The latest round of simple answers to important questions about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is now available.
The Topics and Questions section of the Gospel Library app and ChurchofJesusChrist.org has three new pages with details on the Book of Mormon translation, the character of Joseph Smith and the practice of plural marriage. Each page provides information in an easy-to-understand Q&A format.
Book of Mormon Translation
“The Book of Mormon came to us through a series of miraculous events,” this page says. “It is the translation of an ancient record engraven on plates that was preserved for centuries and entrusted to Joseph Smith by an angel named Moroni. The translation was accomplished not using traditional methods, but by divine revelation.”
The page goes on to answer several questions, such as “What did Joseph Smith mean when he said he ‘translated’ the Book of Mormon?” and “What do we know about Joseph Smith’s use of the interpreter and seer stone in translating the Book of Mormon?” Other questions touch on the role of the gold plates in the translation and the reliability of the Book of Mormon witnesses.
Read more: Book of Mormon Translation
Joseph Smith’s Character
This resource teaches that “God has always worked through imperfect servants to accomplish His work, raising them up and strengthening them as they do His will. This was certainly true of Joseph Smith.” Joseph was imperfect and prayed for forgiveness when he fell short.
What kind of a man was Joseph Smith? Can imperfect people be prophets? Was Joseph ever convicted of illegal activities? Did he pay his debts? Did he abuse his power?
“The work the Lord established through the Prophet Joseph Smith far outweighs Joseph’s imperfections,” the page says. “As his associates declared at the time of his death: ‘In the short space of 20 years, he has brought forth the Book of Mormon, which he translated by the gift and power of God, and has been the means of publishing it on two continents; has sent the fulness of the everlasting gospel, which it contained, to the four quarters of the earth; has brought forth the revelations and commandments [of God] and many other wise documents and instructions for the benefit of the children of men; gathered many thousands of the Latter-day Saints, founded a great city, and left a fame and a name that could not be slain.’”
Read more: Joseph Smith’s Character
Plural Marriage
“The Bible and the Book of Mormon teach that monogamy is God’s standard for marriage unless He declares otherwise.” So begins this page, which answers questions about the practice of plural marriage — a principle the Church taught from the early 1840s to about 1890 in response to a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith.
What did Emma, Joseph’s wife, know about plural marriage? Do Latter-day Saints practice plural marriage today? Will there be unwanted marriage arrangements in the next life? Readers can find answers to these and several other questions.
“[Plural marriage] required faith and sacrifice from both men and women,” the page says. “It was also a cause of significant opposition for many years. And yet the Saints were committed to keeping God’s commands and trusted that God would bless them for their obedience. Eventually, the Lord directed the Saints to discontinue the practice.”
Read more: Plural Marriage
These three pages join others added to Topics and Questions over the past year about race and the Church, women’s service and leadership in the Church, religion and science, the role of prophets, the origins of the Book of Abraham, the importance of the Lord’s Church, and the multiple accounts of Joseph Smith’s First Vision.
The Church offers five guiding principles to help people find answers to questions on these and other topics.
- Center your life on Jesus Christ.
- Be patient with yourself and others.
- Recognize that revelation is a process.
- Consult reliable sources.
- Work to understand the past.
For those helping others with their questions, Church resources encourage you to respond with love, listen with humility, trust in the Lord, nourish your own faith and assist others throughout their journey.
Additional Resource