It might have been 1986, because Easter came in March and I was on my way to Montreal. But I went to see Dustin Hoffman in The Death of a Salesman (bought a ticket at the last minute from a scalper), so it must have been two years earlier on my way to Boston.
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.
The Doctrine and Covenants includes discussion about agency and free will. A volume from the Maxwell Institute’s Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants series looks at what agency means, the extent to which it exists, and what that means for disciples of Jesus Christ. In this interview, author Terryl Givens discusses his new book, Agency.
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.
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.
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.
The vision does not terrify but soothe…here is rest indeed. The God of peace makes all things peaceful;…We see him as a king who after hearing causes in his court all day long, has dismissed his crowds of attendants, ended the labour of the day, and retired to his palace at nightfall. He entered his chamber with the few friends who share the intimacy of that retreat. …his serenity mounts as he looks calmly round upon the faces of his dearest companions. … So (in this inner chamber of contemplation) God deigns to show himself lovable, serene and peaceful, sweet and gentle, full of mercy towards all who look on him.” —Bernard of Clairvaux (352-53)
Everyone knows the story about Pompeii and Mt. Vesuvius. It’s as famous as the Dead Sea Scrolls. But did you know that the city of Herculaneum (or Ercolano) met a similar fate? Join Kenneth Lapatin, curator of the J. Paul Getty Museum, for a discussion of the book, Buried by Vesuvius: The Villa dei Papiri at Herculaneum.
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.
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.