“Not everything in life is . . . black and white, but it seems that the authenticity of the Book of Mormon and its keystone role in our belief is exactly that. Either Joseph Smith was the prophet he said he was, who, after seeing the Father and the Son, later beheld the angel Moroni, repeatedly heard counsel from his lips, eventually receiving at his hands a set of ancient gold plates which he then translated according to the gift and power of God or else he did not. And if he did not… he is not entitled to retain even the reputation of New England folk hero or well-meaning young man or writer of remarkable fiction. No, and he is not entitled to be considered a fine teacher or a quintessential American prophet or the center of great wisdom literature. If he lied about the coming forth of the Book of Mormon, he is certainly none of these” (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "A Standard unto My People," delivered at the CES Book of Mormon Symposium, 9 August 1994, BYU Marriott Center).

A number of animals—red heifers, lambs, goats, turtledoves, bulls, pigeons, and a bronze serpent—serve as symbols of Jesus Christ’s atonement or sacrifice.

Most of us have a favorite TV show, but would you expect one of yours to be mentioned in a general conference talk?

Author Taylor Ricks has often relied on unnamed scripture heroes and their examples during her darkest hours. But she’s found that unsung heroes aren’t just in the pages of scripture—they are in our wards and neighborhoods, too.

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I have always enjoyed pointing out to my students verses in the scriptures that are about them. Last week as my New Testament students studied John 17, I suggested that certain verses in this great prayer were about them:

Have you started commuting to the office again? Regardless of how busy you are, audiobooks are a great way to inspire and uplift, without worry about finding time to sit and focus on reading.

On the airplane home from my mission, I sat next to a young journalist. If you've seen the old Church video A Labor of Love, you can imagine exactly what our conversation was like. He asked me a bunch of questions about my experience as a missionary, I cried as I relived the previous 18 months, and then like any missionary hoping to cap off their mission's end, I gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. A few weeks later, I got a Facebook message from this man who said he had been reading the book I gave him but was confused by 2 Nephi 5. I was embarrassed that even after having spent 18 months as a missionary, I had to do some research before I replied. But what if we actually prepared for conversations like this? What if we tackled questions like these in our homes and talked them out as a family?

Women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have embraced their roles and contributed invaluable time, talents, perspectives, love, hard work, and prayers to building up Zion.

When I see the word “service” in the title of an article, I usually devote just enough of my mental faculties to make sure the article isn’t offering me any free stuff.