Teaching Tips from the Apostle Paul

A teacher stands at the front of his classroom with hymnbooks and scriptures on a table in front of him.

The Apostle Paul can help us learn to teach more like the Savior taught. Members of the LDS Church have numberless opportunities to teach, whether it’s as missionaries, in Sunday School, at home, or with friends. In the Ensign article “The Apostle Paul as Master Teacher,” Frank F. Judd Jr. and John Hilton… Continue reading

The Unprinted Pages in the Original Book of Commandments

pages on a printing press

Scholars at the Joseph Smith Papers propose what might have been included in the Book of Commandments if the printing office had not been destroyed by a mob. In July 1833, vigilantes razed William Phelps’s home where he was printing copies of Joseph Smith’s revelations that were then known as… Continue reading

Discover Your Own Path: Steps from Jesus Christ’s Young-Adult Years

group on top of mountain

Jesus doesn’t just understand young-adult life, he has lived it—perfectly. When we imagine the Savior, we typically visualize him as an adult––full beard, broad shoulders, and traces of wrinkles showing the joys and sorrows of 33 years. Kent F. Richards instead paints us a portrait of Jesus during his young-adult… Continue reading

Mummies and Mormons—Ancient Egyptian Artifacts and the Early LDS Church

Discover which book in the Pearl of Great Price was translated from ancient papyri found in Thebes, Egypt. Discovering Mummies In the late eighteenth century, Napoleon Bonaparte’s escapades sparked new interest in the exploration of Egyptian antiquities. Italian explorer Antonio Lebolo uncovered a large cache of mummies and papyri near Thebes,… Continue reading

The Enemy of Your Soul

man staring out the window

The natural man is an enemy to God, but society would tell us otherwise. Only through Jesus Christ can we control the part of ourselves that separates us from God. Society teaches us to indulge and enjoy, to live out the mantra “YOLO” (you only live once). We are encouraged… Continue reading

Did Joseph Smith Write about Your Ancestors?

Joseph Smith Papers

Are your ancestors mentioned in the pages of Church history during Joseph Smith’s day? Find out through a quick and easy—and free—search. One day, after venturing onto the Joseph Smith Papers website, I discovered the search engine designed specifically for finding individuals’ names in the site’s collection of documents. The… Continue reading

Trusting the Lord’s Health Code

muddy shoes

Ever have doubts about the Word of Wisdom? The original document of this 1833 revelation gives another reason to trust its divinity. Stories of famous stars using drugs show up on Buzzfeed and HuffPost. Peer pressure to drink and smoke blows up your newsfeed. People taunt, “Why can’t you drink… Continue reading

A New Look at an Old Text: Viewing the 1835 Doctrine and Covenants Online

three young men on a tablet, smiling and looking at things

Flip through an original copy of an 1835 version of the Doctrine and Covenants online and find amazing history in its pages. Looking for a new way to study the Doctrine and Covenants? The Joseph Smith Papers Project has made available a free online version of the 1835 Doctrine and… Continue reading

“O God, Where Art Thou?”: The Trials of Liberty Jail

icicles on a wooden beam

When everything seems to go wrong, has God left us to face our trials alone? On December 1, 1838, six men, including the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, were wrongfully imprisoned in the dungeon of Liberty Jail in Clay County, Missouri. One of the other innocent captives charged with… Continue reading

What Did Reformed Egyptian Characters in the Book of Mormon Look Like?

Want to see copies of original characters from the gold plates up close? Thanks to The Joseph Smith Papers, you can. From the moment Joseph Smith received the gold plates in 1827, he constantly had to protect them. The angel Moroni gave him specific instructions to keep them safe—not only from… Continue reading