The 2007 BYU Church History Symposium Wilford Woodruff was different from his predecessors and successors in one particular way—he left an incredibly detailed handwritten record, spanning over sixty years, of nearly everything he did and experienced. He is arguably the third most important figure in all of LDS church history after Joseph Smith, who began Mormonism, and Brigham Young, who led the Saints to Utah and supervised the early colonization of the intermountain west. Through his skillful, inspired leadership and direction, Wilford Woodruff helped bring about accommodation and change, leading the Church into the social, cultural, and religious mainstream of American society. This book is a compilation of presentations selected from the annual BYU Church History Symposium hosted by BYU Religious Education to honor Wilford Woodruff, to explore his life and the many roles he filled, and to celebrate the two-hundredth anniversary of his birth. ISBN 978-0-8425-2776-7

The 2007 BYU Easter Conference Followers of Jesus Christ since the beginning have referred to their Savior as the Lamb of God. While down by the River Jordan, John the Baptist was baptizing those who desired to follow the Savior. When the Savior approached the Baptist, John declared, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). After John baptized Jesus, he bore record “that he had baptized the Lamb of God” (1 Nephi 10:10). The next day, when John and two of his disciples saw Jesus, the Baptist again proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God!” (John 1:36). Three years later the Savior brought his Twelve Apostles to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. As Jews from all over the Roman Empire made pilgrimage to Herod’s Temple, firstborn male lambs without blemish were offered up as sacrifice, commemorating that God had physically delivered his people from their bondage to Pharaoh. During that same Passover, Jesus, the firstborn spirit son of God and the only mortal to live a perfect life, prepared himself to be offered up as a sacrifice in order to spiritually deliver God’s children from their bondage to Satan. This volume celebrates the life and sacrifice of the Lamb of God. ISBN 978-0-8425-2693-7

This volume is written for readers of the Bible. It is intended to provide historical backgrounds concerning the peoples and lands of the Bible and is meant to supplement a study of the biblical narrative itself. Thus it is not a traditional history of the ancient Near East, because it does not address all periods and all societies but has its focus on those that enlighten the biblical text. It is also written with those Bible readers in mind who travel or study in Bible lands, with emphasis on places and artifacts that visitors frequently see today. This book is not a Religious Studies Center publication. It was produced by the RSC on behalf of the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, Brigham Young University. ISBN 978-1-9443-9402-8

Is the New Testament doctrinally complete? Does God condone anger as the book of Matthew seems to suggest? What does the book of Mormon teach us about the concept of hell as compared to the Bible and the teachings of other Christian faiths? What is the meaning of the word gospel? In this volume, fourteen Latter-day Saint scholars answer these and other questions with a collection of thought-provoking essays. These essays show that the Book of Mormon confirms the truth of the New Testament while offering a more complete understanding of the plan of salvation. ISBN 1-5734-5836-8

Many Latter-day Saints can distinguish between the writings of prophets such as Ezra Taft Benson, David O. McKay, and Brigham Young, because each of these men had characteristics and themes unique to himself. The author reasons that if the writings of latter-day prophets reflect their authors’ personal characteristics, then records left by ancient prophets should also contain features that distinguish their authors as individuals. In this book, the traits that set each Book of Mormon author apart from the others are analyzed. The suggestion made by critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the Book of Mormon was written by a single nineteenth-century author is refuted. ISBN 1-5700-8276-6

In this volume, nine Latter-day Saint scholars each address the question of Book of Mormon authorship from a different approach. The tests of authenticity they employ rely on analytical techniques borrowed from such diverse disciplines as history, literature, statistics, and ancient Near Eastern studies. For both layman and scholar, this book makes exciting reading. While ultimate acceptance of the Book of Mormon as the word of God is and will remain a spiritual matter, the reasoned analyses, comparisons, and examinations contained in these pages add to the swelling volume of evidence that supports Joseph Smith’s account of the authorship of that book. ISBN 0-8849-4469-7

