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Did you know that the Church releases new youth music every month on the Strive to Be channel? Find youth music on your favorite streaming platform.   The post New Youth Music Monthly From The Church’s Strive to Be Channel first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

This Abominable Slavery: Race, Religion, and the Battle over Human Bondage in Antebellum Utah by W. Paul Reeve, Christopher B. Rich Jr., and LaJean Purcell Carruth is a fascinating and detailed glimpse into the debates about slavery and race in Utah Territory in the 1850s. Incorporating never-before transcribed accounts of the 1852 legislative session that saw Utah Territory leadership pass a series of laws intended to regulate unfree labor, this volume provides a thorough analysis of those laws, the debates that surrounded them and how they fit into the national context of the United States at the time. In doing so, the book also offers insights into the early development of the priesthood and temple ban against individuals with Black African ancestry in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The context around the 1852 laws introduced in Utah Territory provided in This Abominable Slavery gives much more nuance than I’ve seen before. It makes the case that legislators and President Brigham Young were seeking a moderate approach towards regulating and ending slavery in the Territory through following laws and practices they learned about in New York, Indiana, and Illinois. The choices they made still disadvantaged Black and Native American individuals held in bondage in Utah to maintain unity with a minority of white members with southern origins, but the legislators saw a distinction between chattel slavery (in which humans were treated as property) and servitude (which was seen…Read more →

Scot If you knew that the Lord Jesus Christ would spend the day with you and all who would come to the occasion from your home stake, what do you think He would teach you?  What do you think He would do?  What would be the most important truths He could communicate with you?  What would YOU want to know from Him?  Let’s explore these thoughts and explore the record of actual witnesses to such a day. Maurine Hello dear friends.  We are Scot and Maurine Proctor and we are so delighted to be with you today and share this time in this virtual study group.  Before we go on, I just have to say, we’ve seen a 2025 Church History Come Follow Me Calendar from the press and it is SO beautiful.  It is stunning.  It really will add so much to your homes and offices and bedrooms and … The post Come, Follow Me Podcast #42: “Ye Are the Children of the Covenant”, 3 Nephi 20-26 first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Question I’m wondering if you have any suggestions for me. I have a daughter, 27 months old, who, somehow has become traumatized by the Halloween festivities. We do not decorate with Halloween decor, but she learned the word “scary” and now EVERYTHING is scary. She is almost debilitated by it at times. Anything from a hair bow in her room, to a jacket, to an old fabric pumpkin face that we did as a craft (that she previously enjoyed). I try to gently talk her through it and remove the offending object, if possible. But I wonder if it’s just a phase, or if she might benefit from some kind of counseling, even though she is very young. Her language skills are pretty advanced, in my opinion. What do you recommend for someone so young? She’s starting to have trouble going to bed now even though she has a good … The post Your Hardest Family Question: My toddler is still terrified of Halloween festivities first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

It’s time for candy and costumes, one of the most anticipated times of the year for kids. What a great time for some of the best Halloween books to help celebrate. Following are a variety of books to reach all ages from toddlers to twelve. I Got the Spooky Spirit, by Connie Schofield-Morrison and gorgeously painted with oil on canvas by Frank Morrison, is another edition to a wonderful “spirit” series. This picture book rhyming tale showcases Halloween happenings as an adorable girl prepares for this fun holiday. There are delightful onomatopoeias and exclamations found throughout and the glorious pictures fill the open page. Villains Academy, by Ryan Hammond, is the first book in a planned series. This middle-grade book features a werewolf who is actually nice as he navigates through a school for monsters. There are fun, funny and entertaining illustrations on almost every page! This delightful … The post Spooky Fun Books for Halloween first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

I should confess, I wanted to love Conclave. A PG-rated political thriller that centers people of faith directed by one of our best young directors. But the movie was ultimately pretty meh. I think my Catholic friends deserved better. “Conclave” covers the death of a fictional pope and the events that follow in selecting a new one. The film centers on Cardinal Thomas Lawrence, played by Ralph Fiennes. Lawrence is to preside at the conclave that will elect the new pope. The film then plots the rise, and then dramatic political fall of one candidate after the next. In some ways it felt like watching whack-a-mole set to the sumptuous scenery of St. Peter’s Basilica. My biggest complaint with Conclave is that the script seemed incapable of seeing or representing goodness or faith in people. In an early scene as the cardinals first descend on Vatican city I was amused … The post Conclave’s Missed Opportunity: A Political Thriller with Little Faith first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

