We can approach conversations about serving missions with both encouragement and understanding—even when someone decides not to serve.

“Yes, mothers are honored, revered, and made to be saints—perfect even. But are moms perfect? Is that what is expected of us, needed from us? Will we fail in our role if we are anything less? These are questions many mothers, myself included, have struggled with.”

There are many reasons why Jesus came to earth, and our word Atonement has come to embody them all, but I think, if I had to be specific, I would say that the essence of His life centered on forgiveness. In the great hymn of the Restoration, Joseph Smith caught that spirit when he wrote, “Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness! A voice of mercy from heaven” (D&C 128:19). The Savior is the incarnation, the personification, the grand architect of forgiveness and mercy. It is inherent in almost every act of His life. It is the one single most significant quality of the Father that Jesus came to teach us with His words and show us by His example. Indeed, the most beautiful words He spoke during those last agonizing hours of His life are, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34). Whenever I feel the difficulty of forgiving in my own life, I read those words and the feeling of forgiveness moves into my soul.

Jentrie Williams has always been grateful for her membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and as a 25-year-old mother of three children, faith is carrying her through her battle with non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

News outlets across California have been reporting on the Oakland California Temple open house, a house of the Lord the East Bay Times notes "might be the city’s most recognizable house of worship."

The latest "I'm a Mormon" video from Mormon.orgfeatures the story of Margarita, a Chilean runner who fearlessly competes and faces the future with determination, despite the fact she was born blind.

An LDS trainer and LDS participant on A&E's new weight loss show, "Fit to Fat to Fit," found that their mutual faith was essential in their journey to lose weight together in front of a national audience. Trainer JJ Peterson had to first gain weight in order to then lose it again with Ray Stewart, his client and friend.

How exciting for the Saints in Brazil and Peru! This will be the seventh temple in Brazil and third in Peru.

Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently discussed the importance of religious freedom with Grant Nielsen and Amanda Dixon of KSL NewsRadio in Salt Lake City.

There is a story I always think of when I first cross the Jordan River into Israel. It is a moment in the life of Thomas who, unfortunately, has been branded by history with the preface—“DOUBTING.” For some reason we remember Thomas at one of his weakest moments. Yet there is another story of Thomas found in the New Testament which took place east of the Jordan River. Jesus had just received word that Lazarus was sick and Mary and Martha urged him to come to Bethany. This was dangerous for Jesus as an attempt had recently been made on his life. The apostles warn him about taking the journey but when they see he is determined to go to Bethany it is Thomas who speaks. “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Why do we not call this courageous apostle, “Devoted Thomas?”