Recent Books

Martyrs in Mexico

A Mormon Story of Revolution and Redemption

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By F. LaMond Tullis

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“What bravery! They died with their boots on!” remarked one of the Zapatista executioners about the surreal way Mormon leaders Rafael Monroy and Vicente Morales had stood to receive the fusillade of bullets that pierced their bodies. The terror of facing an execution squad notwithstanding, no cowering, begging, or hysterics marred their calm and stalwart resolution to not renounce their faith. The Zapatista commander had given them that option.

Opening Isaiah

A Harmony

By Ann N. Madsen and Shon D. Hopkin

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Opening Isaiah provides what has never before been provided to LDS readers. It brings all important versions of Isaiah—King James, Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith Translation, Dead Sea Scrolls, and the modern New Revised Standard Version—into comparison for readers to help them clearly see the similarities and differences in each one. Readers can thus study Isaiah’s writings with a focus on the inspired texts themselves. In addition to beautiful maps that guide the reader through the geography of Isaiah’s day, the editors have carefully provided guidance in footnotes to untangle difficult passages, point to important symbolism, and reveal historical context. This book may become the most important resource on Isaiah you will ever purchase.

Commitment to the Covenant

Strengthening the Me, We, and Thee of Marriage

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By Debra Theobald McClendon and Richard J. McClendon

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In recent decades, prophets have repeatedly emphasized how a strong marriage and family are the basis of a robust society; they have counseled and warned of the many modern obstacles that can erode a healthy family life. This book draws on inspiring personal stories, research from sociology and psychology, and doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ to present key principles that, when applied, will help a marriage thrive.

Abinadi

He Came Among Them in Disguise

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Edited by Shon D. Hopkin

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Under the guidance of some of the best thinkers on the Book of Mormon, the Abinadi narrative springs to life as each chapter approaches Abinadi’s story and words from a different perspective. Whether viewed through a sociopolitical, literary, theological, philosophical, or historical lens, new insights and a new appreciation for the richness of Abinadi’s discourse will help readers reignite their passion for the beauty and depth of the Book of Mormon.

In Their Footsteps

Mormon Pioneers of Faith

By Donald G. Godfrey

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This volume chronicles a group of influential Mormon pioneers and their families who left a mark on their communities, church, and family history. It tells a story of the men and women of the Joseph Godfrey and Charles Ora Card families as they traveled from Liverpool, England; through the eastern U.S. states; Nauvoo, Illinois; and Utah before they are scattered north into Canada. Joseph was a runaway boy who became a mariner, sailing the oceans until he was robbed, losing his life’s belongings at sea. Charles became the founder of Cardston, Alberta, the first Mormon settlement in Canada.

Lengthening Our Stride

Globalization of the Church

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Edited by Reid L. Neilson and Wayne D. Crosby

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In 1974, Spencer W. Kimball called for Latter-day Saints to “lengthen our stride.” When he delivered this landmark address, he encouraged all Latter-day Saints to think bigger, broader, and bolder about the ongoing globalization of the Church. Since President Kimball’s clarion call, the geographical distribution and facial complexion of the Church spread and evolved. The still largely Intermountain West Church that President Kimball began to lead in 1974 looked very different from the Church four decades later.

Alexander Campbell and Joseph Smith

Nineteenth-Century Restorationists

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By RoseAnn Benson

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Two nineteenth-century men, Alexander Campbell and Joseph Smith, each launched restoration movements in the United States. They vied for seekers and dissatisfied mainstream Christians, which led to conflict in northeastern Ohio. Both were searching for the primordial beginning of Christianity: Campbell looking back to the Christian church described in the New Testament epistles, and Smith looking even further back to the time of Adam and Eve as the first Christians.

Canadian Mormons

History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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Edited by Roy A. Prete and Carma T. Prete

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(October 30 release) This book gives a panoramic view of the rise and progress of the Church in Canada. It has all the elements of a great saga, including that of early faithful missionaries preaching in eastern Canada without “purse or scrip” in the 1830s and 1840s, and the exodus of early Canadian converts who joined with the main body of the Church in Ohio, Missouri, and Illinois, and then trekked across the Great Plains to Utah in the Rocky Mountains.

