We can easily see Laman and Lemuel as being lost from the start. Almost like stock characters in a novel, they may appear to have little depth or complexity. This simplistic view makes it hard to identify the reasons behind, as well as the consequences of, Laman and Lemuel’s behavior. Consequently, if we do not look for deeper meaning in Laman and Lemuel’s story, we may fail to identify the necessary precepts to avoid the pitfalls they fell into and to which we are vulnerable today. Through a more contextual view of Laman and Lemuel’s lives, we are provided with a set of precepts to help us thrive spiritually in our day. As President Spencer W. Kimball taught, to be “forewarned is [to be] forearmed.” Ultimately, Laman and Lemuel’s lack of faith in and incorrect understanding of God led to their failure to become the righteous sons of God they were intended to be.

The period 1960–65 was key to the evolution of the Church because it represented a significant adjustment in approach and direction, particularly from Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. This history focuses on the personalities and programs of the mission presidents and their wives with particular emphasis on Elder A. Theodore Tuttle because the changes that occurred during this period were the product of these men and women. Though the nucleus of the book is Elder Tuttle’s activities, it is not a biography of him but an examination of the history of the Church in South America during these five years. Each mission in South America is discussed in relation to Elder Tuttle’s efforts and some of the issues and concerns of the time. ISBN 978-0-8425-2713-2

The offering of the gospel first to the Jews then to the Gentiles in ancient days and its latter-day offering first to the Gentiles and then to the Jews

Regarded by many as a modern miracle, the United States Constitution is one of the most impressive and important documents in human history. Yet clearly the continued vitality of the Constitution and its principles is not a given. Modern trends undermine the survival of the Constitution and its institutions. This book serves to remind us that it is not enough to merely enshrine the Constitution as an interesting historical relic; rather, the prophets urge us to keep it alive by studying and understanding its principles, being responsible in our civic duties, and being righteous citizens of our communities. ISBN 0-8849-4783-1

Traditional Christianity struggled for many years to define its canon, to determine which of its writings were sacred, inspired, and authoritative. The Latter-day Saint concept of canon differs from that of other Christians. In addition to the Bible, the Latter-day Saint canon includes the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price. These “standard works” provide a measuring rod by which we can judge other texts and statements. But while we have a canon, we nevertheless believe that God continues to make known His will through the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles—men we sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators. Inspired by the Holy Ghost, their decisions are to be made in unity (D&C 107:27). We as Church members also need the Holy Ghost in order to recognize scriptural power in their words, and we can be comforted in the Lord’s promise that the President of the Church will never lead us astray.

During the early 1970s, a practical need arose for a Latter-day Saint edition of the King James Bible. As explained by George A. Horton Jr., director of curriculum production and distribution for the Church Educational System, three different Bibles were in circulation among Church members—one for adults, one for seminary students, and one for Primary children. Not only did this system create an element of chaos, but it also increased costs. [1] About this time, the Spirit of the Lord seemed to be hovering over several people in various organizations within the Church. Two of these people were Horton and his colleague Grant E. Barton, who was then serving as a member of the newly formed Meetinghouse Library Committee. [2] Horton and Barton were neighbors who carpooled together to the Church Office Building, using the occasion to discuss a desire to have one Bible as well as teaching aids for an LDS edition. [3] Barton, Horton, and another colleague decided to survey various organizations of the Church to help them decide “what the ideal characteristics/features would be of the ideal Bible that would be used by all.”

Published by BYU Studies and the Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah Copyright © 2002 by Brigham Young University All rights reserved. Any uses of this material beyond those allowed by the exemptions in U.S. copyright law, such as section 107, “Fair Use,” and section 108, “Library Copying,” requires the written permission of the publisher, Religious Studies Center, 167 HGB, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602. The views expressed herein are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily represent the position of Brigham Young University, BYU Studies, or the Religious Studies Center. ISBN 0–8425–2529–7

