Where does one go to learn more about Book of Mormon studies? For those who do not regularly engage with scholarship, it’s hard to know how to begin. Currently there’s no general guide to Book of Mormon scholarship available to the public. Even with all that’s happened in the last few decades, and especially all that’s happening right now in Book of Mormon studies, this situation needs to be remedied. There has been no general guide to Book of Mormon scholarship available to the public—until now. This introduction breaks down Book of Mormon studies, from its history to the obstacles that will need to be overcome as it moves forward. Additionally, this introduction provides readers with resources that they can turn to for further information on Book of Mormon studies. ISBN 978-1-9503-0426-4

This book was in many ways a first: first to provide a full collection of Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo discourses in the mature and climatic years of his life; first to reproduce them in exact fidelity to their original written sources in diaries and journals; first to cross-reference them to earlier sayings and discourses of Joseph Smith; first to index all the biblical and other scriptural verses discussed or alluded to; first to provide contextual settings for each discourse in proper chronological sequence; first to footnote the discourses in terms of their historical and doctrinal kinships; and first to interlace all these discourses with other fundamental teachings of this rich and formative period of Church history. ISBN 0-8849-4419-0

Walk alongside the Mormon girls, young women, mothers, and grandmothers who traveled to Arizona by covered wagons and by train. This book is filled with numerous stories of remarkable women who traversed the harsh terrain, drove teams, and cared for their husbands and children while their men trailed the cattle, and were vital in settling the Arizona Strip and along the Little Colorado, San Pedro, Gila, and Salt Rivers. With references to recent publications, footnotes to explain long-forgotten phrases and events, and over three hundred photographs, this second edition will not only keep these stories alive for descendants and general readers but also provide a wealth of information for specialists in women’s studies, Arizona history, Mormon history, and Western Americana. ISBN 978-1-9443-9409-7

The 51st Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The related themes of households and families figure prominently in the New Testament. On various occasions Jesus taught about marriage, divorce, and more general familial relations. Jesus, Peter, and Paul also taught about the important contributions single members and widows make in the kingdom and such household complexities as mixed-faith marriages or relationships between slaves and masters. Thus, the New Testament contains much counsel on household conduct, familial relationships, and belonging to “the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19). The Sperry Symposium, named in honor of pioneering Latter-day Saint scripture scholar Sidney B. Sperry and held on the campus of Brigham Young University, seeks each year to examine and illuminate an aspect of the religious and cultural heritage of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. ISBN 978-1-9503-0434-9

Joseph and Hyrum Smith exemplified leadership as they worked together in organizing and operating the Church, teaching, speaking, and building temples and towns. As leaders, they held firm to their convictions, roused the hearts and minds of men and women in varied walks of life, and left legacies sufficient to stamp them as two of the most remarkable and influential men of the nineteenth century. The stories and examples of their shared leadership illustrate how they honored agency, exerted righteous influence, grew through adversity, forged bonds of obligation and love, governed conflict, and organized through councils. Their examples in this book can help us transform our personal perspective of leadership, lead with an eternal focus, heal and bless others through our leadership, learn and grow by asking authentic questions, share leadership in the home, and lead in the governmental arena. By incorporating these principles in our lives, we can foster more satisfying relationships in our homes, our Church service, and our professional lives. The book concludes with a call for each of us to carry on their legacy, which transcends time and place. Their lives and teachings are filled with lessons and skills we can easily apply today. ISBN 978-0-8425-2754-5

The story of the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo to a new mountain home “far away in the west” still stirs the imagination of writers, artists, historians, and musicians. Letters, diaries and other manuscript sources continue to be discovered that recount this stirring chapter in Mormon history. An entire believing people came to trust that they would find their place to worship without fear of persecution if they followed their God. This book is divided into three sections: the Mormons’ forced departure from their Nauvoo homes in 1846–47; the Mormons’ experiences along their journey to the Rocky Mountains; and what the Mormon Trail has come to mean in recent times. Even readers who have followed this history will discover new and inspiring facts about this enduring story. ISBN 978-0-8425-2969-3