Cover image: The aftermath of Hurricane Helene in North Carolina. “What power shall stay the heavens? As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course, or to turn it up stream, as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven . . .” (D&C 121:33) Living on the eastern coastline of North Carolina, we are fairly well-versed in hurricanes, storm surges, and the devastation powerful wind and waves can cause. However, the devastation brought by Hurricane Helene, which affected multiple states in the southeastern U.S., caught me—and most others—by surprise. In fact, we were so off target at the possible destruction that my husband, daughter and I left for Charlotte, North Carolina to attend a family event on Friday, September 27th. We drove through wind and rain as we caught the tail end of the storm; after all it … The post When Winds Whip and Rivers Rage first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

… The post Cartoon: Leaf Tithing first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

The First Presidency has shared that beginning with the Deseret Peak Utah Temple, temple dedication events will be simplified.

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Modern-day dating is complex. Here’s how to support your child at any point in their dating journey.

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.

While we sometimes forget the true meaning of this word, saying it intentionally draws spiritual strength into our lives.

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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.

As you plan for higher education, consider Church schools and institute of religion. For Latter-day Saints, getting an education is not just a privilege, it is a religious responsibility. Today the Church Educational System consists of the following: Brigham Young University Brigham Young University–Idaho Brigham Young University–Hawaii Ensign College BYU–Pathway Worldwide Seminaries and Institutes of The post Consider Church Schools and Institute of Religion first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Obviously I think the Church would bulldoze temples before it got this bad, but still, an interesting thought experiment.  Over the next century or so we are going to potentially see a bizarre phenomenon with Church growth. In some countries churches will shutter en masse with wards and stakes being merged many times over–all while membership could be increasing or even exploding in terms of percent population.  How can this happen? In many countries the background population will be cratering. Throughout the history of Church growth we have largely taken the growth or stasis of the denominator of background population more or less for granted. While Church growth ebbs and flows depending on historical contingency, the populations the Church has been ensconced in have been either growing, or in a few cases, in a state of stasis such as modern day Western Europe. This is about to change.  The implosion of fertility rates has not received nearly the attention it merits. We’re talking zombie apocalypse here, with overgrown, abandoned towns and villages and a permanent state of economic recession from the aging population (and that’s in the developed world, in developing countries with low fertility without government resources to care for their aged old people without living children to care for them will literally be dying in the streets).  When I was going to graduate school the five-alarm fire, “lowest low” fertility was around 1.3 children per woman. For a…Read more →

Cover image via Gospel Media Library.  All of the following are Joseph Smith’s words, excepting those in italics. Me: Today, I have the honor and privilege of interviewing Joseph Smith Jr., the Prophet of the Restoration. I am humbled and intimidated. Thank you, President Smith, for agreeing to this interview. I have wondered how I should address you. I have read that in your day you were called Joseph and Brother Joseph by Church members. Today, when we speak of our prophet, we use the dignity of his full name and title—President Russell M. Nelson. If I were to interview him, I would address him as “President Nelson.” In like manner, I would like to call you, President Smith. May I begin by asking you what is your role in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints?  President Smith: I have the honor, under God, of being the founder. … The post An Interview with Joseph Smith first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

My thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by hurricane Helene and now Milton. I know many of you will head out to help with the clean-up. Be safe as you help. As floodwaters recede in North Carolina, Tennessee and along the east coast, it is a good time to be better informed about the huge task of clean up that follows. Floodwater is both dangerous and destructive after the initial threat has passed. Starting clean up immediately is the key to preserving health and saving property. As you head out to help, or if your neighborhood has been affected, be prepared. When homes flood, the water can wreak havoc on the structure of a home, personal belongings, and  health. After a flood, cleaning up is a long and hard process, but if it is begun immediately many family treasures can be saved and health concerns avoided. As with … The post Practical Tips for Helping After Helene and Milton first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

