New approaches to a central area of Latter-day Saint belief The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and other Christians have always shared a fundamental belief in the connection between personal salvation and the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. While having faith in and experiencing the atonement of Christ remains a core tenet for Latter-day Saints, some thinkers have in recent decades reconsidered traditional understandings of atonement. Deidre Nicole Green and Eric D. Huntsman edit a collection that brings together multiple and diverse approaches to thinking about Latter-day Saint views on this foundational area of theology. The essayists draw on and go beyond a wide range of perspectives, classical atonement theories, and contemporary reformulations of atonement theory. The first section focuses on scriptural and historical foundations while the second concentrates on theological explorations. Together, the contributors evaluate what is efficacious and ethical in the Latter-day Saint outlook and offer ways to reconceive those views to provide a robust theological response to contemporary criticisms about atonement. Contributors: Nicholas J. Frederick, Fiona Givens, Deidre Nicole Green, Sharon J. Harris, J.B. Haws, Eric D. Huntsman, Benjamin Keogh, Ariel Bybee Laughton, Adam S. Miller, Jenny Reeder, T. Benjamin Spackman, and Joseph M. Spencer

While The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has expanded many fundamental Christian doctrines, salvation is still understood as pertaining exclusively to the next life. How should we understand salvation and what does the timing of the Restoration reveal about God’s vision of salvation for a suffering world? To answer these questions, author Ryan Ward traces the theological evolution of salvation from the liberation of Israel from oppression to the Western Christian development of salvation as an individualistic, transactional atonement. This evolution corresponded with the shift of Christianity from a covenant community to an official state religion aligned with imperial power structures. Ward also explores the economic and social movements in the centuries leading up to the Industrial Revolution, which solidified the power of propertied elites at the expense of the poor, plundered entire continents, and killed millions. Synthesizing these theological and historical threads, And There Was No Poor Among Them: Liberation, Salvation, and the Meaning of the Restoration asserts that the Restoration is God's explicit rejection of social and economic systems and ideologies that have led to the globalization of misery. Instead, Ward shows how the Restoration and the gospel of Christ is an invitation to a participatory salvation realized in Zion communities where “there are no poor among us.”

Unique But Not Different: Latter-day Saints in Japan offers an insightful exploration into the experiences of Japanese members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shedding light on their integration of religious identity within a predominantly non-Christian society. Through comprehensive survey data collected from active practitioners, authors Shinji Takagi, Conan Grames, and Meagan Rainock delve into the challenges and opportunities these Latter-day Saints face. In doing so, they examine the diverse social, political, and ideological backgrounds of Japanese Latter-day Saints, providing valuable insights for scholars, missionaries, Church leaders, and members alike. With meticulous analysis, the authors navigate topics ranging from personal conversion experiences to religious beliefs and adherence to cultural practices. They examine how Japanese Latter-day Saints successfully negotiate identity conflicts and contribute to the broader societal landscape amidst Japan's evolving cultural institutions. Offering statistical profiles and key findings tailored to various stakeholders, Unique But Not Different serves as an indispensable resource for understanding the complex dynamics of religious identity and acculturation in Japan, while also providing valuable insights applicable to minority religious practices worldwide. For Japanese readers, the volume also includes a Japanese Afterword and translations of the summary, findings, tables, and figures.

A joint publication between CCAR Press and Brigham Young University. Interfaith dialogues of understanding are valuable both for challenging individuals to articulate their beliefs and practices in a careful way and for deepening connections between people of different faiths. The Jewish and Latter-day Saint communities have at times been at odds, yet they share a number of significant historical and communal bonds. Understanding Covenants and Communities comes out of the Jewish--Latter-day Saint Academic Dialogue Project, a groundbreaking interfaith encounter between these two religious communities. The fruit of five conferences held semiannually since 2016, the volume addresses such themes as theological foundations, sacred scriptures, lived experience and worship, and culture and politics. Readers will emerge with a deeper understanding of the Jewish and Latter-day Saint traditions and how the two faith communities can engage in a meaningful dialogue.

