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The Church’s article “Presiding Bishopric” explains their function as follows: The Presiding Bishopric is a council of three men who work under the direction of the First Presidency. They manage such matters as humanitarian aid, welfare programs, tithing and fast offerings, physical facilities, and the organization of membership records, among others. They also travel frequently The post What Does the Presiding Bishopric Do? first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

I believe reading this book will help missionaries have a better mission experience, which will ultimately impact the rest of their lives.

My grandparents were initially nervous about my decision, but how they kept nourishing our relationship inspires me.

When we feel like we’re unable to find God’s light, there are three simple steps that can help us find hope, healing, and connection to Him again.

“We develop ourselves and others when we take unorganized matter [or brick] into our hands and mold it into something of beauty.”

“In one way or another, divorce touches most families in the church,” said President Oaks, and isn’t that the hard truth?

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The Church’s Stake and Ward Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide provides tools to help Church leaders create or update their emergency response plans based on local resources and circumstances. The guide helps leaders go through the planning process on an ongoing basis by providing principles and worksheets. A major part of this planning strategy is the The post Emergency Preparedness Planning Guide first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The following first appeared in Public Square Magazine.  I have been asked a handful of times what the ‘sin’ of our generation will be when future generations look back on our times. Perhaps this is because people tend to look at history from a perch of moral and intellectual superiority. Indeed, C.S. Lewis coined the term “chronological snobbery” to describe the phenomenon. Modern peoples observe the violence, slavery, colonialism, sexism, racism, and homophobia of the previous ages and conclude that those people were oblivious to the blatant sins of their time. However, today “we know better,” due to our perceived enlightenment. Answers to the ‘sin’ of our time usually reflect an underlying belief that the trends in society since the 1960s will continue unabated and that future generations will judge us for not being sufficiently advanced in our behaviors, education, and intellectual and political discourse. Common answers …

Melissa Wei-Tsing Inouye, scholar, author and historian, died on April 23, 2024, at the age of 44. Many members of The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints are likely familiar with Inouye’s work as a historian for the Church History Department. She co-edited “Every Needful Thing: Essays on the Life of the Mind and Heart” with Kate Holbrook, who also passed away from cancer. I imagine their reunion was ebullient. The last book she released while still earthside is “Sacred Struggle: Seeking Christ on the Path of Most Resistance.” Terryl Given called it “a great-souled work by a great-souled woman.” It’s a “treatise on trials,” said “Faith Matters” in its conversation with her last December. “Struggle,” she writes, “is a feature, not a bug.” It’s easy to be drawn to – and too often we are – drawn to Satan’s plan, a life in which we can avoid trouble and …

Portions of this article were contributed by Sam Neider Owensby. Each of our stories is a journey still in progress, as we discover, create, and become with possibilities beyond imagination. (Gong, Gerrit W. We Each Have A Story. April 2022 General Conference.) When I left home to begin building a new chapter in my life, I made a decision that still haunts me. I had a unique box of my life’s collectables which I had carefully selected over the years and carried with me when my parents sold their Burdette Court home in which I grew up. Even knowing this, as I was packing my things to move from their “new” or most recent home on Kachina Lane, I stared at the sealed box and dared not open it. I reasoned with myself that since I had not even glanced inside for nearly a decade, it was time to let …

The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.  Flooding in Brazil’s southern state of Rio Grande do Sul has forced some 200,000 people out of their homes, with at least 90 people dead and more than 130 missing. Authorities consider it the state’s worst-ever crisis caused by natural disasters. News reports say some 80% of the population is without running water right now, a week into the flooding. Many also do not have telephone or internet services. The airport, bus station and main roads are all blocked or closed going into the capital of Porto Alegre — and more than two-thirds of the nearly 500 cities in the state are affected by the flood waters. Field hospitals have been set up to help those affected. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. …

Author’s Note: Not everyone is physically capable or living close enough to a disaster to help. Operation Ornaments is currently working to raise funds to support survivors of the firestorm in Lahaina Maui, Hawaii this Christmas. There is a GoFundMe page set up for this purpose at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-survivors-of-natural-disasters Every donation helps no matter how small, and they are tax deductible! To learn more about Operation Ornaments please visit: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1130528510770698 With all the flooding and tornadoes in the news it seems it is a good time to address cleaning up after a disaster. There are tips to make your efforts more successful and safer as you serve. When you are aiding in cleanup, assume nothing will be provided for you to use. Bring as much of your own equipment as possible. What to Bring: Number one: A positive attitude, a sense of humor and patience. This work will be hot and …

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Here is a game for teenagers to help them determine whether they are doing things that are safe online. In this 10-minute role-playing game, you navigate through fun dilemmas and wacky scenarios to try and spot red flags and avoid negative consequences. Some things online are obviously unsafe and some decisions are clearly unwise, but The post Are You Cyber Safe? For Teens first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Black man ordaining another Black man in the style of African folk art Stephen Cranney and Josh Coates The provenance and maintenance of the priesthood and temple ban against Black Latter-day Saints is one of the more if not the most sensitive subjects in the modern Church. Of particular sensitivity is the question of whether the ban was inspired or not and, if not, why it took as long as it did to rescind it. Both David O. McKay and Harold B. Lee were reported to have sought revelation to remove the restriction, but were told that it was not time. Although the Church published an essay in 2013 that condemned past and present racism and disavowed theories of the past, it did not make a statement as to whether or not the restriction was inspired by God.  We suspected that this question of the priesthood ban still divides the membership, with a lot of members on one side or the other. Because of its complexity, we could have asked myriad questions on race in the survey: how many members believe in the “Curse of Cain?” How many members think that Joseph Smith started the ban? How many members think that Black people were less valiant in the premortal existence? How many members think that it was started by racist impulses but was maintained by racism?  Unfortunately, space on a survey is not unlimited, and the race and priesthood ban…Read more →

As we depart childhood and enter adulthood, we start to feel more self-sufficient. We can drive a car, sustain a career, and raise a family. We are adults. If we are not careful, we may think that we are also spiritually self-sufficient. We may believe that we can make ourselves into decent saints and disciples. In contrast to that modern thinking, King Benjamin talks about our nothingness, worthlessness, and unworthiness (See Mosiah 4: 5, 11). That may feel insulting and diminishing. It may feel like we are of little value and not worthy of God’s love.  Unless we understand Benjamin’s point. I would that ye should remember, and always retain in remembrance, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in …

In Romans Chapter 1, Paul rails, “against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men,” including “covenant breakers” (Romans 1:18, 31). One of the most common complaints I have heard by Latter-day Saint mid-singles is, “My ex broke his (or her) covenants.” During much of my mid-single life, I used expressions much like that to justify my divorce. It is an exceedingly convenient excuse for being divorced. It is also an exceedingly self-serving way of elevating myself above my former spouse. Calling your former spouse a covenant breaker is often an effective way to get sympathy within the church; but it is fundamentally defensive. Coming from the perspective that you owe people an explanation regarding the shameful situation you feel you are in presumes that you are required to explain yourself. But you don’t owe people an explanation, and it would be better not to give one if it requires you to …

Small acts of service can bless generations of people. I learned this lesson years ago from reading a simple story in my wife’s family history, about baking bread for the sacrament. This is a story about how her grandparents, great grandparents, and great great grandparents offered a simple act of service each week that blessed the lives of many and that has reverberated down through the generations. Johann “Martin” and Adelgunda Dietzel Heiner were German immigrants to the United States. They left everything behind in Waldorf and Wasungen, Germany, and came to the new world. Not being the oldest son, Martin would not have had an inheritance on the family farm and his older brother paid for him and his wife Adelgunda to emigrate and make a life for themselves in the states. Upon arriving in 1845, they couldn’t speak a word of English and arrived almost penniless in Waynesboro, …

The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.  The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the dedication date for the Salvador Brazil Temple and the groundbreaking dates for temples in Bolivia and Texas. Salvador Brazil Temple The Salvador Brazil Temple is opening for free public tours. The open house goes from Thursday, August 22, through Saturday, September 7, 2024 (excluding Sundays). The temple will be dedicated on Sunday, October 20, 2024. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles will dedicate the temple in two sessions at 10:00 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. UTC. Prior to the open house, a media day will be held on Monday, August 19, 2024. Invited guests will tour the temple prior to the open house on Tuesday and Wednesday, August 20–21, 2024. The dedicatory sessions will be …

To read more from Larry, visit LDS365.  Research skills are important, whether we are searching for diet tips, information about political issues, or answers to religious questions. I often hear people justify their positions with the phrase “I’ve done the research.” That typically means that they did a Google search and read the first few articles that popped up. Many people don’t know how to identify credible sources of information and use critical thinking skills to evaluate the information they find. There is a wealth of information at our fingertips, but not all of it is true. Much of it is partially true. Some of it is fabricated. Some of it is opinion based on partial truths. This article provides suggestions on how to consult reliable sources, evaluate the information you find, and reach reasonable conclusions. Use Reliable Sources Not all sources of information are of equal value. The …

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If you need a good midweek pick-me-up, this new music video might be just what you need.

From missions to marriage, young adulthood involves big decisions. Elder and Sister Godoy recently shared their tips for navigating this crucial time.