The following was contributed by Susan Roylance. This past month there was a lot of activity at the United Nations as the General Assembly adopted the new Pact for the Future on Sept 22nd.  This document has been promoted as UN 2.0 – to “transform global governance” (UN Press Release, 23 Sept 2024).  Media coverage of “The Pact” has been mixed, some expressing elation and relief at its passage and others expressing deep concern. After months and months of negotiations, on September 22, what was believed to be the finished document came before the UN General Assembly for adoption.   At that point, a representative of the Russian Federation opposed the document, on the basis of sovereignty, and offered an amendment that said “the United Nations shall be driven by intergovernmental decision-making process and that the United Nations and its system shall not intervene in matters which are … The post The Future of Global Governance: Analyzing the UN’s “Pact for the Future” first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.  Updated October 9, 2024: The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is pleased to announce that the Deseret Peak Utah Temple will be dedicated in one session on Sunday, November 10, 2024, at 4 p.m. MST and will be broadcast to local meetinghouses within the temple district. The dedication will then be rebroadcast to meetinghouses in the temple district at 7 p.m. MST that same evening. Only sacrament meeting will be held on November 10, 2024. Stake presidents and bishops are encouraged to work together to adjust the starting times for sacrament meetings in each meetinghouse so that Sunday meetings conclude well before 4 p.m. The First Presidency has shared that beginning with the Deseret Peak Utah Temple, temple dedication events will be simplified. Seating in the temple … The post UPDATE: Dedication of the Deseret Peak Utah Temple and Simplification of Temple Dedication Procedures first appeared on Meridian Magazine.

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.

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You’ll love Sister Yee’s refreshing take on the all-too-relatable feeling of being overwhelmed.

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Registration is now open for RootsTech 2025. RootsTech, hosted by FamilySearch, is the world’s largest family history conference. You can attend in person or online March 6–8, 2025. Whether you are a seasoned genealogist or just beginning your family discovery journey, RootsTech 2025 has something for everyone. It’s a great place to connect with old The post Registration Now Open For RootsTech 2025 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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This UK YouTuber’s reaction will make your day.

“Even though I’m standing in absolute chaos,” one survivor says. “I feel better about the world right now than I have in a long time.”

The official English text of the general conference talks is now available at conference.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and in the Gospel Library app. Text in many more languages will be posted over the next several days. Each page provides the video and text of the conference talk. Click the icons at the top right to print the page The post Text of October 2024 General Conference Now Available first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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The washing and anointing of the initiatory ordinance are symbolic of healing.

Having done a few posts on being a practicing Mormonism while disbelieving in Book of Mormon historicity, I wanted to shift gears a little bit to explain a few more aspects of my believing framework. I’ve talked about my views on what I see as the good that our religion (others too) does for the lives of its members here in life, and I want to start a series a posts on what I see as a historical framework to Mormon belief that I find compelling. I’ll go over this in more detail in upcoming posts, but the gist is that what I see as the combination of two themes. The first is what I’ve found in the research on my book, that JS believed that a central calling of his was to restore was what was known in his day as the “ancient theology” (sometimes called other names like the ancient religion, the universal religion, or simply, ancient philosophy.) Scholars in JS’s day presented the ancient theology as a set of beliefs that came from the ancients to Plato, and as I point out in this presentation, it contained a whole lot of Mormon doctrine. It did so, I argue, because JS (likely because of his father) believed that the ancient theology was a fuller truth, suppressed by contemporary and Christians, that that JS needed to restore. Again, the whole plan of salvation is in Plato. I find such…Read more →

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The movie Six Days in August will be released in theatres this weekend—October 10, 2024. This film chronicles the important period in August 1844 following the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, when Sidney Rigdon and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, led by Brigham Young, stated their respective claims for leadership of The Church The post “Six Days in August” Movie Opens in Theatres October 10 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

“I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ and rejoice in Christ!” —President Russell M. Nelson

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Two countries (as well as two US states) will get their first temple.

