General use study guides for the current and future year course of study for members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, as well as an important resource for anyone desiring to know more about the scriptures.

Church History Study Guide, Pt. 1: 1805 to 1832. This volume is the first of three on Church History and the Doctrine and Covenants. It covers Church history and the revelations in the Doctrine and Covenants from the birth of Joseph Smith in 1805 through the beginnings of the Kirtland and Missouri periods. We learn concerning the First Vision, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, the restoration of the priesthood, and many early revelations given to individual members of the Church. We study the organization of the Church in 1830 and the migration of the Saints to Kirtland, Ohio, where the law and order of the Church is given, the law of consecration begins, and spiritual gifts are manifested. We also read concerning the early events in Missouri, where the land of Zion is dedicated for the gathering of the Saints. In all, it covers 27 years of Church History, and covers sections 1-99 of the Doctrine and Covenants and the Joseph Smith History in the Pearl of Great Price. The cover features ?Young Joseph,? a painting of the Prophet Joseph Smith pondering in the Sacred Grove, by Walter Rane.

Mark Twain once derided the Book of Mormon as "chloroform in print." Long and complicated, written in the language of the King James version of the Bible, it boggles the minds of many. Yet it is unquestionably one of the most influential books ever written. With over 140 million copies in print, it is a central text of one of the largest and fastest-growing faiths in the world. And, Grant Hardy shows, it's far from the coma-inducing doorstop caricatured by Twain. In Understanding the Book of Mormon, Hardy offers the first comprehensive analysis of the work's narrative structure in its 180 year history. Unlike virtually all other recent world scriptures, the Book of Mormon presents itself as an integrated narrative rather than a series of doctrinal expositions, moral injunctions, or devotional hymns. Hardy takes readers through its characters, events, and ideas, as he explores the story and its messages. He identifies the book's literary techniques, such as characterization, embedded documents, allusions, and parallel narratives. Whether Joseph Smith is regarded as author or translator, it's noteworthy that he never speaks in his own voice; rather, he mediates nearly everything through the narrators Nephi, Mormon, and Moroni. Hardy shows how each has a distinctive voice, and all are woven into an integral whole. As with any scripture, the contending views of the Book of Mormon can seem irreconcilable. For believers, it is an actual historical document, transmitted from ancient America. For nonbelievers, it is the work of a nineteenth-century farmer from upstate New York. Hardy transcends this intractable conflict by offering a literary approach, one appropriate to both history and fiction. Regardless of whether readers are interested in American history, literature, comparative religion, or even salvation, he writes, the book can best be read if we examine the text on its own terms.

Book of Mormon Study Guide, Pt. 2: The Book of Alma.This volume is the second of three on the Book of Mormon. It covers the last chapters of Mosiah and all of the book of Alma. It begins with the story of the conversion of Alma the Younger. We learn of the beginning of the reign of the judges. Then we follow the missionary efforts of Alma and Amulek in the land of Zarahemla, followed by the missions of the sons of Mosiah to the Lamanites in the Land of Nephi. We follow the fate of the Anti-Nephi-Lehies. We read Alma?s letters to his sons, including an in-depth discussion of the Great Plan of Happiness. Then we finish with the stories of Captain Moroni and Helaman?s stripling warriors. In all, it covers 67 years of Nephite history from 130 to 63 BC when the book of Helaman began. The cover features a beautiful painting of ?The Title of Liberty,? by Joseph Brickey.

Old Testament Study Guide, Pt. 1: Genesis to Numbers. This volume is the first of three on the Old Testament. It begins with a discussion of the importance of studying the Old Testament, and the role of Jesus Christ in the Plan of Salvation and His selection as our Savior in the premortal council in heaven. We read concerning the process of creation, the placing of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and their fall into mortality. We learn briefly about Cain and Abel, followed by brief discussions of all the patriarchs from Adam to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. We follow the story of Joseph in Egypt followed by the migration of Jacob?s family to that land for survival. We read of the rise of Moses, the Exodus, and the events at Mt. Sinai. Then we study the rebellion of the children of Israel and their wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. The cover features a beautiful image of Abraham?s Journey from Ur to Canaan, painted by Jozsef Molnar in 1880.

The Life & Ministry of Jesus Christ. This volume is the first of three on the New Testament. It covers the life of Christ from his premortal selection as the Lamb of God through His birth and childhood. Then we follow the Master during the first year of His ministry as He is tempted, baptized, performs miracles, selects Twelve Apostles, and then teaches with parables and in the Sermon on the Mount. During the second year of His ministry, He teaches the Bread of Life sermon, is transfigured, and bestows priesthood keys to the Twelve. He finishes the second year of His ministry at Jerusalem, where He declares Himself to be the Light of the World, the Son of God, and the Messiah. The cover features the classic image of "The Sermon on the Mount" painted by Carl Heinrich Bloch in 1890.

A translation from the plates of Mormon