Drawing on firsthand accounts of members and missionaries, both written and oral, Pioneers in the Pacific presents unforgettable stories of faith and courage in the lives of Latter-day Saints throughout the Pacific Islands. The book features chapters by President Gordon B. Hinckley, Eric B. Shumway, Chieko N. Okazaki, and others. $19.95 ISBN 0-8425-2616-1

After the announcement of the intent to rebuild the Nauvoo Temple, there was much discussion in the town about why The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would want to build such a large building in such a small place and what impact it might have on Nauvoo. Questions were raised about the vast potential increase in the number of visitors to Nauvoo, as well as whether large numbers of Church members would come to settle in Nauvoo permanently, significantly affecting the political and cultural environment. Additional interest focused on the whole history of the Mormons in Nauvoo. Those ideas, attitudes, and feelings of residents were captured in this collection of interviews. Twenty-six Nauvoo residents were interviewed and their answers recorded in this volume. (Original printing: January 2003.)

One of every five people on earth is a Muslim, yet Islam is a religion that often seems shrouded in mystery and misperception. Even today, most members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints know little of the similarities they share with Muslims or of the significant differences that demarcate both groups. These striking similarities and defining differences are explored in an updated edition of Mormons and Muslims. Bringing together some of the finest and ablest exponents and interpreters of Islam, this edition presents a reader-friendly explanation of Islam, along with a concise history from Muhammad’s time up to recent world events.

The Ninth Annual Student Symposium

This volume contains papers by seventeen student authors.

The Eighth Annual Student Symposium

This volume contains papers by eleven student authors.

The Seventh Annual Student Symposium

This volume contains papers by sixteen student authors.

The Sixth Annual Student Symposium

This volume contains papers by fourteen student authors.

The Fifth Annual Student Symposium

This volume contains papers by sixteen student authors.

The Fourth Annual Student Symposium

Each year (starting in 1999) a student symposium is held by Religious Education at BYU. The purpose of the conference is to provide a forum for students to research, write, and present papers about religious subjects from a faithful perspective. This volume contains papers by twelve student authors.

“Even as the criticism of the Book of Mormon continues to intensify,” writes Elder Neal A. Maxwell, “the book continues to testify and to diversify its displays of interior consistency, conceptual richness, and its connections with antiquity.” This statement is representative of the inspiring affirmations of the Book of Mormon, which Joseph Smith called “the keystone of our religion.” A Book of Mormon Treasury features twenty-seven thoughtful chapters by Elders Russell M. Nelson, Dallin H. Oaks, Jeffrey R. Holland, and others. $27.95 ISBN: 1-59038-099-1

The 33^rd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium

Before Joseph Smith was born, religious scholars such as William Tyndale and Martin Luther put their lives in jeopardy to spread the word of God to their followers, blazing doctrinal trails so that a restoration of the gospel could occur. This volume highlights these influential men and other important Reformers who helped pave the way for the Restoration.

The 32^nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium

Joseph Smith stated that “the Book of Mormon was . . . the keystone of our religion.” The contributors of the 32^nd Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium have taken the Prophet’s statement to heart and written nineteen chapters focusing on the foundational teachings from the Book of Mormon. As we focus our study on the fundamental teachings of the gospel that are found in the Book of Mormon, we can make its teachings the keystone of our personal lives.

The 31^st Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium

The messages of the New Testament Apostles—most notably Peter, James, John, and Paul—are some of the most important and powerful teachings in all of scripture. In this volume, scholars illuminate these teachings and help us understand their influence in the church of the New Testament. Many insights and teachings in this book help us understand the value and the power of the messages of the New Testament Apostles, not only for the primitive church, but for us in the latter days.

Volume 7 in the Regional Studies Series

History is replete with examples of the accomplishments of the first Latter-day Saint missionaries to England. Prophesying of the importance of the missionaries' success, Joseph Smith said that their work would be the means of bringing salvation to the Lord's latter-day Church. In 1837, Latter-day Saint missionaries from America set foot in Great Britain seeking converts to the Mormon faith. This book includes articles on Isaac Russell, a photo essay, and turning the media image of the Church in Great Britain. Contributors include Alexander L. Baugh, Richard E. Bennett, and Richard O. Cowan.

Volume 6 in the Regional Studies Series

Ohio became the first gathering place for the Saints in this dispensation when the Lord declared, "A commandment I give unto the church, that it is expedient in me that they should assemble together at the Ohio" (D&C37:3). Almost half of the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants were received in Ohio. Soon, stretching northward into Canada, the message of the restored gospel reached the homes of John Taylor, Mary Fielding, and other early converts. Contributors include Richard E. Bennett, David F. Boone, Richard O . Cowan, and Kip Sperry.