Mormonism and the Emotions: An Analysis of LDS Scriptural Texts is an introductory Latterday Saint (LDS) theology of emotion that is both canonically based and scientifically informed. It highlights three widely accepted characteristics of emotion that emerge from scientific perspectives—namely, the necessity of cognition for its emergence, the personal responsibility attached to its manifestations, and its instrumentality in facilitating various processes of human development and experience. In analyzing the basic theological structure of Mormonism and its unique canonical texts the objective is to determine the extent to which LDS theology is compatible with this three-fold definition of emotion. At this basic level of explanation, the conclusion is that science and Mormon theology undoubtedly share a common perspective. The textual investigation focuses on unique Mormon scriptures and on their descriptions of six common emotions: hope, fear, joy, sorrow, love, and hate. For each of these emotional phenomena the extensive report of textual references consistently confirms an implied presence of the outlined three-fold model of emotion. Thus, the evidence points to the presence of an underlying folk model of emotion in the text that broadly matches scientific definitions. Additionally, the theological examination is enlarged with a particular focus on the Mormon theology of atonement, which is shown to play a significant role in LDS understandings of emotions. A broad exploration of such areas as epistemology, cosmology, soteriology, and the theological anthropology of Mormonism further contextualizes the analysis and roots it in the LDS theological worldview.

Idioms and idiomatic language are as real to the messages of holy scripture as are prophecies and parables. Idioms are words and phrases that express more than the actual words themselves. They paint mental or emotional images that bring events or feelings to the present quickly and with intensity. Like a cultural shorthand, they can describe things without using lengthy explanations. On the other hand, idioms can be meaningless and misleading if the reader has no experience with the culture and language from which the idioms originated. Mistranslation and cultural differences both contribute to the misinterpretation of many scriptural idioms. Phrases such as gird up your loins and salt of the earth will lose their intended effect if they are taken only literally. In these pages, George M. Peacock explains exactly what idioms are, how to identify them, and how learning their meaning can add to your understanding of the scriptures and their messages. Unlocking the Idioms will help bring you insight and knowledge as you feast upon the words of the Lord.

While participating in Passover meals and observances is not a part of designated Latter-day Saint rituals, many participants see the activity as a way to re-enact the observance as it was structured in Old Testament times, and tie it to their modern-day Easter celebrations of the atoning sacrifice and glorious resurrection of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With this in mind, many have expressed a desire for more information on how to combine the two events effectively. To meet this need, Celebrating Passover recounts the history of the Passover feast, including its importance, origins, symbolism, and developments through time. Then, it correlates the Passover observance with Christ's life and LDS beliefs and prophecies, explaining differences in the emphasis and showing how to prepare a modern Latter-day Saint Passover observance that truly is Christ-centered. Celebrating Passover provides all the information needed for modern LDS families to hold a gospel-oriented Passover celebration that respects the Old Testament Passover instructions but still focuses on the mission and gospel-centered message of salvation through Jesus Christ. This well-written, highly informative book provides a complete script, recipes, music and all the instructions needed for a meaningful, joyous celebration.

Have you ever wondered what the main differences are between the Latter-day Saint religion and Biblical/historical Christianity? This book reveals them in a unique way. Come alongside Judy Robertson as she interviews those who have questioned their religion. Learn how the unique nuances in LDS teachings can help you understand what holds the Latter-day Saint heart. The candid answers from those whose lives have been set free will help you be prepared now, with the answers you need. As 1 Peter 3:15 says, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.

Reaching across the chasm of his bipolar disorder and separation from his children, Chad shares with us his deepest and most intimate thoughts for his childrens spiritual future. Sometimes using his own experiences to model a lesson and at other times clearly relying on spiritual depths, Chad teaches his children those life lessons that were missing from his life as he grew up, lessons he has learned in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. With an unfathomable love for his children, his teachings range from the simple, such as faith and hope, to the more complex and controversial, such as how Christians and the LGBT community should treat each other and the role of just governments in our lives. Chad leaves almost nothing out with regards to how Christians should behave and what their ultimate relationship to Deity will be if they will hearken to the Gospel. Thoughtfully looking into basic Christian Doctrines and the potential of humanity, To My Children: Love, Dad puts you into a position to explore your own relationship with Deity and encourages you to bring the family along the path to Heaven beginning today.