Elder David A. Bednar – YSA Devotional @ Yale & Monaco Jan. 10, 2015

From Bishop McNevin of the Sand Creek YSA Ward:

“Young Single Adults in greater Denver and Colorado Springs have a remarkable opportunity coming to them on January 10, 2015. They are invited to a Devotional for YSA with ELDER DAVID A. BEDNAR, of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The devotional will be be held at the Denver Colorado Stake Center (Yale and Monaco) at 7 pm, Saturday, January 10, 2015.

“There will be other General Authorities present as well. As the time before the Devotional is very short, we ask that you immediately use your networks of communication to invite all YSA in the stakes in the Denver North and South and Colorado Springs Missions to attend. Please assure maximum publicity for this event in your wards and branches in order to reach as many YSA as possible!”

More details to follow.

Resource: Alister McGrath – Apologetics through Literature

In recent discussion with a friend (thanks, Rachel!) regarding non-tradtional ways of helping people (e.g., music therapy), I was reminded of the following resources – “Apologetics through Literature” – by Alister McGrath, who is a remarkable lecturer and defender of Christianity. He illustrates how to strengthen the faith of others (or just help them find it) through literature, including two of my favorite authors, Tolkien and C. S. Lewis.

Professor McGrath earned a DPhil (in molecular biophysics) and a DD, so he’s equipped to teach both science and religious philosophy – and he does so in a skillful, entertaining, winsome manner. I hope you get the chance to listen to these lectures! (right click>save to save the files to your hard drive)

(Note: “Apologetics” is not saying you’re sorry about your religion; it’s actively commending and defending your beliefs to others)

1. What is apologetics? And using stories apologetically

2. More on using stories apologetically

3. Using poetry and detective novels apologetically

4. More on using poetry and detective novels apologetically

5. C. S. Lewis and Tolkien

6. More on C. S. Lewis and Tolkien

Video: “Last Lecture”

My apologies if you’ve already seen this video, but my brother just emailed it to me, saying that he could learn a few things from this speaker. You and I probably could, too.

Book of Mormon Internet Resources

This page is periodically updated – most recently on 03 March 08. Any suggestions are welcome! (add comments below)

GENERAL RESOURCES

LDS General Conference Scriptural Index
“This index links from scriptures to the general conference talks that cite those scriptures. So, for example, suppose you want to know who has cited 1 Ne. 3:7 in general conference; click on the Book of Mormon link at the left and scroll down to 1 Ne. 3; there you’ll find the answer. Who has quoted Matt. 5:48? Use the New Testament index to find out.

“We have indexed the scriptures cited by speakers in LDS General Conference between 1942 and the present. You can sort the citation index by scripture (the default), by speaker, or by date of citation.” (from the website)

From lds.org:
–Elder Ballard Speaks: Is There Scientific Proof Authenticating the Book of Mormon?

New Era/Ensign Articles:
–Composition and History of the Book of Mormon

Various:
–BM Resources by Spackman
–Misunderstanding Scripture Language

Discipleship:

-“And with All Thy Mind” by John W. Welch – another classic address – viewable as a web page; downloadable in various formats, including pdf and mp3

Purposes of the Book of Mormon: 1 Ne. 13:39-40

-To establish the truthfulness of the Bible

-From President Hugh B. Brown’s superb talk, “Profile of a Prophet” (here’s another version arranged according to parallistic patterns):

“there is no chapter in all literature, sacred or profane, which I say to you as a lawyer, has greater evidential value, than the chapters in Third Nephi where multitudes of people said, we saw him, we felt of his hands and his side, we know he is the Christ. “

VERSE- or CHAPTER-SPECIFIC RESOURCES

1 Ne. 1:18-20 Why did the people of Jerusalem reject the message of Lehi and the other prophets (e.g., Jeremiah)?

-“The False Gods We Worship” by President Spencer W. Kimball

1 Ne. 8, 11-12, 15

-“Lehi’s Dream: The Indispensable Foundation of the Book of Mormon” by Bruce Satterfield of BYU-I (rough draft)

1 Ne. 11:36; 12:18-19 “the pride of the world;” “the pride of the children of men;” “the pride of [Nephi’s] seed.”

-“Beware of Pride” by President Ezra Taft Benson – a landmark address!!

-“Hubris and Ate: A Latter-day Warning from the Book of Mormon” by Richard D. Draper. From the Journal of Book of Mormon Studies

1 Ne. 12:1-3 Nephi’s vision of his people at the time of Christ’s first coming; parallels to our day – the last days before Christ’s Second Coming (cf. JS-M 1:27-37).

-Regarding the last days, Elder Holland gave a marvelous and powerfully reassuring talk during a CES fireside on 12 Sept. 2004:

“Terror, Triumph, and a Wedding Feast”

2 Ne. 6-8

-Garold N. Davis, “Book of Mormon Commentary on Isaiah”

2 Ne. 9

-Elder James E. Faust, “The Supernal Gift of the Atonement”

-Elder Spencer J. Condie, “The Fall and Infinite Atonement“