3 words that will change your next temple experience

Whether or not you were tuned into President Nelson's worldwide devotional last night, you probably have already heard the news: the youth are taking a seven-day social media fast.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the many suffering after the Fuego Volcano eruption.

If you are looking for inspiration for how to go about your ministering assignments, then you should take a look at theses ministering principles published in the Ensign and Liahona each month.

It was a discussion about the sacrament. A seminary student was sharing feelings about the sacredness of the ordinance when another student jumped in.

Everyone wants to be happy—and for good reason. Happy people earn more money and are more likely to get married and stay married. They also attract more friends, are more productive at work, and even outlive their gloomier counterparts by about nine years.

“My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time — this most crucial time in the history of the world — to help gather Israel,” President Nelson said at a special youth devotional. “There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. . . . This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.”

During the Church's "Be One" event celebrating the 40th anniversary of the priesthood revelation, touching stories were shared of the black pioneers in the Church who remained faithful despite painful priesthood and temple restrictions. President Dallin H. Oaks acknowledged, “I observed the pain and frustration experienced by those who suffered these restrictions and those who criticized them and sought for reasons. I studied the reasons then being given and could not feel confirmation of the truth of any of them.” He also shared the touching moment when he sat down and cried for joy learning of the priesthood revelation. President Russell M. Nelson added, "Differences in culture, language, gender, race, and nationality fade into insignificance as the faithful enter the covenant path and come unto our beloved Redeemer." Read President Nelson's full remarks here, and President Oaks's full remarks here.

It was New Year's Day. Everything was closed, but I had to take a quick trip to the store and the bank. Patrick and I had been married for all of six weeks and were still working out the kinks in our finances. We had moved all our money over to his bank account leaving mine empty and then realized that I had automatic payments that would be coming out the next day we hadn’t accounted for. So, with some wedding cash in hand, I headed out to deposit some money at the ATM.

Learn how one of our recently called general authorities, Elder Richard Ahadjie, and his wife, Emelia Ahadjie, risked their freedom to not only practice their faith but to minister to Latter-day Saints when the Church was outlawed in Ghana. And learn about the powerful message Elder Ahadjie received in a dream while imprisoned for his beliefs.