Prior to being baptized and becoming a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on 10 March 1998, I told the missionaries that were teaching me at that time that I would not make a final decision regarding baptism until after I had read the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price each in their entirety. I sincerely believe that the Lord's hand was at work in the matter as I was inspired to develop a 40-Day Reading Schedule to accomplish the reading in 40 consecutive days prior to my baptism.

Recently, on a website that I help moderate, LDS.Net, I presented a 40-day reading challenge to all who want to participate in reading the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price in 40 consecutive days, each in their entirety, commencing on 1 July 2009. I now offer that same challenge to anyone who may read this blog. A person does not have to start the reading on 1 July, but the objective, regardless of when the reading is started, is to finish reading all three volumes of Scripture, each in their entirety, within a time period of 40 consecutive days.

This is not so much a race to the finish. One of the main purposes of the challenge is to help motivate those who have never read the Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great Price in their entirety to pick up those blessed Scriptures and read them and perhaps for some, for the very first time, discover what is actually written in each one. Believe it, or not, there are some who have been members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints their entire lives and have never read either of these volumes of Scripture in their entirety. It is my hope, my sincere prayer, that once they read them for perhaps the first time in their entirety, they will gain a thirst to want to read them again and again. I have now in my 11 years as a member of the Church read the Book of Mormon 7 times in its entirety, and the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price each 8 times in their entirety. I find that each time I read them I learn something that I did not learn before. It is indeed a continual learning process.

Oftentimes when I am reading and studying the Scriptrures, I like to use other resources that I have available in my library and look up certain portions of the Scriptures that I am reading or may have questions about for clarification. This proves to be very beneficial especially when I am preparing a talk for Church or writing an article such as this one. Each of us have our own methods of reading and studying the Scriptures. Please understand that I am not in any way saying that one method is better than another, or that a particular method is wrong and another is right.

With that being said, in my humble opinion, I do believe that sometimes we can, if we are not careful, spend more time pondering over what has been written about the Scriptures by others, than actually reading the Scriptures themselves. After all, it is the Word of God, which stands firmly on its own, that is the ultimate and final authority. Sometimes I fear that people can get too caught up in becoming concerned about what someone has written about a subject than they do about the actual subject at hand. In short, what I am saying is that there needs to be a delicate balance. Again, the Word of God itself should always be our final authority.

I particularly like what President Ezra Taft Benson taught us about this. He said, "Always remember, there is no satisfactory substitute for the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. These should be your original sources. Read and ponder more what the Lord has said, and less about what others have written concerning what the Lord has said." (Address to educators, Salt Lake City, September 17, 1976.) To me, those are great words of counsel.

I also concur with the strong counsel of President Romney, given to a group of seminary and institute coordinators in 1973. He told them, “I don’t know much about the gospel other than what I’ve learned from the standard works. When I drink from a spring I like to get the water where it comes out of the ground, not down the stream after the cattle have waded in it. … I appreciate other people’s interpretation, but when it comes to the gospel we ought to be acquainted with what the Lord says. … You ought to read the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants; and … all the scriptures with the idea of finding out what’s in them and what the meaning is and not to prove some idea of your own. Just read them and plead with the Lord to let you understand what he had in mind when he wrote them.” (Address delivered at Coordinators’ Convention, Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, 13 Apr. 1973.)

The Prophet Joseph Smith gave us this great admonition in 1832. He said,"“Search the scriptures—search the revelations which we publish and ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of His Son Jesus Christ, to manifest the truth unto you, and if you do it with an eye single to His glory nothing doubting, He will answer you by the power of His Holy Spirit. You will then know for yourselves and not for another. You will not then be dependent on man for the knowledge of God; nor will there be any room for speculation. … For when men receive their instruction from Him that made them, they know how He will save them. … Again we say: Search the Scriptures, search the Prophets and learn what portion of them belongs to you.” (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comp. Joseph Fielding Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1938, pp. 11–12.)

For me personally, I enjoy the race as well as the finish. Perhaps I enjoy the finish even more than the race itself, because once I have crossed the finish line, I find myself excited, wanting to run the race again and again. The beauty of reading the Scriptures is just as J. Richard Clarke once said, "Brothers and sisters, you don't have to be a natural student to read the scriptures; you just need to love the Lord." (Ensign, November 1982, p.15.)

I do not mean to come across as being callous, cruel, or mean-spirited, but the older I get, the more discouraged and dishearten I become as I watch some of our young people - the future of our world, place themselves in a proverbial box called defeatism.

Where has the time gone? It is hard to believe that in just a few short hours another year will have come and gone and will have taken its place among the annals of history.

Wise men of old came from afar asking the timeless question, "Where is he that is born King of the Jews?" (Matthew 2:2). Following the star that they had seen in the east, they were led to where the Christ Child was.

The tiny babe who in Bethlehem’s manger lay was no ordinary child. Some people called Him the son of David. Others called Him the son of Joseph. The scriptures call Him the son of David, the son of Mary, the son of man, the Son of God.

Every year, 11 November is set aside as the day that we celebrate Veterans Day.

The Apostle Paul Preaching At the Areopagus (Mars Hill)

While on his second missionary journey, the Apostle Paul visited the city of Troas on the Mediterranean coast. While in Troas, a vision appeared to Paul in the night.

