My name is Robert C. Van Sweden and I want to welcome you to the website: Scriptures 101.

I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I have had the opportunity of serving a mission to the Netherlands and of teaching both Early Morning Seminary to teenagers, and the Gospel Doctrine class to adults.

I greatly enjoy teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to others. My desire has always been to inform them of the principles and beliefs of the Church in a manner that is understandable. This website and the subsequent lessons are only an extension of that desire.

The subjects to be covered are: The Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Covenants. Each subject will consist of approximately forty-five, 15 to 20 page lessons. Each lesson will include comments and quotes from other authors, maps, and commentary by myself.

The subtitle of this venture would be: Simplifying [meaning “to make more intelligible, to clarify” (see simplify. Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary, 1099). My goal is to simplify the Old Testament, New Testament, Book of Mormon, or Doctrine and Covenants through discussion on scripture and commentary. You will note, as you continue, that this website is based upon the scriptures. For the most part, the scripture being addressed is provided as part of the text. The goal is that you, as the reader, will then have a clear picture of the scripture, along with the commentary provided by some experts in the field. The main purpose is to make the scriptures more understandable and applicable in our lives.

This endeavor, except where noted, is my own, and I alone am responsible for its content. I believe that the lessons taught are consistent with the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but the Church is not responsible for this website. It is a private venture on my part.

I am grateful to others who have contributed to this website and made it better than it would have been otherwise.

Feel free to print the lessons for your personal enrichment as well as for use in a classroom setting. It is important that you use this material as it was originally intended, to enhance and deepen your understanding and appreciation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in both ancient and modern-day scriptures. All material in these lessons is copyrighted and should be acknowledged accordingly. For information about referencing content from this website, please review my Copyright, Terms, and Conditions page.

If you have questions or comments, please complete our online form on this website.

Again, Welcome to Scriptures 101. I hope you enjoy your experience.

Robert C. Van Sweden
November, 2012