If you or a loved one suffer from eczema or dry, itchy skin, then you know how miserable it is. You are always scratching, and your skin can become unsightly and riddled with painful, bloody scabs. A peaceful night’s sleep is unheard of, and your skin can dictate every moment of your life.

MR says: Learn what this athlete has to say about how she keeps her family life and training in balance.

When Gustavo (Gus) Garcia posted a video from his mission on his way home from a US Army assignment, he had no idea it would go viral. Yet the talented dancer, now married for five years with three kids, found himself plastered across the internet for a simple act of missionary work he did years ago.

“Choose your love and love your choice.” When Thomas S. Monson made that statement, I thought I understood what he was saying.

You may have 400 friends on Facebook or 200 followers on Twitter, but how many of those people do you actually interact with outside the virtual world? Church leaders have warned us to avoid the kind of digital immersion that prevents us from enjoying person-to-person communication, but we have also been counseled to use Internet tools to spread the gospel and do good. So how do we find that happy balance?

Over the past two weeks, hundreds of millions have enjoyed the 2012 Olympic Games in London. We have been collectively inspired by the almost unimaginable moments of athleticism and competition displayed on the court, pool, mat, field and track. Every four years we watch the summer Olympics and recalibrate the limits of human athletic capacity as men and women swim faster, jump higher and run stronger than ever before. As in past Olympics, these games have minted a new generation of athletes whose medal-winning moments will be celebrated for decades to come. We will long associate, say, the tiny island nation of Jamaica with their blazing sprinters. Pixie-sized gymnasts will remain forever young and lithe, at least in our memories and highlight reels. And in the coming weeks, legions of little boys and girls will likely flock to the nearest community swimming pool or track-and-field club with visions of becoming an Olympian themselves one day.

There is a famous American story about a vision in which a man sees his life in review, matched with two pairs of footprints on a beach—one belonging to himself, and the other to the Lord.[1] During the hardest times of his life, the man sees only a single set of footprints. When the man asks Christ why the second set of footprints is missing at the times of greatest trial, as if Christ had abandoned him when it mattered most, Christ explains, “It was then that I carried you.” I have heard this story countless times, and I acknowledge that it has been precious to some who struggle. But the core of this sentimental story is misleading.

Dear Dave,

A personal peek into the life of the mother of four girls, artist of eight albums, and author of two books.

When my friend told her father that she was seriously considering marrying a young man who didn’t serve a mission, his jaw dropped. Her father harbored some justified concerns about this young man she had fallen in love with. But in this case (like in many other cases), he had changed his ways and was ready for an eternal commitment to the Lord—and to her. This example is just one of many where that old stigma catches up with us: the assumption that “non-RM” young men may be less worthy or ready for the blessings of a temple marriage.