The Holy Ghost has the power to bring light and understanding to our lives, but we must pay the price to seek and win His companionship.

The Book of Mormon culture is found to be strikingly similar to that of the Middle East. An Arab Latter-day Saint tells his experience with the Book of Mormon and how he is able to relate to the stories within its pages because of his cultural origins. Among the congruities discussed are the structure of the family, the concept of taking oaths, the behavior of women, and the danger of the desert. Together, these points demonstrate the worth of the Book of Mormon and show how each reader is able to draw from his or her own cultural background in order to infer different messages.

In order to reach our sublime destiny, we need each other, and we need to be unified.

I testify that “thru cloud and sunshine” the Lord will abide with us, that our “afflictions [can be] swallowed up in the joy of Christ.”

Sister Aburto testifies of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ and that His Atonement helps us overcome sorrow and find hope.

Sister Reyna I. Aburto speaks at the 192nd Annual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2-3, 2022.

Sister Aburto teaches that the Church of Jesus Christ accomplishes its work through its members.

Most scholars who reject the one-man authorship of Isaiah do so because they reject prophecy

Linda Hunter Adams expressed gratitude for Nibley’s article.

A three-foot sword excavated at Vered Jericho, likely dating to 620 BC, lends credence to the description of the sword of Laban in the Book of Mormon.

The discovery in Jerusalem of two inscribed silver strips, dating from the seventh century BC, support the Book of Mormon claim of writing on metal plates.

Michael D. Coogan identifies the silver plates found in a Jerusalem burial site as one of the ten most significant finds for biblical archaeology because “they are our earliest witness to the text of the Bible.”

The Book of Mormon mentions synagogues in twenty-five passages. An important resource that may help us understand what the Book of Mormon means by the word synagogue is the body of research on biblical synagogues. This is especially true of research related to the years prior to the Babylonian captivity of the Jews, which began in 586 BC, since this is the time period when Lehi left Jerusalem. We would expect, therefore, that the nature of biblical synagogues before the captivity would have greatly influenced the concept of the synagogue that Lehi and his family took with them to the New World. In this article, William J. Adams Jr. details the historical development, nature, and cultural function of synagogues of the biblical era and relates them to the history, form, and religious function of synagogues in the New World.

I invite all who hear me today to read the Book of Mormon and to apply the promise it contains. Those who do will know that the book is true.

Elder Aidukaitis gives guidance for recognizing truth—observing its fruits, experimenting on the word of God, and seeking personal revelation.

Elder Aidukaitis teaches youth that God will richly bless them as they overcome fears and insecurities and serve Him as full-time missionaries.

A history of Kresimir Cosic, his introduction to the gospel, and how that continued to impact him and those around him.

In Dixie Saints, you’ll learn about the daily lives of Saints who grew up between the late 1800s and the early 1900s in the villages of southern Utah, including St. George, and nearby Nevada and Arizona. Explore the many stories detailing their struggles and their achievements during childhood in large families, their experiences in one-room schools, their physical work (all without machines), their health challenges and herbal medicine, and their dealings with American Indians and with the Mexican exiles from the 1912 Revolution. ISBN 978-1-9443-9420-2

For more than 150 years, “Come, Come, Ye Saints,” the anthem of the pioneer journey, has praised Salt Lake City as “the place, which God for us prepared.” This new book from Brigham Young University’s Religious Studies Center analyzes the fulfillment of that poetic longing. The sixteenth in a series of regional studies on Latter-day Saint church history, it contains a collection of essays by faculty members in the Department of Church History and Doctrine discussing Salt Lake’s place in our sacred story. Topics include histories of significant landmarks, stories from the city’s past, and discussions of Church organizations. The reader will see connections between the revelations of Joseph Smith and Salt Lake City as a modern city of Zion, the place, indeed, where the Saints have been blessed. ISBN 978-0-8425-2799-6

Winner of the Harvey B. Black and Susan Easton Black Outstanding Publication Award (Gospel Scholarship in Church History and Doctrine), Civil War Saints takes a fresh look at Latter-day Saints and Utah Territory during the Civil War. Come learn the stories of Latter-day Saints who fought in Union blue and others who wore confederate gray. Civil War Saints is a nicely balanced effort to help readers gain a deeper appreciation of the events and experiences that made the Civil War and its effect upon Latter-day Saints and Utah Territory such a watershed event. How many Latter-day Saints participated in the Civil War, and who were they? The answers to those questions have remained elusive—until now. Civil War Saints also includes the most thoroughly researched list of Latter-day Saint Civil War veterans ever published. ISBN 978-0-8425-2816-0

An Eye of Faith contains nineteen thought-provoking and new essays about the following topics: ancient and modern temples, revelations to the Latter-day Saints, serving others and sharing the gospel, increasing scriptural understanding, and Church history. Jointly published by Deseret Book and Brigham Young University’s Religious Studies Center, this book was written by established Church scholars including Susan Easton Black, Richard E. Bennett, Kent P. Jackson, S. Kent Brown, Richard Draper, Alexander L. Baugh, Craig Ostler, Brent L. Top, and other notable writers. ISBN 978-0-8425-2889-4

