Why I’m so grateful someone pushed through awkwardness to serve

Elder Andrew Carr, a 19-year-old missionary serving in Mexico City, died from asphyxiation Saturday morning, Church spokesman Daniel Woodruff said. On Sunday, Woodruff made the following statement:

What can Aladdin, The Lion King, Finding Nemo, and Beauty and the Beast teach you about God's grace and your divine potential? It turns out quite a lot. Check out these fascinating gospel lessons found in Disney movies.

Jane Elizabeth Manning was born in Connecticut in about 1820. Her mother had been enslaved, but she was emancipated by the time Jane was born. Jane’s father died when she was a young child and, perhaps in part for that reason, Jane began working as a domestic servant for a wealthy white family in the next town over. As a young woman, she was baptized and joined the local Congregational Church, but not long afterward she heard a missionary from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints preach and she was convinced by his message. She was baptized a short time later, and she appears to have persuaded her family to join the Church as well. In 1843, the Mannings joined an interracial group of converts for the journey to Nauvoo. Although they left the Northeast together, the group was separated at some point during the journey. The white members continued to Nauvoo on public transportation; the black members walked. When Jane and her family reached Nauvoo, they were welcomed by Emma and Joseph Smith and stayed in the mansion house for a short time while they found jobs and housing. Jane remained in the mansion house, working for the Smiths as a domestic servant.

As societies across the globe become more and more accepting of immorality, it can sometimes feel like protecting our families from the onslaught of pornography is an insurmountable task. What can we do to stem the tide?

Emily Snyder was raised a member of the Church with a dream of being a mother just like her mom. However, as she got older, she realized that her life may end up presenting her with a different set of circumstances and opportunities. Now a graduate of Columbia’s MBA program who has previously worked closely as an assistant to both Clayton Christensen and Julie B. Beck, Snyder is employed in Waco, Texas, where she works for Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia as the company’s chief of staff.

“No.”

Ever heard of the “Latter-day Saint headache”? I first heard this phrase from my mother when I was growing up. She would tell us funny little stories of going on dates with guys who would close their eyes and put their head in their hand before they ate their meal at a restaurant, as a way to say a quick silent blessing on the food. Situations like this bring up an interesting question:

Now in his “10th decade of life,” President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints shared 10 spiritual truths he has learned and left an apostolic blessing on the approximately 1,200 Latter-day Saints, community leaders and an interfaith Tongan choir attending the first stop of his current Pacific ministry tour.

Seth Anderson ran up the steps, tripped and landed on his left arm. It snapped. Shedding tears, he went to the hospital with his parents and got a sling. The hospital told him his cast would arrive in five days.