Lunch and Learn Series with Deseret Book Artists and Authors

What happens when an eternal marriage doesn't end up lasting for eternity? Like many children in the Church, Scott Sonnenberg grew up singing “I Love to See the Temple,” and “Families Can Be Together Forever.” That treasured ideal was shattered shortly after Scott returned home from his mission and his parents went through a divorce. He promised himself at the time that divorce would never ravage his own marriage—but, as he explains on this week’s podcast, that is exactly what happened. On this week's episode, Sonnenberg shares how he's navigated being a member of the Church when a forever family seems out of reach, and how the Atonement has given him hope through his trial.

There is another kind of reunion with departed family members. It sometimes occurs even before we enter into the spirit world.

Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, Angela Lansbury, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It doesn't seem like a mix of artists you'd find all on one album, but that's what makes the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's new album, Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Friends, so compelling. Featuring over a dozen world-famous artists backed up by the 360-member choir, it's little wonder this new album hit no. 1 on the Billboard "Classical Crossover Albums" chart.

“He will be missed profoundly as the religious leader of 4,000 members of the LDS church in the Washington D.C. area,” Nathan Sheets said about James Baird, who recently passed away. “But he will be missed even more profoundly for the kindness that he showed, for the examples that he set, for the words of encouragement that he provided people." Read what theWashington Post had to say about his passing.

Just 29 days after reaching the Salt Lake Valley, President Brigham Young organized a choir to sing in a conference on August 22, 1847, according to a blog post on the Tabernacle Choir's blog. This small choir blossomed and grew into a 360-member choir that was later dubbed by President Ronald Reagan as "America's Choir" and has sung with world-famous artists like Sting, Yo-Yo Ma, James Taylor, John Denver, and more.

Have you been born again? A concept brought up to Nicodemus is still relevant today, and was especially relevant to Alma and the sons of Mosiah in this week’s Come, Follow Me reading Mosiah 25–28. It was also on the mind of President James E. Faust when he taught that “we cannot be fully converted until we ‘walk in newness of life’ and are at heart a new person, ‘purged from [our] old sins.’”

Excerpt from "Called and Chosen," by James E. Faust

(Interestingly enough, Pres. Benson's talk was read by Pres. Hinckley.)

What is the meaning of the tree of life? The symbolism involved may furnish clues. Trees have several standard symbolic meanings. Green trees often represent the righteous, whereas dry trees can symbolize the wicked. 76 M. Catherine Thomas noted that "most often in scripture . . . the tree is an anthropomorphic symbol. A tree serves well as such a symbol because it has, after all, limbs, a circulatory system, the bearing of fruit, and so forth. Specifically, scriptural trees stand . . . for Christ and his attributes."77 Elsewhere we read, "In ancient times, sacred trees . . . were [representative of the] attributes of the gods." 78 Susan Easton Black wrote: "The tree of life is connected with the cross, the two having somewhat the same significance. Both relate to the resurrection, eternal life, the Lord, and the 'Love of God.' . . . Before the crucifixion of Christ, the tree of life symbol was used extensively. After the crucifixion the cross seems to have replaced it to a degree." 79 When Nephi wished to know the meaning of the tree that his father saw in his dream (1 Nephi 11:9–24), the angel showed him a vision of the birth of Christ. The angel then said to Nephi, "Behold the Lamb of God, yea, even the Son of the Eternal Father! Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?" (1 Nephi 11:21). To this Nephi responded, "It is the love of God" (1 Nephi 11:22). Jesus is the "love of God" (John 3:16) and the "tree of life."