(Originally published on 17 August 2013.)

This is Scripture Roundtable 40 from The Interpreter Foundation, in which we discuss Doctrine & Covenants Gospel Doctrine Lesson #36, “The Desert Shall Rejoice, and Blossom as the Rose,” bringing in various insights to help us better understand the scriptures and our history. These roundtables will generally follow the 2013 Gospel Doctrine schedule of scriptures, a few weeks ahead of time.

Panelists for this roundtable include Andrew Smith, Cassandra Hedelius, Craig Foster, and Lincoln Hale.

Some highlights from this roundtable include:

• What was the Salt Lake valley like when the pioneers got there?
• Discussion of the difficulty for these saints, their perseverance, faith and obedience, and how those can be examples and instructive for us today.
• Stewardship in the Lord’s kingdom and what that means for all of us, whether we are called to colonize, go on missions, etc.

Resources noted in the roundtable:

• Article about converts in Africa: http://speeches.byu.edu/index.php?act=viewitem&id=361
• Addison Pratt journal: http://www.amazon.com/The-Journals-Addison-Pratt-Publications/dp/0874803357 (you might try to find it in a library since it is out of print and fairly expensive to buy used.)
• The History of Louisa Barnes Pratt: http://muse.jhu.edu/books/9780874213058

This roundtable is also available as an audio podcast, and will be included in the podcast feed. You can listen by pressing the play button or download the podcast below:

Podcast: Download ()

Subscribe: RSS | More