This is My Beloved Son

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F. Burton Howard discusses the visitation of God the Father and Jesus Christ to Joseph Smith. (28 minutes)

Excerpt from the talk:

"The sign said, 'The Sacred Grove,' and contained these incredible words: 'God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, appeared to Joseph Smith in this grove.' Period! I had been intent on going into the grove and contemplating what occurred there back in
1820, but I found I could not bring myself to leave the sign. Its simple message arrested my progress. ... I read it again and again. My wife said, 'Don't you want to go into the grove?' I said, 'I need to think about the message on this sign for a moment longer. Either it is true, or it isn't. If it is, it is the greatest message in all the world.'"

Full text and references available online in English (PDF). A video of this talk is also available (MP4).

Elder F. Burton Howard was a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time he presented this talk. He is now an emeritus general authority.

Prophets, Seers, and Revelators

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Jeffrey R. Holland discusses the need for apostles, prophets, and the principle of continuing revelation in the true Church of Jesus Christ. (16 minutes)

Excerpt from the talk:

"In a world of unrest and fear, political turmoil and moral drift, I testify that Jesus is the Christ—that He is the living Bread and living Water—still, yet, and always the great Shield of safety in our lives, the mighty Stone of Israel, the Anchor of this His living Church. I testify of His prophets, seers, and revelators, who constitute the ongoing foundation of that Church and bear witness that such offices and such oracles are at work now, under the guidance of the Savior of us all, in and for our very needful day."

Full text and/or audio available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and other languages (click on the desired language, then October 2004, then look for Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from the Saturday Morning Session).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Archaeology, Relics, and Book of Mormon Belief

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Dr. John E. Clark is Professor of Anthropology at Brigham Young University and Director of Brigham Young University's New World Archaeological Foundation based in Chiapas, Mexico. In this talk, he discusses archaeological evidences of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. (32 minutes)

Excerpts from the talk:

"The Book of Mormon still presses the world to take it seriously, and now science is lending a hand. The ... archaeology that has been undertaken in Mesoamerica is confirming historical, geographical, and political facts mentioned in the text."

Dr. Clark points out that the Book of Mormon's central challenge is "the promise that its doctrine leads to Christ" and asserts that its "instructions for coming to Christ are unsurpassed, and this is the infinitely more important destination." He quotes President Gordon B. Hinckley thusly:

"The evidence for [the Book of Mormon's] truth, for its validity in a world that is prone to demand evidence, lies not in archaeology or anthropology, though these may be helpful to some. It lies not in word research or historical analysis, though these may be confirmatory. The evidence for its truth and validity lies within the covers of the book itself. The test of its truth lies in reading it. It is a book of God. Reasonable people may sincerely question its origin; but those who have read it prayerfully have come to know by a power beyond their natural senses that it is true, that it contains the word of God, that it outlines saving truths of the everlasting gospel..."[1]

The full text of this talk, along with numerous source citations and footnotes, is available in English from the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship (formerly known as the Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies, or FARMS).

Mom, Are We Christians?

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Gary J. Coleman shares his experience growing up as a Christian, and testifies of the Christianity of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. (10 minutes)

Full text and/or audio available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and other languages (click on the desired language, then April 2007, then scroll down to Gary J. Coleman's talk from the Sunday Afternoon Session).

Elder Gary J. Coleman is a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Scriptural Witnesses

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Russell M. Nelson explains how the Bible and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ complement each other. (15 minutes)

Excerpts from the talk:

"The Bible and the Book of Mormon are both witnesses of Jesus Christ. They teach that He is the Son of God, that He lived an exemplary life, that He atoned for all mankind, that He died upon the cross and rose again as the resurrected Lord. They teach that He is the Savior of the world."

"Love for the Book of Mormon expands one's love for the Bible and vice versa. Scriptures of the Restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible."

Full text and/or audio available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and other languages (click on the desired language, then October 2007, then scroll down to Russell M. Nelson's talk from the Saturday Afternoon Session).

Elder Russell M. Nelson is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Stone Cut Out of the Mountain

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Gordon B. Hinckley speaks about the rapid church growth since the restoration of the gospel, marvels at some of the singular events of the restoration and the Book of Mormon, and testifies that Joseph Smith is a true prophet of God. (18 minutes)

Full text and/or audio available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and other languages (click on the desired language, then October 2007, then scroll down to Gordon B. Hinckley's talk from the Sunday Morning Session).

The late President Gordon B. Hinckley was president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The Only True God and Jesus Christ Whom He Hath Sent

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Jeffrey R. Holland addresses the question of whether Latter-day Saints (Mormons) are Christians, explaining why Latter-day Saints believe that God the Father, Jesus Christ the Son, and the Holy Ghost are three separate individuals rather than a single incomprehensible being. (14 minutes)

Full text and/or audio available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and other languages (click on the desired language, then October 2007, then scroll down to Jeffrey R. Holland's talk from the Saturday Afternoon Session).

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits

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M. Russell Ballard shares several facts that may be of interest to those desiring to learn more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He also shares some basic doctrinal beliefs, explains the Church's emphasis on the family, and describes some of the fruits that result from Mormons faithfully practicing their religion. (16 minutes)

Full text and/or audio available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and other languages (click on the desired language, then October 2007, then scroll down to M. Russell Ballard's talk from the Saturday Afternoon Session).

Elder M. Russell Ballard is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Receiving a Testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ

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Robert D. Hales describes the simple process of gaining a testimony. We can learn the basic steps from the example of Joseph Smith's preparation for the First Vision and other heavenly ministrations. Each major event of the Restoration has been preceded by prayer. One may begin this process by following the admonition of Moroni at the end of his book (see Moroni 10:3-5). (18 minutes)

Full text and/or audio available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and other languages (click on the desired language, then October 2003, then scroll down to Robert D. Hales's talk from the Saturday Afternoon Session).

