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sanctuarypod.org [https://www.sanctuarypod.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

Insights from the Ancient Tabernacle: A conversation with Josh Matson

In this conversation, Josh walks us through the pattern of the ancient tabernacle and Solomon’s temple, helping us begin to understand what temple worship and sacrifice looked like for the ancient Israelites. Gaining an understanding of what the temple experience was like anciently has really helped to enrich my relationship with our modern temple. I was struck by both the similarities and the differences in how we relate to the temple today. Josh breaks down the various types of sacrificial rites the Israelites performed and shows how they are more similar to our modern law of sacrifice than we might expect. These were people who faced the same challenge we face today: how to move beyond outward performance and truly offer our whole heart and soul to the Lord. Josh teaches that, in the end, the only thing we can really offer God is our will. God invites us into the experience of sacrifice and repentance—a journey that both transforms and liberates, a journey back to Eden. And all that is needed to begin is our desire Joshua M. Matson is an assistant professor in the Department of Ancient Scripture at Brigham Young University, with an appointment to the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. His published work has focused on the Dead Sea Scrolls, the Hebrew Bible (particularly the Old Testament Minor Prophets), ancient and modern manuscript studies, and the Jewish context of the Greek New Testament. He is the editor for the book of Haggai for the Society of Biblical Literature Hebrew Bible Critical Edition and is a member of the editorial board for the BYU New Testament Commentary Series. He is a former researcher for the Scripta Qumranica Electronica project and an Orion Center for Dead Sea Scrolls Research Fellow at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. A former Religious Educator with Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, Josh and his wife Erin are the parents of four children and reside in Santaquin, Utah. Subscribe to keep up with Sanctuary! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sanctuarypod.org [https://www.sanctuarypod.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]

A Walk Through the Temple Ordinances: A conversation with Jasmin Rappleye

As we began preparing to create the Sanctuary podcast, one of our goals was to offer a resource for those preparing to attend the temple for the first time. We wanted to have a straightforward conversation about what you can expect in the endowment ceremony and provide some context to help you begin understanding the purpose behind these sacred rituals. In this episode, Jasmin and I zoom out and take a bird’s-eye view of the “covenant path.” She helps us begin to see the greater message and pattern that is unfolding, and how the different ordinances connect to one another. I was inspired to have this conversation with Jasmin after hearing a comment she once made: “The endowment covenants are deeper iterations of baptismal covenants.” If you—or someone you love—is preparing to receive their endowment for the first time, this episode is for you. I remember wishing that someone had walked me through what happens in the endowment ceremony, like Jasmin does in this episode, before I went through the temple for the first time. Sometimes, simply knowing what to expect can make something as big and magnificent as the temple experience feel more approachable. At the same time, as Jasmin mentions in this episode, there is also something to be said for leaning into the mystery and surrendering to the experience. Come learn about God’s invitation to become kings and queens, priests and priestesses—and how taking on Christ by emulating Him is the process through which we move toward this eternal destiny. Jasmin Rappleye is a social media content creator, where she focuses on addressing challenging Latter-day Saint beliefs, history, and news. She has a degree from Brigham Young University in Ancient Near Eastern Studies and has a passion for sharing her faith online. She was the former Director of Communications at Scripture Central and is now on the Executive Committee of the Ancient America Foundation and Faith Creators Alliance. Follow Jasmin on Instagram here. [https://www.instagram.com/jasminrappleye/] Follow Jasmin on Youtube here. [https://www.youtube.com/@jasminrappshow] Listen to Jasmin’s podcast here. [https://www.youtube.com/@InformedSaintsPod] Subscribe to keep up with Sanctuary! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.sanctuarypod.org [https://www.sanctuarypod.org?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_1]