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One mom finds peace during the weeks before Christmas with a routine inspired by Mary’s journey to Bethlehem.

Editor’s Note:  Richard Eyre’s 12-article series earlier this year gave added perspective to the Gospel and the Plan of Salvation by viewing both through a familycentric lens.  (to see those earlier articles click here.) The insightful series was so well received that we were all sorry to see it end.  And it turns out that it didn’t end—Richard is adding five additional essays, one today and one each weekend for the next four weeks.  It will be a good way to begin the new year! Author’s Note: Christmas is the perfect time to consider both the doctrinal gifts of the Restoration and their spectacular wrappings. As always, I would love your private feedback if you will email me at Dr*******@gm***.com Christmas Morning All parents have experienced it at Christmastime:  We choose gifts for our children, wrap them beautifully and put them under the tree. But on Christmas … The post Unwrapping the Doctrinal Gifts of the Restoration first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

The following was contributed by Alexis Tarkalson. Dr. Miriam Grossman, in her book “Lost in Transnation.” wrote these controversial words, “Most things in life are nuanced, but this is not one of them. This is–and here’s a word you don’t expect from a doctor–evil. It’s evil to indoctrinate children and young adults with falsehoods and to drive a wedge between them and their loving parents. It’s evil to encourage them on a path that leads to harm. And it’s evil to describe it all as a journey to authenticity, and to entice children with glitter and rainbows.” She speaks of the phenomenon of transgenderism in children, which is occurring in unprecedented numbers. She speaks on the pseudo science of gender-affirming care and its apparent malicious grooming of children who don’t understand what’s at stake. The state of Tennessee–among other states–shares her conviction that the transgender assembly line children are placed … The post Unpacking the U.S. Supreme Court Case on Transgender Medical Care first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Question: My husband has asked me to stop talking about our marriage and other family issues with my girlfriends. What is your opinion about this? I think it’s important for me to be able to talk about things with my friends. I don’t make my husband look bad, so I’m not sure why he’s so worried about this. I feel like he’s trying to control me and tell me who I can and can’t talk to. Answer: As a rule, I think it’s a bad idea to talk with friends and family about your marriage issues. However, I think it all depends on what you’re sharing and why you’re sharing it with others. Perhaps your husband is picking up on something you should slow down and consider. The biggest reason I think you should be careful about sharing your marriage woes with friends and family is that it’s more likely … The post Your Hardest Family Question: Is it unhealthy to talk to others about my marriage? first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

What would have happened if Sonic hadn’t met the lovably goofy family who took him in all the way back in the first film in the franchise? Sonic the Hedgehog 3 seeks to answer this question by introducing Shadow, who came from the same planet as Sonic but fifty years earlier, and put into a government lab until his usefulness had waned and they put him in cryogenesis. When Shadow breaks out and tries to take revenge on Earth, Sonic and the friends he collected in the last film are called upon to stop Shadow. The Sonic franchise is laser-focused on entertaining 6-13-year-old-boys. This newest film once again successfully hits that target. The design is bright and easy to follow. The characters are distinct specialists. The boys I watched it with followed the plot like the characters were Beyblades or Pokémon cards.  We learn that Shadow is using tech developed … The post What Sonic the Hedgehog 3 Teaches Kids About Anger and Doing What’s Right first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

The magic of Christmas and young children is unparalleled. The following picture books help celebrate this magic and are good for ages three through eight. Mr. Santa, by Jarvis, is full of questions when a young girl finds Santa placing a candy cane in her stocking. Every page has one or two questions from this cute youngster. Santa is rich with expression even though he never answers or talks. As she asks questions to Santa himself, she makes her way to the reindeer and ends up flying to the North Pole. The delightful illustrations were done digitally. Santa Mouse Finds a Furry Friend, by Michael Brown and beautifully illustrated by Robert McPhillips, is a sweet rhyming tale about Santa and his little mouse friend as they get ready to deliver presents around the world. When Santa mouse sees a lone kitten, of course they must rescue it making … The post Books to Bring the Magic of Christmas Into Your Home first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Greg Olsen’s new book will inspire children to remember Christ during Christmas.

… The post Cartoon: Missionary Socks first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

The Friend magazine has published an article with tips for children on what to expect on their first visit to the temple. “Tips for Your First Temple Trip” explains what they should bring and what they will do in the temple. With illustrations, the article explains step by step what to expect when entering the The post Tips For Children on Their First Temple Trip first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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Number 1: Change your mindset, not your to-do list.