“The Book of Mormon provides resounding and great answers to what Amulek designated as ’the great question’—namely, is there really a redeeming Christ? (Alma 34:5–6). The Book of Mormon with clarity and with evidence says, ’Yes! Yes! Yes!’ ” This declaration by Elder Neal A. Maxwell is the first in what might be described as a treasure trove of answers—a collection of twenty-seven though-provoking essays exploring and explaining the great truths found in the book of Mormon. Selected from more than three decades of symposia and conferences held at Brigham Young University, these essays by General Authorities and religious educators are filled with insights that will appeal to any serious student of the “keystone of our religion.” A Book of Mormon Treasury covers a wide variety of gospel topics, from “Agency and Freedom,” “Faith, Hope, and Charity,” and “The Doctrine of a Covenant People” to “Abinadi’s Commentary on Isaiah,” “The Natural Man: An Enemy to God,” and “The Concept of Hell.” Arranged to follow the order of the books in the Book of Mormon, each essay provides a deeper look into familiar doctrines, illuminating the gems of truth found within this sacred book of scripture. Among the valuable insights offered are these: “The highest and most revered purpose of the Book of Mormon is to restore to Abraham’s seed that crucial message declaring Christ’s divinity, convincing all who read its pages ’with a sincere heart, with real intent’ that Jesus is the Christ (Moroni 10:4).”—Elder Jeffrey R. Holland “Even as the criticism of the Book of Mormon continues to intensify, the book continues to testify and to diversify its displays of interior consistency, conceptual richness, and its connection with antiquity.”—Elder Neal A. Maxwell “Serious and careful study of the Fall in the Book of Mormon can drive people to their knees, bringing them to acknowledge their own weaknesses and thus their need for the Lord’s redemption. The Atonement is necessary because of the Fall, and unless people sense the effects of Eden—both cosmically and personally—they cannot comprehend the impact of Gethsemane and Calvary.”—Robert L. Millet ISBN 978-1-5903-8099-4

The Eighth Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU Chapters 9 through 30 of 3 Nephi are perhaps the most choice part of the entire Book of Mormon because this section chronicles the transcendent visit of the Risen Lord to the Nephite Saints, His profound teachings, and His amazing, compassionate ministry. His recorded actions and utterance during this period offer remarkable scope for a reverent and knowledgeable review such as that done by sixteen scholars in this book. The 3 Nephi text, like that of the entire Book of Mormon, is shown to be “remarkably efficient” and to give “extraordinary unity and coherence to . . . its message.” ISBN 0-8849-4913-3

The Sixth Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU Nineteen papers on a variety of topics related to the largest book in the Book of Mormon, Alma, make up this volume. These topics include the relevance of the book of Alma to our modern situation, classic discourses of Alma the Younger, the doctrinal and spiritual understanding afforded by Alma’s counsel to his son Corianton, and an enlightening look at the anti-Christ Korihor. The missionary experiences of the sons of Mosiah and Captain Moroni are also discussed. The conclusions drawn in these papers reflect the authors’ testimony of what Alma himself knew to be true: that God’s word has—and always will have—“a great tendency to lead the people to do that which [is] just.” ISBN 0-8849-4841-2

This exquisitely produced volume presents the official Latter-day Saint edition of the Book of Mormon in an attractive, accessible, readable version that brings to Latter-day Saints the helpful features that have been part of standard Bible publishing for decades: paragraphs, quotation marks, poetic stanzas, section headings, and superscripted verse numbers. The latest Latter-day Saint scholarship is reflected in its brief, thoughtfully considered footnotes, although the focus is always on the text itself—its wording, structure, and interconnections—allowing the book’s sacred message to be heard anew. The Maxwell Institute Study Edition is ideally suited to both new readers of the Book of Mormon and also those who know the book well and have loved its teachings and testimony of Christ for many years. ISBN 978-1-9443-9465-3

The Second Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU In a variety of themes and approaches, the symposium papers reproduced in this volume explore the first book in the Book of Mormon—First Nephi. The value of the Book of Mormon, historical background of the plates, and the title page are all discussed. How the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, how its biblical allusions and its affirmations of God’s dealings with man establish the truth of the Bible; and how textual evidences further verify the authenticity of the Book of Mormon are demonstrated. ISBN 0-8849-4647-9

