A Study Guide and a Teacher’s Manual Gospel Principles was written both as a personal study guide and as a teacher’s manual. As you study it, seeking the Spirit of the Lord, you can grow in your understanding and testimony of God the Father, Jesus Christand His Atonement, and the Restoration of the gospel. You can find answers to life’s questions, gain an assurance of your purpose and self-worth, and face personal and family challenges with faith.

In one of the first homilies after his election, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI said: “There is nothing more beautiful than to be surprised by the Gospel, by the encounter with Christ.” In his newest book, Encountering Jesus in Word, Sacraments, and Works of Charity, popular DC-based pastor and teacher Msgr. Peter J. Vaghi connects this vision to everyday life, drawing on gospel passages that portray Christ’s power and his important teaching in parables. He also offers challenging reflections that show readers how they can draw near to Christ: by studying scripture, celebrating the sacraments, and exercising the ministry of charity. This essential resource is perfect for those fostering the New Evangelization, the newly baptized, during the mystagogy phase of RCIA, catechist formation, and adult education. Msgr. Peter Vaghi presents a fresh and challenging look at how to encounter and grow close to Jesus through scripture, the sacraments, and acts of charity. Prayers and reflection questions at the end of each chapter make this an ideal guide for small groups and other settings of adult faith formation.

In the first meeting of the Relief Society, Sister Emma Smith said, “We are going to do something extraordinary.” She was right. The history of Relief Society is filled with examples of ordinary women who have accomplished extraordinary things as they have exercised faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Relief Society was established to help prepare daughters of God for the blessings of eternal life. The purposes of Relief Society are to increase faith and personal righteousness, strengthen families and homes, and provide relief by seeking out and helping those in need. Women fulfill these purposes as they seek, receive, and act on personal revelation in their callings and in their personal lives. This book is not a chronological history, nor is it an attempt to provide a comprehensive view of all that the Relief Society has accomplished. Instead, it provides a historical view of the grand scope of the work of the Relief Society. Through historical accounts, personal experiences, scriptures, and words of latter-day prophets and Relief Society leaders, this book teaches about the responsibilities and opportunities Latter-day Saint women are given in Heavenly Father’s plan of happiness.