LDS Week in Review: 5 Must-Read Stories (August 1-7)

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Church Announces 2016 Mutual Theme

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On August 1, the Young Men and Young Women General Presidencies announced in a letter the new mutual theme for 2016: "Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ." This theme comes from 2 Nephi 31:20:

“Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”

-->Read the rest of this story here!

Church Releases Seer Stone Photo + Handwritten Manuscript

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“A new volume of The Joseph Smith Papers Project featuring the printer’s manuscript of the Book of Mormon was released Tuesday by the Church Historian’s Press, an imprint of the History Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints,” reads a Mormon Newsroom statement.  “Revelations and Translations, Volume 3: Printer’s Manuscript of the Book of Mormon is the 11th published volume of the project in the Church’s ongoing effort to make every document produced by Church founder Joseph Smith or by his scribes available to the public.”

In a press conference held at the Church History Library in Salt Lake, Church Historian and Member of the Quorum of the Seventy Steven R. Snow announced the new project, stating, “We’re thrilled that this will benefit both scholars and members.” Elder Snow said that in compiling the lengthy volumes (over 1,000 pages of text), “we were committed to a comprehensive treatment of the facts.”

-->Read the rest of this report here or find out more about the seer stone here!

5 LDS Church Resources You Won't Be Using in 5 Years

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In March 1995, President Howard W. Hunter (who was president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the time) wrote in the Ensign, “The role of technology in this work has been accelerated by the Lord himself, who has had a guiding hand in its development and will continue to do so. However, we stand only on the threshold of what we can do with these tools.”

In the 20 years since that statement, the Church has continued to develop technology to hasten the work of salvation and to simplify processes for Church members. Here are five Church resources we predict will be obsolete by 2020.

1. Tithing slips

In five years, many Church members — at least in the United States — won’t have to find a little white slip outside the bishop’s office to pay tithing. The Church has approved a website foronline payment of tithing and other charitable donations, which is being rolled out to congregations in the U.S. throughout 2015.

Though members still have the option of hand delivering physical receipts and payment to their local priesthood leaders, in five years, most Church members in the United States will be handing it all online.

-->See the rest here!

Why I Stand by the Church Even After My Friends Have Left

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The intensity of the grief I have quietly shouldered these past few weeks has been hard to describe and has left me with an alarming loss for words. In the miniature chaos of having, as one friend described to me, multiple individuals I propped my testimony on discard their own, I've found myself wondering why I even bother. My social media accounts have been inundated with angry words about members of the church being voiceless and cowardly, critical articles about confirmation bias, Joseph Smith, the church's stance on gay marriage; friends who virtually laud their doubts and tear apart the testimonies of my other friends. In the middle of this, I see some of my friends faltering and questioning, wondering why they stay, and it's overwhelmed me. I've not been able to blog for weeks. I thought that was because I just felt uninspired. I'm suspecting it's because I've been deeply discouraged, not wanting to add fuel to the flame, not wanting to hurt or be hurt by other people who are just waiting for a chance to do it. Not wanting to defend the beliefs that are so much a part of me, that I'd imagine I'd crumble apart without them, and only because I worry about how others would react.

-->Finish this heartwarming testimony by clicking here.

LDS Mom & Other Family Members Hear "Voice of Warning" to Keep 2-Year-Old Safe

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Over the last year, four out of the six members of our family have had a dream that we found our youngest daughter, Gwen, face down in water. All different scenarios. All different outcomes. I typically do not like to give weight to dreams, but after four similar dreams we all took pause and began to worry.

One month before our first family reunion at a lake house in Virginia, I awoke at 3:11am with a phrase circling around my foggy mind: “Voice of Warning. Voice of Warning.” It was a calm but sure voice. My voice. In my head. But not my thought. It came from elsewhere. With faint images of Gwen accompanying the words. When I awoke the following morning, I shared the nighttime reverie with my husband. We were not panicked by the message. Instead we felt peace in knowing that we were given a warning, not necessarily a divination of danger. With a warning, we could prepare. And we did. We prepared ourselves and our children to pray for safety, to be aware, and to navigate each other around possible hazards. If ye are prepared ye shall not fear. (D&C 38:30) 

-->Find out how this miraculous story ends here!

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