Conference Livestream

I have been provided the address for a link for the livestream of the Sunday Sessions of the Colorado conference this weekend. The link blocks me from making it work on this website, requiring you to use YouTube as the source. If you go to YouTube and enter this into the search bar you will be connected to the livestream: The Family of God – Refuge in a Troubled World | Sunday Session

That will take you to the site, and when the conference talks begin on Sunday the link will go live.

Having said that, I do think that directly attending provides a better and more meaningful experience than viewing it remotely. Additionally, you deprive yourself from social contact with other Covenant Christians when you stay away. If your circumstances do not permit you to attend, that is understandable and why the livestream is provided. But if at all able to attend, you will be welcomed.

I expect this will be the last time I address The Holy Order after the Order of the Son of God outside of the future temple. I am hoping the talk will prove interesting and edifying for those who take the time to hear it.

Conferences are never easy or free for the organizers. Any time there is a conference a great deal of sacrifice has gone in to making the event possible. I appreciate the work that has been done for this upcoming conference, and also thank them for the invitation to speak.

Women’s Retreat

I’ve been asked to put up this announcement about the upcoming Women’s event:

On Friday, June 19th, 2026, all Covenant Christian women are invited to gather at Gammon Park in Vineyard, Utah to attend a day of skill-building, practicing interpersonal relationships, and connecting, followed by a potluck dinner with husbands and families invited. This retreat’s purpose is to facilitate the workshopping of skills and the building/strengthening of relationships.

Activities will include learning from presentations on mindfulness and communication, participating in a guided meditation, practicing skills via group games and a simulation, and singing hymns and worship music together.

RSVP form: https://forms.gle/22gzHt6E1JyLaWdUA

Retreat Website: https://womensretreat2026.com/

Please note: This is a separately organized event from the Women’s Conference on June 20th and 21st. Questions may be emailed to [email protected].

New Covenant Christian website

I’ve been asked to provide this announcement:

CovenantChristians.com is now live. It is meant to function as a home for Covenant Christians that links to events, scriptures, archives, websites, videos, recordings, papers, podcasts, books and other Covenant Christian resources. Anyone may enter and see what Covenant Christians are up to. It is not meant to replace but to augment and link existing Covenant Christian sites. 

The site includes some material for the curious who are not yet within the covenant, a FAQ section, a section for those who want to begin a conversation and a place Covenant Christians can offer suggestions for the site. 

Give it look. We hope it will be helpful. 

Little Sophia

In the April Conference in St. George I spoke about a little handicapped girl named Sophia. I learned a day ago that there is a fund set up to assist. The link to the fund is givesendgo.com/care-for-sophia

Here is a copy of the remarks I made at the Conference about her:

Before I move on to another thing, I want to take just a moment and tell you about a little gal, a pretty little blonde-haired girl sporting a ponytail in the back of the room, who came to her parents as a gift from God and who is profoundly handicapped. And I took a few minutes yesterday talking with her father.

Her parents would love to contribute more to the ongoing effort, but little Sophia requires a lot of care, a lot of time, a lot of attention, and that prevents them from doing more of what they would like to do because of the amount of care required on her behalf. I told the father that, really, he ought not worry about making a greater contribution, because Sophia is a gift that was given not only to them but the entire community. And if we really understood what God was up to, Sophia would not be the burden that she is upon her parents. She would be a gift for the entire community, and the care that she needs would be shared by others who likewise view her with charity and with love and with kindness.

And so, we have once again an opportunity presented to us—this time in the form of Sophia—to give us a chance to exhibit the very things that my wife read from King Mosiah this morning about bearing one another’s burdens; because a child with such profound needs should attract the concern, the care, the attention, the support, the love of an entire community if that community actually be Christian.
(“This, That, and the Other Thing” transcript, p. 14-15)

On-line Scripture Update

It has taken a great deal of effort and time to incorporate all of the cross-references to chapters and verses into the online scriptures. Now both the RE citations and traditional KJV and LDS citations also appear in the electronic scriptures available at scriptures.info

The more I use the new edition the more appreciation I have for all involved. These are by far the most useful and correct scriptures I’ve ever possessed. As the Lord described them: “These scriptures are sent forth to be my warning to the world, my comfort to the faithful, my counsel to the meek, my reproof to the proud, my rebuke to the contentious, and my condemnation of the wicked. They are my invitation to all mankind to flee from corruption, repent and be baptized in my name, and prepare for the coming judgment.” T&C 177:3.

June 20 Women’s Conference

Please read this and click the link below to register if you are planning on attending the June 2026 Women’s Conference in Utah County.