“My message is that being impacted by pornography is not an impossible situation. There’s hope, there’s help and there’s healing.”

Later this year, the Salvador Brazil Temple will be dedicated and ground will be broken for temples in Bolivia and Texas.

Zeniff’s return to the land of Lehi‐Nephi; Abinadi’s confrontation with king Noah (Mosiah 9–17) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 7–10; Mosiah 11–17 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

I envision Lehi and his family encountering some curious native villagers near their initial landing beach in the Promised Land. I can imagine that the first Native Americans to see these strangers from the Middle East sailing to their shores in a vessel larger than any canoe may have viewed them as gods. From Christopher Columbus in the West Indies to Hernando Cortés riding into Montezuma’s Mexico, it was natural for the locals to view these otherworldly newcomers as gods. The righteous Nephites would have dissuaded any worship or being treated like gods. Like Ammon later before King Lamoni, they would have denied that they were “the Great Spirit” (Alma 18:18-19). However, it would have been natural for this party of prophets and priests to evangelize to their new friends about the Lord who guided them there.Read more →

Anyone you meet online could be a threat. In fact, the FBI has estimated that an astounding 500,000 predators are online each day—most of which have multiple online accounts, personas, and profiles. Dating apps, social media platforms, or other messaging apps, in particular, are a cybercriminal’s playground. Make sure you’re following these important guidelines while The post Internet Safety: Be Wary of Online Strangers first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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Limhi and Repentance by Autumn Dickson One of the stories that starts to get introduced this week is that of Limhi and his people. The order of events over the next few (or ten) chapters can be a little confusing because you’re jumping around in the timeline, and you’re following different groups of people. This The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 7–10 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session It Is Wisdom in the Lord That We Should Have the Book of Mormon President Mark L. Pace Sunday School General President Main Points It is my prayer that reading the Book of Mormon this year will be a joy and a blessing for each of us. Study The post Consider Conference: It Is Wisdom in the Lord That We Should Have the Book of Mormon appeared first on FAIR.

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I’ve written previously about the reality that many of the counselors in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have a huge impact on the Church, but they may not always be remembered by the general membership after a generation or two. I made that remark specifically with George Q. Cannon in mind, but Willard Richards is another example that was recently explored in an interview with Alex Smith at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk. What follows here is a co-post to the full interview. To start off, Alex Smith explained who Willard Richards was: Willard Richards was an apostle and member of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. A convert from Massachusetts, Richards was sent on a mission to England not long after he joined the church, where he served in the presidency of the British mission for several years. After moving back to the United States and arriving in Nauvoo, Illinois, Richards quickly became a close friend and confidante of Joseph Smith. He served Joseph from the end of 1841 until the prophet’s death in June 1844 in various offices as scribe, clerk, and historian. In 1847 he was appointed second counselor to Brigham Young in the church’s First Presidency and was among the first Saints to arrive in the Salt Lake Valley. He died at his home in Salt Lake City on March…Read more →

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By Aubrey Barzee The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. While every page of scripture testifies of Jesus Christ, actually having a Christ-centered study can be hard at times. With so many  responsibilities competing for our time, we might just read a few verses without getting much personal The post Asking Big Questions: How Can I Find Jesus Christ in My Studies? appeared first on FAIR.

The Church’s self-reliance manual, Finding Strength in the Lord: Emotional Resilience can help you build emotional resilience, develop healthy thinking patterns, manage stress and anxiety, understand sadness and depression, overcome anger, and build healthy relationships. The manual is now available in 30 languages. The 10-week course is one of the family of self-reliance courses. Learn The post Church’s Emotional Resilience Course Available in 30 Languages first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

As we read the Book of Mormon, we will better appreciate its authenticity if we see its stories in the context of the Nephites and Lamanites continuously bumping up against Native American tribes who were already in the Americas. The Promised Land was not an empty land, as many throughout Church history sometimes imagined. In fact, our testimony of the truths taught within its pages are all the more powerful when we look at this ancient record with eyes wide open to the cultural world it actually took place in.Read more →

Many religions encourage fasting and prayer as a way to humble ourselves before God by voluntarily refraining from eating and drinking. Some encourage fasting for 21 days each year in January as part of a 21 Days of Prayer and Fasting season. This includes abstaining from eating at certain times or abstaining from consuming certain The post 21 Days of Fasting and Prayer first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

An upgrade to the Gospel Library app includes an enhancement for listening in your car using iOS CarPlay or Android Auto, plus a new standard audio player. Connect hands-free. You can connect your mobile device via iOS CarPlay and Android Auto to access content on the Gospel Library app hands-free. Standard audio player. A new The post New Audio Options in Gospel Library App first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

I mean that question in terms of scriptural claims, especially related to the Old Testament. Readers may be aware of scholarly skepticism of the existence of major biblical figures and events and I’ve often gotten the sense from my fellow members and other Christians of seeing scholars with such views as problematic, secular people not properly holding biblical claims as they ought. I’m well aware of the limits of historical study, but also think that historical methods and lots of work by scholars as a whole do tell us something. I don’t think scholars in any field go about what they do as some kind of malicious pact with the devil. Scholars are happy to debate with each other so though I’m not arguing that scholarly consensus is anything like infallible (consensus can certainly be overturned), but for, me, scholarly consensus suggest a whole lot of work and evidence. Thus if there is consensus on something, I believe scholars have come to that position in good faith. I do not feel the need to hold doggedly to all scriptural historical claims, nor do I believe that God insists that I do so. For instance, my understanding is that there is pretty close to consensus that Moses did not exist, that nothing described about the exodus or conquest of Canaan actually happened. I understand many feeling like Moses is a big deal with all kinds of theological and historical tie ins…Read more →

In this episode, Sarah, Jennifer, and Zach discuss mentions of the seer stones throughout history. Throughout this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute claims about the seer stones head-on using facts from the historical narrative. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (5:44) Richard Bushman Statement (6:11) Overview (8:16) Gerrit Dirkmaat Interview (35:39) The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 5 – Seer Stones: Did the Church Lie? appeared first on FAIR.

Over the last three months, the Church has rolled out a major update of the Member Tools app for both iOS and Android users. Since its introduction in 2010, the app (previously named LDS Tools) has grown from a digital directory of ward and stake members to a powerful tool that supports both members and The post Updates to the Church’s Member Tools App first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Apologies for the length in advance. A lot of people had things to say about the Church and its members this month! Carr, Ellen Melton. “Fountains of Living Waters: How Early Mormon Irrigation Innovated the Legal Landscape of the West.” Oil and Gas, Natural Resources, and Energy Journal 9, no. 3 (2024): 361. There was no abstract, so I uploaded the PDF to GPT-4 and asked it to make a summary.   The article “Fountains of Living Waters: How Early Mormon Irrigation Innovated the Legal Landscape of the West” explores the significant contributions of early Mormons to irrigation practices and water law in the Western United States. Beginning with their migration to the Great Salt Lake Valley in 1847, the Mormons, fleeing religious persecution, implemented sophisticated irrigation systems to cultivate the arid lands of Utah. This paper delves into the historical context of water use in the region, highlighting both the indigenous and pre-contact practices that laid a foundation for the Mormons’ innovations. The study outlines the evolution of the Appropriation Doctrine influenced by the Mormons, which prioritized water rights based on beneficial use and seniority. It discusses how these legal frameworks emerged in response to the geographic and climatic challenges of the West, contrasting them with the riparian rights common in more humid eastern regions. The analysis extends to the current challenges faced by Utah and other Western states, including the implications of climate change and increasing water scarcity…Read more →

Research skills are important, whether we are searching for diet tips, information about political issues, or answers to religious questions. I often hear people justify their positions with the phrase “I’ve done the research.” That typically means that they did a Google search and read the first few articles that popped up. Many people don’t The post How to Research Information on the Internet first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Longtime readers may recall that I started to do a series on “temple architectural heritages” a while ago. I eventually aborted it since the subject was too big and unwieldy. Still, I’m looking forward to the day when somebody puts together a glossy coffee table book with not just pretty pictures, but also the architectural history and insights of all the different temple designs. (Although the excellent website churchofjesuschristtemples.org/ is close).  Still, I thought as a sort of coda to that enterprise I would provide a list of temples that, in my opinion, do a good job of incorporating unique, local styles into the general Latter-day Saint temple ur-style instead of using a standardized plan that’s been done a thousand times already.  This list is not comprehensive, and I’m sure I’ve missed some.  Japan, Sapporo This recent addition to the Japanese landscape boasts a Zen Garden inside.  Mexico, Mexico City Made in the Maya Revival style that includes Mayan and Aztec elements, so it kind of looks like an ancient Mesoamerican temple.   Bangkok, Thailand “The design of the Bangkok Thailand Temple follows the patterns and colors found within Thai architecture. Many of these patterns overlay various diamond shapes with lotus flower elements and a herringbone pattern, evoking the weaved palms used in traditional arts and goods.” Madrid, Spain  Mediterranean-looking vases in front and Arabesque diamond-patterned screens that are redolent of the Muslim-Spanish architecture.  Rome, Italy According to Wikipedia patterned…Read more →

During the first half of the 20th century, Mormons were not only proud of their Church, but were proud to be Americans. Mormons tended to vote in similar ways to residents of the rest of the country. Thirty years later, in 2008, we moved back to Utah. What I found shocked me.Read more →

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session Words Matter Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points Words set a tone. They voice our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, for good or bad. God’s words matter. The prophets’ words matter. And our words matter. Gospel Principles taught  Jesus Christ, Prayer, Scriptures, The post Consider Conference: Words Matter appeared first on FAIR.

