Lunch and Learn Series with Deseret Book Artists and Authors

My first encounter with pornography was when I was about 9 years old. I was visiting my best friend who lived on a dude ranch. She always had more information than I did about the mysterious things of the world, and she told me that she knew that one of the employees on the ranch had a stack of magazines with pictures of naked ladies in it.

When two-time GRAMMY award winner Lauren Daigle was a teenager, she contracted a debilitating virus that led to her being homebound for two years in high school. On this week’s episode of the All In podcast, Daigle shared how that period of isolation ultimately served as an “incubation” of sorts and led to the song that has become an anthem for many Christians.

Conference Talk:

The mad dash to find the perfect Christmas gifts for your family has begun. People crowd stores, fill their online shopping carts, and pay double for shipping to make sure their presents arrive on time. Giving gifts is part of the Christmas season and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, especially because you’ve done your homework. You’ve read letters to Santa, took mental notes when friends pointed at something in the store window, and finally found the perfect pair of earrings for your mother-in-law. But while your gifts are thoughtful, how deep do they really go? Are you giving a gift that will bring your family closer together for years to come? Here are 3 family-strengthening Christmas gifts you may have overlooked:

From children to adults, everyone has hobbies—activities they particularly enjoy doing. But sometimes the types of hobbies we pursue, the amount of time and money that is spent on them, and how helpful or relevant our hobbies are can influence our decisions about which hobbies to pursue. Often, our hobbies stem from our talents. In the scriptures, we are told that “every [one] is given a gift by the Spirit of God” (D&C 46:11) and that these gifts, also known as our talents, are given to us “for the benefit of the children of God” (D&C 46:26). One interpretation of several of Christ’s parables (Matthew 5:15-16, Matthew 25:15-30) implies that we are to improve and share these talents with the world. It doesn’t matter what your talent is—kayaking, dancing, public speaking—we are given these talents so that others may see our good works and glorify God. No one talent (or hobby) is greater than any other. The what of our hobbies matters little when compared to the how and why we do them.

This article is intended to help readers better utilize the new Teaching in the Savior's Way manual that was recently released.

The First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced today that, beginning in January 2021, the Church will replace its four current magazines with three global magazines: the Friend (for children), For the Strength of Youth (for youth) and the Liahona (for adults).