3 things to try if you’re intimidated by family history work

The full text along with audio and video for each general conference session is now available on lds.org.

Planning to use social media to spread the word about Jane and Emma's film release this weekend, the team of filmmakers (over 50 percent of whom are women) was surprised by President Russell M. Nelson's clarion call for a 10-day social media fast given during the general women's session of conference.

The new movie highlighting the relationship between black convert Jane Manning James and Emma Smith, wife of the Prophet Joseph Smith, comes out in only a few short days (click here for more information on where you can watch it starting October 12, 2018!). The story truly lets you see these two women in Church history with all their flaws and strengths as you watch them grapple with the nuances of their faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ and their love for the martyred prophet during a fictionalized account of a night spent guarding Joseph Smith’s body after his death. While the night itself is not found in the history records, the emotions, stories of Jane and Emma’s previous interactions, people, and much of the dialogue comes straight from accounts left behind by those who lived early Church history, brought to life in the poetic, visual world of film. Here are a few of the true facts from Church history that you will find in Jane and Emma.

President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and his wife, Wendy, along with Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Lesa, will embark on a ministry tour to South America, culminating with the dedication of the Concepción Chile Temple, in October. The senior leaders of the global faith are scheduled to leave Salt Lake City and meet with Latter-day Saints in five countries in nine days October 19–28, 2018. President Nelson has previously ministered in these countries numerous times.

"I don’t think we’re setting out to solve anybody’s issues. What we’re doing is opening a conversation," Zandra Vranes said. "We’re saying let’s have this conversation and let’s use the gospel as our guide. Hopefully people accept that invitation. Hopefully the movie will be a part of starting that much-needed conversation."

“We found that during cancer, or during any hard time, really, if you stayed close to God things became a lot easier.” —Lexi Gould Stafford

"Why does anyone care about a film about women?. . . Why should anyone care about that?" Jane and Emma producer Jen Lee Smith asks in a new LDS Living video.

While you might think organizing, conducting, and speaking at a two-day worldwide conference broadcast to millions around the world in over 40 languages would be the enough to keep our Church leaders occupied this past weekend, that wasn't the case. They also met with senior leaders of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) on Friday, October 5, and Saturday, October 6, 2018.

Funeral services were held Monday, October 8, 2018, in Salt Lake City for Sister Barbara Bowen Ballard, wife of  President M. Russell Ballard, acting president of the  Quorum of the Twelve Apostles  of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Sister Ballard died at home at the age of 86, Monday, October 1, after a long battle with Alzheimer’s and other health issues.