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When Bullying Happens on Missions: What You Can Do About It

Kelsey Berteaux - From the very first day, Elder Davis* knew it was going to be a hard transfer. He just didn’t realize how hard.  Most of his mission, he'd had the typical experience. Overall, he'd gotten along well with companions. Sure, there had been minor problems, but nothing like the things he experienced in what Davis would later dub his "transfer of darkness." Initial disagreements with his companion about following mission rules quickly led to more serious struggles. “Every time I offered a comment I was told I was being uptight and stupid,” Davis says. Even in front of those they were teaching,...

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Why We Can't Turn Away from Politics (+ 4 Easy Ways to Get Involved)

Danielle Wright - “Ignoring isn’t the same as ignorance—you have to work at it.”  ―  Margaret Atwood,   The Handmaid's Tale   Our country is polarized—this much is certain. And when it all becomes too much for our busy lives, it’s tempting to avoid politics and the news completely. Feeling overwhelmed, we understandably become insular, focusing only on our everyday responsibilities. Apathy and cynicism about politics is widespread in the U.S., as (according to Pew) over 20 percent of adult citizens are not even registered to vote, and of those that are, millions fail to submit ballots. The daunting task of educating oneself on...

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5 Teachings from the Apocrypha Latter-day Saints Can Learn From

Jared Ludlow - Laura Harris Hales of LDS Perspectives Podcast recently interviewed Jared Ludlow on Exploring the Apocrypha from a Latter-day Saint Perspective , a new book that introduces to a Latter-day Saint audience what the Apocrypha is and how it was treated in the early Church by Joseph Smith and others. It also gives a book-by-book overview of the contents of the Apocrypha and what a Latter-day Saint reader might glean from it. While the Apocrypha is mentioned in Doctrine and Covenants 91 when Joseph Smith asked whether he should translate it as part of his Bible translation project (the JST), it is...

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Why a Jewish Senior Producer for "The Daily Show" Made a Documentary About Studio C (+What She Learned About Latter-day Saints)

Morgan Jones - What would lead a Jewish Senior Segment Producer on The Daily Show  to want to make a documentary about a BYUtv sketch comedy show? It certainly helps that the show’s sketches have been wildly successful, garnering more than one billion views collectively. It helps that the show has caught the attention of other big names in the comedy world like Conan O’Brien and Kenan Thompson. Still, Juliet Werner’s decision to create The Laughter Life , a documentary that shows a week behind the scenes of the production of Studio C , is intriguing. We recently spoke with Werner about the release...

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Tributes to Slain University of Utah Athlete Show That Rivalry Isn't Everything

Morgan Jones - The higher education community in Utah was left grief-stricken after student-athlete Lauren McCluskey was shot and killed on Monday night. The tragedy has proved to be larger and more significant than any collegiate sports rivalry as students from Brigham Young University and Utah State are reportedly wearing red in memory of McCluskey, a talented track and field athlete. BYU assistant athletic director David Almodova posted one particularly touching photo of the BYU women’s cross country team running in red shirts on Wednesday morning. Our BYU women’s cross country team during morning workout this morning wearing red in memory of Lauren McCluskey....

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Josh Groban Raves About Tabernacle Choir: "They Produce a Sound That Transcends," "Reaches Your Soul, Your Bones"

Danielle B. Wagner - It's no secret Latter-day Saints love Josh Groban. Last year, when LDS Living  created a poll to see which celebrity Latter-day Saints would most want to see perform with the Tabernacle Choir on Temple Square , Josh Groban swept the competition,  landing 14 percent above any other artist . And, in a recent interview with the Deseret News , Josh Groban made it known that his respect and love of the Tabernacle Choir is mutual. “I have always loved that choir,” Groban said . “I have always thought they produce a sound that just transcends — it absolutely just reaches your...

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19-Year-Old Swimsuit Designer Becomes Youngest Person to Win Phoenix Fashion Week's "Designer of the Year"

Yvonne Liu - Marissa Barlow, a 19-year-old fashion designer from Logan, Utah, recently participated in the Emerging Designer Bootcamp leading up to Phoenix Fashion Week. All of Barlow's hard work paid off when she was named Phoenix Fashion Week's "Designer of the Year" on October 20, 2018.   Barlow revealed her Spring 2019 collection at Phoenix Fashion Week's premier showcase on October 18 and competed with 14 other designers to become the "Lifestyle Designer of the Year." She won the $10,000 prize package made up of goods designed to help the new brand succeed.  "Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would...

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A Twist on a Beloved Parable That Will Help Us When Loved Ones Leave the Church

ChurchofJesusChrist.org - What touching insights from Celeste Davis that were shared on   lds.org .  In the article, she discusses how she learned what one of her friends who left the Church needed most, and why we are often blind to that need. “What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?” —Luke 15:4 There is a lot I love about the parable of the lost sheep, but perhaps my favorite aspect is that the shepherd goes...

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Elder Andersen Shares Game to Review Conference, Teach the Gospel in the Home

LDS Living Staff - Are you up for the General Conference Challenge? On October 23, Elder Neil L. Andersen posted a fun, interactive way for families to review this past general conference in their homes. "I know many of us are pondering the best ways to better teach the gospel at home. There are numerous resources now available, and as we pray for the guidance of the Lord, we will find many new ways that will lift and strengthen our families," Elder Andersen says. "In my daughter’s family, she creates  a general conference review game every six months. I have shared it once before. I...

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Watch: President Nelson Gives Apostolic Blessing, Bears Testimony in Spanish

LDS Living - While in Peru during his South American ministry tour, President Russell M. Nelson did something unexpected—he dismissed his interpreter to speak to Latter-day Saints in their own language. Watch their touching reactions and hear President Nelson's powerful witness as he bestows an apostolic blessing in Spanish. ...