The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.

Citing the examples and teachings of prophets and apostles from ancient scriptures to latter days, Elder Ronald A. Rasband invited missionaries worldwide to understand what rejoicing is and to rejoice in the Lord and His call to them to assist in the work of salvation.

“Rejoice is an important word for you to have in your mission vocabulary … you have great cause to rejoice,” said the member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in a Thursday, Jan. 14, devotional streamed worldwide to missionaries via their online portal.

He explained that the Lord and His Prophet have trusted missionaries to gather His children to Him in the last days of this dispensation.

“President Russell M. Nelson has said, ‘That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, …

The following first appeared in Public Square Magazine.

Ten years ago, I published a peer-reviewed article with Florida State University professor Jeffrey Lacasse entitled, What Does It Mean for an Intervention to “Work”?—where we explored different factors that went into a scientific article claiming a health intervention was “effective” or “successful.”  Then, like now, a great deal of public health messaging promotes various interventions as effective for children and adults alike—with significantly less attention going to what that word actually means. Jeff and I were hoping to promote a more thoughtful conversation about exactly that.  

Over recent months, we’ve likewise heard many reports and commentaries celebrating how effective the leading coronavirus vaccine candidates have turned out to be. In the same spirit of promoting thoughtful inquiry about these crisis interventions, I walk through a similar analysis below of the most recent data from leading vaccine clinical trials – …

This week on social media, Sister Kristen Oaks, wife of President Dallin H. Oaks, offered a look into how they have involved their whole family in celebrating and learning about the Restoration this past year.

On Facebook, she shared:

As the year 2020, the year of celebrating the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, began we invited all our family to memorize a portion of the Joseph Smith History, the section where Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ, appear to Joseph.Over 40 people memorized this section. One family stopped in a grove to recite it and sent their video to us. We presented all who memorized it with a certificate. Being a parent and grandparent is such a challenge and honor–we have the opportunity to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to our little ones. #givethanks#LightTheWorld

Though the bicentennial year has come to an end, this …

Welcome to this century’s version of the “Roaring Twenties.” As Queen Esther of old, you and I have been prepared “for such a time as this.” (Esther 4:14) The title of these reflections is taken from the maritime principle that “a very large ship is benefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves.” (D&C 123:16)

Consider our position for just a moment. We have information like no previous generation has ever known. We have wealth like no previous generation has ever had. And we are connected like no previous generation has ever been connected.

As unique as all of this is to our generation, we face the same timeless tests that so many generations before us have faced. These timeless tests apply to every generation. The names of the tests are the same that …

The following is excerpted from LDS Living. To read the full article, CLICK HERE.

On Wednesday night’s episode of The Masked Dancer, Latter-day Saint activist Elizabeth Smart was revealed to be the woman behind the mask of the Moth. Smart jokingly said that “it’s been one of the bravest things that I’ve willingly done in my life,” and TODAY called it “one of the more surprising . . . reveals in the show’s history.” But what motivated Smart to appear on the show? 

“My grandma actually passed away very recently, but she was so much fun,” she said. “She never let a moment pass her by, and so when this opportunity came along, I thought, ‘I live a pretty serious life, and I’m going to take this opportunity and just have fun.’”

To read the full article, CLICK HERE.…

Question

My wife divorced me last year after I worked hard for a few years trying to fix some serious mistakes I made in our marriage. I didn’t want her to divorce me, so I’m not sure how to move on when I wasn’t really given a choice. How do I move forward when I worked so hard for the last few years trying to fix things, but they only got worse? The reason I’m asking is because I’ve met an amazing woman and we have a good relationship. I don’t want my past to blow it up, but I can’t get my ex-wife and my family out of my head.

Answer

I can hear both devastation and hope in your question. You worked hard to hold your marriage together even though it ultimately ended. Now, you’re hopeful but nervous about the future. You’re living in a world of opposites …

They met online. But not through a dating or a relationship app.  It wasn’t even an online sales call or an Influencer  event. She’s a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints originally assigned to the Czech Republic Mission but reassigned to the Nevada Las Vegas mission during the COVID pandemic.

Since she was new to the area, she joined the Las Vegas Women’s Group on Facebook and started to meet others who were also new to the area. She asked questions. She got to know other people. She didn’t hide her calling as a missionary but she didn’t emphasize it, either. She just wanted to meet other women by getting acquainted and socializing online.

She made several new friends and exchanged stories from time to time about her day and listened to and commented about others’ weekly experiences as well. One of these new friends eventually asked …

Cover image via Gospel Media Library.

As beloved children of the Most High God we have profound connections and privileges that at sacred moments are revealed to our awareness.  One of these occasions comes when priesthood blessings are bestowed.  Sometimes these blessings are assisted by angels…

Room Filled with Angels

Charles Harper shared a poignant experience of being succored by angels in giving a priesthood blessing.  He wrote,

 “My parents were on their way to visit my father’s family when dad had a heart attack. We are converts to the church, and dad and I were the only ones in the family who were blessed with the priesthood. I received a phone call asking that I come and give dad a blessing. 

“I felt so alone in the hospital room as I laid my hands on his head to give the blessing, but as I did, I became aware …

Three years ago the family across the street had a medical emergency and needed someone to watch their children. I was happy to bring them into my house, where I promptly gave them my Play-Doh, my little cars, and my tiny dinosaurs to play with. Later, after they went home, I went along to help put the 3-year-old girl to bed. I tried to remember what my kids enjoyed at that age, and told her to think of words that rhymed with the ones I spoke. “Mouse,” I said.  She thought for a minute. “House.”  On we went—bake and cake, grain and rain, look and book. Soon she was asleep.

I went downstairs and said, “I think I just bored someone to sleep.” But then I dropped in to visit again. We read books together. Sometimes she came to my house, where she’d peek into the fairy village house to …