Brighten your day by taking in these beautiful renderings.

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So, yes, I did want to repost this one as well, but frame it a little differently than how I had originally. This continues a series where I argue that Joseph Smith’s perennialism, I think, allows for greater flexibility to deal with biblical scholarship that seems to be increasingly calling lots of the OT historicity into question. Again, I’m not a biblical scholar, but I’ve noted this scholarly trend and I’ve seen a lot of evangelicals and Mormons express faith concerns over learning about this scholarship. So in the next few posts I want to give some a few observations on what looks to me like some scholarly trend on OT historicity. This Wikipedia page seems like a useful overview and here are a few quotes (I’m focusing on OT, and will table NT for the time being). A useful quote: “According to theologian Thomas L. Thompson, a representative of the Copenhagen School, also known as ‘biblical minimalism,’ the archaeological record lends sparse and indirect evidence for the Old Testament’s narratives as history.” I know “minimalism” gets debated but my sense is that OT scholarship looks like it’s trending in that direction. As I’ll discuss in later posts, we do have evidence of kingdoms of Israel and Judah, along with some kings including David, but biblical history of that time period is still problematic, lots of scholars say (see the entry), and there’s major reasons to doubt the historicity of…Read more →

The YouTube channel Called to Share has published a 2024 Temple Timeline Video: Dotting the Earth that visually shows the growth in the number of temples from 1877-2024.  You may also be interested in the video Church Membership & Temple Growth “The Gospel Shall Roll Forth” that shows the growth in the number of stakes The post 2024 Temple Timeline Video: Dotting the Earth first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

As Mitt Romney prepares to relinquish his office at the end of the current Senate term, several media outlets have offered interesting reflections on his career as well as interviewing him to seek his own thoughts in retrospection. Here are two excerpts. The first is a link to an interview with Romney on CNN: Mitt Romney reflects on his storied career as he prepares to leave politics The second is a reflection of the affect of Latter-day Saint theology on Romney’s political point of view, published in The Dispatch. Mitt Romney’s American Theology The following is excerpted from The Dispatch. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.  Mitt Romney has been regarded as weird for much of his political life, often derided for the things he holds closest to his heart. His big Latter-day Saint family was slammed as too big. His faith was panned as “odd” … The post “Mitt Romney Reflects on His Storied Career as He Prepares to Leave Politics” first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Cover image via Gospel Media Library.  As an adult convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, I have a very special place in my heart for missionaries of every kind. This appreciation is amplified by a sinister and realistic vision of how different my life would be if missionaries had not courageously accepted the call to serve. Thankfully, many amazing brothers and sisters are willing to step away from their own lives and dedicate themselves to teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to people like me, who had no other hope of learning it. I hear many missionaries talk about their experiences of rejection and the classic scenarios of having doors slammed in their faces. I have listened to missionaries recount their experiences of being cursed at, spat upon, mocked and berated by those with whom they have tried to share the gospel message. Because of stories … The post A Letter to Discouraged Missionaries first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

View the original post on Scripture Central.  “And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.” Moroni 10:2 The Know As Moroni concludes his portion of the Book of Mormon, and indeed the entire book itself, he announces his intent to “seal up these records” (Moroni 10:2). Moroni did not specify how he planned to seal up the record, but when he returned as an angel to reveal the plates to Joseph Smith, the record was found “deposited in a stone box . . . formed by laying stones together in some kind of cement” (Joseph Smith—History 1:51–52). While many people are understandably fascinated by the gold plates and other artifacts that came out of this stone box, few have stopped to consider the box itself as one of the tangible artifacts of the Restoration. As Anthony Sweat observed, … The post Why Did Moroni Seal the Plates in a Stone Box? first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Regardless of where we may stand on someone’s spectrum of identity politics, many of us are both disturbed and sickened by today’s public discourse. Social media, TV talking heads, and once-respected media outlets have devolved into steaming caldrons of vitriol. The incivility is on display even (especially?) in the once-hallowed halls of Congress. Whatever happened to respect in our private and public interactions? Where and when did we lose the willingness to exercise compassion toward someone with a different viewpoint? Where and when did we forget how (or why) to recognize each other’s humanity? Okay. We could wax philosophical all day. For now, let’s consider some ever-so-timely suggestions for talking together. Not at each other. With each other. A good starting place is Conversations Worth Having: Using Appreciative Inquiry to Fuel Productive and Meaningful Engagement. Jackie Stavros and Cheri Torres offer proven principles and practices for navigating conversations in ways … The post Polarized? Consider Conversations Worth Having first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Prior to working on the series, she felt cynical toward religion.