This volume is a compilation of inspirational stories shared by Latter-day Saints who served on the front lines in several recent military conflicts. These stories detail their trials, challenges, setbacks, faith, courage, and numerous victories in overcoming extraordinary circumstances. This book is filled with remarkable first-person accounts from Latter-day Saint soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and civilians who served in the Gulf War, the War in Afghanistan, and the Iraq War. Their amazing stories—published together for the first time—chronicle the sacrifice, dedication, and humor of day-to-day life in modern combat zones. This book also shares the story of how fully functioning districts of the Church were organized and operated in the war-torn countries of Afghanistan and Iraq to meet the spiritual needs of the Church members there. Richly illustrated with photographs from the participants, this book will introduce you to a new generation of Latter-day Saint heroes. ISBN 978-1-9443-9487-5

This volume takes a fresh look at the history, people, and places in Washington, DC, that have affected the Church. Beginning with Joseph Smith’s earliest interactions with the federal government in the 1830s, the Church’s progress has been shaped by leaders and members interacting in Washington. This volume is filled with essays on many topics about the Church’s history, people, and places in the nation’s capital. It also chronicles many of the Saints and statesmen who have worked to bring the Church out of obscurity and onto a national and international stage. ISBN 978-1-9503-0403-5

Review of Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, Alma through Helaman (1991), by Joseph Fielding McConkie and Robert L. Millet.

Review of Grant H. Palmer. An Insider’s View of Mormon Origins.

Assistant Church Historian James B. Allen shares his remarks that he made at Davis Bitton’s funeral on Bitton’s scholarly work.

All must experience and be found by the power of the truths contained in the Book of Mormon.

Review of “Scripture” (1988), by Norman L. Geisler

How faith gives strength to avoid the natural fight or flight syndrome

Alma’s distinctive use of the word state in the Book of Mormon is present in his unique concentration of state, his tendency to reword with state, and his treatment of a shared topic involving state.

Patriarchal blessings are … similar to a road map that indicates the paths that may be traveled and destinations that may be reached if we stay within those paths.

Through our regular monthly visits to our sisters, we can create bonds of love, friendship, and trust.

The temples are sacred, holy places. They are a source of spiritual power and strength. They are a place of revelation.

We want you to bless your life and home with the influence and power of Relief Society.

If we are faithful and endure to the end, we will receive all of Heavenly Father’s blessings, even eternal life and exaltation.

When love becomes the guiding principle in our care for others, our service to them becomes the gospel in action.

Plead for a desire to be filled with the gift of charity, the pure love of Christ.

The Savior … gave us a great example about not waiting to administer relief to those who have lost a sense of happiness and joy.

By serving and forgiving others with real love, we can be healed and receive the strength to overcome our own challenges.

As we follow God’s voice and His covenant path, He will strengthen us in our trials.

Review of John Sanders. No Other Name: An Investigation into the Destiny of the Unevangelized. and Review of Gabriel Fackre, Ronald H. Nash, and John Sanders. What about Those Who Have Never Heard? Three Views on the Destiny of the Unevangelized.

Conversion is a personal and spiritual process. Every individual must examine these principles for himself.

Those who serve will strive to ennoble, build, and lift their fellowmen.

[The Redeemer’s] sacrifice blessed everyone, from Adam, the first, to the last of all human beings.

Review of My First Scripture Stories (1994), by Sherrie Johnson, illustrated by Tyler Lybbert

In modern Israel, serving the Lord means carefully following the Prophets.

As we increase our understanding and love for the Savior, His light will illuminate everything around us. We will then see evil for what it is.

Our conviction of the Savior and His latter-day work becomes the powerful lens through which we judge all else.

I do know with perfect and certain clarity through the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, the Beloved Son of God.

The invitation to repent is rarely a voice of chastisement but rather a loving appeal to turn around and to “re-turn” toward God.

A stronger personal faith in Jesus Christ will prepare [your children] for the challenges they will most surely face.

As you choose not to be offended or ashamed, you will feel His love and approval. You will know that you are becoming more like Him.

Your mission will be a sacred opportunity to bring others to Christ and help prepare for the Second Coming of the Savior.

I testify of the great blessing of children and of the happiness they will bring us in this life and in the eternities.

As you love Him, trust Him, believe Him, and follow Him, you will feel His love and approval.

Like the intense fire that transforms iron into steel, as we remain faithful during the fiery trial of our faith, we are spiritually refined and strengthened.

We are witnessing the miracles of the Lord as His gospel is spreading across the world.

A man may open the drapes so the warm sunlight comes into the room, but the man does not own the sun or the light or the warmth it brings.

Don’t let the whirlwinds drag you down. These are your days—to stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ chose a holy man, a righteous man, to lead the Restoration of the fulness of His gospel. He chose Joseph Smith.

