Completing the Ringling Clown College program was no easy task for Torkildson. His family was embarrassed by his career choice, and he felt rejected by many of his fellow clowns. Despite this opposition, Torkildson became one of the top performers in his class, and graduated as one of only 12 students with an offer to perform with the Ringling Brothers Circus.

In Isaiah 6 (or 2 Nephi 16), Isaiah responds to the question of the Lord, Whom shall I send and who will go for us? With the familiar phrase, Here am I; send me. Knowing the difficulty and danger of the work, and understanding something of the disinterest of his people, he nevertheless offered himself for a most dangerous assignment: Here am I; send me.

Mosiah 12-17

For some, the biannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a joyful time. ... But for others, general conference can be a time of stress and has the potential to induce guilt.

Mary Magdalene is one of the best-known characters in the New Testament, yet we know surprisingly little about her. In all but one of the twelve times that she is mentioned in the four Gospels, she is either named alone or first in a list of women. The sole exception is in John’s account of the women who stood by the cross in which the mother of Jesus is listed first (John 19:25). Nevertheless, in the Gospel of John, Mary Magdalene is the premier witness of the Resurrection and the only one commissioned to tell others the stunning truth. The primacy of her name in these accounts, the frequency of her mention, and her role on the morning of the Resurrection suggest that she was a prominent and respected disciple in the first century. From the earliest interpretations of her, however, she has been assigned polar opposite roles: at one extreme, a repentant sinner who quietly served; at the other, the apostle to the apostles.

At first blush, it seems odd that Nephi, son of Lehi—a man born approximately 615 years BC—should have such a contemporary and continuing influence upon my life. But he has.

Here is some practical advice for those who want to effectively boost their powerful priesthood proselytizer!

Not only has this touching, life-changing truth pulled a Latter-day Saint from the brink of suicide, it has kept her in the Church even when doubts arise or others leave.

Did you know laughter makes you more attractive, relieves stress, strengthens relationships, and burns calories?

On June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart woke to a strange voice in her room saying, "I have a knife at your neck. Don't make a sound. Get up and come with me." What ensued was nine months of rape and abuse at the hands of her captors, Brian David Mitchell and Wanda Barzee. About these months, Smart said, "There wasn't a single day I didn't pray. . . It was the hardest time of my life, without a doubt, but at the same time, it was one of the most spiritual times of my life because I felt my Savior's presence so strongly in my life."