The war chapters—sounds kind of like a PBS documentary, don't you think? Well with all the contention, tactics, wins, and losses, Alma 43–52 would make an epic war movie. So why would Mormon choose to include these stories about battles and intrigue in the Book of Mormon? Join us in this week's study group as we dig into the scriptures to discover how the war chapters apply to our day and why we might actually grow to love them and their message to us.

Every month, thousands of Latter-day Saints walk nervously to the pulpits of their churches, their palms sweating as they stumble through an introductory comment about why they felt the need to stand up and talk to their fellow ward members. After establishing their reasons for putting themselves in such a spotlight, they usually proceed to say things along the lines of, “I know the Church is true”, “I know X, Y, and Z”, and the much-loved classics, “I know without a shadow of a doubt/with every fiber of my being…”

Think of a time you were on the verge of starting a new chapter in your life. Were you nervous? Excited? Afraid? Maybe a combination of all three? Now imagine how the children of Israel felt as they finally crossed over the Jordan River into the promised land. Their emotions had to be off the charts with each step they took toward their new lives. And as we study Joshua chapters 1–8 and 23–24, we’ll see how they followed God’s counsel to be “strong and of a good courage” in the face of the unknown.

Do you remember a day in your life that was simply the greatest? A day that was so perfect, you will always remember it? Well April 6, 1830—the day the Church was organized in the last dispensation—was unforgettable for early Latter-day Saints. This week as we study Doctrine and Covenants 20–22, we’ll discover important truths about the organization of the Church and how it blesses our lives today.

Manual 1; Excerpt from "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ," Kevin W. Pearson

Ben Hansen once climbed into a cage, then stared great white sharks in the eye as the cage was lowered into the water. "I thought that if I could do that . . . I could do anything in life," Hansen later said. That experience, daring though it may have been, wasn't the scariest thing he has ever had to do. It took him four more years to get up the courage to make the ultimate committment—buying an engagement ring.

The flooding in Louisiana is the worst U.S. disaster since Hurricane Sandy hit in 2012. Eleven lost their lives and well over 60,000 are currently homeless.

When I was fourteen, I decided it was time I received my own testimony of the Book of Mormon. I began to read it, but as I read, I was filled with doubt about its truthfulness. I was frightened by my feelings, but I shared them with no one. One day after a particularly distressing day of reading, I decided to go into the willows by the river and pray until God gave me an answer. I begged God to take away the dark feelings and tell me if the Book of Mormon was true. “If you are really there and you love me, you will tell me,” I prayed. For hours I stayed in the willows. Night came on, and yet I continued to pray. This had worked for Enos, so I prayed and prayed. Finally, hungry and cold, I left the willows and went to bed. I heard no voice. I felt no lightening of my load. I received no witness, no calm burning in the heart. I had demanded an answer on my terms, according to my time line, corresponding to my needs. I had jumped from the pinnacle.

Okay friends, THIS. IS. IT! Today marks the beginning of our study of 3 Nephi, which, according to Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, is “the focal point, the supreme moment, in the entire history of the Book of Mormon." And our study this week of 3 Nephi 1–7 is exactly what we need as we prepare for the Second Coming of Christ. So grab your scriptures and let's dig into some of the most powerful moments in all of scripture.

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