Understanding its origin and development through the experiences of Wilford Woodruff will answer questions posed by individuals inside and outside of the Church. What is the relationship of temple ordinances and Old Testament rituals? Why have some ordinances been discontinued? Why did married women choose to be sealed to Joseph Smith? What is priesthood adoption? When were proxy ordinances introduced?Many books and articles address a specific temple ordinance or a period of time in Mormon history, but the development of all temple ordinances has never been included in a single volume - until now.Jennifer Mackley's meticulously researched biographical narrative chronicles the development of temple doctrine through the examination of Wilford Woodruff's personal life. The account unfolds in Woodruff's own words, drawn from primary sources including journals, discourses, and letters. Mackley elucidates the doctrine's sixty-year progression from Old Testament practices of washings and anointings in the 1830s, to the endowment, sealings, and priesthood adoptions in the 1840s, through all of the vicarious ordinances for the dead in the 1870s, to the sealing of multigenerational families in the 1890s. Her narrative is enhanced by 120 archival images (some previously unpublished), as well as extensive footnotes and citations for the reader's further study. More information can be found at www.wilfordwoodruff.info.

     The evolution of church culture has been something that has needed to happen for a long time. Culture, traditions, oral laws, and the status quo can be a good thing... but it can also be a bad thing. Do you remember what was happening in Israel around the time that Christ came on to the scene? Israel started to live by their own set of oral laws and traditions, or what we might refer to today as "culture." The "culture" in Israel when Christ showed up was one of the most judgmental and hypocritical cultures the world had ever seen. It was a very isolated and unaccepting culture. But Christ showed up and cast a net over all types of people. The Greeks, the Romans, the Samaritans, and every other nation across the globe. His net covered even the worst of repentant sinners. The only people that were excluded or "damned" were the unrepentant elite, the "scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites" who "strain at a gnat, and swallow a camel" (Matthew 23:23-24). Christ took the existing covenants and commandments and simplified them. He brought an evolution of love, empathy, and compassion. He built a culture that was geared toward the lowly of heart and revolted against those who spent their lives pointing out the flaws in others. "For ye are like unto whited sepulchers, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness" (Matthew 23:27). The bulk of Israel was living according to their culture and their superstition instead of their religion. This has been the bane of each and every covenant society, which caused Joseph Smith to say, "What many people call sin is not sin; I do many things to break down superstition, and I will break it down." The doctrine of the LDS church doesn't lose people. It's the culture and superstition that causes unnecessary strife. This book, The Cultural Evolution Inside of Mormonism addresses the changing culture, the unprecedented changes that are taking place in the church, and the historical transparency. The Table of Contents explains where this book will take you: 1. More Extended Hands 2. Fewer Wrecking Balls 3. The Cultural Evolution 4. Not Customizing Christ 5. The Three Types of Mormons 6. A Place Where Doubters Are Welcome 7. The Kindness of Christ 8. Embracing Intellectuals and Scholars 9. Change in The Church Comes Slowly For A Reason 10. The Humble Few 11. Millennial Mormons 12. Making Rash Decisions 13. Giving Volunteers A Break 14. Logical Evidence For The Church Is Mounting 15. From Which All Others Are Derived 16. Temple Workers Galore 17. No Other Religion Provides A Better Hope 18. People Throwing The Book of Mormon Out The Window 19. The Bible That Needed To Be Rescued 20. Looking For Just One Reason To Believe 21. Liberal Conservatives 22. Pageantry In The Church 23. Peeling Back Polygamy 24. Looking At Tithing A Little Differently 25. Not Judging Others Sabbath Day Worship 26. The Place For Gays Inside The Church 27. What I Really Believe 28. Why I Love The Church

    Holy Places includes more than sixty faith promoting stories with accompanying artwork from temples around the world, including the most recent temples in Ghana, Manhattan, Newport Beach, and Nigeria. Based on more than a decade of personal interviews and in-depth research, each story in this beautiful volume conveys a sense of God's hand in the important work of temples and the faith of Church members as they seek to perform that work. Families will love this treasured collection of stories documenting the faith and miracles associated with the most holy places on Earth.

    

    I have therefore tried to identify people and places sufficiently well so that the book is self-contained and does not require the student to do extensive outside reading in order to understand what we are discussing.Too often the Old Testament has been relegated to what we might call "the child's interest level." However, no matter how interesting many of the stories in this part of the Bible may be to children, there is no doubt but what this part of the scripture is almost entirely adult level reading and therefore deserves the most serious and careful perusal by the mature student....The questions at the end of each chapter are designed to encourage the student to make a more penetrating analysis of the subject matter. Most of the questions require specific factual answers rather than opinions. Some school of modern pedagogy frown on the use of "memory" questions but thirty years of teaching have persuaded the author that students need a generous background of factual information in order to provide a better bedrock for their opinions.

    Now in its third printing.

