Unique Nativities to set the scene this Christmas

Editors’ note: Pornography affects the dating relationships of many young adults in a variety of ways. The experiences we share represent circumstances and decisions unique to each author. They are offered for perspective as you seek personal revelation for your own individual circumstances.

Why do temples have symbols? Where do symbols come from? Is all temple symbolism unique to Latter-day Saints? These and many more questions like them are answered in Jack M. Lyon's new book, Understanding Temple Symbols Through Scripture, History, and Art. Following is an excerpt that gives five tips to help Latter-day Saints better understand temple symbols.

I receive hundreds of letters in my office, and many of them describe the heartache that results from the categories we sometimes create for each other. Below is a letter describing the pain of being single in a Church focused on family:

Not long after Michael H. MacKay took a job in the Department of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University, he was approached by William G. Hartley.

I was taught, as were many girls, that you should always say yes to a boy who asks you to a dance and even a casual date. Although times have changed, that idea still persists, and while on the surface it seems great, I want to explore what we are teaching our teens—both girls and boys—when we enforce that rule.

Have you ever thought about teaching at BYU-Idaho?

As they approach later life, Latter-day Saints share many concerns with people of all faiths, such as financial planning, maintaining good health, and future association with family and friends. But some things are unique. Latter-day Saints live longer and have a different set of values than people of other faiths, which impels them toward a more active life of service and personal development. The high value they place on family life also makes a significant difference. Finding fulfillment in later life will depend on a number of factors, several of which are within our own volition. As we “embrace the future,” with all its opportunities and challenges, we should remember with Longfellow that “age is opportunity no less Than youth itself, though in another dress.”1

As they swam from England to France—the Mount Everest of long-distance swims—brothers David and Richard Barnes braved frigid temperatures and treacherous water currents, faced high winds and waves, endured physical pain, tangled with jellyfish, and carried on through other obstacles.

"I knew there was a void in my life," Natalie says about a time when her boys were young. Her husband, Ryan, adds, "We both felt like something was missing and we were just at a lower point in our relationship with God." As Natalie and Ryan searched for a deeper connection with diety, they attended different churches every Sunday, but nothing helped them connect.