In the October 2019 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson invited everyone to “immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration” in preparation for the upcoming April 2020 General Conference. He suggested studying the First Vision and asking yourself important questions like “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?” or “How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?”. President Nelson also promised, “It is your personal preparation that will help April’s general conference become for you not only memorable but unforgettable. The time to act is now. This is a hinge point in the history of the Church, and your part is vital.”
We’ve put together a list of 10 suggested study items for the upcoming 10 weeks leading up to General Conference. Preparing for conference will look different for each person—feel free to study as much or as little of this as you’d like. But we hope this will serve as a jumping off point for your own individual and family study.
Week 1: Read Joseph Smith’s First Vision in the Pearl of Great Price (1838 account)
Week 2: Read Elder Uchtdorf’s talk, “The Fruits of the First Vision”
Week 3: Read the First Vision gospel topic essay
Week 4: Study the other accounts of the First Vision; and the gospel topics essay “First Vision Accounts”
Week 5: Listen to “The First Vision”, a podcast the Church recently released (6 episodes)
Week 6: Read and discuss as a family “Because of Joseph”, New Era, April 2015
Week 7: Read Saints: The Standard of Truth, Volume 1 (Chapters 1 + 2)
Week 8: Watch the video "Ask of God"
Week 9: Learn more about the testimonies of the Three Witnesses of the Book of Mormon
Week 10: Listen to the Truman G. Madsen lecture: “The First Vision and it's Aftermath”
Check our stake instagram page and Third Hour (our Facebook discussion group) for more information as we discuss one of these sources each week for the 10 weeks leading up to General Conference.
More information to study is also available at a new “Restoration” section of the Church website:
lds.org
Looking for more things to study? Here are a few more resources about Joseph Smith:
Once or Twice in a Thousand Years by Bruce R. McConkie
The Profile of a Prophet by Hugh B. Brown
BYU Speeches Joseph Smith collection Talks given at Brigham Young University