Temple Square Performances proudly presents Come and Behold Him, a new, free Christmas album and concert featuring 11 fresh arrangements of holiday classics by composer Jonathan Keith.

Gerald N. Lund received his B.A. and M.S. degrees in sociology from Brigham Young University. He served for thirty-five years in the Church Educational System, and he served as a member of the Second Quorum of the Seventy from 2002 to 2008. He is a prolific and bestselling author of both fiction and nonfiction and is best known for his historical novels, including The Work and the Glory series, Fire of the Covenant, The Kingdom and the Crown series, and The Undaunted. He and his late wife, Lynn, are the parents of seven children.

Bill Bennett is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He is also the author of the new book, The Last Man at the Inn, which explores the unique perspective of the last man at the inn in Bethlehem before Mary and Joseph were turned away. It is a story of man's journey of continuous conversion to Christ. In this week's episode, All in host Morgan Jones talks with Bennett about his own conversion story and the many people that helped him along the way.

We hear them all the time, statements about the world “going to hell in a hand basket,” sighs and longings for “the good old days,” warnings of rampant moral decay and declarations to all who want to follow God that they are living in “enemy territory.” For those prone to depression and anxiety, such framings of the world and today’s moral and spiritual state exacerbate their struggles. For children, these notions feed fears and cause some to wonder if this world is really worth engaging. There are also dozens of other subtle ways that these kinds of assessments can act against our emotional, spiritual, and physical health and well-being. The most tragic aspect of these sorts of pessimistic framings is that according to studies from many fields, the data does not prove this tale of hopeless, inevitable continual decay to be justified. Violence is down, freedom is up, and scores of other social health and happiness indexes largely show things trending in positive directions. If this is true, how, then, should we think about the apocalypticism that affects so much discussion in both the world and in Mormonism? In this episode, Mormon Matters host Dan Wotherspoon and panelists—LDS therapists Natasha Helfer Parker and Marybeth Raynes, and philosopher and intellectual historian James McLachlan—discuss these messages and their persistence, the strength of the evidence for their accuracy, and their effects on people in general and those prone to depression and anxiety in particular. As all the panelists recognize, it is important to strike a healthy balance between optimism and pessimism, and there is a strong need for everyone to be alert to dangers and take reasonable steps for their protection. But for those who haven’t found this balance (or for those who love someone like this), they offer suggestions for how people might learn to concentrate on different, more positive messages. They also discuss possible ways we might talk with and offer fresh framings about the world situation to our children and loved ones who are overly wrought with doomsday fears.

Marcus H. Martins holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Management, masters in Organizational Behavior, and a Ph.D. in Sociology of Religion, Race and Ethnic Relations. A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, he worked as a systems analyst and project manager for the Brazilian government and as a freelance consultant before moving to the United States in 1990. He served as Chair of the Department of Religious Education at Brigham Young University–Hawaii, and teaches Church Organization and Leadership, Marriage, and occasionally Managerial Leadership. Previously he taught at BYU and Ricks College, and has lectured on a variety of topics throughout the U.S., Brazil, Hong Kong, Japan, and Malaysia. Among his topics of interest are: strategic management in a global environment, computer technology, languages, law, politics, and world cultures. His current research focuses on temple symbolism, the implications of the doctrines of the restoration on daily religiosity, and the impact of globalization forces, technology, and immigration on the growth of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints. He wrote the book Setting the Record Straight: Blacks and the Mormon Priesthood published by Millennial Press. Brother Martins joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1972, and in 1978 became the first Latter-day Saint with Black African ancestry to serve as a full‑time missionary in the twentieth century. Since then he has served as a mission president, twice as bishop, six times as stake high councilor, and also as temple officiator, and translator of the Book of Mormon. He married Mirian Abelin Barbosa and they have four children and seven grandchildren. Brother Martin's YouTube Channel: DrMHMartins Brother Martin's Website: DrMHMartins.com

Joshua M. Matson is a scholar of the Bible and the Dead Sea Scrolls and an assistant professor in ancient scripture at Brigham Young University with an appointment to the Jerusalem Center where he teaches classes related to the Old and New Testaments, the Book of Mormon, and Ancient History. Josh holds a PhD in religion from Florida State University, with an emphasis in religions of western antiquity and a minor in American religious history. In addition to his academic training, Josh spent time teaching with Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, with appointments as a Religious Educator at Bingham High School and as a teacher and director of the Tallahassee Institute of Religion. Josh and his wife Erin are the parents of four children and reside in Santaquin, Utah.

Take your next summer barbecue to the next level with one of these dolled-up mac and cheese recipes!

“I now put my garments on with an added measure of thankfulness.”

Editor’s note: This All In excerpt from the episode that was released October 28th shares the decision one mother faced of whether or not to abort her pregnancy due to her own health concerns. We feel it important to note that the Church’s official statement on abortion is as follows: