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The Message Elder Holland Delivered at an Outdoor Sacrament Meeting of 2,100 Members

Deseret News - At the National Scout Jamboree, Elder Holland addressed an estimated 2,100 members "nose to nose, face to face, eyeball to eyeball" with a message we all should consider.  Picture this setting of an outdoor sacrament meeting: 60 priests blessing the sacrament on a long row of cloth-covered folding tables, with 180 deacons passing the bread and water to an estimated 2,100 teens, adult leaders and guests sitting quietly on a grassy hillside. Two Church leaders speaking at the service — Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and Brother Stephen W. Owen, the Young Men general president...

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Elder Cook: Why We Cannot Abandon What "Gives Meaning to This Life"

LDS Living Staff - While the world often disregards basic moral values, their importance is what helps shape society and give meaning to life.  And recently, Elder Quentin L. Cook shared a Facebook post about just how important this basic moral high ground is to everyone, including Church members. I am deeply concerned that faith, accountability to God, and religious freedom are so often seen as antithetical to our modern secular society. I am equally concerned that the foundations which have historically supported faith, accountability to God, and the religious impulse are increasingly being marginalized in a secular world. They are derided and even banished...

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Elder Cook Opens Black Church Leadership Summit (+Video)

Newsroom - “If there is to be ‘fairness for all,’ no one should face a threat to their very existence,” Elder Cook said at the Black Church Leadership Summit. “All should affirmatively recognize that everyone is entitled to protection for their core freedoms and interests. We cannot abandon the basic moral high ground that gives meaning to this life and has guided civilizations for centuries.” Quoting an iconic Baptist preacher and a well-known Jewish rabbi, Mormon apostle Elder Quentin L. Cook made the case Wednesday at the Princeton Theological Seminary in New Jersey that a “fairness for all” approach to religious freedom is critical because...

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How I Learned What True Ministering Looks Like While in Prison

Name Withheld - The Savior is our perfect example in all things. If we want to know how to better develop an attribute, value, or characteristic in any way, we need only look to Him. With a new mandate from our prophet to minister more effectively to each other, it seemed obvious to turn to the scriptures and see how the Savior did it. I was surprised how quickly my search turned from how the Savior ministered to who He ministered to. In hindsight, this should have been obvious as ministering is not so much about the act as the people. Home teaching and...

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FHE: Lessons from Beauty and the Beast

Carly M. Springer - Thought: "God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect. Let me add: God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not. And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses. It’s wonderful that you have strengths. And it is part of your mortal experience that...

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Watch: Alex Boyé's Performance of "Where You Are" from "Moana" Is Incredible

LDS Living Staff - During the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's Pioneer Day concert, Alex Boyé sang "Where You Are" from the popular Disney film Moana. Check out this amazing performance: To hear more incredible performances of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir with legendary artists like James Taylor, Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, and more, check out Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Friends. ...

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Watch: When Olivia Newton-John and Marie Osmond Performed a Powerfully Emotional Song for Charity

LDS Living Staff - In 2016, Marie Osmond, co-founder of the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals, brought one of her "dearest, sweetest, most lovely friends" to perform at the charity's annual conference, Olivia Newton-John. Watch the incredible performance. ...

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The Dream That Led a 3-Time Olympic Medalist to Join the Church

Danielle B. Wagner - Standing at an incredible 6 feet 11 inches, Krešimir Ćosić was made for basketball. Born in Zadar, Yugoslavia (now Croatia), on November 26, 1948, Ćosić began playing on his national team at 16 and won two world championships and three European championships during his lifetime. He also competed in four Games, earning three Olympic medals. After helping Yugoslavia secure a silver medal during his first Olympic appearance in 1968, Ćosić was persuaded, with the help of BYU’s head basketball coach, Stan Watts, to attend Brigham Young University. When he first arrived on BYU’s campus, rimmed with the jagged, imperial Wasatch Mountains, Ćosić experienced...

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Why the Name of the Church Changed Over Time

Jannalee Rosner - “What church do you belong to?” “The Catholic church.” “The Protestant church.” “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Compared to churches worldwide, the official name of the Mormon church can seem like a mouthful, but every part of this name came through revelation. When the Church was organized in 1830, it was organized under the simple name “The Church of Christ.” This was in line with ancient references in the Book of Mormon: “And they were called the church of God, or the church of Christ , from that time forward. And it came to pass that whosoever was...

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Preach My Gospel FHE: Lesson 6

Jannalee Sandau - Get all six of these lessons in this series here. Goal: Choose one way that you haven’t tried to share the gospel before. Find an opportunity to share your short statements with somebody this week using your new method. Songs: “I Believe in Christ” (Hymns, no. 134), “The Things I Do” (CS, no. 170) Lesson: Start by having family members list places where there are people who don’t know about the Church. This can include places like school, social clubs, work, and social media sites. Ask them to think of someone specifically from one of these places and keep them in...