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Elder Claudio R. M. Costa of the Seventy About four months ago, I received the assignment to serve in Bogotá, Colombia, and moved there. One day, as I was trying to find the way to my new ward's meetinghouse, I stopped at a park to ask for directions.I could see many families enjoying a pleasant sunny morning. I stood there for a while watching the children as they cheerfully played in the park. They had a special glow in their countenances; their cheeks were flushed from the sun and from the effort they made to run and play together....

I was raised by caring parents in a home where the values taught and practiced prepared the way for my introduction to the Church and an acceptance of gospel principles. I was baptized in the month of August 1959, shortly after my 19th birthday. As I ponder the events that preceded my conversion, my thoughts go back to a childhood experience.Close to the home where I lived as a child was a large house. It was located on beautiful grounds enclosed by what was to me a towering fence made of wood paneling, probably six feet in height. I recall...

The Divinely Inspired Constitution Apostle Dallin H. Oaks, The Ensign, Feb 1992 Photograph by Eldon K. Linschoten Not long after I began to teach law, an older professor asked me a challenging question about Latter-day Saints’ belief in the United States Constitution. Earlier in his career he had taught at the University of Utah College of Law. There he met many Latter-day Saint law students. “They all seemed to believe that the Constitution was divinely inspired,” he said, “but none of them could ever tell me what this meant or how it affected their interpretation of the Constitution.” I...

Many of you suffer needlessly from carrying heavy burdens because you do not open your hearts to the healing power of the Lord. May this message encourage you to feel the prompting of the Holy Ghost to make those changes that will lead you to be free of oppressive burdens. The Savior has promised, "I will . . . ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that . . . you cannot feel them . . . ; and this will I do . . . that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions."1 I will first speak to you who suffer because of...

Today I ask a question the Savior asked nearly 2,000 years ago: "When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?"1 First Principle of the GospelWhat is true faith? Faith is defined as "belief and trust in and loyalty to God; . . . firm belief in something for which there is no proof."2 We believe that "faith is to hope for things which are not seen, but which are true . . . , and must be centered in Jesus Christ." In fact, we believe that "faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel."3 A Widow's FaithThere are those who...

Wedding customs of the faithful range from solemn to colorful In the big picture of life, all weddings are the same — they're about two people joining their lives (and families) together. But, of course, all weddings are a little bit different, too, based on the couple's background and preferences. Those who opt for a civil ceremony might want a simple exchange of vows at the county courthouse or an elaborate gathering with the wedding party dressed in period costumes. Protestant weddings also can vary, depending on the denomination, church and officiating clergy. Some faiths (Catholic) have a lot of...

My dear brothers and sisters, I seek the inspiration of the Lord in addressing you. I never get over the tremendous responsibility of speaking to the Latter-day Saints. I am grateful for your kindness and for your forbearance. I constantly pray that I may be worthy of the confidence of the people.I have recently come from a very long journey. It has been wearisome, but it has been wonderful to be out among the Saints. If it were possible I would turn all of the day-to-day administrative matters of the Church over to others, and then I would spend...

The recent attacks from a number of sources on The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormons) reek of the same prejudice that, in the past, we have often seen used against Jews, Catholics, Muslims, and many others. This kind of behavior needs to be identified and condemned for what it is: religious intolerance and blatant bigotry. These attacks on the Mormon Church have come in three forms: preaching, publications, and video presentations. Honoring the freedom to speak and preach from the heart, the National Conference takes issue with using the pulpit, any pulpit, to promote misleading, distorted,...

Not long ago, a young man I did not know approached me in a crowded place. He said quietly but with great intensity: "Elder Eyring, I have just been called as the president of my elders quorum. What advice do you have for me?" I was sure that what he needed to know and to feel I couldn't give him there, with the people rushing past us. And so I said, "I will give you my counsel in general conference."That young man is not alone in wanting help. Thousands of members of the Church across the earth are called every...

I love the Lord Jesus Christ and His Church, which has been restored to the earth in our day. I treasure the teachings of His holy life from newborn infant to resurrected man, Son of God.As I have read from the pages of the Bible, in my mind's eye I have watched Him as He "increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man."1 In my reading, I was there when He raised the dead. He healed the sick, fed the 5,000, brought comfort and hope and a process for peace into the world that He had...

SALT LAKE CITY 26 June 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints took steps today to better inform the public about differences between the Salt Lake City-based church and the polygamous group in Texas that calls itself the FLDS. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - whose members are often called "Mormons" - placed a series of video interviews on its web site to illustrate the differences between its own members in Texas and members of the isolated polygamous group. The Texas Mormons featured on the video interviews include a director of community theater, an orthopedic...

As His mortal ministry drew to a close, knowing "that his hour was come" (John 13:1), Jesus gathered His Apostles in an upper room in Jerusalem. Following their supper and after He had washed their feet and taught them, Jesus offered a sublime Intercessory Prayer on behalf of these Apostles and all who would believe in Him. He supplicated the Father in these words:"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may...

