Category: Latter-day Saint History

Learn more about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including historical findings about Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, and more.

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Polygamy

Why Don’t Polygamy Skeptics Think Joseph Smith Practiced Plural Marriage?

A collage of two paintings, one of Joseph Smith and the other of his wife, Emma Smith, facing each other, suggesting the emotional turmoil of polygamy.

Polygamy skeptics reject the idea that Joseph Smith practiced plural marriage, pointing to his public denials, lack of children with wives other than Emma, and doubts about documents like William Clayton’s journals and D&C 132. Once championed by the Reorganized Church, this “Monogamy Model” has gained renewed interest among modern believers who see Brigham Young as the true originator of plural marriage. In this interview, attorney and historian Mark Tensmeyer examines their central arguments and the historical roots behind the resurgence of polygamy skepticism.

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Intellectualism Latter-day Saint History Theology

What Should Latter-day Saints Know About BYU’s Evolution Book?

Composite image showing a DNA strand, open scriptures, and the BYU campus—representing the themes of faith, science, and education in the BYU evolution book.

The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and Evolution is designed to help students reconcile faith in the Savior with scientific understanding of evolution. Published by BYU Life Sciences, the book affirms the Church’s neutral stance on evolution, corrects common misconceptions, and offers practical tools for bridging religion and science. In this interview, co-editor Jamie Jensen shares the book’s origins, purpose, and why this kind of reconciliation matters.

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Devotional Theology

The Resurrection We Didn’t Expect

Symbolic painting of Christ’s empty garden tomb at dawn, with golden light pouring from the entrance—evoking the miracle of resurrection and new life.

Paul’s thought did not run from plight to solution, but rather from solution to plight. -E. P. Saunders

Jewish people did not see themselves as in a dire predicament from which they needed rescue. By virtue of their place in the covenant, God’s loving care was the precondition in which they found themselves; their task was to honor the law as a pledge of their desire to maintain their blessedness. Neither did the apostle Paul “perceive himself to have a ‘plight’ from which he needed salvation.”

That is a version of Christianity we have rather imposed upon the past, largely a heritage of the fourth century, when it became common to think of the human condition as one in need of rescue.

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Joseph Smith Latter-day Saint History

What Is the 1832 Account of the First Vision?

A painted glass depiction of God and Jesus appearing to Joseph Smith in the 1832 account of the First Vision.

The 1832 account of the First Vision is the earliest version on record. While there are four known published accounts, this is the most unique and the only one written in Joseph Smith’s hand. New research suggests Joseph may have intentionally used biblical phrasing to signal his prophetic calling. In this interview, Kyle Beshears discusses how Joseph’s 1832 efforts to connect with Protestant contemporaries may explain the account’s strange language.

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Brigham Young Theology

What Did Brigham Young Teach About Adam and God?

Brigham Young preaching a controversial sermon on Adam-God in 1852.

Brigham Young taught that Adam was an exalted being who came to earth from another world. His teachings are often called the “Adam-God theory” or “Adam-God doctrine,” though Young didn’t use either term. While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has distanced itself from Young’s teachings, the Adam-God theory remains a point of debate among scholars, fundamentalist groups, and critics of the faith. In this interview, author Samuel Weber explores the evolution of Brigham Young’s teachings about Adam and God.

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Latter-day Saint History

“Carry On”: A History of the Young Women Organization

A collage of photographs of Latter-day Saint young women from 1870 to 2024.

Carry On is the first extended scholarly history of the Young Women organization in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The book was written over a decade, coinciding with Young Women President Emily Belle Freeman’s desire to understand the organization’s history better. It documents how the name has changed since 1870, demonstrates how leaders like Ardeth Kapp impacted the church, and identifies God’s love for His daughters as a prevailing theme. In this interview, Lisa Olsen Tait discusses her new book, Carry On: The Latter-day Saint Young Women Organization, 1870-2024.

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Joseph Smith

Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith: Revised and Expanded Edition

A cropped section of the book cover of The Revised and Expanded Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, published by Greg Kofford Books.

Alonzo Gaskill and Richard Moore have created a revised and expanded edition of Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith (TPJS), first published by Joseph Fielding Smith in 1938. They intend to provide readers with the earliest-known manuscripts, make it easier to compare Joseph Smith quotes with the previous book, and further the legacy of the classic publication. The new edition published by Greg Kofford Books uses, but doesn’t exclusively rely on, scholarship produced by the Joseph Smith Papers Project. In this interview, Gaskill and Moore discuss their new book.

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Doctrine and Covenants Hymns Latter-day Saint History

Emma Smith’s Role in Shaping the ‘Elect Lady’ Revelation (D&C 25)

A portrait of Emma Hale Smith, the recipient of D&C 25 (also known as the 'Elect Lady' revelation).

Section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants is significant as one of the few revelations Joseph Smith received that directly addresses a woman, his wife, Emma Hale Smith. Given in 1830, the revelation designates Emma as an “elect lady” and outlines her roles in the early Church, including the compilation of a hymnbook and providing comfort to her husband. In this interview, Latter-day Saint scholar Robin Jensen explains the historical context of D&C 25 and how Emma’s personal experiences influenced the revelation’s text.

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Book excerpts Doctrine and Covenants Joseph Smith

A Brief History of the Doctrine & Covenants

A photograph of an original first edition of the Doctrine and Covenants.

There has not always been a Doctrine and Covenants. It has a history and can best be understood by those who know that history. Robert Woodford, a great scholar of the Doctrine and Covenants, described how we tend to think of it as a “tidily defined book, quietly resting with the other scriptures.” But the story of how those revelations were written, prepared for publication, and moved through various states until they reached our present edition is the story of trying to keep up with a flood of revealed knowledge.

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Latter-day Saint History

What Is the History of the Church in Mexico?

Early Latter-day Saints in Mexico faced many struggles as they accepted their new religion as members of Mormonism around the world. They persevered with faith and overcame, showing resilience and strength in the process. Yet, conflicts led to the creation of a schismatic movement called the Third Convention during the 1930s. In this interview, Fernando R. Gomez discusses the early history of the Church in Mexico, the three conventions of the 1930s, and the reunification of the Third Convention with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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