Volume 5 in the Regional Studies Series

New England. The name suggests redcoats and ragged patriots. Yet this area did more than give rise to American freedom; it gave birth to the Restoration. Here, prophets and apostles were born to guide the Church—leaders such as Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Brigham Young, and Heber C. Kimball.

Twelve essays take us on a journey through time. We go back to an era when early Apostles canvassed New England to elect Joseph Smith president of the United States. A photo essay offers views of a Mayflower replica and of Church history sites.

Volume 4 in the Regional Studies Series

Converts from Europe became the lifeblood of the young Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Eager emigrants carried with them the lofty dream of establishing Zion in the United States. Yet as time passed, the early vigor of conversion and emigration began to ebb, and the needs of members worldwide gave birth to a new approach—forming branches that would grow and spread throughout Europe. Those early pioneers thus began a tradition of faith that continues today despite the severe trials of two world wars, including the loss of many members’ lives and the evacuation of missionaries during World War II. These essays were written in honor of the one hundred fiftieth anniversary of the preaching of the gospel in Scandinavia and continental Europe by missionaries of the Church.

Volume 3 in the Regional Studies Series

Virtually all of what might be termed the pivotal, defining events of the Restoration—the First Vision, the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the priesthood, the organization of the Church itself—all this and more took place within New York and Pennsylvania. Following the removal of Church headquarters westward to Ohio and beyond, this region has continued to play important roles in the history of the Church, especially regarding missionary work, the immigration of European converts to the United States, and, more recently, the acquisition, restoration, and development of important historical sites. Given all that transpired here in the past, and the Church’s growing ability to acknowledge and even celebrate those events on site today, New York and Pennsylvania continue to be, collectively, one of the most important places on the globe for Latter-day Saints today.

Volume 2 in the Regional Studies Series

In 1887, Charles Ora Card and a pioneer company of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints moved to southern Alberta. Church leaders had commissioned them to seek out a place in Canada where the Saints could find refuge from prosecutions related to the antipolygamy Edmunds Act of 1882. The region’s potential productivity, along with Church contracts and interests in irrigation and agricultural projects in the area, ensured continued official and non-official Mormon colonization well into the twentieth century. Today, more than a century later, over 100,000 members live in Alberta and British Columbia alone. A rich tradition of faith and service has accompanied the Church’s remarkable growth in this region.

Volume 1 in the Regional Studies Series

Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints first entered the California region on July 31, 1846, when the ship Brooklyn, with some 200 Saints aboard, docked at the small village of Yerba Buena in San Francisco Bay. From that time to the present, an increasing number of Latter-day Saints have called the Golden State home, and today the Church is the second largest religious group in California. This collection of essays, written in honor of the Saints’ 150 years in the state, recounts the experiences and contributions of selected Latter-day Saints in California.

Volume 18 in the Occasional Papers Series (Last volume in the Occasional Papers Series) 

Kirtland, Ohio, is of unique historical interest because of its roots in Church history and because so many Church members trace their ancestry there. This handy guide brings together a wealth of family history and historical sources to help genealogists, historians, and other researchers. The volume includes photographs of the Kirtland Temple and maps of the area.

Volume 14 in the Occasional Papers Series

Former Air Force pilot Dale T. Tingey launched into a lifetime of service to the Native Americans when he accepted the calling of president of the Southwest Indian Mission in 1968. Not long after he returned, he took over the reins of Brigham Young University’s American Indian Services, where he fostered programs and solicited donations to help with scholarships and other needs. People grew to love his natural warmth and spontaneity, his fly-by-the-seat-of-his-pants style, and his infectious laugh. Insistent with wealthy donors but never patronizing to humble recipients, Dale brought scholarships, tractors, farm implements, garden seeds, and Christmas gifts to reservations throughout North America.

Volume 13 in the Occasional Papers Series

Hundreds of sketches and blueprints unfold Church history from an architect’s point of view. This volume takes readers on a visual journey from the Peter Whitmer log home, where the Church was organized, to the Kirtland and Nauvoo temples, moving on to pioneer-era meetinghouses and tabernacles, and then featuring our modern stake and ward buildings. Hundreds of sketches trace the progression in meetinghouse design from the infancy of the Church to its transformation into a major world religion.

Volume 12 in the Occasional Papers Series

The story of the Nauvoo Temple is one fraught with adversity, struggle, persecution, and heartbreak. Latter-day Saints freely sacrificed their time, their money, their talents–and some even gave their lives–to build a holy place of covenant and worship—only to be forced to abandon their sacred temple, leaving it to be desecrated and destroyed by unbelievers. Yet, it is also a story of faith, triumph, and unwavering dedication to the holy work of the Lord. The construction of the Nauvoo Temple proved to be a spiritual blessing to the people who built it, and it continues to be an inspiration to millions of Church members today. This volume combines newspaper accounts, historic writings, private journals, letters, photos, and original architectural drawing and other illustrations.

