Welcome to our first issue of the Religious Educator of 2016. This issue features a recent devotional talk given to students and faculty at Brigham Young University by Elder Ronald A. Rasband, recently called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. We are delighted to share with you Elder Rasband’s thoughts on the topic of religious freedom and fairness for all.

This year we are launching a new series of interviews entitled “Discussing Difficult Topics” that will be loosely tied to the gospel topics essays published through lds.org (see https://www.lds.org/topics?lang=eng). The new series will not be a commentary on the essays, nor will it seek to fill out historical details associated with the essays. Rather, the new series will seek to help teachers find ways to approach these difficult topics in the classroom and in teaching settings. We have contacted experienced teachers and scholars and have asked them to articulate ways they have discussed these materials in the classroom, share questions that are typical when teaching these topics, and identify ways to help students find meaning as this new wealth of information is becoming available. This first in this series highlights the topic of plural marriage (see https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo?lang=eng). We anticipate that this series will last for the next several years as we discuss some of the other gospel topics essays currently available.

This issue also presents what will hopefully be a continuous series on global Latter-day Saint pioneers. We would like to encourage submissions on the topic of Latter-day Saint pioneers from across the globe. The first of these, authored by Fred E. Woods and Jean G. Huysmans, offers an interesting and detailed account of the service of John Volker in the Netherlands. We hope other such publications will treat the topic of Latter-day Saints from around the globe.

We feel that there are many gems in this issue of the Religious Educator, and we hope you enjoy reading these articles as much as we have enjoyed working with these insightful and articulate authors.

Thomas A. Wayment

Editor