As the 19th season of American Idol begins, the show once again includes contestants who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here are a few contestants to look for as the show enters into Hollywood Week.

Editor’s note: “This week from the Pulpit” highlights recent messages by General Authorities and General Officers of the Church.

Editor's note: Exciting news! This Is the Gospel is going to be joining Deseret Book at Rootstech 2020 on February 27 and 28 in Salt Lake City. We are going to be there Friday and Saturday helping you learn how to record your own audio stories for family history and sharing our top tips for telling them well. And, as always, we’ll also be gathering your story pitches for a few special episodes we’re planning for season three.

Editor's note: Our bi-weekly Friday column, “Found in the Footnotes,” explores some of the footnotes from remarks given by General Authorities and General Officers of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The following excerpt from To My Friends originally ran on LDS Living in December 2017. To My Friends is now available as a Pocket Gospel Classic.

Following the victory at the battle of Gettysburg, General George Meade decided not to pursue the defeated Confederate army led by Robert E. Lee. He thought his men were too tired. He likely could have ended the Civil War. When President Abraham Lincoln heard of this, he was furious. He immediately penned a three-page, scathing letter to General Meade. His disappointment, anger, and frustration with the general is strongly evident throughout. Lincoln wrote, “He was within your easy grasp, and to have closed upon him would . . . have ended the war. As it is, the war will be prolonged indefinitely.” This letter was found among Abraham Lincoln’s personal belongings following his death. Neatly folded and placed in an envelope, on the front was written: “To Gen. Meade, never sent, or signed”[1].

I had done it again. I had just snapped at my wife, and as I tried to apologize and pick up the pieces after having overreacted, I wondered to myself, “What just happened?” I couldn’t understand how my anger had exploded so quickly; in fact, it seemed to show up before I even consciously processed what my wife had said. What added to my frustration was that I had no idea how to address this in a healthy way. Even though I was able to keep the anger under wraps most of the time, it was a problem, and being the bishop of my local ward only added to the pressure to get my life and house in order (SeeDoctrine and Covenants 93:50).

Have you ever felt imperfect in your practice of living the gospel of Jesus Christ? If so, you’re in good company and the This is the Gospel podcast is on a mission to prove it to you. Like host KaRyn Lay says at the beginning of every episode, the podcast “features real stories from real people practicing and living their faith every day.” These people are facing real triumphs, successes, challenges, and hardships in the best way they can. Sound familiar? Whether it’s heartache, loss of a loved one, fatherhood, motherhood, or true conversion, the 23 episodes we shared this year include powerful stories of practicing faith that we’re sure will remind you that you’re not alone in your journey of living the gospel of Jesus Christ. We are grateful to everyone who has shared their stories with us this year and to you, our listeners, for spending time with us.

The battle is called the “Miracle at Gapyeong.” The heroic incident took place on May 26, 1951, in South Korea when a small battalion of 240 brave young soldiers from small-town southern Utah Latter-day Saint homes found themselves suddenly under attack by 4,000 Chinese and North Korean soldiers. It was a terrifying and completely unexpected attack. They were given the understanding that they were to provide artillery support to allied soldiers positioned ahead at the North Korean enemy line. But there were critical miscommunications and in fact, there was no buffer between the Utah soldiers and the enemy.

KSL TV will air eight all-new specials this general conference weekend. Each special can be watched live on TV as well as on the KSL TV app.