Before Orem, Utah, resident Karen Jeffreys opened an email from a stranger in California, she had no idea what forgotten family treasure she was about to receive.

With Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman Jr. garnering national attention for their anticipated 2012 presidential runs, it’s almost impossible not to stumble across a news story discussing the impact of the LDS faith in the political arena. And then there are the articles that compare and contrast Romney and Huntsman to determine which “type” of Mormon they are.

This bilingual group of LDS artists originally called themselves Shine, later changing the name to ELENYI, which means ray of sunlight in Greek. And these girls do bring a ray of sunshine into the bleak winter months with their beautiful voices and inspiring testimonies, saying that, to them, "this song expresses the heart of Christmas!"

Mormon culture can often put pressure on missionaries and members to fit typical timelines--but following a typical pattern is not how life works. We are all unique, and we are all loved by our Heavenly Father because of that.

Growing up LDS may have more to do with personal success than you think, argues “Tiger Mom” Amy Chua and her co-author and husband Jed Rubenfeld. The pair’s recent claims statement that some minority groups are more successful than others has been stirring the pot on the internet of late. Included in the controversial list are two religious groups: Jews and Mormons. Why? The couple explains that three characteristics, which come as a natural result of the lifestyles of these groups, leads to increased drive and achievement.

You may have heard of companies like Uptown Cheapskate or 3DplusMe, but did you know that these companies were started by Mormon women?

Photo from ldschurchtemples.com, courtesy of Steve Crandall

I remember being in a professional development course and how the instructor emphasized not using too much jargon with the families we worked with because it could be intimidating and give the families a sense of isolation. Similarly, there is much jargon that is well known to members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but that is not understood by everyone. It is important to be aware of the words we use and how others might interpret them. Due to popularity of the original list (found here), I have created a new list of 10 more words.

Religious freedom experts gathered together on the campus of Brigham Young University for the 22nd annual conference of the LDS International Society. The theme was “The Erosion of Religious Liberties: Impact on the International Church.” As a matter of basic human dignity and social good, these experts defended religious freedom against gradually encroaching erosions. Michael K. Young, president of the University of Utah and former chairman of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, concentrated his remarks on the state of religious freedom in the United States, calling it a “bellwether” for the rest of the world. The extent of religious freedom erosion in the United States, he argued, significantly impacts the development of this issue in other countries. He warned about the subtle deterioration of religion’s once foundational place in society. An accumulation of “adverse” court decisions along with worsening social attitudes toward religion have produced gradual erosions that are “more worrying” than obvious, abrupt changes.

"I don't like a lot of attention with it. I don't really want to relive those emotions," says Richard Norby, a senior missionary injured in a terrorist attack last year. "But it's important to remember the blessings we had that day and the tender mercies that happened."