The June 20th Conference

Conference Purpose:

Using the June 20th Revelation as a guide, reason together as covenant women in order to:

  • Identify just and holy principles from the Bill of Rights that are intended to protect those accused of transgressing the laws of God that should guide women’s councils
  • Consider how those protections apply in how we should conduct councils involving those accused of transgressing the laws of God
  • Learn from past women’s councils
  • Practice structured, charitable deliberation and reasoning
  • Learn to come to agreement and seek unity where possible through the voice of the conference

This conference is:

  • A place to explore how principles from the Bill of Rights should apply in our conduct in women’s councils together
  • A place to practice righteous judgment together
  • A place to learn how to govern well together

This conference is NOT:

  • A place to retry past councils – discussion will include experiences from past women’s councils, but we will not be debating the validity of those
  • A place to accuse individuals or councils
  • A place for emotional processing alone

Code of Conduct

  • Give our undivided attention to whomever has the floor, no side talk or interrupting
  • No personal attacks or accusations
  • Speak about principles and processes, not people
  • Honor time limits
  • Moderator has responsibility and authority to remind and redirect

Expectations for Participation

  • Willingness to follow Code of Conduct
  • Pre-register for conference HERE

The word “Mormon”

There is no legitimate way for any organization to claim to have a trademark for the word “Mormon”. And yet the LDS church is making that silly claim. They have even filed a Federal District Court suit against Mormon Stories and John Dehlin to assert their ownership. It has been in common use by many businesses, writers, podcasters, churches and even sports teams. The term is used commonly in such widely diverse places as Mormonism Research Ministry to Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The Smithsonian Institute even includes a sample of a Pityophthorus Mormon, together with a picture of the little insect on their website. So claiming to own the word as a trademark is, like many of the other LDS church assertions, not justified or common-sensical.

Recently the LDS church issued a press release claiming their only concern is the possibility for someone to be misled into thinking using the term suggests a party is affiliated with their progressively declining organization. However, their effort to reach a settlement for their Federal District Court lawsuit seems to be more motivated by a desire to get John Dehlin to reconfirm the legitimacy of the LDS church’s ownership of the term. If someone wants to avoid addressing the LDS claims and threats, I would recommend podcasters, writers or others using the term considering putting a disclaimer, which accommodates the LDS pretenses, while also refusing to acknowledge the primacy of the LDS assertion over the term. Here is something I believe would accomplish that:

I am an independent researcher and writer examining Mormon history. I am not affiliated with any Mormon church or religious organization and do not speak or write on their behalf, including: Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, The Church of Jesus Christ sometimes called “Bickertonites”, The Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints now called “Community of Christ”, Mormonism Research Ministry, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints sometimes called “Brighamites”, nor any other one of the over 140 Mormon churches or religious groups generally considered part of “Mormonism”.

And, having said that I want to be clear: I am a Mormon.

New Scripture purchase

This announcement was sent to me for posting:

Many have asked and wondered if there might be another opportunity to purchase scriptures. The short answer is yes, our final shipment from Jongbloed has arrived, and we are happy to announce that a limited number of Three-Volume Sets and Covenant of Christ books are now available for purchase.

We want to be clear about the availability: this is it. What you see is what remains. We know that many of you missed the pre-order window for reasons beyond your control, and we are genuinely glad this moment gives you a second chance to secure your own copy of these scriptures.

Because this inventory is finite and the interest level is quite high, we kindly ask that each order be limited to a maximum of two sets per purchase. Our hope is that as many households as possible are able to purchase a set. Please order only what you plan to use, so that others may have the same opportunity.

We also want to highlight one unique opportunity available in this offering — the mixed color Three-Volume Sets. These distinctive sets were made possible by combining volumes that would otherwise have been destroyed by the publisher, giving them a second life in the hands of readers. The content is identical to the standard sets, but each set features varied cover colors across the three volumes. For those who appreciate something a little out of the ordinary, this is a rare chance to own a truly one-of-a-kind set of scriptures.

Thanks for your support and patience. We are happy that we are able to get a few more books in people’s hands.

Leather Bound Special Orderscriptures.shop

April 11-12 St. George Conference

There is a conference next weekend in St. George. I’ve previously put up a link to the conference website and I’m linking it again here: Culture by Precept and Practice

Because there are time limits on access for set-up, and also technical broadcasting limits at the venue, it is possible that the conference streaming will not be possible. This is being worked on, but we have no guarantee live broadcasting will happen. Therefore, if you want to hear the talks live you should plan to attend. The proceedings will be recorded, and at some point the recordings will be made available on the Restoration Archives. When that happens, I will put a link on this website to help you locate the recordings.

I hope to see many of you next weekend.