Watch Your Thoughts by Autumn Dickson King Benjamin doesn’t mess around with his sermon. He knows what he came to do, and he does it. He doesn’t mince words. He teaches some pretty essential doctrines with no apologies attached. Let’s talk about one of these no-nonsense doctrines. Mosiah 4:29-30 29 And finally, I cannot tell The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 4–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Upcoming BYU New Testament Conference Free to AttendPost contributed by Scripture CentralApril 27, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook This year’s BYU New Testament Commentary Conference will be held Friday, May 10, in the Reynolds Auditorium of the Harold B. Lee Library and will be divided into a morning and afternoon session. The conference is free and open to the public and sponsored by the BYU New Testament Commentary group, BYU Studies, and Scripture Central. The conference’s schedule is as follows. A PDF of the program can be downloaded here.   9:00 a.m. – Welcome and Acknowledgements Morning Session 9:10 a.m. – Keynote Address – “Joseph Smith as a Disciple” by Richard E. Turley, Jr. 9:40 a.m. – “Discipleship: The Outward Expression of the Life-changing Event for Paul and Alma” by Richard Draper 10:20 a.m. – Break 10:35 a.m. – “‘The Marks of the Lord Jesus’: The Radically Different Discipleship of Paul and Moroni” by Tom R. Roberts 11:20 a.m. – “The Effects of Consecrated Discipleship on Two Continents: Evidence from Acts and 4th Nephi” by Andrew Skinner 11:55 a.m. – Lunch break. Food courts and buffets are available at the Wilkinson Center. Books for sale at the BYU Studies office, 1063 JFSB. Afternoon Session 1:00 p.m. – “The Old Testament as a Springboard to Greater Faith” by Avram R. Shannon 1:45 p.m. – “Exaltation and Marriage in the Epistle to the Ephesians” by S. Kent Brown 2:30 p.m. – “Excurses: A Deep Dive into Scripture Study” by Brent J. Schmidt 3:10 p.m. – Break 3:25 p.m. – “Introductory Volume Leads to Christ through Sacred Texts” by Joshua M. Matson 4:10 p.m. – “One in Thy Hand: The New Testament and Book of Mormon as Handbooks of Church Administration and Discipleship” by John W. Welch   According to their website, the goal of the BYU New Testament Commentary project is for a group of Latter-day Saint scholars “to produce a multi-volume commentary on the New Testament with a new rendition of the Greek texts of the New Testament books. Planned to take several years to complete, this multi-volume series will combine the best of ancient linguistic and historical scholarship with Latter-day Saint doctrinal perspectives.” Eight volumes of the work, focused respectively on the books of Mark, Luke, 1 Corinthians, 2 Corinthians, Ephesians, Hebrews, and Revelation, plus a new introductory volume on essential tools for understanding the New Testament, have already been published. See https://www.byunewtestamentcommentary.com for more information.   Subscribe Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free       Which lists would you like emails from?   Daily Email   Weekly Email     Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails. We respect your email privacy    

“I’m pro-choice because I believe in agency.” “Women should be free to choose.” “I’m personally pro-life, but other people should have the ability to choose abortion.” I hear these comments all the time from members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Many loud voices popularize these claims; even prominent Latter-day Saint voices rally behind them. Because Latter-day Saints believe in agency, right?Read more →

I recently worked on reviewing the addresses of Elder David A. Bednar to put together a David A. Bednar quotes page over at From the Desk. As I worked on it, I noticed some interesting patterns and other observations that I thought I would share. These include a standardized structure he seems to follow, some core concepts that he reiterates over and over, and his sources. Structural Patterns Elder Bednar seems to have created a ritualized format that he uses in creating his general conference talks. If I had to summarize the basic idea, I would put it as follows: Another pattern to his talks is that he seems to gather together a lot of major ideas in his BYU Speeches first (which are generally longer than his general conference addresses), and then pulls them into his general conference talks, though usually in an altered way. For example, his 2001 address “In the Strength of the Lord” (given while he was still president of BYU-I) contains a lot of his core doctrinal emphasis around the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. This later resurfaced in his general conference addresses in October 2004 (his first), October 2007, October 2012, April 2015, and October 2016. His 2009 address at BYU-I entitled “Things as They Really Are” resurface in his April 2013 and October 2019 general conference addresses. His April 2022 general conference address makes more sense when read after his 2007…Read more →

Registration is now open for the North Star Conference to be held at the Sheraton in Salt Lake City, June 20-22, 2024. The North Star Conference is the premier conference exploring the LGBT/SSA experience within the context of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Keynote speakers: Adam Thomas Anderegg, Dallyn Bayles, Kurt Francom, and Wendy Ulrich. The post North Star LDS Conference 2024: Understanding Same-Sex Attraction & Gender Identity first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Scripture Central and FIRM Foundation Explore Evidence of Phoenician Connections to the New WorldPost contributed by Scripture CentralApril 23, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook Saturday evening, April 20, 2024, Richard Ferguson accepted the gracious invitation to speak alongside Rod Meldrum at the FIRM Foundation conference. Both agreed that the most important purpose of the Book of Mormon is to bring people to Jesus Christ, and the volume’s role as a witness to His divinity.  Both discussed how contention over geographic models is not only unproductive, but destructive in furthering the Restoration’s progress. They agreed that faithful people can have different interpretations of early church leader statements and of scientific evidence.  Rod and Richard discussed what specific areas the two groups have in common, namely:  The Book of Mormon is real history. Old World connections, such as Lehi’s travel along identifiable points of the spice trails through Arabia before reaching Oman to build a ship in a place called Bountiful. Hebraisms and other clear indications of the book having been written by ancient scribal prophets. Transoceanic voyages. Potential Phoenician contact to help Mulek arrive to the new world. Seed of Lehi over North and South America. Prophecies and promises in the Book of Mormon are true. In an effort to collaborate in these areas of common agreement, Scripture Central agreed to work with FIRM Foundation to publish findings regarding the potential Mulekite and Phoenician connections, by exploring evidence for transoceanic voyages and contact prior to Columbus. Though other strictly potential avenues for collaboration were discussed on stage, Mr. Ferguson also affirmed that for now, Scripture Central will concentrate only on areas of agreement. Future events may present opportunities for expanding cooperation.  Rod and Richard also stressed the importance that all believing members of the church should avoid contention or judging the characters of various writers or speakers, and communicate respectfully, reasonably, and cordially. They should refrain from using any pejorative or derogatory language.  “We hope this will be the beginning of a new era of mutual respect, regardless of opinions as to where the Book of Mormon events occurred. We believe that this joint research can lead to further opportunities for collaboration. In the meantime, Scripture Central will continue its mission to illuminate and defend divine truth, its central mission,” said Richard Ferguson, Volunteer Executive Director, Scripture Central.  Subscribe Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free       Which lists would you like emails from?   Daily Email   Weekly Email     Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails. We respect your email privacy    

King Benjamin’s temple sermon (Mosiah 2–6) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 1–3; Mosiah 4–6 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Saturday Morning Session Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ Sister J. Anette Dennis First Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency Main Points Through honoring our covenants, we enable God to pour out the multitude of promised blessings associated with those covenants.  As we choose to draw nearer to Him The post Consider Conference: Put Ye On the Lord Jesus Christ appeared first on FAIR.

The Lord Supports Me by Autumn Dickson Maybe this week’s message was meant for me. I definitely needed to hear it. I feel like every time I’ve sat down to write a message, I’ve been hitting my head against a wall. I had all these goals about getting ahead and being on top of things, The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mosiah 1–3 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Enos’s wrestle with God; Nephite spiritual decline; Mosiah led righteous Nephites to Zarahemla (Enos, Jarom, Omni, Words of Mormon, Mosiah 1) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Enos–Words of Mormon – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Enos is Changed by Prayer by Autumn Dickson When I was younger, I remember reading the exchange between Enos and the Lord and finding some of the comments kinda interesting. Enos prays for forgiveness and for his people, and it’s beautiful, but the prayer doesn’t end there. As part of his exchange with the Lord, The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Enos–Words of Mormon – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys President Russell M. Nelson President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Main Points Priesthood keys govern how the priesthood of God may be used to bring about the Lord’s purposes and bless all who accept the restored gospel.  The post Consider Conference: Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys appeared first on FAIR.

The scriptures have much they can teach us about the meaning and importance of temples. A growing body of research is showing that the Book of Mormon contains temple themes. Andrew Miller, who has recently published a paper on this topic, joins us to discuss some of these themes and how they can make our The post Cornerstone: A FAIR Temple Preparation Podcast – Episode 7: Temple Themes in the Book of Mormon with Andrew Miller appeared first on FAIR.