Looking for ideas to make Christmas Day even more meaningful? Here are some fun ways to help your family focus on giving.

Forgive me for reposting this, but I wanted to have this up on the blog so that I could refer to it in future posts. So here I’m continuing my posts arguing that Joseph Smith was onto something in embracing the ancient theology, or larger truth in addition to the Bible. While the Bible in certainly important in Mormon theology and historical conceptions, Mormonism rejects Protestant sola scriptura. We do so not only in have additional scripture, God goes so far as to tell Nephi in his strident rejection of sola scriptua “I shall also speak unto all nations of the earth and they shall write it.” (29:12). I like Alma 29:8 also: “For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have.” Here we have a declaration of what is often term religious perennialism, or the idea that there is similar religious truth all over the world. Most who ascribe to that idea say it’s because of either truth spreading from a common historical source (Adam, Noah, Moses) or God giving revelation to all nations. That Book of Mormon clearly stated the revelatory position as did the First Presidency statement from 1978: “The great religious leaders of the world such as Mohammed, Confucius, and the Reformers, as well as philosophers including Socrates, Plato, and others, received a portion of God’s light. Moral truths were…Read more →

Youth and leaders are encouraged to gather to watch a worldwide broadcast for youth on January 5, 2025, to introduce the new youth theme, “Look unto Christ.” The event will feature Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, President Emily Belle Freeman, and President Steven J. Lund. The prerecorded video will be 20–30 minutes long. The broadcast will pause The post Worldwide Discussion for Youth: “Look unto Christ,” January 5, 2025 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

For those who have lost loved ones, the holiday season can intensify feelings of grief. I find great solace remembering these four things about angels.

“I marvel each year at what Kathy makes happen,” Elder Christofferson shared in a recent social media post.

Nearly one million teens and young adults are enrolled in Church Educational System colleges, universities, seminaries, and institutes. The following are the numbers for Fall 2024: 35,767 at BYU 22,904 at BYU-Idaho 2,907 at BYU-Hawaii 53,741 with BYU-Pathway 1,885 at Ensign College 811,758 in Seminaries and Institutes These numbers represent an 18.3% increase from last The post Nearly 1 Million Latter-Day Saint Youth & Young Adults Participate in Church Education first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

One of the more curious aspects of the temple ceremony was the charge to avoid “loud laughter.” [Note, I originally spoke in the present tense, but evidently it has been removed–with all the recent changes I somehow missed that]. It’s like only eating meat during the winter, one of those things that was indisputably, canonically there but virtually nobody, no matter how conservative, made a point of it.  However, I get the concept even if I’m a little fuzzy on the operationalization: avoid frivolity and light mindedness because reality with all its pain and suffering–and glory–is essentially and fundamentally serious. The other day I was reading through a Wikipedia article on the Russian Famine of 1921 (good hell those people have gone through a lot), and it had a picture of human meat displays, possibly from the human meat markets that sprung up during this time (obviously huge content warning). During this and other times in their history such as the Siege of Leningrad it was a real-life Eli Roth film; you had to be careful about letting your kids out of your apartment less roving bands kidnap and eat them. (And if you were Jewish, much of history was a real-life Purge film, where people could just kill you in.a pogrom [another big CW] if they wanted).  You can see why the Russians aren’t known for their comedy. Life gets so gritty that frivolity almost seems like an affront…Read more →

A brief PSA: the blog was having problems so we reset it and lost some content, so apologies to everybody who spent the time to comment only to have it be lost in the memory hole.Read more →

Here’s what we may misunderstand about divine love when we worry Christ’s Atonement can’t cover us.

Belief to Knowledge by Autumn Dickson This week, we are left with the final testimony given in The Book of Mormon. Moroni testifies of The Book of Mormon, spiritual gifts, and Christ’s ability to perfect us. Moroni also speaks about revelation. He talks about how to know whether The Book of Mormon is true (as The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 10 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

The Church has begun to publish an updated edition of the illustrated Doctrine and Covenants Stories to support the Come, Follow Me study of the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history in 2025. The primary audience is children, although the book can be used by people of all ages, especially those who are beginning readers or The post Updated D&C Stories Begin Publishing Online first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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What happens when you feel your mistakes are beyond repair? Sister Kristin M. Yee’s powerful message offers hope and guidance for those questioning their worthiness and potential for redemption. She shares personal experiences that illustrate how Christ’s love can help us overcome our struggles and find joy in the healing process. For those facing doubts The post The Gift of Redemption: Embracing Christ’s Power to Heal and Restore appeared first on FAIR.