Volume 10 in the Occasional Papers Series

Is the New Testament doctrinally complete? Does God condone anger as the book of Matthew seems to suggest? What does the book of Mormon teach us about the concept of hell as compared to the Bible and the teachings of other Christian faiths? What is the meaning of the word gospel? In this volume, fourteen Latter-day Saint scholars answer these and other questions with a collection of thought-provoking essays. These essays show that the Book of Mormon confirms the truth of the New Testament while offering a more complete understanding of the plan of salvation.

Volume 9 in the Occasional Papers Series

One of the greatest blessings the Lord has showered upon Latter-day Saints is the guidance and noble example of modern-day apostles and prophets—men whose lives and words inspire, bless, and uplift. This volume brings together engaging biographies of these men—all 109 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles called since the Restoration began. Featuring memorable stories and facts from the lives of those whom the Lord has called to lead His latter-day kingdom, this volume unfolds the panorama of latter-day Church history.

Volume 8 in the Occasional Papers Series

The focus of this project is to bring together all the known paintings and photographic images of Brigham from his lifetime. Additionally, a representative sample of the numerous graphic images of Brigham appearing in newspapers, magazines, and books from the same period are reproduced. Illustrations of the Mormon leader in these publications sometimes closely reflect the photographic record because they are based on original photographs or because they were made from personal observations by a trained artist. In many cases, artists met Brigham face-to-face and then worked from photographic images to finish their work. Other illustrations, however, range from the ridiculously funny to the blatantly vicious, like many political cartoons of the day.

Volume 7 in the Occasional Papers Series

The scope of this volume is the books produced by Latter-day Saints in support of the Church during the period 1830–47. The term book means any printed piece with one or more pages having text bearing on some Church issue; it excludes individual newspaper or magazine articles, maps, prints, banknotes, and ephemeral pieces such as printed forms or elders’ licenses. The contents of this book are arranged chronologically.

Volume 6 in the Occasional Papers Series

What did the Prophet Joseph Smith look like? Questions about Joseph Smith’s appearance have circulated ever since his martyrdom. This book is a comprehensive study into what the Prophet looked like based on many years of research. Work was started in 1975 when the author obtained a Joseph Smith portrait and after further inquiry learned that there was substantial disagreement regarding the Prophet’s appearance. The author’s desire for an accurate understanding of Joseph Smith’s image has resulted in this book, which includes the knowledge and resources of many individuals. Nearly 150 images are found in this volume, with fascinating commentary on the Prophet and the significance of each illustration. This book is an attempt to sort those that are accurate representations from those that are not.

Volume 5 in the Occasional Papers Series

As a Latter-day Saint woman during the early days of the Church, Helen Mar Kimball Whitney (1828–96) lived in an extraordinary time. She experienced firsthand the difficult period of persecution in Missouri, the introduction of plural marriage, the aftereffects of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s martyrdom, the exodus from Nauvoo and trek across the plains, and the Saints’ arrival in Utah. This volume presents in their entirety Helen Mar Whitney’s reminiscences as they appeared in the Woman’s Exponent between 1880 and 1887. The author’s eyewitness insights into Latter-day Saint life during the formative years of the Church, as well as her expressions of faith in the gospel, will provide a nontraditional source of study and appreciation as they present a woman’s view of early Church history.

Volume 4 in the Occasional Papers Series

From aiding in the early development of San Francisco, San Diego, and Sacramento to the ministry of Howard W. Hunter as the first President of the Church from California, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have had a rich history in the Golden State. In this volume the experiences of the Latter-day Saints from their first arrival to the year 1996 are outlined. This book celebrates the labors of good people who planted and cultivated in the Golden State—sometimes in hard and unfertile soil. The harvest that the Church enjoys today leads to a greater abundance to come.

Volume 3 in the Occasional Papers Series

In 1907, when photography was still considered magical, George Edward Anderson set forth on a momentous journey across the United States. En route to a proselytizing mission in England, Anderson—arguably the most important photographer of Latter-day Saint historical sites to date—spent a year capturing vivid images of the sites of such transcendent events as the First Vision, the restoration of the priesthood, the publication of the Book of Mormon, and the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. This volume assembles these photographs with Anderson’s 1907 diary, which allows reader to appreciate the photographs in their historical, cultural, and religious setting.

