From children to adults, everyone has hobbies—activities they particularly enjoy doing. But sometimes the types of hobbies we pursue, the amount of time and money that is spent on them, and how helpful or relevant our hobbies are can influence our decisions about which hobbies to pursue. Often, our hobbies stem from our talents. In the scriptures, we are told that “every [one] is given a gift by the Spirit of God” (D&C 46:11) and that these gifts, also known as our talents, are given to us “for the benefit of the children of God” (D&C 46:26). One interpretation of several of Christ’s parables (Matthew 5:15-16, Matthew 25:15-30) implies that we are to improve and share these talents with the world. It doesn’t matter what your talent is—kayaking, dancing, public speaking—we are given these talents so that others may see our good works and glorify God. No one talent (or hobby) is greater than any other. The what of our hobbies matters little when compared to the how and why we do them.

In place of faith in Christ, some choose disbelief. When people say, “There is no God,” or, “The Church isn’t true,” their words can put us on the defensive. However, such comments are sometimes attempts to justify poor choices and avoid change. When we listen beyond the words, the message really being communicated in such cases is, “I’ve sinned and don’t want to repent.”

14 missions were asked to field test Preach My Gospel. When the results came in, it was back to the drawing board for the writers.

The LDS Church History Department recently opened their 10th International Art Exhibit, “Tell Me the Stories of Jesus,” at the LDS Church History Museum. The pieces selected for the exhibit were submitted by members of the Church around the world from Cambodia to California.

One of my favorite games to play with my friends as a child was “MASH.” We would write out MASH (mansion, apartment, shack, house) at the top of any scrap of paper we had, then in between giggles we would come up with the names of our future husbands (usually whoever we had crushes on at the time), how many kids we could possibly have (from 1 to 1,000), what careers we might end up with (anything from artist to astronaut), and other “important” facts about our lives that would then be determined by a chance elimination based on a random number.

The Sabbath is a special day, but it can be difficult think of what a family with children of different ages can do to make Sunday a special, spiritual day. But those families that stick with it until they find their own ways to successfully celebrate the Sabbath will reap blessings of stronger family relationships, kinder communication, spiritual depth, and more family fun. Here are 50 helpful ideas to get you started.

Little Paxton, our grandson, was born with a very rare chromosomal deletion, a genetic disorder that distinguishes him, literally, as one in hundreds of millions. For our daughter and her husband, an uncharted, life-changing journey began when Paxton was born. This experience has become a crucible for learning special lessons tied to the eternities.

Mormon 1-6; Moroni 9

The Salt Lake Temple is an iconic building for members of the Church. Here are some fun facts you might not know about it.

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