This week in “Come, Follow Me” we read about the witnesses of the Book of Mormon. "Witnesses—Those Who Assist to Bring Forth This Work,” by A. Bryan Weston, discusses the Three Witnesses in depth and encourages us to be faithful witnesses of the Restoration of the gospel. It’s a five-minute read: https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-11-no-2-2010/witnesses-those-who-assist-bring-forth-work Painting: "The Angel Moroni Showing the Gold Plates to Joseph Smith, Oliver Cowdery, and David Whitmer," by Gary B. Smith.

In honor of Presidents’ Day this week, we spotlight the book “Storming the Nation: The Unknown Contributions of Joseph Smith’s Political Missionaries,” by Derek R. Sainsbury. This volume uncovers the significant but previously unknown contributions of the electioneers who advocated for Joseph Smith’s 1844 presidential campaign.

The RSC website is filled with hundreds of online resources for students of the gospel to use for daily scripture study. Check out our collection of online books by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/books/online to read books by numerous gospel scholars! Most older books are free.

The 23rd annual BYU Religious Education Student Symposium will be held virtually on YouTube on Friday, February 19, 2021. The purpose of the event is to provide a forum for students to research, write, and present papers about religious subjects from a faithful perspective. Streaming for the event will begin at 9:00 a.m. MST and can be found by visiting https://www.youtube.com/user/BYURelEd

Today we spotlight another RSC book published in 2019. "Life Beyond the Grave: Christian Interfaith Perspectives,” edited by Alonzo L. Gaskill and Robert L. Millet, draws upon the distinctive religious traditions of representatives of different Christian sects to address the topics of death and what lies beyond the grave.

The “Review” magazine, published every fall and winter semester, provides readers with information about BYU’s Religious Education, featuring its faculty members who are making news and achieving extraordinary accomplishments. Each issue also includes interviews, commentaries, articles, advancements, awards, summaries, and information about the Religious Studies Center (RSC) and its recent publications. You can view them online or subscribe to the printed version to have issues mailed to you free of charge: https://rsc.byu.edu/review-magazine

Today we spotlight one of the RSC books published in 2019. "Inspiring Service: Interfaith Remarks with Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at Oxford,” by Andrew Teal, contains a compilation of speakers from the Catholic, Anglican, and Protestant traditions to celebrate the marvelous start of deeper commitment, dialogue, and friendship among a variety of Christian sects.

Oliver Cowdery was with Joseph Smith when the Aaronic Priesthood was conferred upon them both by John the Baptist on May 15, 1829. Featured in this week’s RSC recommended readings is "Oliver Cowdery as Second Witness of Priesthood Restoration,” by Steven C. Harper. Using many of Oliver Cowdery’s own words, this reading celebrates Oliver Cowdery’s testimony of his ordination to the Aaronic Priesthood that day. Read it at: https://rsc.byu.edu/days-never-be-forgotten-oliver-cowdery/oliver-cowdery-second-witness-priesthood-restoration Painting: "Upon You My Fellow Servants," by Linda Curley Christensen and Michael T. Malm

Did you know that you can search RSC articles by topic? Check out our collection for hundreds of resources written by religious scholars and BYU faculty members. Use the “Gospel Topics” feature on the RSC website or go to https://rsc.byu.edu/my-gospel-study/gospel-topics

Tonga has the highest percentage of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints of any country in the world. How did this come to be? “Saints of Tonga: A Century of Island Faith,” by Riley M. Moffat, Fred E. Woods, and Brent R. Anderson, illustrates how missionary work in Tonga initially appeared to be a failure, but eventually the truths of the gospel resonated with the Tongan people and the Church grew to be a strong influence with the people of the country. Buy a physical copy or an e-book by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/book/saints-tonga

For 2021, BYU Religious Education created a series of new videos highlighting historical context and crucial doctrine taught in the Doctrine and Covenants. They can be viewed by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/media and selecting “Doctrine and Covenants/Church History Videos” or by going directly to https://www.youtube.com/playlist?app=desktop&list=PLc5yYrpPFm2v2ch-Ag4rpGcR6TA1ytYU_&fbclid=IwAR14xdxrRjl7EznhHJjo7Vt80CuLoFH0Zd0H_hImFV3VE_7CL1kCpUuXNz4

This week for “Come, Follow Me” we read about the Lord’s counsel given to Joseph Smith following the lost 116 manuscript pages. The featured article on the RSC website “Withstanding the Evil One,” by P. Scott Ferguson, encourages us to understand the difference between God’s testing and Satan’s tempting. Supplement your gospel study by checking out it out by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/vol-12-no-2-2011/withstanding-evil-one Painting: "Joseph and Hyrum Smith" by Ken Corbett