Volume 2 in the Occasional Papers Series

While many books have been written about the life of Christopher Columbus and his New World discoveries, this one has a different thrust—that Columbus was not just a skilled, courageous sailor but was also a chosen instrument in the hands of God. This book profiles the man from Genoa who apparently yearned from childhood for the seafaring life and who early began to acquire the nautical knowledge and experience that would make him the most widely traveled seaman of his day and would help him rise to the top ranks in that career.

Volume 1 in the Occasional Papers Series

This volume contains the preliminary reports from the 1984 field campaign of the Brigham Young University excavation team at Seila in the Fayum in Egypt. As both this set of reports and those expected from later expeditions will demonstrate, the work done near the Egyptian town of Seila will have a significant impact on further studies of not only Egypt’s Old Kingdom but also the Greco-Roman era. The essays in this volume demonstrate the unusually broad approach to the project this diversity of specialists allowed the team to take.

Volume 9 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series (Last volume in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series)

As the final installment in the book of Mormon Symposium series, this volume examines the last four books of the Nephite record: 4 Nephi, Mormon, Ether, and Moroni. Perhaps more than any other part in the Book of Mormon, this section powerfully portrays the cycle through which the ancient inhabitants of America passed many times—the cycle that took them from righteousness to wickedness, from Zion to destruction. Twenty-five contributors here explore the details of this tragic cycle—as it occurred in both the Nephite and the Jaredite civilizations—and also discuss many related doctrinal and historical issues. Realizing the Book of Mormon’s relevance to our day, the writers further take the opportunity to point out the many modern applications.

Volume 8 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

Chapters 9 through 30 of 3 Nephi are perhaps the most choice part of the entire Book of Mormon because this section chronicles the transcendent visit of the Risen Lord to the Nephite Saints, His profound teachings, and His amazing, compassionate ministry. His recorded actions and utterance during this period offer remarkable scope for a reverent and knowledgeable review such as that done by sixteen scholars in this book. The 3 Nephi text, like that of the entire Book of Mormon, is shown to be “remarkably efficient” and to give “extraordinary unity and coherence to . . . its message.”

Volume 7 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

“All things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will.” This was the Lord’s glorious promise to Nephi, son of Helaman. The general wickedness that prevailed in much of Nephite society during Nephi’s day was in stark contrast to his exemplary faithfulness. Why was this so? How did the people’s decline come about so rapidly? What specific messages do the book of Helaman and the early chapters of 3 Nephi contain for our day? Seventeen symposium papers collected in this volume address these and other issues related to events and conditions among the Nephites and the Lamanites during the eighty or so years prior to the Savior’s appearance on the American continent.  Contributors not only discuss great doctrinal teachings of stalwarts like Nephi, Samuel the Lamanite, and Mormon but also provide detailed analyses of how and why the Nephites moved from a condition of righteousness to one of wickedness during this critical period in their history.

Volume 6 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

Nineteen papers on a variety of topics related to the largest book in the Book of Mormon, Alma, make up this volume. These topics include the relevance of the book of Alma to our modern situation, classic discourses of Alma the Younger, the doctrinal and spiritual understanding afforded by Alma’s counsel to his son Corianton, and an enlightening look at the anti-Christ Korihor. The missionary experiences of the sons of Mosiah and Captain Moroni are also discussed. The conclusions drawn in these papers reflect the authors’ testimony of what Alma himself knew to be true: that God’s word has—and always will have—“a great tendency to lead the people to do that which [is] just.”

Volume 5 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

King Benjamin’s monumental address on service and the Savior; the powerful testimony and the martyrdom of the prophet Abinadi; the moving conversion stories of both Alma the Elder and Alma the Younger; the deliverance of Nephites from Lamanite bondage—this is the historically and doctrinally rich material of which this volume’s papers draw their themes. Other questions and issues are explored: What specific, vital lessons about following living prophets, making and keeping covenants, and developing Christlike qualities can parents draw from the book of Mosiah to teach to their children, and how can they effectively teach them those lessons? What political and social insights, as well as warnings, are implied by the similarities between the Nephite system of judges and the constitutional system of the United States? Other topics include an in-depth look at the priesthood calling and practices, the process of spiritual rebirth, and lessons on bondage.

Volume 4 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

The remarks of this volume are centered on the small plates of Nephi—Jacob through the Words of Mormon. The greatness of Lehi’s son Jacob is brought out, with special reference to his remarkable grasp of the doctrine of the Atonement, his powerful preaching about Christ, and his affirmations as to the central role of Christ in all gospel dispensations. Enos, Amaleki, and the anti-Christ Sherem are other topics discussed. Clarification is given on the structure of the Book of Mormon in terms of the large and the small plates of Nephi, the plates of Mormon (the abridgment), and the Words of Mormon. Latter-day Saint scholars who have experience the spiritual power of the Book of Mormon share here their insights on specific themes.