I know that someone is going to read the title of this article and their first thought is going to be, "Keith, I think that you might have that a little backwards.

The word “service” can be defined as the action of helping or doing work for someone. “Service” can also be defined as someone’s contribution to the welfare of others.

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? The wicked plotteth against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth. The Lord shall laugh at him: for he seeth that his day is coming.

This talk was given on Saturday, September 03, 2011, on the occasion of the baptism of Andrew Jerry Calabrese.

With Hurricane Irene now behind us, I would like to use the analogy of a ship caught in a raging storm at sea to share my personal reflections and thoughts on how we as a family and as a Church should care for and protect one another during a time of crisis.

My father, the late John Wallace Brown, began working as a short-order cook during his High School years and continued working in that profession up until the time of his death on 20 November 2006, at 71 years of age.  He would be promoted during his career to Kitchen Manager.

This is an open address to the students of today and the future teachers and leaders of tomorrow to give them some food for thought as they begin a brand new school year.

Good morning. I would like to begin my remarks today by asking each of you a question.

Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., the clarion voice of the American Civil Rights Movement, was assassinated on the evening of Thursday, 4 April 1968, at the young age of 39 years, while standing on the balcony of his room (room 306) at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis Tennessee.

I am but a young man of 52 years. However, within my short life time I have slowly watched the world spin out of control on a downward spiral. Many of the nonsensical things that are occurring in our day and time would have never been thought of or heard of when I was a young lad growing up.

All of us are probably guilty at one time or another of participating in idle gossip and hearsay. How many times have we been a part of a conversation that begins something like the following: “I don’t know if it is true or not, but I heard that ____”? And we can each fill in the blank.

In the twenty-second chapter of Matthew, beginning at verse 34, we read of a Pharisee, who was a lawyer by trade, who asks the Savior a question by saying, "Master, which is the great commandment in the law?" The Savior answers him by saying, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and

My father, the late John Wallace Brown, was a hard working man. As a young boy growing up it was not uncommon for my father to work two or three jobs just to pay the bills, keep food on the table, and a roof over his little family’s head.

This talk was given on the occasion of the baptism of Josephine Mae Hunter on 11 June 2011 in Annapolis Maryland.

“God does not send thunder if a still, small voice is enough” (Ensign, November 1976, p.14) - Neal A. Maxwell

President Howard W.

Someone once said, "The person who really wants to do something finds a way; the other person finds an excuse." Some people seem to have a knack for always having an excuse as to why they cannot do something, no matter how simple or difficult the task at hand may be.

I am sorry - three little words - eight letters - and yet one of the most difficult things for some people to say. Perhaps it is the word “sorry” that some people seem to have so much trouble with, for as Sir Elton John, the singer/songwriter says in his song, sorry seems to be the hardest word.

Alma 26:8 - "Blessed be the name of our God; let us sing to his praise, yea, let us give thanks to his holy name, for he doth work righteousness forever."

Traditionally, every third Thursday in November is set aside for the celebration of Thanksgiving Day.

I have always enjoyed listening to the music of the late James Joseph Croce, better known to the world simply as Jim Croce. His was a very unique style of music, especially the ballads that he wrote and sang. Two of my favorite songs by Jim are “Time In A Bottle” and “Photographs and Memories”.

Growing up as a boy on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, in what was at that time known as the little town of Salisbury; I can recall the good times that we had as a family gathered around the family table.

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.

President Gordon Bitner Hinckley
President Gordon Bitner Hinckley
President Gordon Bitner Hinckley
In Loving Memory Of A Prophet Of The Lord
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1 Peter 3:13-17

13 And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good?
14 But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;
15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:
16 Having a good conscience; that, whereas they speak evil of you, as of evildoers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.
17 For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing.
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  • I do not mean to come across as being callous, cruel, or mean-spirited, but the older I get, the more discouraged and dishearten I become ...
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  • With Hurricane Irene now behind us, I would like to use the analogy of a ship caught in a raging storm at sea to share my personal reflect...
  • Key Verse : 2 Corinthians 5:20 “ Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead,...
  • Jewish Independence Day - The Passover Scripture Lesson: Exodus 12:13-14 " And the blood shall be to you for a token upon the hous...
  • Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the fles...
  • “Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the...
  • Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour. - 1 Peter 5:8   On S...
  • Study Verses : 2 Corinthians 8:16 – 9:15 Key Verses : 2 Corinthians 9:6-7 “ But this I say, He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also spari...
  • All of us are probably guilty at one time or another of participating in idle gossip and hearsay. How many times have we been a part of a c...
The Joseph Smith Papers
The Joseph Smith Papers

On February 25th, 2008, the Church announced the establishment of a new imprint for publishing works that relate to the origin and growth of the Church.

The first project by the Church Historian's Press is The Joseph Smith Papers. This comprehensive series of journals, letters, legal documents, and business papers chronicles the life of Joseph Smith. When finished, this project will include more than 30 volumes.

The first three volumes are scheduled for publication later this year and will include Joseph Smith's early journals.

In time, the published volumes are expected to be made available in their entirety through the Web site Joseph Smith Papers.
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