Be on the lookout for a new book trailer for “Raising the Standard of Truth,” coming soon! Edited by Scott C. Esplin, this volume explores events and teachings of the early years of the Restoration of the gospel. Published in December, this book is a sampling from the vast archives of the Religious Studies Center, written by experts and other professionals from BYU, the Church History Department, Joseph Smith Papers, and elsewhere.

This week in “Come, Follow Me” the story of the lost 116 pages is discussed. This is a heartbreaking story that occurs right at the beginning of the Restoration of the gospel. There is a fascinating article on the RSC website that dives into this story and its implications. Find it under our “Come, Follow Me” resources! #byursc #sharegoodness #comefollowme Painting: Devastating Loss of 116 Pages, by Kwani Povi Winder

Watch for upcoming books from the BYU Religious Studies Center and Deseret Book. On April 5 we will release “Rescued: The Courageous Journey of Mary Goble Pay.” Edited by Clark B. Hinckley, this book follows the travails of thirteen-year-old Mary Goble and her family, who were part of the pioneer overland journey to Utah Territory in the John A. Hunt wagon company in 1856. This annotated transcription is bookended by an introduction and epilogue that place Mary’s story of her journey in the context of her life before and after her emigration.

Be on the lookout for the RSC’s upcoming books this year! On March 1 we will release “Latter-day Saints in Washington, DC: History, People, and Places.” Edited by Kenneth L. Alford, Lloyd D. Newell, and Alexander L. Baugh, this volume takes a fresh look at the history, people, and places in Washington, DC, that have affected the Church. It also chronicles many of the Saints and statesmen who have worked to bring the Church out of obscurity and onto a national and international stage.

We can sometimes think that Joseph Smith’s understanding of key Restoration doctrines came fully formed from the start. But the reality is that many concepts were revealed more slowly, here a little and there a little. Beginning with the tragic death of Joseph’s brother Alvin up through temple ordinances in Nauvoo, BYU Religious Education professor Michael Goodman and Religious Studies Center executive editor Devan Jensen discuss how the Prophet grew in his understanding of doctrines related to the eternal family, and how God works with all of us line upon line. Painting: But for a Small Moment, by Liz Lemon Swindle. https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly95cmVsaWdpb24ubGlic3luLmNvbS9yc3M/episode/NTczZWRiMWMtOGZiZi00MmEwLTgyOTgtNGRhNjgyYjQ0MzYz?hl=en&ved=2ahUKEwjO4sDYsqjuAhUfGDQIHZWfBXYQieUEegQIBRAH&ep=6

Today we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. Late in his short life, Martin Luther King Jr. came to the tragic understanding that “life is a continual story of shattered dreams.” This remark comes from one of his last sermons, entitled “Unfulfilled Dreams.” John S. Tanner reflects on Dr. King’s sermon in an essay on the RSC website. Check it out. It’s a 5-minute read: https://rsc.byu.edu/notes-amateur/unfulfilled-dreams

Check out "Finding Christ in the Covenant Path: Ancient Insights for Modern Life,” by Jennifer C. Lane, one of the RSC books published last year! This volume offers a fresh but faithful focus on the journey of covenants and discipleship through the double lens of ancient words and medieval images. This book helps us see Christ’s identity as our Redeemer and reveals Christ as our ransom by exploring medieval images, particularly the image of Christ. Purchase a physical copy or an e-book version online by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/book/finding-christ-covenant-path

Today we finished editing an amazing book that is planned for this fall. The book is "Truth Seeker: The Life of Joseph F. Merrill, Scientist, Educator, and Apostle," by Casey Paul Griffiths. Joseph F. Merrill became the first native Utahn to earn a PhD. Working at the University of Utah, he labored to reconcile the secular world with the spiritual world of his youth. In 1912 he helped establish the first Latter-day Saint seminary at Granite High School. As Church commissioner of education, he helped establish the institutes of religion, with a mission to allow college students to reconcile the secular truths learned in university settings with the truths of the gospel. He created the Religion Department at Brigham Young University and encouraged young scholars to produce professional studies of the Latter-day Saint religion. In 1933 Merrill was called as an Apostle, where he continued his work to modernize the Church. In the final years of his life, Merrill continued to work to show that science and religion could be reconciled. About the author: Casey Paul Griffiths is an assistant teaching professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University. He completed a BA degree in history at Brigham Young University. He later earned an MA in religious education and a PhD in educational leadership and foundations at BYU.

"Saints, Volume 1: The Standard of Truth" is a narrative history designed to give readers a foundational understanding of Church history. With our “Come, Follow Me” study focused on the Doctrine and Covenants this year, this book will assist in bringing to life the stories of the early Saints and the modern revelations of the Lord. Read it here: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/history/saints-v1

Today check out "The Probation of a Teenage Seer: Joseph Smith’s Early Experiences with Moroni, by Steven C. Harper, to complement your “Come, Follow Me” reading for this week. It describes Joseph’s initial encounter with Moroni, recounts Joseph's four-year probationary tutoring, and provides insight to Moroni’s instruction to the young Joseph Smith. https://rsc.byu.edu/coming-forth-book-mormon/probation-teenage-seer-joseph-smiths-early-experiences-moroni

Welcome to winter semester from President Kevin J Worthen

In “Come, Follow Me” this week we read in Doctrine and Covenants 2 about Joseph Smith’s interaction with the angel Moroni. Leland Gentry’s “Redemption for the Dead (D&C 2)” expounds this gospel topic and provides insight about "the promise made to the fathers” and “the great and dreadful day of the Lord” and what they truly mean. Check it out here: https://rsc.byu.edu/sperry-symposium-classics-doctrine-covenants/redemption-dead-dc-2