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In a world where a constant—and we mean constant—flow of media images far exceeds the number of women we could ever see face to face, this abnormally thin and digitally-enhanced feminine ideal has become the norm in our minds. A counterfeit, dangerous, unattainable norm.

Iceland: realm of the ancient Vikings, land of fire and ice, and home to an isolated but growing group of Latter-day Saints who can trace their country's gospel roots to just two Icelandic converts working in Denmark: Guðmundur Guðmundsson and Þórarinn Hafliðason.

Agnes Veronika Erdös and Gustav Palm experienced World War II under vastly different conditions: she as a prisoner in a concentration camp and he as an SS soldier. Amazingly, the two would fall in love, help each other heal, and embrace a common faith in God that would lead them to find The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

One of author Dean Hughes' favorite pioneer stories starts out with his angry, somewhat intoxicated ancestor trying to punch out an early Latter-day Saint apostle.

It all started with the fathers. As with countless Jewish girls, Mary’s betrothal likely began when, by custom, Joseph’s father approached hers. Before Joseph’s father said more than a few words, Mary’s father likely knew what he wanted. To be brief, he wanted to discuss a possible engagement of his son with Mary. That topic would require a somewhat formal meeting.1 Whether Joseph’s father was the first parent to approach Mary’s father we cannot know. It is certainly possible that her father had been approached by other fathers of young men in Nazareth. Mary would surely have been visible to all the fathers in the small town. She may have been one of the few eligible young women that year in a settlement that sat apart, high above the surrounding plains at the top of steep hills that rose near one another and, falling precipitously toward each other, formed a bowl-like setting for Nazareth’s few inhabitants.

I stood outside of Buckingham Palace in April 2017, and it was spectacular. The day was filled with pageantry and spectacle as thousands gathered to celebrate Queen Elizabeth II’s ninety-first birthday.

There are lots of firsts for RootsTech in 2021, which will be held February 25–27. Although the event is typically hosted in person in Salt Lake City, this year marks the first virtual-only gathering due to COVID-19. And for the first time, nearly 2,000 on-demand sessions will be available for free for 365 days.

As someone who has been observing the development of the curriculum for the Children and Youth program, I have been impressed with its focus on transitioning children into responsible adults. I believe all parents want to see their children evolve into responsible adults, though there are as many varied opinions as there are parents on how best to accomplish that goal. Achieving the goal of transitioning youth into adults appears further complicated by the fact that children with different personalities may actually require a parenting approach tailored to their unique strengths and weaknesses. Sister Joy D. Jones, Primary general president shares, “Leaders and parents, keep in mind that you help children and youth best when you support their efforts instead of tracking them.” It’s my hope that all parents will be able to see how the new program encourages children to take personal responsibility for their development and can be easily adapted to the specific needs of each individual child.

One hot afternoon, I was on a hill overlooking the border between Syria and Israel. As we walked down the hill, we talked about how some Latter-day Saints de-emphasize the importance of Christ’s Crucifixion.