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Covenant Eyes has published an article “What Is Porn Addiction?” The article covers the following topics: Understanding Porn Addiction Why Is Porn Addictive? Signs of Porn Addiction How Can Someone Break Free? You may also be interested in the following articles: Why Is Porn Addictive? How Long Does It Take To Recover From Porn Addiction? The post What Is Pornography Addiction? first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The Ascension Lately I’ve dipped into literary depictions of the Savior’s life. Unsurprisingly given the subject matter, historically responses to literary depictions of the Savior have been quite polarizing, and sometimes controversial. For example, evidently The Man Born to Be King, an early, relatively milquetoast (by today’s standards) radio depiction of the Savior’s life, was blamed for the fall of Singapore. Gradually fictional depictions of the Savior moved from being more devotional–like Ben Hur–to the more naturalistic, like the Master and the Margarita, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, Quarantine, King Jesus, and The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. A funner entry in this genre is Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal. In principle I’m not opposed to naturalistic depictions of the Savior. However, most cases simply fail to really capture the subtle ineffability, the quiet, almost secretive dignity of the figure that even non-believers can grasp (Albert Einstein: “No one can read the Gospels without feeling the actual presence of Jesus. His personality pulsates in every word.”) In many cases I feel like the novelty of naturalistically depicting Jesus or some clever literary gimmick (e.g in the Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ has Jesus as a different person than Christ) carries a lot of the weight in justifying the schlog through the novel.  There are also the slightly modified retellings, here Charles Dickens’ The Life of Our Lord comes to mind. Another…Read more →

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Congratulations to Strive to Be, the Church’s music channel for youth, for reaching 5.58 million listeners. Learn more Where to Find Music for Latter-day Saint Youth Find Church Music on Spotify and Other Streaming Services New Church Music Playlists, Albums, and Updates to the Sacred Music App New Youth Music Monthly From The Church’s Strive The post Strive to Be: Church’s Music Channel for Youth Reaches 5.58M Listeners first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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Four years ago, I brought up resources to assist in study of the Doctrine and Covenants. There were some significant books that were mentioned, but not as many as I had assumed there would be. That launched me on a path that has led to my book, Fragments of Revelation: Exploring the Book of Doctrine and Covenants. In addition, I have continued to search out relevant books and other literature about the Doctrine and Covenants. That work of seeking out resources, combined with the extensive interviewing work of the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk, is brought together in a new Come Follow Me 2025: Doctrine and Covenants Resources page. This 2025 Come, Follow Me page contains several elements, including key insights from interviews that draw on the expertise of dozens of the top scholars in Mormon Studies in recent years; quotes about the Doctrine and Covenants from notable leaders of the Church; the schedule for Come, Follow Me in 2025 with links to each week’s materials; and a collection of “further reading” that links out to a large number of books, articles, and other literature that relate closely to the Doctrine and Covenants. The hope is that this will be a useful and fruitful resource for studying the Doctrine and Covenants for years to come. (As a side note, I recognize that I likely have overlooked some resources in my work in compiling, thus I welcome comments about…Read more →

Additional teachings of Mormon; Moroni’s final witness (Moroni 7–10) 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. The scripture passages covered in his lessons don’t conform exactly to the Come, Follow Me reading schedule, so they The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 7–10 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has published a website with information and resources to learn about Historic Nauvoo, Illinois, and Carthage Jail. The site features an interactive map and detailed information on historic buildings and locations to better understand the places where key events in Church history occurred. This will be a The post New Church Website to Learn About and Visit Historic Nauvoo first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

May Christ Lift Thee by Autumn Dickson I had an experience right before I went on my mission. An article had come out about Texas making abortion more legal and accessible. I want to be very clear here in the beginning that this post is not about abortion itself. This is the story I’m choosing to The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 7–9 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

