AuthorCast
AuthorCast #56: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 11 June 27 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 11: The Attributes of God Ch 6 - The Incompatibility of Free Will and Infallible Foreknowledge
By Corey Ostler
We discuss arguments for infallible foreknowledge being compatible or incompatible with libertarian free will. We come up with a logical argument for the incompatibility of free will and infallible foreknowledge and discuss the assumptions of each premise.
Topics Discussed:
• An unsound Argument for Incompatibility
• Argument A
• A Sound Argument for Incompatibilism from the Necessity of the Past
• Argument B
• Some Clearly Unsuccessful Attempts to Escape Incompatibility
www.facebook.com/ExploringMormonThought
www.exploringmormonthought.com/
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
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AuthorCast #55: This Month in Mormon Studies June 16 2017
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events from the past month.
Highlights from this month include: MHA 2017, barbecue, Book of Mormon as literature, Joseph Smith: Monogamist?, LGBT history in Utah, new history of the Church, and David Bokovoy's mustache.
In the News
Passing of Nathan Ulrich
Passing of Charles S. Peterson
Administrative changes at Maxwell Institute
On the Blogs
Ardis Parshall, "The Sailor and the Apostle: 'The Thinking Has Been Done'?"
Ben Park, "LDS Church Distances Itself from Boy Scouts: Some Thoughts"
Matt B, "Ted Chiang, 'Arrival,' Mormons, Science Fiction, Angels, Time Travel, Sex, Free Will, The Tower of Babel, and the Secular: A Roundtable"
Michael Austin, "The Chosen People are Always Wrong"
Michael Austin, "Scripture as Genre"
Steve Evans, "Book Review Roundup"
Blair Hodges, "Troubling the Old Stories with Laurel Thatcher Ulrich"
Juvenile Instructor Summer Book Club Update
Jeff Turner, "The End of the Gathering: Mormonism and Immigration Regulation"
Grant Shreeve, "The Book of Mormon Gets the Literary Treatment"
Digital Content
Joseph Smith Papers updates
Signature Books updates at Archive.org
Podcasts
LDS Perspectives: "A Heavenly Mother - Rachel Steenblik and Caitlin Connolly"
LDS Perspectives: "Joseph's Seer Stones - Michael Hubbard MacKay"
LDS Perspectives: "Tough Questions about Mormon Polygamy - Brian and Laura Hales"
Year of Polygamy: "The Succession Crisis"
Year of Polygamy: "Lorenzo Snow"
Faith Matters: "Conversations with Terryl Givens"
Recent Book Releases
Joseph Smith Papers: Documents, Vol 5 (Church Historian's Press)
Seth Anderson, LGBT Salt Lake (Arcadia)
Joseph M. Spencer and Jeremiah John, Embracing the Law: Reading Doctrine and Covenants 42 (Maxwell Institute)
Mark D. Ogletree, No Other Success: The Parenting Practices of David O. McKay (BYU RSC)
Papers/Articles
Gerrit J. Dirkmaat, "A New Voice from the Past: The Council of Fifty Minutes"
Brady Winslow, "Irregularities in the Work of the Nauvoo Lodge: Mormonism, Freemasonry, and Conflicting Interests on the Illinois Frontier"
Brian C. Hales, "Joseph Smith: Monogamist or Polygamist?"
Colby Townsend, "Behold Other Scriptures I Would That Ye Should Write: Malachi in the Book of Mormon"
Joseph Spencer, "Isaiah 52 in the Book of Mormon: Notes on Isaiah's Reception History"
Conferences and Events
Faith Matters: "New Perspectives on Joseph Smith and Translation"
Mormon Scholars in the Humanities
Mormon Transhumanist Association
JSP Documents, Vol 5 release event at Benchmark Books
Mormon History Association 2017 Conference
Sunstone 2017 SLC Symposium
FairMormon 2017 Conference
John Whitmer Historical Association 2017 Conference
Book of Mormon Studies Conference
Call for Papers/Applications
2018 Church History Symposium
2018 Mormon History Association Conference
AuthorCast #54: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 10 June 07 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 10: The Attributes of God Ch 5 - Models of Divine Knowledge (Part 2)
By Corey Ostler
In this episode we go over the second part of Ch 5: Models of Divine Knowledge. We talk about Middle Knowledge and Joseph Smith's evolving view of God's knowledge. We discuss James E. Talmage's view of God knowing our character so well that he can know the future and problems with that.
