Showing titles in Mormon

In this introduction to the Doctrine and Covenants, Media Studies scholar Mason Kamana Allred focuses our vision on practices and principles of seeing. He looks at how looking itself is a unique devotional mode in Latter-day Saint belief. His reading of the Doctrine and Covenants collects theological statements about and experiences of spiritual vision and emphasizes how they are often activated through natural vision and earthly commitment in ways that illuminate how to navigate our modern circumstances.

Law, for many of us, is a scary word. It conjures imposing images—robed judges with imperious gavels or Lady Justice, blindfolded, with her implacable sword and scales. Even in a religious context—perhaps especially in a religious context—many of us associate law instinctively with divine judgment and justice, retribution and eternal punishment. Many of us think of law as an unrelenting standard against which we fall endlessly short. Law, on this view, is the enemy against which we need grace to defend us.

Revelation is the indispensable part of the Restoration. It is central to our existence as the restored Church of Jesus Christ, and it can come to us in a multitude of different ways. Throughout his life, Joseph Smith revealed that speaking is a part of who God is. He laid a foundation for a theology of what this book calls “revelatory abundance.” Common themes and modes of revelation are modeled in the Doctrine and Covenants and practically enacted in the lives of the early Saints.

Featuring scripture-supported discussion of the sacred covenants made in the endowment, this volume offers valuable insights to all those entering the temple. Whether you’re receiving your endowment for the first time or seeking to expand your understanding of temple worship after a lifetime of attendance, you will gain a deeper appreciation for the transformative power of the temple experience as you come to understand the basic doctrines and principles of the temple.

Based on the bestselling lecture series, The Presidents of the Church: Insights into Their Lives and Teachings presents intimate biographical sketches of the first fifteen prophets, focusing on events that helped shaped each man to become a great leader in the Church. Using multiple sources, from original writings to personal memory, author Truman G. Madsen recounts close-up stories with intriguing details and highlights each prophet's characteristic traits.

Let’s Talk About the Book of Abraham is part of the Let’s Talk About series—small, approachable books on important Latter-day Saint topics, written by trusted, faithful scholars who can thoroughly explain crucial issues in a digestible way.

In Steven C. Harper's book Let's Talk about the Law of Consecration, you will learn things about consecration that have stayed the same since the beginning and other aspects of the law that have changed over time. One thing that remains the same is the reason for keeping the law: love for God and others, including the poor.

Jesus Christ is the Master Teacher, and we have been commanded to follow His example, acquiring not only His attributes but also His teaching skills. As we do so, we invite the Spirit into our lives in the fullest measure possible. In Teaching with Power, beloved author Tad R. Callister and his wife, Kathy, explain that the goal of every gospel teacher is much more than giving a masterful lesson or an entertaining, never-to-be-forgotten presentation; it is to make our students better―to inspire them to become more like Christ.

Considered one of the all-time great classics of LDS literature, Jesus the Christ is a comprehensive look into the life and ministry of the Savior. Written at the request of the First Presidency by the Apostle James E. Talmage, and penned from an office inside the Salt Lake Temple, this volume is more than a simple outline of the Savior's life. It presents a far-reaching view of the Savior—including His life in the flesh, His antemortal existence, and His activities across time as the world's Redeemer.

Joseph Smith's observation that "by proving contraries, truth is made manifest" has become a beloved aphorism of Latter-day Saint thought. Both Things Are True is an experiment upon these words. Most aspects of a covenant life are lived in the tense space between contrary ideas that are equally valid but individually incomplete. When we learn to hold true things together in their natural tension, we find our hearts and souls stretched wide. The process can be challenging, even painful, but the spiritual rewards are great.

On the last night of his life, Hyrum Smith folded down the corner of a page in the Book of Mormon and marked one verse: “I prayed unto the Lord that he would give unto the Gentiles grace, that they might have charity” (Ether 12:36). What does grace have to do with charity? How does receiving one lead to gaining the other? Scripture tells us that charity is a love that causes us to lay down our lives for someone. A greater love. A love that we must pray to be filled with. The pure love of Christ. What if charity is the outward expression of our inward understanding of grace?

"Marley was dead to begin with...." These chillingly familiar words begin the classic Christmas tale of remorse and redemption in A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Now R. William Bennett rewinds the story and focuses the spotlight on Scrooge’s miserly business partner, Jacob T. Marley, who was allowed to return as a ghost to warn Scrooge away from his ill-fated path. Why was Marley allowed to return? And why hadn't he been given the same chance as Ebenezer Scrooge? Or had he?

Did Joseph Smith really say that? Does the Church have that artifact? How accurate was that story told in Sunday School? Should I trust the information on this website? Can I draw closer to God by learning about history? Real vs. Rumor explores Church history myths, rumors, and false quotes to demonstrate how to think effectively about the information that swirls around us in our day. Each chapter brims with illuminating examples from scripture, history, and popular culture.

Appearing some 220 times, the word remember is one of the most-used verbs in the entire Book of Mormon. But what are we to remember, and how are we to apply it to our lives? In light of the deep significance of the book’s teachings and imperatives, Remember, Remember: Life-Changing Truths from the Book of Mormon focuses almost exclusively on the doctrine illuminated within the pages of the scripture known as the keystone of our religion.

"As surely as the sun will rise tomorrow," Elder Neil L. Andersen promises, "the Savior's divine gifts of repentance and of forgiveness, offered in the beauty of His encompassing love, are certain for those who come unto Him with full purpose of heart." In this book, Elder Andersen writes especially to those who are "awakening" unto God—those who are just beginning to discover or who seek the divine gifts and power of repentance and forgiveness in their lives.

Days after Alex Cooper told her parents that she was gay, they drove Alex from their home in Southern California to Utah, where they signed over guardianship to fellow Mormons who promised to save Alex from her homosexuality. For eight harrowing months, Alex was held captive in an unlicensed...

Joseph Smith Jr. (1805–1844) was one of the most successful and controversial religious leaders of nineteenth-century America, publishing the Book of Mormon and starting what would become the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He built temples, founded a city-state in Illinois, ran for president, and married more than thirty women. This self-made prophet thrilled his followers with his grand vision of peace and unity, but his increasingly grandiose plans tested and sometimes shattered their faith.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was founded by Joseph Smith in 1830 in the so-called "burned-over district" of upstate New York, which was producing seers and prophets daily. Most of the new creeds flamed out; Smith's would endure, becoming the most significant homegrown religion in American history. In American Zion Benjamin E. Park presents a fresh, sweeping account of the Latter-day Saints.

Prepare to embark on a remarkable journey. As my story unfolds, it was 2015–I was sitting at my computer, planning my gospel doctrine class. I stood up to get something, and I instantly transcended into a spiritual encounter, an overwhelming deep-seated sensation of instant knowledge that went down to my cells. When I opened my eyes from this Experience, I saw the world differently. I walked slowly into my bedroom and took my garments off. I’ve never gone back to the Mormon Church or any church, since.

In the vein of Educated and Hillbilly Elegy comes a young woman’s memoir chronicling her harrowing journey from despair to salvation that showcases the depths and resilience of the human spirit and empowers readers on their own paths toward healing, forgiveness, and redemption. Carrie...