Volume 3 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

In this volume, twenty-two scholars comment knowledgeably on a variety of themes evoked by the prophetic words of Isaiah, Lehi, Nephi, and Jacob as given in 2 Nephi. Contributors discuss doctrines of Christ such as repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, the Fall, the Atonement, hope, endurance, the name of Jesus Christ as revealed to the Nephites, and the Nephite diligence in teaching and transmitting the gospel. Comments on the early Nephite period deepen our appreciation for Nephi’s spiritual strength. Although many perspectives are offered here, its underlying purpose is to illumine, clarify, and reinforce the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Volume 2 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

In a variety of themes and approaches, the symposium papers reproduced in this volume explore the first book in the Book of Mormon—First Nephi. The value of the Book of Mormon, historical background of the plates, and the title page are all discussed. How the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, how its biblical allusions and its affirmations of God’s dealings with man establish the truth of the Bible; and how textual evidences further verify the authenticity of the Book of Mormon are demonstrated.

Volume 1 in the Book of Mormon Symposium Series

Joseph Smith called it “the most correct . . . book on earth” and “the keystone of our religion.” Both correctness and keystone are reflected in these papers presented at the Religious Studies Center’s first annual Book of Mormon Symposium at BYU. The foremost consideration is the book’s message about Jesus Christ and His mission and teachings.

Volume 17 in the Specialized Monograph Series (Last volume in the Specialized Monograph Series)

Thousands of Welshmen joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the second half of the nineteenth century. The printed word constituted one of the missionaries’ most effective proselytizing tools. Here is a remarkable collection of pamphlets and poems that reflect the faith and zeal of those early missionaries. Anyone with an interest in Wales and Latter-day Saint history will find this volume both uplifting and inspiring.

Volume 14 in the Specialized Monograph Series

This publication explores the relationship between religion and mental health—a highly debated issue among both social scientists and lay people. In this volume, research that has been conducted on members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was compiled. Fourteen studies are collected in this book, representative of the best of scholarship in the field. The studies suggest a clear, positive relationship between religion and mental well-being.

Volume 13 in the Specialized Monograph Series

While recognizing the importance of that “marvelous work,” the Book of Mormon, are we content to read and reread it for its story line and its inherent spiritual power, without much more than a surface involvement? In this publication a reader can enjoy that scripture at higher levels of understanding as he brings into play Old Testament references, Book of Mormon parallels with that record, intriguing observations, and convincing inferences—all based on profound study. The result is not only a book of great interest but also a more sound and more expansive knowledge of the scripture itself.

Volume 12 in the Specialized Monograph Series

In recent years, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its people have increasingly become the subject of rigorous scientific study in the field of sociology. Researchers both inside and outside the Church have examined various aspects of Latter-day Saint life—including physical and mental health, education, secularization, adolescent delinquency, and the conversion process. This book collects in one volume the best scholarship describing and analyzing the social conditions in which Latter-day Saints live and how the values, beliefs, and practices of the gospel affect their lives. This research portrays a growing church with devoted members who enjoy a healthy and commendable lifestyle.

Volume 11 in the Specialized Monograph Series

This was the first-ever facsimile edition of Manuscript Found, which preserves the original unedited words, spelling, and punctuation of Spaulding’s handwritten text published. While Manuscript Found will undoubtedly never become a literary classic, modern readers will enjoy the charm, spontaneity, and subtle humor of its author. Spaulding’s novel provides an engaging view into one man’s fanciful reconstruction of Native American life. But it will not take long for readers to see that it bears no resemblance to the Book of Mormon. Nevertheless, this unique edition will be a useful reference for students of Latter-day Saint history and nineteenth-century American culture.

Volume 10 in the Specialized Monograph Series

July 1996 marked the sesquicentennial of Prophwyd y Jubili, or Prophet of the Jubilee, the official publication of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Wales from 1846 to 1848. Published in Welsh under the direction of Captain Dan Jones while he was a missionary in his native land, Prophet of the Jubilee printed defenses against persecution, items from other Latter-day Saint publications, letters, missionary and conference reports, and Elder Jones’s own bits of wisdom. In this book, Prophet of the Jubilee has been translated and edited. This was the first translation into English done of the publication.

Volume 9 in the Specialized Monograph Series

Many Latter-day Saints can distinguish between the writings of prophets such as Ezra Taft Benson, David O. McKay, and Brigham Young, because each of these men had characteristics and themes unique to himself. The author reasons that if the writings of latter-day prophets reflect their authors’ personal characteristics, then records left by ancient prophets should also contain features that distinguish their authors as individuals. In this book, the traits that set each Book of Mormon author apart from the others are analyzed. The suggestion made by critics of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that the Book of Mormon was written by a single nineteenth-century author is refuted.

