In 1842 Joseph Smith published a sketch of “Church History” that included two core ideals: “We claim the privilege of worshipping Almighty God according to the dictates of our own conscience” and “We believe… in obeying, honoring and sustaining the law.” These statements occasionally stand in tension with one another as Church members seek to ensure free exercise of religion while upholding the law. The history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints amply illustrates the challenge its members have faced to freely exercise their deeply held religious convictions when those convictions were condemned by law. This volume offers historical and global perspectives on how the Latter-day Saints' understanding of religious freedom has been forged through the crucible of their experience.

Hard cover.