From Johnny Lingo license plates to hard-core motorcyclists with an angel Moroni embroidered on their jacket, check out these amazing Mormon moments you might only find in Utah.

Pioneer treks are a common summer activity for Church members around the world, allowing them to experience, if even partially, the challenges the earliest pioneers faced in searching for religious freedom in the 1800s. Opportunities abound to learn how suffering and sacrifice brings one close to the Savior. Walking in the pioneers’ footsteps, participants can feel empathy for those who heeded the call to gather to Zion.

On September 11th, 1857, a group of Latter-day Saint militiamen persuaded a band of passing emigrants to march down a trail in Mountain Meadows, Utah. Under the pretense of protection and following the orders of their local Church leaders, these militiamen proceeded to execute 120 men, women, and children.

Thought:

INTRODUCTION: The phrase “every member a missionary” became common during the administration of President David O. McKay. Of that requirement, he said,

It seems like general conference surprises are increasing at an alarming rate. Here are a few past general conference moments no one saw coming.

Books, articles, and numerous Internet websites work to undermine faith in Joseph Smith’s first vision, but historically there have been just three main arguments against it. The minister to whom Joseph reported the event responded that there were no such things these days. More than a century later and in a literary style that masked her weakness in following the historical method, Fawn Brodie wrote that Joseph invented the vision years after he said it happened. A generation later, Wesley Walters charged Joseph with inventing revivalism when, Walters claimed, a lack of historical evidence proved that there was none and therefore there was no subsequent vision as a result. By now it has become a foregone conclusion for some that there are no such things as visions, that Joseph failed to mention his experience for years, and that he then gave conflicting accounts that failed to match historical facts. 1 But these three claims assume much more than they prove.

Some people who will be alone for the holidays are just hoping to endure. But there are some ways to manage this experience and find joy.

INTRODUCTION

While having a good job, earning a living, and making meaningful connections with others are all incredibly important components of a well-rounded lifestyle, these things should not become the foundation of who we are and how we seek our happiness.