Dr Stephen O. Smoot

Stephen O. Smoot is a scholar specializing in ancient scripture and Latter-day Saint studies. He is a doctoral candidate in Semitic and Egyptian Languages and Literature at the Catholic University of America. He holds a master’s degree in Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations, with a concentration in Egyptology, from the University of Toronto, and bachelor’s degrees in Ancient Near Eastern Studies (Hebrew Bible emphasis) and German Studies from Brigham Young University.

Stephen currently serves as an adjunct instructor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University and as a research associate with the Ancient America Foundation. From 2020 to 2025, he was a research associate with the B. H. Roberts Foundation, and from 2015 to 2020, he held the same role with Book of Mormon Central. His scholarship focuses on the intersection of the ancient Near East and Latter-day Saint scripture, particularly the Book of Abraham and the Book of Mormon. In addition, he has published on Latter-day Saint history, with research addressing topics such as the reception of the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham, the Book of Mormon witnesses, Joseph Smith’s revelations, and the Latter-day Saint experience in Nazi Germany.

Stephen has contributed to Latter-day Saint publications such as Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship, Religious Educator, Journal of Mormon History, Latter-day Saint Historical Studies and BYU Studies, and non-Latter-day Saint publications such as Brill, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, and the Journal of the Society for the Study of Egyptian Antiquities. He is the editor of The Pearl of Great Price: A Study Edition for Latter-day Saints and the co-author of the volumes Joseph Smith’s Uncanonized Revelations and A Guide to the Book of Abraham (a special issue of BYU Studies).

Beyond academia, Stephen engages in public scholarship through organizations like FairMormon and the Interpreter Foundation, where he addresses topics related to Latter-day Saint history and doctrine. He has also participated in podcasts and conferences, discussing subjects such as the translation of the Book of Abraham, biblical interpretation, and the historicity of Latter-day Saint scriptures. Along with Neal and Jasmin Rappleye, he is a cohost for the podcast Informed Saints, produced by the Ancient America Foundation.

Stephen is a native of Salt Lake City, Utah, where he graduated from East High School. From 2009 to 2011, he served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in northern New England. His previous Church callings have included elders quorum president, elders quorum instructor, gospel doctrine teacher, branch clerk, and temple worker. He is married to Amberlea Erekson, and they have one son.

Departing from Vancouver, BC at 4pm.

Schedule TBA

At sea traveling through the Inside Passage

Schedule TBA

Ketchikan (Ward Cove), Alaska

7am to 4:30pm

Juneau, Alaska

9am to 9pm

Skagway, Alaska

7am to 8pm

Icy Strait Point, Alaska

7am to 6:30pm

At sea traveling through Hubbard Glacier

Schedule TBA

Whittier, Alaska

Disembark starting at 5am

• Cruise fare, taxes, gratuities, and fees
• Non-specialty dining
• Lectures with Dr Smoot

• Airfare and baggage fees to and from Vancouver, BC where the trip begins and Whittier, AK where the trip ends ends**
• Hotels**
• Shore excursions
• Ship experiences, such as the spa and activities
• Specialty dining