Volume 8 in the Specialized Monograph Series

Since the Book of Mormon was first published in 1830, its critics have endeavored to find explanations for it other than the one given by Joseph Smith. Some have suggested that the source for much of the history and theology in the Book of Mormon was an early nineteenth-century book entitled View of the Hebrews, by Ethan Smith. This book is a faithful and accurate reproduction of the 1825 second edition of View of the Hebrews. The intent in publishing it has been to make it available to all interested readers—whether critics, believers in the Book of Mormon, or scholars of early American religious history. This printing reproduces not only the original spelling and punctuation but also, as much as possible, the original layout, typefaces, and type sizes.  Readers may find topics of some interest for Latter-day Saint history, but it is clear that they will need to look elsewhere to find the origin of the Book of Mormon.

Volume 7 in the Specialized Monograph Series

Regarded by many as a modern miracle, the United States Constitution is one of the most impressive and important documents in human history. Yet clearly the continued vitality of the Constitution and its principles is not a given. Modern trends undermine the survival of the Constitution and its institutions. This book serves to remind us that it is not enough to merely enshrine the Constitution as an interesting historical relic; rather, the prophets urge us to keep it alive by studying and understanding its principles, being responsible in our civic duties, and being righteous citizens of our communities.

Volume 6 in the Specialized Monograph Series

One of Mormondom’s premier poets came from a stone tenement in the slums of Glasgow. Taking readers back to John’s early years, the book recreates early nineteenth-century Scotland, providing an analysis of the social milieu in which he existed, interspersed with autobiographical accounts of his own youthful experiences, including the death of his father, John’s apprenticeship to a weaver at age nine, and his efforts at self-education. As his story continues, we see his bright hopes become reality. Then the gospel found him. He embraced it fully and anxiously awaited the “call” to join the Saints in Zion. As well as telling the story, the author explores the poetry and prose of John Lyon, comparing and analyzing its merits and giving background information on the various writings. Appendices include his poetry and prose.

Volume 5 in the Specialized Monograph Series

Perhaps no institution has had a bigger hand in shaping the history of the Western world in the Christian era than the Roman Catholic Church. But how was that church itself shaped? What kinds of forces and personalities operated in the molding process? This book addresses such questions. The author supplies commentary on facts and claims, along with much interesting detail. His expressed hope was “that this study might lead to better understanding and better tolerance among religious groups.”

Volume 4 in the Specialized Monograph Series

Mormon missionaries began proselyting in Wales in 1840. From their pulpits Welsh religious leaders warned members of their congregations to be wary of this new faith. Their concern was reflected not only in sermons and conversations but also in the Welsh periodical and pamphlet literature as well. Although willing to publish attacks against the Mormons, the editors of the religious periodicals refused to print any of the rebuttals submitted by those under siege. What the Welsh Mormons needed was their own periodical, a vehicle through which they could defend themselves against their enemies and spread their unique religious beliefs as well. The father of the Welsh Mormon press was Captain Dan Jones. This book contains some of the writings that resulted.

Volume 3 in the Specialized Monograph Series

In this volume, twenty-one prominent social scientists address the complex set of relationships that emerge between religion and the family. They show that increased knowledge of how religions and families influence each other sheds light on vaguely understood processes of social change and sharpens questions asked about the church and family influence on such things as marriage, divorce, abortion, birth control, children, sex roles, authority patterns, and belief systems. The authors discuss the religion and family connection in a variety of settings: Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Mormon, Amish, Ireland, and Middletown, U.S.A., among others.

Volume 2 in the Specialized Monograph Series

While some had previously made the journey individually, the first collective emigration of Utah-bound Welsh Latter-day Saints occurred in 1849. They were led by Dan Jones, a Welshman who had joined the Church in Nauvoo and was one of the last persons to see Joseph Smith alive. The three-hundred-plus emigrants in the two ships were part of the three thousand or so souls brought into the Church during this energetic and enthusiastic mission president’s first ministry in Wales. This book contains interesting detail, narrative, and journal entries of those Welsh Saints.

Volume 1 in the Specialized Monograph Series

This book zeroes in on thirteen of the less famous, behind-the-scenes Saints—supporting Saints. These pioneers were typical of the strength, courage, and faith that built the early Utah church as the base on which today’s worldwide church was founded. Their life stories are recounted here with a wealth of fascinating detail. Here, then, are supporting Saints, both men and women, in a variety of situations and occupations. Their stories, absorbing in themselves, bring us also much interesting detail about life in Utah and many other areas a hundred and more years ago.

