Joseph Smith’s death was a heartrending event in Church history. In her letters home, Sally Randall shares her faith-filled perspective of the tragedy. The martyrdom of Joseph Smith on June 27, 1844, was unjust and abhorrent. However, many early Saints did not let Joseph’s death shake their faith. Sally Randall, a woman… Continue reading
Paradigm shifts can rock our world, but they can also bring greater understanding. Before 1697, Westerners believed the idiom “all swans are white.” But when a Dutch explorer discovered a black swan in Australia, his discovery “instantly demolished an apparent reality while also enabling a new, more informed state of… Continue reading
Sometimes the revelation we receive can be confusing. But we can learn how to overcome our doubts from the experience of Joseph Smith. Just before Christmas in 1832, the South Carolina legislature established tariffs that challenged the federal government’s right to enforce its own laws. US president Andrew Jackson warned the… Continue reading
The patriarchal blessing that Joseph Smith received from his father helps us understand that no matter who you are or what you’re called to do, your most important title will always be “child of God.” Joseph Smith Jr. was a prophet, seer, and revelator; a religious and political leader; and… Continue reading
Sometimes the smallest objects can symbolize the greatest faith. In the Church’s early days, Joseph Smith and his family faced nearly constant persecution. An article by Heidi Bennett on the Church history website shares one story that demonstrates their courage despite enormous pressures to deny the gospel. One… Continue reading
Love is bound into the eternities through saving ordinances. Love is patient, love is kind, love is binding. Christ teaches us to love one another under all circumstances, regardless of one’s religion, ethnicity, political views, sexual orientation, or other potentially dividing differences. This belief is surely a tenet of many religions;… Continue reading
Modern science continues to affirm the blessings of following the Word of Wisdom. In his Ensign article, “A Principle with Promises,” G. Craig Kiser discusses the counsel given in Doctrine and Covenants 89 with an insightful approach to the Word of Wisdom. Not surprisingly, there is scientific evidence to support the… Continue reading
Joseph Smith has affected the way millions of individuals connect with God and with each other. Joseph Smith founded a religion that has grown at an impressive rate. However, Terryl Givens explains in “‘Lightning Out of Heaven’: Joseph Smith and the Forging of Community” that Joseph really did much more than that.… Continue reading
The Joseph Smith Papers project is one of the most significant ongoing projects the Church has ever taken on to preserve its history. Find out how historians are making it happen. Have you ever tried reading old family records? These records can be nearly impossible to read. The ink is… Continue reading
When God called Joseph Smith and the early Church members to build the Kirtland Temple, they obeyed and left us a legacy of temple work. Joseph Smith knelt down in prayer when he was only a 14-year-old farm boy, hoping to receive forgiveness for personal sins and to receive some… Continue reading
