Discusses the culture of the mound builders whose remains stretch from New York to Central America. The mounds, thought to be works of defense, religious structures, or sepulchral monuments, are as large as 70 feet high and 1000 feet in circumference. Relics of art have been found such as implements of copper, single and double axes, pottery, and cloth. Author believes that the mound builders and the Toltecs were the same people.

Gives a brief synopsis of Jaredite history including their sailing to the American continent from the Tower of Babel. Also cites many ancient American flood myths that relate to the biblical story of the flood at the time of Noah.

Independence, MO: Herald House, 1950

Consists of 13 lessons directed towards adults of the RLDS church. Lesson contents include a definition of doctrine, an overview of the contents of the Book of Mormon, and discussions dealing with faith in God, the law of revelation, repentance, baptism, spiritual birth, the Holy Spirit, resurrection, justice and judgment, worship, the Trinity, and the significance of Book of Mormon doctrine.

RLDS pamphlet that makes summary statements about three colonies—the Jaredites, Lehites, and Mulekites—and mentions the coming of Christ to ancient America Writes regarding the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. Cites archaeological evidence.

Those who hold the Aaronic Priesthood open the door for all Church members who worthily partake of the sacrament to enjoy the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord and the ministering of angels.

Like the mortal life of which they are a part, adversities are temporary. What is permanent is what we become by the way we react to them.

Again and again the Book of Mormon teaches that the gospel of Jesus Christ is universal in its promise and effect.

The subject I believe we have neglected is the Book of Mormon’s witness of the divinity and mission of Jesus Christ and our covenant relationship to him.

The Holy Ghost will protect us against being deceived, but to realize that wonderful blessing we must always do the things necessary to retain that Spirit.

The burden [of a bishop] is a heavy one that cannot be fulfilled without the supportive efforts of ward officers and members.

In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.

To accomplish its mission, BYU must have all parts of its community united in pursuing it.

Because of God’s plan and the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can be cleansed by the process of repentance.

President Oaks describes the divinely inspired principles in the United States Constitution. He teaches how Latter-day Saints can defend these principles.

To achieve our eternal destiny, we will desire and work for the qualities required to become an eternal being.

President Oaks teaches that the plan of salvation is founded on Heavenly Father’s love for us.

A good marriage does not require a perfect man or a perfect woman. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection.

We must strive for mutual understanding and treat all with goodwill. We must exercise patience. We should all speak out for religion and the importance of religious freedom. We must, above all, trust in God and His promises.

Available information wisely used is far more valuable than multiplied information allowed to lie fallow.

Following Christ is not a casual or occasional practice but a continuous commitment and way of life that applies at all times and in all places.

May God bless us to live our lives so as to avoid entangling ourselves in sin and compromising our precious and unique gift of free agency. May we accept responsibility for our thoughts and our actions. May we use our free agency to make righteous choices and to act upon them as we have the freedom to do so.

These remarks were given at the Provo Tabernacle on Wednesday, March 2, 2005. Used by permission.
Reflections on the life of Hugh Nibley and his contributions as a historian.

“Each year there are new examples of coincidences—I call them miracles—that further our ties and our friendship with China and its people.”

When we give thanks in all things, we see hardships and adversities in the context of the purpose of life.

Because we have the truth about the Godhead and our relationship to Them, we have the ultimate road map for our journey through mortality.

More important than what you do as a student are the choices you are making in your personal life—the priorities you are adopting consciously or subconsciously. Are you going forward against the world’s opposition?

We have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families.

He has given us His Atonement, His gospel, and His Church, a sacred combination that gives us the assurance of immortality and the opportunity for eternal life.

In our sacred callings of gospel teaching, no effort is too good for the work of the Lord and the growth of His children.

We who know God’s plan and who have covenanted to participate have a clear responsibility to teach these truths.

As Latter-day Saints use the words saved and salvation, there are at least six different meanings.

The healing power of the Lord Jesus Christ … is available for every affliction in mortality.

We have this priesthood power, and we should all be prepared to use it properly.

President Oaks teaches that God inspires many organizations and individuals to help those in need and that the Church is committed to work with others in that effort. The Church of Jesus Christ is committed to serving those in need, and it is also committed to cooperating with others in that effort.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks addresses the arguments of those who term themselves believing Latter-day Saints yet advocate that Latter-day Saints should “abandon claims that [the Book of Mormon] is a historical record of the ancient peoples of the Americas.” The argument that it makes no difference whether the Book of Mormon is fact or fable is surely a sibling to the argument that it makes no difference whether Jesus Christ ever lived.

The issue of the historicity of the Book of Mormon highlights the difference between those who rely solely on scholarship and those who rely on revelation, faith, and scholarship. Those who rely solely on scholarship reject revelation and focus on a limited number of issues. But they can neither prove nor disprove the authenticity of the Book of Mormon through their secular evidence and methods. On the other hand, those who rely on a combination of revelation, faith, and scholarship can see and understand all of the complex issues of the Book of Mormon record, and it is only through that combination that the question of the historicity of the Book of Mormon can be answered.

Though men’s hearts are failing them, you should take heart. There have always been challenging times. We, the generations of your predecessors, have survived daunting challenges, and so will you. The answer to all of these challenges is the same as it has always been. We have a Savior, and He has taught us what we should do.

He introduces this special session of general conference focused on the concerns of women and their organizations.

The full measure of [our] conversion to men and women of God happens best through our labors in His vineyard.

