I recently received an advanced copy of the first volume of Saints. The four-volume series will represent the new and official history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This publication is significant for many reasons.

• We haven’t had an official Church history published since 1930.
• This history represents years of extensive, collaborative work by historians and other experts. (Search a catalog of resources at http://churchhistorycatalog.lds.org/)
• It is written in a simple-but-thorough and accessible narrative form that can appeal to people of all ages. It reads more like a novel (you’ll probably hear people saying things like, “When will more be available?” “I can’t put it down.”) — but everything is historically accurate.
• The series takes advantage of the internet age in which we live. At history.lds.org, readers can currently find chapters from volume one with hyperlinks to each reference. Each volume will be available in print form (available for pre-order via various booksellers and at store.lds.org, in various languages); online at saints.lds.org (free); via the Gospel Library app (free — including audio book formats in English, Spanish and Portuguese); in eBook format (on Amazon Kindle, Apple iBook, and Kobo); and in English and Spanish on Audible. From saints.lds.org, you can access companion videos to enhance learning experiences.
• The history will be available to read in multiple languages: Cebuano, Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Samoan, Spanish, Tagalog, and Tongan.
• These books can be used for home and personal study, and also in Sunday classes and youth Seminary classes.

There are currently seven chapters available, but Volume 1, The Standard of Truth, will be available in its entirety on September 4, 2018.

With the start of school, a sick child, and the craziness of helping a daughter get ready to move away to college, I’m only just beginning the journey of exploring this book. But I can tell you already that besides being an accessible, engaging read, I’ve already received impressions that have been important for me. I can tell that reading this series will be more than just an experience in learning history. It will be a personal spiritual experience. God has things to teach me about Him and His plan and His Son. One such impression came so strongly reading one of the chapters that I didn’t even finish the chapter in that sitting. I just sat in what God had taught me.

Elder Steven E. Snow said,

Saints is not just about imperfect people in the past who became better with the help of the Lord. It is also for imperfect people now who want to always remember Him. It will help you remember how merciful the Savior has been to His people, how He has made weak people strong, and how Saints around the globe have joined together to further God’s work.

Take a look at saints.lds.org and tell me what catches your attention. I’m sure there are more layers to the richness of this effort that I haven’t yet learned about. I’m grateful for all those who have put so much into creating these resources for us.

The post Saints: History of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

I wasn’t sure what photo to include with this post. I decided on one that includes an ancestor of mine who was incarcerated for practicing polygamy. Polygamy has not been part of our practice for over 100 years, and anyone who practices it now cannot be a member of our church.

Photo credit

Editor’s note: I wrote this post several years ago, when Mormon history issues were being discussed in traditional and social media channels quite a bit. Since the topic has been kicked up again as of late, with a recent New York Times article about people who struggle with facets of the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (such as polygamy), I thought I’d repost my thoughts here (with minor edits to make the post more current].

The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a topic on which there is obviously a range of opinions. It’s one I have mulled over for years. Years ago, I decided to turn to the Book of Mormon to see if I could find some insight on this topic. It was a simple search — I just read scriptures that mentioned “history.” I was surprised to find only six occurrences of the word. Interestingly, all of them are found within the first three books. I studied those six verses in addition to other related verses, and discovered what I think is a powerful scriptural model for teaching our history.

Early on in the Book of Mormon, Nephi tells us that what we are reading is not all he has written.

And now, as I have spoken concerning these plates, behold they are not the plates upon which I make a full account of the history of my people…. (1 Nephi 9:2).

… a more history part are written upon mine other plates (2 Nephi 4:14).

Nephi also lets us know why it is that he had two different records.

AND it came to pass that the Lord commanded me, wherefore I did make plates of ore that I might engraven upon them the record of my people. And upon the plates which I made I did engraven the record of my father, and also our journeyings in the wilderness, and the prophecies of my father; and also many of mine own prophecies have I engraven upon them.

And I knew not at the time when I made them that I should be commanded of the Lord to make these plates [the small plates]; wherefore, the record of my father, and the genealogy of his fathers, and the more part of all our proceedings in the wilderness are engraven upon those first plates of which I have spoken; wherefore, the things which transpired before I made these plates are, of a truth, more particularly made mention upon the first plates.

And after I had made these plates by way of commandment, I, Nephi, received a commandment that the ministry and the prophecies, the more plain and precious parts of them, should be written upon these plates; and that the things which were written should be kept for the instruction of my people, who should possess the land, and also for other wise purposes, which purposes are known unto the Lord (1 Nephi 19:2-3; see also 1 Nephi 9:3; 2 Nephi 5:29-33).

