The Bruce R. McConkie Story: Reflections of a Son


Joseph Fielding McConkie - 2003
    McConkie is painted on the canvas of faith in colors as bold as the sermons he preached. In the pages of this biography, written by Elder McConkie's son Joseph, the reader is invited to become acquainted with the man as he was known to his family and closest friends. The book captures something of his humor, the depth of his faith, his love of life and of his dear Amelia, his devotion to the gospel, his discipline, the extent of his suffering, and his endless efforts to mentor his children. No one in the history of the Church has written more by way of testimony of Christ than Bruce R. McConkie. In this work the members of the Church are invited to meet the man whom they have quoted so often.

Life of Heber C. Kimball: An Apostle


Orson F. Whitney - 1888
    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.

Lengthen Your Stride: The Presidency of Spencer W. Kimball


Edward L. Kimball - 2005
    Kimball, from 1973 to 1985, spanned years of remarkable growth and dramatic developments in the Church. In that time, Church membership grew from 3.2 million to 5.9 million, the number of full-time missionaries serving grew from 17,000 to nearly 40,000 and temples in operation increased from 15 to 36. This book focuses exclusively on President Kimball's ministry as Church President, describing such landmark events as the revelation extending the priesthood to all worthy males, the publication of new editions of the LDS scriptures, and the reorganization of the quorum of the Seventy. The accompanying CD-ROM (created by BYU Studies) contains a wealth of additional information, including a longer version of the biography, photos not included in the book, some audio clips of President Kimball (including a sample before the surgery on his throat), as well as copies of other books written by or about President Kimball.

Boyd K. Packer: A Watchman on the Tower


Lucile C. Tate - 1995
    Packer's life and ministry the gospel principles this outstanding teacher has taught and practiced come through with striking clarity. The book itself will thus be a powerful teacher to its readers"

Defender of the Faith: The B. H. Roberts Story


Truman G. Madsen - 1980
    Roberts, a man well recognized in the church and the author of many beloved books, was one that could fill countless pages. The son of a “ne’er-do-well,” his life in England reads as if it were straight from a Charles Dickens novel. His family was torn apart when his mother joined the Church and emigrated to America. Left to struggle alone in England with his sister, his life was one of severe trials. Finally, they were able to emigrate and join the other saints gathering in Utah.His tremendous impact in the church comes through his voluminous writings on Church subjects. Interestingly, he was eleven years old before he learned to read, and the discovery of what lies within printed words opened a deep love for knowledge. This passion eventually led to him becoming one of the foremost scholars, writers and religious leaders in the Church.For both the general reader as well as the specialist, this biography of B.H. Roberts will fill a long-standing gap as they come to better know this outstanding man.

Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History


Gregory A. Prince - 2016
    Willard Marriott Library. Leonard Arrington is considered by many the foremost twentieth-century historian of Mormonism. He played a key role in establishing the Western History Association and the Mormon History Association, and more than a half-century after its publication, his revised doctoral dissertation, Great Basin Kingdom: An Economic History of the Latter-day Saints 1830-1900, remains a standard. But Arrington’s career was not without controversy. Gregory Prince takes an in-depth look at this respected historian and, in telling Arrington’s story, gives readers insight into the workings of the LDS Church in the late twentieth century. In 1972, during a major reorganization of the LDS Church, Arrington was asked to serve as the official church historian, thereby becoming the first—and thus far the only—professional historian to hold that title. He immediately set out to professionalize the entire Church History Division and open its extensive archives to scholarly researching. While the output of and from that division moved Mormon studies to a new level, the shift of historiography from faith promotion ecclesiastical, to scholarly and professional research and analysis was unacceptable to a handful of powerful senior apostles. In 1980 the History Division was disassembled and moved to Brigham Young University. That led to a shift in the professionalization of the Church History Division and Archives and in Arrington’s career but not to a loss of his broad influence. This biography is the first to draw upon the remarkable Arrington diaries (over 20,000 pages); it is supplemented by the author’s interviews of more than 100 people who knew or worked with Arrington. The book is of additional significance given continuing battles between the LDS Church and scholars, which frequently gains national attention because of excommunications of prominent intellectuals.

Adventures of a Church Historian


Leonard J. Arrington - 1998
    Arrington was historian of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1972 to 1982. The first professional historian and the first noncentral authority to occupy this position, Arrington opened archival resources and presided over an unprecedented era of enlightenment in Mormon scholarship. Arrington's appointment came at a crucial point in LDS history -- as the institution was being transformed from a regional church whose ecclesiastical hierarchy presided directly over its congregants into a modern, worldwide church with an elaborate bureaucracy. Riveting chapters on the actions of the controversial Historical Department reveal details of his release and replacement as the old system gave way to the new.

Wilford Woodruff's Witness: The Development of Temple Doctrine


Jennifer Ann Mackley - 2014
    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.

Nibley on the Timely and the Timeless: Classic Essays of Hugh W. Nibley


Hugh Nibley - 1978
    Book by Nibley, Hugh

The Standard of Truth: 1815–1846


The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - 2018
    Three years later, an angel guides him to an ancient record buried in a hill near his home. With God’s help, he translates the record and organizes the Savior’s church in the latter days. Soon others join him, accepting the invitation to become Saints through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But opposition and violence follow those who defy old traditions to embrace restored truths. The women and men who join the church must choose whether or not they will stay true to their covenants, establish Zion, and proclaim the gospel to a troubled world. The Standard of Truth is the first book in Saints, a new, four-volume narrative history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Fast-paced, meticulously researched, Saints recounts true stories of Latter-day Saints across the globe and answers the Lord’s call to write history “for the good of the church, and for the rising generations” (Doctrine and Covenants 69:8).

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling


Richard L. Bushman - 2005
    Richard Bushman, an esteemed cultural historian and a practicing Mormon, moves beyond the popular stereotype of Smith as a colorful fraud to explore his personality, his relationships with others, and how he received revelations. An arresting narrative of the birth of the Mormon Church, Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling also brilliantly evaluates the prophet’s bold contributions to Christian theology and his cultural place in the modern world.

Jesus the Christ: A Study of the Messiah and His Mission According to Holy Scriptures, Both Ancient and Modern


James E. Talmage - 1915
    Elder Marion G. Romney said, "One who gets the understanding, the vision, and the spirit of the resurrected Lord through a careful study of the text Jesus the Christ by Elder James E. Talmage will find that he has greatly increased his moving faith in our glorified Redeemer." This special edition has been completely retypeset for added readability, and for the first time the chapter endnotes have been included with the footnotes for ready reference.

Mormon Scientist: The Life and Faith of Henry Eyring


Henry J. Eyring - 2008
    Maxwell told a grandson of Henry Eyring's, You need to write your grandfather's story. This is that story of Henry Eyring, perhaps the most acclaimed scientist ever to come from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is a book about science and Mormonism, written to be easily understood by newcomers to both subjects. It demonstrates why one of the Church's highest-profile intellectuals was also one of its humblest believers. In fact, this story of Henry Eyring shows how intellect and belief go hand-in-hand and how simple, faithful people can change the world.

Mormon Enigma: Emma Hale Smith


Linda King Newell - 1984
    This book is a biographical reconstruction of Emma Smith's life from documents and evidence other than the few letters and one page of blessings she left behind.

They Knew the Prophet: Personal Accounts From Over 100 People Who Knew Joseph Smith


Hyrum L. Andrus - 2004
    Personal Accounts from over 100 people who knew Joseph Smith.