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.
Heber J. Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is known for talking about persistence, emphasizing the Word of Wisdom, and for overseeing the development of the Church’s welfare program. Similar to our Dallin H. Oaks quotes collection, this article highlights select quotations from the prophet.
For a short period of time beginning in the late 1950s, Latter-day Saint missionaries in certain parts of the world required youth to be baptized as a prerequisite for learning how to play baseball. Missionaries had initially used baseball as a tool to befriend the community, but overzealous mission leaders soon took the initiative in a new direction. For a time, it also received the support of general authorities like Alvin R. Dyer and Henry D. Moyle before President David O. McKay dispatched Marion D. Hanks to “clean up the mess.” In this interview, Greg Prince explains the history of baseball baptisms.
Jesus Christ’s visit to the Americas is one the Book of Mormon‘s crowning event. The account that begins in 3rd Nephi includes fascinating details about the Savior’s post-resurrection life, including a follow-up discourse to the Sermon on the Mount. Daniel Becerra shares insights from his new book, 3rd, 4th Nephi: A Brief Theological Introduction.
The book of Ether goes over like a lead balloon. It’s freighted with the history of two millennia, mired with lurid violence. The story is heavy—ill-suited, perhaps, to show the “great things” of God’s deliverance, as the title page of the Book of Mormon promises. Surely, it is too earthbound for greatness. The book lifts off, nonetheless.
Truman Madsen is perhaps best known for his Joseph Smith lectures. The BYU professor thought of the Prophet as a window through which he could see Jesus Christ. But his contributions extend far beyond lectures given at Brigham Young University. Those who knew him best, like his wife, Ann Madsen, say there was much more to Truman G. Madsen than meets the eye.
Some years ago on my return from the East, just after finishing my PhD, I had a phone call. A voice I hadn’t heard before said, “Is your name Truman Madsen?”
We don’t know if the angel Moroni dedicated the Manti temple site during his mortal ministry. However, based on the current historical record, there isn’t enough evidence to justify the claim. Warren S. Snow asserted that Brigham Young shared the story in a private meeting, but the prophet didn’t trust Snow, and the fourth hand claim never appears in any other contemporary source. In this interview, Latter-day Saint folklorist Christopher Blythe explains what we do and don’t know about the popular myth.