Passing the Heavenly Gift


Book Description

After being a Mormon for forty years, the author was excommunicated by the LDS Church because he would not withdraw publication of this book. In this book he explains how Mormonism has undergone four distinct phases. The first began in 1820 and ended with Joseph Smith's death in 1844. The second began upon Joseph Smith's death and ended with abandonment of plural marriage, publicly in 1890 and privately in 1904. In the third phase Mormonism denounced as apostasy its practice of plural wives, marking the first time an orthodox practice became grounds for excommunication. The fourth phase began with David O. McKay and is still underway. In it Mormonism has adopted corporate management techniques to consolidate and direct central church decision-making. The first phase was innovative and expansive, continually adding doctrine, scripture, teachings and ordinances. Subsequent phases have curtailed, abandoned, even denounced earlier teaching and doctrine. Phases two through four have all abandoned doctrine. Growth in these subsequent phases has been defined in terms of political influence, financial gains, cultural inroads, and population growth; while the underlying religion has been curtailed. Today, marketing the institution has become more important to Mormon success than preserving the original religious content. The changes from phase to phase have completely transformed Mormonism, sharing a vocabulary but redefining the terms. Modern Mormonism has now institutionalized change. For the first time in this book Mormonism is candidly described in terms which track the changes by examining doctrine, teachings and practices. Interestingly, the passing of the heavenly gift was anticipated by Joseph Smith's prophecies and the Book of Mormon.




Gospel Principles


Book Description

A Study Guide and a Teacher’s Manual Gospel Principles was written both as a personal study guide and as a teacher’s manual. As you study it, seeking the Spirit of the Lord, you can grow in your understanding and testimony of God the Father, Jesus Christand His Atonement, and the Restoration of the gospel. You can find answers to life’s questions, gain an assurance of your purpose and self-worth, and face personal and family challenges with faith.




This Heavenly Gift


Book Description

Life is not easy for a young country-town girl in the nineteenth century, but Becky Sanders strives to make the best of it. Already experiencing the loss of her father so early in life, Becky tries to understand why such unfair events occur. As Becky faces the ups and downs of life, she learns to trust in God in all situations, but her faith is tested when her fiancA(c), a coal-miner, is involved in a disastrous cave-in. Join Becky on her journey through life as she strives to find her strength in God and learns a very valuable lesson: No matter how good or bad things get, life really is a Heavenly Gift.




Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture, Volume 7 (2013)


Book Description

This is volume 7 (2013) of Interpreter: A Journal of Mormon Scripture published by The Interpreter Foundation. It contains articles on a variety of topics including a transcript of a talk by Elder Neal A. Maxwell, an essay on morality and freedom, a book review of Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes, a description of the original text of the Book of Mormon and its publication, a book review of The Mother of the Lord, a book review of Deconstructing Mormonism, a book review of Passing the Heavenly Gift, and an analysis of the arguments alleging The Late War as a source for the Book of Mormon text.




