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Latter-day Saint History

What Is the Origin and Purpose of Latter-day Saint Temple Garments?

Elizabeth Allred sewing muslin for the first Latter-day Saint temple garment under Joseph Smith’s direction, with Emma Smith nearby offering design input such as a collar addition.

The origin of Latter-day Saint temple garments traces back to a vision given to Joseph Smith and serves as a sacred reminder of covenants made in temples. Temple garments symbolize deep spiritual commitments and point believers to Christ. Early Saints, such as Elizabeth Allred, Emma Smith, and Eliza R. Snow, shaped the first versions, which later evolved into shorter, two-piece, and even military styles—although the symbols and covenants have remained unchanged. In this interview, Seth G. Soha explores the introduction of temple garments, their evolution, and their ongoing significance today.

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New Testament

What Was Gethsemane Like in Jesus’s Time?

Painterly night view of Gethsemane on the Mount of Olives with olive trees in the foreground and the illuminated Jerusalem Temple under a full Passover moon in the background.

Gethsemane in Jesus’s time was a working olive orchard with terraced groves and a cave press where olives were crushed and stored. Archaeological findings point to the Gethsemane grotto itself as a likely setting for Jesus’s anguished prayer in the New Testament, with his disciples resting outside among the trees. From its vantage across the Jerusalem temple, the site carried deep associations with sacrifice, light, and anointing. In this interview, Matthew J. Grey explores the history, symbolism, and gospel portrayals of the Garden of Gethsmane.

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19th Century 20th Century Latter-day Saint History Scriptures

What Did “Shake the Dust Off Your Feet” Mean to Early Latter-day Saints?

Oil painting of early 1830s Latter-day Saint missionaries shaking dust from their feet, symbolizing rejection and divine judgment in the New Testament and Doctrine and Covenants.

Early Latter-day Saints understood “shaking the dust off your feet” as a ritual curse adapted from Jesus’s New Testament command to His disciples. Joseph Smith revealed the practice as a form of priesthood cursing in several revelations, now canonized in the Doctrine and Covenants (sections 24, 60, 75, 84, and 99). Missionaries most often performed the rite after rejection or persecution. While rarely expected to bring immediate consequences, it symbolized divine judgment reserved for Christ’s Second Coming. In this interview, historian Samuel R. Weber explains how the practice largely disappeared by the early 1900s.

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19th Century Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Vienna Jaques?

A black and white photograph of Vienna Jaques in pioneer Utah.

Vienna Jaques was an early Latter-day Saint convert who consecrated her wealth to build Zion. Although largely anonymous today, Jaques witnessed the first baptism for the dead, donated money to purchase the Kirtland Temple site, and received a personal letter from Joseph Smith. She is one of only two women mentioned by name in the Doctrine and Covenants, alongside Emma Smith. Biographer Brent Rogers shares her story in this interview and explains how Jaques received the peace promised her in D&C 90.

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Come Follow Me Devotional Quotes

President Nelson Quotes From Every General Conference

Latter-day Saint president Russell M. Nelson in his office

President Nelson quotes have the special ability to make your burdens feel lighter. Since giving his first address in 1984, Russell M. Nelson’s talks have covered topics like love, repentance, and faith in Jesus Christ. His most recent talk in the April 2025 General Conference was called “Confidence in the Presence of God.” Similar to our Dallin H. Oaks Quotes page, this article shares President Nelson quotes from all of his general conference addresses, including “Think Celestial!,” “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” and “The Power of Spiritual Momentum.”

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20th Century International Latter-day Saint History

Did the Nazis Spy on the Church?

A Latter-day Saint family prays by candlelight in a modest German home, unaware of a Nazi officer watching through a frosted window.

The government of Adolf Hitler spied on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during World War II. Recently uncovered documents offer an unprecedented glimpse into how the Third Reich monitored the Church and subjected its membership to systematic surveillance, censorship, and intimidation. A 1937 report even details notes made about President Heber J. Grant during a series of sermons. This interview with Stephen O. Smoot explores key insights into Church-state tensions, missionary activity, and the persecution of individual members, including resistance figures like Helmuth Hübener as part of the story of Mormonism around the world in the time leading up to World War II.

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Doctrine and Covenants Polygamy

D&C 132: What Is the Plural Marriage Revelation?

Doctrine and Covenants 132 is the revelation on plural marriage dictated by Joseph Smith in 1843. Shared in secret during his lifetime and later canonized in 1879, it became one of the most consequential and controversial texts in Latter-day Saint history. The revelation introduced the sealing of marriages for eternity, provided the theological foundation for polygamy, and continues to influence Church teachings about family and exaltation today. In this interview, scholar William V. Smith explores D&C 132’s origins and lasting impact.

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International Latter-day Saint History

Who Was Eduardo Balderas?

Black and white portrait of Eduardo Balderas, featured on the cover of “Eduardo Balderas: Father of Church Translation.”

Eduardo Balderas, the Church’s first official full-time Spanish translator, was so influential among Spanish-speaking Latter-day Saints that many called him the “thirteenth apostle.” He played a pivotal role in making the gospel accessible in Spanish by translating scripture, temple ordinances, and other Church literature. Trusted by Church leaders and admired across cultures, Balderas helped bridge linguistic and cultural divides for Mormonism Around the World. In this interview, biographer Ignacio Garcia explores how this quiet pioneer helped make the gospel truly global.

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Doctrine and Covenants Theology

Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants: A Maxwell Institute Book Series

All seven volumes of "Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants" presented on a table at the Maxwell Institute at BYU.

The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship has released a seven-volume series exploring themes in the Doctrine and Covenants. Each book tackles a specific topic from Latter-day Saint scripture, with contributors like Terryl Givens (Agency), Janiece Johnson (Revelation), and Justin Collings (Justice). Over the coming year, we’ll update this series introduction with exclusive author interviews, offering behind-the-scenes insights into their work.

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Doctrine and Covenants Theology

Time: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants

Cubist-style painting of a serene Latter-day Saint woman before a Roman numeral clock and stylized temple, evoking the Doctrine and Covenants’ sacred theology of time.

The concept of time is one of many themes in the Doctrine and Covenants—and all of scripture. A new book from the Maxwell Institute calls it the “0th principle” of the gospel, a foundational value underlying every other principle we live by. Seeing time in this way can change how we worship, how we remember the past, and how we act in the present. In this interview, scholar Philip Barlow discusses Time: Themes in the Doctrine and Covenants, exploring how becoming “time literate” can transform relationships, expand agency, and deepen joy.

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