Jacob said:

[Nephi gave] a commandment that I should write upon these plates a few of the things which I considered to be most precious; that I should not touch, save it were lightly, concerning the history of this people which are called the people of Nephi.

For he said that the history of his people should be engraven upon his other plates, and that I should preserve these plates and hand them down unto my seed, from generation to generation (Jacob 1:2-3).

Nephi and Jacob explain more about their focused writing in several other places. Following are some examples, with emphasis added:

And it mattereth not to me that I am particular to give a full account of all the things of my father, for they cannot be written upon these plates, for I desire the room that I may write of the things of God. For the fulness of mine intent is that I may persuade men to come unto the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, and be saved. Wherefore, the things which are pleasing unto the world I do not write, but the things which are pleasing unto God and unto those who are not of the world. Wherefore, I shall give commandment unto my seed, that they shall not occupy these plates with things which are not of worth unto the children of men (1 Nephi 6:6).

And upon these I write the things of my soul, and many of the scriptureswhich are engraven upon the plates of brass. For my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them, and writeth them for the learning and the profit of my children.
Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard (2 Nephi 4:15-16).

For because of faith and great anxiety, it truly had been made manifest unto us concerning our people, what things should happen unto them. And we also had many revelations, and the spirit of much prophecy; wherefore, we knew of Christ and his kingdom, which should come. Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that we might persuade them to come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into his rest…. (Jacob 1:5-7)

…[B]ehold, I proceed according to that which I have spoken; and this I do that the more sacred things may be kept for the knowledge of my people. Nevertheless, I do not write anything upon plates save it be that I think it be sacred. And now, if I do err, even did they err of old; not that I would excuse myself because of other men, but because of the weakness which is in me, according to the flesh, I would excuse myself. (1 Nephi 19:5-6)

For we labor diligently to write, to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do….
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins (2 Nephi 25:23, 26).

We all know that history is not unimportant to the Lord. We see in scriptures quoted above that He commanded Nephi to make the first set of plates which had more information – more history – including wars and genealogies as well as prophecies. We know we are each encouraged to keep personal histories, and to seek to know information about our ancestors. We are also encouraged to learn “things which have been.” In a very real sense, much of what we discuss at church is dependent on the study of history at some level (Christ’s life, death, and resurrection; the life of ancient prophets; the apostasy; the First Vision…the list could go on).

That said, in reading these scriptures, it appears to me that not all information is of equal value to the Lord. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have given Nephi such specific instructions about limiting the amount of historical information that didn’t have spiritual value in the plates that would be handed down from generation to generation. Scriptures indicate that there are things which “matter…not, for God knoweth all these things.” In a sense, Nephi has shown an effective method for dealing with history. In obedience to the Lord, he focused on the most precious, saving truths, knowing that by so doing he was helping the Lord and His purposes.

It seems to me that, while some may find a more detailed study of Church history interesting, it’s not a necessity. I tend to favor Nephi’s approach, which does not ignore that there is more historical information out there, but does not choose to focus on all aspects of our history. It seems to me that our worship, church classes, and ministering to one another touches only lightly on those things that aren’t of spiritual import. Our main mission as members of the Church is to focus most attention on the Church’s divinely ordained mission to bring souls to Christ and to preach the gospel to all the world.

But note something that Nephi says: “And if my people desire to know the more particular part of the history of my people they must search mine other plates” (2 Nephi 5:33). Even though I find it interesting that we still don’t have his “other plates” (another resource) to search, I think his words could apply to us today. And I think we can find that the Church does provide access to some other resources.

For example, for those who want to know more of the history of the Church than what can be found in Church classes, missionary discussions, or the Gospel Library at lds.org [or Mormon.org — this post was written before Mormon.org had been created], there are various resources that can help one read more about LDS Church history. [This list has been edited slightly from the original to reflect some of the changes that have occurred since this post was written…but I am sure there are more resources out there that I have neglected to mention for want of getting this post up. If you would like to add to this list of resources, leave a comment below and we’ll consider it for publication in this post.]

-The Church has a website on Joseph Smith which includes links to various resources about the prophet.

-Seven volumes of  History of the Church

– The Joseph Smith Papers project

– A BYU Studies page that is part of a frequently asked questions site about the Church.