Topics Discussed:
• Middle Knowledge
• Problems of Middle Knowledge
• No Grounds Objection
• Counterfactuals of Freedom Are Probable Only
• The "Agents Are Not Free" Objection
• Mormonism and Middle Knowledge
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #53: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 9 June 01 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 9: The Attributes of God Ch 5 - Models of Divine Knowledge (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler
We start discussing different models for God's knowledge. We focus on the aspect of God's knowledge of the future or infallible foreknowledge and if it can coexist with free will.
Topics Discussed:
• Simple Foreknowledge
• Timeless Knowledge Through Perception
• The Einstein-Minkowski Spacetime
• Timeless Knowledge Through Divine Causation
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
Show notes for this episode.
AuthorCast #52: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 8 May 25 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 8: The Attributes of God Ch 4 - Maximal Divine Power
By Corey Ostler
We go over various theories of God's power and then come to a definition that seems to fit. We then address problems with that view and see if they can be overcome while keeping the definition intact.
Topics Discussed:
• Logical Limitations on God's Power
• Limitations on God's Power Arising from Divine Attributes
• Limitations on God's Power Imposed by Significant Human Freedom
• Past Necessity and God's Power
• Problems for Omnipotence
• Persuasive and Coercive Power
• God's Power and Natural Laws
• God's Power and Creation
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #51: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 7 May 25 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 7: The Attributes of God Ch3 - The Restoration and Systematic Theologies (Part 2)
By Corey Ostler
Continuing our survey of Mormon systematic Theologies we discuss the thought of the Pratts, John A. Widtsoe, B.H. Roberts, and Modern Mormon leaders. We talk about why they portrayed things as they did and what some strengths and weaknesses of each view are.
Pratt's 'The Seer': archive.org/details/seereditedbyorso01unse
Widtsoe's 'A Rational Theology': archive.org/details/rationaltheologywidtsoe
B.H. Roberts' 'The Seventy's Course in Theology': archive.org/details/seventyscoursein00robe
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #50: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 6 May 25 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 6: The Attributes of God Ch 3 - The Restoration and Systematic Theologies (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler
We discuss The Lectures on Faith and Joseph Smith's evolving revelations on the nature of God, man, the universe, and how they relate to each other. We get into discussing different interpretations of the King Follett Discourse and The Sermon in the Grove.
The Lectures on Faith can be found here: lecturesonfaith.com/
King Follett Discourse:
www.lds.org/ensign/1971/04/the-…ett-sermon?lang=eng
www.lds.org/ensign/1971/05/the-…ett-sermon?lang=eng
Sermon in the Grove: emp.byui.edu/jexj/courses/sermon_in_the_grove.htm
Topics Discussed:
The Lectures on Faith
Joseph Smith and the Foundational Scriptures
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #49: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 5 May 08 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 5: Apostasy and Concepts of Perfection (Part 2)
By Corey Ostler
Part 2 of the second chapter in The Attributes of God.
We discuss Process Thought/Theology, developed by Alfred N. Whitehead and Charles Hartshorne, and juxtapose it with the previously discussed Thomist/Classical Theism view. We also examine the striking similarities between Process Thought and Joseph Smith's revelations.
Topics Discussed:
Relative Perfection
Perfect Relatedness
Potentiality
Proportional Dependence
Complexity
Temporality
Mutability and Immutability
Passibility
Creator By Organizing
Maximal Persuasive Power
Maximal Knowledge
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #48: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 4 May 08 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 4: Apostasy and Concepts of Perfection (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler
Part 1 of the second chapter in The Attributes of God.
We discuss how concepts of perfection from Platonism/Neo-Platonism heavily influenced early Christian thought on God's attributes. We then discuss the Absolutist system developed largely by Augustine and articulated by Thomas Aquinas. We bring up issues with the 'God' that arises when you follow this system to its logical conclusions.
Topics discussed:
Confluence of Greek Philosophy and Christian Theology
Emergence of the Absolutist Tradition in Christian Theology
The Logic of Absolute Independence
Pure Actuality
Divine Simplicity
Immutability
Timeless Eternity
Aseity
Impassibility
Omniscience
Omnipotence
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #47: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 3 May 08 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 3: The Meaning of God in Mormon Thought (Part 2)
By Corey Ostler
Part 2 of the First chapter in The Attributes of God.
We go over the following topics:
Subordinate "Gods"
Apotheosis: Human Gods
“God” as a Relationship of Unity Among a Plurality of Persons
God and Perfection
God and Possible Worlds
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #46: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 2 May 08 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 2: The Meaning of God in Mormon Thought (Part 1)
By Corey Ostler
Part 1 of the First chapter in The Attributes of God.
We go over the following topics:
The Meaning of "God" In Mormon Discourse
Attribute and Essence
Is "God" a Title or a Name?
