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Yahoo
18-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bible or Book of Mormon? The books of scripture Latter-day Saint leaders used in global conference
The 32 speakers referred to the Bible 297 times at April's international general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They referenced the Book of Mormon 226 times, according to citations found in talk transcripts and footnotes published on 'The Savior is the Prince of Peace,' President Russell M. Nelson said, for example, a reference to Isaiah 9:6. 'We are to be his instruments for peace.' In all, messages at the two-day conference were rooted in holy writ. They included 702 quotations from, allusions to and mentions of scripture. The citations sorted out this way: New Testament — 229 Book of Mormon — 226 Doctrine and Covenants — 145 Old Testament — 68 Pearl of Great Price — 34 The Bible, then, made up 42% of the scriptures cited by Latter-day Saint leaders. Restoration scriptures comprised the other 58%. A historian said the count is interesting in a world of increasing scriptural illiteracy and in the context of how Latter-day Saint scriptural preferences are viewed inside and outside the church. The scripture references in the April conference track in interesting ways with historical scriptural usage in the church's general conferences and an increasing emphasis on scripture reading and study in the church. 'Clearly, a dividing line between those who hear the music of faith and those who are tone deaf or off key is the active study of the scriptures,' a senior church leader, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, said earlier this month at BYU Women's Conference. New Testament references centered on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. For example, President Henry B. Eyring, second counselor in the First Presidency, led the conference through much of Luke 24, the report of the third day after Christ's Crucifixion and burial, when his disciples learned Christ was resurrected and had appeared to his disciples. The footnotes to one paragraph in another talk illustrate how some scriptural references were made. The first counselor in the church's children organization, Sister Amy A. Wright, of the Primary General Presidency, described the Christ that parents and teachers should share with children. She said, showing scriptural footnotes only: 'This Jesus should not be a fictional Jesus (See 2 Peter 1:16–18; Joseph Smith—History 1:17), 'Or a simplistic Jesus (See Doctrine and Covenants 110:1–4), 'Or a bodiless Jesus, 'Or a casual Jesus, 'Or an unknown Jesus (See Acts 17:23; Alma 30:52–53), 'But a glorified (See John 17:3–5), 'Omnipotent (See Mosiah 3:5), 'Resurrected (See Luke 24:1–6;3 Nephi 11), 'Exalted (See Philippians 2:9–11), 'Worshipful (See 2 Nephi 25:29), 'Powerful (See Exodus 19:16; Luke 4:32; John 1:12; Romans 13:1; 1 Nephi 17:48) 'Only Begotten Son of God (See John 3:16), 'Who is mighty to save (See 2 Nephi 31:19; Alma 7:14; 34:18)." Her reference to John 3:16 was one of 10 by conference speakers — 'For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' Speakers also used footnotes as a call to action for further scripture study. One suggested 11 chapters of Old Testament reading. Elder Gerrit W. Gong spoke about Joseph saving his family in Egypt and added a footnote for Genesis 37-47 that said, 'Joseph's bringing his father, Jacob, and his family to Egypt represents the tender reuniting of a long-separated son and father. It also becomes the means by which Jacob's family and covenant posterity, who will include Lehi and his family, are preserved.' Scripture reading and study has been a major emphasis of Latter-day Saint leaders for more than half a century, with one major landmark the 1986 conference talks of the church's new president, Ezra Taft Benson, who called for more emphasis on the Book of Mormon. Sales of the English Book of Mormon jumped 700,000 over the previous year, according to a 1999 study by Noel Reynolds in BYU Studies Quarterly. President Benson also emphasized the Book of Mormon in his first instructions to the church's general authorities, according to a 1989 BYU devotional delivered by Elder James A. Paramore of the Quorum of the Seventy. 'Brethren, I've read many of your talks again, and they are wonderful, but you don't use the Book of Mormon enough,' President Benson said, according to Paramore. 'May I ask you to know it and use it more, to testify of it to the world, and to have it go into every corner of the world.' The number of Book of Mormon scriptures used in general conference spiked from about 15% of citations in 1981 to 40% in 1987, according to data compiled by Richard C. Galbraith and reported by Reynolds. Book of Mormon references made up 32.2% of references in April 2025. The findings may be of interest to church members and outside observers, even though American culture has grown less biblical, said Nathan Oman, a church member, historian and professor of law at William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg, Virginia. 'I will say one of the things that I think is striking is that among most people today, scriptural illiteracy is pretty high,' he said. 