How 3 moms used imperfect situations to point their children to Christ

Dan Truman and Jason Deere aren’t your typical Nashville-based singer-songwriters. They founded an inspirational hit band that’s captured the attention of the Christian world with its tributes to the Bible, missionary work, Jesus Christ, and more. We recently asked them about their new album and what they love about music.

In the month since the plane crash on Nov. 30 that took the lives of nine Latter-day Saints, the extended family of James D. Hansen, Sr. has mourned the passing of Hansen, his sons, grandsons and grandsons-in-law. The family patriarch’s funeral was held on Dec. 18 with President M. Russell Ballard presiding. According to Church News, President Ballard offered “a gentle suggestion to Brother Hansen’s relatives and friends—and, perhaps ‘to anyone who has lost someone’ to the next world. When referring to departed loved ones, he said, don’t use the term ‘was.’ Instead, say ‘is.’”

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the following statement from spokesman Daniel Woodruff:

“What does it mean to you to be ‘all in’ the gospel of Jesus Christ?” This year, we have asked over 50 people this same question and, amazingly enough, almost every answer has been different. Here is our countdown of the top 10 most-downloaded All In interviews in 2019 and what it meant to each guest to be “all in”:

As announced earlier this year, beginning on December 29, 2019, the Salt Lake Temple will be closed for renovations for the next four years. Portions of Temple Square will also be undergoing significant changes. As the heart of Salt Lake City, Temple Square has been transformed many times since it's mid-1800's creation, with the adding and removing of numerous buildings, structures, and features. Below are photographs documenting Temple Square's history, showing both the area's past, present, and future.

Editor's Note: The views, information, or opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author. Readers should consider each unique situation. This content is not meant to be a substitute for individual, professional advice.

I recently sat with a number of members of the Community of Christ, previously known as the Reorganized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, as part of an interfaith dialogue. I have great love and respect for these people, those I consider brothers and sisters in the faith. We talked openly and in a friendly manner about similarities and differences between our two churches and landed squarely on the topic of women and the priesthood. One of the women in the room who had been ordained to the priesthood described her responsibilities and shared her feelings regarding the blessing it was for her to be able to perform priesthood ordinances.

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This article originally ran on LDS Living in June 2014 and has been updated to reflect the current First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.