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

Also this week in Come Follow Me, a tour around the Hill Cumorah and the story of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon! https://youtu.be/ptj4psX9_iA

This week for your Come Follow Me Study, Lloyd Newell walks you through the replica of the Smith cabin, where Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith in 1823! https://youtu.be/CrH6LMOONOY

BYU Religious Education and the RSC have produced many resources over the years to enhance and enrich gospel study. Check out our YouTube channel, where you will find hundreds of videos on Church history, roundtable scripture discussions, BYU conferences, and much more! https://www.youtube.com/user/BYURelEd

The latest episode of the Y Religion podcast is out now, featuring a special book copublished by the RSC and Deseret Book that powerfully combines both art and Church history. In this episode, listen as BYU professor and author Anthony Sweat discusses his artwork and writing in his new book “Repicturing the Restoration.” Listen today by going to https://rsc.byu.edu/media/y-religion! #sharegoodness #byursc #yreligion

Latter-day Saints can be found anywhere in the world. “Saints at War: The Gulf War, Afghanistan, and Iraq,” by Kenneth L. Alford, is a compilation of inspirational stories shared by Latter-day Saints who served on the front lines during several recent military conflicts. These stories detail their faith, courage, challenges, and numerous victories in overcoming extraordinary circumstances. This book also shares the stories of how districts of the Church were organized and operated for Church members serving in the war-torn countries of Afghanistan and Iraq to meet their spiritual needs. Purchase this book by going to rsc.byu.edu/book/saints-war.

Enhance your “Come, Follow Me” reading with the RSC's Recommended Reading list! Read Barbara Morgan Gardner’s in-depth analysis of Joseph Smith and the First Vision in “'Unless I Could Get More Wisdom, I Would Never Know’: The First Vision, a Pattern for Spiritual Learning.” This and many more scholarly articles on the First Vision can be found at rsc.byu.edu.

For “Come, Follow Me” this week, we are studying the story of the First Vision! Here is a walk through the Smith farm and the Sacred Grove, along with a discussion about the different accounts of the First Vision. Featuring two of our finest teachers, Craig Ostler and Lloyd Newell! https://youtu.be/uhzzCPezmRQ