An updated chart of General Authorities and General Officers of the Church is now available to download. Since the April 2024 general conference, a new Sunday School general presidency has begun serving, 11 new General Authority Seventies were called, and changes were made to the Presidency of the Seventy Download a high-resolution image suitable for The post Download Chart of General Authorities & General Officers Updated October 2024 first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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The central message of President Dallin H. Oaks’ talk emphasizes the invitation from Jesus Christ: “Come, follow me.” This is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment…

“God, I thank you that I am not like other people: even like this jock. I watch my language, am always worthy to pass the sacrament, am on the honor roll, and I give a tenth of all my income.” As a note, I put this post in the queue for the 5th a long time ago, not realizing that it was General Conference weekend, I’ll keep it up, but in posting on General Conference Saturday I’m in no way trying to draw attention from what should be drawing your attention today.  With high school almost 20 years in the rearview mirror for me now it’s interesting to see individual trajectories and how they surprise or do not surprise me.   There are myriad topics that could stem from this theme (for example, who would have thought the X-Box junkie became the most objectively accomplished person in our graduating class?) However, given the subject of this blog, and the fact that my high school  was nearly all Latter-day Saint, an obvious variable of interest here is later-life relationship to the Church.  And on this I noticed a seemingly paradoxical theme that I’ve also picked up elsewhere. Many (though not all) of the “goodie good” kids have left. These were the ones who were into seminary council (when that was a thing), drama, and The Beatles (in kind of a faux rebelliousness borrowed from their parents), and who actually read the book…Read more →

Hashtags Many social media sites let you categorize your posts by using hashtags. Hashtags consist of a pound sign (#) followed by a key word(s). These subject tags can be searched on sites such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Pinterest, Flickr, and Tumblr to find information about a given topic. Here are suggested hashtags you The post Hashtags and URLs for General Conference first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

One aspect of Islam that I appreciate is their approach to translation of scriptures. You see, the Quran is considered a sacred text that was originally revealed in Arabic, and translations into other languages are often called “interpretations”. This is because Muslims believe that the Quran’s sacred character is unique to the Arabic language, and that translating it into another language changes its meaning. While I don’t know that the original language of a volume of scripture is sacred per se, any translation of that text can be viewed as an interpretation that changes its meaning to one degree or another and should be approached with a degree of caution as a result. The Renaissance has an excellent example of why this is important to keep in mind while reading scripture. In Western Europe, the Vulgate (a late-4th-century Latin translation of the Bible prepared by Jerome) was the main form of the Bible used throughout the middle ages. As humanism began to gain traction, however, there was an increased emphasis on going back to original sources. Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (Erasmus of Rotterdam) was a key figure in this movement’s impact on Christianity due to his work on scholarly Greek and Latin editions of the New Testament.  During his work in comparing the Bible text with earlier Greek manuscripts, Erasmus discovered that some Catholic doctrines were problematic because they relied specifically on the Vulgate in ways that the Greek did not…Read more →

At general conference every six months, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issues an official World Report of Church news and events around the world. You can watch it in English below. The program is available in English, Spanish, Portuguese and French. Additional narrated editions are available in Cantonese, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin and Russian. During conference weekend, the World Report The post October 2024 Church World Report first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Among “amateur” LDS scholars (however you want to define that), Morgan Deane is, in my estimation, unfairly overlooked. While his specialty – military history – is something of a niche (though it shouldn’t be), it readily works with the Book of Mormon, especially with the accounts of wars. Part of the issue, methinks, is that “war” and “violence” are not particularly palatable topics amongst academics, and so we get occasionally forced eisegesis like the kind in the book Proclaim Peace (which, I think, has a decent premise taken way too far; we really should eschew violence as often as possible and proclaim peace, but given that one of the authors of that book has backed away somewhat from his absolutist stance, perhaps more nuance will appear in the discussion soon). In To Stop a Slaughter: Just War and the Book of Mormon, Morgan Deane (who is probably our #1 expert on Ancient war and the Book of Mormon) explores the ideas of Just War theory (something Proclaim Peace bafflingly ignores) in both Western and Eastern (mostly Chinese) history and applies it to the Book of Mormon (with applicability to modern times as well, though the focus is mostly on the text of the Book of Mormon).  He covers ideas like when self-defense is justified, and even argues for a limited justification of preemptive strikes in certain extreme instances. All in all, this is a very comprehensive investigation of historical and…Read more →

Did you know that you can listen to general conference using smart speakers? Just ask your Amazon Alexa device or your Google Assistant device to play conference to you using the Church’s Gospel Voice. Audio of all sessions will be streamed live in English and Spanish. Below are the instructions on how to use each device. The post Gospel Voice: Listen to General Conference on Smart Speakers (Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant) first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