The Complete Restoration Edition Scriptures: Volumes 1-3


Book Description

This eBook contains the complete Restoration Edition Scriptures. Volume 1: The Old Covenants - Comprised of Joseph Smith's Translation of The Old Testament. Volume 2: The New Covenants - Comprised of Joseph Smith's Translation of The New Testament and the Book of Mormon. Volume 3: Teachings and Commandments and A Glossary of Gospel Terms. As one of his most important works, Joseph Smith Jr. spent years making inspired clarifications to the Bible text. Here, for the first time, every known emendation that he wrote or taught has been assembled into the most complete version of Joseph Smith's New Translation of the Bible. In October 1831, Joseph Smith said "except the church receive the fullness of the scriptures that they would yet fall." From that time until his death in 1844, Joseph Smith worked diligently to prepare an edition of the Bible that could be received by the church. However, he was murdered before completing the work, and with the scattering of his notes following his death, it was never published in its entirety until now. The Book of Mormon is a sacred text to millions worldwide. Joseph Smith was led to the buried records in 1823. Thereafter he sought and received the ability to translate the records by the gift and power of God. He published the resulting work as the Book of Mormon in 1830. Since then, many churches have claimed the book as scripture, but it is not the property of any particular church or denomination. Rather, it is a gift to the world, inviting all to come unto Christ, and teaching the path back to His presence. This Restoration Edition of the Book of Mormon is the most accurate version ever printed, and is remarkable among Christian books both for what it is and what it is not. Like the Bible, it makes the case for Christ as the long-awaited Messiah, Savior and Redeemer of the world. Unlike other scripture that descended through thousands of years of scribal copying, alterations and error, the Book of Mormon was translated only once, directly from the original written manuscripts recorded between 600 BC and 400 AD. Teachings and Commandments boldly declares that the heavens are open again, and that the prophesied days of revelation and warning are already upon us. This volume contains the most true and accurate compilation of the history and revelations of Joseph Smith, the first modern American prophet. Each of the revelations has been diligently compared with the originals in an effort to retain only the authentic text of each, and to discard all changes subsequently made by others. The volume also includes Lectures on Faith, which was originally published in 1835 as the first part of Doctrine and Covenants, and teaches more about the character, attributes, and perfections of God than any other modern work; and the Book of Abraham as originally restored by revelation to Joseph Smith. This volume also contains the revelations of Denver Snuffer, another witness of the resurrected Lord who has walked and talked with Him, and the Testimony of St. John as restored by revelation. Taken together, the various works included in Teachings and Commandments speak to us through hundreds of revelations containing thousands of words from God, all pertaining to us in our day and time. A Glossary of Gospel Terms provides inspired and thought provoking insights into many of the most interesting terms and puzzling concepts found in scripture. A wealth of information, this intriguing book should be the companion of everyone searching for a deeper understanding of the things of God. Covering hundreds of scriptural topics, A Glossary of Gospel Terms adds depth to seemingly well-understood topics, and provides new and delicious insights into those areas of spirituality that have been shrouded in mystery until now. Its objective is to uncover truth and inspire readers to pursue a relationship with Christ.




There Are Save Two Churches Only, Volume II


Book Description

A journey through disturbing yet crucial matters that must be considered prior to End Times and Christ's return. This second volume takes a different approach from the first. It is a journey, not a pick-and-choose buffet. It begins by taking the reader where the first volume left off, "down the rabbit hole." The journey concludes in confronting the LDS reader with a crucible, wherewith one's faith and trust in Christ (and in Christ alone) will be put to the ultimate test. There are save two churches only: Which one does your everyday mindset, and your personal and professional choices, testify that you are a member of? What is the foundation upon which you anchor your sacred testimony? How close, how intimate, how cherished is your relationship with Jesus Christ? If you are not prepared to answer these questions with full conviction of heart, then you are not ready to contemplate the contents of this book.




Crossing the Deadline


Book Description




The Book of Mormon


Book Description

"An early masterpiece from the winner of the Nobel Prize hailed as the laureate of life under totalitarianism. Romania--the last months of the Ceausescu regime. Adina is a young schoolteacher. Paul is a musician. Clara works in a wire factory. Pavel is Clara's lover. But one of them works for the secret police and is reporting on all of the group. One day Adina returns home to discover that her fox fur rug has had its tail cut off. On another occasion it's the hindleg. Then a foreleg. The mutilated fur is a sign that she is being tracked by the secret police--the fox was ever the hunter. Images of photographic precision combine into a kaleidoscope of terror as Adina and her friends struggle to keep mind and body intact in a world pervaded by complicity and permeated with fear, where it's hard to tell victim from perpetrator. In The Fox Was Always a Hunter, Herta Mèuller once again uses language that displays the "concentration of poetry and the frankness of prose"--As the Swedish Academy noted upon awarding her the Nobel Prize--to create a hauntingly cinematic portrayal of the corruption of the soul under totalitarianism"--




The Book of Mormon


Book Description

""With our American Philosophy and Religion series, Applewood reissues many primary sources published throughout American history. Through these books, scholars, interpreters, students, and non-academics alike can see the thoughts and beliefs of Americans who came before us.""





Book Description