The Church has published the full triple combination of the scriptures in American Sign Language (ASL). In addition to the Book of Mormon, which was already available, the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price are now available as ASL videos in the Gospel Library. This is a welcomed resource since we will study The post Triple Combination of the Scriptures in American Sign Language ASL first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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I put up part one a while back (sorry, many life distractions in the meantime) and am finally getting up part 2. The bigger purpose of these posts is to share some thoughts on a bigger point about rethinking the grand narrative of biblical metahistory that we’ve constructed of  Mormonism. Mormons tend to argue for Mormonism as some kind of playing out of biblical history, restoring biblical religion etc. I’ll be arguing in these posts (and have argued) that a lot of such notions are problematic since the Bible is problematic historically, but that there are other ways to think of placing Mormonism in a longer ancient history with Smith turning to Platonism within the context of what was known as “the ancient theology.” I’ll talk about those themes over several posts, but I wanted to continue my last one: How I came across the significance of Plato for Mormonism. As I plunged into my exam reading lists, I started notice a trend: throughout the history of Christianity, Christians who liked Plato were the ones who sounded Mormon. [Note, I exclude Augustine from this group. Yes, he was influenced by Christian Platonists and would at times speak complimentary of Plato, but Augustine sought to distance Christianity from Platonism in his City of God. Augustine mostly opposed the Platonic Mormon tenets. See my dissertation “The Fulness of the Gospel: Christian Platonism and the Origins of Mormonism,” 57-59.] This observation applied in…Read more →

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Can faith and trust in God’s guidance coexist with personal doubts? Elder David P. Homer’s recent General Conference address, “Trusting Our Father,” explores a fundamental question: How can we fully trust God’s will, even when it challenges our own understanding? Drawing on historical and scriptural examples, Elder Homer emphasizes that God’s boundaries are eternal and The post Trusting God’s Boundaries: Faithfully Navigating Modern Challenges appeared first on FAIR.

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So I asked Chat-GPT to show two middle aged people…and this is what a middle-aged woman looks like apparently, but at least it shows the correct number of fingers.  In the Church we segregate certain callings by sex. In addition to the obvious Relief Society/priesthood quorum distinctions, primary presidencies are female, while clerks and leadership positions are male.  These distinctions are overlapping, but not exactly collinear, with the all-male priesthood and leadership issue, which is a much bigger question that I have addressed parts of elsewhere, but for the purposes of this post will put off to the side even if it touches on some of the same themes. So here I will take the fact that the leadership positions are male as a given, and address where we go from there in terms of sex segregation of callings (I’m going to use sex and gender interchangeably here, so sue me).  At the outset, I should note that If we want to make the practice/doctrine distinction, which I typically don’t, this is clearly in the practice, and not doctrine, category, and if the Church were to change on this it wouldn’t cause any great consternation on my part. Still, all things being equal I think the current course is the wisest for two main reasons; both of them, I am sure, contentious no matter how carefully worded.  First, if leadership positions are reserved for men for gender complementarian reasons, it…Read more →

The Church has published a new children’s song for Christmas. Watch “Gloria” in the video below: Print sheet music. Also in Spanish, French, and Portuguese. Watch more videos for children on the Church’s Gospel For Kids channel on YouTube.   The post New Christmas Song “Gloria” for Children first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

The Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper is one the most common ritual and use of set ritual prayers in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Weekly observance is a high frequency compared to many Christian denominations’ observance of similar rites and begs to question of why we observe it so frequently. David F. Holland discussed the ritual of the sacrament in a recent post at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk, based on his work in Moroni: a brief theological introduction. What follows here is a co-post to the full discussion. One key observation that David Holland made strikes at the answer to the question of why we observe the sacrament so frequently: Let us return for a moment to the internal order in which Moroni places his materials: instructions on ordinances, a description of a church community, a discourse on pure love leading to personal transformation. The sequence of topics here—a process that starts with rituals and ends with the formation of a new being—bears resemblance to an argument made by the modern scholar of religion Saba Mahmood. Interviewing Muslim women in Egypt and observing these women in their devotion to the Islamic practice of daily prayer rituals, Mahmood noticed that their experience did not exactly correspond to some of the prevailing academic theories about ritualism. She concluded that the repetitive performance of religious rituals functions in people’s lives in ways that modern scholars have…Read more →

