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When a Little Boy from India Addressed a Letter to the "Men in Charge of the Church"

ChurchofJesusChrist.org - I often look back at my journey from being a “jungle boy” in rural India to being where I am today and know that my life and faith are truly miracles. The Lord’s embroidery of my life is more beautiful than I ever expected.  I was born in a small jungle village surrounded by the Eastern Ghats mountain range in India. When I was 18 months old, we moved to the village Dangrapalli on the banks of the River Kolab. I was transported in a basket while my parents walked. The village consisted of 20–25 families, who lived in small huts...

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3 Things Parents of Returned Missionaries Should Never Forget to Do

Steve and Marianna Richardson - John walked off the plane to see his family waiting for him with balloons and a homemade banner. Tears flowed freely as he hugged his parents, his little brothers and sisters, and his childhood friends who had come to welcome him home. After the parties, cakes, speeches, and celebration were over, he felt a little lost, not knowing what to do. On his mission, every day was planned to the hilt and evaluated against his key indicators. Now his family was telling him to take it easy, relax, and just hang out. He’d worked so hard for two years and discovered...

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Church Launches Stunning Online Exhibit of Artwork from the Book of Mormon

LDS Living - The Church History Museum of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently launched a new online exhibit titled “‘ Exceedingly Valiant for Courage’: Bravery in the Book of Mormon ” this week. The exhibit’s artwork portrays how figures in the Book of Mormon displayed courage to declare their faith and defend their families. It is part of the museum’s ongoing series of online art exhibits highlighting the stories of the Book of Mormon. The new exhibit exemplifies many of the ways in which valiant men and women in the Book of Mormon exemplified bravery, showcasing treasured stories such as...

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Why Discrimination Against Mormons Is Diminishing on College Campuses

Deseret News - Misperceptions about Latter-day Saints in the academy have dissipated on campuses across America. This will continue as Mormons themselves increasingly become respected colleagues and productive participants within academic life. A prominent member of the LDS Church recently related an uncomfortable anecdote. An Ivy League professor sent him a letter endorsing a student for a job in his office. The recommendation highlighted the applicant’s many virtues but cautioned that the candidate was a Mormon, and, in the professor's opinion, Mormon students tend to exhibit strong work ethic but lack “intellectual imagination.” Several years later, this professor sent a recommendation for a different...

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Church Leaders Share How New Seminary Program Will Help Youth Tackle Hard Questions

Church News - “This is revelation,” said Elder Kim B. Clark, General Authority and Commissioner of Church Education. “This is the Lord moving us to a position to educate and develop the rising generation in a more powerful way than we have ever done before.” For the past 10 years, Richard Dowse has been teaching released-time seminary in Utah County. Whether he is teaching about families, studying the scriptures, or helping students work through a question, he hopes his classroom is a place for students to feel the Spirit as they learn about the gospel. “Our youth are trying to make sense of things...

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Music Video: Jenny Oaks Baker & 4 Children Play Incredible String Arrangement

LDS Living - With violins, piano, cello, and guitar, Jenny Oaks Baker and her four children play an exciting "Copland Rock Suite." Check it out! Check out more from Jenny Oaks Baker with Classic: The Rock Album ,  Wish Upon a Star: A Tribute to the Music of Walt Disney , and  Then Sings My Soul . ...

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5 Short Videos Every Woman Needs to See to Realize How Beautiful She Is

Darcy Doxey and Danielle B. Wagner - When we watch Disney movies or cartoon fairy tales, it's often easy for us to distinguish reality from fantasy. Sure some false ideals of beauty might be sneaking into our subconscious as we watch these shows, but we realize no one's eyes can really be that big and no one's waist that small if they want to be able to breathe. But what about the rest of it? What about the ads, the Instagram selfies, the movies and magazines that show people that look so close to reality it's hard to distinguish the fiction? What about all of the blemishes, the...

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After Her Son Committed Suicide: The Unforgettable Lesson One LDS Mom Learned

Katie Lambert - Stories are a huge part of Kathryn Jenkins Gordon's life. As an author of more than 100 books and the managing editor of Covenant Communications, she knows how to tell a good story—including her own.  Gordon's story is one of the featured stories in Endure it Well , a film that captures the trials and spiritual triumphs of LDS members. "The number one thing was reliance on the Lord," Gordon says about her experience. "And you know I think when we say, 'oh, endure to the end,’ well what choice do you have? You’re going to endure to the end. I...

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9 Steps to Winning a Pinewood Derby

LDS Living staff - For decades, the pinewood derby has been a dad’s running ground to show his son—and the ward—his mechanical savvy. Pretty obvious when you say it, but winning really lies in the pinewood derby designs. Here are some easy tips to consider when planning your car. 1. Follow the pinewood derby rules. You can’t win if you don’t get the chance to race. 2. Pick one of the many pinewood derby designs. This is your chance to design a car that looks unique and creative. Choose from a popular design, or create your own. 2. Consider aerodynamics. Cars with a low profile...

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U.S. Olympian After Making the Rio Team: "I'm Here to Love and Serve Christ"

LDS Living - Recently, Team USA shared a video to their Facebook page  of David Boudia and Steele Johnson's final dive that clinched their placement on Team USA. But more incredible than their performance was the testimony they shared after their dive: “It’s cool because this is exciting, this is fun but this is not what my identity will be for the rest of my life. Yeah, I’m Steele Johnson the Olympian, but at the same time, I’m here to love and serve Christ. My identity is rooted in Christ, not in the flips we’re doing,” said Johnson. His diving partner, Boudia added, "We can't...