Unique Nativities to set the scene this Christmas

I always love hearing my friend Rob Gardner talk about writing Lamb of God, an Easter oratorio about the final days of Christ’s earthly ministry. I think part of it is because while Rob is incredibly talented (arguably a musical genius), I also know him to be a pretty normal guy. We’ve seen movies together and gone to London together, and what I appreciate about Rob is that he isn’t and doesn’t pretend to be someone who has it all figured out. And yet, he wrote what I consider to be a masterpiece all about the Savior of the world. He was young at the time and was enrolled in a program for film music at USC. He had been fortunate to be admitted to the program and was really enjoying it when all of a sudden, he began having ideas for what would become Lamb of God. He hadn’t even begun writing the oratorio when he contacted the London Symphony Orchestra via email and asked if they would be willing to record his composition. They wrote back explaining cost and availability, and Gardner booked it. He then dropped out of his program at USC solely based on the good feeling he had about the project, and a few months later, it was finished. Gardner’s Lamb of God explores the end of Christ’s ministry through the eyes of those who knew Him best.

President M. Russell Ballard has lived a life of service. From his early days as a child in Salt Lake City to his service as a missionary, he has made a positive difference in the lives of so many of the Lord’s children. And then when he was set apart as Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in January 2018, it was another milestone in a lifetime of service to the Lord. Having set aside a variety of entrepreneurial ventures to serve as president of the Canada Toronto Mission at the age of forty-five, he then accepted a call to serve in the First Quorum of the Seventy in 1976 and continued serving in the Church for the remainder of his professional career.

Saints living in the Mesa Arizona; Pocatello Idaho; and Washington, DC Temple districts are feeling even more energized as they are getting closer to being able to attend their respective temples after years of construction and renovation projects

Here’s a truism that all can surely get behind: every child deserves a fun, unforgettable birthday.

After being called as a bishop at just 28 years old and with a desire to learn how to better lead and serve, Kurt Francom has interviewed hundreds of people over the past decade about their service within the Church. In this week’s episode of All In, Kurt talks about what he has learned from Church leaders serving in various callings all over the world, including how to recognize the needs of those you serve and the difference between motivation and ability when it comes to serving in leadership positions.

Elder Mike Davis was one of the two young missionaries who were killed in a July 22 car accident on the Ramah Navajo Indian Reservation in New Mexico. At Davis’s funeral on Friday, July 30, his mother, Kim Davis bore a powerful witness of the reality of the plan of salvation as she issued an invitation to those listening.

When former Utah governor Mike Leavitt got a phone call from the office of President Russell M. Nelson asking if they could meet, he of course automatically said yes.

The Middle East, the area that borders the Mediterranean Sea and includes western Asia and North Africa, has a complex history as it has been under the Persian, Greek, Roman, Byzantine, Muslim Caliphates, and Ottoman Empires. This means that genealogy for those with Middle Eastern roots can be tricky due to diverse cultures and languages. FamilySearch recently offered some suggestions for those seeking to begin their Middle Eastern family tree. Among the suggestions are:

A new graphic from Church News labels the 30 countries with the most members of the Church. According to the Church's 2020 statistics, there are 16,663,663 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints around the world in 31,136 congregations.