The Pharisees are often portrayed as bad people that serve as foils for the New Testament Jesus. Indeed, the Gospels depict them in an especially bad light. But history suggests that common narratives may be flawed—and that religious stereotypes are unfair to contemporary Jews. In this interview, Jewish scholar Amy-Jill Levine discusses why many historians think that the Pharisees are misunderstood.
Marion D. Hanks was called as a general authority in 1953 at the age of 31. During his 40 years of service, he cleaned up the mess of “baseball baptisms,” worked with the youth, and trained general authorities like Russell M. Nelson and Jeffrey R. Holland. Hanks also developed a reputation as someone who advocated for Christlike service over institutional statistics. His son, Richard D. Hanks, talks about the first biography of his father in this interview.
The first revelation in the Doctrine and Covenants says that the Savior called and empowered Joseph Smith to “lay the foundation of this church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of darkness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord am well pleased, speaking unto the church collectively and not individually” (Doctrine and Covenants 1:30). If you are anything like me, you wonder what it means every time you or someone else says, “I know this church is true.”
Rooted in atonement theology is the idea that Christ suffered and died in a way that enables mortals to overcome the negative situations we encounter. Christ’s atonement is discussed in various ways, but perhaps an underappreciated facet of the atonement is Christ’s ability to compensate for the unfairness of life and the weaknesses of imperfect people.
Joseph Fielding Smith is remembered for serving as the 10th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, for his prolific doctrinal writings, and for his ancestry (with Joseph F. Smith as his father and Hyrum Smith as his grandfather). Similar to our Joseph Smith Quotes, this page contains prophetic quotations about topics like temples, the Plan of Salvation, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Holy Ghost, and more.
The most well-known talk by Brad Wilcox is “His Grace Is Sufficient.” The Brother Wilcox lecture still holds the record as the most popular BYU Devotional of all time. His profile has further grown since his call to the Young Men General Presidency. This article helps you find Brad R. Wilcox teachings on many topics you see in Russell M. Nelson quotes, including grace, morality, and scriptures. We include his talks, books, podcasts, and more.
I am in the final stages of a new Joseph Smith biography for Yale University Press, but two decades ago, I began research on a biography of Brigham Young. I had the time of my life coming to the Church History Library and making my way through what seemed like the endless boxes and microfilm reels that contain Young’s papers.
The Paris Art Mission was a program that enabled Latter-day Saint artists to study their craft in Europe. Under the direction of Wilford Woodruff, the First Presidency paid for the artistic training. In exchange, the art missionaries enriched the temple endowment experience by creating temple murals that were both immersive and instructive. This interview with Linda Jones Gibbs discusses the history of the Paris Art Mission.
Six Days in August tells the dramatic story that unfolded in Nauvoo after the death of Joseph Smith. The independent feature film brings history to life, depicting events such as the transfiguration of Brigham Young and a climactic confrontation between Sidney Rigdon and the Twelve Apostles. It includes heartwarming performances by actors like John Donovan Wilson and Twyla Wilson—and is now showing in theaters.
The priesthood and temple ban against individuals with Black African ancestry is often traced to Brigham Young, who announced the policy during an 1852 legislative session in Utah Territory. That announcement happened in the midst of a debate over how to legislate unfree labor, including slavery of Black and indigenous peoples in the territory. In this interview, W. Paul Reeve and Christopher B. Rich discuss the history of unfree labor in Utah Territory.