Category: Come Follow Me

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19th Century Devotional Latter-day Saint History

The Cost of Eternal Glory: Eliza R. Snow’s Counsel About Overcoming Trials

A soulful 1875 portrait of Eliza R. Snow, Latter-day Saint poet and leader. Her steady, weathered gaze and firm expression capture the resilience she preached in her discourses on overcoming trials. She is wearing a dark ruffled dress with a white collar and an ornate brooch.

There are nearly 1,300 Eliza R. Snow discourses on record. After spending decades privately lifting others through poetry, Snow shifted to a more public ministry when Brigham Young asked her to help rebuild Relief Societies in Territorial Utah. Terrified of public speaking, Eliza nonetheless accepted the prophet’s call. Several themes appear in the speeches she would later give, including charity, unity, and ministering as the Savior did. In this interview, editor Sharalyn Howcroft discusses Eliza’s teachings about overcoming trials as found in the newly-published book, “Rise Up and Speak: Selected Discourses of Eliza R. Snow.”

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19th Century Devotional Latter-day Saint History

Imagining the Restoration Through the Eyes of Emma Smith

An Anthony Sweat painting of profiles of Emma Smith and Joseph Smith looking into each other's eyes.
"Harmony Joseph and Emma" by Anthony Sweat.

Emma Smith, the “First Lady of the Restoration,” is something of an enigma. It is surprising, in light of history, biography, legend, and folktale, how little we really know of her as a person, as Joseph’s closest companion, from almost the beginning of his calling to its tragic end. Fortunately, what history does not provide, our creative faculties can furnish by imagining her presence and personality. The poem I introduce here is an example of what life might have been like for this remarkable woman, who was ever more central to the restoration than all but her prophet-husband.

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Quotes

Gordon B. Hinckley Quotes on Optimism, Faith, and Family

A painting of Gordon B. Hinckley overlaid by the prophet's quote about how life is meant to be enjoyed, reflecting the Church President's frequent teachings about optimism, faith, and family.

Gordon B. Hinckley was a beloved Church leader whose quotes are still relevant today. President Hinckley gave many general conference addresses and other devotionals and is known to this day for his focus on civility, family, and temple building. Similar to our collection of Dallin H. Oaks Quotes, this page features President Hinckley’s teachings on a variety of topics, including family, interfaith work, temples, and more. Please leave a comment if there’s a quote you’d like considered for inclusion.

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Ancient history Old Testament

What Is the Meaning of the Akedah in Genesis 22?

Silhouetted Abraham and Isaac walk up Mount Moriah at sunrise, Abraham carrying wood for the offering, in an oil-painted style evoking Genesis 22 and the Akedah.

The Akedah—Abraham’s near-sacrifice of Isaac in Genesis 22—has long been read as the Bible’s ultimate test of faith and obedience. The Hebrew word means “to tie up” or “to bind,” describing what Abraham does to Isaac in response to God’s command to kill his son. He sets out without telling Sarah, fully intending to murder his child, only for the Lord to intervene at the last moment with a critical message. Abraham’s trial of faith is so devastating that he never again speaks to Isaac, Sarah, or God. Philosophers and theologians have interpreted the story in strikingly different ways: Did God expect Abraham’s obedience—or yearn for his “pious irreverence”? In this interview, scholar Aaron Koller explores the history of interpreting the Akedah, examining what this haunting episode means for readers of faith.

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Devotional

Rediscovering Neal A. Maxwell: Why These “Hard-to-Find” Talks Still Matter

A black and white photograph of Neal A. Maxwell using a manual typewriter for a book, indicative of his many talks and publications.

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute recently published nearly two dozen of Elder Maxwell’s best—and hardest-to-find—talks. When his family proposed the idea, the institute immediately agreed and set to work. The addresses were selected in part for their relevance to modern church members. For example, “Great Answers to the Great Questions” examines whether a redeeming Christ still matters, while “A Choice Seer” distinguishes Joseph Smith’s paradigm-shifting revelations from his self-confessed flaws. The end result is a rare collection of discourses by Neal A. Maxwell that acquaints younger generations with the apostle who championed the concept of Latter-day Saints as “disciple-scholars.”

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New Testament

Daily Cross, Eternal Family: Discipleship in the Gospel of Luke

A Jorge Cocco painting of Jesus calling to Zacchaeus in a tree, illustrating the theme of discipleship in the Gospel of Luke.
"Zacchaeus, I Will Dine With You," by Jorge Cocco. Used by permission.

Jesus presents a vision of discipleship in the Gospel of Luke that is simultaneously costly and rewarding. For example, it is here that Jesus asks the rich young ruler to forsake his possessions and tells followers to “hate” their families. Luke’s Gospel is also unique in its depiction of discipleship as a physical and spiritual walk with Jesus toward—and beyond—the cross. In this interview, New Testament scholar S. Kent Brown discusses the hard sayings of Jesus in Luke, concluding that discipleship requires total surrender, finds ultimate meaning in the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and empowers individuals to strengthen rather than forsake family relationships.

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Joseph Smith Old Testament Pearl of Great Price

What Does Genesis Really Say About Creation?

At its core, Genesis offers not one but two distinct creation accounts, each highlighting different aspects of humanity’s relationship with God. Far from being the straightforward words of Moses, the book reflects centuries of redaction and compilation—much like the Book of Mormon—woven from multiple voices and contexts. Along the way, readers encounter surprising details: skies imagined as a solid dome, humans formed from dirt, and Joseph Smith’s bold emendations of the Old Testament Hebrew text. In this interview, Avram R. Shannon explains how ancient context reshapes our understanding of Genesis, creation, and the faith-science conversation.

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Devotional

Jeffrey R. Holland Talks, Books, and Devotionals

An upper-body shot of Elder Holland, the apostle known for his Jeffrey R. Holland talks.

Jeffrey R. Holland was one of the most popular speakers in modern Latter-day Saint history. Before passing away in 2025, President Holland had given nearly 70 talks in general conference, including “An High Priest of Good Things to Come” and “Broken Things to Mend.” Holland was also noteworthy for passionate BYU devotionals such as “Cast Not Away Therefore Your Confidence,” as well as his testimony of Christ shared in numerous books, firesides, and devotionals. Similar to our Dallin H. Oaks Quotes page, this article provides easy access to some of President Holland’s most notable teachings.

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American History Ancient history Latter-day Saint History Theology

The Best of From the Desk: 2025 Year in Review

Illustrated scholar’s desk with an open annotated book, stacked manuscripts, and parchment sketches, with “2025” engraved on the wooden surface, symbolizing a year-in-review of historical and theological scholarship.

Another year is in the books—and it’s resulted in some thought-provoking scholarship. We’ve put together a list of 2025’s most influential interviews, along with fan favorites, and identified recently published pieces that are already trending. Plus, we’ve cut through the stats to highlight this year’s hidden gems. From Bruce Chilton’s groundbreaking work on the Aramaic Jesus to Jonathan Stapley’s unprecedented history of Latter-day Saint temple worship, these are 2025’s most noteworthy interviews in history, religion, and theology.

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Quotes

The Best David A. Bednar Quotes: 2026 Edition

A David A. Bednar quote about circumstances.

David A. Bednar has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 2004, when he was called to fill the vacancy created by the death of Neal A. Maxwell. Prior to that time, he was the president of Brigham Young University–Idaho. He is known for talking about the Holy Ghost, the enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and the role of ordinances and covenants in the lives of Church members. Similar to our Dallin H. Oaks Quotes feature, this page covers a variety of apostolic teachings, including Elder Bednar’s October 2025 General Conference talk, “They Are Their Own Judges.”

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