God and Monotheism
The Divine Thou
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #45: Exploring Mormon Thought, episode 1 May 08 2017
Exploring Mormon Thought, Episode 1: Interview with Blake Ostler
By Corey Ostler
My father Blake Ostler is a well-known Mormon Theologian and Scholar (In a addition to being a full-time attorney ) Over the years he has written several articles for scholarly Mormon publications such as Dialogue, FARMS, Sunstone Mag, Element, and others.
What I want to do is take the complex issues in these books and discuss them in a way that makes sense to the average listener. So this is sort of going to be like taking me to school on a lot of these issues and topics.
For the most part we will go chapter by chapter of each book starting with the first one: The Attributes of God
However I wanted to start off with an episode of getting to know Blake Ostler. His background, journey and motivations for writing these books and so forth.
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #44: Introducing Exploring Mormon Thought with Blake Ostler (Trailer) May 04 2017
From its beginning, the Kofford Books AuthorCast was envisioned as a show to connect our authors with our audience. We have done this through author interviews, recordings of live events, author readings from their books and, more recently, with our monthly This Month in Mormon Studies show that comments on the field of Mormon Studies more widely.
In line with our vision of bringing our authors to you, we are excited to announce a new series that we will sharing through the Kofford Books AuthorCast: Exploring Mormon Thought with Blake Ostler. Blake is the author of the multi-volume series by the same name, published by Greg Kofford Books. In fact, Exploring Mormon Thought, Volume 1: The Attributes of God, was the first book ever published by Greg Kofford Books and is considered a groundbreaking work in Mormon theology. Throughout his volumes, Blake took on challenging philosophical topics such as classical vs Mormon theism, the problem of evil, the Atonement, the nature of God; and he discussed the Mormon temple endowment in relationship with the Atonement in a stand-alone volume titled Fire on the Horizon: A Meditation on the Endowment and Love of Atonement.
Outside of his books, Blake has published widely on Mormon philosophy in journals such as Religious Studies, International Journal for the Philosophy of Religion, and Element: The Journal of the Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology, as well as Mormon scholarly publications Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought, Sunstone, BYU Studies, and FARMS Review of Books. He has also contributed chapters to Discourses in Mormon Theology and Mormonism at the Crossroads of Philosophy and Theology, and has taught Philosophy at Brigham Young University.
But enough about his credentials. This podcast series, Exploring Mormon Thought, is produced and hosted independently by Corey Ostler, Blake’s son. Corey's aim is to take the complex issues presented in his books and discuss them chapter by chapter in a way that makes sense to a general audience. As of this recording, they have released five episodes. We’ll release all five together, and then we’ll continue releasing more as they become available.
We hope you enjoy this new podcast series.
Learn more about Blake Ostler’s book series, Exploring Mormon Thought.
AuthorCast #34 — This Month in Mormon Studies, September 2016 November 11 2016
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events!
Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.
In the News
Postdoctoral fellow and lecturer position at The University of Virginia
Maxwell Institute Executive Committee and Advisory Board
On the Blogs
The Beleagured Progress of LDS Women
SMPT Annual Meeting notes here, here, and here
The Sacrament: a (somewhat speculative) liturgical genealogy
Michael MacKay on changing views that seemed set in stone
If Not 1890, What Year Did Mormonism Change the Most?
Recent Book Releases
Foundations of the Restoration: 45th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, edited by Craig James Ostler
Joseph M. Spencer, The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record
Richard S. Van Wagoner, Natural Born Seer: Joseph Smith, American Prophet, 1805-1830
At Sword's Point, Part 2: A Documentary History of the Utah War, 1858-1859, edited by William P. MacKinnon
Recent and Upcoming Events
The Intellectual Life of Mormonism, Lecture 3
David F. Holland lecture at Maxwell Institute (video)
Roundtable Discussion for The Vision of All (video)
Call for Papers
Mormon Scholars in the Humanities 2017 conference
AuthorCast #33 — Conversation with Joseph M. Spencer, author of The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record October 27 2016
In this episode, we bring Joseph M. Spencer back for a conversation about his newest book, The Vision of All: Twenty-five Lectures on Isaiah in Nephi's Record, part of the Contemporary Studies in Scripture series published by Greg Kofford Books.
