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Realizing ‘the privileges and blessings and gifts of the priesthood’: Emma Smith’s role in the early days of Relief Society

Jennifer Reeder, excerpted from “First: The Life and Faith of Emma Smith” - On June 9, 1842, Joseph visited the Relief Society and spoke again of their purpose: “The Society is not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls.” 1 The practice of service taught the women more than temporal assistance, such as sewing shirts for men working on the temple. It also prepared the women for their own temple endowment. Learning the salvific practice of holiness occurred as women lifted each other and others. Eliza R. Snow wrote poetically of the Nauvoo Relief Society, “It is an Order , fitted and design’d / To meet the wants of body, and of...

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Watch: BYU Cougarettes crush 2021 NDA hip-hop competition with 20th national title

LDS Living - The BYU Cougarettes have topped the charts once again, claiming the Division I-A hip-hop title at the 2021 NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship on April 10. It’s the 20th time the team has won a national championship in the 40 years that the National Cheer Association (NCA) and National Dance Alliance (NDA) national events have been held. This year, the Cougarettes are under direction from new co-head coaches Stacy Bills and Morgan St. Pierre. Director and choreographer Jodi Maxfield, who led the Cougarettes for 30 years, retired last April, KSL reported .  This was the 25th anniversary of the event...

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Europe Area Presidency sends letter of condolence following the passing of Prince Philip

Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - The Europe Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints conveyed a message of condolence and sympathy following the passing of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. The letter was sent via Her Majesty The Queen’s Private Secretary, Rt. Hon. Edward Young CVO: Madam, On behalf of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints across the UK and in the rest of Europe, we wish to express our heartfelt condolences and deepest sympathy following the passing of His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. Our thoughts and sincerest prayers are with Your Majesty and...

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Groundbreaking date announced for Tallahassee Florida Temple

Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has announced that the Tallahassee Florida Temple groundbreaking will be held in June 2021. Elder James B. Martino, North America Southeast Area President, will preside at the event. Attendance at the site will be by invitation only because of current local COVID-19 guidelines. The temple in Florida’s capital city was announced in April 2020 by Church President Russell M. Nelson. It will be the state’s third temple. The single-story temple of approximately 29,000 square feet will be built on a 4.97-acre site located at 2440 Papillion Way in Tallahassee,...

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Harvard symposium for prevention of child sexual abuse shares 2 general conference talks on website

LDS Living - Two talks from the most recent general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were shared on Harvard’s Faith and Flourishing: Strategies for Preventing and Healing Child Sexual Abuse symposium website . Which two talks were they? Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s “ Not as the World Giveth ” and Sister Joy D. Jones’s “ Essential Conversations .”    The symposium, which took place on April 8, 2021, seeks to give participants “a unique opportunity to engage with scholars, public health and mental health care professionals, child abuse prevention experts, and religious leaders of diverse faith traditions to share experiences, discover...

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Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple to move from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of reopening

Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Editor's note: In April, 39 temples will begin Phase 2-B of reopening and seven temples will move to Phase 3. A  complete list of temples  and their status is included after the press release.  Phase 1 • Seven temples are in Phase 1. Phase 2 • 87 temples will be in Phase 2 as of April 19, 2021. •  On April 19, 2021, the Philadelphia Pennsylvania Temple will pass from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of reopening. ► You'll also like:  Watch: How a Former NFL Player's Powerful Testimony Helped Bring a Temple to Philadelphia Phase 2-B • The following 17...

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8 products to help you revisit the messages and themes of April general conference

Haley Lundberg - With new temples announced and messages of hope, kindness, inclusion, and strong foundations, we are excited to study the important topics discussed during general conference and refocus our personal lives and actions. Here are just a few of the themes we picked up on alongside some great resources to help further your personal studies of the topics covered. General Conference Addresses, Journal Edition, April 2021 In the Sunday afternoon session, Elder David A. Bednar spoke about the importance of the messages of conference and encouraged us to use the principles taught in conference to govern our lives.  The General Conference Addresses,...

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Beloved Latter-day Saint actor Kirby Heyborne reflects on acting career and how he became an award-winning audiobook narrator

LDS Living - Kirby Heyborne is best known for his starring roles in The R.M. and The Best Two Years . You may also remember his supporting role in The Singles Ward where he famously opened his mission call to discover he was going to Boise, Idaho. And while Heyborne has had subsequent acting roles, including a dream role in The Three Stooges , his career has taken him places he never imagined. He describes his discovery of a talent in audiobook narrating as God opening a window—a way for him to continue to entertain while also providing stability for his family. Heyborne has...

