Mormon Studies Commons^™

The New Home-Centered, Church-Supported Curriculum, Tad R. Callister, Scott C. Esplin

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Esplin: Thank you, President Callister, for meeting with me and for helping our readers understand the role of the Church’s Sunday School General Presidency and, maybe most important, changes that have been announced regarding the curriculum and the organization of our classes. You have previously served as a General Authority and in the Presidency of the Seventy. What can you share about your calling and experience as the Church’s Sunday School General President? How has it shaped you as a teacher and as a learner?

Callister: As a teacher, it has helped me be more observant as I …

The Bread Of Life, With Chocolate Chips, Samuel Morris Brown

BYU Studies

I learned to cook when my wife was recovering from cancer surgery. There’s a hollowness, kindred to cancer, hungry to swallow you up when a beloved’s life is threatened. I still remember, with a soul-deep ache, that time when her body was a battleground for scalpeling surgeons and monstrously mutated cells. Those harrowing days and their fulminating awareness of her mortality still haunts me. I’ve seen a lot of death in my short life; nothing disoriented me like her cancer.

The Day Joseph Smith Was Killed, Alex D. Smith

BYU Studies

Joseph and Hyrum Smith were killed on June 27, 1844, in the recently constructed jail in Carthage, Illinois. Years later, local resident Amanda Benton Smith recorded her own account of the events of that day. Twenty-eight years old and a mother of six, Amanda was the wife of Carthage Grey captain Robert F. Smith—the militia officer responsible for protecting the Latter-day Saint prisoners and defending the town. In her reminiscence, Amanda describes learning of the Smiths’ deaths and draws a vivid picture of the vacant Hancock County seat as local citizens fled to the countryside in anticipation of the Latter-day …

Brigham Young’S Newly Located February 1874 Revelation, Christopher James Blythe

BYU Studies

Brigham Young dictated few dialogic revelations (that is, revelations in the voice of the Lord) while he was prophet, seer, and revelator of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Only one of the revelations found in the 138 sections of the Doctrine and Covenants was received under his ministry. Young was often willing to share visions, dreams, and impressions, but he hesitated to place these types of revelations in the language of the Lord, and when he did so verbally, he was even more hesitant to place them in writing.

“You Had Better Let Mrs Young Have Any Thing She Wants”, Matthew C. Godfrey

BYU Studies

It was a cold, blustery day in Commerce, Illinois—a town pressed up against the Mississippi River—in November 1839. As the rain poured from the sky, a small skiff appeared on the river, approaching Commerce (later renamed Nauvoo) from Montrose, Iowa Territory. A woman huddled in the vessel, trying to protect a small bundle in her arms from the elements. The rain, coupled with the spray from the river, soaked both the woman and the bundle, which was a two-month-old baby. Despite the rawness of the day, the woman was determined to reach Commerce, hoping to visit the tithing office of …

Martyrs In Mexico: A Mormon Story Of Revolution And Redemption, Ignacio M. Garcia, Cindy Gonzalez

BYU Studies

While not described as such, Martyrs in Mexico is a continuation of the story that author F. LaMond Tullis gave us in Mormons in Mexico, a classic work, first published in 1987, detailing the growth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Mexico. Martyrs in Mexico, however, has a narrower scope, focusing on one community—San Marcos, Hidalgo—from which would come well-known individuals of the Church in Mexico. Why did Tullis choose San Marcos? The obvious answer is that this community holds an important place in Church lore. San Marcos was the place of one of …

Front Matter

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

No abstract provided.

Disciples Of Jesus Christ— Defenders Of Marriage, Russell M. Nelson

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Some of you will continue your education and achieve graduate degrees. Some of you will enter the workforce on a full-time basis. Many of you have married or will marry and begin your families. Family life will provide your most enduring rewards. As partners, you and your spouse will work together to achieve mutual goals and enjoy the fruits of your labors. By the way, brethren, you might bear this in mind: Behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-law. I know mine was!

Creating The New Home- Centered Curriculum, Brian J. Hansbrow, Ted Barnes, Paul Murphy, Scott C. Esplin

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Esplin: Thank you for meeting with me to discuss your role in creating the new home-based, Church-supported curriculum. Please introduce yourselves, including how long you’ve been with the Sunday School curriculum or what your particular role is in the department.