Neil L. Andersen discusses the role Church members have to help build the kingdom of God and prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord.

Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it.

Children today find themselves in many different and complex family configurations. We need to reach out to those who feel alone, left behind, or outside the fence.

I suggest that you stop feeling guilty about any insufficiency you think you have in sharing the gospel. Rather, pray “to stand as [a witness] of God.” This is a much stronger motivation than guilt.

Overcoming the world is not one defining moment in a lifetime, but a lifetime of moments that define an eternity.

I testify that in this conference we have heard the Lord’s voice. The test for each of us is how we respond.

A prophet does not stand between you and the Savior. Rather, he stands beside you and points the way to the Savior.

In the crucible of earthly trials, patiently move forward, and the Savior’s healing power will bring you light, understanding, peace, and hope.

If we pick and choose what we accept in the proclamation, we cloud our eternal view, putting too much importance on our experience here and now.

Keep your eyes and your hearts centered on the Savior Jesus Christ and the eternal joy that comes only through Him.

When personal difficulties or world conditions beyond our control darken our path, the spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead.

Elder Andersen teaches that God’s spirit children come to earth on their own personal journeys and that we should welcome them, safeguard them, and love them.

When we willingly follow the counsel of the Lord as revealed through His living prophet, especially if it runs counter to our initial thinking, requiring humility and sacrifice, the Lord blesses us with additional spiritual power.

Elder Andersen explains how we can overcome contention with faith in Jesus Christ.

Elder Andersen teaches that we can prepare for the Second Coming by making covenants and strengthening our commitment to the Savior.

Seeking to know and love the Savior, we separate ourselves from the world through covenants with God, being distinct, uncommon, and special, without isolating ourselves from others who believe differently.

Review of A Most Convincing Witness: Reasons Why the Book of Mormon Is the True Word of God (1990), by Randall K. Mehew.

I testify that those who keep His commandments will grow in faith and hope. They will be given strength to overcome all of life’s trials.

The music of the gospel is the joyful spiritual feeling that comes from the Holy Ghost. It brings a change of heart.

It takes courage to accept a religion that requires sacrifices of the heart. The nineteenth-century Scandinavian converts are a commendable example of this courage. They gave up worldly goods, standing in the community, and sometimes their lives for their newfound beliefs. As a family history resource, this compilation contains vital information, scrupulously researched, about each of these valiant missionaries. Other features include explanations of surnames in Scandinavian countries, a pronunciation guide, and photos. ISBN 978-0-8425-2668-5

Tonga has by far the highest percentage of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of any country in the world. How did this come to be? At first, missionary work in Tonga appeared to be a failure. Then after the mission was closed for a decade, the Church returned and began harvesting the fruits from the seeds that were planted earlier amid tremendous official opposition. The truths of the gospel resonated with the Tongan people, who exhibited tremendous faith and sacrifice. The Church grew to be a strong influence in the Kingdom of Tonga and with the people of the country. ISBN 978-1-9443-9488-2

Over the last several decades, scholarly discussion on the textual world of the Second Temple has been shifting. Ideas about texts and the development of the biblical canon began to be reshaped by the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, which altered previously established ideas about the configuration of a prebiblical canon. Investigation of those and other texts made it apparent that the structure of the biblical canon was still fluid at a much later date than was originally thought. These new scholarly analyses are redefining the timelines and ideas about the early shape of the biblical text and its elasticity. Such developments have been particularly intriguing for Latter-day Saints because they have generated new ways of thinking about the historic limits of text and canon. In her new book, Eva Mroczek takes the discussion a step further and in a direction that will resonate well within the Mormon scholarly community. Her aim is to identify the “literary imagination” of Jewish antiquity or, in other words, the ways in which ancient writers and scribes conceived of their own textual world. Although she is not the first to point out the anachronistic difficulties that can plague modern scholars in their approach to texts from antiquity, she is one of the first to try to re-create a vision of an original literary mindset from the ancient texts themselves. Her study culls texts from antiquity for clues about the ways in which ancient communities thought about literature, text, authorship, and canon.

Personal reminiscences about Sidney B. Sperry.

The greatest concept we can study or teach is the plan of redemption—sometimes called the plan of salvation or the plan of happiness. The doctrines of the plan of redemption have more power to bring men to God than any other truth or concept. Many members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints quickly recognize the following diagram.

Includes Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Asenath, and Jezebel

Joseph Anderson - The thing that is needed more than anything else today is a return to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and in the gospel plan that he gave.

Review of The Book of Mormon: The Keystone Scripture (1988), edited by Paul R. Cheesman and assisted by S. Kent Brown and Charles D. Tate Jr.

Jesus showed impressive ability both to use the Old Testament and to depart from it, as he did in the Sermon on the Mount. Even speaking “as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:29), he insisted that he had not come “to destroy the law, or the prophets” (Matt. 5:17).