One of the most profound love stories in the Old Testament centers on the love between Jacob and Rachel. When Jacob first saw Rachel, she was tending her father’s sheep (Genesis 29:9–10). Jacob wasted no time rolling back a stone from the “well’s mouth” so that the sheep could drink. We learn from the Genesis account that no sooner did Jacob meet Rachel than he was kissing her. Either we are missing a few key verses, or Jacob wasted no time in getting to know his future wife!

Amy Willoughby-Burle is a devout Christian mother and a writer. Check out her new book, The Lemonade Year, at Deseret Book stores or on deseretbook.com.

Much of the happiness and unhappiness you will experience in mortality will be related to a powerful emotion—love. In the scripture quoted above, the Lord tells us that love is to characterize our relationships with each other. In the New Testament, we are even told “God is love” (1 John 4:8). It is my belief that He wants all of us to experience love in its deepest and fullest sense. On the other hand, Satan seeks to prostitute and distort love—making of it something tawdry and destructive. Many young people have been deceived by the counterfeit descriptions of love that are evident all around us. Perhaps you have known people who one day announce they are “in love” and the next that they have “fallen out of love.” You must be extremely careful also not to think of love as it is portrayed in the majority of TV sitcoms, movies, and romance novels. It has been said that there is a difference between Hollywood’s “reel love” and “real love.”

Stand-up comedy that’s a stand-up act? In this 2012 comedic world of shock and smut, there are, indeed, living, breathing comedians cleaning house on the laugh track to success. You know the big-timers: Brian Regan, Jerry Seinfeld, Jim Gaffigan, Bill Cosby. But what if we told you that dozens of LDS folks are bringing the funny to the fold and to the masses?

Sister Marjorie Hinckley once said, “The only way to get through life is to laugh your way through it. You either have to laugh or cry. I prefer to laugh. Crying gives me a headache.”

The following is an excerpt from Elder John H. Groberg’s book Fire of Faith, which details his experiences with his family as he served as a mission president in Tonga.

President Russell M. Nelson has been across the world during during his ministry as prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Since his call in January 2018, he has visited 32 countries and territories. In the past 12 months alone, the prophet completed ministry visits in South America, Central America, the Pacific, and Southeast Asia. He has also mourned with and counseled Latter-day Saints across the United States, met with dignitaries, religious organizations, charities, and civic groups, and made a historic visit to Rome, Italy, to dedicate the temple.

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Editor's Note: The views, information, or opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author. Readers should consider each unique situation. This content is not meant to be a substitute for individual, professional advice.

In a year dominated by news and announcements related to COVID-19, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints not only made announcements and adjustments related to the current pandemic but also announcements and adjustments related to other aspects of worship, administration, and policy.