Lucifer's Lantern

Smith’s description of the Book of Mormon is one of the most familiar statements in Latter-day Saint history. In November 1841, Wilford Woodruff recorded Joseph calling it “the most correct of any book on earth” and saying that a person would “get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” He also called it the “keystone” of the religion. [1] Modern Church life reflects those claims. Missionaries place the Book of Mormon at the center of conversion. Members are encouraged to read it every day. General Conference speakers quote it constantly, and Church lessons often treat a testimony of the book as the surest path toward accepting Joseph Smith as a prophet. Ezra Taft Benson reinforced that emphasis when he called the Book of Mormon the keystone of the Church’s witness of Christ, its doctrine, and individual testimony. [17] That makes a historical question hard to avoid: did Joseph Smith himself use the Book of Mormon the way the modern Church does? The surviving...

If Christianity's central claims are correct, then the universe has a creator who became incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth, died for the sins of the world, rose bodily from the dead, and continues to offer eternal life to those who trust in him. If these claims are true, they deserve not merely admiration but allegiance. They would represent the defining events of human history. If they are false, however, the implications are equally profound. Christianity has shaped civilizations, inspired art, influenced governments, comforted the dying, motivated charity, justified wars, and guided the lives of billions of people. A religion with that kind of influence should not simply be accepted because it is ancient or widely believed. It should be examined with the same seriousness its claims demand. C. S. Lewis understood this point perhaps better than anyone. Although remembered as one of Christianity's most influential defenders, he famously observed in God in the Dock: Essays on Theol...

 SALT LAKE CITY. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans today to construct the Grand Prismatic Temple near Yellowstone National Park's Grand Prismatic Spring. The temple will serve members throughout the Greater Yellowstone region while providing worthy visitors with an opportunity to worship in one of the world's most recognizable natural settings. Church President Dallin H. Oaks announced the temple during a special localized broadcast, describing it as "another house of the Lord built to bless God's children and stand as a witness of Jesus Christ." According to the Church, the temple will be positioned directly beyond the Grand Prismatic Spring, allowing the building to be visible from much of the existing boardwalk and observation areas. Officials said the location was selected following years of planning, prayer, environmental study, and consultation with local Church leaders. The proposed site is located on federally protected land t...

      On August 23, 2021, Jeffrey R. Holland stood before Brigham Young University’s faculty, staff, and administrators at the school’s annual University Conference in Provo, Utah. Holland was not merely a visiting Church leader. He was a former president of BYU, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and, at the time, chairman of the executive committee of the university’s Board of Trustees. His address, titled “ The Second Half of the Second Century of Brigham Young University, ” was presented as a reflection on BYU’s future and the religious mission that, in his view, must continue to distinguish it from other universities.     The full speech was shared by @byuspheeches      The timing could hardly have been more charged. That same day, BYU president Kevin Worthen announced the creation of a new Office of Belonging , intended to coordinate the university’s efforts to address prejudice and help marginalized members of the campus co...