The final class of approximately 650 students graduated from Benemerito de las Americas, an LDS Church-owned high school in Mexico City, on June 14. At the graduation ceremony, Elder Alfredo Miron, the school's final director and an Area Seventy, symbolically handed a large wooden "key to the campus" over to the new MTC President Carl Pratt. On the key was written the name of the school with the dates 1963-2013, indicating its "fifty years of teaching the youth of the Latter-day Saints." Under these dates was written 2013- Missionary Training Center, and the scripture, "Behold, I will hasten my work in its time" (Doctrine and Covenants 88:73). On June 26, President Pratt and his wife, Sister Karen Pratt, welcomed their first group of about 100 newly set-apart missionaries, some of whom had graduated as high school students only a week-and-a-half earlier from the same campus. "I cannot believe it's only been 10 days since I graduated from this school," said one elder as he was entering the new MTC. "It's quite a special experience to be able to see the way in which the Lord transforms things in order to fulfill his work.

By now you have probably seen the pictures from the Church of Joseph Smith’s original seer stone, released in conjunction with the printing of an original manuscript of the Book of Mormon. But do you know how the Church came to obtain the stone?

Our family joined the Church the summer when I was fourteen, my brother was ten, and my sister was six. We grew up in Connecticut as a churchgoing family, but after church was over at 10:15 on Sunday morning, we were free to do what we wanted with the rest of the day. In the spring and fall, we usually spent the rest of the day at soccer games for my brother, Ethan. Spring soccer ended that year before we set our baptism date, before we understood the finer parts of becoming a Mormon, before we knew about how Mormons kept the sabbath day holy. At the end of the spring season, Ethan signed up to join the traveling team in the fall. By the time August came to an end, my mom realized that she was facing a problem. We were fresh from the waters of baptism and still felt like we could do everything right in terms of living the gospel. Should she let Ethan honor his commitment to the team, or should she encourage him to keep the sabbath day holy as much as possible? Full of a convert’s zeal, she had her opinions, and she marched Ethan into the Bishop’s office to have him validate her opinion.

If you have a copy of the early rendition of the temple, scrap it. If you have copied the 3-D video from YouTube to your Facebook friends, delete it. Residents anticipating the next tidbit on what is happening at the construction site for the new Provo City Center Temple can stop holding their breath -- Provo's community development office has received official bid plans for the temple and surrounding grounds from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. What is evident from a first glance into the 800 pages of descriptions, elevations, floor plans and landscaping is that the LDS Church is going to great lengths to preserve the historical nature of the old Provo Tabernacle. Thanks to modern technology, including the use of lasers, computerized censors, rebar and other devices, construction crews can bring the building up to seismic code and still keep its historical nature. City planner Josh Yost said that while no one will see some of the timbers and material being used, "it is a testament to the length the church is going for historical preservation."

The International Book of Mormon Evidence Conference is the largest in the world dedicated to showing forth evidences of the Book of Mormon. This semi-annual conference will bring 700-1,000 faithful LDS together from around the world to experience 2 education-packed days with 20 distinguished speakers, inspiring musical performances by country music star Nathan Osmond and the soul-stirring voice of Michele Baer, débuts of new television programs to be aired on KJZZ-TV conference weekend, new documentary films and publications, unveiling of new LDS paintings, and many powerful new evidences of the Book of Mormon. See the report on the previous (Oct. 2012) conference HERE.

Image from LDS.org.

The story of L.W. “Pete” Harman is somewhat well-sung. After striking up a deal with Colonel Harland Sanders, the two opened Harman’s Cafe, which became one of the first fast food restaurants in existence. The two soon began the franchise KFC, and Harman takes credit for the development of the bucket packaging and his emphasis on the “Finger-lickin’ good” motto.

The Divine Mission of Jesus Christ: The Good Shepherd

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints expressed support Friday for the federal Fairness for All Act introduced at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., this morning by nine members of Congress from seven states. The Church joins a broad coalition of bill supporters, including the Seventh-day Adventist Church, the 1st Amendment Partnership, the American Unity Fund, the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities and the Center for Public Justice.

“As fun and interesting as it is to follow the careers of professional athletes, perhaps some of us need to spend a little more time focusing on the players on the Lord’s team.”