The Allegory of the Olive Tree; Jacob contended with Sherem (Jacob 4–7) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Jacob 5–7 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Servants in the Vineyard by Autumn Dickson There are a ton of resources out there regarding the Allegory of the Olive Tree found in Jacob 5. You can find information about olive trees and why they’re such a fantastic symbol. You can find timelines for the gathering and scattering of Israel that very closely follow the The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Jacob 5–7 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Shauna Horne The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. General conference is a time for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to hear from the beloved prophet and apostles. Conference weekend is always spiritually uplifting, but preparing beforehand is essential if we want The post Asking Big Questions: How Can I Prepare for General Conference? appeared first on FAIR.

Jacob’s temple sermon (Jacob 1–3) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they will be shared here The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Jacob 1–4 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

In this episode, Zach, Sarah, and Jennifer discuss the mechanics and methods of the translation process. Throughout this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute claims about the seer stones head-on using facts from the historical narrative. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (2:58) The Mechanics of Translation (4:24) Curtains (8:12) Methods of The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 4 – Seer Stones: How did Joseph use the Seer Stone? appeared first on FAIR.

Love and Great Anxiety by Autumn Dickson I think one of the defining characteristics of Jacob is his desire to do right by his people. When you go through his writings, it’s very clear that he thinks of them often and wants to steer them in the right way. It is this characteristic that I The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Jacob 1–4 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

2023 October General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session Jesus Christ is the Treasure Elder Dale G. Renlund, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points Taking for granted or undervaluing what is nearby is “looking beyond the mark” Jesus Christ is our mark; we have to take care not to look beyond him. The blessings The post Consider Conference: Jesus Christ is the Treasure appeared first on FAIR.

Last week, the Church History Department published online the missionary journals from two of the very first single sister missionaries ever to be called. The two women, Eliza Chipman and Josephine Booth, served in Scotland as companions 125 years ago. Being able to contrast the two journals gives a fuller picture of the lives they The post Mission Journals from Early “Lady Missionaries” Now Available from Church Historian’s Press appeared first on FAIR.

2023 October General Conference, Sunday Morning Session Our Constant Companion President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency Main Points President Eyring offers a brief letter to his posterity in hopes it will help them when he is no longer with them. This talk is meant to share with them (and us) what The post Consider Conference: Our Constant Companion appeared first on FAIR.

How to Find Peace by Autumn Dickson There is a verse in the bible that is probably one of the most quoted and appreciated verses of all time. Christ shared it the night of the Passover amidst instituting the sacrament, teaching and prophesying, and washing the feet of His disciples. He spoke peace to His The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Easter – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Joseph Smith Wives: The End of Polygamy (Part 3)Post contributed by Scripture CentralMarch 22, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amQpLer7it4 The following content is a transcript from Tyler Griffin and Anthony Sweat’s ‘Come Follow Me’ discussion on ‘The End of Polygamy.’ To watch the full video, click here.  If you stop and think about it for a moment, what an amazing thing that there are times in your life where, if you think about this you’ll probably be able to identify a few of them, where God has asked you to open your hands and let go of something that you were really comfortable with or you had gotten used to or you were in a comfort zone and he sometimes will ask you to let go of that thing. In this case, it was plural marriage, or, Joseph Smith polygamy, for these people. But you’ll notice he doesn’t ever leave people empty-handed. He replaces it with something even better.  When we’re willing to trust him and believe that He knows what He’s doing, to use some of the ideas that Isaiah teaches in Isaiah chapter 40 where he’s trying to reason with these people who are having a really hard time trusting God and believing that He’s going to fulfill all these promises that He’s made, Isaiah goes into this mode where he’s asking them questions, where he says things like, “Who has measured the Heavens with a measuring rod? Who’s held all of the waters of the earth in the hollows of His hand? Who’s held all of the lands and the nations of the earth in balance? Who can counsel God?” He’s giving us this idea that we need to be meek and recognize God knows what He’s doing. In 2 Nephi 27, midway through the very last paragraph, I just look back to kind of what we were saying about his focus. He says, “ The Lord had decreed the establishment of Zion, He has decreed the finishing of this temple, he had decreed that salvation of living and dead should be given in these valleys, in the mountains and Almighty God decreed the devil should not afford it.” If you can understand that, that is the key to it. That shows his motivation right there for ending plural marriage, including Joseph Smith wives. That’s beautiful. Now I said ending but maybe it’s important to note that 1890 did not end up leading to the end of plural marriage. It opened the door for the ending of plural marriage. You know, I heard a colleague of mine one time say that the starting of plural marriage, we like to think of plural marriages starting and stopping like a kitchen faucet like turned on turned off, and he said the starting of plural marriage it’s more like one of those big fire hydrants or dam wells where it was really difficult and really slow and the ending of plural marriage, turning that thing off was really difficult and really slow.  The Second Manifesto  So in 1904, the church gives what has come to be known as the Second Manifesto. And what’s going on in between here is that Wilford Woodruff says “We intend to submit to the laws of the land.” We’re not going to teach the practice of plural marriage anymore, but we send people to Canada and Mexico and many plural marriages still take place in the Church, sometimes without Wilford Woodruff’s knowledge. So it just kind of continues as a whole and two things lead up to a second manifesto. One of them is that B.H. Roberts is elected to Congress and he has three wives and he is not allowed to take his side. He will not let him sit in Congress. He’s like, “Nope he’s a polygamist.” And then in 1903 Reed Smoot, who’s monogamous and has one wife. Oh, sorry, to add some context, in 1896 Utah becomes a state. We get statehood and we’re able to send people to Congress and the senate but they won’t let Reed Smoot take his seat. Back in the senate, they’re like, “We need to investigate this man and we need to make sure that he is loyal and that the Latter-Day Saints are loyal because we have heard too many rumors that they’re continuing to do a polygamy.” So there’s going to be these hearings. They’ll call President Joseph F. Smith. Wilford Woodruff has now died. Joseph F. Smith is the prophet; they call him to testify for the Senate. They make him lay open things about the temple endowment. There’s a lot of difficulties, but at the end of the day, after the Reed Smoot hearings, they number one, they allow Reed Smoot to take his seat. One of the classic lines from his hearing is one of the senators says, “I would rather a polygamist who doesn’t polygamy than a monogamous who doesn’t monogamy,” kind of as a jab, like, “Hey, he might belong to a church that had polygamy, but he’s a better, more moral man than a bunch of you other senators who I know are not loyal to your wives.” So Reed Smoot’s actually able to take his seat and does great work, changing the reputation of the church in Washington. But one of the results is Joseph F. Smith comes home and says, “We’re drawing the line honestly on plural marriage,” and he issues what’s called the Second Manifesto, which in essence says anybody who enters into a new plural marriage, excluding Joseph Smith wives which happened before, from here forward will be excommunicated from the church, and there were many who did that, yeah. And one of the difficulties was we even lose some of our apostles, in particular, John W. Taylor, will be excommunicated from the church after the Second Manifesto because he refused to agree that plural marriage should be relinquished. So you would think, “Okay, now we’re done, that’s the end, right?” Wrong, this is where you get some splinter groups and some break-off groups. It’s the point of departure for them where they say, “You know what? Joseph was a prophet, Brother Brigham was a prophet, John Taylor was a prophet, but Wilford Woodruff got it wrong, and now Joseph Smith, he’s got it wrong.” So they break off. There are different splinter groups to begin here. This really starts the core of what is known today as FLDS or fundamentalists, and fundamentalist means they believe in, as it was called, the principle. They called polygamy the principle, and they think it is fundamental to this. They think it’s the end-all, be-all. So what happens is you get these different groups breaking off, some bigger than others and more influential than others, but they keep declaring to the world that they are what used to be called Mormons, that they’re members of this Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or other break-off groups. And so there’s this association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with these groups; you’re guilty by association at that point. So, and there’s even—I should add, even during this time period we’ve gone through this, to this back to the slow turn off, we still have some people who, they’re still not up to speed, and they’re like, “What? There was dirt?” And we even have on record Joseph F. Smith and others saying, writing stake presidents or bishops, saying, “Is anybody doing new plural marriages in your area?” They’re still trying to figure it out even after this, to put it into it. And then it gets so— it gets so contentious and such a big deal that we get what is called the Final Manifesto in 1933, clear down the road here in 1933. And this Final Manifesto, it’s kind of a game-changer because it becomes church policy that you don’t even talk about it, talk about, you don’t research polygamy or Joseph Smith wives, you don’t speak in your meetings, you don’t write in your journals about it. It’s kind of, become this taboo topic. It was Heber J. Grant who became the prophet in 1918, and I would say Heber J. Grant actually went on a proactive opposition against polygamy, even though, ironically, he was a polygamist and had three wives, but by the time he became church president, he was only one of his wives was living, and he really wants to see these put into place. So he proactively goes against, “Let’s not even talk about or teach about it because that will—let’s distance ourselves.” Yeah, we need to distance ourselves from some of these fundamentalist groups that have broken off, which one of the consequences of this policy is that people born, you know, in the 1930s, 1940s, 1950s, my parents, my parents, they never heard about polygamy other than they knew that they’re in some cases their grandpa or their even their dad or mom was raised in a polygamous home, curriculum, and it was never taught. This manifesto was so important that it’s a 16-page document, they had it read in every ward and you had to sign it, I mean. And then they really want to distance the church from this, and so you won’t see polygamy talked about in our church curriculum, so we get a generation from the ’40s, ’50s, ’60s, ’70s who weren’t raised hearing polygamy talked about very much, which is the time that my parents came to be and then they give birth and so we don’t hear it talk about much and then in the 1990s, the internet starts to open up to popular mainstream and suddenly people are talking about it and so we’re going back and reading history saying, “Wait a minute, so we’re kind of the generation right now, um, that didn’t hear much about polygamy and now it’s everywhere again being talked about.” So if it kind of feels like there’s so much being said about it, it might be able to tie back to the final manifesto of it trying to be a little bit distanced from fundamentalist groups, which is so interesting because now, uh, our generations today, alive, people alive today, it can become a trial of faith for us in a different way than it was a trial of faith for the people from the 1840s through the 1890s who were asked to live it and then a different trail of faith for those who were asked to turn it off, to stop it, and then a different trial of faith—how will we talk about that, how have we talked about it and how do we teach about this? Well, it’s now a trial of our faith today to wrestle with it and grapple with it and say, “Hmm, what was really going on and how much of it was God’s will, how much of it was people just doing what they thought? Can I—can I just share one story with this?” Because at the heart of it, for every listener out there, the ultimate fundamental question is, do I believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and that God invested him with the keys to govern the kingdom with prophetic authority and that those have been passed down and do I believe that God is guiding that head of the church in with continuing revelation? That is really the heart of it. That’s it because the story—real quick story. I one time had a chance—I was with a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and there was a group of Muslim religious educators. They came; they wanted to learn how Latter-day Saints taught their youth, especially regarding Joseph Smith polygamy. So I was fortunate enough—this member of the Seventy and these Muslim religious educators with their translators—they came and watched me teach in your seminary class. Yeah, this is back in my seminary days. When we got done, we had a question-answer session, and one of the men raised their hand and said, “Is polygamy allowed in your church because in Islam the Prophet Muhammad says it is?” And I said I turned to the general authority like, “You’re the member of the Seventy; you answer that question.” And he turned back to me; he goes, “Go right ahead.” And I said something like, as best I can remember my words, I said something like, “You know it’s interesting to say that our Prophet Joseph Smith, our founding prophet, our Muhammad in his way received a revelation allowing a man to have more than one wife.” And then I said, “But then the U.S. government passed a bunch of laws that made it illegal, and so we quit practicing plural marriage.” And right when I said that the general authority stepped in, and he said, “Actually, that’s not correct.” He said, “Our Prophet Joseph Smith received a revelation allowing a man to have more than one wife, and our Prophet Wilford Woodruff received a revelation that that practice should cease.” And he said, “Our church functions on revelation from God.” And it was a great corrective for me to reorient what it was all about. That’s powerful for me. That’s the essence of Official Declaration 1 and Official Declaration 2. Do I feel like I’m smarter than God’s prophets? Do I feel like I know more, that I’m more connected with God than they are? I love, again back to Isaiah when he gives that statement that you’ll find at the very, very end of Second Nephi chapter 7, where Jacob is speaking to the people and he’s quoting Isaiah 50. Listen to this: “Behold, all ye that kindle fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks which ye have kindled. We can come up with all the rationale, all the reasoning, all of the excuses for why we think it was done the way it was done why it was wrong, or why it was right. We can kindle our own fire and walk by the light of our own sparks.” But he says, “This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” That’s Isaiah speaking very plainly, saying you can walk by your own light, or you can turn to the light. One of the ways that we love in the church is trusting that God is guiding our prophet today for what we need, just like He guided Wilford Woodruff for what he needed, and Joseph Smith for what he needed regarding Joseph Smith polygamy, and Heber J. Grant for what he needed at that time. It’s a beautiful principle.  Subscribe Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free       Which lists would you like emails from?   Daily Email   Weekly Email     Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails. We respect your email privacy    