The Ninth Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU As the final installment in the book of Mormon Symposium series, this volume examines the last four books of the Nephite record: 4 Nephi, Mormon, Ether, and Moroni. Perhaps more than any other part in the Book of Mormon, this section powerfully portrays the cycle through which the ancient inhabitants of America passed many times—the cycle that took them from righteousness to wickedness, from Zion to destruction. Twenty-five contributors here explore the details of this tragic cycle—as it occurred in both the Nephite and the Jaredite civilizations—and also discuss many related doctrinal and historical issues. Realizing the Book of Mormon’s relevance to our day, the writers further take the opportunity to point out the many modern applications. ISBN 0-8849-4974-5

The Seventh Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU “All things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.” This was the Lord’s glorious promise to Nephi, son of Helaman. The general wickedness that prevailed in much of Nephite society during Nephi’s day was in stark contrast to his exemplary faithfulness. Why was this so? How did the people’s decline come about so rapidly? What specific messages do the book of Helaman and the early chapters of 3 Nephi contain for our day? Seventeen symposium papers collected in this volume address these and other issues related to events and conditions among the Nephites and the Lamanites during the eighty or so years prior to the Savior’s appearance on the American continent. Contributors not only discuss great doctrinal teachings of stalwarts like Nephi, Samuel the Lamanite, and Mormon but also provide detailed analyses of how and why the Nephites moved from a condition of righteousness to one of wickedness during this critical period in their history. ISBN 0-8849-4864-1

The Fourth Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU The remarks of this volume are centered on the small plates of Nephi—Jacob through the Words of Mormon. The greatness of Lehi’s son Jacob is brought out, with special reference to his remarkable grasp of the doctrine of the Atonement, his powerful preaching about Christ, and his affirmations as to the central role of Christ in all gospel dispensations. Enos, Amaleki, and the anti-Christ Sherem are other topics discussed. Clarification is given on the structure of the Book of Mormon in terms of the large and the small plates of Nephi, the plates of Mormon (the abridgment), and the Words of Mormon. Latter-day Saint scholars who have experience the spiritual power of the Book of Mormon share here their insights on specific themes. ISBN 0-8849-4734-3

The Fifth Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU King Benjamin’s monumental address on service and the Savior; the powerful testimony and the martyrdom of the prophet Abinadi; the moving conversion stories of both Alma the Elder and Alma the Younger; the deliverance of Nephites from Lamanite bondage—this is the historically and doctrinally rich material of which this volume’s papers draw their themes. Other questions and issues are explored: What specific, vital lessons about following living prophets, making and keeping covenants, and developing Christlike qualities can parents draw from the book of Mosiah to teach to their children, and how can they effectively teach them those lessons? What political and social insights, as well as warnings, are implied by the similarities between the Nephite system of judges and the constitutional system of the United States? Other topics include an in-depth look at the priesthood calling and practices, the process of spiritual rebirth, and lessons on bondage. ISBN 0-8849-4816-1

The Third Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU In this volume, twenty-two scholars comment knowledgeably on a variety of themes evoked by the prophetic words of Isaiah, Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob as given in 2 Nephi. Contributors discuss doctrines of Christ such as repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Fall, the Atonement, hope, endurance, the name of Jesus Christ as revealed to the Nephites, and the Nephite diligence in teaching and transmitting the gospel. Comments on the early Nephite period deepen our appreciation for Nephi’s spiritual strength. Although many perspectives are offered here, its underlying purpose is to illumine, clarify, and reinforce the gospel of Jesus Christ. ISBN 0-8849-4699-1

The First Annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU Joseph Smith called it “the most correct . . . book on earth” and “the keystone of our religion.” Both correctness and keystone are reflected in these papers presented at the Religious Studies Center’s first annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU. The foremost consideration is the book’s message about Jesus Christ and His mission and teachings. ISBN 0-8849-4637-1