Bringing God Into Our Marriage, Debra Theobald Mcclendon, Richard J. Mcclendon

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

President Dallin H. Oaks observed that “a good marriage does not require a perfect man or perfect woman. It only requires a man and a woman committed to strive together toward perfection.” Marriage is a journey where spouses learn and grow together as they move toward the eternities. As couples, even though it takes a lot of work, we can create good marriages through our own consistent, diligent efforts to prioritize the relationship. We can work on our own to have a healthy and resilient approach to life and our spouse. We can work together as a couple to navigate …

“Thy Troubles To Bless”, Jeffery S. Mcclellan

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Dark clouds filled the Provo sky on April 15, 2003. It was the due date for our second daughter, but there were still no signs of imminent delivery. My wife, Christine, was concerned that she had not felt the baby move for a day or so. She felt urgently that we needed to go to the hospital for a test. I thought she was overly cautious, but we went.

Leadership Lessons From The Book Of Mormon: Nephi As A Case Study, Khumbulani D. Mdletshe

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Leaders and scholars in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have, at various times, attempted to identify what constitutes leadership traits. There are no universal leadership traits that predict a leader’s effectiveness in all situations. Elder Neal A. Maxwell, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, made the following comment: “While most of us can recognize good leadership when we experience or observe it, it is hard for us to isolate controlling traits in a clear-cut way.” Each situation requires specific traits relating to the task at hand. These traits will develop uniquely to individuals and …

“They Must Suffer Even As I”: Misconceptions Concerning Personal Payment For Sin, Christopher J. Porter

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Soon after I was called to serve as the elders quorum president of a young single adult ward many years ago, the stake president gave me the difficult challenge to visit each quorum member individually during the upcoming school year. To this day, I remember one such visit to a young man I’ll call Robert. It was evident when I arrived that something was troubling him; his gaze alternated nervously between the floor and his visitor but gave preference to the floor. At the outset of our conversation, he was reticent and guarded, but at my prodding he began to …

Scripture Note: “Pointing Our Souls To Him”, Matthew L. Bowen

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

When the King James translators rendered the biblical Hebrew word tôrâ (often transliterated Torah) into English, they almost always did so using the Anglo-Norman word “law” (< Old English lagu¹ < Old Norse lög²/*lagu). The 1830 translation of the Book of Mormon into English appears to have followed that approach. However, the Book of Mormon’s ancient authors, in several instances, also exhibit a conception of “law” consistent with the most basic sense of tôrâ in Hebrew and in so doing, they reveal an important function of divine “law” as it relates to the divine Lawgiver

Book Notice: The New Testament: A Translation For Latter-Day Saints, Jason R. Combs

Religious Educator: Perspectives on the Restored Gospel

Thomas A. Wayment provides a new, accessible translation of the New Testament with notes that thoroughly integrate the New Testament with Restoration scripture. Why should religious educators use Wayment’s The New Testament: A Translation for Latter-day Saints? Before I summarize some of my favorite features, let me suggest just two possible answers to this question: (1) greater awareness of issues we might otherwise overlook, and (2) new avenues for personal study and research.

Joseph F. Smith’S Theology Of Temples: Changing Perceptions Of Temples And Temple Worship, Grant Underwood

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

The Sapporo Japan Temple: Cultural Fusion And Friction In The Development Of An Lds Japanese Identity, Stephen J. Moody, Dainan M. Skeem

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Although it began as a small, local organization, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints grew into an international organization in a relatively short time frame. Church membership totaled just six individuals when it was established on 6 April 1830. That number had grown to 250,000 when Utah was granted statehood on 4 January 1896, with the vast majority located within the state. In 1947, one hundred years after being expelled from Illinois, membership reached the one million mark with membership still focused primarily within North America.1 In 1974, President Spencer W. Kimball gave a sermon that became a …

Mormon Historical Society Presentation

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Aloha Everyone,

Our paternal and maternal grandparents, Goo Yee Kew and Choy Soong on the right; Chun Wah Ing and Lee Shee on the left immigrated from China to Hawaii in the early 1900s. Both grandfathers came over separately and established themselves as merchants and then went back for their wives, and returned to Hawaii coincidentally around the same time in February and March 1915 to raise their families here in Hawaii. They did not know each other. I've been able to find their immigration interviews from the Chinese Exclusion Act files which you will be able to look at …

Sacred Temple Experiences And The Nuku`Alofa Tonga Temple

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Brothers and Sisters, Aloha! This is truly a high moment for me and Carolyn, to once again be among people we love, in the place we love, in these precious islands.

