In preparation for Easter, we share “The Parable of the Grateful Cat” "[Elder James E. Talmage] tells the true story of a famous naturalist in England who was to be honored for his scientific achievements. He was invited to a great country estate where the awards were to be given. The morning after his arrival, as was his custom, he arose early and went out for a walk in the grounds. As he approached a millpond, he came across two boys, children of servants who served the wealthy estate owners. The boys were in the process of drowning kittens in weighted sacks in the pond. As it turned out, the mistress of the estate had an old mother cat who had given birth to another litter of kittens. While the lady of the estate wanted to keep the mother cat, she did not want any more cats around and so asked the boys to get rid of the kittens. When the naturalist arrived on the scene, two of the five kittens were already in the water and drowning. The mother cat was nearby, running frantically back and forth, mewing piteously as she watched her little ones being disposed of. The naturalist intervened, paying the boys and promising them that they would not get into trouble if they let him take the remaining kittens back to his cottage. Elder Talmage describes what happened next: 'The mother cat…recognized the man as the deliverer of her three children.… As he carried the kittens she trotted along—sometimes following, sometimes alongside, occasionally rubbing against him with grateful yet mournful purrs.' What followed the next day formed the basis of the parable." Read more here: https://rsc.byu.edu/my-redeemer-lives/what-atoning-sacrifice-meant-jesus

Join us for the 2022 BYU Easter Conference on Friday, April 8, 2022 @ 7:00 p.m. in the Joseph Smith Building Auditorium on BYU Campus. Admission is free. No registration is required. The conference will not be broadcast live, but it will be recorded for later viewing via YouTube. Check here for the link two weeks after the conference. The keynote speaker will be Virginia Pearce Cowley, author and former member of the Young Women General Presidency. Additional speakers are John Hilton III, associate professor of ancient scripture at BYU, and Jan Martin, assistant professor of ancient scripture at BYU. Click here for more details: rsc.byu.edu/conferences/easter

Just in time for the Easter season, our newest book is available now! https://rsc.byu.edu/book/power-christs-deliverance “The Power of Christ’s Deliverance,” edited by Jan J. Martin and Alonzo L. Gaskill, is a collection of writings from the speakers of the 2021 and 2022 Brigham Young University Easter Conferences. Featured in this book, authors Marie C. Hafen, Virginia Hinckley Pearce Cowley, Tyler J. Griffin, John Hilton III, Jan J. Martin, and Jennifer Reeder teach and testify of the power of Christ’s deliverance and how it applies to us individually.

In "Come, Follow Me" last week we focused on Exodus 1–6. Check out our featured article for last week, "Theophany on Sinai," by Amy Blake Hardison. https://rsc.byu.edu/ascending-mountain-lord/theophany-sinai Photo by Vlad Kiselov on Unsplash

BYU academic vice president Shane Reese appointed Dr. Reid L. Neilson as the assistant academic vice president for religious scholarly publications. This newly created position at the university will oversee three organizations on campus: the Neal A. Maxwell Institute for Religious Scholarship, the Religious Studies Center, and BYU Studies. Neilson currently serves as president of the Washington DC North Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and will begin his tenure at BYU on August 1. More info here: news.byu.edu/announcements/new-byu-assistant-academic-vice-president-position-created

This quote comes from this week's RSC "Come, Follow Me" recommended readings. Read the rest of the article here: rsc.byu.edu/gospel-jesus-christ-old-testament/path-angels

Don L. Brugger, managing editor for the Religious Studies Center, was recently awarded with the Outstanding Mentoring Award. Learn more about Don here: religion.byu.edu/directory/don-brugger

The most recent BYU Religious Education Review magazine is now available for viewing: rsc.byu.edu/review-magazine/winter-2022 The Review magazine provides readers with information about BYU 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.

FREE COOKIE! Visit the JFSB quad this Wednesday, April 14, between 1:30 and 2:30 p.m. for free cookies when you subscribe to the BYU Religious Studies Center newsletter.

Watch the newest video explaining our “Come, Follow Me” weekly resources now by visiting https://youtu.be/OJ_LImAxwaA

If you're looking to enhance your gospel study this week with a specific topic in mind, visit our Gospel Topics page: rsc.byu.edu/my-gospel-study/gospel-topics

Check out our most recent “Come, Follow Me” supplemental reading, “Theophany on Sinai,” by Amy Blake Hardison. rsc.byu.edu/ascending-mountain-lord/theophany-sinai