"There’s something very special about having faithful people to have callings in temples, and it takes a large number of people to operate temples," Elder Quentin L. Cook said about the Meridian Idaho Temple. "This is a place that I can see why the Lord would want a temple here, and I can see why the prophet determined that one should be here."

With Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr. garnering national attention for their anticipated 2012 presidential runs, it’s almost impossible not to stumble across a news story discussing the impact of the LDS faith in the political arena. And then there are the articles that compare and contrast Romney and Huntsman to determine which “type” of Mormon they are.

Manual 1; Excerpt from "Waiting on the Road to Damascus," by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

After Christopher Murray suddenly became ill, his wife and family have shown incredible faith. While Murray was still in the hospital, his wife Hailey posted to Facebook, "I just want to thank everyone who has sent encouraging messages, donated money and time, and have prayed and fasted for Chris and my family. This is definitely a difficult trial, but through amazing support, we are holding up pretty well. I've been trying to keep a journal of all the countless blessings we are seeing through this trial."

When Eli Herring sent a letter to every team in the NFL before the draft, telling them he would not play professional football because of his faith, every team called Herring to ask if he was sure about his decision. But he turned them all down, capturing the attention of news agencies across the nation.

If Mitt Romney wins the Republican nomination for 2012, President Obama will reportedly have two things to say about him: he's greedy and he's weird. The greed part is based on Romney's work at Bain Capital, which frequently bought struggling companies and laid off workers. The weird part is based on his bad fashion and bad jokes, Politico reports. But Megan Carpentier thinks maybe it's really about Romney being Mormon. Carpentier notes that more than a third of Americans are "somewhat uncomfortable" or "entirely uncomfortable" with voting for Mormons, according to a Quinnipiac poll released in June. Further, Mormonism seems alien to many--the poll found just 25 percent think the religion is very or somewhat similar to their own. Politico's Ben Smith and Jonathan Martin report that Obama's campaign says it's not going after Romney's faith:

Remarkably, Richard Norby said he has had a complete lack of pain since the moment a terrorist bomb at the Brussels airport burned and broke his body. He and his wife, Pam, have exhibited no lack of faith as he has worked his way back to walking again.

Elder Lance B. Wickman, the general counsel for the LDS Church, said Thursday that believers have to prioritize religious freedoms, defending those at the innermost core of importance and compromising when needed on those that aren't as critical.

To those outside a particular faith, the rituals and clothing may seem unfamiliar. But for the participants they can stir the deepest feelings of the soul, motivate them to do good, even shape the course of a whole life of service.

The following comes from a recent Ensign article which tells the story of three modern-day pioneers who converted to the LDS faith. About their journeys, these converts shared: