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

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints released the following statement on October 29:

Though some sections of the Bible can be difficult for us to make sense of in our modern age, there's still much they can teach us.

In January 1945, American Master Sergeant Roddie Edmonds, who was in charge of about a thousand American prisoners at a German POW camp, was told to have all Jewish prisoners report in front of their barracks in the morning. Instead, Master Sergeant Edmonds ordered all the prisoners to stand together in front of their barracks. When the German officer saw them, he said to Edmonds, “They cannot all be Jews.” Edmonds responded, “We are all Jews.” The German officer took out his pistol and threatened to shoot Edmonds. The Master Sergeant said, “If you shoot me, you will have to shoot all of us, and after the war you will be tried for war crimes.” The German officer turned around and left. About 200 Jewish American prisoners were spared.

As part of the Church’s initiative to simplify and focus on our Savior, the Church moved away from holding a cultural celebration the night before the dedication of the Concepcion Chile Temple and instead held a devotional. During the devotional, President Nelson spoke of the blessings of the temple and how youth can prepare for the eternal blessings that await them.

In a wide-ranging interview, President Russell M. Nelson talked about abortion, the Rome Italy Temple, and religious violence. He called mass shootings "a great offense to God" and called for others to love one another "so violence has no place in society." He also called on others to love Muslims and those who are often discriminated against.

“[President Nelson] has seen the faith of the people,” Sister Wendy Watson Nelson said. “He has seen the love of the people for the Lord. Now he has seen the love of the people for the temple. That means everything to my husband to see that.”

"The church is a very good member of the community," Concepción Chile's mayor, Alvaro Ortiz, said. "It extends its arms into places the state can't go. The social work of the church is very important here. We recognize their great work. They absolutely and totally make a difference in neighborhoods that need it most."

On Saturday the Church made an announcement discouraging pageants. Find out what will happen to the seven Church pageants around the world.

Geraldine Hamblin Bangerter, the mother of Sister Julie B. Beck, had been in Brazil where her husband presided over the Brazilian mission for several weeks when she felt her courage give way. In a battle with homesickness, she hurried to her room, buried her face in a pillow and began to cry.