Religious Studies Center Books

Latter-day Saint scholars of religion often confront a demanding challenge — producing gospel-centered scholarship that meets academic expectations and speaks meaningfully to readers seeking to deepen their faith in the Restoration. In the Eyes of the Ancients rises to that challenge with new and expanded lines of research on the Book of Mormon. Drawing on literary, ethnographic, linguistic, and archaeological approaches, sixteen scholars situate the Book of Mormon in its ancient cultural and historical contexts. Readers will see how this rich record continues to yield insights under close analysis—bringing its ancient character into clear relief in support of its truth claims and enduring prophetic messages. Together these studies show how rigorous, faith-informed scholarship can deepen appreciation for the complexity and integrity of a sacred text at the heart of the Restoration.

What does it mean to live in covenant community—and how do faith, hope, and love make such a life possible? In These Three Abide, James E. Faulconer weaves personal experience with theological reflection to show how Zion can be glimpsed here and now. Drawing on his life in a small Pennsylvania branch of the Church—where farmers, academics, business owners, and students shared not only worship but work and service—Faulconer describes a community shaped not by sameness but by covenant. In ordinary acts of care and cooperation, social differences became sources of unity, and daily life anticipated a future Zion. Warm, wise, and deeply moving, These Three Abide will leave readers with renewed trust in God, strengthened hope for the future, and a clearer vision of the community of love to which we are called.

From log cabins in Kirtland to academies across the American West and schools spanning Mexico, the Pacific, and South America, Educating for Eternity tells the sweeping story of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its nearly two-century commitment to K–12 education. Rooted in a theology that declares “the glory of God is intelligence,” this volume explores how faith, persecution, migration, financial constraint, and global expansion shaped a distinctive system of education. Drawing on extensive archival research, the authors illuminate the vision, sacrifice, debate, and adaptation that defined Latter-day Saint schools from 1830 to 2020—revealing how a people’s eternal vision of the soul shaped the daily work of educating the rising generation.