January 13, 2021 6:30pm PST
Chase Kirkham on “Studying History as an Act of Worship: An Introduction to the Joseph Smith Papers”

In January 2021, Latter-day Saints commenced a year-long study of the Doctrine and Covenants. The revelations found in this book of scripture can be challenging to understand because much of their historical context is missing. One resource that can help fill in these contextual gaps is the Joseph Smith Papers. Church historian and CGU alum (PhD 2018) Chase Kirkham will explain what the Joseph Smith Papers are and how Latter-day Saints can use the project’s scholarship in their personal study. Kirkham will also address why church members have been commanded to study history and will show that learning about the past is one way to worship God.