Joseph Smith Wives: The End of Polygamy (Part 2)Post contributed by Scripture CentralMarch 20, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amQpLer7it4 The following content is a transcript from Tyler Griffin and Anthony Sweat’s ‘Come Follow Me’ discussion on ‘The End of Polygamy.’ To watch the full video, click here.  It was in 1890 October when the manifesto was presented to the church and accepted. That’s important to say by the way after the manifesto, and we need to read what he says, and we will, but it’s important to know that in October of 1890, at that General Conference, the manifesto was presented to the body of the church and was sustained unanimously. Although some did abstain from voting, the report in the Deseret News, anyway, was that it was unanimous. So after that now you have some aftermath that’s going to take place. And not everybody was cheering when they heard this news.  There were a lot of people who have sacrificed their lives, their good name, their fortune for plural marriage, and the families that were now existing, including Joseph Smith wives. And that is a big problem too because remember the moment we say we’re going to submit to the laws, the big question that comes up is what about our existing families? Does that mean that husbands who have two wives or three wives that they’re going to choose to only stay with one and abandon the other two women? Where, you know, Zina Huntington Young says the hearts of many were tried with this announcement and there were a lot of unresolved and kind of nebulous questions in the air.  After it was announced this is a difficult time and there were still some people trying to perform marriages. When Wilford Woodruff found out that one had been performed in the endowment house, what did he do? He tears down the endowment house but what’s hard is that some people, in that context too, they were wondering now is this just Wilford Woodruff appeasing the government?  It’s important to know that in the mid 1880s, we send people proactively up to Canada and down to Mexico to go practice plural marriage because we’re like okay, if in America we’re having issues maybe we can send people to these other countries. So even after it’s announced there’s some people that are wondering “Are we just saying and appeasing this?” “Do we really mean that we’re going to stop this?” “What about existing families?” And Wilford Woodruff says, “I did not say that you should abandon your families,” Correct? “Husbands, you have no right to abandon your wives and children.” And so many people continue to live in plural marriages as well so we’ve painted the picture hopefully with some of the historical and cultural and political landscape that’s surrounding this manifesto in 1890. Now let’s actually read some of the the parts of the actual declaration. And it’s important too, as we read both Official Declaration One and Two, these are declarations that a revelation has been received. These aren’t the revelations themselves, which maybe if the revelation was written down word for word we would have had them or that the church would have had them incorporated into sections of the Doctrine and Covenants if it was a “Thus saith the Lord” kind of thing. This is a declaration that these key revelations were received as a whole and some explanations around them. So they introduced these press dispatches in the first paragraph, having been sent for political purposes from Salt Lake City which have been widely published, to the effect that the Utah commission, in their recent report to the secretary of the interior, allege that plural marriages are still being solemnized and that 40 or more such marriages have been contracted in Utah since last June or during the past year.  He goes on to say in the second paragraph, “I therefore, as President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, do hereby, in the most solemn manner, declare that these charges are false. We’re not teaching polygamy or plural marriage nor permitting any person to enter into its practice and I deny that either 40, or any other number of plural marriages, have happened during that time period been solemnized in our temple wherein another place in the territory.” I’m just going to jump down to the paragraph where he says, “Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural marriages, which laws have been pronounced constitutional by the court of last resort,” that’s the Supreme Court that we kind of talked about, “I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws and use my influence with members of the Church over which I preside to have them do likewise.” That’s really the crux of it is “We fought this. You said it’s constitutional. The Lord has revealed to me that we should stop teaching this practice. I intend to use my influence to have the Church submit to this going forward.”  Now as you jump down below there’s the statement from President Lorenzo Snow to get the sustaining vote to make this official. And then underneath that you get these excerpts from three addresses by President Wilford Woodruff regarding polygamy, or, Joseph Smith polygamy. These six terms are excellent. These are amazing and that first paragraph there, the first line of the first paragraph is a fairly common phrase that we use in the Church, attributed to Wilford Woodruff, where he says, “the Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as president of this Church to lead you astray.” It is not in the program, it is not in the mind of God.  And by the way, Wilford Woodruff isn’t the first person I’ve ever found as I’ve researched and looked at this. Brigham Young says that “the Lord will not permit the president of the Church to lead the Church astray” and it’s been reiterated by many people, many church leaders. Even as recently as Elder Ballard has said, “The Lord won’t allow the leaders of the Church to lead you astray.” Now one of the things that I think is important here is to understand what that means or could mean, anyway. The word astray some people interpret as saying the Lord won’t permit his leaders of the Church to ever make any mistakes. Now, while that is fine to make that interpretation, I personally don’t think that’s accurate.  The restoration of the Gospel kicks off with a prophet losing 116 pages of sacred scripture after all. The Lord allows us, as we learn and grow, and leaders, local stake and even general leaders, to make mistakes. That’s different than leading astray. And maybe one analogy that I like to give is that we all as parents make mistakes and we sit down and try to lead our families as best as possible. And we pray and we seek for revelation and we get revelation and we get inspiration to guide our families, but it doesn’t mean that we don’t make mistakes in implementing it or in figuring it out along the way. And if I brought in my children and lined them up and said, “Do your mom and dad ever make mistakes leading your family as parents?” They would have to fill up another hour’s worth of this show documenting how many mistakes we make as parents in our weakness. But if you asked our children, “Do your mom and dad lead your family astray?” Now that’s a whole nother question altogether. And the promise is that the prophets will not lead us astray from the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the covenants and ordinances thereof. That’s how I interpret this. It’s beautiful. It’s that idea that when you look at repentance the way that President Russell M. Nelson talked about it in General Conference a few years ago, using the Greek word “metanoia”, it’s to change. I think that we can look at that word and that idea of repentance not in this, “I’ve committed this serious sin,” it’s just “sometimes we need to change”. Sometimes we need to shift the way we’re looking or re-tune our ears or shift our heart, turn our heart, or adjust something. That’s repentance! And I don’t just repent individually, my wife and I repent collectively in our home. And our family repents. We change, we adjust, we make improvements over time, and we seek God’s will throughout that process. Well the church collectively, under President Nelson’s definition, repenting doesn’t mean that they committed a serious sin or doesn’t mean they led the church astray, it’s just that we’re making a change. We’re getting more in line now with what is needed based on what God is giving us. And there’s power in sticking with God’s prophets, seers, and revelators, who are watchmen on the tower. They have a more elevated view than I have. And by the way, if you look at the beacon of what the Church is aimed towards, there’s something in the center goal’s eye. It obviously is the Savior, but it’s in connection to the Savior through the ordinances of the temple through the ordinances of the gospel and the ordinances of the temple. And so when the prophets say we won’t lead you astray, they’re saying we will always teach you the Gospel of Jesus Christ and administer the ordinances of salvation and exaltation and we won’t lead you astray from that. And the very fact that Wilford Woodruff is saying, “Lord, do you want us to keep practicing plural marriage or do you want us to lose the ability to perform the ordinances of salvation and exaltation” shows him keeping the church in line with God’s will. This is an example of keeping the Church on the path of the ordinances, outside of Joseph Smith wives. Now in the second excerpt that’s given at this Stake Conference, he asks them, because there are a lot of people who are like, “We’ve mentioned they’re wrestling with this.” They’re trying to figure out if this really is from God and he says, “In order to answer that question you need to step back and answer a different question,” which is really the crux of the matter that was facing him as the prophet at the time, which was “Should we allow the First Presidency, Quorum of the Twelve, and all the leaders to be imprisoned? Should we lose all of the assets of the Church including the temples? Should we break up all these families because the men are in prison, or should we let go of plural marriage?” That’s the question he’s asking them to answer and it’s fascinating to me that previous to 1890, I could be wrong but I don’t know of any records of any sealings of children to parents taking place in the temples. And then it’s a few years after the manifesto where we get to retain our temples, hold on to them and we get to move forward in not having the First Presidency arrested and the Quorum of the Twelve and all these men put in prison. Then the revelation comes in the St George temple to start sealing children to parents.  Some people might not be aware that prior to this time, during the time of Joseph Smith polygamy, and you’ll see the connection here in a second, that we weren’t sealing children to parents and children to their parents. We were not sealing vertically, we were often sealing horizontally or dynastically. Sometimes they called it the Law of Adoption and people would be sealed up to prominent church leaders’ families. And in 1894, I believe is the year, just a few years after the manifesto, is when we get to retain the temples. This revelation comes where the Lord tells Wilford Woodruff, “You seal parents to children and make the chain vertical,” which has been the direction we’ve gone ever since. What a blessing for countless people on both sides of the veil.  Subscribe Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free       Which lists would you like emails from?   Daily Email   Weekly Email     Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails. We respect your email privacy    

