God has had a tough time over the past few years. On TV, in newspapers and on the internet, the debate as to whether faith has any relevance in a sceptical modern world has been as ubiquitous as it has been vigorous.

In 2008, as my book Shaken Faith Syndrome was getting ready for publication, I contemplated on the fact that most of the book engaged the negative influences toward belief; my book addresses these negative influences and provides specific answers to common anti-LDS arguments. But I was a bit bothered that I hadn’t really included some of the wonderful and exciting evidences in favor of belief. So just a few short months after Shaken Faith Syndrome came off the press, Cedar Published my book, Of Faith and Reason: 80 Evidences Supporting the Prophet Joseph Smith. While the critics cannot prove that God does not exist and that Joseph Smith did not speak to the Father and Son on a hill in Palmyra, neither can believers prove that an angel led Joseph to an ancient Nephite record, or that resurrected beings restored the priesthood to the young prophet. Instead, critics attempt to show that Joseph borrowed teachings and stories from his environment to create a fictional Book of Mormon as well as a man-made Church. These criticisms are addressed in Shaken Faith Syndrome. Believers can show, however, that there are many evidences which support and are consistent with the story told by Joseph Smith. There is evidence consistent with the claim that an ancient family from Jerusalem traversed the Arabian Desert in about 600 B.C. There is evidence consistent with the claim that Joseph possessed actual metal plates with the appearance of gold. There is evidence consistent with the claim that Joseph restored authentic ancient Christian teachings that were no longer practiced and/or taught by Christianity in his day.

Excerpt from an interview Religion News Service conducted with Cinco Paul, screenwriter of Despicable Me.

Well, there’s no clear answer to this, but gradually, and over time, we see that this has come to be. We largely put academic and spiritual learning in two separate boxes. Rarely are academics viewed as tools to deepen faith and develop character. And rarely is faith viewed as a vital part of academics.

Learn about some of the ways Billy Graham defended Mormonism throughout his ministry. Read the Church's statement on Billy Graham following his death.

A classic song from a famous classic rock group. There's no doubt about it, things don't get much sweeter than Chicago's "Hard to Say I'm Sorry." But GENTRI has taken things one step further with this amazing cover. Take a listen.

What words come to mind when you think about the Lamanites? If you are anything like me, you probably thought of words like wicked, unrighteous, stiff-necked (whatever that means), or maybe even bloodthirsty. But we forget that even though there are Lamanites in the Book of Mormon that fit this description, there are also many Nephites that fit that description, too. If we look a bit closer, the stereotypes we have given the Lamanites and Nephites may not only be untrue but also unhelpful in our efforts to love our neighbor and “liken the scriptures to ourselves.”

I never expected I would be the mother of a child with disabilities, let alone two children with disabilities. But sometimes life detours have a way of teaching us things Heavenly Father knows we need to learn.

Few of us know the power and influence angels have in our lives on a regular basis. An angel is any messenger sent by God to do His work. Sometimes that message comes for our benefit, sometimes the message is a request to act on behalf of another, and sometimes we are the messenger. Here are a few things we can learn about angels to awaken our hearts and minds to the many influences they play in our seemingly normal, everyday lives.

Conference Talk: For more information on this topic read “LDS Women are Incredible!” by Quentin L. Cook, Ensign, May 2011, 18.