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Stunning video footage accompanies Elder Quentin L. Cook’s sure witness of Jesus Christ

LDS Living - Elder Quentin L. Cook says he has always worried about saying too much about sacred things.  “We know that when we receive revelation, that is something we should be very careful [with], but I would be ungrateful if I didn’t say that I can testify with all certainty as a sure witness of the divinity of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and I know that He guides this Church,” Elder Cook said in a new video released by Church News .  He then bore testimony of the significance of the revelation that has been received to guide the entire...

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Watch: BYU’s Cosmo the Cougar performs crazy stunt on campus stairs

Danielle Christensen - There’s no denying that Brigham Young University’s mascot, Cosmo the Cougar, has earned a reputation for pulling off some cool stunts. From rolling down the stands of the LaVelle Edwards Stadium in a human hamster ball to leaping slam dunks at a basketball game to dancing smooth Michael Jackson moves by the pool, it seems there’s nothing the mascot can’t do. And on April 6 , Cosmo added to that list by walking down the school’s dreaded campus stairs by the Richards Building (RB) on his hands, legs straight up in the air. I enjoy walking down the RB stairs 😁...

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‘A prominent place on your personal library shelves’: What prophets have taught about general conference messages

Lindsey Williams - Editor's note: Our bi-weekly Friday column, “ Found in the footnotes ,” explores some of the footnotes from remarks given by General Authorities and General Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Leading up to general conference, Church leaders spend months preparing their messages. In 2016, President Dallin H. Oaks , then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, shared that he prays fervently about what he is supposed to speak about each conference. “I begin that process six months in advance, and usually by two to four months ahead of the April or October conference,...

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Utah Area Presidency asks stake presidents to develop plans for returning to church

Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - The Utah Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared the following message with Church leaders in Utah on April 8, 2021. Returning to Church Meetings and Activities in the Utah Area We are deeply grateful for the leadership of stake presidents, bishops, and others in the Utah Area who throughout the COVID-19 pandemic have developed plans and implemented guidelines to allow our members to worship at home and at Church in safe and compliant ways. As infection rates in Utah continue to decrease and vaccinations significantly increase, we are getting closer to a time when we...

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50 female international area organization advisers meet for the first time, social posts you may have missed during conference

Lindsey Williams - Editor’s note: “ This week from the pulpit ” highlights recent messages by General Authorities and General Officers of the Church. General conference weekend is always full of inspiring messages. But did you know that after general conference many Church leaders share social media posts about their talks? And some of their posts this week have also shared conference stories you may not have heard. For example, on the Wednesday before general conference , March 31, 2021, all 50 women leaders who have recently been called as international area organization advisers met with the female General Officers of the Church. This...

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This 20-minute KSL TV documentary celebrates the joys of food, faith, and family

Danielle Christensen - Food. It’s a connector of cultures, traditions, and generations. Sounds, smells, and recipes bring back memories of childhood, the people we love, and those who love us in return. And as KSL recently put it, “food can serve, heal, connect, bind, and uplift human hearts. Food is service. Food is love.” In a documentary discussing the importance of food and how it brings us joy, KSL TV highlighted women who love to cook and who share that love with people around the world. Among those interviewed were three Latter-day Saint women who have been featured on LDS Living . Learn more...

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Black BYU sociology professor delivers thought-provoking devotional on ‘healing racism through Jesus Christ’

LDS Living Staff - On Tuesday, April 6, Ryan Gabriel, a beloved sociology professor at Brigham Young University, delivered a powerful devotional titled “ Healing Racism through Jesus Christ .” Gabriel explained that one strategy of the adversary is to “distort a foundational tenet of the plan of salvation—that we are all equal spirit children of Heavenly Parents.” The adversary effectively leads many to believe that various racial groups are inherently different and that certain racial groups are better than others. “Without question, it is a sin to believe that the color of one’s skin and cultural heritage makes one inherently better than another,” he...

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A promise or invitation from each April 2021 general conference talk

LDS Living - The text for the April 2021 general conference is now available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org . To help you carry the messages from our Church leaders with you, here is one invitation or promise given by each of the speakers during general conference. We hope they will help you receive the inspiration you need to draw closer to Jesus Christ. Saturday Morning  “ Welcome Message ” | President Russell M. Nelson  As we listen to the messages that have been carefully prepared by our leaders under the direction of the Holy Ghost, I invite you to pray to identify the debris you should...

