Brigham Young was lying in the bed of a wagon, having been severely ill for the last twelve days, when he saw the valley for the first time.1 He was forty-six years old, short and quite stocky, a carpenter by trade and physically robust; but “mountain fever” could put even the strongest men flat on their backs. Several diseases fell under that generic name because they all produced high fever, severe head and body aches, deep pain behind the eyes, chills, nausea, and vomiting. Colorado tick fever was one of the least severe of these illnesses, usually passing in a few days after the onset of the symptoms, but Brigham had been down for almost two weeks, suggesting that he may have contracted the more serious Rocky Mountain spotted fever. If so, it was remarkable that he was still alive. That strain persisted for weeks, and the fatality rate was high owing to the inflammation of the heart, lungs, and brain or the kidney failure it produced. The only known treatments were home-brewed remedies and rest, but sleep was hard to come by in a wagon on the plains. Summer days were bright and hot, and Brigham would have felt every bump in the road as the wooden wheels rolled over the uneven land. And he wasn’t alone in his suffering. Thirty-seven other Latter-day Saints traveling with him had also contracted the fever—a full quarter of the company. But they did not have the luxury of time to grant the sick much rest.2

What a powerful experience that shows the need for missionaries everywhere.

Five days before Christmas last year, Heather Vanboerum was leaving Costco when a driver accidentally hit the gas rather than the brake, pinning her between two cars. Her life changed in an instant—but the miracles that followed, both big and small, are remarkable and on this week’s episode, Heather helps us see them all through her eyes.

Elder Lance B. Wickman, emeritus General Authority and current general counsel for the Church, was only two or three blocks away from the Pentagon when he saw an airplane descending toward the government building. He had been on assignment for the Church at the time and watched through the taxi’s windshield as the aircraft struck its target.

At least three commandments were given to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We mentioned them last week. They were to:

The QS World MBA Tour is the largest global series of MBA information fairs, and it will be visiting Salt Lake City this Saturday, October 22.

Continuing a pattern that has existed since the early days of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, leaders from around the world gathered April 4 and 5, 2019, on Temple Square in Salt Lake City to receive instruction from senior leaders of the Church and to learn from one another. The meetings began Thursday with instruction from the First Presidency, and continued Friday with teaching from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the Presiding Bishopric and presidents of the Church’s organizations for women, men, youth and children. This gathering included more than 300 leaders from every area of the world.

“I have read a fair number of books in my day and hope to read a few more. I am not a scholar but once thought I was going to be. I had the beginnings of some reasonably good training at some pretty good schools. All of that has changed now, but I believe I still have an eye for a penetrating line of prose and I think I can recognize profundity in print when I see it. I say again, the Book of Mormon stands preeminent in my intellectual and spiritual life, the classic of classics, a reaffirmation of the Holy Bible, a voice from the dust, a witness for Christ, the word of the Lord unto salvation” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "A Standard unto My People," given at CES Annual Book of Mormon Symposium, 9 August 1994, BYU Marriott Center).

Stories in this episode: An extraordinary lesson from her family history helps Sister Linda K. Burton find the right words to minister to the women of the Relief Society when she is called as president; Deserey is called to be the Family History specialist in her single adult ward and receives a special spiritual confirmation from her father beyond the veil about the value of her calling.

While Utah author Ally Condie has been busy with book signings and interviews, her book "Matched" has received a cache of awards and been reviewed in a variety of publications, including the Wall Street Journal.