“There Is Law” Joseph Smith’S Use Of Arbitration To Protect The Book Of Mormon,
2025
Brigham Young University
“There Is Law” Joseph Smith’S Use Of Arbitration To Protect The Book Of Mormon, Jeffrey N. Walker, Andrew H. Hedges, Gerrit J. Dirkmaat
BYU Studies
This case marks the first time Joseph Smith invoked his legal rights to safeguard work connected with his prophetic calling from abuse or exploitation. The case arose from Abner Cole’s1 January 1830 efforts to publish Book of Mormon excerpts in his newspaper The Reflector, which he printed on the same Palmyra, New York, press that the Book of Mormon was being printed on. The case was evidently settled in Joseph Smith’s favor through arbitration, an out-of- court option for adjudication that New York law considered legally binding.2
This Branch Of The Church The Early Development Of Local Administration In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Part 2, The Church In Flux, 1846–1851,
2025
Brigham Young University
This Branch Of The Church The Early Development Of Local Administration In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Part 2, The Church In Flux, 1846–1851, Brandon Plewe
BYU Studies
A primary concern of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the spiritual and physical welfare of its members, and local congregations have always been the primary mechanism for that ministry. However, the structure and leadership of local administrative organizations has changed significantly over the history of the Church, most significantly under its first two presidents, Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. During these years, the terms and structures that are familiar to us—wards, presidents, bishops, stakes, and so on—emerged, but so did many practices that did not survive the 1877 Priesthood Reorganization.
The Ever-Present Nature Of Christ In The Title Of Jehovah,
2025
Brigham Young University - Provo
The Ever-Present Nature Of Christ In The Title Of Jehovah, Dan Belnap
Faculty Publications
In January 2000 the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints bore testimony to the world of the reality, humanity, and divinity of Jesus Christ in a document titled “The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles.” Among its many truths was the following: “He [Christ] was the Great Jehovah of the Old Testament.”1 Though this was not the first time Church leadership had declared Christ to be Jehovah, the pronouncement does reemphasize this teaching. It also emphasizes the centrality of Christ in the Old Testament. In fact, the …
I Have Learned For Myself Teaching The First Vision To The Rising Generation,
2025
Brigham Young University
I Have Learned For Myself Teaching The First Vision To The Rising Generation, Jess Jones
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
Latter-day Saint youth learning about Joseph Smith’s First Vision can draw inspiration and courage from his example to “ask of God,” as James directs, and seek heavenly wisdom. But Joseph’s faith did not end with that singular experience in the grove—world-changing though it was. Instead, here lied on scripture, personal sacred memories, and family relationships to build the spiritual resilience that sustained him throughout his life. Those who leave the Church may draw on narrative arcs from their abandoned religious past, finding parallels in Joseph’s feelings of confusion, discontent, discord, and uncertainty about the truth. Therefore, teachers must emphasize that …
The Atonement Of Jesus Christ, Judgment Day, And You,
2025
Brigham Young University
The Atonement Of Jesus Christ, Judgment Day, And You, Elder Jörg Klebingat
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
This address examines the significance of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and its implications for Judgment Day. Elder Klebingat outlines four attitudes toward this reckoning, urging daily repentance and faithful obedience to God’s commandments. Highlighting the contrast between “cheap grace” and “costly grace,” he underscores the need for sincere discipleship and Christ’s transformative power. Readers are encouraged to build a personal relationship with the Savior, embrace repentance with joy, and prepare confidently for Judgment Day by aligning their lives with divine principles. The address emphasizes the Savior as a personal, practical Redeemer, guiding individuals on their spiritual journey.
"Changed... Even As By The Spirit Of The Lord",
2025
Brigham Young University
"Changed... Even As By The Spirit Of The Lord", Robert Erickson
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
Recognizing and following the influence of the Spirit is perhaps the most important skill we can develop in this life. Unfortunately, it is often misunderstood and ambiguously explained. The primary mission of the Holy Ghost is not a momentary hug to comfort us or to tell us what to do by giving us thoughts. His work and glory is the same as that of our Heavenly Father and Savior: to bring to pass our salvation and exaltation, or in other words, to help us become as they are. Scriptures shows that prophets across millennia, geographies, cultures, and languages reference the …
For The Strength Of Youth Teaching Strategies, Challenges, And Recommendations For The Program,
2025
Brigham Young University
For The Strength Of Youth Teaching Strategies, Challenges, And Recommendations For The Program, Traci Garff Longmore
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
In 2019 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expanded its youth program to include For the Strength of Youth (FSY) conferences, modeled after the former Especially for Youth(EFY) program. This study explores the teaching strategies and experiences of EFY session directors through a qualitative, phenomenological approach. Fifteen session directors were interviewed, and data analysis revealed twenty-five themes with five subthemes related to teaching practices, challenges, and success measures. The findings provide insights into teaching methods and offer practical recommendations for improving the FSY program, contributing to the fi eld of religious education for youth.
Full Issue,
2025
Brigham Young University
Full Issue
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
No abstract provided.
The Chosen: Insights For Latter-Day Saints,
2025
Brigham Young University
The Chosen: Insights For Latter-Day Saints, John Hilton Iii, Julie Hollenbaugh
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
This article explores the impact of the television series The Chosen through the lens of Latter-day Saint theology, education, and interfaith connection. Highlighting its unprecedented global reach, the article examines how the series can deepen viewers’ understanding of Jesus Christ. It recounts the miraculous circumstances through which The Chosen gained access to the Church’s Jerusalem set in Goshen, Utah, and underscores the production’s ecumenical spirit, involving Evangelical, Catholic, and Latter-day Saint collaborators. The article further outline show The Chosen can strengthen interfaith dialogue and be used in gospel classrooms and homes as a tool for spiritual growth.