Volume 21 in the Monograph Series (Last volume in the Monograph Series)

Historians rarely discuss God’s hand in history. This collection offers the vantage of faith in viewing the events of the modern world. The book features Elder Alexander B. Morrison’s keynote address on God’s role in history, along with timely articles that delve into the role of divine providence in world events. Topics include the voyage of Columbus to the Americas, the birth of freedom in the Western world, scientific and technical advances, and the rise of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Volume 19 in the Monograph Series

General Authorities and religious educators provide thoughtful answers to intriguing gospel questions as they share their testimonies of the Savior. This collection of papers presented at a Brigham Young University symposium on the Savior invites us to learn more about the Being we worship. It sounds a clarion call of testimony—offered with clarity, vigor, and gratitude—in witness of the divine calling of our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus of Nazareth.

Volume 18 in the Monograph Series

Since the beginnings of the Church, those who participated in the Restoration were commanded to keep a history. Latter-day Saints have an abiding interest in the history of God’s dealings with this earth. Similarly, we reverence the history in scripture because our faith is grounded in events that have taken place in the time and space of this earth. Historicity is the study of the authenticity of recorded past events. This significant compilation addresses the issue of historicity as it relates to the scriptures that Latter-day Saints accept as the word of God. With articles from Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Robert J. Matthews, Robert L. Millet, and more, this book provides an inspiring and more complete picture of the necessity for the historical nature of the Latter-day Saint canon.

Volume 17 in the Monograph Series

This book, which contains proceedings of the 1991 dedication of the Joseph Smith Memorial building at Brigham Young University as well as twenty-three papers from the 1992 Joseph Smith Symposium, is a fitting tribute to the mighty prophet and seer who stands as the head of the dispensation of the fulness of times. The variety and scope of the material presented here are indicative of the powerful example of Christian living and sacrifice and the wealth of gospel understanding that the Prophet left to the world.

Volume 16 in the Monograph Series

After the Latter-day Saints were driven from Missouri they were instructed by the Prophet Joseph Smith to prepare affidavits describing the property losses they had sustained and the abuses and atrocities they had suffered at the hands of lawless men there. Nearly seven hundred men and women accepted the Prophet’s charge and wrote almost eight hundred documents. This book is a complete collection of all known petitions, as contained in both the Historical Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City and the National Archives in Washington DC.

Volume 15 in the Monograph Series

The Lectures on Faith are among the oldest of LDS writings. They formed the basis for doctrinal studies in the School for the Elders during the winter of 1834–35 and ever since have been highly valued in the Church. They constitute a substantial historical and doctrinal heritage from early Restoration years. Bringing together in one volume the background, the history, the text, and an informed and stimulating commentary, this book makes a major contribution to an understanding of the subject and therefore to the reader’s efforts to live the great principle of faith in Jesus Christ.

Volume 14 in the Monograph Series

“For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pas the immortality and eternal life of man.” This profound doctrinal statement is one of many contained in the Pearl of Great Price, the smallest of the standard works and the last to be canonized. Studying that scripture in depth adds immensely to our understanding of the Lord’s eternal plan. Comprising addresses delivered at a symposium on the Pearl of Great Price, this book combines the insights and testimonies of thirteen gospel scholars. All things were created to bear witness of God. As here shown, the Pearl of Great Price does that in many ways.

Volume 13 in the Monograph Series

The Lord has told us that many things in the Apocrypha are true and many false. The fascination that apocryphal writings generally hold for Latter-day Saints was recognized in a 1983 BYU symposium on this topic addressed by fifteen scholars representing a wide range of expertise. Those addresses are collected in this book.

Volume 12 in the Monograph Series

Ten prominent Church scholars presented at the symposium on the Joseph Smith Translation of the Bible. Their in-depth study of the Joseph Smith Translation and related scriptures clarifies the Bible from Genesis to Revelation and show how Joseph Smith restored many plain and precious truths to that holy book. This volume brings together those addresses, illuminating this inspired translation as perhaps no other book had done.

Volume 11 in the Monograph Series

Prominent scholars of diverse backgrounds participated in a March 1980 symposium, “Scriptures in the Sesquicentennial,” and brought to it their unique insights into the world of records. This book, a compilation of the addresses, explores some of those records that evidence both the antiquity and the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Volume 10 in the Monograph Series

Gleaning from the expertise of an eminent array of Latter-day Saint scholars, a Brigham Young University symposium entitled “Isaiah and the Prophets” has brought to light a diversity of thought-provoking ideas relative to the Old Testament. This book contains ten of the addresses given at that symposium. Isaiah and the Prophets is rich in its outpouring of details. The book probes concepts that are pertinent to understanding the Old Testament as the Lord’s prophetic word and the gospel in its fulness.