In this episode, Jennifer, Sarah, and Zach take us through the history of folk magic through post-biblical times. Throughout this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute claims about the seer stones head-on using facts from the historical narrative. Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:40) The fall of Rome and why it The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 3 – Seer Stones: Post-Biblical Folk Magic appeared first on FAIR.

Joseph Smith Wives: The End of Polygamy (Part 1)Post contributed by Scripture CentralMarch 18, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amQpLer7it4 The following content is a transcript from Tyler Griffin and Anthony Sweat’s ‘Come Follow Me’ discussion on ‘The End of Polygamy.’ To watch the full video, click here. It is important for us to keep in mind that the article of faith number nine says that we don’t just believe in the many revelations that have been given or that were currently being given to the prophet in 1842 but many great and important things would be revealed in future times as the need arises. I think it’s important right out of the chute before we jump into the actual Official Declaration 1 to set the stage historically and culturally or the need for what they called the manifesto this ending of plural marriage and any ties to Joseph Smith wives. Because a lot is going on in the United States and there are two things that are really in the crosshairs of those lawmakers back east. They call them the twin relics of barbarism. And the twin twin relics of barbarism are slavery and polygamy.  It’s at the 1856 Republican National Convention that the republican party, in essence, says, “We’re going to take these two things on so a lot of people don’t realize that the ending of polygamy is actually very tied to the ending of slavery and the Civil War.” They’re very connected. And the Civil War because of the ending of slavery once this one ending of slavery in the Civil War when that was settled in the mid-1860s then they start to shift their attention to say, “let’s end the other relic of the barbarism of polygamy in America.” So in the 1870s and 80s a lot of attention shifted in particular out west to the Latter-day Saints. We’re practicing it on our own in Utah territory not in a territory we weren’t. We were not going to be a state until 1896 we were a federal territory which means we were not allowed to pick our own leaders they were appointed by the the federal government back in Washington DC.  Plural Marriage and Governing Laws  It’s important to note that the first time that polygamy was publicly announced for everyone to hear was in a church conference on the 29th of August 1852 in Salt Lake. So, in 1852, now 10 years later, on the 8th of July 1862, Justin Morrill of Vermont introduced a bill into Congress called the Moral Act. This was the first bill that goes after polygamy, and people may not recognize this but Abraham Lincoln was the president who signed that bill into law. And you know the the moral anti-bigamy act as it’s known really didn’t have any teeth behind it. Let’s also say first it’s important to recognize too that Latter-day Saints didn’t invent plural marriage. There’s been research done by American history scholars who have shown that there were a bunch of different groups that were practicing plural marriage. Native American African-Americans even some Catholic. And so this isn’t just aiming at the Latter-day Saints but we are the most prominent group and the most vocal about it and we’re out west on our own you have to you have to recognize that this time in American history too. They’re trying to colonize when I say they I mean Easterners, particularly Washington DC politicians. They want to they want to westernize the west and they kind of feel like particularly those lottery Saints out west. There’s a lot of mixing of church and state. They’re out there on their own we’re not sure they’re loyal to the federal government. We’re not sure where they stand we got to reign them in and get them under control and so these bills start to pass partly because of all these tensions but they can’t really do anything about it originally because it’s a civil war you can pass laws but if you don’t enforce them the laws mean almost nothing.  So the penalty under the moral act was a $500 fine and imprisonment for a term of five years. But with the civil war taking place back east and no federal officials to enforce it either they’re not that the law is not being enforced.  Joseph Smith Wives: The Edmunds-Tucker Act So then you get the Edmunds Bill in 1882 so this is 20 years after the Moral Bill. There were a handful of bills in between that tried to give the federal government. The way the Columns Bill in 1870. They’re all those who are trying to say okay we passed this law how do we help the federal government enforce it then it really kicked in with the Edmunds Act.  Five years later 1887 Congress passed the Edmunds-Tucker Act. It disincorporated the church. It dissolved the perpetual immigration fund gave all of the property of the church to the government for the benefit of the common schools in Utah and took away the right of Utah women to vote there.  One of the things you have to understand is the Edmunds Tucker Act goes after the church specifically it’s not just a general anti-polygamy bill they are going after that bill after The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints it seizes any assets over $50,000. It also does not allow immigrants to come to America who are Latter-day Saints. So process that we won’t let you become a citizen of this country if you’re a Latter-day saint in other words we can’t gather to Zion now. So Zion and gathering have now stopped because of this bill they’re going to seize control of our temples they also have taken away women a lot like we are the leaders along with Wyoming and the suffrage act of giving women the right to vote and the Edmunds-Tucker act revokes that right to vote it makes people it required any juror voter or official to swear an anti-polygamy oath.  So not even if you were practicing polygamy but if you even stated that you believed that in it or that it should be legal you were not allowed to act in those civil. I mean there are so many things after thing after thing they could seize any asset from the church that they didn’t feel was necessary for a religious purpose they have jailed polygamists for up to five years.  Just to cut to the chase it wreaks havoc on the church in terms of our temples we’re going to lose our temples our ability to bind families together we are going to lose our ability to create Zion and gather people to Zion we’re going to lose all of our church leadership in prison the first presidency, all the leaders, and that’s really what Wilford Woodruff is dealing with as a whole.  At the end of the day the question is well what would you do and ultimately the question that Wilford Woodruff is saying is what is essential to our church is polygamy our core essential doctrine is it in our articles of faith. Even the very fact that Wilford Woodruff would be willing to take this question to the Lord saying, “Can we get rid of plural marriage?” shows that it should not and was not the defining doctrine of the church even though they fought so stridently for it.  What Wilford Woodruff is taking to the Lord, in essence, is what’s more important temple mothers and fathers in their homes to gather and build Zion and to allow the leaders of the church to continue to operate or to keep practicing polygamy that was his question so those 1880s those were rough years here in Utah and in parts of Arizona parts of Idaho rough years where there’s lots of persecution coming against these folks. These federal I mean I would invite everybody at home to make sure you read Saints Volume 2 you know these chapters and then like the late 20s early 30s chapters of Saints Volume 2 where you can get the detailed wonderfully written stories of women and men going into hiding women being forced to testify against their own husbands’ people having to take assumed names.    You know, sons and daughters, not knowing who their actual father was for fear of their dad being imprisoned. It was just… it was a terrible time. John Taylor, by the way, as president of the church, had to go into hiding. He gave his last public address in the Salt Lake Tabernacle. As federal officials are waiting to arrest him after the address, and the church blocks their guards and everything, and they usher him out the back, and he’s never seen in public again, dies in hiding. And Wilford says he died because of the pressures of polygamy persecution. It’s a very trying time for them. So before we get to Wilford Woodruff and the actual declaration, it’s really important, back to the Article of Faith number 12 that we said we’d touch on, about honoring and obeying and sustaining the law. Our church deliberately went against the law at this time. You know, there is a revelation in the Missouri period where the Lord says, ‘When it comes concerning the laws of the land, I will that you obey whatsoever I say unto you.’ So it’s not quite as black and white as we want to make it sometimes, and the church felt that these laws that were being passed were unjust. Now, while we were engaged in civil disobedience—protecting people’s identity and putting people into hiding and things like that—to practice plural marriage, the church also did, though, take the legal route. If we feel that laws are unjust, then we have recourse, particularly within the United States of America, in a democracy, to try to get laws changed. So the church did appeal the law, and it went all the way to the Supreme Court. In 1890, the Supreme Court upheld the Edmunds-Tucker Act, and that was the final blow. That’s what kind of makes us go, ‘We’ve pursued every avenue we can. I mean, what do we do?’ So, Tony had already mentioned this earlier, this idea of the government has made it very clear: they will confiscate all of the possessions of the church, including the temples. We will lose our ability to do any temple work, including the work of Joseph Smith wives ordinances. So you can picture the prophet of God, Wilford Woodruff, with the weight of this situation on his shoulders, in that mantle that he’s carrying, as he goes to God to say, ‘What would thou have us do?’ If God tells us that we need to keep performing plural marriages, you know that he and the other leaders are going to defend that to their death, regardless of the cost. They were willing to do whatever God wanted them to do. But I love the fact that he turns to, to He who stands at the head of this work, to ask Him what He would have us do. And it was on the night of September 23rd, 1890, when he received this revelation from the Lord that the church should cease the practice of plural marriage. So the next day, after he’s received this revelation, he puts a handwritten copy down in front of some of the general authorities. But this one’s a little different because he’s doing this a little differently. It’s important to know that Wilford Woodruff is counseling with his counselors, but this is not a unanimous decision originally. This is a revelation that he receives, and he comes to Wilford Woodruff. He says the Lord made it plain that it was perfectly clear that this was the right thing. But some of the apostles find out about Wilford Woodruff’s statement, like ‘I’m going to the Lord; He has made it manifest to me that we will submit to the laws of the country.’ Some of the apostles find out about it by reading a newspaper while they’re getting ready to get on a train. Yeah, it’s like, what? So they will all convene, and he will lay it before them, but there’s a difficulty. I mean, this is, uh, this is right off the church’s essay, the ending of plural marriage. They say the members of the Quorum of the Twelve varied in their reactions to the manifesto. Franklin D. Richards was sure it was the work of the Lord. Francis M. Lyman said that he had endorsed the manifesto fully when he first heard it, but not all the Twelve accepted the document immediately. John W. Taylor, who is President John Taylor’s son (remember President John Taylor went to his deathbed defending plural marriage, saying ‘we will not relinquish this’), John W. Taylor said he did not, quote, ‘not yet feel quite right about it,’ end of quote. John Henry Smith candidly admitted that the manifesto had disturbed his feelings very much and that he was, quote, ‘still somewhat at sea about it.’ Within a week, however, all members of the Twelve voted to sustain the manifesto. That’s on the church’s essay. Now some people have said things like, ‘Well, this isn’t really a revelation; he’s just responding to political pressure.’ What would you say to that? I would say all revelation is a response to the cultural conditions and needs of God’s people. All revelation is, you could read the Doctrine and Covenants as a whole, and nearly every one of those revelations is a response to temporal, mortal, and cultural conditions of the time. That’s an interesting point, Tony. Think about Exodus: the people were in bondage, and God comes, inserts Himself into history, and provides revelation to change a situation that was oppressive, that could only really be fixed with God intervening. And God basically said to the Saints through Wilford Woodruff, ‘It is not my will for you to go into bondage to the United States because of this one practice.’ And so, we see that God will provide revelation as needed to His people. We should expect God to participate in our lives. Before we go on with what Taylor just said, if we didn’t think God was responding by giving revelation based on cultural conditions, then we would have no Word of Wisdom. Because without conspiring with men in the Latter days, the Lord doesn’t need to give a revelation called the ‘Word of Wisdom.’ If we didn’t think the Lord gave revelation responding to cultural conditions, we wouldn’t have all these wonderful teachings helping us to combat pornography. For example, if pornography didn’t exist, the Lord wouldn’t give these revelations regarding it. All revelation is a response to the needs, conditions, and culture that His children find themselves in. I love how we sing ‘We thank thee, oh God, for a prophet, to guide us in these latter days.’ It’s not we don’t thank Him for being a prophet to guide us through the ancient days and the time of Joseph Smith polygamy, because those aren’t our days. So, it’s beautiful that Wilford Woodruff is living in his culture, his environment, his political climate of that day, and making decisions that are necessary for the church to be able to move forward and for the kingdom of God to roll forth. And that’s always the question of what’s needed within that time and that setting, in that context, to keep the kingdom moving forward. That was his question at the time. 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2023 October General Conference, Sunday Morning Session The Prodigal and the Road That Leads Home Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points The parable of the man and his two sons is (like all of the Savior’s parables) a parable for our time – it is about you and The post Consider Conference: The Prodigal and the Road That Leads Home appeared first on FAIR.

A Strait Path by Autumn Dickson The end of 2 Nephi is fantastic. As I read it, I pictured Nephi summarizing everything towards the end of his life. He had kept a record and taught many lessons and told stories from his life, but in 2 Nephi 31, Nephi wanted to make sure that the The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 31–33 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

On this episode, Brian Hales joins us to discuss the history and significance of the crowning ordinance of the temple.   Brian C. Hales is the author or co-author of several books dealing with Joseph Smith and plural marriage, and runs the website JosephSmithsPolygamy.org. He is also the author of several articles dealing with the The post Cornerstone: A FAIR Temple Preparation Podcast – Episode 6: Temple Sealings with Brian Hales appeared first on FAIR.

Nephi’s prophecies of the Book of Mormon; “the doctrine of Christ” (2 Nephi 28–33) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 28–33 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2023 October General Conference, Sunday Morning Session Be Peaceable Followers of Christ Elder Quentin L. Cook, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points Trials and death are things all of us face in mortality. We are blessed with agency Peaceable followers of Christ remember that mortality is like the second act in a The post Consider Conference: Be Peaceable Followers of Christ appeared first on FAIR.

Mixing Doubt with Anger by Autumn Dickson One of the topics given as a suggestion in the Come Follow Me manual for this week is to study Satan’s tactics. This has actually already been a topic on my mind for a while. There is one tactic in particular that I’ve come to recognize over the The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 26–30 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

This podcast series features past FAIR Conference presentations. This presentation is from our 2022 conference. Kerry Muhlestein, Keys to Understanding Isaiah Kerry has several books available from the FAIR Bookstore. Kerry received his B.S. from BYU in Psychology with a Hebrew minor. He received an M.A. in Ancient Near Eastern Studies from BYU and his The post FAIR Conference Podcast #82 – Kerry Muhlestein, “Keys to Understanding Isaiah” appeared first on FAIR.

