I was recently reminded of President Gordon B. Hinckley’s teachings on the four cornerstones of faith, first given as a general conference talk (October 1984), then republished in the February 2004 Liahona. The four cornerstones are Jesus Christ, the chief cornerstone; the First Vision of the Father and the Son to Joseph Smith; the Book of Mormon; and priesthood restoration through Joseph Smith. These four cornerstones bear witness to the plan of our Heavenly Father and to the grand restoration in this final dispensation. It can be easy in a world full of random information and distractions to lose sight of these core doctrines and their centrality to our testimony. If we lose sight of them, we can be swayed by things of far lesser importance. On the other hand, when our testimonies are built on these cornerstones, we focus on the main things and our testimony of these cornerstones can help us deal with future issues that may arise. It is a great blessing that we have been provided a Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ; that he appeared alongside his Father to Joseph Smith; and that through Joseph Smith we have received another testament of Jesus Christ and priesthood keys and authority to carry the work of salvation forward.

In this issue we will learn about some topics related to some of these cornerstones. The first academic conference on The Chosen was hosted here at BYU through the efforts of one of our religion professors, John Hilton. The television program The Chosen has been instrumental in spreading the message of Jesus Christ’s ministry throughout the world, helping many deepen their understanding and testimony of the chief cornerstone. This conference discussed some of the show’s impacts, efforts, and development. Another article in this issue discusses the significance of some of the properties and artifacts purchased by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Community of Christ. Most notably, the Kirtland Temple was the site of the restoration of significant priesthood keys discussed as the fourth cornerstone above. Other articles share aspects of conferences and courses that help participants grow in their understanding of the gospel and covenant leadership. Tyler Griffin discusses the return of a conference for religious educators across the Church Educational System along with other initiatives to strengthen religious education throughout the Church. Barbara Morgan Gardner and Olivia Osguthorpe report on the great mentoring female students have experienced in a course on women and covenant leadership.

As we hasten the spiritual work in our individual lives and in the Church in these last days, may we maintain a strong testimony of the four cornerstones of faith shared by President Hinckley.

Jared W. Ludlow
Publications Director
BYU Religious Studies Center