This remarkable volume tells the story of Latter-day Saint nurses who have served in the military, covering the engagements from World War I through Operation Iraqi Freedom. Each conflict is introduced by a brief historical background, followed by individual accounts that capture the struggles and sacrifices of the nurses who served so faithfully. ISBN 0-8425-2611-0

In recent years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its people have increasingly become the subject of rigorous scientific study in the field of sociology. Researchers both inside and outside the Church have examined various aspects of Latter-day Saint life—including physical and mental health, education, secularization, adolescent delinquency, and the conversion process. This book collects in one volume the best scholarship describing and analyzing the social conditions in which Latter-day Saints live and how the values, beliefs, and practices of the gospel affect their lives. This research portrays a growing church with devoted members who enjoy a healthy and commendable lifestyle. ISBN 1-5700-8396-7

This volume takes a fresh look at the history, people, and places in Washington, DC, that have affected the Church. Beginning with Joseph Smith’s earliest interactions with the federal government in the 1830s, the Church’s progress has been shaped by leaders and members interacting in Washington. This volume is filled with essays on many topics about the Church’s history, people, and places in the nation’s capital. It also chronicles many of the Saints and statesmen who have worked to bring the Church out of obscurity and onto a national and international stage. ISBN 978-1-9503-0403-5

Latter-day temples parallel ancient temples, especially those of the Israelites

Built amid sugarcane fields on the island of O‘ahu and dedicated in 1919, the Lā‘ie Hawai‘i Temple was at the forefront of a Churchwide shift away from gathering to the Intermountain West. This temple was among the first brought to the people, and for decades it stood as the closest temple geographically to half the planet. One of the first Latter-day Saint temples to accommodate large numbers of patrons from different cultures speaking different languages, it has been one of the most ethnically prodigious temples of the latter days. It was an early physical symbol of the boldness of a relatively young and provincial church to take the fullness of the gospel, realized only in temples, to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Commemorating the Lā‘ie Hawai‘i Temple’s one hundredth anniversary, this volume shares the remarkable history and contributions of this beloved temple. ISBN 978-1-9443-9485-1

This volume of collected essays is intended to assist disciples of Jesus Christ in coming to a deeper understanding of the Savior and his ministry through their personal study of the New Testament. Because the period and culture of the New Testament can be daunting to modern readers, the editors gathered the work of Latter-day Saint scholars who have devoted time and research to gaining a greater understanding of the New Testament. The editors included essays written from a variety of perspectives to highlight the different lenses that can productively be brought to bear on the New Testament. Some of these essays are overtly devotional, while others are more explicitly academic, but all are written with the intent to help each of us accomplish one goal: to learn of him. ISBN 978-1-9503-0433-2

The Lectures on Faith are among the oldest of LDS writings. They formed the basis for doctrinal studies in the School for the Elders during the winter of 1834–35 and ever since have been highly valued in the Church. They constitute a substantial historical and doctrinal heritage from early Restoration years. Bringing together in one volume the background, the history, the text, and an informed and stimulating commentary, this book makes a major contribution to an understanding of the subject and therefore to the reader’s efforts to live the great principle of faith in Jesus Christ. ISBN 0-8849-4725-4

It takes courage to accept a religion that requires sacrifices of the heart. The nineteenth-century Scandinavian converts are a commendable example of this courage. They gave up worldly goods, standing in the community, and sometimes their lives for their newfound beliefs. As a family history resource, this compilation contains vital information, scrupulously researched, about each of these valiant missionaries. Other features include explanations of surnames in Scandinavian countries, a pronunciation guide, and photos. ISBN 978-0-8425-2668-5

In 1974, President Spencer W. Kimball called for Latter-day Saints to “lengthen our stride.” When he delivered this landmark address, he encouraged all Latter-day Saints to think bigger, broader, and bolder about the ongoing globalization of the Church. Since President Kimball’s clarion call, the geographical distribution and facial complexion of the Church spread and evolved. The still largely Intermountain West Church that President Kimball began to lead in 1974 looked very different from the Church four decades later. Ongoing global growth continues to be one of the Church’s greatest opportunities (and challenges), just as President Kimball anticipated. This book is a compilation of addresses presented to the LDS International Society, a group that meets to discuss and share their best thinking about the past, present, and future of the global Church. ISBN 978-1-9443-9424-0

