Historical Background Casey Paul Griffiths[1]Casey Paul Griffiths, Doctrine and Covenants Minute. Accessed 9.20.21. provides background for this section: Following their forced exodus from Missouri, the Latter-day Saints regrouped in Illinois as refugees on the banks of the Mississippi River. Joseph Smith and his companions were freed from their captivity in LibertyContinue Reading

D&C 109 The Dedicatory Prayer of the Kirtland Temple – March 27, 1836 Historical Background The following background information provided by Ostler and McConkie is valuable: In preparation for the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, the Prophet Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and Oliver Cowdery, as well as Warren A. CowderyContinue Reading

D&C 94 Historical background May 6- August 6 1833 In December 1832 (see D&C 88:119) and again in March 1833 (see D&C 90:7–9), the Saints in Ohio were commanded to build a temple at Kirtland. On 23 March 1833, a conference of Church leaders met in the schoolroom above theContinue Reading

D&C 77 Questions and Answers concerning St. John’s Ἀποκάλυψις Apokalypsis, or Revelation[1]ἀποκάλυψις definition:   1. Laying bare, making naked, 2. A disclosure of truth, instruction, 2a. Concerning things before unknown, 2b. Used of events by which things or states or … Continue reading In the form of questions and answers, the ProphetContinue Reading

Ether 12-15 Show the two paths available to mankind: The Way of Life and the Way of Death These chapters show the two paths available to mankind: the path of leading unto life (Ether 12-13), and the path leading unto death (Ether 14-15). Both of these blocks of scripture useContinue 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

These chapters are an excellent illustration of how to raise a righteous family in the midst of great spiritual wickedness. Mormon is an excellent model of how to do this. Bryce lays out the argument in our podcast that Mormon probably was working on his editing and constructing of theContinue Reading

3 Nephi 20 These chapters (3 Nephi 20-26) is the story of the victory of Zion at the end of the world. This is one of the places where Jesus shares his favorite story. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland put it this way: In fact, I have a theory about thoseContinue 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 Book of Mormon is written in code.1 It has many layers. On the surface we read the stories, wars, sermons, and the situations the heroes in the text find themselves in. Underneath the text there is the message about the mysteries of God, the temple, and character of theContinue Reading