Another vote is being taken on an addition to the scriptures. Anyone wishing to participate can vote at the Scriptures Project website.

Also, the Question and Answer portion of the Grand Junction Conference is now up on the Restoration Archives and linked here: Q&A Grand Junction

I delivered a talk at a conference in Grand Junction, Colorado today. A copy of the transcript of that talk is attached here: Civilization

Also at the conference a new video was previewed to those in attendance, and the video is now available on-line. It is linked here: Mormonism: Decline and Fall.

The Community of Christ (formerly Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints) held their Worldwide Conference this last week. On Wednesday I spoke at the Harry S. Truman Library to a group of them in Independence. The talk was recorded and available through this link:

Celebrating the Family of Joseph Smith

There is a growing gulf between some rank-and-file members of the Community of Christ and their central leadership. Their leaders are pursuing a more tolerant, inclusive and permissive form for their faith. They ordain women, including to their highest offices, openly accept homosexual relations, de-emphasize the Book of Mormon, and have greatly reduced their regard for Joseph Smith Jr.

The results of their changing attitude is reflected in attendance at the Old Stone Church. That building was built during Joseph Smith III’s presidency. Just a couple decades ago that church was home to two branches that met there every Sunday. Both Sunday services were attended by approximately 700 people. Today there is only one service each Sunday, and it is attended by approximately 140 people.

Religion has value to people who want to learn how to improve their lives, increase their connection to heaven, and feel the inner sanctity that comes from increasing light and truth. When religion tolerates darkness, allows foolish and destructive behavior without correction, and neglects light and truth, it loses its value and consequently any appeal. When religion is just another outlet for worldliness and wickedness, it has lost its savor and is good for nothing but to be trodden under foot. (NC 3 Ne. 5:20)

Wickedness never was and never will be happiness. (NC Alma 19:10) When religion fails to produce happiness by denouncing wickedness, it fails. People lose interest. The Community of Christ is not the only denomination seeing their attendance erode because of the drift away from light and truth.

After years of painstaking work to get the details correct, last week the scripture committee met to do a final review of the labor. As far as any of those involved could report to each other, the work had been completed and reviewed for errors, and was now ready to typeset and publish.

Bids have been gathered and samples of work have been purchased to make a decision on a printer for a leather-bound, high-quality version. This will allow a lighter, more portable copy to be carried in hand.

After the meeting I was asked to petition the Lord for approval of the completed project, which I did and April 6th obtained the Lord’s word approving the finished project. However, given the fact that more is expected to be revealed, it may not be appropriate to use the word “finished” for these scriptures. But the recovery project is coming to an end.

In the upcoming conference in Colorado the scripture committee will be giving a report on the work. They also hope to have a sample of the selected printer’s work to show to those interested in purchasing a leather copy. There are also a few matters to be voted on to determine if they should be added before printing.

The new scriptures finally publish the New Testament and Book of Mormon as a single volume, as Joseph Smith planned. They include the most correct version of the Book of Mormon, the first complete Joseph Smith Version of the Bible, and the most accurate version of the revelations and letters of Joseph Smith.

The upcoming conference in Grand Junction Colorado set for April 19-21 has a website linked here: Conference: A Hope in Christ: The Temple

A new video in the Restoration series was released today, April 6th, to commemorate the date on which it is believed Christ was born. The video is titled (and linked) here:

Campbellites and Mormons Intersect