    (Moroni 7:44.) Why is meekness such an important requirement for salvation? What does it mean to be meek? How can we attain meekness? In Meek and Lowly, Elder Neal A. Maxwell of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, discusses this critical-but often misunderstood-principle. "The rigorous requirements of Christian discipleship are clearly unattainable without meekness," he writes. "In fact, meekness is needed in order to be spiritually successful, whether in matters of the intellect, in the management of power, in the dissolution of personal pride, or in coping with the challenges of daily life." The first step, Elder Maxwell claims, is to take upon us the Savior's yoke and to learn about Him and His teachings. Other requirements are to develop humbleness of mind; to be humble in our dealings with others, particularly those whom we lead; and to overcome the deadly sin of pride. Elder Maxwell also explains the relation between meekness and the grace of God, the blessings that come through being meek, and the examples of meekness found in the lives of prophets both ancient and modern. "Meekness, though lowly, has its own quiet majesty," he concludes, for "by being yoked to Jesus and His gospel, we are drawn closer to Him. Proximity only increases our meekness."

    And you can claim it beginning now. The well know Bible story of David and Goliath is the back drop that Steven A. Cramer uses to show how we can enlist the aid of the Lord in overcoming any of our problems. In our day, we do not have to face nine-foot giants physically, but often our Goliaths come in the form of spiritual giants that will not yield to a stone or sword.

    He is, for example, a revelator, teacher, testifier, comforter, agent of the new birth, sanctifier, and sealer, to mention only a few of His roles. Unlike more inspirational explorations of the Holy Ghost, Robert L. Millet's The Holy Spirit focuses on the person of the Holy Ghost and examines His varied assignments in a way that is both spiritually strengthening and intellectually enlarging. Nothing has been written for decades about the Holy Spirit with so much breadth and depth.In The Holy Spirit, you'll find: Sound doctrine about the Holy Ghost that is in harmony with scripture and latter-day prophets. Personal experiences and inspiring stories from our history to help us both understand and draw upon the Holy Spirit in our lives. A helpful reference of prophetic teachings about the Spirit and His role in our lives.

    Bestselling author Pamela H. Hansen has received thousands of letters and emails from people struggling with issues of body image and self- worth. Her new book confronts society's obsession with the perfect body and examines the destructive belief that physical appearance determines worth. This spiritually sound approach to developing a healthy body image will change the way you think about yourself and others.

    McConkie examines each article in great, inspiring detail. He sheds new light on many subjects, including faith and belief, the nature of the Father and the Son, the mission of the Holy Ghost, the Atonement, spiritual gifts, and more.

    Unless we understand the basis for the charge, we are not prepared to deal with it. This book explains each of the arguments used against Latter-day Saints, and demonstrates beyond dispute-using non-LDS authorities-that these arguments are based on false premises. The definitive work on the subject, this book is a must for every LDS home.

    Never before has a reference work of this scope been created to help both the experienced reader and the investigator or new convert understand this important book of scripture. It is like having a teacher beside you as you read and study. Maps, illustrations, photographs, pictures, outlines, and charts combine with the informative articles to enhance understanding and help parents, teachers, and leaders share the message of the Book of Mormon with their families and students. A must-have reference book for every Latter-day Saint library!

    Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

    This experience with believing young people has allowed him to explore, as he puts it, his "own questions about life in an atmosphere of faith." The author's personal study has centered around three religious issues that hold the greatest meaning for him-faith, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, and relationships with people-and the connection among the three: faith prepares us to receive the Atonement; the Atonement purifies and strengthens us; and the Atonement then helps us build our relationships with the Lord and with others. The author felt he might one day publish a series of books centering on these themes. Subsequently, he released his first book, The Believing Heart, in 1986. By the time The Broken Heart was published three years later, the first printing of The Believing Heart had expired. The author was then invited to publish a revised and enlarged edition of that volume to act as a companion to The Broken Heart. This second edition of The Believing Heart, which incorporates two new chapters as well as a substantial revision of the original four, is the result of that process. In these six thought-provoking essays, the author discusses the power available to all who truly believe in Jesus Christ. He outlines the pattern all who hope to increase their spiritual power must follow, including the difficulties they can expect to encounter-life's trials, the hazards of agency, the pull of the world, and so forth. How can we bridge the gap between the ideal and the real? Is it possible for "ordinary" mortals to have encounters with angels? How does one actually nourish the seed of faith and make it come alive? By answering these and other pertinent questions, Bruce Hafen provides insight into the process of increasing personal faith and shows how powerfully the seed of faith is connected to the doctrine of the Atonement. As he explains, "The tree of life waits for us, as it did for Adam and Eve, Lehi and Sariah, at the end of the inviting, but sometimes treacherous and lonely, path of faith. . . . We take our first steps (and many later ones) along this path through our freely chosen desire to have a believing heart-for "even all this can ye do if ye will."