After returning to Hiram from the Amherst conference, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon resumed their labors on the translation of the New Testament. The vision recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 76 was received while they were translating John 5:29. Philo Dibble, one of a dozen men present when this visionContinue Reading

Gandalf stood before the door of Orthanc and beat on it with his staff. It rang with a hollow sound. ‘Saruman, Saruman!’ he cried in a loud commanding voice. ‘Saruman come forth!’… The window closed. They waited. Suddenly another voice spoke, low and melodious, its very sound an enchantment. ThoseContinue Reading

Doctrine and Covenants 29 Historical Background Joseph Smith received Doctrine and Covenants 29 in September 1829. John Whitmer is our source of the historical background of this section. Whitmer informs us that this revelation was given to “to six elders of the Church and three members” and explained that thisContinue Reading

Historical Background – Martin Harris By 1827, Martin Harris had built a comfortable life for himself in Palmyra, New York. He married his cousin Lucy in 1808, fought in the war of 1812, and by 1827 Martin had had acquired 320 acres of farmland, made them profitable through his industry andContinue Reading

Revelation 12 The Dragon, the Woman, and the Child The narrative that began in chapter 8 and ended in 11 won’t pick up again until Revelation 15 We have three breaks from Revelation 8 to 15 Chapter 12 serves a vital purpose: it gives the reader a deeper understanding ofContinue Reading

Occasionally I find myself in a conversation with those that ask the question, “Is Satan essential for the Plan of Salvation to work?” While I do not think this question is one of the more vital gospel questions we may ask, it certainly is interesting! The answer may help usContinue Reading

In 1837, Elders Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, Orson Hyde, and Isaac Russell were laboring as missionaries in Preston, England. 1 They were sharing a three-story flat on Wilford Street when the unthinkable happened. On Sunday, July 30, sometime around daybreak, Elder Russell rushed into the room of Elders KimballContinue Reading