How a ward’s authentic friendship led this family to the gospel

"When the messages come during the dark of night, Russell M. Nelson reaches for his lighted pen and takes dictation from the Lord," Daniel Burke from CNN writes.

In all of life’s activities, most of us fall into one of two categories: those that act and those that watch. It’s hard to imagine someone dreaming being in the stands for a great game or a great show, but to be on the field or in the middle of the activity would be the chance of a lifetime. Are you dreaming of an Alaska Vacation? Surely in this case, you’ll want to be a player and not a spectator. Maybe this would be your first visit, or you could be an annual visitor with a desire for an “off the beaten path” experience. The devil is always in the details when it comes to pulling the trigger on, what for most people, is a sizable travel and leisure expenditure. We are all about making your dreams come true without spending top dollar for what might not be your best value. When its time to make the homeward journey, you want to leave Alaska wondering how to make a return trip, and not so worried about what you may have missed.

When it comes to heavenly communication, does it ever feel like the Lord has everyone else on speed dial—and you’re just sitting there hoping for any little bit of communication, even a generic “new phone, who dis” text?

The other day I was in a grocery store when I noticed a small child giving his mother a run for her money. As I watched the two of them, I could tell the mother was getting very tired; and in a moment of desperation, she directed a few unkind remarks toward her small son. As she did so, I wanted to say, “Please don’t. You may not mean what you just said, but your little boy will believe you! If he believes you, and such exchanges between you and him continue, I may find him in my office years later as a teenager or a grown man, wondering why he is such a failure and why he is never good enough.” I think sometimes we forget how very powerful words are. For example:

"Is she wearing her garments in that wedding dress photo?"

Born in 1822 to former slaves, Jane Elizabeth Manning was baptized in 1842 into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which brought her great reproach. This was the beginning of many trials for Jane as a convert of African descent.

Many Latter-day Saint families have a parent or spouse who is less-active or not a member of the Church. But that doesn’t mean we can’t find ways to love and include them in our own ward and family activities. Find out how you can better support those part-member families you know.

The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square, the Orchestra at Temple Square, the Bells on Temple Square, and the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble are pleased to announce a special Easter service to be held on Temple Square and broadcast online and on television.

The terrorist attacks at two Muslim mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on Friday, March 15, 2019, resulted in the hospitalization of 39 and death of 50 innocent Muslim men, women, and children. This act has been described by our prime minister as “forever a day etched in our collective memories. . . . That quiet Friday afternoon has become our darkest of days” (New Zealand Herald, 2019).