A simple way to have more meaningful daily prayers

What profound insights from Dr. Taylor Halverson: "There is power in naming. A name provides clarity of identity. A name highlights significant characteristics. A name entrusts power and responsibility. A name ensures life."

This article was originally posted after President Russell M. Nelson issued a challenge to the youth to fast from social media for seven days. In light of the new challenge, given by President Nelson in the general women’s session of conference last weekend, we thought this article would be a great reminder of the benefits and blessings of social media fasts.

While announcements about new temples, Church, and home-centered gospel study are exciting, the most thrilling part of this past general conference weekend for me was listening to the men and women Heavenly Father has chosen to lead His Church today. It was painstakingly clear to me that each person who stood at the pulpit relied on revelation and their Savior to be able to say the words we needed to hear at this time we need them more than ever.

"As I sit here in the Salt Lake City airport, I’ve been pondering about the last couple days I was able to spend in Utah with all my family," Latter-day Saint Bryce Harper posted on Sunday, and for good reason.

A couple years ago I wrote the BYU-Hawaii campus a pre-conference message on hearkening. I spoke about how we should listen to prophets with the intent to obey. Today I want to share a similar message but from the negative perspective: how not to listen to prophets.

At noon on the Ides of March, 1493, a small wooden ship rode the rising tide up the Río Tinto and into the harbor of Palos, Spain. She wasn’t much of a ship—her deck was only about 55 feet long. She was weathered but solidly built and appeared to be newly caulked. She was named the Santa Clara, but was usually called the Niña after her owner, Juan Niño of Moguer. The Niña had last been seen in Palos on August 3, 1492, sailing down the ebb tide with two other ships, the Santa María and the Pinta as part of an attempt to reach the Orient by sailing west across the uncharted waters.

This general conference has been historic in many ways. And with so many exciting, new changes, you might have missed a few. Here's a roundup of all the changes that were announced during this conference weekend.

At the end of the 188th Semiannual General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced plans to build 12 new temples. In addition to this being the largest number of temples ever announced on the same day, the news brings the total number of Latter-day Saint temples operating, announced or under construction to 201. This comes exactly 18 years to the week since the Church completed its 100th temple.

This article is sponsored by MemNivia.