To My Relief Society President, This is a very hard letter for me to write. The desire and need to confide in you has been bouncing around in my head for a while and I can’t ignore it any longer. This has been a trying year for me. Actually, it has been one of the hardest of my life and yet also the most spiritual and comforting. I found out at the beginning of this year that my husband has struggled with an addiction to pornography since he was a teenager. There were long periods of sobriety, sometimes years long and many bishops and feelings of “I’ve got this.” He would continually follow his priesthood leader’s guidance to “study your scriptures more, pray more and attend the temple more,” in an effort to conquer this trial. He first told me about his “problem” a year or two into our marriage, but it wasn’t until earlier this year that we recognized this “problem” as an actual addiction – not because of the intensity and escalations [a common symptom of addiction], but rather due to the cycles [unhealthy, repeated patterns can also be symptoms of addiction]. Once we started treating it as an addiction, or an illness, then we both began to heal and recover.

I have the privilege of working with Young Single Adults. I must begin with a full disclosure: I am biased towards this group of Latter-day Saints. I love their intensity, compassion and determination. This group is remarkably candid with their questions, feelings and emotions. They have endless energy and most of them who had the opportunity to serve missions, feel deeply about the time served. They will tell you the mission helped them to come alive in their pursuit of Christian discipleship. They speak of finding themselves in service to others and love to share stories of the change they observed in those whom they taught and of their own spiritual and cultural enlightenment. This clarity will follow them for the rest of their lives.

What do a bishop, a mayor, and a CFO/Publicist all have in common? Each helped make the Paris France Temple a reality, here's how.

Mormon Newsroom states: "Not every statement made by a Church leader, past or present, necessarily constitutes doctrine. A single statement made by a single leader on a single occasion often represents a personal, though well-considered, opinion, but is not meant to be officially binding for the whole Church. With divine inspiration, the First Presidency (the prophet and his two counselors) and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second-highest governing body of the Church) counsel together to establish doctrine that is consistently proclaimed in official Church publications. This doctrine resides in the four “standard works” of scripture (the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price), official declarations and proclamations, and the Articles of Faith."

“President Monson exemplified caring for the individual,” Bryan Burningham said. “I am not a person of great consequence, and yet he cared for me and my family. He treated everyone with the ideal that the worth of every soul is great in the sight of God. . . . To me, President Monson’s legacy is one of love and priesthood service. So much of his service will never be seen in the public eye, but it will live forever in the hearts of the lives he has blessed. He was an incredible example of the Savior’s pure love.”

In a new music video featured on the Mutual Album and shared by the Ensign and The Friend, singer Jaeden Vaifanua released a heartwarming song about what family means to her.

MR says: What an incredible story that so many within the Church can relate to. When intense doubt creeps upon us, we must learn to trust in our faith more than our doubts.

Sister Barbara Ballard, a woman who "radiated every Christlike attribute," passed away Oct. 1, 2018.

This recent article by Glenn T. Stanton from The Federalist contains fascinating research that shows how marriage can promote wellnesses, equality, and other aspects of life. Thanks to Meridian Magazine for making us aware of this article.

As the lead researcher of BYU's Long-Term Food Storage Research team and chair of the Brigham Young University Department of Nutrition, Dietetic, and Food Science, Oscar A. Pike (BS '80) is reshaping what we think about those cans of rolled oats in the back of the pantry.