Alma 23-29

“Not everything in life is . . . black and white, but it seems that the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and its keystone role in our belief is exactly that. Either Joseph Smith was the prophet he said he was, who, after seeing the Father and the Son, later beheld the angel Moroni, repeatedly heard counsel from his lips, eventually receiving at his hands a set of ancient gold plates which he then translated according to the gift and power of God or else he did not. And if he did not… he is not entitled to retain even the reputation of New England folk hero or well-meaning young man or writer of remarkable fiction. No, and he is not entitled to be considered a fine teacher or a quintessential American prophet or the center of great wisdom literature. If he lied about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, he is certainly none of these” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "A Standard unto My People," delivered at the CES Book of Mormon Symposium, 9 August 1994, BYU Marriott Center).

I have in my files a Gary Larson cartoon showing a man lying in bed having a dream. In the dream he sees knights clothed in iron armor and wielding iron swords and engaged in fierce combat. But this man—the man who is dreaming—is also in the battle, holding a wooden sword, a garbage can lid rather than a shield, and dressed in his birthday suit. The caption for the cartoon is: COMMON MEDIEVAL NIGHTMARE.

Introduction:

During David O. McKay’s second year at the University of Utah, he and his siblings made arrangements with Emma Louisa Riggs to rent a cottage in the back of her house on Second West in Salt Lake City. As David and his brother, Thomas, walked up on the first day, Mrs. Riggs called her daughter to the window and observed, “Look, Emma Ray, here there are two young men who will make some lucky girls good husbands. See how considerate they are.”

Ryan Blubaugh’s conversion story is filled with seeds being planted throughout his life, including by a friend in high school—a friend he would reach out to on Facebook after 29 years.

Editor's note:

For long summer days spent at home, we've rounded up quite the list of books for readers of all ages. Consider this your one-stop for all your family's summer reading. Many of these titles are available on Bookshelf PLUS+ and your whole family can use the same account—which gives you access to listen to and read unlimited books available from Deseret Book!

The Prophet Joseph Smith was a man possessed of great love toward those within the Church, as well as persons from various religious denominations. On one occasion he said: “The inquiry is frequently made of me, ‘Wherein do you differ from others in your religious views?’ In reality and essence, we do not differ so far in our religious views, but that we could all drink into one principle of love. One of the grand fundamental principles of ‘Mormonism’ is to receive truth, let it come from whence it may.”1

Hamilton, Missouri, was once in serious financial trouble. But in a matter of a few years, Jenny Doan and her family transformed the sleepy town into a magical destination. How did the Doans do it? By the power of faith—and quilts.