As a single Latter-day Saint, church experiences are different from the “norm.” I took some time to talk with a dozen or so singles and former singles (particularly those who spent some real time being single past the age of 21) and invited them to tell the rest of us what they’d like us to know about their experience as singles in the Church.

It all started with the fathers. As with countless Jewish girls, Mary’s betrothal likely began when, by custom, Joseph’s father approached hers. Before Joseph’s father said more than a few words, Mary’s father likely knew what he wanted. To be brief, he wanted to discuss a possible engagement of his son with Mary. That topic would require a somewhat formal meeting.1 Whether Joseph’s father was the first parent to approach Mary’s father we cannot know. It is certainly possible that her father had been approached by other fathers of young men in Nazareth. Mary would surely have been visible to all the fathers in the small town. She may have been one of the few eligible young women that year in a settlement that sat apart, high above the surrounding plains at the top of steep hills that rose near one another and, falling precipitously toward each other, formed a bowl-like setting for Nazareth’s few inhabitants.

Editor's note: The views, information, or opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author. Readers should consider each unique situation. This content is not meant to be a substitute for individual, professional advice.

Continuing the Legacy

Together with her husband, Chris, Erlynn now welcomes and hosts dignitaries from around the world as they come to Salt Lake City to see what The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is all about.

“I marvel each year at what Kathy makes happen,” Elder Christofferson shared in a recent social media post.

“As I walked toward the temple, I thought, Lord, if they don’t let me in here, then I know I need to learn about this church.”

In a new Flemish TV show entitled Ja Jan, a TV host commits to say "yes" to every question asked of him for 60 days.

During my Young Women years, I heard many lessons on the hurtful effects of gossip. In my 14-year-old brain, I assumed we were taught those lessons because gossip was a problem only teenage girls struggled with—until one day when my bubble of naivety was suddenly burst.

Same-sex attraction is a sensitive and complex topic, especially within the Church. While many Church members know a loved one or are personally experiencing same-sex attraction, understanding how to reconcile our beliefs with loving others and our day-to-day experience can be difficult. How can we better understand others? How can we love and support others in the healthiest way possible? How can we help others find true happiness?