This article provides insights on the story of Aaron and the golden calf in the Bible, explaining why Aaron may have decided to make it and why his punishment for doing so was minor in comparison to other biblical reprimands.

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.

The priesthood needs to be exercised to accomplish any good. You are called to “arise and shine forth,” not to hide your light in darkness.

Review of Richard Abanes. One Nation under Gods: A History of the Mormon Church.

For the fruit of the gospel to blossom and bless our lives, we must be firmly attached to Him, the Savior of us all.

God’s love is infinite and it will endure forever, but what it means for each of us depends on how we respond to His love.

Our daily question must be, “Do my actions place me in the Lord’s or in the enemy’s territory?”

Christ has the power to bring us into loving fellowship with the Father and with one another.

Under the guidance of some of the best thinkers on the Book of Mormon, the Abinadi narrative springs to life as each chapter approaches Abinadi’s story and words from a different perspective. Whether viewed through a sociopolitical, literary, theological, philosophical, or historical lens, new insights and a new appreciation for the richness of Abinadi’s discourse will help readers reignite their passion for the beauty and depth of the Book of Mormon. This volume is written for an informed, Latter-day Saint audience and seeks to make a contribution with other high-quality research and writing being done on the Book of Mormon. It is produced by members of Brigham Young University’s Book of Mormon Academy, a group of scholars dedicated to research on the Book of Mormon. Each of the members brings a different area of expertise to bear on the Abinadi narrative. As that narrative is viewed from a variety of angles, its richness, beauty, and profound meaning come more clearly into focus. ISBN 978-1-9443-9426-4

Todd Parker discusses the meaning of Abinadi’s name and compares his circumstances to those of John the Baptist and his message to that of King Benjamin. He points out legal pretexts for Abinadi’s trial from Old Testament passages, and demonstrates how the priests of King Noah misunderstood the function of prophecy. Abinadi provides several examples of types and shadows pointing to the mission of Christ.

Most blessings that God desires to give us require action on our part—action based on our faith in Jesus Christ.

An essay written about a painted portrait of Hugh Nibley.

Review of The Use of Egyptian Magical Papyri to Authenticate the Book of Abraham: A Critical Review? (1993), by Edward H. Ashment.

Idrimi of Alalakh lived in Syria about a century after Abraham and left an autobiographical inscription that is the only such item uncovered archaeologically from Middle Bronze Age Syro-Palestine. The inscription of Idrimi and the Book of Abraham share a number of parallel features and motifs. Some of the parallels are a result of similar experiences in their lives and some are a result of coming from a similar culture and time.

One Eternal Round is the culmination of Hugh Nibley’s thought on the book of Abraham and represents over fifteen years of research and writing. The volume includes penetrating insights into Egyptian pharaohs and medieval Jewish and Islamic traditions about Abraham; Greek, Egyptian, and Mesopotamian myths; the Aztec calendar stone; Hopi Indian ceremonies; and early Jewish and Christian apocrypha, as well as the relationship of myth, ritual, and history.

This chapter helps to distinguish between myth, ritual, and history, especially as they connect with Egyptian annual year-rites.

Republished in 2000 in a second edition with new materials and illustrations as Abraham in Egypt, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 14.

Nibley examines the Book of Abraham’s striking connections with ancient texts and Egyptian religion and culture.

Considered by many to be a classic in LDS literature, this new edition of Abraham in Egypt [published in association with the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies (FARMS)] contains all the material from the first edition as well as additions from Nibley’s 1968–70 Improvement Era series “A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price.”

In 1968–70, Hugh Nibley wrote a series of articles for the Improvement Era titled “A New Look at the Pearl of Great Price.” Brother Nibley asked that some of these articles be made into chapters to be added to Abraham in Egypt. These new chapters are what constitutes the new edition; no changes were made to the original chapters. For the articles, Nibley drew from many Jewish and rabbinical sources, while his work in the first edition was based on Egyptian material.

Blake Ostler examines what relationship exists between the papyri of the ancient Egyptian Book of Breathings possessed by Joseph Smith and the Book of Abraham. Ostler finds that Joseph Smith, in associating vignettes of the Book of the Dead to explain Abraham’s experiences, was actually duplicating an ancient practice about which he could not have known from secular sources available in his day.

Stories about Abraham circulated in ancient times and were continued into the medieval period. Many of these accounts were then lost and have come to light only recently. John Tvedtnes examines several such stories— ranging from creation accounts to the attempted sacrifice of Abraham— and shows how they support the Book of Abraham.

Hugh Nibley discusses how Abraham was an ordinary man who held no office and worked no miracles, and yet he was one of the greatest minds of the last forty centuries. Nibley discusses Abraham’s relationship with the temple and gives an overview of the ancient temple. He also shows how the Book of Abraham answers what Nibley calls the “terrible questions”: Where do I come from? Why am I here? How does the universe figure in the gospel? How did it all begin, and how will it all end? Nibley argues that the vision given to Abraham in the Book of Abraham contains stage directions indicating that the vision is dramatized, and the Book of Abraham includes the script.

Transcript of a lecture presented on 6 April 1999 as part of the FARMS Book of Abraham Lecture Series.

Hugh Nibley discusses how Abraham was an ordinary man who held no office and worked no miracles, and yet he was one of the greatest minds of the last forty centuries.

Reprinted in Eloquent Witness: Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple, The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley vol. 17, 445–82.

Here, Nibley identifies elements of the creation drama that appear in the book of Abraham and elsewhere in the ancient world.

