I left on my mission February 23rd, 2011 and went to serve in Philadelphia, PA. I'll never forget my very first few days of my mission and especially a specific counsel my Mission President gave us new missionaries. As we we're sitting in a room at the Church building he looked us in the eyes and said, "I don't like the term 'the best two years.'" When he said that I was so confused because that is the exact phrase we hear growing up in the Church. People tell you that all the time growing up, "just wait until you serve a mission, it will be the best two years of your life!" or " a mission is the best two years" Heck, there is even a iconic Mormon movie called "The Best Two Years" which I'm sure most of you, if not all, have seen before.

For someone who had a less than 5% chance of survival only six months ago, Lexi Hansen is surprisingly healthy and understandbly thrilled about serving a mission.

My son came home from his mission.

Despite support from politicians in the United States and the support of Church members and lawyers in Venezuela, Josh Holt is still in prison, and his health is failing.

“Mormonism in Pictures” is a photo essay feature from MormonNewsroom.org depicting The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members around the world.

Lindsey Stirling is a darling of the LDS and YouTube communities--and now the Buzzfeed community, too!

The Church's 2016 "Light the World" Christmas campaign encourages everyone to serve in the 25 days leading up to Christmas. However, sometimes it can be a bit tricky to think of new ways to serve. Whether you're looking for daily service projects or ideas for Secret Santa or "Elving" like in the new family Christmas hit, The Christmas Project, here are 30 simple service ideas to get you started:

“Not everything in life is . . . black and white, but it seems that the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and its keystone role in our belief is exactly that. Either Joseph Smith was the prophet he said he was, who, after seeing the Father and the Son, later beheld the angel Moroni, repeatedly heard counsel from his lips, eventually receiving at his hands a set of ancient gold plates which he then translated according to the gift and power of God or else he did not. And if he did not… he is not entitled to retain even the reputation of New England folk hero or well-meaning young man or writer of remarkable fiction. No, and he is not entitled to be considered a fine teacher or a quintessential American prophet or the center of great wisdom literature. If he lied about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, he is certainly none of these” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "A Standard unto My People," delivered at the CES Book of Mormon Symposium, 9 August 1994, BYU Marriott Center).

The Church News and Events website posted the following regarding Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles today: Many members and friends of the Church have expressed concern for and interest in Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Hales suffered health challenges earlier this year that affected his mobility and endurance. As a result, he was not able to speak in the April 2011 general conference. His presence at the October general conference is an indication of the improvement he has made since the problems arose.

Utah Senator Orrin Hatch introduced a bill last Thursday that will streamline the religious-worker visa process for Mormon missionaries coming to the United States.