'Not very many people know the Bible particularly well, even people that go to church I don't necessarily think know the Bible or the scriptures really well.' April 2025 general conference speakers referenced John 64 times, Matthew 55 times, Luke 32 times and Mark, Isaiah and 1 and 2 Corinthians 16 times each. The April 2025 data that general conference speakers cited the Bible an average of 9.3 times challenges any remaining stereotypes among evangelical Protestants that Latter-day Saints don't believe or pay enough attention to the Bible, Oman said, though he believes that's a small number of people. April's speakers referred to the Book of Alma in the Book of Mormon most often, 55 times, followed by 35 citations each for 2 Nephi and Mosiah and 28 for 3 Nephi. The Reynolds study showed that Latter-day Saints in the 1830s revered what they considered as the miraculous coming forth of the Book of Mormon. However, the Bible was the core of their teachings because all of the church's members were converts steeped in it, and there had been no time to build a curriculum around the Book of Mormon. While some leaders called for emphasizing it in the 1800s, major shifts toward it waited until the 1900s. Reynolds found that Book of Mormon study at BYU grew when the first significant increase in sections of a class on it began in 1948. The next big jump came in 1961, when the Book of Mormon became a required freshman course. The church made the Standard Works the curriculum for an eight-year cycle of study in 1972 and condensed it to a four-year cycle in 1981, with one year each dedicated to the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants/Pearl of Great Price. President Benson's re-emphasis was a key, and the curriculum for the church's Seminaries and Institutes, religion classes at its colleges and universities, and its Preach My Gospel manual for missionaries are steeped in all of the Standard Works. Latter-day Saint leaders led the way last month. In one interesting example, seven speakers referred to Matthew 25 a total of 17 times as they led the church through three of Christ's major parables. Relief Society General President Camille N. Johnson shared the 13 verses about the parable of the 10 virgins. Elder Steven D. Shumway, a General Authority Seventy, spoke about 15 verses on the parable of the talents. Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles completed the chapter in his message on the lessons of those two parables and the concluding parable of the sheep and the goats. 'The best advice ... for you and for me is to follow the Savior's teachings,' Elder Renlund said. 'His instructions are neither mysterious nor complex. When we follow them, we do not need to fear or be anxious.'
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
How a prayerful surgeon — Dr. Russell M. Nelson — helped ensure a joyful Mother's Days for BYU coach Heather Olmstead and her family
Brigham Young University women's volleyball coach Heather Olmstead doesn't need a day like Mother's Day to prompt a personal 'put-life-in-its-proper-perspective' reset. Olmstead's family and faith already keep her anchored to those matters that eclipse professional priorities, such as winning conference games and titles in the hypercompetitive world of Division I college volleyball. But make no mistake — Olmstead knows all about the elation that winning produces. Winning, she's quick to admit, is a lot of fun. During her nine seasons at the helm of the Cougars' celebrated volleyball program, the coach's squads have walked away with victories in almost 90% of their matches. No current NCAA DI women's volleyball coach with more than three years tenure has a higher winning percentage than Olmstead — and no DI women's coach has ever reached 200 wins faster. But again — all the NCAA tournament wins, the conference titles, the national coaching awards and even a defining Final Four appearance are of distant importance to Olmstead. For Olmstead, Mother's Day simply serves as an unnecessary — yet still always joyful — reminder of a mother's love. And the power of prayer. The promise of temples. And the humble wisdom of a skilled surgeon/spiritual leader — President Russell M. Nelson — who continues to bless and guide her life. Forty-five years ago, raising a daughter to become a nationally renowned college volleyball coach was not on Trudy Olmstead's wish list. She simply wanted the unborn child that she would name Heather— along with her twin sibling, Nicole — to survive. And, God willing, Trudy Olmstead wanted to survive herself. Realizing both appeared improbable. A team of doctors told her that a lump discovered on her right lung needed to be removed if she wanted to live. And to live, they added, Trudy would have to abort her unborn twins. It was 1980 and Trudy Olmstead was 30 years old and relishing her life as a young Latter-day Saint wife and mother in a volleyball-loving Southern California family. She and her husband, Rick, remember being thrilled to discover that their fourth child was on the way. They didn't know yet that Trudy was expecting twins. But a persistent cough tempered the Olmsteads' excitement. Initially diagnosed as bronchitis, the cough continued. And Trudy was feeling unusually off. A subsequent chest X-ray revealed a lump on her lung. A short time later, Trudy's doctor discovered she was pregnant with twins. 'I was told this was life-threatening and was told I had three months to live,' recalled Trudy Olmstead, while sharing her experience with the Deseret News. Life-saving treatments, her doctors insisted, could not be performed without aborting the fetuses. Trudy Olmstead's response: 'Nope. We have to find an answer. There's no way I'm going to abort two babies.' Her decision to search for an option that did not include losing the babies was fortified by the words of her patriarchal blessing, which promised she would be 'the mother of many' and would 'live a long and useful life.' 'I was 30 years old and thought, 'This is not what's supposed to be happening,'' she said. 'We wanted to seek out a (Latter-day Saint) doctor.' When Trudy revisits those frightening and uncertain days, 45 years ago, she remembers tracing the Lord's hand clearly. Shortly before her diagnoses, Trudy's father, Dwayne Andersen, was preparing to begin his calling as the first president of the soon-to-be-dedicated Japan Tokyo Temple. Prior to departing for Japan, Andersen and his wife, Peggy, had spent several days in the Salt Lake Temple preparing for their upcoming temple assignment. One day in the Salt Lake Temple, the Andersens discovered that an old hometown friend, Dantzel White Nelson, was in the temple attending the wedding ceremony of one of her daughters. Joining Dantzel Nelson that day was her husband, a noted surgeon named Dr. Russell M. Nelson. Andersen introduced himself to Dr. Nelson, who, four years later, was called to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Today, now-President Russell M. Nelson is the church's 17th president. A short time after Andersen met Dr. Nelson in the temple, his daughter Trudy's life-threatening illness was revealed. Desperate for the life of his daughter and unborn grandchildren, Andersen reached out to Dr. Nelson. He described his daughter's dire medical condition — and her doctors' general consensus that she should abort the twins if she wanted to survive. Dr. Nelson asked to see Trudy's records, including her X-rays and all of her doctors' notes. Immediately, Andersen flew to Salt Lake City to personally deliver them to the surgeon. 'My dad handed my records to Dr. Nelson,' said Trudy Olmstead. 'Dr. Nelson put them to his chest and told my dad, 'The Lord and I will talk about this tonight — I'll call you in the morning.'' After meeting with a team of his colleagues on an early Sunday morning, Dr. Nelson called Andersen with hopeful news. 'First, Dr. Nelson said, 'Do not abort those babies — the Lord will decide what happens with them.'' The surgeon added that Trudy Olmstead did not have cancer, but that the tumor was life-threatening and needed to be removed. Chemotherapy or radiation was not an option. And Dr. Nelson agreed to perform the operation. 'That solved it for us,' recalled Trudy, remembering the calmness she immediately felt. Trudy and Rick Olmstead were soon traveling with the Andersens from California to Utah for the surgery. But before going to the hospital, the Olmsteads received their endowments in the Provo Utah Temple and were sealed to their three children. 'And then we drove from the luncheon after the sealing to the LDS Hospital and I was admitted,' said Trudy Olmstead. That memorable time spent with her loved ones in the Provo temple only added to the peace she had already felt knowing that the operation to remove the tumor would be performed by a technically skilled and prayerful surgeon. 'Everything was orchestrated,' she said, 'in the most miraculous way.' Miracles and an unforgettable measure of medical resourcefulness would be demanded during the challenging procedure. In Sheri Dew's book 'Insights from a Prophet's Life: Russell M. Nelson,' Dr. Nelson recalled the operation proving to be more complicated and extensive than he had anticipated: 'The tumor was so close to the heart that I did not have a clamp narrow enough to put a clamp on the artery and still have space for the cutting blade of the scissors. 'Therefore, the pulmonary artery had to be cut without being clamped. My only option was to put my finger in the artery to stop the blood and keep my finger there until I was able to suture the artery closed. 'All the time, I kept thinking, 'I have three lives depending on my finger.'' The operation, which required the removal of Trudy's right lung, proved successful. Trudy's life had been spared. Five months later, two baby girls joined the Olmstead family. They were named Heather and Nicole. Years later, the twins met then-Elder Nelson for the first time. Heather Olmstead remembered the surgeon-apostle pulling out a journal where he recorded the details of the operation that saved three lives — including her own. Elder Nelson told the young women that their mother was an angel. 'That was powerful for me,' said Heather Olmstead, as recorded in the book. 'To think that she was an angel here on earth really changed my relationship with my mother. 