My subject is Joseph Smith in a personal world. My lens is primarily a personal one—his impact on me and believers I have known during my lifetime. I will also discuss Joseph Smith’s own personal world and his impact on his acquaintances and friends. A major focus will be Joseph Smith’s role as a prophet and his teachings on the reality of revelation. By prophet I mean one who speaks for God in revealing divine truth to others. By revelation I mean God’s communication to man—to prophets and to every one of us, if we seek.

Only from Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior of this world, can we obtain the living water whose partaker shall never thirst again, in whom it will be “a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

Priesthood keys direct women as well as men, and priesthood ordinances and priesthood authority pertain to women as well as men.

We have a loving Heavenly Father who will see that we receive every blessing and every advantage that our own desires and choices allow.

The love of God does not supersede His laws and His commandments, and the effect of God’s laws and commandments does not diminish the purpose and effect of His love.

As followers of Christ we should live peacefully with others who do not share our values or accept the teachings upon which they are based.

In the Church the authority of the priesthood is exercised under the direction of a priesthood leader who holds the keys of that priesthood.

The scriptures clearly teach the origin and need for a church directed by and with the authority of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Are we serving priorities or gods ahead of the God we profess to worship?

Opposition permits us to grow toward what our Heavenly Father would have us become.

A person who engages in self-congratulation over a supposed strength has lost the protection of humility and is vulnerable to Satan’s using that strength to produce his or her downfall.

Dallin H. Oaks discusses the parable of the sower and warns of attitudes that prevent the word of God from growing in our hearts and bearing “fruit.”

Our Heavenly Father’s great plan of happiness tells you who you are and the purpose of your life.

The family proclamation is the Lord’s reemphasis of the gospel truths we need to sustain us through current challenges to the family.

Let us all improve our personal behavior and redouble our efforts to protect our loved ones and our environment from the onslaught of pornography.

The magnifying of the holy priesthood you hold is vital to the work of the Lord in your families and in your Church callings.

We need to make … spiritual preparation for the events prophesied at the time of the Second Coming.

There are many similarities and some differences in the way priesthood authority functions in the family and in the Church.

None should resist the plea that we unite to increase our concern for the welfare and future of our children—the rising generation.

Elder Dallin H. and Sister Kristen M. Oaks talk about dating, hope, and how to push back against the pressures of the world by keeping the Sabbath day holy.

Only the gospel of Jesus Christ can unite and bring peace to people of all races and nationalities.

Repenting means giving up all of our practices—personal, family, ethnic, and national—that are contrary to the commandments of God.

Resurrection is much more than merely reuniting a spirit to a body. … The resurrection is a restoration that brings back “carnal for carnal” and “good for that which is good” (Alma 41:13).

I know that God lives and that revelation to his children is a reality. I pray that we will be worthy and willing, and that he will bless us to grow in this principle of revelation.

The ordinance of the sacrament makes the sacrament meeting the most sacred and important meeting in the Church.

Our lives of service and sacrifice are the most appropriate expressions of our commitment to serve the Master and our fellowmen.

The most effective missionaries, member and full-time, always act out of love. … If we lack this love for others, we should pray for it.

What we call “member missionary work” is not a program but an attitude of love and outreach to help those around us.

“We don’t have to have personal experience with the effects of serious transgressions to know that they are destructive of our eternal welfare.”

We need to be reminded that in total and over a significant period of time, seemingly small things bring to pass great things.

Because of His Atonement, the Savior has the power to succor—to help—every mortal pain and affliction.

Dallin H. Oaks - Live so that you can be guided and taught by the Spirit in all your activities. - October 1971 General Conference. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/1971/10/strive-for-excellence?lang=eng15861 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUaIbVRoW4M

Jesus Christ is the Only Begotten and Beloved Son of God. … He is our Savior from sin and death. This is the most important knowledge on earth.

We are given the scriptures to direct our lives. My message today consists of a selection of the words of our Savior—what He said.

Knowledge encourages obedience, and obedience enhances knowledge.

The first principle of the gospel is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith means trust—trust in God’s will, trust in His way of doing things, and trust in His timetable. We should not try to impose our timetable on His.

Our only sure reliance is to trust in the Lord and His love for His children.

When we seek the truth about religion, we should use spiritual methods appropriate for that search.

Our tolerance and respect for others and their beliefs does not cause us to abandon our commitment to the truths we understand and the covenants we have made.

We must try to keep both of the great commandments. To do so, we walk a fine line between law and love.

We must use both the personal line and the priesthood line in proper balance to achieve the growth that is the purpose of mortal life.

Our Savior teaches us to follow Him by making the sacrifices necessary to lose ourselves in unselfish service to others.

“The weightier matters that move us toward our goals of eternal life are love of God, obedience to his commandments, and unity in accomplishing the work of his Church.”

President Oaks teaches that Jesus Christ made it possible for each of us to return to our Heavenly Father and achieve our eternal destiny.

What seem to be only small deviations in direction or small detours from the straight and narrow path can result in huge differences in position down the road of life.

We make better choices and decisions if we look at the alternatives and ponder where they will lead.

One of Martin Harris’s greatest contributions to the Church, for which he should be honored for all time, was his financing the publication of the Book of Mormon.

In recent years the idea has been promoted that the Book of Mormon should be viewed as a great moral work but not as the actual history of peoples in the Americas. In this paper, Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles defends the historicity of the Book of Mormon from the standpoint of faith and revelation. He demonstrates that scholarship cannot create faith and that secular evidence will never be able to prove or disprove the Book of Mormon. He also illustrates how the burden of negative proof lies squarely on the shoulders of skeptics, how God values the witness of revelation more than the witness of man, and how historians’ methodologies are unable to sufficiently account for the Book of Mormon.

Additional authors: Tad R. Callister, John Gee, Joel A. Flake, and Gerald N. Lund.