Asking Big Questions: How Can I Gain a Testimony of the Book of Mormon?

by Kaitlin Palmer

The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ has been called the keystone of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Church members have been continually encouraged to read, study, and ponder the Book of Mormon’s contents since it was first translated by the Prophet Joseph Smith. Joseph himself said that “a man would get closer to God by abiding by its precepts.” But how can we know this is true?

“That the Works of God Should Be Made Manifest”

by Kaitlin Palmer

When I got my most recent pregnancy test back, my immediate thought was, “I can’t do this again.” After two previous miscarriages and a long year of fertility treatments, we had decided to put a pause on trying to grow our family. It wasn’t for lack of wanting, but I was so mentally exhausted from navigating the ins and outs of the healthcare system and from constantly trying different medications and vitamins that I was prescribed through it all. I didn’t want to go through yet another miscarriage.

Take Time to be Holy

by Lyndie Jackson

Like Martha in the New Testament, we can fill our to-do lists with worthy endeavors, including work, school, extracurricular activities, and so on. With all of these tasks, I often find it difficult to do what matters most. It can be exhausting to work through everything that we all have to do every day, but the words of a favorite song called “Take Time to Be Holy” come to my mind:

“But Whom Say Ye That I Am?”

by Ashlin Malcolm

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like to be in the ancient Apostles’ shoes, having the Savior there before me and witnessing the miracles He performed. Despite seeing all these things, each of the Apostles still had to come to know the Savior and gain a witness of who He is. In Matthew 16:15, Christ asks Simon Peter, “But whom say ye that I am?” He replied, “Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God,” and Christ told him, “Blessed art thou . . . for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”

Wilford Woodruff’s Missionary Service: Preparation for a Future Prophet

by Steven C. Wheelwright and Kristy Wheelwright Taylor

How might the Lord choose to prepare a twenty-six-year-old convert to become a prophet and future President of the newly restored Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? For Wilford Woodruff, it was through a series of early missions that taught the young disciple the lessons of consecrated service, joyful hard work, faith to open his mouth, and exact obedience to the Lord’s commands.

Volunteer Spotlight: Rachel Huntsman Baldwin

by Lyndie Jackson

“My testimony is that we need each other,” says Rachel Huntsman Baldwin. “We need to lift up and bear one another's burdens. And in God's work, we need each other's time and talents.”

Rachel’s testimony is particularly powerful as one who personally dedicates her own time and talents to the Wilford Woodruff Papers Project. She currently transcribes Wilford’s letters and daybooks to be sure that the technical and digital quality of the text corresponds to the original nineteenth-century handwriting. Rachel notes, “It's hard work and a blast!”

Be Not Afraid

by Ellie Hancock

In the Gospel of Matthew, we learn of the disciples being tossed to and fro on the waves of the sea. On the fourth watch of the night Jesus approached them walking on water. The disciples were troubled and cried out in fear thinking that the Savior was a spirit. In reply, the Savior answered, “Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.”

History Came to Life in First Ever Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation Conference

by Maddie Christensen and Kristy Wheelwright Taylor

Three years ago, Jennifer Mackley and Don Parry created the Wilford Woodruff Papers Foundation, whose mission is to digitally preserve and publish Wilford Woodruff’s eyewitness account of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. In celebration of these newly published documents, the Foundation hosted its first conference, Building Latter-day Faith. The conference was held at the Hinckley Center on the campus of Brigham Young University on Saturday, March 4, 2023, with over 350 people in attendance.

The Gospel Brings Life and Immortality to Light

by Jennifer Ann Mackley

On August 7, 1839, a very ill Wilford Woodruff prepared to leave his pregnant wife, Phebe, and his one-year-old daughter, Sarah Emma, to serve a mission with other members of the Quorum of the Twelve in the British Isles. He wrote, “I make a sacrifice of my all for Christ’s sake to do his work. It is no small trial of faith.”

"Who Hath Ears to Hear, Let Him Hear"

by Natalie Hancock

“Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.” In the parable of the sower we learn that we should examine our hearts to discover whether we are giving our testimony of the gospel a way to flourish. In order to do this we must have humble hearts and continue to trust in God.