Everything changes when we face adversity at the Lord’s side.

Part of the information sent to prospective missionaries is a list of needed clothing, supplies, and incidentals. The Missionary Department is appropriately concerned that missionaries arrive in the field properly equipped for the service they are expected to render. I remember receiving my list in 1965 and I have been with my eight missionary children as they received theirs. My children have generally requested a new suitcase, although we have convinced most of them that such an expenditure is not necessary. We have a nice selection available. Then the shopping begins, as they scour the city for the things they will require for the time of their service in Santiago or New York or Las Palmas or San Salvador or Salvador or Carlsbad or Añasco or White River. My bank account has ached with the abuse it has taken. My Mastercard has been swiped so many times it nearly set my pants on fire.

As Latter-day Saints, we love the idea of agency and the ability to choose, except when we don't. When we have to buckle down and finally take responsibility after failure, so often we revert to other ideas that make it seem like the choice was out of our control.

MR says: Being a missionary parent--it is the best of times, it is the worst of times, and it is everything in between. But there's no doubt about it, blessings do come from the sacrifice, even for the family waiting back home.

Islam is a severely misunderstood religion. Most people don’t know very much about Islam besides what they see on the news, or that many people in the Mesopotamian area are Muslim. A closer look at this religion and our religion will reveal there are several common threads between the two religions. When we see similarities between our religion and others, it helps build bridges and understanding. It helps us realize how we are often misunderstood as well as how we misunderstand others’ beliefs, even while having good intentions.

This morning, Clint Edwards and his family were featured on Good Morning America, after Edwards’s article, “I blamed my wife for our messy house, I was wrong for many reasons” went viral online.

Can you believe we're already a month into 2023?! How are your New Year's resolutions holding up? Whether you're in need of some motivation to keep up the good work or some encouragement to get back on track, take a look at these 7 quotes to help you achieve your goals this year.

In Doctrine and Covenants 115:4-6, the Lord calls to action all the people of His Church, inviting them to “arise and shine forth” so that their “light may be a standard for the nations.” He asks them to join together to support one another and become a “refuge from the storm.”

The Golden Plates comic series, originally a Book of Mormon adaptation project started by Michael Allred in the early 2000s, was recently updated and made re-available online at LDS Ideas. Andrew Knaupp, who worked on revamping the series for digital format, found that immersing himelf in the project gave him unique insights regarding Joseph Smith's translation process and the stories within The Book of Mormon.

General Conference is one of my favorite times of the year. The season is changing, and along with these beautiful changes, we get to hear from our prophets. I'm hard-pressed to think of another time during the year that I feel more reinvigorated and energized to press forward.