– The Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (formerly FARMS) and FAIR [and the FAIR Wiki], which, although not Church-sponsored per se, provide access to members’ exploration of various topics in a more extensive way than will be found at church.

– I have also appreciated the fact that our leaders have participated in various interviews [ e.g., the PBS interviews were recent when I wrote this piece]. The Church has a Newsroom that has up-to-date information on topics of interest in the press, including Church history.

I think Nephi’s inspired method of handling history is a good and wise one. I’m intrigued by how many times he repeated his purposes and focus in his writing. I can’t help but wonder if perhaps this was included in his small plates so we might learn a little from his example. We don’t need to know all of the detailed history of Nephi and his people to know that he was a prophet who taught (and teaches us) truth. Likewise, we don’t need to know all the details of our latter-day history to know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s restored church on the earth that has consistently been led by prophets of God, beginning with Joseph Smith and continuing to the present day with President Gordon B. Hinckley. We don’t need to know all the particulars of our history to enjoy the blessings of the sacred teachings and ordinances of the Church and to know of their truth and reality. These teachings and ordinances can enable us to “come unto Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that [we] might enter into his rest” (Jacob 1:7). I don’t fault those who want to know more about history, but I would hope that they would not lose faith in or focus on the plain and precious truths of the gospel that have power to save, heal, and change our hearts and lives.

The post Thoughts about Mormon history appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

From the Mormon Tabernacle Choir’s website:

“The Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square will present their annual concert held in conjunction with community-wide Pioneer Day celebrations. This year’s concert will feature up-and-coming Latter-day Saint artists Lindsey Stirling and Nathan Pacheco.”

You can watch the Pioneer Day concert live on the internet on Saturday night at 8:00 p.m. MDT.

The post Mormon Tabernacle Choir 2013 Pioneer Day Concert appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Yes, you’ve probably heard about the more recent Book of Mormon Broadway musical, but this one took place in 1912!

It started with a novel, Corianton, (by B.H. Roberts), then a stage play that was created combining Roberts’ book and another book called A Ship of Hagoth. (If you haven’t yet read the Book of Mormon, these names will not be familiar at all, but both people are part of the narrative, if only for a few paragraphs.)

Years later, the play’s creator brought this Book of Mormon musical to Broadway (he financed the project himself). Even as the Broadway musical was short-lived, the story had yet another life through a movie.

It’s a little-known story that Mormon historian Ardis Parshall has shared in detail here. (Ardis is a master at bringing little-known Mormon stories to light.) Middle-Aged Mormon Man is the blog where we first found the story.

We hope our readers enjoy reading more about the real first Book of Mormon musical on Broadway. Thanks to Ardis for her work in researching this, and to MMM for sharing about it as well.

The post The First Book of Mormon Broadway Musical appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

This year leaders in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (or the nicknamed “Mormon Church”) have released a beautiful book called Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society. I am very excited for this book and the light that I know it will bring into my life. It is a compilation of the history of a wonderful society which is now one of the largest societies for women in the world.

Daughters in My Kingdom tells the stories of faithful, humble women who made significant sacrifices to help build up the kingdom of God on the earth. Some women did this quietly in their homes, congregations, and communities. Other women made a much more global impact by supporting such things as the women’s suffrage movement. The wonderful thing about this book is that is reminds us as women that however we impact the world around us, we are equally important and valued in the eyes of our Father in Heaven. We all have divine potential as His daughters and we each have a purpose to fulfill.

Relief Society General President Julie Beck said of part of the purpose of this book:

There is a worldwide hunger among good women to know their identity, value, and importance. Studying and applying the history of Relief Society gives definition and expression to who we are as disciples and followers of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Our faithfulness and service are signs of our conversion and commitment to remember and follow Him . . .

The history of Relief Society teaches us that our Heavenly Father knows His daughters. He loves them, He has given them specific responsibilities, and He has spoken to and guided them during their mortal missions. Additionally, the history of Relief Society elevates and validates the standing of women and demonstrates how they work in companionship with faithful priesthood leaders.(“Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society,” Julie Beck, Ensign, November 2010).

By studying this book, Mormon women will be reminded of their value and will be shown patterns they can follow from the women who have gone before them. Learning from the past is an essential skill each of us must learn. I am very grateful to have this book today.

Read Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society

The post Daughters in My Kingdom appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Michelle

I’m very anxious to receive and review my copy of Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society, which will soon be given to female members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (“Mormons“) around the world. The Relief Society is the organization for Mormon women, and this book is the first of its kind.

