Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Latter-day Saint
Travel and Religion
“His Secret is with the Righteous”

“His Secret is with the Righteous”

Last updated on: October 24, 2025 at 10:02 pm by Dan Peterson

0 Comments

“His Secret is with the Righteous” 2025-10-24T22:02:25-06:00 Dan Peterson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

An imaginative modern depiction of Asherah from https://oldworldgods.com/canaanite/canaanite-goddess-asherah/

This article, newly published in Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship 66 (2025): 437-486, is available at no cost online: ““His Secret is with the Righteous”: Instructional Wisdom in the Book of Mormon,” written by Alyson Skabelund Von Feldt

Abstract: This study argues that the Book of Mormon both adopts and develops the instructional wisdom tradition found in Proverbs 1–9 and other pre-exilic Near-Eastern texts. After outlining the structure, rhetoric, and themes of Hebrew instructional wisdom, it tracks those features through major Book of Mormon discourses. Particular attention is given to the personification of Wisdom, the tree-of-life and great-whore polarity, temple motifs, and the democratic invitation to pursue the “mysteries of God” through personal revelation. The analysis suggests that Book of Mormon authors preserve a strand of Israelite temple wisdom largely suppressed in the post-exilic biblical record. By reading restored scripture back into its ancient literary context, the paper offers fresh insight into both corpora: Proverbs’ “enigmas” become transparently eschatological, while the Book of Mormon’s doctrinal core takes on new depth as a deliberate wisdom inheritance. The study concludes that recognizing this shared sapiential framework clarifies the Book of Mormon’s purpose as a covenant guide and underscores its claim to recover “plain and most precious” truths lost from the biblical canon.

[Editor’s Note: This article originally appeared as Alyson Skabelund Von Feldt, “‘His Secret Is with the Righteous’: Instructional Wisdom in the Book of Mormon,” FARMS Occasional Papers 5 (2007): 49–83. As this important paper is not currently available online, it is reprinted here for the benefit of our readers. It has been updated and edited by the author.]

“Interpreting Interpreter: Restoring the Wisdom of Proverbs,” written by Kyler Rasmussen

This post is a summary of the article ““His Secret is with the Righteous”: Instructional Wisdom in the Book of Mormon” by Alyson Skabelund Von Feldt in Volume 66 of Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship. All of the Interpreting Interpreter articles may be seen at https://interpreterfoundation.org/category/summaries/. An introduction to the Interpreting Interpreter series is available at https:/interpreterfoundation.org/interpreting-interpreter-on-abstracting-thought/.

A video introduction to this Interpreter article is now available on all of our social media channels, including on YouTube at https://youtube.com/shorts/NrO00U5OQmU.

The Takeaway: Von Feldt documents how the Book of Mormon preserves themes, structures, and elements from pre-exilic Wisdom literature, arguing that these themes, outlined in plainness in the Book of Mormon, allow us to read back in greater theological depth to Proverbs 1-9, which presents on the surface as a more mundane and secular view of Wisdom.

A Latter-day Saint “quadruple combination” or “Quad”

I was very pleased to receive a new book in the mail today. It’s Stephen O. Smoot, ed., The Pearl of Great Price: A Study Edition for Latter-day Saints, revised edition (Lehi and Orem, UT: Scripture Central and The Interpreter Foundation, 2025). Apparently, there may still be some small traces of life remaining in the virtually moribund Interpreter Foundation. Who would have guessed it?

And, speaking of the scriptures, this is important: “Minor Adjustments Made to Select Study Helps in Doctrine and Covenants, Book of Mormon: Most changes reflect recent research from the Joseph Smith Papers Project”

A scene on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe (Wikimedia Commons public domain photograph

In case you’re in the Greater Phoenix area or will be in the area on the evening in question, here’s something that should be worthwhile: “Muslims, Latter-day Saints and Our Democratic Faith.” It will run from 5:30 PM until 7:00 PM on the evening of Thursday, 13 November 2025, at the Latter-day Saint Institute of Religion that is connected with Arizona State University in Tempe. I wish that I could attend it. The two speakers for the event will be

Jeff Flake, former congressman and senator from Arizona and former ambassador of the United States to Türkiye
My friend Salam Al-Marayati, President and Co-Founder of the Muslim Public Affairs Council

The Orem Utah Temple (LDS Media Library)

My wife and I participated in a session at the Orem Utah Temple this morning. I performed an endowment on behalf of a collateral relative of mine, Fred Rosen, who was born in Wisconsin in 1884.

It’s a wonderful thing to have a temple within the boundaries of our geographically small Orem, Utah, stake. The temple is within (long) walking distance of our home, and only a very short drive away.

Back around the time that I returned from my mission to Switzerland, I dreamed of attending every temple in the Church. (There were, I think, fifteen of them around that time.) As a matter of fact, I now have attended almost every one of those temples. (Although I’ve been on its grounds two or three times, I still haven’t managed to attend the London England Temple.) Now, though, there are 210 dedicated temples, to say nothing of the 61 that are under construction and the further 111 that have been announced but on which construction has not yet commenced. That yields a grand total of 382.

I haven’t even attended all of the temples now in Utah. Heck, I haven’t yet managed to attend all of the temples in Utah County. And the Lindon Utah Temple is nearing completion and another has been announced for Lehi, a bit further to the north. There’s no denying it: My youthful dream of attending all of the temples in the Church has been decisively and irrefutably crushed. I’m happy to report, though, that there were almost no empty seats in our session this morning, and that the temple’s parking lot was full. Our local community is making good use of its still-new temple.

Bozo the Clown, with abundant red hair and four friends, in 1963
(Wikimedia Commons public domain image)

From boredpanda: ““Mormon Backflip Theory” Goes Viral After Fans Notice Hilarious Trend Among Celebrities and Everyday Men” Huh? Perhaps somebody can explain this one to me?

A view of Beirut, Lebanon (Wikimedia Commons public domain image; Benutzer: Robysan)

Finally, I close with an upsetting horror that I’ve retrieved from the seemingly (and sadly) inexhaustible Christopher Hitchens Memorial “How Religion Poisons Everything” File™: “Healing with Hope Brings Lifesaving Health Care to Bsaba and Beyond: Latter-day Saints work with Lebanon NGO to provide access to health care”

Travel and Religion

History and Religion

Uncategorized

Alyson Skabelund Von Feldt

Previous Post

October 23, 2025

"Unmasking Halloween: Its Origins and Meaning"

Next Post

October 25, 2025 The persistence (and the absence) of memories

Recent Comments

0 | Leave a Comment

"Sutherland's lecture sounds interesting. He seems to restate the Washington consensus that trade brings peace ..."

B. Wilson

Learning more about a region of ..."

"In a meeting today, I learned another important reason why accurate (or at least as ..."

the PROBLEM

From Serbia’s “White City,” Belgrade

"I've been watching a lot of video interviews of NDErs and researchers. I think in ..."

brotheroflogan

Accounts of Premortality?

"PL: "Let's hope he doesn't have your address..."I have to frankly confess that a few ..."

DanielPeterson

From Serbia’s “White City,” Belgrade

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 March 2014 August 2013 February 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

Who was the Amalekite king spared by Saul, contrary to God's command?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Abner Agag Goliath Ish-bosheth