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How a run honoring Parley P. Pratt's 1839 jailbreak became a Missouri community's First Amendment celebration

Emily Abel - Editor's note: This article originally ran on LDS Living in July 2020. The Parley P. Pratt Freedom Run is being held again this year on July 3, 2021. On July 4, 1839, Parley P. Pratt broke out of the Columbia, Missouri, jail and ran for freedom. Pratt, who was then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, had been arrested because of his participation in a battle against Missourians when Latter-day Saints were expelled from the state in 1838–39. After spending months in jail, he had a dream in which his late first wife promised he would eventually be...

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Latter-day Saint psychologist: Navigating the (sometimes) rough road to happiness

Dr. David T. Morgan, Contributor - Our youngest child just graduated from high school. It was a strange experience, sitting in the same football stadium where we had watched her five older siblings celebrate the same accomplishment. Walking to the car, my wife and I reflected on the rapidly approaching end of our full-time parenting. There have been times of joy. There have been times of sorrow. There have been times when I wished I could crawl into a hole and not come out. There have been times when I gushed with tears of gratitude for the privilege of being a father to such amazing children. Coming...

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Seeking happiness will determine destiny, Elder Martino teaches at BYU–Hawaii; Sister Aburto talks mental health on Church News podcast

LDS Living - Happiness. It is the elusive thing we all seek. But as Elder James B. Martino taught graduates at BYU–Hawaii, “The degree to which we seek [happiness] will ultimately determine our destiny,” while acknowledging that in the case of clinical depression, professional help is needed. Sister Reyna Isabel Aburto also addressed depression and mental health this week on the Church News podcast.  Learn more about their thoughts and see social media posts from Church leaders below. Great Power in Choosing to Be Happy Elder Martino taught that “when it comes to the ups and downs of life we all experience, there is...

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Sister Dalton shares her reaction to changes in Young Women program

Danielle Christensen - The Young Women’s program has undergone many changes in recent years. In this week’s Latter-day Saint Women podcast , Sister Elaine S. Dalton, Young Women General President from 2008–2013, shared her thoughts with hosts Karlie Guymon and Shalyn Back about the some of those changes. During Sister Dalton’s service, the value “Virtue” was added to the Personal Progress program. But in 2020, Personal Progress was retired and the Children and Youth Program was implemented in its place. A new Young Women Theme was also created. When asked how she reacted to these changes, Sister Dalton shared that before the new theme...

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New civil marriage guidelines announced for Church leaders performing ceremonies

Scott Taylor, Church News - The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has revised the conditions in which Church officers may perform civil marriages between a man and a woman. Effective immediately, mission presidents, stake presidents, district presidents, bishops, and branch presidents may officiate civil marriage only in the following circumstances:  • At least one of the couple—either the bride or groom—is a member of the Church. • Either the bride’s or the groom’s membership record is assigned to the unit over which the Church officer presides. • The Church officer is legally authorized to perform a civil marriage in the...

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The most famous Porter Rockwell stories: Fact or fiction? Church History Library explains

Haley Lundberg - The stories surrounding Porter Rockwell, an early Church member and a larger-than-life character in Church history, are varied and fantastic. For example, did he really try to break Joseph Smith out of Liberty Jail? Was he truly the first Latter-day Saint to hunt bison on the Great Plains? Would he actually yell “Wheat!” when charging into a fight? In a new article published by the Church History Library , historians Emily Marie Crumpton, Brian Passantino, and Jeffrey Tucker address some of the most common questions the Consultation Services team receives about Orrin Porter Rockwell. They point out that many of the...

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Sponsored: LDS and creative? This is your conference! Deep discounts still available

Latter-day Saint Publishing and Media Association, advertiser - Serious About Sharing Your Creative Gifts with the World? Learn How at the 7th Annual LDSPMA Conference 40% discounts available to Latter-day Saint writers, editors, filmmakers, musicians, artists and others using code “LDSLIVING” The best networking, learning, and professional development opportunity for Latter-day Saints interested in publishing and media is back— for both in-person and virtual attendance!   The Seventh Annual Conference of the Latter-day Saint Publishing and Media Association (LDSPMA) will be held both online and in person at the BYU Conference Center in Provo, Utah, October 7–9, 2021.  Conference registration covers both in-person and virtual attendance at the main...

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Celebrate Canada Day with some of our favorite stories about Canadian Latter-day Saints

LDS Living - July 1 is Canada Day! Similar to the Fourth of July in the United States, this day commemorates when the Constitution Act in 1867 joined three provinces into one country. To celebrate, we're sharing some of our favorite stories about Latter-day Saints in and from Canada. A divine Indigenous heritage: How one Latter-day Saint family combines Cree and gospel teachings “Culture is a way of life,” Harry says. “That’s really what culture is. And for us, our way of life has been both our native upbringing but also because we became members of the Church . . .  I don’t distinguish....