An Introduction to the Book of Abraham

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By John Gee

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When the Book of Abraham was first published to the world in 1842, it was published as “a translation of some ancient records that have fallen into [Joseph Smith’s] hands from the catacombs of Egypt, purporting to be the writings of Abraham while he was in Egypt, called ‘The Book of Abraham, Written by his Own Hand, upon Papyrus.’” The resultant record was thus connected with the papyri once owned by Joseph Smith, though which papyrus of the four or five in his possession was never specified.

Prophets and Prophecies of the Old Testament

46th Annual Sidney B. Sperry Symposium

Edited by Aaron Schade, Brian M. Hauglid and Kerry Muhlestein

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This book explains Old Testament prophecies in their original linguistic, historical, and theological contexts, helping us more fully understand the Old Testament and its relevance. Prophetic books such as Amos, Micah, Jonah, Daniel, Jeremiah, and Obadiah are contextualized. Topics include rhetorical questions and prophetic voice, imagery of salvation, and symbolic naming.

The Council of Fifty

What the Records Reveal about Mormon History

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Edited by Matthew J. Grow and R. Eric Smith

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Three months before his death, Joseph Smith established the Council of Fifty, a confidential group that he believed would protect the Latter-day Saints in their political rights and one day serve as the government of the kingdom of God. The Council of Fifty operated under the leadership of Joseph Smith and then Brigham Young. The council’s minutes had never been available until they were published by the Joseph Smith Papers Project in September 2016.

Dixie Saints

Laborers in the Field

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By Douglas D. Alder

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In Dixie Saints, you’ll learn about the daily lives of Saints who grew up between the late 1800s and the early 1900s in the villages of southern Utah, including St. George, and nearby Nevada and Arizona. Explore the many stories detailing their struggles and their achievements during childhood in large families, their experiences in one-room schools, their physical work (all without machines), their health challenges and herbal medicine, and their dealings with American Indians and with the Mexican exiles from the 1912 Revolution.

 

Voice of the Saints in Taiwan

A History of the Latter-day Saints in Taiwan

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By Po Nien Chou and Petra Chou

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This book shares the contribution of American missionaries among the people in Taiwan and the sacrifice of early Chinese pioneers to help establish the restored gospel of Jesus Christ among their own people. It provides a comprehensive overview, along with personal stories of faith and devotion, covering the sixty-year history of the growth and development of the Church in Taiwan.

 

View video here.

The Field Is White

Harvest in the Three Counties of England

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By Carol Wilkinson and Cynthia Doxey Green

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Wilford Woodruff told the story of his remarkable missionary success among the United Brethren in the Three Counties of England for many years after his initial meetings with them in the mid-1800s. This book examines how this group of people, along with their friends and neighbors who were also seeking religious truth, were prepared to receive the message of the restored gospel, and how they helped the Church membership grow in the Three Counties. Readers will learn about American and British missionary exploits in this area along with converts’ stories.

Pioneer Women of Arizona

Second Edition

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By Roberta Flake Clayton, Catherine H. Ellis and David F. Boone

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Walk alongside the Mormon girls, young women, mothers, and grandmothers who traveled to Arizona by covered wagons and by train.

No Other Success

The Parenting Practices of David O. McKay

By Mark D. Ogletree

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“No other success can compensate for failure in the home” is a statement made famous by President David O. McKay, who taught Church members the importance of focusing on the family. At the age of thirty-two, he magnified his responsibilities as a newly called Apostle. He had to learn to juggle world travel, heavy Church assignments, and duties with his small but growing family. Later, as a member of the First Presidency, he spent a lot of time teaching and fostering both his children and grandchildren.

His Majesty and Mission

Edited by Nicholas J. Frederick and Keith J. Wilson

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Christianity rises or falls based on the reality of the Resurrection. Christian religious leaders of all walks have commented on the importance of the Resurrection. Accordingly, this volume is organized to enhance our celebration of the miracle of the Resurrection. The essays published in this volume represent the talks presented at the annual Brigham Young University Easter Conferences in 2016 and 2017 by Sheri Dew, Eric D. Huntsman, Daniel K Judd, Camille Fronk Olson, Hank R. Smith, and Elder Kevin J Worthen.