Marion D. Hanks is one of the most influential general authorities who never served in the Quorum of the Twelve or First Presidency. Today he is best known for his hymn, “That Easter Morn”, his advocating for Christlike service, and the support he lent to Black members of the Church in the years leading up to the Priesthood Revelation. In a recent interview at the Latter-day Saint history blog From the Desk, Hanks’s son and biographer, Richard D. Hanks, discussed Marion D. Hanks’s life and legacy. Richard D. Hanks started out by discussing who Marion D. Hanks was: Marion Duff Hanks (often called “Duff”) served for almost 40 years as a General Authority and was one of the most beloved and influential leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the twentieth century. His impact in today’s church is found far and wide. He was instrumental in changing the church’s approach to missionary work to include Christ-like service, advocated institutional humanitarian work, focused on the Savior, led the creation and improvement of both the young adult and young men/women programs of the church, instituted refugee relief services and on and on. Maybe of even more interest for today’s generation would be his support (half a century ago) for causes that have come to the forefront today—how the church should approach the marginalized, those on the fringes of belief, those with progressive leanings, and those suffering with doubt.…Read more →

The Church provides a page of general conference activities for children and youth in English, Portuguese, and Spanish to help them enjoy and learn more from watching or listening to general conference. Also see the following resources from the Church: General Conference Notebook from the For the Strength of Youth magazine. Conference activities for children from The Friend magazine. General The post General Conference Activities for Youth and Children first appeared on LDS365: Resources from the Church & Latter-day Saints worldwide.

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.

Apologies for doing another one of these so soon after the other one, but when it rains it pours. Since I last posted OpenAI released “advanced voice mode” to all plus subscribers. What this means is that the lag we’re used to when talking to AI is now gone, and now it is indiscernible from speaking to a real human being, up to and including detecting sarcasm, humor, and the like. I have been using it to brush up on my very rusty mission Spanish, and now any pre-missionary who wants to go above and beyond and practice, say, giving a first discussion in French with a personalized tutor that will correct their grammar doesn’t have to wait until they enter the MTC. They have put some safeguards in place so that it can’t just clone your voice, but the day when anybody can clone anybody’s voice and automate a thousand bots to call everybody in your phone is coming, so once again please be aware and discuss with your old and sometimes not so old-relatives that a phone call from somebody that sounds just like you asking for money isn’t necessarily you.   Google is still very much playing catch up in the AI wars (and no matter how good they get, their AI will probably always invoke images of Black Nazis). Notebook LM has a fun new functionality that automatically generates a podcast-type back and forth based off…Read more →

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.

I don’t usually respond to articles that I dislike, generally just letting them talk for themselves, but the Miller and Dunn chapter promotes the myth of “soaking,” which is supposedly a chastity loophole that I discuss here. They reference a college newspaper which cites TikTok, so still no real evidence that soaking is a thing.  Also, the BYU Studies article on temple divorce clearly shows that they’ve lost all standards and will let any yahoo publish anything.  But seriously, the editing process was more thorough than any that I’ve been through for any other publication. They hand checked every reference cited and passed it through several rounds of editing.  Finally, it was fun to see Greg McKeown publishing a piece in BYU Studies. I’m a big fan of his book Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less. When he was On a the Tim Ferris podcast he spoke at length about his Latter-day Saint religious practices without being obnoxious about it, even including some D&C quotes that he snuck into the conversation naturally enough that they sounded like his own words. Miller, Peyton, and Steven M. Dunn. “Chastity “Loophole” Practices.” In Encyclopedia of Religious Psychology and Behavior, pp. 1-2. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024. There are other chastity loopholes that are more recent developments. One example would be soaking, or the act of placing a penis into a vagina, but not making any movements. Those who practice soaking consider it to not…Read more →

