In his October 2021 general conference address, President Russell M. Nelson said, “I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances.”
And a new miniseries podcast from the Joseph Smith Papers project is ready to help us do just that. The Nauvoo Temple podcast shares how the building of the temple and the introduction of temple ordinances is essential to our modern-day appreciation for the temple, Joseph Smith’s doctrinal teachings, and the Restoration.
Spencer McBride, associate managing historian for the Joseph Smith Papers project and the podcast‘s host, said the temple is “designed as a way to have the power of God in our lives, to strengthen us, and to help us. And that was the clear motive of Joseph Smith and the early Church leaders and Church members in building these temples.”
The Nauvoo Temple has eight episodes—all of which are available now—beginning with the history of Nauvoo as a community before the Saints arrived, to the rebuilding of the Nauvoo Illinois Temple and its dedication in 2002.
“Understanding why that temple was built, how it was built, and how the ordinances were revealed to Church members by Joseph Smith is an essential component of our history,” McBride said.
And if you can’t get enough of Church history podcasts, LDS Living‘s newest podcast Joseph features not just historical insights to the Prophet‘s life, but how we can come to know Joseph as a friend.
Over seven weekly episodes, host Heidi Swinton dives into walking in Joseph‘s shoes, tackling his complexities, and connecting with him as a person, a husband, a father, and a prophet. These topics are discussed with special guests like Sheri Dew, Robert Millet, Jenny Reeder, and more!
So if you feel like you know Joseph already, this podcast is for you. If you feel hesitant to know Joseph, then this podcast is definitely for you. Because Joseph will show that while everyone comes to know Joseph Smith in different ways, the most important thing is how they’ve come closer to Christ through the Prophet of the Restoration.
Find Joseph exclusively on Deseret Book's Bookshelf PLUS, which you can try free for 30 days.
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