A single volume cannot accurately measure the influence of a beloved colleague, but this one nevertheless stands as modest evidence of Robert L. Millet’s prodigious impact over a career that spanned nearly four decades. His retirement provided an opportunity to gather some of us who count him as a mentor, colleague, and friend. We offer this collection of essays as a monument to his remarkable career as an administrator, teacher, and writer. That these pieces range across topics, disciplines, and even religious traditions seems especially appropriate given Millet’s own broad reach. His students number in the thousands, his readers number perhaps ten times that number, and his friends in academia, the Church Educational System (CES) of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and around the globe in many faiths would be difficult to number indeed. Both in terms of his staggering literary production and in his broad collection of colleagues, it is not an overstatement to place Bob Millet among the most influential Latter-day Saint voices of the past quarter century. We who count ourselves grateful recipients of his generous influence hope this volume’s collective thinking, faith, and lively conversation form a worthy “thank you” to our cherished colleague and friend. ISBN 978-0-8425-2968-6

Surely no subject has captured the attention of men and women like that of death and the life beyond. Millions have sought with Job for answers to the timeless question, “If a man die, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14). And if there is a future state, what is its nature? How best may mortal men and women prepare for it? Indeed, death has ever remained life’s most awesome mystery. In this book, representatives of different Christian sects draw on their distinctive religious traditions to address the topics of death and what lies beyond the grave. ISBN 978-1-9443-9478-3

Do we as Latter-day Saint Christians really need to know about other faiths? Do we not know all we need to know? Sometimes we create our own skewed version of other faiths. If we are to be a world church, it is helpful to understand and appreciate all the good that God has given to persons beyond the Latter-day Saint pale and to represent it accurately. President George Albert Smith said to persons of other faiths, “We have come here as your brethren … and to say to you: ’Keep all the good that you have, and let us bring to you more good, in order that you may be happier and in order that you may be prepared to enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father.’” This book attempts to show the good that God has placed among his children and upon which the Restoration may build to bring more good. It is done in the spirit of seeking to appreciate all the good that each religion brings. At the same time, this book seeks to show what makes each religious tradition unique, for it is our unique qualities that make each of us who we are. ISBN 978-0-8425-2817-7

Although the Book of Mormon is composed of such literary elements as stories, poetry, symbolism, letters, archetypes, typology, and allegories, it is not just literature; it is sacred literature, and millions of people with open hearts have found the power behind the Prophet Joseph Smith’s inspired words that “a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book” (introduction to the Book of Mormon). For believers, there is no question that the Book of Mormon has the power to change the lives of those who are willing to let it. What believers may not so readily understand, however, is the powerful role that the book’s literary features play in changing their lives. These literary elements are not decorative add-ons included by the prophets merely to make reading the book more interesting. Often the literary nature of the Book of Mormon conveys the doctrine and other life-changing precepts in ways that help us better abide by them and experience their power in our lives.

At the foundation of great religions lie holy books. Not all religious books have the sacredness of scripture, but few religions survive and thrive without creating a literature of belief. This book contains proceedings from an RSC symposium on such books. Seldom has the dialogue between the language of scholarship and the language of faith been so intense or sensitive. These proceedings reflect both the devotion believers feel for their scriptures and a rare respect that should mark each encounter with another’s sacred literature. ISBN 0-8849-4409-3

The 36th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium Mark Twain reportedly said, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” Perhaps a similar statement could be made regarding the Book of Mormon: the person who reads the Book of Mormon but does not follow its teachings is not much better off than the person who does not read it. The 2007 Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, Living the Book of Mormon: “Abiding by Its Precepts,” focuses on how the Book of Mormon can immeasurably bless our lives as we strive to live what it teaches. In this volume are papers presented at the Sidney B. Sperry Symposium held on the Provo campus of Brigham Young University on October 26–27, 2007. This year the symposium takes its theme from 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” (introduction to the Book of Mormon). Topics of the 2007 Sidney B. Sperry Symposium include redemption through Christ, the “three Rs” of the Book of Mormon, and the divine precept of charity. Presenters include Elder Joe J. Christensen, Terry B. Ball, Richard O. Cowan, and Robert L. Millet. This symposium is distinctive in that it centers on the practical application of the precepts taught in the Book of Mormon—precepts that can help us draw nearer to God.—Elder Joe J. Christensen, emeritus member, First Quorum of the Seventy. ISBN 978-1-59038-799-3