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Sports legend Gary Player golfs with Elder Uchtdorf, praises the Church

Haley Lundberg - What happens when you put a sports legend on the golf course with a German pilot? Apparently jokes, gospel discussion, and mutual respect. And that’s exactly what happened last weekend when retired professional golfer Gary Player played a round of golf with Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on the Red Ledges Golf Course in Heber, Utah. When asked about the experience, Player, who is not a member of the Church, said it “was one of the most wonderful days on the golf course I’ve ever had.” That’s high praise coming from the man they call...

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Two Latter-day Saints have played in this year's NBA’s conference finals. Here’s how they performed

LDS Living - On Friday, June 25, two Latter-day Saints had playing time in the NBA’s conference finals. Elijah Bryant, a former BYU star, and Sam Merrill, a Utah State guard, both of whom play for the Milwaukee Bucks, got playing time in game two of the Eastern Conference Finals over the weekend. Deseret News   reported that Bryant “scored two points, grabbed four rebounds, and had one assist” in 11 minutes of playing time while Merrill also “scored two points, dished out two assists, and pulled down one rebound in four minutes on the court" in the Bucks' victory over the Atlanta Hawks....

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Not a mission leader? You can still enjoy summaries from the Seminar for New Mission Leaders

Morgan Jones - President Russell M. Nelson’s decision to speak about the “repeated and miraculous tutoring” Joseph Smith received from heaven as the opening talk given during the 2021 Seminar for New Mission Leaders may have seemed like an interesting choice. But President Nelson provided a clear reason for that choice. “First, to bear my personal witness that this is God’s work, the work of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that Joseph Smith is the prophet of this last dispensation. A testimony of the Prophet Joseph’s pivotal role in the Restoration is crucial for all of us who are preaching the Lord’s gospel,” he...

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What does it mean to walk in someone’s shoes? Gay Latter-day Saint shares his perspective

Ben Schilaty, excerpted from “A Walk in My Shoes: Questions I'm Often Asked as a Gay Latter-day Saint” - In 2014, I returned to Tucson after spending weeks at my parents’ house trying to figure out how to move forward. I had few answers, but one thing I knew was that I needed to stop hiding. I had decided not to force my experiences on anyone, but to be honest with people when my orientation came up organically. Dianna and I had carpooled to a young single adult activity on Mt. Lemmon, just north of Tucson, and as the two of us drove down the mountain I felt a prompting to come out to her. I mentioned our friend Laura...

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‘Praying alone will not bring one soul to the Savior.’ What President Ballard and others taught at worldwide missionary broadcast

LDS Living - The whole Church was invited to participate in a broadcast of the 2021 Seminar for New Mission Leaders. The broadcast featured a discussion among three Apostles—Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Elder David A. Bednar, and Elder Quentin L. Cook—and was moderated by President Bonnie H. Cordon, Young Women General President. President M. Russell Ballard, Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, gave the concluding remarks. The focus of the discussion was how Latter-day Saints can share the gospel in simple, natural ways.  “Whether you are a full-time missionary, a member of the stake high council, a Relief Society president or...

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What happens when a teenager talks to President Oaks at McDonald’s—and has no idea

Danielle Christensen - It was a moment that didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary—just some teenaged boys hanging out on a summer afternoon, stopping at McDonalds for lunch. But for Christian Butler, that one afternoon turned out to be something he likely won’t ever forget. In an Instagram post shared over the weekend, Christian’s father, David Butler, shared why the moment was so memorable. According to Butler, who is the co-host of Don’t Miss This , his son was hanging out with some friends at City Creek in downtown Salt Lake City when a “nice old man” ordered food behind him...

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2 reasons we should not become ‘tone deaf to the music of faith’: Elder Cook speaks at Notre Dame’s inaugural religious freedom summit

Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - The following press release originally appeared on  Newsroom .  The setting Monday was fitting for a panel on interfaith cooperation. An Apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints joined a Catholic cardinal, a Pentecostal scholar and a rabbi at a Catholic university in the United States for its inaugural religious freedom summit. His Eminence Cardinal Timothy Dolan, the archbishop of New York since 2009, delivered the keynote at the University of Notre Dame’s first Religious Liberty Summit. Three others then spoke: Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Dr. Jacqueline Rivers, a Pentecostal and...

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‘Hey, Mom, I made it’: Latter-day Saint gymnast MyKayla Skinner is headed to the Tokyo Olympics

LDS Living - A refusal to give up paid off for MyKayla Skinner on Sunday night as she is finally headed to compete in the Olympics. On Friday, a remarkable performance on night one of the Olympic Trials landed her in fourth place as she headed into the final night of competition. At the end of day two, Skinner finished fifth all-around and was selected to compete in Team USA’s final individual spot. The other individual spot had previously been secured by Jade Carey.   When asked what this meant to her after the results were announced, Skinner became emotional and said, “Hey mom,...