Nurturing Religious Education Using Artificial Intelligence,
2025
Brigham Young University
Nurturing Religious Education Using Artificial Intelligence, Matt Gardner
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
This essay focuses on helping teachers, parents, and students understand and become familiar with artificial intelligence (AI)—specifically, its capabilities and how it will affect our homes and classrooms. In doing so, teachers, parents, students, and children will learn to use certain gospel-approved principles to most successfully use and operate these new technologies to bless the lives of God’s children.
Front Matter,
2025
Brigham Young University
Front Matter, Michael A. Goodman
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
No abstract provided.
Full Issue,
2025
Brigham Young University
Full Issue
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
No abstract provided.
Visions Of Salvation: What The Visions Of Joseph Smith Reveal To Us About How To Inherit Heaven,
2025
Brigham Young University
Visions Of Salvation: What The Visions Of Joseph Smith Reveal To Us About How To Inherit Heaven, Mark A. Mathews
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
As the Prophet Joseph Smith sought answers to profound questions concerning salvation and the afterlife, he received instruction through a series of visions. This article explores Joseph Smith’s evolving understanding of salvation as revealed through key visions, including the First Vision, encounters with angelic beings, and revelations on the kingdoms of glory and salvation for the dead. These visions unfolded a comprehensive doctrine of salvation rooted in faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. They also expanded the concept of salvation to include kingdoms of glory and salvation for the dead, making a degree …
This Branch Of The Church The Early Development Of Local Administration In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Part 1, The Emergent Church, 1830–1845,
2025
Brigham Young University
This Branch Of The Church The Early Development Of Local Administration In The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints, Part 1, The Emergent Church, 1830–1845, Brandon Plewe
BYU Studies
It is easy for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to read the Doctrine and Covenants, or most basic histories of the Church, and assume that the Church has always operated like it operates today, if a bit simpler. By the mid-1830s, most significant local and general offices and titles of Church leadership that we recognize today were in place, and it is possible to interpret historical texts through a modern understanding. Occasional inconsistencies can be easily dismissed as the vagaries of frontier language.
What Are We To Make Of The Gold Plates?,
2025
Brigham Young University
What Are We To Make Of The Gold Plates?, Richard Lyman Bushman
BYU Studies
During the winter of 2020–2021, I worked on the manuscript that was eventually published as Joseph Smith’s Gold Plates: A Cultural History (Oxford University Press, 2023). The book was an attempt to describe the many ways the plates had been imagined from the time they were first described as a “Golden Bible” in the June 1829 Wayne Sentinel1 down to the Sunday School and missionary lessons today. I marveled at the enduring interest in the plates over time, not only among Latter-day Saints but also among other American writers. In my lifetime, the plates had appeared in the Book of …
“Not Only Men But Women Also” An Argument For Alma’S Intentional Inclusion Of Women,
2025
Brigham Young University
“Not Only Men But Women Also” An Argument For Alma’S Intentional Inclusion Of Women, Cassidy Nichole Pyper
BYU Studies
In an interestingly specific inclusion of women, Alma taught the Zoramites that “[God] imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also” (Alma 32:23). This phrase suggests that Alma had an awareness of women and their ability to receive revelation despite how little the Book of Mormon explicitly includes women in its narrative.1 The Book of Mormon mentions women at drastically lower rates than even the Bible.2 Some students of the Book of Mormon are concerned not only that women are rarely spoken of in the text but also that women may have been ignored …
Full Issue,
2025
Brigham Young University
The Bands Of Death, The Chains Of Hell, And The Seed Motif,
2025
Brigham Young University
The Bands Of Death, The Chains Of Hell, And The Seed Motif, Noel Hudson
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
This article continues a discussion of the imagery, words, and phrases that make up a specific leitmotif, called the seed motif. Two instances of the seed motif found in Alma are discussed as a seemingly intentional diptych in which one narrative reflects the other, but in the negative. Five specific examples from the motif are examined in greater detail, with a look at their origin and usage throughout the record. The narrative of Abinadi is presented as a unique iteration of the seed motif wherein the concept of the bands of death is introduced. The paper concludes by discussing the …
Front Matter,
2025
Brigham Young University
Front Matter
Interpreter: A Journal of Latter-day Saint Faith and Scholarship
No abstract provided.
Innovating Institute Modeling Empathy With Challenging Passages Of Scripture,
2025
Brigham Young University
Innovating Institute Modeling Empathy With Challenging Passages Of Scripture, Luke Drake, Ryan Webb
Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel
This article explores various methods for teaching challenging scriptural passages to foster spiritual growth and a sense of belonging. It suggests that instead of avoiding difficult texts or interpreting them narrowly for devotional purposes, teachers can adopt an “empathetic reading of scripture.” This approach emphasizes cultivating compassion for the unique historical circumstances of ancient authors and preparing meaningful ways to discuss this material with Latter-day Saint students. Using 1 Corinthians 11:1–16 as a case study, the article outlines a four-step method that offers guidance on (1) engaging with the “best books” on the passage at hand, (2) identifying principles of …