Kalaupapa

The Mormon Experience in an Exiled Community

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By Fred E. Woods

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This book received the Harvey B. and Susan Easton Black Outstanding Publication Award (gospel scholarship for LDS audiences, Church history and doctrine). In the nineteenth century, leprosy (known as Hansen’s disease today) spread through the Hawaiian Islands, causing the king of Hawai‘i to sanction an act that exiled all people afflicted with this disease to Kalaupapa, a peninsula on the island of Moloka‘i. Kalaupapa was separated from the rest of the world, with sheer cliffs on one side, the ocean on the other three, and limited contact with anyone, even loved ones.

Zion's Trumpet

1856 and 1857 Welsh Mormon Periodical

Edited by Ronald D. Dennis

The fifty-two issues of Udgorn Seion (Zion’s Trumpet) published during 1856 and 1857 served to keep Latter-day Saints all over Wales abreast of the latest direction and information from their leaders in Swansea. The principal focus of the first few 1856 issues was emigration, and in April of that year over 500 Welsh Mormon converts set sail on the S. Curling. Over half of this group crossed the plains with the Edward Bunker handcart company.

Mormons in the Piazza

History of the Latter-day Saints in Italy

By James A. Toronto, Eric R Dursteler and Michael W. Homer

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From the day Lorenzo Snow stepped out of a carriage onto Italian soil in 1850 to the day that Thomas S. Monson turned a shovel of Italian soil to break ground for a temple in 2010, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has made evangelization in Italy a high priority. Mormon missionary work unfolded against a backdrop of historical forces—political upheaval, world wars, social change, and internal Church dynamics—that presented both obstacles and opportunities for growth.

Foundations of the Restoration

Fulfillment of the Covenant Purposes

Edited by Craig James Ostler, Michael Hubbard MacKay and Barbara Morgan Gardner

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This book is a compilation of essays from the 45th annual Brigham Young University Sidney B. Sperry Symposium titled Foundations of the Restoration. The keynote address by Robert L. Millet highlights the restoration of plain and precious truths.

Joseph Smith's Seer Stones

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By Michael Hubbard MacKay and Nicholas J. Frederick

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This book discusses the origins of Joseph Smith’s seer stones and explores how Joseph used them throughout his life in a way that goes beyond translating the Book of Mormon. It also traces the provenance of the seer stones once they leave his possession. 

A Bible Reader's History of the Ancient World

Edited by Kent P. Jackson

This book is NOT a Religious Studies Center publication. Click here to learn more.

A Historian in Zion

The Autobiography of Andrew Jenson, Assistant Church Historian

Edited by Reid L. Neilson and R. Mark Melville

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The Autobiography of Andrew Jenson, first published in 1938 by the Deseret News Press in Salt Lake City, Utah, tells the personal story of a Danish Mormon convert who eventually served as Assistant Church Historian of the LDS Church for over forty years. The author mined his voluminous personal journals and assembled Church records to tell the story of the Restoration of the gospel since the 1850s when he arrived in Utah as a European immigrant.

A Reason for Faith: Navigating LDS Doctrine and Church History

Edited by Laura H Hales

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A Reason for Faith was written to do just as the title implies: provide reasons for faith by offering faithful answers to sincere questions.  Before the Internet, historical and doctrinal questions not addressed in LDS Church curriculum were mostly found in the scholarly articles of academic journals. This is no longer the case. These topics are now widely debated and discussed online and in other forums. And when members of the LDS Church come across information that is unfamiliar, they may feel surprise, fear, betrayal, or even anger (more info).

Sacred Space

Exploring the Birthplace of Mormonism

By Michael Hubbard MacKay

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(NOTE: This book received the Harvey B. and Susan Easton Black Outstanding Publication Award (Gospel Scholarship for LDS Audiences, Church History and Doctrine).