The Church recently released a new batch of hymns for the new Latter-day Saint hymnbook. I feel like some of my predictions are paying off with the new round of hymns. Back in 2018, I called it that “This is the Christ,” “Come, Lord Jesus, Come,” and “Amazing Grace,” would likely be added. (I could say the same for “Come, Thou Fount” with the last round, but that one was beyond obvious.) But, beyond those, there are some very excellent inclusions that I am excited about. Let’s go through each of the new hymns and I’ll share some thoughts and information (including some from the official press release): As far as some general notes, I feel like we’re still not moving beyond Utah and the United States to a global and inclusive Church yet in the sense of content origin. “God’s Gracious Love” is the major exception in this group, since it comes from Sweden. Otherwise, however, the hymns and songs are either traditional American hymns or more recent compositions by Utahns. As far as inclusive language, they did pretty well, similar to the first batch of new hymns. The main failing in this group is in “This is the Christ,” which refers to Jesus as “Redeemer of mankind.” I recognize that mankind can be interpreted as the totality of humanity, but it can also mean men, as distinguished from women. There are more inclusive terms that could be used…Read more →

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.

What You Choose to See by Autumn Dickson We have arrived at the war chapters. Within these chapters are plenty of principles that we can still spiritually engage with despite the fact that the events are taking place on a battlefield. During one such battle, Captain Moroni bears his testimony to Zerahemnah (one of the antagonizing The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 43–52 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

by Michelle Pack The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. Wilford and Phebe Woodruff’s first child, Sarah Emma, was born on July 14, 1838. Just over a year later, Wilford left his family to serve a mission in England. In his journal on July 14, 1840, he wrote, The post Asking Big Questions: How Can I Gain a Testimony of Temple Ordinances? appeared first on FAIR.

Perspectives on Corianton by Autumn Dickson In the chapters we’ve been reading lately, Alma is counseling with his sons. We read so many incredible sermons of missionaries and prophets to their people, but these are incredible messages given from father to sons. One of these messages is especially relevant today as Alma talks to his The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 39–42 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Morning Session Covenants and Responsibilities Elder Dallin H. Oaks First Counselor in the First Presidency Summary The Church of Jesus Christ is known as a church that emphasizes making covenants with God. In his talk “Covenants and Responsibilities,” President Dallin H. Oaks emphasizes the foundational role of covenants in The The post Consider Conference: “Covenants and Responsibilities” appeared first on FAIR.

[English] Diese Liste von verfügbaren Ressourcen wurde erstellt, um die Fehlinformationen in der kürzlich veröffentlichten Abhandlung von Francois Radzik mit dem Titel „13 Thesen: Die Irreführung durch die Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der Letzten Tage, die Mormonen“ besser einordnen und klarstellen zu können. Leser, die mit den von der Kirche bereits veröffentlichten korrekten Informationen The post Aufgewärmte Fragen, bereitstehende Antworten: Sich mit Radzik und seinen 13 Thesen auseinandersetzen appeared first on FAIR.

Alma’s counsel to his sons Helaman, Shiblon, & Corianton (Alma 36–42) 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 – Alma 36–42 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Saturday Morning Session Motions of a Hidden Fire Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Summary In his talk “Motions of a Hidden Fire,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland reflects on personal trials, including the loss of his wife and his own serious illness. He emphasizes The post Consider Conference: “Motions of a Hidden Fire” appeared first on FAIR.

Diligence is Underrated by Autumn Dickson There was a period in my life where my stress levels grew to problematic levels that were consuming me. I was experiencing some postpartum depression, and that was combined with responsibilities that threatened to drown me. I was tired all of the time. I was waking up at the The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 36–38 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Nourish Belief by Autumn Dickson This week, we find the well-known sermon taught by Alma about planting a seed of faith and nourishing the tree. Alma is approached by the poorer class of people who have been cast out of the synagogues because of their coarse clothing. Alma then begins to preach unto them, teaching The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 32–35 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session “Be Still, and Know That I Am God” Elder David A. Bednar Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points We can be still and know that God is our Heavenly Father, we are His children, and Jesus Christ is our Savior. We can overcome external commotion The post Consider Conference: “Be Still, and Know That I Am God” appeared first on FAIR.

Alma contended with Korihor & led a mission to reclaim the Zoramites (Alma 30–35) 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 – Alma 30-35 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session Rise! He Calleth Thee Elder Massimo De Feo Of the Seventy Main Points The gospel is not a way to avoid challenges and problems but a solution to increase our faith and learn how to deal with them. The biblical story of Bartimaeus provides the framework for teaching The post Consider Conference: Rise! He Calleth Thee appeared first on FAIR.

