Narrative Theology in the Small Plates: A Conversation with Ryan A. Davis

In this episode of Dialogue Out Loud, Dialogue co-editor Margaret Olsen Hemming speaks with Ryan Davis about his article from the Summer 2025 issue of Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought: “Enos’s Encoded Narrative Structure in the Small Plates.” Together, they explore what it means to treat the small plates of Nephi as a coherent literary narrative—and how its storytelling structure gradually unveils not just a Christ figure, but a theology of unfolding revelation and evolving authority. Davis argues that characters like Nephi, Jacob, and Enos participate in a progressive understanding of Christ, and that readers of the Book of Mormon are invited to join that journey. Along the way, he examines how narrative itself functions as a theological tool—both in scripture and in our own lives. RYAN DAVIS is a professor of Hispanic Studies at Illinois State University and holds a PhD from Emory University. In the field of Mormon studies, his published and forthcoming work explores missionary athletes, missionary bands, and Spanish Mormon westerns. He is currently writing a book about representations of Mormons and Mormonism in modern Spain.