One of the stunning aspects of Dr. Hugh Nibley’s genius was his persistent sense of wonder. That trait induced him to range widely through very disparate subjects of study—all covered in volume 17 of The Collected Works of Hugh Nibley on Himself, Others, and the Temple. In this compilation of materials, most of which have been published previously outside the Collected Works volumes, Nibley explores the ancient Egyptians, the temple, the life sciences, world literature, ancient Judaism, and Joseph Smith and the Restoration. The contents of this volume illustrate the breadth of his interest through autobiographical sketches, interviews, book reviews, forewords to books, letters, memorial tributes, Sunday School lessons, and various writings about the temple.

Here, Nibley identifies elements of the creation drama that appear in the book of Abraham and elsewhere in the ancient world.

The abundant life is within our reach if only we will drink deeply of living water, fill our hearts with love, and create of our lives a masterpiece.

Discourse by President George Q. Cannon, delivered in the Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, September 18, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.

Our testimonies have been strengthened. I believe we are all the more determined to live the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Hugh Nibley read a paper with the title “Acclamatio” at the annual meeting of the Southwest Archaeological Foundation in San Diego, California, in 1941.

In this essay, Nibley draws on materials he collected at the beginning of his career on the politics of ancient mobs and draws parallels with contemporary events, including anti-Mormon sentiments.

This paper includes many quotations from Brigham Young and the scriptures.

The prophet Nephi declared that the Lord speaks to his people “according to their language, unto their understanding” (2 Nephi 31:3). Religious beliefs are an integral part of a culture’s shared “language,” and the ways in which individuals interpret supernatural manifestations is typically mediated through their cultural background. The hierophanies recorded in Latter-day Saint canon directly reflect the unique cultural background of the individuals who witnessed them. This paper analyzes several distinct hierophanies witnessed by prophets in both the Old and New Worlds and discusses the cultural context in which such manifestations occur, which aids modern readers in obtaining a greater understanding of the revelatory process recounted in these texts.

Remarks by President George A. Smith, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Like City, Sunday Afternoon, June 22, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.

This article discusses the importance of recording sacred experiences and preserving other written records.

Utilizing techniques adapted from literary criticism, this paper investigates the narrative structure of the Book of Mormon, particularly the relationship between Nephi’s first-person account and Mormon’s third-person abridgment. A comparison of the order and relative prominence of material from 1 Nephi 12 with the content of Mormon’s historical record reveals that Mormon may have intentionally patterned the structure of his narrative after Nephi’s prophetic vision—a conclusion hinted at by Mormon himself in his editorial comments. With this understanding, readers of the Book of Mormon can see how Mormon’s sometimes unusual editorial decisions are actually guided by an overarching desire to show that Nephi’s prophecies have been dramatically and literally fulfilled in the history of his people.

We are to learn our duty from the Lord, and then we are to act in all diligence, never being lazy or slothful.

Remarks by Elder Lorenzo Snow, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Oct. 9, 1869. Reported By: John Grimshaw.

Discourse by Elder George Q. Cannon, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sept. 23, 1877. Reported By: Rudger Clawson.

Chart

The Standard Works, the Masoretic text, and the JST arranged in columns with commentary to teach about Adam, Enoch, and Noah

Remarks by Elder Ezra T. Benson, Delivered at a Special Conference held in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, August 28, 1852. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Allow me to share several observations I made as our family has passed through trials.

Butler discusses the premises of the DNA argument between supporters and critics of the Book of Mormon.

An Address by President Heber C. Kimball, Delivered at the General Conference, in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1854. Reported By: Unknown.

More young men and young women will rise to the challenge and stay on the covenant path because of this laser-like focus on our youth.

A Discourse by President Heber C. Kimball, Delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, December 13, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 5, 1860. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Discourse by Elder Henry W. Naisbitt, delivered in the Assembly Hall Salt Lake City, Sunday Afternoon, Feb. 20, 1881. Reported By: John Irvine.

Discourse by President Heber C. Kimball, delivered in Provo City, June 27, 1863. Reported By: J. V. Long.

A Discourse by Elder Orson Pratt, Delivered in the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, April 6, 1856. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, Delivered at the Bowery, Great Salt Lake City, Tuesday Morning, October 6, 1857. Reported By: G. D. Watt, J. V. Long.

I bear you my testimony that God the Father lives. He set a course for each of us that can polish and perfect us to be with Him.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, made on the Public Square, Great Salt Lake City, July 8, 1863. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

An Address by Elder Franklin D. Richards, Delivered at the General Conference, Great Salt Lake City, October 6, 1853. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Remarks by President Brigham Young, in the Bowery, G.S.L. City, August 12, 1866. Reported By: G. D. Watt.

Discourse by Elder Amasa M. Lyman, delivered in the Tabernacle, Great Salt Lake City, April 7, 1863. Reported By: J. V. Long.

Discourse by President Orson Hyde, delivered in the New Tabernacle, Salt Lake City, Sunday Morning, October 5, 1873. Reported By: David W. Evans.

We, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ, have chosen not to be ordinary men and women.

As we follow God’s voice and His covenant path, He will strengthen us in our trials.

In response to the articles in this issue, Peterson notes that Latter-day Saints do not extend themselves to expose and attack other faiths. He further discusses, among other things, an open canon and continuing revelation, salvation as outlined in the scriptures, the ordinances of the gospel, revelation following the incarnation and resurrection of Christ, the biblical canon, inerrancy, biblical texts, the Book of Abraham, and the nature of God.