D&C 18 is given June 1829 in Fayette, New York. As promised by John the Baptist, the Melchizedek Priesthood was restored to the earth by the ancient apostles Peter, James, and John. This occurred sometime after the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood on 15 May 1829, and the first partContinue Reading

Joseph Describes Spiritual Sight How could Joseph have had this vision of Moroni as he was in a room with his siblings at the time? Perhaps we are looking at this from a Western mindset and need to ask a different question. What kind of vision was this? What doContinue Reading

Ether 6-11 take readers on a journey of the violent and turbulent world of the Jaredite kings. It is almost like the Book of Mormon in miniature: we have a heavenly ocean crossing, prophetic peoples ruled by kings, a series of wicked and righteous kings, secret Gadianton-esque societies, wars andContinue Reading

3 Nephi 12-14 is very similar to the Sermon on the Mount in the Gospel of Matthew. This text is a temple ascension text, or what modern Saints call an endowment. In this podcast, we worked to demonstrate the depth and breadth of this sermon, with the hopes that thoseContinue Reading

The characterization of Death and Hell, together with themes such as the “bands of death,” preparing an escape route, and swallowing up one’s adversary, are textual evidences that illustrate a genuine underlying background to the Book of Mormon’s assertion that it is connected to the Ancient Near East. In JosephContinue Reading

1 Nephi 8-11 Coming into the presence of God in his temple There are multiple ways to read the story of the Tree of Life. Certainly this story is first and foremost about God’s love and invitation for all men to come into his presence through the Atonement of hisContinue Reading

The Hymn of the Pearl and the Cosmic Myth The Cosmic Myth is a story that teaches of eternal truths even though it may or may not be totally historically accurate.[1]Michael Fishbane, Biblical Myth and Rabbinic Mythmaking, Oxford University Press, 2003, p. 11. Fishbane stated, “we shall understand the word ‘Myth’Continue Reading

In John 14:1-2 we read: Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. The word for mansions is used here μοναὶmone, a word that means to abide,Continue Reading

Cutting Covenants This article is posted here on the BYU Religious Education website. Jared T. Parker is a product specialist coordinator in the medical division of W. L. Gore & Associates in Flagstaff, Arizona. Covenants have always been a critical part of the gospel, meaning both the fulness of theContinue Reading