When Mitt Romney ran for president three years ago, calls from reporters came pouring into the public affairs office at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The reporters' questions made it clear that they didn't know much about Romney's faith, church officials said.

Mormons across the nation held their missionary-minded breath when Mitt Romney became the Republican presidential nominee, unsure about whether all the accompanying media attention would be good or bad for their proselytizing church. Now, it seems, these anxious Latter-day Saints can exhale. Most people — particularly Utahns — believe that, on balance, Romney’s run for the highest office in the land has benefited the faith.

In Robert T. Barrett's depiction, Christ reaches out to rescue Peter, whom Christ had bidden to walk to him on water but who began to sink when he lost faith. The incident, recounted in Matthew 14:25-29, illustrates the power that comes from trusting the Lord. The theme of trust is the basis of several articles in this Church News issue continuing a tradition of presenting a year-end package pertaining to a gospel-related theme.

Neighbors who lived near my home in a small Arizona town suffered the misfortune of having the foundation of their home crack. The displacement left three- and four-inch gaps between the bricks of the west and north walls. It was a preventable calamity. Everyone knew that the soil was sandy and that the foundation, in order to remain secure, had to rest on bedrock. But in an effort to cut costs and save time, the owner and contractor agreed to shortcuts which led to disaster.

President McKay opened his eyes and said, “Brother Nelson, it doesn’t feel good to me. Your place is here in Salt Lake City. ... I don’t think you should go to Chicago.”

One of the most frequently asked doctrinal questions since the early days of the Church concerns the history and whereabouts of the Israelites sometimes called the "lost ten tribes." Yet "Where are the lost ten tribes?" is not a Latter-day Saint question at all. It was brought into the Church by early converts from other denominations, who were already speculating concerning it. It was asked more commonly in past generations, but even today the question still arises. It is unfortunate that it should be asked at all, however, because latter-day revelation gives clear teaching on the subject—as does the Bible. The expression "lost tribes" is found in only two verses of scripture—both in the Book of Mormon (see 2 Ne. 29:13; 3 Ne. 17:4). Both passages refer to members of the house of Israel outside their ancestral homeland. Nephi indicates that the word lost shows the perspective of the Israelites in Palestine: the "lost" tribes were simply "lost from the knowledge of those who are at Jerusalem" (1 Ne. 22:4). Thus those people are Israelites who were removed from Palestine and whose history was unknown to those who remained, including to the writers of the Bible and the Book of Mormon.

"If you need a burden lifted, I want you to imagine I am in a personal, private, closed-door chat with you. I want to help you if I can." With those words, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland invites every readerof his latest book to become a friend, to receive instruction and encouragement, counsel and comfort, in any circumstance.

“Do you know where your daughter is?”

Acting on revelation doesn’t mean we will feel inspired all the time. The experiences of two women foundational to the history of the Church teach us this in a profound way.

We've enjoyed a marvelous general conference weekend with many uplifting messages and exciting adjustments. In order to carry the joy and memories of this weekend into our lives moving forward, here's a look at the best Twitter reactions from the October 2019 general conference.