As a musician in the Church, I’ve organized several Christmas programs for sacrament meetings over the years. The format that I’ve come to prefer is to have two narrators, one sharing Christmas and Advent themed thoughts, then another reading related scriptures to tell the story of Christmas. After each narrator shares a thought, a music number is performed that relates to the thoughts. (I generally recommend keeping the ward choir contributions to three or less, depending on your ward/branch’s circumstances, so the other ones are usually Primary, solos, and small groups performing.) I thought I would share the basic template that I’ve used most often in case it is helpful to anyone preparing Christmas programs in the future. Narrator 1: A few years ago, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared some insight into how we can approach Christmas: “While it’s true that we can find materialism and anxiety in Christmas, it is also true that if we have eyes to see, we can experience the powerful message of the birth of the Son of God and feel the hope and peace He brings to the world. … “As an old family tradition, our family has always celebrated the Advent of Christmas. Starting on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, we would get together on Sunday afternoons, light wax candles on a pine Advent wreath, enjoy delicious homemade cookies, and read passages of scriptures that center on the Christ.  “We read accounts of…Read more →

Moroni and Loneliness by Autumn Dickson Moroni understood the concept of loneliness. Even before all of his people were wiped out, Moroni practiced his beliefs on his own except for his father. He likely found himself surrounded by his peers, unable to connect with them because of gaping differences in beliefs, desires, and values. People The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Moroni 1–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Lyndie Jackson The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. With conflicting voices coming at us from all sides, we can find comfort knowing that we have the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide us. As we partake of the sacrament each week, we are promised that The post Asking Big Questions: How Can I Know if I’m Being Guided by the Holy Ghost? appeared first on FAIR.

Valuable Weakness by Autumn Dickson For the chapters this week, we go back and forth a bit between Moroni speaking directly and his abridgment of the Jaredite record. Whenever Moroni is directly speaking (and this is true of the chapters that we read in Mormon as well), we find that Moroni is really concerned about The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 12–15 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

What does it mean to align our will with God’s? Elder Ulisses Soares’s recent General Conference address, “Aligning Our Will with His,” offers profound insights into the nature of discipleship, obedience, and the eternal rewards of yielding to God’s will. For many members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—and those curious about The post Aligning Our Will with His: Finding Purpose and Peace through Submission to God appeared first on FAIR.

A Tiny Hinge by Autumn Dickson In the chapters of Ether this week, we watch kingdoms rise and fall with few details. There were plenty of general patterns of righteousness and wickedness, and we likely missed a great many details in the abridged version. On the flip side, there were certain stories that Moroni chose The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 6–11 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

What happens when prosperity becomes a pitfall? Can the blessings of wealth and comfort inadvertently lead us away from God? In his powerful address, “In the Space of Not Many Years”, Elder David A. Bednar shares insights from the Book of Mormon, emphasizing how even a blessed and righteous people can fall if they become The post Faithful Foundations: Avoiding Spiritual Blindness in Times of Prosperity appeared first on FAIR.

The rise & fall of the Jaredites (Ether 1–3, 6–11, 13–15) 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, The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 1–3, 6–11, 13–15 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Faith-Building Experiences by Autumn Dickson We have now moved into the book of Ether. Though the people described in the book of Ether occurred before the rest of The Book of Mormon, this record was inserted towards the end of The Book of Mormon. Moroni was the one who worked to add these plates to The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Ether 1–5 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

How can we find answers to spiritual questions in a world full of doubt and uncertainty? For many, questions about the gospel, Church history, and personal faith can be complex and emotionally charged. Sister Tracy Y. Browning’s talk, “Seeking Answers to Spiritual Questions,” offers profound insights into navigating spiritual curiosity with patience, trust, and a The post Seeking Divine Guidance: Finding Answers to Spiritual Questions in an Age of Doubt appeared first on FAIR.

In this special episode, Sarah Allen and Zachary Wright host a panel discussion on the question “Are Prophets Infallible?” Panel participants: Don Bradley: https://gregkofford.com/collections/don-bradley Ben Spackman: https://benspackman.com/ J. Max Wilson: https://www.sixteensmallstones.org/ The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Are Prophets Infallible? appeared first on FAIR.

Moroni’s commentary on the Jaredites & the Nephites (Mormon 8–9, Ether 4–5 & 12, Moroni 1–6) 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 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 8–9, Ether 4–5 & 12, Moroni 1–6 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Trusting the True God by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, Mormon writes his last testimony before Moroni takes the record and begins some of his first writings. Moroni is alone. His people have been wiped out. His father was killed. He has no friends. Even before everyone was wiped out, he was The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 7–9 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

What might we each consider as “weapons of rebellion” in our own lives? Elder D. Todd Christofferson’s talk, “Burying Our Weapons of Rebellion,” invites each of us to lay aside any resistance we feel toward God’s will. Rebellion, whether active or passive, can manifest in ways we might not immediately recognize (see Rebellion, Rebel). For The post Turning Our Hearts Toward God: Burying Our Weapons of Rebellion appeared first on FAIR.