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How a fashion designer, swimsuit sequins, and Relief Society sisters helped fund the Los Angeles temple

Lindsey Williams - On September 22, 1951, President David O. McKay broke ground for the Los Angeles California Temple, which would become the 10th temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And in February 1952, President McKay encouraged members to help with the cost of building the temple and challenged the Saints to raise $1 million for its construction, according to Temples of the New Millennium .  That call was answered in part by fashion designer Rose Marie Reid. At the time, she was one of the most famous fashion designers in the world. According to Deseret News , after making...

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‘Liahona’ article offers tips on being more empathetic in talking about less-active Church members

Danielle Christensen - An article in the April 2021 issue of the Liahona   offers tips on how to be more sensitive when talking about less active Latter-day Saints. Written from the perspective of a member whose father was less active, the author explains times when her feelings were hurt due to the way Latter-day Saints carelessly discussed less-active members. She offered some suggestions on how members can be more supportive. Here’s a look at three of those tips: Avoid using us/them  language and speaking negatively of less-active members as we don’t know all the circumstances which caused them to stop believing or participating....

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Watch: The new trailer for ‘Mission Stories’ will bring back mission-field memories

LDS Living Staff - Those who have ventured out to a theater recently may have seen a trailer that reminded them of a place they once called home—the mission field. Mission Stories,  which debuts in theaters on May 7, highlights three different conversion stories. There’s Chuck, a man who stole a Book of Mormon from a roadside hotel. There’s a story of redemption from self-doubt and addiction. And there’s a family who reconnects with the Church after missing their baptism day a decade earlier. And those who didn’t serve a mission will likely still feel a deep sense of connection to the film. According to...

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A ‘Lamb of God’ concert film was just an idea at the end of 2020—now it has a 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes

LDS Living - Tyler Hardwick, a Broadway performer, had never heard the music from Lamb of God  when Rob Gardner contacted him, but he was so taken by it, he signed on to play the role and learned the part of Thomas in less than a week, according to Deseret.com . “It was so overwhelming in the best way,” Hardwick said. “It was very powerful. Thomas, he’s judged for one moment of doubt in his life, when we are all three-dimensional human beings. I think the most powerful thing is [that] he has regret but he also has hope.” ►You may also like: The...

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Take a look at highlights from April 2021 general conference through these photos

Danielle Christensen - This past weekend, general conference was held virtually for the third time in a row as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. But while Latter-day Saints may not have gathered in person on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, millions around the world gathered in their homes with their families to hear the words of prophets, seers, and revelators. Here’s a look back at the proceedings of last weekend's general conference through photos. Saturday Morning Session In his opening address welcoming listeners to general conference, President Russell M. Nelson spoke of how he has a front-row seat to observing the construction...

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4-time cancer survivor Jennifer Reeder honors mortality in a breathtaking virtual address

LDS Living - Jennifer Reeder, 19th century women’s history specialist for the Church History Department and the author of First , has already had cancer four times. She has had two transplants and has spent months on oxygen. So, when she got shingles for the second time in January 2021, the diagnosis pushed her to the edge.  It was then that a friend recommended that she do some journaling about “What it means to honor mortality.” Reeder initially scoffed at the suggestion, but her thoughts ended up being the crux of her BYU Easter Conference address —an address we think is worth watching all...

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The number of temples in Africa is about to triple. Here are 15 other temple facts and stats you might not know

Lindsey Williams - During the Sunday afternoon session of general conference, President Russell M. Nelson announced 20 temples to be built in locations around the world. President Nelson said we are building now for the future. “Just last year, despite the pandemic, ground was broken for 21 new temples! We want to bring the house of the Lord even closer to our members, that they may have the sacred privilege of attending the temple as often as their circumstances allow,” President Nelson said. Here are 16 facts and stats about temple announcements, locations, and construction you might not know. 1. President Nelson’s announcement will...

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Here’s how you can download a PDF summary of every general conference talk

Lindsey Williams - With five sessions and over 30 talks, it’s no wonder that general conference is so uplifting. If you’re looking for a way to start your study of the general conference talks, you can begin with a downloadable, printable PDF summary of each general conference talk provided by Church News . The six-page document highlights key points of each address given during general conference. As Elder David A. Bednar said in the Sunday afternoon session, “We have been blessed abundantly in this general conference to learn about eternal principles from the Lord’s authorized servants. Now, our individual responsibility is to govern ourselves...