About the book:
In The Vision of All, Joseph Spencer draws on the best of biblical and Latter-day Saint scholarship to make sense of the so-called “Isaiah chapters” in the first two books of the Book of Mormon. Arguing that Isaiah lies at the very heart of Nephi’s project, Spencer insists on demystifying the writings of Isaiah while nonetheless refusing to pretend that Isaiah is in any way easy to grasp. Presented as a series of down-to-earth lectures, The Vision of All outlines a comprehensive answer to the question of why Nephi was interested in Isaiah in the first place. Along the way, the book presents both a general approach to reading Isaiah in the Book of Mormon and a set of specific tactics for making sense of Isaiah's writings. For anyone interested in understanding what Isaiah is doing in the Book of Mormon, this is the place to start.
Preview the volume here.
Join us on Thursday, October 27th for a special author round table event at Writ & Vision in Provo, UT with Joseph Spencer, Adam Miller, Sharon Harris, and Nicholas Frederick. The discussion starts at 7:00 pm and is free to the public. For those who aren't able to make it in person, Greg Kofford Books will be livestreaming the discussion on our Facebook page.
AuthorCast #30 — This Month in Mormon Studies, July 2016 August 05 2016
Join co-hosts Brian Whitney (Greg Kofford Books) and Brandt Malone (Mormon News Report) in this lively look at the latest happenings in the field of Mormon studies, including news, blogs, new book releases, and events! Our special guest this month is Brittany Mangleson from Project Zion Podcast.
Music by Starflyer 59 from their record SLOW.
In the News
Radio West interview with Greg Prince
BYU Mormon Studies conversation group
Internship with Church Historic Sites
On the Blogs
Jana Reiss, "Can Mormon women be witness to priesthood ordinances?"
Margaret Blair Young, "Race and Mormonism–2016 Edition (the less coy version)"
Aaron Brown, "Does the LDS Church Believe the Priesthood Ban was of Divine Origin or Not?"
Ardis Parshall, "A Stealthy Return to Bad Practices of the Past"
David G., "Heavenly Ledgers and Ghostly Specters: Two Recent Articles"
Blair Hodges, "For the church in Russia, sustaining doesn't mean agreeing"
Emily Grover, "Sister Wives of the Traveling Pants: Confronting My Polygamous Ancestry"
Joseph Stuart, "Death and the Historian's Empathy"
Recent Book Releases
Michael Austin and Ardis E. Parshall, eds., Boadicea; The Mormon Wife: Life-Scenes in Utah
Julie M. Smith, ed., Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22
Stephen L. Prince, Hosea Stout: Lawman, Legislator, Mormon Defender
Scholarly Journals
Journal of Mormon History, Vol 42, No. 3 (July 2016)
Recent and Upcoming Events
Richard Bushman Colloquium now available online
2016 Science & Mormonism Symposium videos
2016 Sunstone SLC Summer Symposium
Daniel Stone's forthcoming biography William Bickerton
BYU New Testament Commentary Conference
Upcoming Events and Call for Papers
2017 Mormon History Association Conference, call for papers
2016 Society for Mormon Philosophy and Theology Seminar
2016 John Whitmer Historical Association Conference
AuthorCast #29 — Writing Ourselves live event at Writ & Vision July 15 2016
In this episode, we join a live event for Jack Harrell’s release of Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism that took place at Writ & Vision rare books and fine art in Provo, UT on June 28th.
For our next live event, we will be trying something new: Facebook Live. Join us on Thursday, July 21st as Julie M. Smith, Joseph M. Spencer, and Benjamin Peters discuss Julie's two new releases: Apocalypse: Reading Revelation 21-22 and As Iron Sharpens Iron: Listening to the Various Voices of Scripture. This event is co-sponsored by Greg Kofford Books and Neal A. Maxwell Institute. It is free to the public and will begin at 7 p.m.
Click here for more details and watch our Facebook Page around 7 p.m. on July 21st for a live feed.
AuthorCast #27 - Jack Harrell reads from Writing Ourselves June 23 2016
Jack Harrell reads “Making Meaning as a Mormon Writer” from Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism.
Part candid memoir, part critical theory and philosophy, and part writing advice, Writing Ourselves: Essays on Creativity, Craft, and Mormonism, by Jack Harrell offers a refreshing look at the creative process and authenticity. Eric Samuelsen, well-known Utah playwright, said about the book, “Jack Harrell’s essays on writing and Mormonism and life reflect a life spent in the service of thoughtful and compassionate humanism.” “Embrace your weirdness!” wrote Margaret Blair Young, creative writing faculty at Brigham Young University, who called the book “a gift . . . to LDS writers and artists who are forever self-censoring.”
Listen to our AuthorCast interview with Jack Harrell.