'Elder Nelson looked at me with those piercing blue eyes of his, and I believed him.' May is an 'offseason' for women's college volleyball players. But for DI coaches competing in the storied Big 12 Conference such as Heather Olmstead, there are no down periods. There's always another outside hitter or skilled setter that needs to be recruited. Staffs and schedules need to be solidified and finalized. Preparation, followed by more preparation. And, of course, college coaching in 2025 means coaching in the ever-evolving, always uncertain world of NIL and the transfer portal. Olmstead and her colleagues need to be perpetually 're-recruiting' their own athletes, even while keeping a close eye on the portal in case a prized player becomes available. 'So we're just focusing on our relationships with our players — helping them to feel our love and BYU's love for them,' Olmstead told the Deseret News. Her upcoming squad is a young team, she added, 'so we're still trying to learn which players are going to lead this team and help us through the summer.' Meanwhile, coaching at a school sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presents both challenges and opportunities. BYU's Honor Code, insists Olmstead, is a benefit. 'Whether it's spiritually, athletically, or academically, our recruits know what they're getting into when they come here,' she said. 'So we want to lean into that Honor Code.' A pragmatist, Olmstead is also choosing to focus on the opportunities offered by today's college sports realities. 'It's here to stay,' she said. 'So adapting to the NIL and the transfer portal and the Honor Code are all things that are going to help us reach our goals.' The coach counts the opportunities that BYU offers its athletes 'to share the gospel of Jesus Christ' as defining. Wearing the school's blue-and-white jersey — and what it represents — stretches beyond victories inside the lines. 'President Nelson,' she said, 'has said there's no greater work than the work that's happening to gather Israel on both sides of the veil.' BYU, added Olmstead, is a faith-based institution. 'That gives us the opportunity to really praise God and just understand that we're representing something bigger than ourselves — and our players do a really good job at that.' There are inherent pressures of competing for BYU. Players are watched closely by the school's global fanbase and others because of its unique aspects. 'We talk about that all the time: Doing the best you can with what you have and being honest and true and having integrity and playing with character.' It's easy to spot the same spiritual impulses that guided Trudy Olmstead at a difficult moment 45 years ago now at play in the life of her daughter. During the good times — and the rough times — Heather Olmstead discovers strength through her faith. 'Just by turning to the Lord and being able to be in the temple weekly and growing in my relationship with Jesus Christ.' The Olmsteads, of course, are one the church's first families of volleyball. Rick Olmstead played volleyball at what's now known as Brigham Young University-Hawaii. He later coached the sport, counting sport legend Karch Kiraly as one of his players. Growing up in Southern California gave the Olmstead kids almost daily opportunities to hone their skills. Several played volleyball at the college level — including Heather (Utah State) and her older brother, Shawn, who's now the men's coach at BYU. So are all Olmstead family gatherings and discussions centered around volleyball? 'We don't talk about volleyball at all when we're with family or celebrating,' said Heather Olmstead, laughing. 'We're just living our lives. We're at baptisms. We're at Thanksgiving and we're at family gatherings. We're at missionary homecomings for our nieces and nephews. … There's no volleyball talk.' And, no, Heather Olmstead never drops unsolicited coaching advice on her brother, Shawn — or vice versa. Still, she's quick to add she welcomes and appreciates coaching mentors — including her brother, her dad and family friend, Karch Kiraly. Olmstead's own unique faith and family history continues to inform her interactions with her players in a highly-competitive and always scrutinized college sports environment. 'How can we help them remember,' she asks, 'that their individual worth comes from being a daughter of God?' For many years, Mother's Day was, well, work, for Trudy Olmstead. After all, the holiday falls on a Sunday. It may have been mom's 'special day' — but there were also seven active kids that needed to be scrubbed and dressed for church. But time has deepened Trudy's appreciation for the holiday. 'I cherish it,' she said. 'I am so grateful as a mother to have my children and to have my grandchildren. 'Mother's Day, to me, is like the celebration of life, because I was given life.' And, yes, anytime the Olmsteads watch President Nelson provide people, worldwide, with their own reasons to hope and believe, their spirits are once again lifted. 'I say to myself, 'The prophet had my heart in his hands,'' said Trudy Olmstead. 'He did, literally, have my heart and lungs in his hands — but also figuratively. My heart is completely in awe and respect and love for him.' And with each passing year of her own life, Coach Olmstead's 'awe and respect' for her mother — and the risks she made, without hesitation, for her and Nicole — only expand. 'Being able to be with my mom,' she said, 'and to spend Mother's Day with her, and show my gratitude and my love for her, has been special.'
