(This article is adapted from Rescuing Wayward Children. Click here to learn more.)

The still small voice whispers yet a deeper meaning. Home is heaven. We are strangers here on earth. My real home is not here, but there.-Elder Gene R. Cook[i]

Understanding the extent of the Fall and the condition of our physical bodies is a significant step forward in understanding a child’s condition of waywardness.

Like us, our children are strangers here-not strangers on earth, necessarily, for it was created to be their eternal home,[ii] but strangers in this remote sector of space in a telestial setting far from their Heavenly Father. To say that they fell is an understatement; they fell enormously. They, like the earth, once enjoyed celestial associations in a celestial environment in the celestial presence of God. President Brigham Young explained,

When the earth was framed and brought into …

A friend of mine once said as he was coming out of a Church meeting, “I know the ideal is that our leaders are called by inspiration, but I think in this case it must have been by desperation. He didn’t have an agenda for the meeting, everything was pure chaos and I honestly don’t know what was decided. The meeting ran fifteen minutes over and people left just shaking their heads.”

My friend saw a new leader conduct a Church meeting in an ineffective way. He responded by criticizing the leader and questioning the inspiration of his call.

As a business consultant, I frequently critique business leaders and give them feedback to improve their performance, but what about Church leaders who are not promoted for their competence based on the judgment of a boss but are called by revelation to serve the Lord and His children? Could it be …

Includes D&C 2; 110:13-16; 138; Joseph Smith-History 1:37-39; Our Heritage, pages 98-99, 101-02, 105-07.

Historical Context
Joseph Smith informs us that when Moroni made his historic visits to him on the night of September 21, 1823 the angelic minister quoted four Old Testament passages (Malachi 3 & 4:4-6; Isaiah 11; and Joel 2:28-32) and one from the New Testament (Acts 3:22-23). “Thus the Book of Mormon [was] introduced to Joseph Smith as [a fulfillment of] Bible prophecy. The two great doctrinal threads that bind the Book of Mormon together-the promises made to the fathers and the divine sonship of Christ-perfectly reflect the prophecy and teachings of the prophets of the Old World” (Joseph Fielding McConkie & Craig J. Ostler, Revelations of the Restoration, 22).

In this way, Joseph knows right from the beginning of the restoration that the Lord is simply continuing His eternal work of redeeming families in …

…

Salt Lake City – The rich timbre of Hayden’s cello concerto and the majestic beauty of Rachmaninoff’s second symphony will fill the Tabernacle at the Orchestra at Temple Square’s annual fall concert on Friday and Saturday, October 18-19, at 7:30 p.m. This year’s special guest is Daniel Gaisford, a renowned American cellist.

The concert, “An Austrian Cello Concerto and a Russian Symphony,” will be directed by Igor Gruppman, conductor of the Orchestra at Temple Square. The concert will also mark Igor Gruppman’s 10th anniversary conducting the Orchestra. Gaisford will take the lead solo in Haydn’s Cello Concert no. 1, and for the second half of the evening the orchestra will perform Rachmaninoff’s Symphony no. 2 in E Minor.

Hailed by The New York Times as “transfixing” and The Philadelphia Inquirer as “remarkable,” Gaisford has firmly established himself as one of the most gifted cellists of his generation. As a soloist, …

SALT LAKE CITY- The Church History Museum announces the exhibition, No Greater Love,’ which will include works showing Christ’s love in his earthly ministry and resurrection. This exhibit will open September 20, 2013 and continue through October 2014 in the museum theatre gallery.

The exhibit will display artwork of the Savior’s greatest acts of love, such as the Atonement and his death on the cross, acts of service and healing and the promise of his return.  The art features a range of artistic styles, media and approaches. Whereas most of the works of art feature images of the Savior, some will be interpretive pieces that encourage viewers to think about the meaning of Christ’s life and the great love he demonstrated through his Atonement and Resurrection.

This exhibit includes artwork from renowned artists such as the Dutch master Rembrandt van Rijn. A different etching by Rembrandt van Rijn will be …

Kimberly Jo Smith has just published the book Rising Hills and Sinking Valleys: A Descendant of Joseph and Emma Shares Her Story. The title is from a letter written by Emma to Joseph when he was imprisoned in Liberty, Missouri.

Fifteen years ago I was working on the outline of an historical fiction romance. It started out as a college class assignment, but quickly evolved into what would become a two-volume series called American Dream: Shadows of the Ancient Wood. I was not yet a member of the LDS Church but had for years felt the intimate connection to church history because I am a direct descendent of Joseph and Emma Smith. I kept it at arms length from the LDS Church, however, because of the traditions I had been raised with. 

While delving head-long in the writing process of my novel, I met and befriended Merrill Osmond, lead …

Paul the Apostle teaches significant lessons about what it means to stand as a witness of God and his truth at “all times and in all things, and in all places” (Mosiah 18:9). Following his conversion on the road to Damascus, Paul became a flaming fire, burning with the testimony of the truth as he threw himself into the work of being a witness in the most hostile of environments.

When Paul came back to Jerusalem following his third missionary journey, he caused a dramatic civil disturbance when he was falsely accused of defiling the temple, by entering with men who appeared to be Gentiles (or Greeks; see Acts 21:26-29). People dragged him from the temple with the intent to kill him. Only intervention by Lysius and a band of Roman soldiers saved him.

As Paul was being taken into the Antonia Fortress, he asked the Roman centurion for permission …

Take Her with You

A spouse’s business trips away from home can be a concern for a lot of couples! Knowing of the easy potential for thoughts and activities to lead away from one’s spouse and family, I loved the idea shared by a Strengthening Marriage Facebook fan of what she does to stay connected with her husband while he is away from home.

Recently, my husband went out of town on a work trip. He was going to be gone for a few days, and I knew I would miss him terribly. Since I’ve never been there myself, I decided it was time for me to go too!! I had a plan…

A few years ago my son brought home a “Flat Stanley” (based off of the Flat Stanley kids’ books). As part of the assignment we were to mail Flat Stanley (a paper doll) to friends and family …

Dear President Albright,

There once was a time when I measured my life in hours while I hid with my family in the basement of our small home, terrified as the rebels invaded the streets of Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa. Death and poverty surrounded me.  I wondered why the minute hand on the clock took forever to click to the next mark. I wondered when these hardships and atrocities of a civil war in my country would ever end.

I remember a time when I measured my life in days; a time when I wished to be redeemed from that phase of my life. I anticipated the excitement of tomorrow and hoped that tomorrow would come soon and would bring an interesting and surprising future. My hopes became true beyond my wildest imagination. 

Africa– My Early Life

I was born in Sierra Leone in a town called Freetown. …