Six houses that belonged to my ancestors still stand in Nauvoo; nice brick and frame homes, with lawns and gardens and trees and carriage houses. I can hardly imagine the stretching and commitment necessary for their owners to gather up a wagon load of non-perishable goods, sweep the floor a final time, and follow the prophet of God across the Mississippi and into the setting sun. My own home is large and lovely, with a wrought iron fence and roses and fruit trees and a garden. My children grew up here. My grandchildren identify this as the ancestral home. I wonder how I would respond if circumstances and revelation were to require an uprooting and transplanting . . .

Alma 40-42

In his April 2023 general conference address, Elder Gary E. Stevenson challenged us to rethink the way we celebrate Easter by asking this question: “How do we model the teaching and celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Easter story, with the same balance, fulness, and rich religious tradition of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story?”

Years ago, before the Church instituted the three-hour block schedule for our Sunday meetings, we used to go to the chapel for meetings three times every Sunday—once in the morning for priesthood meeting, a second time for Sunday School opening exercises and classes, and finally a third time for a ninety-minute sacrament meeting. When I was a very young man, our ward’s Sunday School superintendent, Brother Marchant, came to our class one Sunday to ask for volunteers who would be willing to give the prayer, the 2½-minute talks, and the sacrament gem (a verse of scripture shared before the sacrament was passed) in the following week’s Sunday School opening exercises. My strategy was to quickly volunteer to say either the prayer or the sacrament gem. I was motivated by the desire to avoid having to give a talk at all costs! Unfortunately for me, I wasn’t the only person in the class with that strategy, and I missed out on my first choice, the prayer. I was quick enough, however, to score the sacrament gem assignment. Given the other alternative, I felt lucky.

Last year the Church released photos of Joseph Smith's brown seer stone. But did you know he also had a white seer stone that might have been even more important to him?

Alma 5-7

2 Corinthians

Editor's note: This story was originally published by LDS Living in April 2020 and is being shared again in anticipation of October 2020 general conference. Here's how you can watch.

INTRODUCTION: The Savior knew that the time following his crucifixion would be difficult for his apostles. He seems to be trying to prepare them by his explanations in John 16 and by his prayer in John 17. He was about to leave the kingdom—the mortal vehicle of salvation—in the hands of these twelve men. To them would fall the responsibility of continuing the work he had begun so magnificently. On them would rest the burden of the salvation of men in every nation. From them would come the message of hope that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. Knowing that he had but a few hours left, he gave final instructions and offered a final prayer for them.

Just Asking: Shannon Hale and Jerusha Hess