Volume 9 in the Monograph Series

The answer to “What is a temple?” is partially the answer to “What was the temple?” Here a distinguished array of scholars trests this theme. This collection of essays—which grew out of a BYU symposium of experts—presents recent findings on the temple in antiquity: historical, linguistic, and archaeological data which bear on the idea of the temple in Israelite, Jewish, and Christian traditions. The book includes an expansive introduction to temple traditions and a bibliography for further clarification and comparison.

Volume 8 in the Monograph Series

In bringing together papers from a symposium held at Brigham Young University in October 1981, this book on Mormons and Muslims presents some of the finest and ablest exponents and interpreters of the Muslim faith. As well as relationships between that faith and Christianity generally, the book offers a new dimension in that much of the focus centers for the first time on parallels, similarities, and contrasts with the religion of the Latter-day Saints. For both critic and believer, for both scholar and general reader, for both Mormon and Muslim, as well as for all serious students of comparative religion, here is an intriguing and authentic exchange leading to a depending understanding of “spiritual foundations and modern manifestations."

Volume 7 in the Monograph Series

In this volume, nine Latter-day Saint scholars each address the question of Book of Mormon authorship from a different approach. The tests of authenticity they employ rely on analytical techniques borrowed from such diverse disciplines as history, literature, statistics, and ancient Near Eastern studies. For both layman and scholar, this book makes exciting reading. While ultimate acceptance of the Book of Mormon as the word of God is and will remain a spiritual matter, the reasoned analyses, comparisons, and examinations contained in these pages add to the swelling volume of evidence that supports Joseph Smith’s account of the authorship of that book.

Volume 6 in the Monograph Series

This book was in many ways a first: first to provide a full collection of Joseph Smith’s Nauvoo discourses in the mature and climatic years of his life; first to reproduce them in exact fidelity to their original written sources in diaries and journals; first to cross-reference them to earlier sayings and discourses of Joseph Smith; first to index all the biblical and other scriptural verses discussed or alluded to; first to provide contextual settings for each discourse in proper chronological sequence; first to footnote the discourses in terms of their historical and doctrinal kinships; and first to interlace all these discourses with other fundamental teachings of this rich and formative period of Church history.

Volume 5 in the Monograph Series

At the foundation of great religions lie holy books. Not all religious books have the sacredness of scripture, but few religions survive and thrive without creating a literature of belief. This book contains proceedings from an RSC symposium on such books. Seldom has the dialogue between the language of scholarship and the language of faith been so intense or sensitive. These proceedings reflect both the devotion believers feel for their scriptures and a rare respect that should mark each encounter with another’s sacred literature.

Volume 4 in the Monograph Series

This book is the result of the symposium of twelve renowned scholars at BYU on Judeo-Christian parallels. The contributors brought to the task a careful scrutiny of Mormon source materials, a patient application of their own special methods, and a sensitivity to modern commentaries and to ancient records discovered in recent decades. The striking comparisons, clarifications, and appraisals that result mark out ground for further scholarly research and provide a fascinating overview of these significant topics.

Volume 3 in the Monograph Series

In this book’s four brilliant approaches to the Jewish stress on extending both the vision and the Law of Moses (Torah) to every phase of life, Jacob Neusner points to the kinships of the two traditions: Learning is a form of devotion to God. The Temple and its ritual exercise of purity was the common concern of the ancient Pharisees and was the most systematic Jewish attempt at intense symbolic infusion of intelligence and light. In the absence of the Temple, after AD 70 observant Jews sought to extend the temple purification process to their own homes and then restructured their ritual into “acts of loving-kindness” and patient study not only of the meaning but the structure of Torah. Today the Mishnah is the continual revelation “element” of Jewish study, open-ended and adaptive and bringing into focus the incidents and acts of all-inclusive religious life.

Volume 2 in the Monograph Series

This book is about two fundamental realities: Death, “the supreme crisis of life,” and Deity, the supreme power in life. These subjects are explored in seven chapters which were originally presented as papers at BYU Religious Studies Center’s first symposium on comparative world religion. The reader will find compelling interest in the book’s wide-ranging perspectives in Asian and Western countries which bear directly upon our understanding of ourselves and of the society in which we live.

Volume 1 in the Monograph Series

The essays in this volume, including four on today’s world, were selected by a panel of Hugh Nibley’s colleagues. They are singular in their penetration, their originality, and their vitality. Reaching from the apocalyptic visions of original “treasures in heaven” down to the climax of history, they are more than mind-stretching. The delight of Nibley’s brilliant and sometimes biting prose style imparts a sense of the agelessness of what he calls the “three-act play” of human existence. Written specially for this book, the author’s own “intellectual autobiography,” together with his introductory paragraphs for the various chapters, complete the work of making the book a fitting and permanent record of one of the past outstanding historians.