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How his wife's eye cancer helped a Latter-day Saint ICU doctor see changes he needed to make in his marriage

LDS Living - Samuel Brown is a graduate of Harvard College and earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He is a shock trauma ICU doctor, an academic, and the author of multiple books. But nine years ago, his wife, Kate Holbrook, who graduated from Harvard Divinity School and is the managing historian of women’s history for the Church, was diagnosed with cancer in her eye. Ironically, the very real possibility of losing his wife opened Brown’s eyes to changes he needed to make in himself and in his marriage.   In his new book, Where the Soul Hungers , Brown writes, “I...

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In new #HearHim video, Elder Cook shares how he often receives significant revelation from the Holy Ghost

Haley Lundberg - In the latest “ How I #HearHim ” video, Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shares how he often receives guidance from the Holy Ghost. “When you’re serving others and you need to bless somebody else . . . that’s when the Holy Ghost most often bears witness. . . . My experience: it does come, and I can hear His voice for those kind of things in a way that gives me the guidance that I need,” he says. Elder Cook shares a personal experience when, as a bishop under a time crunch, he was...

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Mesa Arizona Temple to reopen after 3+ years. See interior renderings, open house dates here

Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Press release originally published on  Newsroom . The Mesa Arizona Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will be rededicated Sunday, December 12, 2021. The announcement was made today by the First Presidency. President Dallin H. Oaks of the First Presidency will preside at the temple’s rededication. The temple will be rededicated in three sessions: 9:00 a.m., noon, and 3:00 p.m. The historic temple has been closed since May 2018 for major renovation. This is the second refurbishment for the 94-year-old temple. It was rededicated in 1975 by President Spencer W. Kimball, who was raised in Arizona, following...

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July LDS Living Book Club: Discerning real vs. rumor with Church History Library Director Keith Erekson

LDS Living - What does it mean to be “all in” the gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days?  All In , the well-loved podcast from LDS Living has explored this question since 2018 with more than 100 different Latter-day Saint guests who are striving to live their faith every day—just like you. And for the month of August, we're going to be reading and discussing All In: Exploring What It Means to Be All In the Gospel of Jesus Christ together. This book contains thoughts from All In episode guests, as well as insights from podcast host Morgan Jones so you can...

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Is it possible to talk about politics with family? 10 tips for having discussion without contention

Shelly Johnson-Choong, Contributor - With the political rhetoric circulating in our nation, many families are stymied in trying to determine how to talk to each other when political ideologies differ. We’re all aware of the need to avoid contention when we disagree, but that can be a tall order when discussing politics. If we are to disarm contentious conversations, it helps to start by recognizing that everyone has something to offer. As we value both our own humanity and the humanity of others, greater understanding can follow. So how can we keep loving family relations intact while talking politics? It might seem impossible. But these...

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248 missionaries arrived in the Provo MTC on Wednesday. Look at these photos as they begin their service

Newsroom of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - For the first time in 15 months, a small group of new missionaries arrived at the missionary training center (MTC) in Provo, Utah, on Wednesday afternoon to start in-person training. A new era of online instruction at home for a week before heading to the MTC for completion also began today. “I think that we've noticed that relationships have already been built, because they're seeing the members of their district here,” said President Benson L. Porter, the president of the Provo MTC. “I think some of the anxiety that they may have felt before where everything was new, is gone. Now...

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Elder and Sister Cook remember the Prophet Joseph Smith’s martyrdom in new video

Lindsey Williams - A video by Church News   released   the same week as the anniversary of the Prophet Joseph Smith’s death features Elder Quentin L. Cook and Sister Mary G. Cook sharing their thoughts on the Prophet’s martyrdom. “I love the Prophet Joseph,” Sister Cook says. “When you think what he went through in the short amount of time he had here in mortality, what he did . . . his interaction with Hyrum and the fact that they were together in Carthage, and both gave their lives for this gospel of Jesus Christ.” Elder Cook says Joseph Smith “completed his witness...

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See these classic photos of Church leaders’ fathers in touching tributes for Father’s Day

LDS Living - Editor’s note: “ This week from the pulpit”  highlights recent messages by Church leaders. In recognition of Father’s Day, several Church leaders shared touching tributes to fathers on social media. President Russell M. Nelson said that even though fathers aren’t perfect, they have a lasting impact on their families. Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham shared that one of the best gifts a father can give is the knowledge that he has a firm belief in God. Additionally, Elder LeGrand R. Curtis Jr., Church historian and recorder, spoke in a livestreamed Church History Museum event about some of the sections...