My five children started school yesterday. They were so excited! They all had so much to tell me as I picked them up from school – they’d met new friends, caught up with old friends, started to get to know teachers, and found out what they were going to get to learn this year. After our traditional first-day-of school homemade cookies and milk (when everyone talked excitedly over everyone else about the day’s adventures), I sat down individually with each child to go over all the material their teachers had sent home, learning about this year’s curriculum and expectations. Then we put important dates on the calendar based on what they brought home and organized the things they need to keep handy in their cubbies for homework time (thanks to the great ideas in the Organizing for School Success Kit).

Using ancestry.com, four couples are racing to trace their family history to find their long-lost ancestors.

Faith, Family, Relief

The first time I prayed with a group of evangelical Christians was nearly 40 years ago. My wife and I had been living in Japan, and were on our way back to our native England via Taiwan, when our one-year-old baby daughter fell sick. Unable to find an English-speaking doctor, we ended up at a U.S. military base, where the doctor on duty prescribed rest for the baby and promptly invited us to stay with him and his family for a few days at his home in the mountains. I have never forgotten that kindness. One evening he invited us to join him as he taught his evangelical church youth group in his home. The kids sat in a circle on the floor and, when they prayed, we all held hands. I admit to a moment of self-consciousness -- Mormons typically don’t pray like that in a group setting. But the overwhelming impression was the evident goodness of these people, and while we had doctrinal differences it was obvious we were praying to God in the name of the same Jesus.

Did you know early Mormon women often worked outside of the home, even at the request of Church leaders? In fact, the first female mayor and all-woman city council were LDS women elected in Kanab, Utah.

The Church released the following statement on Friday, January 26, regarding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA):

Twenty-two-year-old BYU-I student Josh Peters was 11-years-old the first time he viewed pornography—and that experience led to seven years of pornography use, shame, broken relationships, addiction, and secrecy. But Peters also found healing, recovery, and a renewed faith in Heavenly Father and the Savior's Atonement. Thinking about his journey of recovery, Peters told Nate Eaton from East Idaho News, "It's helped me understand myself and understand my faith in God."

This article is sponsored by BYU Young Ambassadors.

Oceanside, CA – G&D Productions are pleased to announce the initial CD release of new LDS artist and pianist Garth Smith titled “Sacred Hymns Arranged and Performed on the Piano by Garth Smith.” The official release date of Sacred Hymns is March 1, 2014. Sacred Hymns is a collection of 10 original arrangements of familiar LDS hymns prayerfully selected, arranged, and performed by Garth Smith on the piano.

It’s officially September, and we couldn’t be more excited that autumn is on the way! As the weather cools down and Fall fashion takes effect, we’ve got everything you need to stay cozy, modest, and on-trend! Here are 5 of our favorite fashion trends that we’re loving this season.