A new book by Richard Bushman seeks to uncover the cultural history of Joseph Smith’s gold plates. As a biographer of Joseph Smith, Bushman has thought about the role of the plates for decades. He believes that they were real, but also points out that they are mysterious. In this interview, he shares thoughts about how they’ve been viewed by scholars, portrayed by artists, and contextualized by the church.
The exact ways in which Christians have observed the Sabbath Day or the Lord’s Day have varied, even after the time of the New Testament. There are also specific reasons why Sabbath observance has been tied to both Saturday and Sunday. In this interview, Jason R. Combs discusses how ancient Christians observed the Sabbath or the Lord’s Day.
Deseret Book’s “Let’s Talk About” series provides candid introductions to weighty issues, including several about the Prophet Joseph Smith. It was launched in 2021 and comprises nine books, including Let’s Talk About Race and Priesthood, Let’s Talk About the Law of Consecration, and Let’s Talk About Faith and Intellect. Authors are drawn from each field’s most knowledgeable scholars, and include well-known names such as W. Paul Reeves, Terryl Givens, and Steven C. Harper. This article provides book summaries, access to our exclusive author interviews and links to buy the books.
The religion of the Latter-day Saints may be characterized as a confluence of normative Judaism and first-century Christianity. At its core is insight into human nature that Jesus both taught and exemplified.
The Church Historian’s Press announced the digital publication of the journals of two early sister missionaries at an event in Salt Lake City today. The journals of Eliza Chipman and Josephine Booth represent two of the earliest women to serve as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints anywhere in the world. Similar to the publication of the Eliza R. Snow discourses, these new volumes make substantial contributions to our understanding of the lives of early Latter-day Saint women.
The Book of Mormon provides several interesting teachings about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It’s in this scripture of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ that you first see reference to an “infinite atonement.” The Book of Mormon is also one of the only places in scripture that emphasizes the role of Gethsemane. In this interview, Nick Frederick discusses the Atonement of Jesus Christ as revealed in the Book of Mormon.
The White Horse Prophecy is a statement attributed to the Prophet Joseph Smith by Edwin Rushton. What it says depends on how you look at it. Historically, the White Horse Prophecy is problematic. Not only do scholars question its reliability, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has denounced it. From a popular culture standpoint, the prophecy is often warped to refer to a Latter-day Saint politician who will save the Constitution prior to the Second Coming. You typically see this second viewpoint in media stories discussing individuals like Mitt Romney, Glenn Beck, or Ammon Bundy.
Thomas S. Monson quotes include inspiring wisdom like, “The past is behind, learn from it. The future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live for it.” The Latter-day Saint prophet was known for witty quotes stemming from his personal stories of obedience and sacrifice. Similar to our Joseph Smith Quotes, this page contains quotations from the 16th president of the Church about topics like temples, happiness, service, the Holy Ghost, and more.
“The Purifying Power of Gethsemane” is the general conference talk often referred to as Bruce R. McConkie’s final testimony. Elder McConkie gave the talk when sick with cancer, less than two weeks before his death. His testimony of Jesus Christ was so influential that Joseph Fielding McConkie called it “one of the most powerful talks ever given in the Tabernacle.” It has also been noted by historian John Turner in Mormon Jesus as a pivotal event that marked a change in how Latter-day Saints talk about the Savior.
Native Americans such as the Navajo (or Diné) have sometimes been thought of as descendants of the Book of Mormon Lamanites. This has created a complex legacy of interactions between Church members and Native Americans as one example of cultural interchange in Mormonism around the world, including among those members who are Native Americans. This interview with Dr. Farina King discusses Diné Latter-day Saints.