Alexandra Mortenson

Latter-day Saint Life

4 things every new mom needs to hear

By Alexandra Mortenson

May 02, 2022 07:00 AM MDT

No matter how much I read, ask, or prepare, I will never know what it’s like to be a new mom until I’m actually there.

4 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

7 Beautiful commandments we sometimes forget are commandments

By Alexandra Mortenson

March 07, 2020 11:00 AM MST

Here are a few inspiring commandments—ones that may slip our memory or get pushed under the rug in the living of life.

9 Min Read

Fun

Quiz: Book of Mormon Name or Pokémon—Can You Tell the Difference?

By Alexandra Mortenson

September 26, 2019 01:00 PM MDT

The following story previously ran on LDS Living in October 2017.

1 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

8 Latter-day Saint Marriage Proposals You Have to See to Believe

By Alexandra Mortenson

March 29, 2019 05:00 PM MDT

Latter-day Saints are known for marrying young, having brief courtships and engagements, and of course, for over-the-top marriage proposals. Although no stereotype fits every Latter-day Saint love story, here are a few engagement stories that show just how far some will go to ask for the hand of the one they love.

5 Min Read

Famous Latter-day Saints

Jane Manning James and Emma Smith: A remarkable friendship amid deep racial prejudice

By Alexandra Mortenson

March 12, 2019 09:00 AM MDT

The friendship between Jane Manning James and Emma Smith—remarkable in a pre–Civil War era—is documented only in a few scattered lines of historical text.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How a dream of her deceased husband led this convert to become a civil rights activist

By Alexandra Mortenson

January 21, 2019 11:36 AM MST

“This message is my message to young people. They should have it in their hearts. Let us dig the soil of bitterness, throw in a seed, show love, and see what fruits it can give.”

4 Min Read

Fun

Quiz: How Well Do You Know Our Prophet, President Nelson?

By Alexandra Mortenson

October 04, 2018 09:27 AM MDT

It has been almost 10 months since President Russell M. Nelson became our prophet. But how much do you really know about this father, heart surgeon, and servant of the Lord?

1 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Attending Church on Friday + 17 More Unique Ways Latter-day Saints Worship Around the World

By Alexandra Mortenson

May 07, 2018 09:27 AM MDT

One incredible thing about being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that no matter where you go in the world, you can expect to find a ward or branch of fellow believers worshiping in a familiar way. All across the world Saints gather for a three-hour block, partake of the sacrament, teach and bear testimony to each other, and follow the same lesson manuals in a variety of languages. Ordinances are conducted by the same authority and manner in the Philippines as they are in France.

5 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How a Gladys Knight Concert Changed the Life of a Man Who Was Adamant He Would Never Be A Latter-day Saint

By Alexandra Mortenson

May 01, 2018 10:30 PM MDT

When Daryl Planks married his wife Rachel in 2012, he knew she was a Mormon.

10 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

It's Definitely a Mormon Marriage Proposal If . . .

By Alexandra Mortenson

April 30, 2018 09:00 AM MDT

Sometimes there are dead giveaways that someone is a Mormon, and marriage proposals are no different. We scoured the internet world of marriage-proposal videos and found these dead giveaways.

3 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

The Remarkable Story of How a Nepali Hindu Found the Church and Gave Up Everything to Follow Christ

By Alexandra Mortenson

April 27, 2018 10:06 PM MDT

“I don’t want to go to school!” 5-year-old Usha shouted at her older brother, pulling his hair. Later she would become one of the first Nepali women with advanced degrees in both medicine and public administration, but as a little girl, she didn’t yet realize what a privilege education was.

14 Min Read

Lesson Helps

5 Ways to Spice Up Your Sunday School Lessons

By Alexandra Mortenson

April 24, 2018 09:25 AM MDT

There’s no denying it: treats are great for capturing the attention of wiggly children or fidgeting, drowsy teenagers during a Sunday lesson smack dab in the middle of the long three-hour church block. And let’s admit it--even us adults get a little bit giddy if one of our teachers brings us something to munch on.