The Worldwide Church

Mormonism as a Global Religion

Edited by Michael A. Goodman and Mauro Properzi

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This volume is a compilation of scholarly papers prepared by presenters at the BYU Church History Symposium entitled The Worldwide Church: The Global Reach of Mormonism. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, second counselor in the First Presidency, was the first keynote speaker. He emphasized the importance of learning our history. Quoting Michael Crichton he stated, “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” The second keynote speaker, Terryl Givens, highlighted the universal nature of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Let Us Reason Together

Essays in Honor of the Life's Work of Robert L. Millet

Edited by J. Spencer Fluhman and Brent L. Top

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A single volume cannot accurately measure the influence of a beloved colleague, but this one nevertheless stands as modest evidence of Robert L. Millet’s prodigious impact over a career that spanned nearly four decades. His retirement provided an opportunity to gather some of us who count him as a mentor, colleague, and friend. We offer this collection of essays as a monument to his remarkable career as an administrator, teacher, and writer.

Far Away in the West

Reflections on the Mormon Pioneer Trail

Edited by Scott C. Esplin, Richard E. Bennett, Susan Easton Black and Craig K. Manscill

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The story of the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo to a new mountain home “far away in the west” still stirs the imagination of writers, artists, historians, and musicians. Letters, diaries and other manuscript sources continue to be discovered that recount this stirring chapter in Mormon history. An entire believing people came to trust that they would find their place to worship without fear of persecution if they followed their God.

Provo's Two Temples

By Richard O. Cowan and Justin R. Bray

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Provo, Utah, is the home of two LDS temples, each with a distinctive story. This volume includes a comprehensive account of each of these two temples, which have very different histories. One temple was built from the ground up and dedicated in 1972. The other is like a phoenix, born again of the ashes of a building destroyed by fire. This book includes richly illustrated pictures and text that traces the unique construction, history, and many other details that help tell the stories of each of Provo’s two temples.

Rediscovering the Sites of the Restoration

The 1888 Travel Writings of Mormon Historian Andrew Jenson, Edward Stevenson, and Joseph S. Black

Edited by Reid L. Neilson, Justin R. Bray and Alan D. Johnson

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On September 6, 1888, three Church history missionaries—Andrew Jenson, Edward Stevenson, and Joseph S. Black—left on a fact-finding mission to the Church’s historic sites in Missouri, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Iowa, spending a majority of their time visiting the sacred sights of the Restoration. The observations they made were the subjects of a lengthy correspondence to the Deseret News. These letters were later compiled into a pamphlet entitled The Infancy of the Church.

A Missionary’s Story

The Letters and Journals of Adolf Haag, Mormon Missionary to Switzerland and Palestine

Edited by Larry W. Draper and Kent P. Jackson

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This personal narrative of missionary Adolf Haag is a compelling story of one missionary who sacrificed everything to travel to a foreign land and faithfully share his beliefs with others.

From Darkness unto Light

Joseph Smith’s Translation and Publication of the Book of Mormon

By Michael Hubbard MacKay and Gerrit J. Dirkmaat

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Although both members and academics alike often think of this story as well known, recent insights and discoveries associated with the efforts by the Church History Department to publish The Joseph Smith Papers have provided a fuller, richer understanding of the translation and publication of the Book of Mormon. This book was written to provide a detailed explanation of how Joseph Smith and the scribes who served with him described the process of translating the gold plates and the difficulties encountered as they sought to publish the completed book. 

An Eye of Faith

Essays in Honor Richard O. Cowan

Edited by Kenneth L. Alford and Richard E. Bennett

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An Eye of Faith contains nineteen thought-provoking and new essays about the following topics: ancient and modern temples, revelations to the Latter-day Saints, serving others and sharing the gospel, increasing scriptural understanding, and Church history. Jointly published by Deseret Book and Brigham Young University’s Religious Studies Center, this book was written by established Church scholars including Susan Easton Black, Richard E. Bennett, Kent P. Jackson, S. Kent Brown, Richard Draper, Alexander L. Baugh, Craig Ostler, Brent L. Top, and other notable writers.

Our Savior’s Love

Hope & Healing in Christ

Edited by Alonzo L. Gaskill and Stanley A. Johnson

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When we actually, really know, understand, and feel of our Savior’s love—we are transformed; we are changed in our understanding of what divine love is. It is the encounter with Christ’s love that causes us to submit our wills and lives to God’s will and way. Our Savior’s love enables us to see ourselves in proper perspective and helps us to see others as God sees them, and to love them as deeply as he loves them. Nothing is more beautiful than seeing new life and renewed life.