A few weeks ago, FAIR held a virtual conference focusing on church history. Because “Saints, Volume 4: Sounded in Every Ear, 1955–2020” was about to be published, we invited Matt McBride to give a presentation on it as the keynote speaker. On October 29, a press conference was held at the Church History Library to The post Saints Volume 4 is now available appeared first on FAIR.

by Michelle Pack The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. Time is at a premium these days. Between school, homework, sports, jobs, and so much more, it seems like there isn’t extra time to do something like family history work. But what if doing family history work were The post Asking Big Questions: Why Should I Do Family History? appeared first on FAIR.

In a world where “happiness” often seems fleeting, Elder Patrick Kearon’s talk “Welcome to the Church of Joy” offers a profound answer to one of life’s biggest questions: How can we find lasting joy? His talk addresses foundational gospel principles like the Plan of Salvation, agency, and the essential nature of organized worship as pathways The post Choosing Joy in a Troubled World: The Power of Worship and Christ-Centered Living appeared first on FAIR.

Irreplaceable to Him by Autumn Dickson When I read Mormon, I feel as though I’m reading his journal. He had been commanded by Ammaron to find the records that had been hidden and add his own observations. These sacred writings were always meant to come to us, the House of Israel in the latter days, The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Mormon 1–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Mormon led his people; the end of Nephite civilization (4 Nephi, Mormon 1–7) 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 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 4 Nephi, Mormon 1–7 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

A Utopian Society by Autumn Dickson Fourth Nephi describes a people who were all converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ together. It talks about what their lives looked like and how they felt. Fourth Nephi also describes how everyone was wicked again within three hundred years. Fourth Nephi describes exactly why the Lord has The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 27–4 Nephi – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

“Why are Latter-day Saints so different?” This is a question many young members of the Church find themselves facing. In a world that values conformity, living differently can feel daunting, even isolating. In his talk, “O Youth of the Noble Birthright”,  Brother Brad Wilcox speaks to the youth of the Church, reminding them of their The post Living as Children of the Covenant: Understanding Our Birthright and Responsibility appeared first on FAIR.

Keeping a Sacred Record by Autumn Dickson Christ continues His teaching and prophesying amongst this portion of the House of Israel. He teaches about the sacrament, keeping records, and the last days. He teaches them to study and appreciate the words of Isaiah. There is a lot of content here. At one point in time, The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 20–26 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

In a world that seems to thrive on contention and division, it’s natural to wonder: How can I hold onto light in the midst of it all? Elder Ronald A. Rasband’s talk, “Behold I Am the Light Which Ye Shall Hold Up,” invites us to do just that—find, hold, and share the light of the The post Holding Up the Light of Christ: Sustaining Leaders and Each Other appeared first on FAIR.

FAIR is having a free virtual conference this weekend entitled “Understanding and Defending the History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Friday evening, the keynote speaker will be Matthew McBride talking about Saints, Vol. 4 (which is coming out later this month). Saturday there will be other speakers talking on church history The post FAIR 2024 Virtual Conference is streaming free this weekend (Oct. 11-12) appeared first on FAIR.

Jesus Christ’s ministry among the people of Nephi, part 2 (3 Nephi 19–30) 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 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 19–30 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Experiencing Christ by Autumn Dickson I want to highlight the timeline of events in chapter 17. Jesus has just spent a ton of time with these people. He has come to them in glory, not as the mighty but humble mortal who lived in Jerusalem. He has taught them and blessed them, and He recognizes The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 17–19 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Morning Session The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ  Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles As we approach General Conference, we are invited to move closer to the Savior and build spiritual momentum, as Elder Renlund described in his talk, “The Powerful, Virtuous The post Consider Conference: Preparing for General Conference appeared first on FAIR.

Be Perfect by Autumn Dickson The Savior appears and starts teaching the people immediately. He elaborates on fulfilling the Law of Moses and lays out His higher law for the future. He teaches them about a million different things from prayer to judging to His personal characteristics. There is so much. In the very first section The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 12–16 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Six Days in August is a new film from The Interpreter Foundation about the succession crisis of 1844. The film will officially open in theaters on the Thursday following General Conference, which is 10 October. If you haven’t already watched the trailer, it’s up at https://witnessesfilm.com/. In anticipation of the theatrical release, there will be a The post Release events for “Six Days in August” appeared first on FAIR.