Meet the author on Tuesday, June 28th at 7:00 p.m. at Writ & Vision in Provo, UT, for a special panel discussion on creativity and critical theory in Mormonism. Panelists will include:
Jack Harrell, Creative Writing instructor at BYU-Idaho and author of Writing Ourselves
Boyd Jay Peterson - English professor at UVU and editor of Dialogue
Darlene Young - English professor at BYU-Provo
Eric Samuelsen - Playwright and emeritus professor of theatre at BYU-Provo
The event is free and Jack will be available for questions and book signing.
Writ & Vision
274 W Center Street
Provo, UT, 84601
AuthorCast #26 - Adam S. Miller reads from Future Mormon June 16 2016
Adam S. Miller reads “A Manifesto for the Future of Mormon Thinking” from Future Mormon: Essays in Mormon Theology.
Future Mormon by Adam S. Miller presents a hypothetical future generation of Latter-day Saints and their relationship with Mormonism. If current religiosity trends continue, then future generations will face unique challenges in staying connected with their faith tradition in an increasingly non-affiliated society. Future Mormon is, in a sense, a time-capsule. A collection of thoughts and ideas that Adam styles “para-academic” in the sense that he uses academic tools but filters them through a pastoral and exegetical lens. He terms his approach “future-tense apologetics,” and although his volume defends Mormon thought, it is far from defensive. Future Mormon is grounded in the idea that every generation has to find its own connection with faith; and that every generation must re-think the faith tradition from the ground up. In these essays, Adam explores theological and philosophical possibilities: he writes extensively on grace and its role in Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement; he explores the concept of perfectibility in premortal and postmortal worlds; he challenges Platonism in Christianity; and wrestles with the “radical materialism” of Mormonism. This is only a sample of the ideas Future Mormon works through.
“Represents some of the most careful, creative, and charitable work going on in Mormon theology today.” — Association for Mormon Letters
Preview Future Mormon here.
Listen to our AuthorCast interview with Adam Miller.
Authorcast #23 - Joseph M. Spencer May 27 2016
An interview with Joseph Spencer, author of For Zion: A Mormon Theology of Hope.
What is hope? What is Zion? And what does it mean to hope for Zion? In this insightful book, Joseph Spencer explores these questions through the scriptures of two continents separated by nearly two millennia. In the first half, Spencer engages in a rich study of Paul's letter to the Roman to better understand how the apostle understood hope and what it means to have it. In the second half of the book, Spencer jumps to the early years of the Restoration and the various revelations on consecration to understand how Latter-day Saints are expected to strive for Zion. Between these halves is an interlude examining the hoped-for Zion that both thrived in the Book of Mormon and was hoped to be established again.
Preview the volume here.
Authorcast #22 - Adam S. Miller May 16 2016
An interview with Adam S. Miller, author of Future Mormon: Essays in Mormon Theology.
Every generation must start again. Every generation must work out their own salvation. Every generation must live its own lives and think its own thoughts and receive its own revelations. And, if Mormonism continues to matter, it will be because they, rather than leaving, were willing to be Mormon all over again. Like our grandparents, like our parents, and like us, they will have to rethink the whole tradition, from top to bottom, right from the beginning, and make it their own in order to embody Christ anew in this passing world.
Preview the volume here.
Read Adam Miller's "Letter to a CES Student"
Join us June 14, 2016 for a special author event with Adam Miller at Writ & Vision fine art gallery and books in Provo, UT:
Writ & Vision
274 Center Stret
Provo, UT 84601
Authorcast #21 - Charles Shiro Inouye February 23 2016
An interview with Charles Shirō Inouye, author of The End of the World, Plan B.
Environmental decline, political gridlock, war and rumors of war, decadence, and immorality. The End of the World, Plan B traces the idea of the end, or destruction, of the world through a number of spiritual traditions. It shows that our present understanding of the “end game” has been distorted by a modern emphasis and demand on justice as the ultimate good. As an alternative to this self-destructive approach, Charles Shirō Inouye shows that in these traditions, justice is not the isolated end in itself that we ought strive for; rather it is taught in tandem with its balancing companion: compassion. Plan B is a hopeful alternative to our fears about how things are going.
Preview the volume here.
Join us this Saturday, February 27th at Writ & Vision in Provo for a special panel discussion on Mormonism and Eastern thought featuring Charles Shirō Inouye, James M. McLachlan, and Charles Randall Paul. The event begins at 6pm and is free to the public.
Writ & Vision
274 Center Stret
Provo, UT 84601
Authorcast #14 - Reading by James Faulconer December 02 2015
In our latest episode, James Faulconer reads the introduction to Common Ground—Different Opinions: Latter-day Saints and Contemporary Issues.
*Subscribers to our free newsletter will receive a complimentary e-book copy of Common Ground—Different Opinions. Click the banner below for more information:
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