Manual 3; Supplement from "Revealed Quorum Principles" by Michael A. Neider

“I think one of the hardest things about playing the role are the expectations that everyone has of you,” Maxson said. “People are very free with how they feel about the Savior and the faith. They project all that onto you when you’re on stage. It’s difficult to shoulder.”

“Why, in my right mind would I ever want to kill myself?” That was my thought as I walked down the dirt streets of Nicargua. I remember getting hit by an avalanche of thoughts telling me to take my own life. It was heavy and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t lift it off of me. “Everyone feels this way, right?” “It will pass.” “I’m not praying enough, I’m not studying efficaciously enough.” “I just have to work harder and be more obedient.” I wasn’t good enough. I mentioned to my dad (who was in prison) in an email the thoughts that I was struggling with and he said that sometimes he felt down too but he just had to keep his chin up and things got better as he pressed forward in faith. Ok dad, if you say so.

Read this stunning new pictorial introduction to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—to share with family, friends and neighbors:

MR says: Father's have such an influence on the lives of their children. Here are some simple ways that all dads out there can guarantee their influence will be for the better and will bring the most to their kids' lives.

Random toddler tantrums in supermarkets, constant errands, endless housework, and no sick days. Motherhood is a difficult, often unsung job.

In January, NPR had a special guest host on their series "Wait Wait ... Don't Tell Me"—Tom Hanks. And with panelists Faith Salie, Luke Burbank, and Paula Poundstone, the show was bound to get hilarious.

“I make no defense of the war from this pulpit,” Elder Gordon B. Hinckley said in the later 1960s. “There is no simple answer. The problems are complex almost beyond comprehension. I seek only to call your attention to that silver thread, small but radiant with hope, shining through the dark tapestry of war—namely, the establishment of a bridgehead, small and frail now; but which somehow, under the mysterious ways of God, will be strengthened . . .”

Official statistics are hard to come by, but it has become clear over the past several years that Mormonism is seeing many of its 18- to 30-year-olds reduce their participation in the church or leave the faith altogether. Two recent actions confirm this trend and reveal the church’s initial responses in trying to stem the tide. First, in an effort to better track singles and help them feel connected to a local unit by providing new opportunities for callings and meeting other singles without “ward hopping,” the church has disbanded Utah student wards and reorganized them into singles wards in all-single stakes. And second, because it seems to recognize that it meets the needs of families better than it does singles, it has begun re-emphasizing the counsel for young adults to not delay marriage, to not be afraid of finding a worthy partner and starting a family right away even if this means possibly experiencing financial and other struggles not faced by those who delay marriage and children until after completing school or professional training. In this podcast, host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists Joanna Brooks, Tresa Edmunds, and Jared Anderson explore this issue of a church seemingly in danger of losing a generation of young people.

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.