The Interpreter Foundation is holding their 2024 Temple on Mount Zion Conference this coming Saturday, September 28, 2024. More details here. The post 2024 Temple on Mount Zion Conference appeared first on FAIR.

Jesus Christ’s ministry among the people of Nephi, part 1 (3 Nephi 8–18) 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 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 8–18 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Afternoon Session Opposition in All Things Elder Mathias Held of the Seventy Summary To be able to exercise our agency, we need to have opposing options to consider. Gospel Doctrine & Principles taught The Plan of Salvation, The Atonement of Jesus Christ, Commandments, Jesus Christ, Agency, faith in Jesus Christ The post Consider Conference: “Opposition in All Things” appeared first on FAIR.

Giving Your Broken Heart by Autumn Dickson We have reached the crowning jewel of The Book of Mormon. We have reached the climax, the epitome, the purpose of The Book of Mormon. Christ has arrived to reach out to His people in other parts of the world. When Christ’s voice pierces the darkness that the Nephites The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 8–11 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Scott Hansen The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. The closest scriptural parallel we have to modern-day general conference is found in the Book of Mosiah. People who gathered to hear the words of King Benjamin “pitched their tents round about the temple, every man having his tent with The post Asking Big Questions: What Can I Do to Prepare to Receive Personal Revelation at General Conference? appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session Be One with Christ Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Summary We are united by our love of and faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The essence of truly belonging is to be one with Christ. Gospel Doctrine & Principles taught Oneness, The post Consider Conference: “Be One with Christ” appeared first on FAIR.

Nephi Waited All Day by Autumn Dickson The chapters this week are full of some intense events that all occurred within a very short span of history. Within approximately 30 years, we find the almost-genocide of a religion, a major war in which an entire nation comes together to live in the same place, and a The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – 3 Nephi 1–7 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Samuel prophesied; the Gadianton War & collapse of Nephite society (Helaman 13–3 Nephi 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 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 13–3 Nephi 7 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Morning Session Swallowed Up in the Joy of Christ Elder Brian K. Taylor of the Seventy Main Points I testify that our Heavenly Father hears your tearful pleadings and will always respond in perfect wisdom. We don’t know why some people receive miracles quickly while others don’t; but we know The post Consider Conference: “Swallowed Up in the Joy of Christ” appeared first on FAIR.

Foretold Promises by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, we find Samuel the Lamanite. His title, “the Lamanite,” is actually very telling for this particular passage in The Book of Mormon. All throughout the history of The Book of Mormon, the Lamanites were traditionally the ones who rejected the gospel. And yet, we’ve The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 13-16 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Recently, a brand-new database called Relative Finder was released by the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation in partnership with FamilySearch.  This new feature, available at wilfordwoodruffpapers.org, enables users to locate and read firsthand accounts of their relatives mentioned by Wilford Woodruff in his journals, letters, discourses, and correspondence. Jordan Woodruff Clements, Board Chair of the Wilford The post Brand-New Family History Database Now Available appeared first on FAIR.

Healed by the Savior by Autumn Dickson The theme of remembrance is abundant in the chapters we’ve been reading lately, and that does not cease for this week. Nephi is preaching to the people from the tower in his garden, and he starts to bring up stories that they should remember. One such story is succinctly The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 7–12 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Kamryn Maughan The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. Have you ever had a question about a topic in Church history? Because we were not there, some Church history events and topics can be hard for us to understand. For example, plural marriage, also known as polygamy, The post Asking Big Questions: How Can I Find Answers to Tough Topics in Church History? appeared first on FAIR.

The ministries of Nephi & Lehi; Nephite spiritual decline (Helaman 1–12) 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, The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 1–12 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

Treasure in Heaven by Autumn Dickson Helaman had two sons whom he named Nephi and Lehi after their forefathers. He named them this so they could remember the good works of their ancestors and try to follow their examples. Helaman wanted his sons to have constant reminders to do good. Helaman also taught his sons The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Helaman 1–6 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

To Support and Suffer by Autumn Dickson One of the most well-known stories in The Book of Mormon is that of the stripling warriors. Though their story is replete with inspiring stories and principles, I want to actually discuss their fathers, namely the Lamanites converts who changed their name to the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. These Anti-Nephi-Lehies came to The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 53–63 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

The Zoramite, Amalickiahite & Lamanite Wars (Alma 43–63) 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 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 43-63 – Mike Parker 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    

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    

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    

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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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