Schedule Change

Please note the class schedule has changed. We will NOT meet for either class on Thursday, October 11, because of an auxiliary training meeting at the stake center that evening. The schedule has been adjusted to accommodate the loss of one class. We will still be on track to finish our study May 16. Please alert me if you know of any other Thursdays on which a stake conflict or school schedule might be an issue!

Links and Questions related to CHFT 4-5

According to the Ensign article, "I Have a Question," Jan. 1988, it took Joseph Smith only about 65 working days to translate the Book of Mormon. Amazing! This Thursday we will look at the period in Church history that covers the time between Joseph's First Vision and the publication of the Book of Mormon (1820-1830). Lesson material can be found in Church History in the Fulness of Times, chapters 4 and 5 (click here for html of the student manual). If you are interested in other reading, here are some links to Ensign articles that relate to this subject matter: (1) "Book of Mormon Personalities Known by Joseph Smith," Ensign, Aug. 1978; (2) "Moroni's Message to Joseph Smith," Ensign, Aug. 1990; (3) "Prepared for the Restoration," Dec. 1984; (4) "By the Gift and Power of God," Ensign, Jan. 1997; (5) "The Book of Mormon Goes to Press,"Dec Ensign, Dec. 1972; (6) "A New Prophet and a New Scripture: The Coming Forth of the Book of Mormon," Ensign, Jan. 1988; (7) "The Restoration of the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods," Ensign, Dec. 1996. For those who want a few study questions, please consider the following: (1) How much time elapsed between Joseph Smith's First Vision and the first visitation of Moroni to the Smith's log house? How much time between Moroni's first visit and Joseph's receipt of the plates of Mormon? (2) Why wasn't Joseph able to obtain the plates on his first visit to Cumorah? (3) Who went with Joseph when he was finally able to receive the plates? (4) What was going on in Joseph's personal life when Martin Harris lost the first 116 pages of manuscript? (5) What question did Joseph and Oliver ask that resulted in their receiving the blessings of the priesthood?(6) How did Joseph become acquainted with the Whitmer family? How were the Whitmers blessed because of their association with the prophet?

Online Resources

This Thursday, September 20, we will look at two websites related to our study. The first is the Church's Joseph Smith website, www.josephsmith.net. There are links and resources here on the life and mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, along with historic sites, photographs, maps, and virtual reality tours relating to the prophet. The second website is The Joseph Smith Papers, http://josephsmithpapers.org. On this site you can find documents, diaries and manuscripts written in the prophet's hand. Also, event descriptions, charts, images, and other resources. Reading for this week includes chapters 2 and 3 in Church History in the Fulness of Times, Joseph Smith's New England Heritage and The First Vision. Additionally, you may want to read Joseph Smith-History 1:1-26 in the Pearl of Great Price. Other articles and related materials are linked in the "Additional Resources" list below right on this blog. Whether or not you have time to read the lesson material, please join us Thursday at either 11am or 8pm.

Video Link Related to CHFT 1

Thanks to Alan Bird for sending this link to "Fires of Faith," a documentary series on the publishing of the King James Bible in 1611. Alan wrote: Here's a link to the BYUTV series "Fires of Faith" on the coming forth of the King James version of the Bible. It's available to watch online. http://byutv.org/show/123d4a82-3d47-488e-beda-2496a5a1ff2c (Click on link) Here's a description from another page: Originally airing on BYUtv last October, the documentary is the first U.S. television film series on the making of the King James Bible, coinciding with the 400th anniversary of its translation into English. "Few milestones in history have had greater influence and significance than the translation of the Bible into English,” said Derek Marquis, executive producer of Fires of Faith and managing director of BYUtv. “The director, writer, actors, scholars and religious leaders in our film combined to create an extraordinary chorus that transcends any one religion to truly celebrate the most influential book of all time." Fires of Faith chronicles the cast of characters that were central to the Reformation, including John Wycliffe, Martin Luther, King Henry VIII and “Bloody” Queen Mary I, ultimately culminating with King James I and his commissioned translation of the Bible. The film crisscrosses a tumultuous Europe at the birth of religious freedom during a time that seemed to consistently involve the burning of something or someone. In one corner or another, an entire continent was on fire. So tune in to BYUtv each Sunday for the next three weeks at 5pm MT to watch. And if you can't wait until then, click here to watch the entire Fires of Faith miniseries online.

Questions Related to CHFT 2-3

Here are some questions to enrich your study in the first chapter of Church History in the Fulness of Times, "Prelude to the Restoration." (These are both linked - simply click on the title to find the site.) • What were some of the causes and consequences of the Apostasy? • What are the various factors discussed in the student manual that opened the way for the Restoration of the gospel? • How should Latter-day Saints regard the contributions of reformers like Luther and Calvin? • What is the relationship between the establishment of religious freedom in America and the Restoration of the gospel? Why would it have been more difficult for the gospel to have been restored elsewhere?