What Pres. Freeman would tell every young woman considering a mission

Parley P. Pratt once taught, “The gift of the Holy Ghost ... quickens all the intellectual faculties, increases, enlarges, expands and purifies all the natural passions and affections. ... It inspires, develops, cultivates and matures all the fine-toned sympathies, joys, tastes, kindred feelings, and affections of our nature. It inspires virtue, kindness, goodness, tenderness, gentleness, and charity. It develops beauty of person, form and features. It tends to health, vigor, animation, and social feeling. It invigorates all the faculties of the physical and intellectual man. It strengthens, and gives tone to the nerves. In short, it is, as it were, marrow to the bone, joy to the heart, light to the eyes, music to the ears, and life to the whole being.”1

It’s the time of year when families and friends gather together to celebrate the holidays with food and gifts. For some of us, it’s also when we think about the “less fortunate” and extend a helping hand with a blanket or a bag of food.

Brett Phillips had every reason to feel the weight of the world as he stepped up to the plate on Saturday night. Down by one, bottom of the ninth in Game 4 of the World Series with a chance to tie or win the game, he knew he was not the guy the Tampa Bay Rays wanted at bat. Phillips found his way onto the Rays’ roster for his defense and pinch running rather than his batting, and after going hitless in two previous at-bats during the team’s playoff rounds, it was without a doubt the most significant moment of the young player’s career. As the New York Times put it, “There was no logical reason for Phillips to succeed, yet he swore he was confident.”

Speaking at the Marriott Center at Brigham Young University, President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, renewed Church leaders’ pleas to Latter-day Saints to “root out racism.”

Editor's note: “Resources to follow Him” curates study resources, teachings, and thoughts to deepen your study of this week's Come, Follow Me.

Chris and Katy Bush had already visited many different churches and were ready to give up their search for a religion that felt right. But in a new video from the Church, the Bush family shared how they learned about the restored gospel through remote means. Just about a week or two after crying out to God, Kenneth “KB” Boggs, a childhood friend of Chris’s, decided to reach out after many years. During their conversation, Boggs told Chris that he is a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Many US citizens have begun casting their votes prior to election day on Tuesday, November 3. But while voters may have strong opinions about the candidates on their ballot, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “takes no sides in support of or against political parties and candidates and encourages individual members of the Church to participate and engage in the political process,” a recent Church News article reminded readers.

A group of missionaries serving in the Alpine-German Speaking mission are using their talents to share their testimonies and honor the life of a fellow sister missionary who recently passed away.

This story originally ran on LDS Living in June 2016.