Zion’s Cooperative Mercantile Institution (ZCMI) is known as America’s first department store. Founded by Brigham Young in 1869, the store played a central role in the early Utah economy. Nineteenth pioneers saw ZCMI as a tool to eliminate poverty—and it was a requirement for Latter-day Saints to shop there. In this interview, Jeffrey Paul Thompson explains the fascinating history of the ZCMI department store in Salt Lake City.
Most Latter-day Saints know about Truman G. Madsen. His Joseph Smith tapes continue to influence the rising generation—and it’s hard to talk about Latter-day Saint theology without mentioning his influence. But his wife, Ann Madsen, is every bit the disciple-scholar that he was. In this interview, she describes the bookend years of their lives—including the three things Truman told her just before he passed away.
Faith and science are often seen as conflicting approaches in the search for truth—including within the Latter-day Saint community. For example, Joseph Fielding Smith and B. H. Roberts disagreed about whether science or scripture should take priority in the debate over evolution (see the story in Saints 3). In this interview. Dr. Jamie L. Jensen explains that faith and science are symbiotic pathways to truth.
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that faith is the first principle of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And yet many people struggle to understand their own beliefs. Furthermore, the importance of belief seems to be on the decline, as evidenced by the rise of those leaving organized religion. In this interview, Terryl Givens, and his son, Nathaniel, explain that admitting “belief is hard” could be a step toward accessing the power of faith—and balancing faith and intellect.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has had a presence in Mexico for 145 years. Mexico is also the country with the largest Church membership outside of the United States, with almost 1.5 million members, 222 stakes, and 13 temples. Its history is filled with rich stories of faith over the last century and a half. In this interview, F. LaMond Tullis discusses some of those stories from the history of the Church in Mexico as part of the story of Mormonism around the world.
Brandon Sanderson is one of today’s most popular fiction writers. Books like Mistborn and Way of Kings have captured the hearts of millions—and some of Sanderson’s fans have asked if his Latter-day Saint faith influences their favorite storylines. In this interview, BYU’s Nick Frederick ponders a fun hypothetical: What if Nephites from the Book of Mormon had found an inspiring record like The Way of Kings?
Brigham Young was known by many different names. To some, he was the Lion of the Lord or an American Moses. To others, he was simply “Brother Brigham.” In this interview, Chad Orton discusses the many ways he finds inspiration in the prophet’s life—and reveals what he’d include in a second edition of his biography of the second president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Perhaps no book influenced America’s Founding Fathers more than the Bible. But their use of the book didn’t always have religious ties like it did for the settlers of Plymouth Colony. For example, the Holy Bible was often referenced by leaders like Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin—men who didn’t believe in its Divine origins. In this interview, Daniel L. Dreisbach explains what the Bible meant to America’s founders.
The Dead Sea Scrolls provide fascinating insight into Second Temple Judaism. Curiously, the scrolls include fragments from the Book of Ezra—but there’s no actual mention of the scribe. That leads to some interesting questions. For example, was Ezra a real person? And, if he was, why don’t the Dead Sea Scrolls mention him? In this interview, biblical scholar Charlotte Hempel explains the most popular theories.
Jesus Christ stressed the importance of Isaiah’s writings when He appeared in the Americas after His resurrection. As recorded in 3 Nephi, the Savior said: “A commandment I give unto you, that ye ought to search these things . . . for great are the words of Isaiah.” In this interview, Ann Madsen explains how Isaiah has helped her become a better disciple, and discusses his teachings about Jehovah and the temple.