My text comes from a hymn that has inspired faithful servants of the Lord for many generations: It may not be on the mountain heightOr over the stormy sea,It may not be at the battle's frontMy Lord will have need of me.But if, by a still, small voice he callsTo paths that I do not know,I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:I'll go where you want me to go.("I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go," Hymns, no. 270) Penned by a poetess who was not a Latter-day Saint, these words express the commitment of the faithful children...

Many years ago I marveled at the cover of one of our Church publications which featured a magnificent reproduction of a Carl Bloch painting. The scene which the artist captured in his mind and then—with a touch of the Master's hand—transferred to canvas depicted Elisabeth, wife of Zacharias, welcoming Mary, the mother of Jesus. Both were to bear sons—miracle births.The son born of Elisabeth became known as John the Baptist. As with Jesus, son of Mary, so with John—precious little is recorded of their years of youth. A single sentence tells us all that we know of John's life from...

Common consent is a fundamental principle of decision making at all levels in THE CHURCH of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-day Saints. In selecting new officers and making administrative decisions, Church leaders are instructed to seek the will of God. Once the Lord makes his will known and a decision is reached, the matter is brought before the appropriate quorum or body of Church members, who are asked to sustain or oppose the action. This process provides for direction of the Church by revelation, while protecting the agency of the members to verify in their own minds whether decisions have...

Just in time for the study of the Book of Mormon in the 2008 churchwide Sunday School courses, the Maxwell Institute recently released an updated and expanded edition of Donald W. Parry’s "Poetic Parallelisms in the Book of Mormon: The Complete Text". This new edition seeks to enhance study of the Book of Mormon and features many improvements upon the first edition, which was released in 1992 under the title "The Book of Mormon Text Reformatted". In this edition, Parry observes, “new examples of chiasmus, parallelisms, and figures of speech have been added to the volume,” and it also...

Among the most memorable of all our family activities have been trips to the Holy Land. For us, visits to that part of the world have been life changing. But now the Holy Land is a cauldron of turmoil and off-limits to those who would like to go there for spiritual enrichment. Virtually all parts of the world are plagued by acts of terror previously unknown. Confusion comes to many who pray for peace but fearfully face this foe of terror. Peace versus ContentionThe perilous times in which we live have been prophesied in the scriptures. Our day has been...

Ancient Methods of Keeping Records Lenet H. Read, “How the Bible Came to Be: Part 2, The Word Is Preserved,” Ensign, Feb. 1982, 32 There were several ways to record and preserve records anciently—none of them easy. The most common was to use papyrus, made from pith scraped from the papyrus plant, then wetted and pressed together. Scribes could write on both the front and back. (See Ezek. 2:10.) For more space, additional scrolls could be pasted at the bottom, the whole being rolled around rods. Some rolls may have reached as long as thirty-five feet, though such length would...

Utah birth records sought in probe of FLDS couples' ages Utah birth certificates may be playing a significant role in an investigation into possible sexual abuse at a polygamous sect's Texas ranch, The Salt Lake Tribune has learned.     An Arizona investigator requested copies of birth certificates for approximately 25 FLDS couples from the YFZ Ranch - about 50 people in all - to confirm their dates of birth, according to Jeff Duncan, director of the Utah Office of Vital Records and Statistics.     Gary Engels, a special investigator for Mohave County, Ariz., made the request for information first...

Buenas tardes, hermanos y hermanas. I bring you greetings from the wonderful members and missionaries in Latin America. As many of you know, Elder and Sister Dallin Oaks and Elder and Sister Holland have been called to serve in the Philippines and Chile Areas of the Church, respectively. If the buzz of conversation is any indication, this has proven to be of more interest to the Church than one might have supposed. Whatever your speculation, I think I am authorized to assure you that we are not going to these distant outposts as two of the Four Horsemen of the...

A scrappy Web site that's built a reputation for taking on Goliath-sized corporate and government corruption is now fighting a holy war over copyright infringement. Wikileaks.org — a watchdog Web site that leaks corporate and government documents — hasn't officially launched, yet it has already uncovered human-rights violations in China, claimed to have swayed Kenya's Dec. 2007 elections and exposed the inner workings of the U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo Bay. So many were surprised when it recently turned its sights on two lawyer-heavy religious groups: the Mormons and the Scientologists. The Mormon Temple in Salt Lake City

The words "sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven," from the hymn "Praise to the Man,"1 always stir my soul. Sacrifice is defined as "the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else more important or worthy."2 Sacrifice comes in many forms and may not always be convenient. Latter-day Saints make a covenant with the Lord to sacrifice. By doing so, we surrender our will to His, dedicating our lives to building up His kingdom and serving His children.For those who faithfully sacrifice through an honest tithe, the Lord has promised that He will open the...