Of this book, Sister Julie B. Beck, worldwide president for the Relief Society, said ““I have never worked on a project that has been more Spirit-guided than this.”

The book comes with lofty goals for its purpose, which includes:

– To help capture the vision and purpose of Relief Society in simple terms

– To be accessible and understandable to women across the world, transcending cultural and language translation barriers

– To be relevant to everyone, from the lifetime member to the newest of Mormon converts

– To help Mormon women more fully understand, and more wisely implement, the mission and vision of Relief Society.

The article to which we link above explains even more:

Sister Beck said that if sisters can see themselves in the work of Relief Society; understand how influential women have been in the development of the Church, both anciently and in latter days; and know their purpose and their identity, those things will fortify them and may change the things they do every day.

Sister Beck hopes that sisters will use the book to encourage and guide them through trials and hardships.

“There’s a lot of strength in the book—a lot of strength we can model,” Sister Beck said. “So on hard days, I hope [sisters] will keep their book handy and will pick it up and read one story or example that will strengthen them.”

In her BYU Women’s Conference address this past spring, Sister Beck invited Latter-day Saint women to prepare themselves spiritually to receive this book.

I’m grateful for Relief Society, not only for its beginnings but for what it is today. And I’m just beginning to have a glimpse of what the Lord has in mind for his daughters. The vision that comes to me sometimes is so glorious and staggering and humbling and thrilling. It is difficult to contemplate. It is part of that vision of Daniel of the stone rolling forth to bless the earth. The Lord expects and requires that His daughters participate in building His kingdom in bringing to pass what He calls His strange act.

Until the history of who you are is in your hearts, you won’t be as strong as you could be. Rather than prepare for a product, I would suggest that you prepare yourself to receive the Lord’s message for you. Go to the temple, pray, and live and become what the Lord would have us all become.

One Mormon woman named Kathryn has done some preparation by carefully reviewing Sister Beck’s Women’s Conference talk. Another woman has already had a chance to take a look at the book and shares some of her initial insights. I also liked this woman’s reflections on a past talk Sister Beck gave about the myths surrounding Mormon women and the Church.

Following are a few other talks I have found or thought about as I have wanted to prepare myself to receive this book. (There are many more, but for the sake of time, I’m only sharing a few here.)

Daughters in My Kingdom: The History and Work of Relief Society (talk given by Sister Beck last October)

Fulfilling the Purposes of Relief Society – Sister Beck

Now Let Us Rejoice – Sister Barbara B. Thompson

Relief Society: A Sacred Work – Sister Beck

Awake, Arise, and Come Unto Christ – Sister Sheri L. Dew

Every Woman Needs Relief Society — Sister Silvia H. Allred (audio)

As Women of God, Shall We Not Go Forward in So Great a Cause? – Sister Sheri L. Dew

It is Not Good for Man or Woman to be Alone – Sister Sheri L. Dew

The Enduring Legacy of Relief Society – President Henry B. Eyring

Also, see the video below with various teachings from Church leaders about the Relief Society:

If you are a Latter-day Saint woman, what are you doing to prepare to receive the message in this book? If you have thoughts to share as you receive your copy, we welcome your thoughts on how you think this book will help you in your life.

The post “Daughters in My Kingdom” – New Relief Society book for LDS Women appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Heidi

I will forever be grateful to my ancestors who joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints long ago and for all that they sacrificed so that I could grow up with the gospel in my household.  One of my most illustrious ancestors is Daniel Tyler who is known for his book The Concise History of the Mormon Battalion.  He served as the sergeant of Company C of the Battalion and kept a vivid account of all their doings.

He was born in 1819 and was introduced to the Book of Mormon through a meeting he attended at his neighbor’s house.  The Mormon missionaries were there and Daniel, aged 15 at the time, picked up the book and began to read.  It took only a few pages in order for him to feel a strong desire to be baptized into the church but his father was opposed to it.  Later his sister braved her father’s objections and joined the church.  Soon, their parents and brothers followed.  Daniel, however, was still afraid to tell his father the secret he had harbored in his heart for months.

Finally, Daniel’s father asked him a question.  Daniel writes, “On my father asking if it was not hard for my sister, parents and brothers to leave me, I broke completely down and wept aloud.  I was baptized the following Wednesday.”

