George Edward Anderson 1907 photograph of original Haun's Mill millstone. Church Archives, via Juvenile Instructor. On October 30, 1838, more than 200 Missouri militiamen attacked the Hawn’s Mill settlement located on Shoal Creek in Caldwell County, Missouri, where dozens of Mormon families lived. On that day, the Missouri militia opened fire on the small community, shooting into the small crevices of the blacksmith’s shop where several Mormon men and boys had taken refuge.

Anthony Sweat isn’t just a BYU religion professor and an author; he is also a talented artist. We recently sat down to ask him about his latest book, his faith, his family, and his love of painting unique Church history events.

The Conference Center was too packed to allow me in, but the Lord had lessons for me to learn from outside.

Five different members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles made visits to members of the Church around the world and shared inspiring and hopeful messages.

Have you ever heard of Three Sisters Planting? Here’s what it has taught me about generational love, respect, and unity.

Kelly often wondered if he’d made a lasting impact during his mission—now, he had an answer.

After losing two siblings, Gill couldn’t shake the feeling that, somewhere, their spirits lived on.

“We wanted to turn our church into Old Jerusalem.”

“There comes to us from the voice of the Book echoes as from some word that we have heard long since and have well understood; they are the whisperings to us of familiar truths. We recognize them, for they are attested by the reasoning of the mind and the sanction of the spirit within us. They tell us that the end of life is that we shall be born again (Mos. 27:25), redeemed and become the sons and daughters of God; that there is no happiness in sin, and that obedience is the way to joy (Alma 41:10; 2 Nephi 2:25). It teaches that an element of faith is a recognition of God's superior knowledge (Mos. 4:6 12), and how that faith is nurtured and grows in the heart of man (Alma 26:22); and how it may become so powerful that nothing can be held from it (3 Nephi 7:18; Ether 12:19). That spiritual gifts to man cease only because of his wickedness (Mormon 1:14), and that God to be unchangeable must be a God of miracles (Mormon 9:19). It gives full light on the comprehensiveness of the plans of the Almighty (2 Nephi 27:7 10), and shows that all men have been alike to him from the beginning of creation, and that his atonement applied as well before as subsequent to his coming in the flesh (Mos. 3:13). That baptism, necessary now, was always necessary (2 Nephi 31:9; Mos. 2:22; 3 Nephi 11:38 39). That the mission of all prophets has been to testify of the Christ (Jacob 7:11). It teaches that purity of heart alone gives access to God (Jacob 3:1). And with unanswerable authority is given again, by the Lord himself, the essence of his Gospel” (3 Nephi 27:13 16) (John A. Widtsoe and Franklin S. Harris, Jr., Seven Claims of the Book of Mormon, pp.167,168).

The phrase “every member a missionary” became common during the administration of President David O. McKay. Of that requirement, he said,