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Women and the Priesthood in Mormon Theology

We are in Bali, Indonesia, as we write this column, and while we love so many things about Bali, parts of its culture are distastefully male-dominated. It's causing us to appreciate our own ever-more-equal-but-still-a-long-way-to-go American culture.

Latter-day Saint Life

Why I Think the 'Footprints in the Sand' Poem is Misleading

There is a famous American story about a vision in which a man sees his life in review, matched with two pairs of footprints on a beach—one belonging to himself, and the other to the Lord.[1] During the hardest times of his life, the man sees only a single set of footprints. When the man asks Christ why the second set of footprints is missing at the times of greatest trial, as if Christ had abandoned him when it mattered most, Christ explains, “It was then that I carried you.” I have heard this story countless times, and I acknowledge that it has been precious to some who struggle. But the core of this sentimental story is misleading.

Study: Liberal anti-Mormonism on the rise

Americans' aversion to voting for Mormons has spiked since Mitt Romney's first presidential bid in 2007 — and that the people most wary of Mormon candidates are not Evangelicals, but rather political liberals and non-religious voters, according to new research from a leading scholar of anti-Mormon attitudes. The overall increase in anti-Mormon attitudes among liberals may be an unanticipated consequence of the "the continuing candidacy of Mitt Romney and Mormon activism against same-sex marriage," the study suggests. And its findings may be alarming to the Romney campaign because among the study's other findings is that voters' perceptions of Mormonism are closely tied to whether they'll vote for him.

Opinion: Are jokes about Mormons a sign of acceptance?

Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department will add Mormons and Sikhs and five other groups to the hate crime statistics. In other words, they will begin keeping numbers on hate crimes committed against members of the LDS Church, just as they do with gays, African-Americans and other groups where strong prejudice exists. The interesting question is, what about prejudicial remarks or conversation or making fun of Mormons? Will it rise to the same level of political incorrectness as homophobic or racial remarks?

Melissa Inouye: Why Loving One Another is More Than Bringing Casseroles

Identity, creating understanding, covenants, a worldwide Church, faith crises, change in the Church—these are topics Melissa Inouye, a scholar, addresses in an effort to explain how she has “found the fruits of this life (the life of a Latter-day Saint) to be worthwhile—costly, to be sure, but also rich and nourishing, a source of deep joy.”

Jenny Reeder and Janiece Johnson: How Church History Can Help Rather than Hurt Your Faith

“All In” host Morgan Jones talks with two historians, Janiece Johnson and Jenny Reeder, who work to uncover and bring to light the stories of women in Church history. Janiece and Jenny discuss how Church history has strengthened rather than weakened their testimonies, the women they most admire from the past and what it means to be “All In” the gospel of Jesus Christ. They also discuss the historicity of “Jane and Emma” and whether it is okay to fictionalize history in film.

Ryan Leavitt: 988—An Effort to Prevent Suicide

Ryan Leavitt doesn’t know if the new 988 lifeline would’ve made a difference for his sister-in-law Lizzie, whose long battle with mental illness ultimately took her life in 2014. But when Leavitt was given the opportunity to work on the legislation that ultimately led to the new easy-to-remember hotline, he viewed it as a way to not only honor Lizzie’s life but also to hopefully preserve the lives of so many who face the heartbreaking realities of suicidal thoughts. On this week’s episode, Leavitt discusses the hope that comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ, not only through the resurrection but also as we each seek to do all we can to “lift up the heads that hang down.”

Melaney Tagg: Kindness Begins With Me

There is an old Primary song that says, “I want to be kind to everyone, for that is right, you see. So I say to myself, ‘Remember this: Kindness begins with me.'” Melaney Tagg, our guest on this week’s episode, is a living example of what this Primary song looks like in action. When she observed the contention running rampant in her county’s school board meetings, Tagg knew she couldn't stand idly by—she had to, as President Oaks put it, "seek to moderate and unify," knowing that kindness needed to begin with her.

Latter-day Saint Life

10 Languages You Didn't Know the Book of Mormon Was Translated Into

By Katie Lambert

In March 1830, after months of working six days a week and 11–12 hours a day, pressmen finally finished the first 5,000 English copies of the Book of Mormon.

Famous Latter-day Saints

BYU Athletic Stars Find Love Off the Field

By LDS Living

They're among the greatest BYU athletes of all time in their respective sports, but Kyle and Shea Collinsworth are more concerned with their life away from the game.