The Prophet Joseph Smith’s statement, “I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book,” may be one of his most recognizable quotes. Millions of readers of the Book of Mormon find it in the sixth paragraph of the book’s introduction. Hundreds of thousands of general conference participants hear it cited repeatedly from the pulpit. Books, articles, and even entire symposia use it as a theme. However, how many people familiar with the quote understand its context? For example, why did Joseph say what he did regarding the Book of Mormon? Who were “the brethren” to whom he made the statement? What sparked the declaration? How has it been used over time? Answers to these important historical questions help us better appreciate the power and application of Joseph’s prophetic statement in our modern day.

This volume explores events and teachings of the early years of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Featuring scholars from Brigham Young University, the Church History Department, and the Joseph Smith Papers, the collection of prominent materials previously produced by the BYU Religious Studies Center is designed as a companion to personal and family study of the Doctrine and Covenants and Church history. Chapters explore Joseph Smith’s accounts of his First Vision, the translation of the Book of Mormon, and the restoration of priesthood power. Doctrinal teachings about consecration, Zion, the kingdoms of glory, and work for the dead are also investigated, as are harrowing experiences in Liberty and Carthage Jails and the exodus to the West. ISBN 978-1-9503-0401-1

For more than 150 years, “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” the anthem of the pioneer journey, has praised Salt Lake City as “the place, which God for us prepared.” This new book from Brigham Young University’s Religious Studies Center analyzes the fulfillment of that poetic longing. The sixteenth in a series of regional studies on Latter-day Saint church history, it contains a collection of essays by faculty members in the Department of Church History and Doctrine discussing Salt Lake’s place in our sacred story. Topics include histories of significant landmarks, stories from the city’s past, and discussions of Church organizations. The reader will see connections between the revelations of Joseph Smith and Salt Lake City as a modern city of Zion, the place, indeed, where the Saints have been blessed. ISBN 978-0-8425-2799-6

After the Mormon Tabernacle in Salt Lake City’s Temple Square was renovated in 2007, historian Scott C. Esplin released this in-depth review of the Tabernacle’s construction. Featuring beautiful and historic photos, much of the book consists of a newly edited version of Stewart Grow’s thesis on the building of the Tabernacle. Grow was the grandson of Henry Grow, the bridge builder who built the roof of the historic Tabernacle. The editor has provided a new introduction, placing the thesis in historical context. ISBN 978-0-8425-2675-3

Seasoned by time and coupled with an endowment of spiritual light, the prophets, seers, and revelators of our time offer messages with special meaning for all who seek gospel insight. Fulfilling their divine mandate, the prophets in this dispensation have authored a large collection of essays, articles, and addresses expounding God’s truths to his children. In particular, they have addressed issues related to gospel teaching, learning, and scripture. The Religious Studies Center (RSC) at BYU has regularly published landmark scholarship on Latter-day Saint scripture, doctrine, history, and culture. What is sometimes overlooked is that more than seventy significant essays by General Authorities appear in its collection of publications. This book contains selections from that collection, authored by prophets, seers, and revelators and published by the Religious Studies Center over the past thirty-five years. ISBN 978-0-8425-2773-6

The 41st Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium The Lord declared to the Prophet Joseph Smith, “This generation shall have my word through you.” The Doctrine and Covenants helps fulfill that purpose. Jesus declares of this record, “These words are . . . of me; . . . for it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power.” The Doctrine and Covenants is another witness of Jesus Christ to the children of God in these latter days. It strengthens faith and confidence in the words of the Lord. It explores significant messages, teachings, doctrines, and themes given by the Lord. It contains a Christ-centered message that expands our understanding of the Lord’s purposes for each of us. ISBN 978-0-8425-2819-1