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

13 Creative Ways Kids Can Earn Money for Their Missions

By Alexandra Mortenson

April 18, 2018 07:18 AM MDT

In aNew Era article on mission preparation, President M. Russell Ballard said the following about paying for a mission:

6 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

TV Host Surprises LDS Family with $120,000 for Their Bunk-Bed Nonprofit

By Alexandra Mortenson

March 09, 2018 03:38 PM MST

Movie actor and TV host Mike Rowe (known for narrating shows on the Discovery Channel such as Dirty Jobs and on the National Geographic Channel such as How the Universe Works and Shark Week) is now hosting a Facebook Watch series called Returning the Favor. In the series, Mike Rowe travels the country featuring stories of those who are giving back to the community and surprising them with opportunities to take their work even further.

2 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

President and Sister Oaks on Ancestor Parties and Other Fun Ideas to Connect with Family History

By Alexandra Mortenson

March 05, 2018 05:55 PM MST

On March 3, President and Sister Oaks sat together as keynote speakers in the closing session of the 2018 RootsTech conference—the largest family history conference in the world.

3 Min Read

Fun

The Mormon Pilot Who Helped Create "Interstellar," "Dunkirk," "Dark Knight" + More Hollywood Blockbusters

By Alexandra Mortenson

March 01, 2018 10:00 PM MST

Craig Hosking is an LDS film pilot and aerial coordinator in Hollywood. Over the years he’s worked on more than 150 films and TV shows, a few of which include Dunkirk, Interstellar, Spectre: 007, The Dark Knight Rises, Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales, and Star Trek: Into the Darkness.

7 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

13 Olympians featured in general conference talks

By Alexandra Mortenson

February 15, 2018 01:00 PM MST

Olympians have inspired many over the years, including leaders of the Church. Here are a few whose names and stories have made their way into general conference talks.

4 Min Read

Famous Latter-day Saints

LDS Convert, NFL Player Shares How Diversity Led Him to Join the Church

By Alexandra Mortenson

February 10, 2018 04:00 PM MST

Jamal Willis, former NFL running back for the 49ers, was recently called to be in the presidency for the Church’s Genesis Group. In an interview with LDS Living, he shared his story of embracing diversity and staying true to himself while navigating college, football, and Mormon culture.

9 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

A Powerful Lesson This Book of Mormon Woman Taught Me for Moments When You Feel Like a Failure

By Alexandra Mortenson

December 27, 2017 12:32 PM MST

Sometimes we feel like we’ve done everything right—tried to do good, tried to follow the Spirit—and still, everything falls to pieces. Sometimes we even feel that we’ve made circumstances worse, despite our honorable intentions. We stand looking at the disaster at our feet and we wonder, Is this my fault? Did I do something wrong? And what am I supposed to do now?

4 Min Read

Videos

9 Must-See 2017 Christmas Music Videos from LDS Artists

By Alexandra Mortenson

December 18, 2017 10:01 PM MST

From heart-stopping renditions of Christmas classics to originals that we hope to hear again and again, LDS artists have outdone themselves this Christmas season. We've loved watching so many creative, breathtaking tributes to our Savior and the true meaning of Christmas.

3 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

How a Drowned Laptop Taught Me the Miracles of the Temple

By Alexandra Mortenson

December 16, 2017 02:07 PM MST

In the September 1995 Ensign, President James E. Faust wrote:

3 Min Read

Famous Latter-day Saints

Mormon Rodeo Champion Named One of Canada's Greatest Athletes

By Alexandra Mortenson

December 15, 2017 05:49 PM MST

Although legendary Canadian cowboy Earl Bascom died in 1995, his legacy lives on. According to the Lethbridge Herald, Bascom was recently named one of Canada's greatest athletes by the Toronto Star newspaper. Bascom was one of 150 athletes named, including hockey player Wayne Gretzky and basketball player Steve Nash.

1 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

Watch: Stake President Kidnapped by Mexican Cartel Shares Incredible Story of God's Power and Love

By Alexandra Mortenson

December 12, 2017 06:26 PM MST

Bob Meek was staying at a hotel in Mexico on a business trip when the hotel room phone rang. Meek, who spoke Spanish from his days as an LDS missonary many years before, answered.

1 Min Read

Latter-day Saint Life

What an Unexpected Visit from Elder Oaks Taught Me About the Savior

By Alexandra Mortenson

November 25, 2017 01:10 PM MST

I did a double take.

3 Min Read