Elder Robert D. Hales is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The above description of this talk is based on the description at byuradio.org.

Chiasmus in the Book of Mormon

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Dr. John W. Welch, instructor of Law at Brigham Young University, discusses chiasmus in The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. Chiasmus is a literary element common in ancient Biblical scripture that also appears throughout the Book of Mormon. It was only beginning to be rediscovered in Joseph Smith's day, in parts of the world far from where Joseph Smith lived and translated the Book of Mormon, and only mentioned briefly within massive reference volumes[1]. Therefore, it is quite improbable that Joseph Smith knew about chiasmus at the time the Book of Mormon was translated, which serves as evidence of the Book of Mormon being an ancient record as opposed to a modern fabrication. (55 minutes)

Following are links to some Book of Mormon scriptures referenced in this talk, for your convenience:

• Mosiah 5:10-12
• Mosiah 3:18-19
• Helaman 6:7-13
• Alma 33:4-11
• Alma 41:13-15
• Alma 36 (the entire chapter—a remarkable example of chiasmus)
  

Video of this lecture is available in English in QuickTime and Windows Media formats.

A Scholar Looks at Evidences for the Book of Mormon

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Dr. Daniel C. Peterson, professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic at Brigham Young University, discusses several scholarly findings and strong evidences supporting the authenticity of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ. (53 minutes)

Transcripts available online in English, Español, Français, Italiano, and Português. Video is also available in English.

The Living Christ: The Testimony of the Apostles, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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In 2000, the living prophet and apostles issued this declaration about Jesus Christ, testifying to the world "of the reality of His matchless life and the infinite virtue of His great atoning sacrifice." It includes a portion of the Prophet Joseph Smith's testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ. (6 minutes)

Full text available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, and Português. Alternatively, you can download the PDF in English or Español.

The Family: A Proclamation to the World

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In 1995, the living prophet and apostles issued this statement declaring to the world the importance of marriage, children, and the family. This published declaration is known as "The Family: A Proclamation to the World." (5 minutes)

Full text available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, 日本語 (Japanese), and Português. Alternatively, you can download the PDF in English or Español.

Book of Mormon, Testimony of Eight Witnesses

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The Lord chose eight additional men to be shown the golden plates from which The Book of Mormon was translated. Although three of the eight men eventually left the Church, none of them ever denied having seen and held the ancient record in their hands[1]. The Testimony of Eight Witnesses, printed after The Testimony of Three Witnesses in the front of each copy of The Book of Mormon, contains their written statement of their experience in being shown the gold plates. Said they, "we give our names unto the world, to witness unto the world that which we have seen. And we lie not, God bearing witness of it." (1 minute)

Full text available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, and Italiano.

Book of Mormon, Testimony of Three Witnesses

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The Lord chose three respected men to be shown by an angel the golden plates from which The Book of Mormon was translated. Although all three men eventually left the Church, none of them ever denied seeing the angel or that The Book of Mormon was true[1]. The Testimony of Three Witnesses, printed in the front of each copy of the book, contains their written statement of their experience in being shown the gold plates. They said that "the voice of the Lord commanded us that we should bear record of it; wherefore, to be obedient unto the commandments of God, we bear testimony of these things." (2 minutes)

Full text available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, and Italiano.

Book of Mormon, Introduction

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The introduction page of The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ briefly explains what the book is, who wrote it, how it came to be translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that eleven witnesses saw and testified of the golden plates from which it was translated, and how you can find out for yourself that the book is true. (4 minutes)

Full text available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, and Italiano.

The Message of the Restoration

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L. Tom Perry declares the message of the restoration, beginning with Joseph Smith's first vision, and on through the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the priesthood, and the formal reestablishment of the Church of Jesus Christ in modern times. (16 minutes)

Full text and/or audio available online in English, American Sign Language (video), Deutsch, Español, Français, Italiano, Português, and 38 other languages (click on the desired language, then April 2007, then scroll down to L. Tom Perry's talk from the Sunday Afternoon Session).

Elder L. Tom Perry is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Pearl of Great Price, Joseph Smith—History

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Joseph Smith, Jr. tells of the religious excitement in Palmyra, New York in 1820, which led him to ask God which church to join. Joseph explains his call to be a prophet, the resulting persecution, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, and the restoration of the Aaronic priesthood. (45 minutes)

Full text available online in English, Deutsch, Español, Français, and Italiano.

Introduction to Mormonism, Episode 1

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In this first episode of the Introduction to Mormonism podcast, topics including basic Latter-day Saint beliefs about God our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ are discussed. Other basic tenets of the Church, including faith, repentance, baptism, and the laying on of hands by one with authority for the reception of the Holy Ghost, are also discussed. The concept of apostasy—periods in history when people fall away from or reject the gospel—is briefly explained. (11 minutes)

Future episodes of this podcast will no longer follow the self-recorded format of this episode. Instead, they will consist of LDS scriptures, talks, and lectures from the Church's official Web site, lds.org, and occasional lectures archived on Brigham Young University's Web site, byu.edu.

Welcome to the Introduction to Mormonism Podcast!

The "Introduction to Mormonism" podcast is designed for anyone who is not a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and would like to learn more about the basic teachings of the Church. It's also a great resource for members of the Church who are interesting in studying fundamental Church teachings from the best sources. Please share this podcast with your friends!

You can subscribe to the "Introduction to Mormonism" podcast through this link: http://feeds.feedburner.com/mormonism