Church of Jesus Christ Purchases Kirtland Temple, Other Church History PropertiesPost contributed by Scripture CentralMarch 7, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook According to a press release published by Church Newsroom March 5, The responsibility and ownership for the Kirtland Temple, several historic buildings in Nauvoo, and various manuscripts and artifacts officially transferred from Community of Christ to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for an agreed-upon amount. Together, we share an interest in and reverence for these historic sites and items and are committed to preserving them for future generations. Discussions leading to this landmark agreement commenced in June 2021. “This exchange of assets is significant for our church,” said Stephen M. Veazey, president of Community of Christ. “Through funding from increased endowments, Community of Christ will have greater capacity to pursue our mission priorities around the world, including continuing to fulfill the divinely envisioned purposes for our Temple in Independence, Missouri.” “We are deeply honored to assume the stewardship of these sacred places, documents, and artifacts,” said Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “We thank our friends at Community of Christ for their great care and cooperation in preserving these historical treasures thus far. We are committed to doing the same.” The Kirtland Temple will remain an historic building. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plans to reopen it March 25, 2024, for public tours at no charge. Likewise, in Nauvoo, the Smith Family Homestead, the Mansion House and the Red Brick Store will also reopen on March 25, 2024, for year-round public tours at no charge. More details about the transaction, assets, and the other items included in the agreement will be forthcoming. You can read the full press release here. Key Points of Interest about the Kirtland Temple The Kirtland Temple is the first temple built under priesthood authority in this dispensation The saints made significant sacrifices of resources, labor, and time to build the temple Close to 1,000 people attended the dedication of the temple 27 March 1836, and many reported seeing angels, speaking in tongues, and other heavenly manifestations Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, Jr. and Oliver Cowdery in the temple 3 April 1836. Moses, Elias, and Elijah also appeared that day to restore priesthood keys Unlike later temples, the Kirtland Temple was a multi-use building: It served as a church, community gathering place, and school Some washings and anointings were performed in the temple, but the temple endowment had not yet been revealed and was not administered in the Kirtland Temple To learn more about the Kirtland Temple, visit this page from Doctrine and Covenants Central. To learn more about the Joseph Smith Homestead, Red Brick Store, and Nauvoo Mansion, visit this page from Doctrine and Covenants Central. Video Resources Additional Resources Church Newsroom, “Frequently Asked Questions Clarify the Transfer of Sacred Sites and Historic Documents” Joseph Smith Papers, Kirtland, City of Revelation: A Joseph Smith Papers Podcast Church of Jesus Christ, Gospel Topics Essay, “Kirtland Temple” Book of Mormon Central, “Why Is the “Pentecostal” Season in Kirtland Believable? (Doctrine and Covenants 110:1),” KnoWhy 619 (October 5, 2021). M. Russell Ballard, “What Came from Kirtland,” BYU Speeches, 1994. Truman G. Madsen, “Joseph Smith Lecture 5: Joseph Smith and the Kirtland Temple,” BYU Speeches, 1978. Robison, Elwin C.. The First Mormon Temple: Design, Construction, and Historic Context of the Kirtland Temple. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1997. Harper, Steven C.. ““A Pentecost and Endowment Indeed”: Six Eyewitness Accounts of the Kirtland Temple Experience.” In Opening the Heavens: Accounts of Divine Manifestation, 1820-1844, edited by John W. Welch, 351-393. 2nd ed. Provo, UT/Salt Lake City: Brigham Young University Press/Deseret Book, 2017. Ricks, Stephen D. “The Appearance of Elijah and Moses in the Kirtland Temple and the Jewish Passover.” BYU Studies Quarterly 23, no. 4 (1983): 483-486.   Subscribe Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free       Which lists would you like emails from?   Daily Email   Weekly Email     Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails. We respect your email privacy    

By David W. Smith On March 5, 2024, Community of Christ and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints jointly announced that, after years of discussion, Community of Christ had sold to the Church of Jesus Christ the iconic Kirtland Temple, several historic sites in Nauvoo, and many historical documents and artifacts. This announcement The post Rejoicing and Mourning: Context for Selling the Kirtland Temple appeared first on FAIR.

In this episode, Sarah, Jennifer, and Zach go through ancient uses of seer stones and other objects seen as sacred. In this 6 part series, Me, My Shelf, & I will tackle and refute these claims head-on using facts from the historical narrative. Saints Unscripted Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UpYrul0eRjs Allen Hansen’s Research: https://independent.academia.edu/HansenAllen Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction (03:30) The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 2 – Seer Stones: Ancient Use appeared first on FAIR.

2023 October General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session Love is Spoken Here Elder Gerrit W. Gong Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points Elder Gong explores the expression of love through warmth and reverence, sacrifice and service, and covenant belonging. Service allows us to both give love and feel the love of the Savior. The post Consider Conference: Love is Spoken Here appeared first on FAIR.

Keeping the Law of Moses by Autumn Dickson I have been waiting for the verses I want to talk about today. I have held them in my mind for a couple years, waiting for the opportunity to write this post. And as I have written it, I have found myself truly humbled as I realized The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 20–25 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Dive Into Scriptural Evidences in A Marvelous Work, Episode 2Post contributed by Scripture CentralFebruary 29, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook Episode 2 of A Marvelous Work is now streaming! Our latest episode of A Marvelous Work features Scott Christopher as he visits a Jewish rabbi and a Latter-day Saint scholar to discuss Hebrew language patterns in The Book of Mormon, visits olive groves to learn from a farmer about tending and growing olive trees, and sees an old friend from his mission in Spain to hear her story of conversion to The Book of Mormon and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As you join us, you’ll experience testimonies of the impact The Book of Mormon and its stories and language can have, as well as learn about features we find in The Book of Mormon that are particular to Hebrew literature. Learn more about A Marvelous Work Subscribe Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free       Which lists would you like emails from?   Daily Email   Weekly Email     Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails. We respect your email privacy    

by Maddie Christensen The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. Sometimes paying a full tithe is overwhelming. With so many expenses mounting and the cost of living ever increasing, it can be daunting to give up 10% of our income. Even though we know that tithing is a The post Asking Big Questions: Why Should I Pay Tithing? appeared first on FAIR.

Nephi’s quotations & commentary on the prophecies of Isaiah (2 Nephi 11–27) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 11–27 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2023 October General Conference, Saturday Evening Session Brothers and Sisters in Christ Elder Ulisses Soares Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points Prejudiced thoughts and actions have no place in the community of Saints The diversity created by God among his children provides opportunities to value and be blessed by each other in The post Consider Conference: Brothers and Sisters in Christ appeared first on FAIR.

The Context of Eternity by Autumn Dickson One of the topics that gets covered this week is the Millennium. Life in the Millennium is going to be a little bit different than we are experiencing now. Nephi quotes the following verse about what life will be like: 2 Nephi 12:4 And he shall judge among The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 11–19 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Lyndie Jackson The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. Isaiah foresaw a time when good would be called evil and evil would be called good (Isaiah 5:20). We live in the time he saw—a time when noisy opinions conflict with what we know to be true. Most The post Asking Big Questions: How Do I Help Those Going through a Faith Crisis While Staying Strong in My Testimony? appeared first on FAIR.

Jacob’s teachings about the Messiah & the gathering of Israel (2 Nephi 6–10) by Mike Parker (Mike Parker is a long-time FAIR member who has graciously allowed us to use materials he originally prepared for the Hurricane Utah Adult Religion Class.) Class Notes Additional Reading Taylor Halverson, “‘O How Great the Goodness of Our God’: 2 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 6–10 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

In this episode, Zach, Sarah, and Jennifer go through an overview of the most common criticisms of Joseph Smith’s Seer Stones from all sides. They introduce direct claims from faithful members who dispute the use of Seer Stones as well as critics who attempt to use the seer stones to explain away the Book of The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 1 – Seer Stones: Questions & Criticisms appeared first on FAIR.

Your New Go-To Show to Watch on Sundays: Millennium TimesPost contributed by Scripture CentralFebruary 19, 2024Google Plus One Pinterest Tweet Widget Facebook Like Share on Facebook Reintroduce the tradition to your family of gathering around the television every Sunday or on family night for entertaining and inspiring programming. Scripture Central is pleased to release Millennium Times, a twice-monthly series of entertaining and inspiring content designed to help families prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Each 30-minute show features a faith-promoting mini-documentary, an inspiring interview with people making a difference, and an educational scholarly-baaed evidence of our faith. The show is rounded out by Signs of the Times—where people worldwide face fear with faith and good works. Hosted by our engaging luminaries Yahosh Bonner and Ali Durham, Millennium Times offers something for every member of the family. Learn more about Millennium Times Subscribe Get the latest updates on Book of Mormon topics and research for free       Which lists would you like emails from?   Daily Email   Weekly Email     Signing up for both the Daily and Weekly email lists is not recommended, as you will receive duplicate emails. We respect your email privacy     TagsVideosMillennium TimesInspiration

2023 October General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session How Great Will be Your Joy Elder Ronald A. Rasband, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points The gathering of Israel is what President Russell M. Nelson calls “the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in The post Consider Conference: How Great Will be Your Joy appeared first on FAIR.

Reproach and Revilings of Men by Autumn Dickson There are many things to fear in this world. Our own prophecies of the state of the world before the Second Coming are not for the faint of heart. Jacob knew this, and he chose to teach his people that they were of the house of Israel and The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 6–10 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Lyndie Jackson The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. Conflicts and differing opinions surround us in this world. All voices—good and bad—are amplified through social and mass media. Thankfully, the Lord has given us a voice that we can and should listen to above all others: the The post Asking Big Questions: Why Do We Need a Living Prophet? appeared first on FAIR.

2023 October General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session Promptings of the Spirit Elder Gary E. Stevenson, Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points All gifts, whether spiritual or temporal in nature, require a lifetime of hard work, study and practice to refine. We can take actions that will increase our opportunity and ability to The post Consider Conference: Promptings of the Spirit appeared first on FAIR.

Nephi’s Psalm by Autumn Dickson Nephi’s psalm is a classic, and there are a great many things we can learn from it. Rather than focusing on any specific phrases or words, I want to look at the message as a whole. I believe there is something we can learn as we follow Nephi through his The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 2 Nephi 3–5 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.