Daniel Tyler was instrumental in the building up of the church in Europe.  He was called to serve as a mission president of the Italian/Swiss/German/French Mission in 1854.  While there, he received a letter from Professor Karl G. Maeser, a German citizen who was interested in the church.  Professor Maeser was subsequently baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saints, emigrated to Utah, and was one of the founding fathers of Brigham Young Academy, now known as B.Y.U.

Despite his stony expression and military stance in the photo above, Daniel Tyler was a kind man who loved to share his testimony with others.  He suffered many trials and tribulations in the course of his life but he never denied his testimony of the gospel.  I am so thankful for men like him who endured many hardships to bring the gospel to so many.

The post Gratitude for My Pioneer Ancestors appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

On Saturday, July 17, at 7:00 p.m., there will be an Internet broadcast of the Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert, featuring the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square.

Video Streams will be shown in the following languages (universal media player):

English
French
Spanish
Portuguese
American Sign Language

Links for streams using Media Player are below:
English
French
Spanish
Portuguese
American Sign Language

Audio streams will also be available. See the website above for details.

Next week at Mormon Women, we’ll be having our own celebration of Mormon pioneers, both early and modern.

The post Pioneer Day Commemoration Concert, July 17 appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

Hi, I’m currently doing an essay for school on religion. The Church of the Latter Day Saints is one that grabbed my attention. I was wondering what a typical Mormon woman thought of the aspect of polygamy, as it is incredibly difficult to find a comment on the internet which is reliable. There’s been a lot of speculation in the news about the subject and I feel as though it would be a great insight to ask someone who is actually affected by those comments. Thank you for taking the time to read this question.

~Response by Kathryn**

“Does your husband have several wives?”  The guide’s question didn’t surprise me;  I’d been asked it already that summer.

“No,  Mormon polygamy hasn’t been practiced for over one hundred years.”

He rolled his eyes as the eery glow of the bonfire captured the dubious look on his face. “That’s not true.  I KNOW some of your men have several wives.”

“No really–we don’t….”

He spoke perfect English;  I knew there wasn’t a language barrier.  He had been our guide as we wandered through the 100-year-old forest which saddles the Polish/Belorussian border. Our guide was charming and knowledgeable about royalty, trees, mushrooms, and birds; however, he had been misguided by the international media when it came to Mormons.

I was asked other questions about Mormon polygamy that summer; fortunately they were not quite as awkward. I studied at a Polish university and most of my friends were graduate students preparing to do research in the Polish archives. We had long conversations about the Mormon church.  They understood that groups who currently practice polygamy who may call themselves Mormons are not part of the thirteen million member Church headquartered in Salt Lake City.

In April of 2008, Elder Quentin L. Cook, an apostle for the Church, asked the news media to make a clear distinction in their reports between the Church and the polygamist FLDS sect in Texas that had made headlines throughout the world. But there is still much confusion. Perhaps it bears repeating here that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints discontinued polygamy officially in 1890. Stories in the media about the FLDS polygamous lifestyle do not represent Mormon life. Photos of FLDS women are incorrectly labeled on the internet as Mormon women; they don’t look like me or any of my Mormon neighbors and friends. [Editor’s note: To see what Mormon women do look like, feel free to browse our Portraits of Mormon Women series. Each post in that series include a photo. Other content on our site contains images of Mormon women as well.]

While polygamy has not been part of Mormon life for a long time, some of us are descendants of men who did have several wives. In my family tree, I have several great-great-great-grandfathers who had three or four wives.

For several years I have been researching the lives of all my ancestors, because I’m compiling a book of family stories. Polygamy is part of some of those stories, but it is not what defines who these people are to me. What has impressed me is the courage and faith of my forebears in the challenging times in which they lived. I hope to continue their legacy of love for the Savior and a desire to follow Him and live the gospel through faith, diligence, humility, and service to others.

– – – – – – –

**Please note: The answers in “Ask a Mormon Woman” reflect the thoughts, perspectives, and experiences of individuals. Although here at Mormon Women: Who We Are, we strive to have our content consistent with the Church’s doctrine and teachings, we do not speak officially for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For official information about or from the Church, please visit www.mormon.org or www.lds.org.

Have a question you would like to ask? Send an email to us at gmail, with username ‘mormonwoman’

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Lesson #10 is entitled: Our Foremothers

—–

Read past lessons:
Lesson #1

Lesson #2

Lesson #3

Lesson #4

Lesson #5

Lesson #6

Lesson #7

Lesson #8

Lesson #9

The post <i>Portraits of Mormon Women</i>: Centennial Lessons — Church History for Women, Lesson #10 appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.