Labor Missionaries And The Laie Hawaii Temple

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Raised In The Shadow Of The Temple: Impact On An Immigrant Family

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Mormon Pacific Historical Society 2019 Conference “Lds Temples In The Pacific: A Centennial Celebration”

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Brothers and Sisters,

I am Elder Gary Davis of the Church History Library in Salt Lake City, UT. My wife Deborah and I have been laboring in the Hawaiian Islands for the past 28 months as part of the Laie Hawaii Temple History Project. I began serving as a Church Service Missionary at the Church History Library on February 1, 2016. I was recruited to work in the Global Acquisitions section of the Church History Library and assigned to gather the journals, letters, personal histories, photographic images, oral histories, documents of all kinds and the testimonies of early members and …

Hong Kong: A Temple For Every Corner Of The World

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

A Special Case: An Exception to Temple Rationale

There was a sense of urgency for providing a temple in Hong Kong in the 1990s as in no other temple construction. This was because the ninety-nine-year lease that made Hong Kong a British colony was going to expire 30 June 1997.1 The British government would be handing over Hong Kong to the People’s Republic of China on 1 July 1997.2 When Hong Kong became part of China, “religious organizations,” according to Elder John K. Carmack, “were to be given the right to acquire property; receive outside financial support, have ownership rights, …

Suva Fiji Temple

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Elder William Mark Waddoups: Called And Served With Aloha, Carol Helekunihi

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

In the Laie, Hawaii Temple dedication from the Utah Genealogical and Historical Magazine, January, 1920, a report by President Rudgar Clawson, we read, “We thank thee, O Father , this day that the promise made in a dream to thy servant William W. Cluff, by the Prophet Brigham Young, that a day would come that a temple should be erected in this land, is fulfilled before our eyes”. p.4

Temple Work And The Tahitian Saints

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Slide 1 The title of our presentation is “Temple Work and the Tahitian Saints.” The Culmination of the Lord’s Work anywhere in the world is to Help His Children Make and Keep Temple Covenants!! This presentation will address the milestones which marked the progress of the Lord’s inspired work in accomplishing this objective among the Tahitian Saints. It will be presented in three parts:

Mphs 2019 Conference

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

No abstract provided.

Unto The Isles Of The Sea: Latter-Day Saint Temples In The Pacific, Richard O. Cowan

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Temple blessings and covenants are at the apex of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, so temples have been important to Latter-day Saints in the Pacific. To what extent has temple building in this area reflected the pattern worldwide?

Ni Ya Ta Hano Para I Temple I Guma Yu’Us, Devan Jensen

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

Micronesian Journeys to the Temple

Draft Notes by Devan Jensen based on original research and Revised Guam Travel Packet, Revised Micronesia Travel Packet

The Mariana Islands are home to one of the oldest of Pacific Island cultures, the Chamorro culture. More than 4000 years ago seafaring people from Southeast Asia settled the Mariana Islands, and they have been continuously occupied since. Over the last 400 years, Guam has been under the administration of Spain, the United States, and Japan. Spain was the first to claim sovereignty over Guam. It was the site of the first Roman Catholic mission and a …

A Comparative Look At The Dedication And Rededication Prays Of The Laie Hawaii Temple, J. Perry Christensen

Mormon Pacific Historical Society

This paper looks at the original dedicatory prayer and the two subsequent rededicatory prayers of the Laie Hawaii Temple in terms of historical settings, linguistic features, and content similarities and comparisons. The 1919 dedication and the 1978 rededication prayers are essentially the same in organization and very similar in content—almost word for word with parts of the 1919 pray either updated or deleted in the 1978 prayer. The 2010 rededication prayer is vastly different in organization and content, though an effort has been made to rearrange this prayer so that the content which is similar is presented next to the …