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Notorious American Train Robber Butch Cassidy, a Mormon?

Kelsey Berteaux - A Mormon outlaw? It seems like it should be an oxymoron. Latter-day Saints take pride in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, and virtuous, and in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. Cassidy may have struggled with that last bit, but small things in his mild manner like a commitment not to drink alcohol or gamble ring familiar to practicing Mormons. He may have left the Church, but the influence of his Mormon upbringing never completely left him.  Born in 1866 in Beaver, Utah, as Robert LeRoy Parker to pioneers Maximillian Parker and Ann Campbell Gillies, Cassidy came from faithful Mormon stock....

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23 Beautiful Celestial Rooms Around the World (Photos)

LDS Living Staff - Temples are some of the holiest places on earth, and within each temple is a special place known as the celestial room. According to lds.org , "The celestial room symbolizes the exalted and peaceful state that all may achieve through living the gospel of Jesus Christ. This room represents the contentment, inner harmony, and peace available to eternal families in the presence of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ." Each of these stunning rooms is a little different from temple to temple. Here are a handful of these unique, special rooms. All images, unless otherwise indicated, are from Mormon Newsroom....

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First Temple with an Angel Moroni Statue + Other Fascinating Temple Firsts

Jannalee Rosner - The first temple built by the Latter-day Saints in the modern dispensation was in Kirtland, Ohio. It was the start of a long tradition of building and dedicating temples to the Lord. Since then, many other temples have been built, and some with the distinction of being the "first"—from the first to be built on a particular continent to the first to offer temple ordinances in a language. Here are a few more of those unique "firsts." Location Firsts Laie Hawaii (Originally dedicated in 1919) The first temple to serve members living outside the immediate area of Church headquarters. (Kirtland, Nauvoo,...

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What Do Missionaries Do All Day? Primary Kids Explain in (Adorable) New Video

LDS Living Staff - Pass by any Primary room on a Sunday and you just might hear children belting "I Hope They Call Me on a Mission" with more than a little gusto. While these Primary kids still have a foot or two left to grow before they put on a name tag and start knocking on doors, they definitely had some cute things to say about missionaries. Watch as Primary kids give adorable explanations of what a missionary is and what they do.  ► You'll also like: Primary Kids Explain Temple Marriage in Cute New Video To help children learn the importance of missionary...

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New "Drop Off" Movie Trailer Will Leave Your Heart Pounding

LDS Living Staff - Filled with adventure, high-speed dirt bike chases, and good vs. evil, the new Drop Off   trailer promises everything a family-friendly action movie should be. Created by Latter-day Saint Lyman Dayton (director of Where the Red Fern Grows  and Against a Crooked Sky)  and featuring former Mormon Tabernacle Choir singer Alex Boye as "Pastor Aiken,"  Drop Off  is an adventure film the whole family will love. When 13-year-old Tim Parker and his underprivileged buddies have a million dollars dropped in their laps by criminals on the run, it seems like an answer to their prayers. In need of an adult to...

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Lindsey Stirling + Spider-Man = One Amazing Music Video

LDS Living Staff - Whether you're a fan of Spider-Man or not, this epic music video is sure to give you chills.  Featuring musical artists Lindsey Stirling and Lang Lang, "Spider-Man Theme" is a music video that brings out your inner superhero.   Check it out!   ...

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Elder Cook Addresses the Good (and Bad) of Social Media and Asks Members to do the Same

LDS Living Staff - After addressing the young adults of the Church in a devotional Sunday night, Elder Quentin L. Cook invited members to share their thoughts on social media. Elder Cook mentioned that social media can be a blessing, especially concerning family history, but shared concerns over how members abuse social media in his Facebook post: "Do we ever hide our identity and subject others to unkind comments or opinions? Does social media interfere with the time we would normally spend with religious observance in the home or quality family time? Is the amount of time spent on the internet with games and trivia...

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3 Things We Need to Know When We Don't Understand God's Plan for Us

LDS.org - I think we as humans crave certainty and control. When we encounter complex issues and situations—more general ones like polygamy or priesthood restrictions, or intensely personal ones like having same-sex attraction or dealing with a devastating divorce or death—we want to make sense of them. We want to know why it’s happening and how everything is going to work out. In the absence of a clear explanation, we or others may invent one. The truth is, sometimes we have to grapple with ambiguity. As much as we want Him to, God does not always give us neat explanations that tie up...

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Descendants Visit Graves That Likely Belong to Their Slain Mountain Meadows Massacre Ancestors

LDS Living Staff - Descendants of the Mountain Meadows Massacre victims were able to visit what is believed to be two gravesites that belong to their ancestors for the first time on Saturday.  On Sept. 11, 1857, 120 men, women, and children of the Baker-Fancher wagon train were shot and killed by a Mormon militia after the wagon train stopped in the meadows on its way to California. It is believed the nearly 160-year-old graves discovered by archaeologist Everett Bassett in August 2014 belong to some of those killed in the massacre. ► You'll also like:  The Mountain Meadows Massacre: 5 Things Every Mormon Should Know...

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Why We Need to Stop Putting on "Our Best Airs of Perfection" and Share the Messy Parts of Motherhood

Joy Madsen - This article was originally published on Joy Madsen's Facebook page and was published on ldsliving.com with the permission of Joy Madsen.  To my fellow mothers of young children: I’ve talked to three different moms today all in three different stages of motherhood and each of those conversations have been ones of empathy—twice I’ve said, “I understand, I’ve been there, it will get easier,” and once I’ve said, “I understand, and I hope it will get better for both of us.” The fact is motherhood is hard. It is SO hard. It’s easily the hardest thing I have ever done. And lately...