The 36th Annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium Mark Twain reportedly said, “The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who cannot read them.” Perhaps a similar statement could be made regarding the Book of Mormon: the person who reads the Book of Mormon but does not follow its teachings is not much better off than the person who does not read it. The 2007 Sidney B. Sperry Symposium, Living the Book of Mormon: “Abiding by Its Precepts,” focuses on how the Book of Mormon can immeasurably bless our lives as we strive to live what it teaches. In this volume are papers presented at the Sidney B. Sperry Symposium held on the Provo campus of Brigham Young University on October 26–27, 2007. This year the symposium takes its theme from 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” (introduction to the Book of Mormon). Topics of the 2007 Sidney B. Sperry Symposium include redemption through Christ, the “three Rs” of the Book of Mormon, and the divine precept of charity. Presenters include Elder Joe J. Christensen, Terry B. Ball, Richard O. Cowan, and Robert L. Millet. This symposium is distinctive in that it centers on the practical application of the precepts taught in the Book of Mormon—precepts that can help us draw nearer to God.—Elder Joe J. Christensen, emeritus member, First Quorum of the Seventy.

Reprinted in Mormonism and Early Christianity, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley 4. 370–90.

In his volume The Message of the Joseph Smith Papyri: An Egyptian Endowment, Nibley describes in great detail initiation and ritual and coronation procedures among the Egyptians. The appendix in this book includes temple-related lectures of Cyril of Jerusalem and other early documents. In the present essay, Nibley provides a context for this study and his many others, which, almost without his being aware of it, have formed the background of his temple preoccupation over three decades. He shows how incredibly mixed and diffuse and varied are traditions growing out of temple worship in the religions of the Far East, as with those of the Middle East. The power of the temple idea to invade the minutest detail of life is demonstrated. Inconclusive though many scholarly studies remain about a philosophy or matrix to make sense of all the data, Nibley believes there are connections and symmetries and correspondences which again point to one conclusion: historically, civilizations—indeed civilization itself—have revolved around the temple. This essay and his preceding one provide an omnibus introduction to the more specialized studies that follow.

Contents:

A Surety of a Better Testament / James E. Faust

A Message of Judgment from the Olivet Sermon / Arthur A. Bailey

Miracles: Meridian and Modern / Donald Q. Cannon

He Has Risen: The Resurrection Narratives as a Witness of a Corporeal Regeneration / Richard D. Draper

The Surprise Factors in the Teachings of Jesus / Kenneth W. Godfrey

The Passion of Jesus Christ / Richard Neitzel Holzapfel

Mark and Luke: Two Facets of a Diamond / Roger R. Keller

Truly All Things Testify of Him / Robert England Lee

“Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?”: Medicine and Healing in the Time of Jesus / Ann N. Madsen

“Behold, the Lamb of God”: The Savior’s Use of Animals as Symbols / Byron R. Merrill

The Lord’s Teachings on the Use of This World’s Goods / J. Philip Schaelling

“I Am He”: Jesus’ Public Declarations of His Own Identity / Jonathan H. Stephenson

John’s Testimony of the Bread of Life / Thomas R. Valletta

The Water Imagery in John’s Gospel: Power, Purification, and Pedagogy / Fred E. Woods

Considers various strands of charity or love. God loves us and we are to love one another. Comments on ingredients of charity mentioned in Moroni 7 and 1 Corinthians 13. Notes that there are obstacles to charity, such as immorality and crudeness. Charity is a fruit of the spirit and a key to enduring to the end.