Search - LDS Living

Opinion: Will Mormons Save the GOP from Xenophobia?

Two growing forces in conservative politics are on a collision course: xenophobic nationalism and Mormonism. The Tea Party movement, with its rejection of Chamber of Commerce-type Republican elites, rose-tinted view of America’s past, and belief in self-reliance and small government, has reinvigorated isolationist nationalism within the GOP. Though much of the movement’s rhetoric has lately focused on public spending, suspicion of all things foreign—be they immigrants, overseas military missions, or Obama’s family roots—is one of the Tea Party’s animating forces.

5: Waiting Upon the Lord

In this episode, Isaac Thomas shares the story of how he gained a testimony and joined the church in 1976 at a time when he, as a Black man, could not receive the priesthood. He recounts the heartbreak and joy he found as he faithfully served and waited for a revelation that would restore the Priesthood to every worthy male member of the Church.

Why My Race Is a Gift from God: Perspectives from an African American Latter-day Saint

By Keith Hamilton

*Editor's Note: This is a republication of an article written in 2011, prior to the release of the Church's essay "Race and the Priesthood" in 2013.

50: “We Believe” (The Articles of Faith and Official Declarations 1 and 2)

If you’re thinking, “Wait, didn’t we just finish the Doctrine and Covenants? Why are there more lessons this year?” Well, yes, we did technically finish the sections, but did you know there are three very important documents included at the end of the Doctrine and Covenants? And so this week, we’re going to study those three documents: Official Declarations 1 and 2 and the Articles of Faith. But we also have a little something extra for you that is going to set up the discussion so well for these documents and we can’t wait to share it with you. So friends, grab your scriptures and let’s dig in.

Zandra Vranes of “Sistas In Zion” and Laurel Christensen Day: Racism In the Church

Zandra Vranes and Laurel Christensen Day’s friendship requires a conscious, deliberate effort to create trust. In this episode, they talk with “All In” host Erin Hallstrom about why they have chosen to create a strong relationship and understanding with one another by refusing to shy away from difficult conversations. Vranes and Day discuss how racism is manifest in the Church today and what we can all do to help each other feel at home in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Steven Harper: Is Consecration Still A Thing?

Most of us have the same perception of consecration that Steven Harper had when he went to the temple for the first time: The Lord “revealed the law of consecration to the early Saints. They couldn’t live it, so the Lord revoked the higher law, gave the lower law of tithing, and would someday give the higher law again.” But if someone had asked him how he knew that, he says he wouldn't have had an answer. Now after studying the topic for years, Harper has a different understanding of what consecration is and on this week’s episode he shares the answers he's found with us.

Stories of Faith

‘Your path is your path’: Spanish journalist testifies of divine guidance

By Abby Larkins

A professor told Irene that serving a mission could limit her career, but Irene chose to trust in the Lord.

Latter-day Saint Life

10 Quotes from Church Leaders That Will Inspire You to Vote—Even in This Election

By Kaitlyn Rowbotham

Members of the Church all over the world are invited to be active participants in their community by voting in elections and being civically engaged. The 12th article of faith says, "We believe in being subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law." As we approach Election Day, here are 12 quotes from general authorities about voting.

Latter-day Saint Life

How a Conversation with an Albino Teen Completely Changed My View of Empathy and Loving Others

By Miranda Richards

I was still in the middle of the street, heart spasming a little from the fact that a car had nearly run me over—literally. Not in a ha-ha-did-you-see-that kind of way. I had been in the middle of a crosswalk when a teenage driver turning left gunned it to race through the intersection before an oncoming car, not realizing I was also in the intersection. The worst part was, when I jumped out of the way to avoid becoming road kill, he happened to swerve in the same direction, coming even closer to maiming if not killing me.

Latter-day Saint Life

What Mark Twain Really Thought About Mormons

By Kathryn Jenkins Gordon

Mark Twain—author of popular classics like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn—was celebrated in his New York Time obituary as the “greatest American humorist of his age.”