Hearts of the Zoramites by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, we read an interesting account about some Nephite dissenters known as Zoramites. These Zoramites had stopped following the Law of Moses and taken to a new form of worship that astonished Alma and the other missionaries. Once a week, on the “day The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 30–31 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

[Deutsch] This list of existing resources was compiled to provide a more complete and accurate context for the misinformation in a paper recently published in German by Francois Radzik called “13 Theses: The deception of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Mormons.” Readers who are familiar with correct information already published by The post Rehashed Questions, Ready Answers: Addressing Radzik and His 13 Theses appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Morning Session The Testimony of Jesus Elder D. Todd Christofferson Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Main Points  My invitation is to act now to secure your place as one who is valiant in the testimony of Jesus. All but a relatively few individuals are eventually redeemed into one The post Consider Conference: The Testimony of Jesus appeared first on FAIR.

He Relentlessly Pursues Us by Autumn Dickson In chapters 24 and 25 of Alma, we read about the details of a war between the Lamanites, Nephites, and the people of Anti-Nephi-Lehi. Let’s cover the timeline of this story so we can pull out details of how the Lord works with His people. In chapter 24 of The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 23–29 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

The 2024 annual conference, FAIR and Valiant Voices: United in Faith, will be held Thursday, August 8 and Friday, August 9. The beautiful new location is the American Heritage School in Salt Lake City. Tickets available now! Questions? Loading… Powered By Whova Mobile Event App The post Our Annual Conference Agenda Is Now Available appeared first on FAIR.

by Scott Hansen The “Asking Big Questions” series is made in cooperation with the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we believe “that God has revealed” and “will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God” (Articles of Faith 1:9). However, change can be The post Asking Big Questions: Why Does the Church Change? appeared first on FAIR.

The Lamanite mission of the sons of Mosiah (Alma 17-29) 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 The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 17-29 – Mike Parker appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Morning Session Pillars and Rays Elder Alexander Dushku Of the Seventy Main Points We too can have our own pillar of light—one ray at a time. No two people experience God’s light and truth in exactly the same way. Most of us receive truth line upon line, not in one The post Consider Conference: Pillars and Rays appeared first on FAIR.

The Power of Women by Autumn Dickson Just as a heads up, I will be speaking about Ammon this week, but it takes a bit for me to segue into it so stay with me. In the March 2024 Relief Society Broadcast, J. Anette Dennis, the first counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency taught, The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 17–22 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Foreordained by Autumn Dickson As we begin the chapters for this week, we find Alma preaching to the people regarding a variety of topics. One of these topics is how high priests are foreordained and sent to the earth to fulfill special callings. Alma 13:3-4 3 And this is the manner after which they were The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 13–16 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Morning Session All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants President Henry B. Eyring Second Counselor in the First Presidency Main Points There is nothing more important than honoring the covenants you have made or may make in the temple. The temple brings understanding and peace. The temple is a The post Consider Conference: All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants appeared first on FAIR.

2024 April General Conference, Sunday Morning Session Pray, He is There President Susan H. Porter Primary General President Main Points  I invite you to pray to know Heavenly Father is there, pray to grow to become like Him, and pray to show His love to others. Pray to Know: Encouraging children to pray to understand The post Consider Conference: Pray, He is There appeared first on FAIR.

Revelation for Alma by Autumn Dickson In the chapters for this week, we read about Alma and Amulek attempting to convert the hard-hearted people of Ammonihah. In the beginning, we observe Alma as he originally goes into the city to preach to the people. They spit on him and revile him, and he leaves the The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Alma 8–12 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Gerrit Dirkmaat was featured in episode 5. This is the full interview. Check out Dr. Dirkmaat’s podcast with Prof. Richard LeDuc: https://standardoftruth.com/   Gerrit Dirkmaat is an associate professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He received his PhD from the University of Colorado in 2010, where he studied nineteenth-century American expansionism The post Me, My Shelf, & I – Episode 8 – Seer Stones w/ Dr. Gerrit Dirkmaat (Full Interview) appeared first on FAIR.

The ministry of Alma & Amulek (Alma 5–16) 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 5–7; Alma 8–12; Alma 13–16 – 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