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40667

Elder Christofferson Applauds Journalists as "Ambassadors of Freedom"

Deseret News - "We honor your efforts to give voice to the voiceless, to shine light on the difficulties of our world and to bestow dignity on the human experience," Elder Christofferson said. "May God bless you and protect you as you go forward as ambassadors of freedom and human rights." Journalists play a crucial role in society as ambassadors of freedom and human rights, Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the LDS Church's Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said on Saturday night. Speaking in Spanish in the Little Theater of the Conference Center in downtown Salt Lake City, Elder Christofferson told the Inter American Press...

40677

How Elder Ballard Responded When a Member Told Him He Was a False Prophet

M. Russell Ballard, excerpted from "Yesterday, Today, and Forever" - The following was excerpted from Elder M. Russell Ballard's book  Yesterday, Today, and Forever . I have often taught that one of the ways you can be involved in sharing the gospel is to write down a date in the next two or three months that you want to have someone prepared to be taught by the missionaries. Then ask your Father in Heaven for guidance and help. Ask Him to bless you to be alert and prepared. Let me share with you a couple of experiences members have had in doing this. Sometime after I talked about this concept in...

40542

To Every Mormon Who Thinks They Aren’t a Creative Person

Jannalee Sandau - Have you ever heard someone say, “Oh, I’m not creative”? I’ve not only heard this phrase dozens of times, I’ve also said it. But is it true? President Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared in an October 2008 conference talk , “The desire to create is one of the deepest yearnings of the human soul. No matter our talents, education, backgrounds, or abilities, we each have an inherent wish to create something that did not exist before.” Where did this desire come from? God the Creator I think it is an undisputed fact that children inherit some talents and traits from their parents....

38474

"Forrest Gump," "Rain Man" + 13 More Movies Based on Mormons' Lives

Danielle B. Wagner - Editor's Note: Some of the films referenced in this article contain strong language and adult content. LDS Living is merely reporting on true stories from the lives of Latter-day Saints, not suggesting that you should watch all of the movies on this list. Here are just 15 examples of Mormons who lived lives that were so inspiring, they were turned into full-length films. Foxcatcher Nominated for three Golden Globes (Best Movie, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor) and five Academy Awards (Best Actor, Best Supporting Actor, Best Director, Best Screenplay, Best Hair and Makeup), not many would have guessed the critically acclaimed...

40651

The Surprising and Touching Reason Elder Bednar Left a Stake Leadership Meeting to Attend a Sporting Event

David A. Bednar, as excerpted from "One by One" - The following is an excerpt from Elder Bednar's book One by One .   Many years ago, while serving as a stake president, I was scheduled to preside at and participate in a stake priesthood leadership meeting. The gathering was to be held in our stake center located approximately 65 miles from our home. The drive to the stake center typically required from 70 to 85 minutes, depending upon weather and road conditions. The leadership session was to begin at 4:30 p.m. Sitting on the stand a few minutes before the starting time, I turned to one of my counselors and...

40639

5 Major Similarities Between Islam and the LDS Church and Why They Matter

Kaeley Scruggs - Islam is a severely misunderstood religion. Most people don’t know very much about Islam besides what they see on the news, or that many people in the Mesopotamian area are Muslim. A closer look at this religion and our religion will reveal there are several common threads between the two religions. When we see similarities between our religion and others, it helps build bridges and understanding. It helps us realize how we are often misunderstood as well as how we misunderstand others’ beliefs, even while having good intentions. Islam has five core principles that are very similar to important parts of...

40649

Where Is the Spirit World? President Nelson Provides Fascinating Answers

President Russell M. Nelson, excerpted from "The Gateway We Call Death" - The following is excerpted from President Nelson's book  The Gateway We Call Death. Each time I attend a funeral, I see tears of sadness occasioned by separation from a loved one. Especially am I touched by the weeping of children in demonstration of their sweet special love and pure grief. How I long to comfort them! Often they ask questions pertaining to the whereabouts of their dear one. There seem to be more questions than answers. How thankful we are that the Lord has revealed important information to satisfy our yearnings to know more about the future—act three of our drama...

30441

3 Underwater Mormon Ghost Towns You Can See Today

Danielle B. Wagner - While many ghost towns founded by Latter-day Saints have exciting histories, three Mormon ghost towns stand out from the rest. These ghost towns, once submerged by water, have only recently been uncovered, revealing new insights into the Saints that lived there. Drought—it is something many desert dwellers fear, yet these dry spells often reveal interesting mysteries and treasures from the past. Including ghost towns. Many ghost towns founded by Latter-day Saints have exciting histories, and some, like Grafton and Paria, have been used as movie sets ( Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid , Buffalo Bill, and the Rat Pack's Sergeant...

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The Most-Used Word in the Book of Mormon: 4 Powerful Insights It Taught Me

Danielle B. Wagner - Recently, I experimented with diving a little deeper into the Book of Mormon, reading, experiencing, and examining it in an entirely new way—through text analysis. Before you tune me out, let me assure you the process is much more fascinating than it might sound. I took the text of the Book of Mormon (not including chapter summaries that were added later) and ran each book through a program that looks at everything from the most-used words and phrases in the text to its level of readability, number of characters, longest sentence (Captain Moroni holds the record with a sentence of 135...

40660

Watch: LDS Musicians Create Moving Song Dedicated to Boy Who Passed Away from Cancer

LDS Living Staff - LDS musicians Monica Scott and Sarah Arnesen recently released a music video to honor Cohen, their friend's son who passed away, and all children who battle cancer. In addition, the musicians want to testify of God’s love and consideration for all His children through their music. When Cohen passed away, Monica Scott's friend asked her to play at his funeral. She said she would say a prayer and play if a song came to her. “The next day, this little melody came,” she says, and “For Coey” came together. But she knew she needed a cello to complete the duet, and she called up...