Judge A. Sherman Christensen dreamed that one day the American legal system could create a standard for legal excellence akin to the monumental Great Halls of the Inns of Court in England.

We recently sat down as a family to talk about how we want to honor the Lord’s day. We began the conversation by talking about Christmas. It is one of our favorite holidays. We begin preparing for it months in advance. We talked about the food that we love to eat, the traditions we participate in, and the reasons why we look forward to the gathering. We made a list of our traditions: new pajamas, ebelskivers for breakfast, fun games, and quiet moments gathered around burning candles when we remember the times we have seen the hand of the Lord in our lives. Those are just a few. It became clear that the reason we love Christmas isn’t because it is December 25; it is because we have set apart that day as a celebration focused on Christ with good food, fun, and time spent talking about what is important. Then I asked if we might be able to set apart the Sabbath as a holy celebration similar to Christmas. If the day were filled with family, good food, and fun and conversations centered on Christ, would it become a day we looked forward to, similar to the way we look forward to December 25? We decided to give it a try. We started establishing traditions that would intentionally set that day apart from every other day of the week. I call these our sweet Sabbath moments. In our home it is a family-only day. We spend time together playing games or making cookies. Grace loves to make and decorate sugar cookies; I like to make meringues. We trade off. For one hour each Sunday we gather in the family room with a journal and spend time talking about what matters most. This is a time for reading the scriptures, studying doctrines and principles, goal setting and family planning—a weekly time to center our life again, with God’s purposes in mind. The evenings are for large family gathering. Married kids, aunts and uncles, cousins, and grandma and grandpa usually gather to eat dinner and share stories and laugh. With deliberate planning, Sundays have become my most favorite day of the week.

For daily gospel-based relationship insights, join Jonathan’s Facebook group. To submit a question click here, or schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation here.

Some dates burn themselves clearly into your mind. For me, one of those memorable moments in my life came on December 26, 1987. I was twelve years old. My mother, two of my older brothers, and I had left the house early to drive the many miles from Phoenix, Arizona, to Logan, Utah, to visit my oldest brother and his family.

I’ve always been struck with how generous the Lord is with His knowledge—if we seek it. There’s not a better time in any of our lives to “grow into the principle of revelation”1 than when we are desperate to know the answer to a question that has great implications and ramifications for our lives. Questions such as: “Should I marry this person?” “Should I move?” “Should I pursue my education?” “Should I take this job?” Why would we ever settle for the best answers that the world can give us when the Lord stands ready to open the heavens to teach us, mentor us, and speak to us through the whisperings of the Spirit? Personal revelation is something we each want and need.

On August 8, 1842, Thomas King arrested Joseph Smith. Soon after—perhaps even the same day—Thomas King helped Joseph avoid arrest. Two different individuals with the same name, Thomas King, played entirely different roles in Missouri’s second attempt to extradite Joseph Smith. Their stories are captured in the newest addition to the Joseph Smith Papers: Documents, Volume 10.

I'd always known that my grandma had grown up in the same neighborhood as Sister Susan Bednar. But I never imagined I’d one day sit down with Sister Bednar herself and have a conversation that would deepen my appreciation for what life is like when you are married to an Apostle.

“In Primary, we sang about how ‘no one likes a frowning face.’ So I used to think that if I wanted to be righteous, I needed to be happy no matter what.”

I don't think I will ever hear the word "privileges" again without thinking of the story by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf about the man who signed up for a cruise, and in an effort to save his money for the various ports the ship would be stopping at, he packed in his suitcase some beans and crackers and powdered lemonade so that he would not have to spend his money on food while he was on board. When the ship was at sea, he stayed in his cabin nibbling on beans and crackers and drinking his powdered lemonade. On the final night he learned that ALL the food, amenities, entertainment, pool, etc., was included in the price of the cruise!

MR says: Find out what Lexie Kite (PhD in social media and body image) has to say about how we can all find peace and beauty with what we see in the mirror.