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.

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.

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.