A scrappy Web site that's built a reputation for taking on Goliath-sized corporate and government corruption is now fighting a holy war over copyright infringement.Wikileaks — a watchdog Web site that leaks corporate and government documents — hasn't officially launched, yet it has already uncovered human rights violations in China, claimed to have swayed Kenya's elections and exposed the inner workings of Guantanamo Bay. So many were surprised when it recently turned its sights on two lawyer-heavy religious groups: the Mormons and the Scientologists. Founded in December 2006, Wikileaks boasts of an archive of 1.2 million released documents, sent in...

LOS ANGELES - An L.D.S. actor is receiving hate mail from fellow church members after appearing in a commercial for Miller Lite beer. The ad appeared in the N.B.A. finals and caused quite a stir in the Mormon community that until now has been Kirby Heyborne’s meal ticket. The L.D.S. silver screen has been more than kind to Heyborne...it made his career. The 31-year-old actor appeared in many popular L.D.S. films such as “The Singles Ward,” “The Best Two Years” and “Sons of Provo.” In his first national commercial, Heyborne is seen grabbing a bottle of Miller Lite beer before...

Some of my richest memories are associated with weekend assignments to stake conferences as I have accompanied a stake president in visits to members of his stake wrestling with life's challenges in courage and faith, especially those who have lost a child or who are struggling valiantly in nursing a sick or crippled or handicapped child. I know from poignant personal experience that there is no night quite so dark as the loss of a child. Neither is there any day quite so long and exhausting as the relentlessness of caring for a child crippled in form or faculty. All...

Lawyers for the Fundamentalist LDS Church are preparing for what could become a series of lawsuits against Texas authorities for the raid on the YFZ Ranch. "There is a desire and a need for compensation, so I think you will see something come," said Rod Parker, a Salt Lake attorney who is acting as a spokesman for the FLDS people. The lawsuits would likely focus on the removal of the children, the raid itself and damage to the FLDS Church's first-ever temple on the Eldorado property.

In the Old Testament, Abraham proved his faith by paying tithes to the great high priest Melchizedek.2 Abraham's grandson Jacob vowed to the Lord, "Of all thou shalt give me I will surely give the tenth unto thee."3Tithing has been established in these latter days as an essential law for members of the Lord's restored Church. It is one of the basic ways we witness our faith in Him and our obedience to His laws and commandments. Tithing is one of the commandments that qualifies us, by our faith, to enter the temple—the house of the Lord.Just over three months...

Gospel Teachings About Lying by Elder Dallin H. Oaks This fireside address was given to faculty, students, and alumni of BYU on September 12, 1993. My brothers and sisters. I am glad to be with you tonight. Before I get to my prepared remarks, I want to say something about the faculty of our Law School. Soon after I went into law teaching, Edward H. Levi, who was then dean of the University of Chicago Law School (later a distinguished attorney general of the United States), became provost of the university and appointed me associate dean and acting dean...

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 42, JESUS THE CHRIST TO RETURN - THE LORD'S SECOND ADVENT PREDICTED IN ANCIENT SCRIPTURE "Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen...

KUTV airwaves turned into a verbal boxing ring, Thursday night, when FLDS Spokesperson Willie Jessop and Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff exchanged heated words. Thursday’s quarrel was not the first confrontation between the two public figures. In a letter --written by Jessop and sent to President Bush-- Jessop accuses Shurtleff of furthering “efforts to exterminate the FLDS and boasting that he has driven them out of Utah.” (Click here to read the FLDS Letter To Pres. Bush) In a live 2NEWS interview at 5 p.m., Shurtleff called Jessop a “liar” and threatened him saying, “we put Warren Jeffs in prison...

I humbly pray that the same spirit which has attended the other speakers this morning will continue as I address you. Many years ago I was in a professional association with two older, more experienced men. We had been friends for many years and found it mutually beneficial to help one another. One day, one associate sought our help on a complex matter. As soon as the issue had been explained, the first thing the other associate said was, "What's in it for me?" When his old friend responded so selfishly, I saw the look of pain and disappointment on...

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 41, PERSONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD THE ETERNAL FATHER AND OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST IN MODERN TIMES - A NEW DISPENSATION In the year of our Lord 1820 there lived at Manchester, Ontario County, state of New York, a worthy citizen named Joseph Smith. His household comprised...

"For the 33-year-old mother of three, securing a slot on the U.S. Olympic team was the culmination of a quest that began more than a decade ago — and has been punctuated by huge disappointments, months of intractable pain caused by a herniated disk, back surgery and lessons learned from her autistic son. Despite the toll lifting has taken on her body and the pain she has endured, the former gymnast says she loves the sport. ... Roach's Olympic quest has been both complicated and enriched by her son Drew, who is autistic. Not long after Drew was diagnosed three...

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 40, THE LONG NIGHT OF APOSTASY For over seventeen hundred years on the eastern hemisphere, and for more than fourteen centuries on the western, there appears to have been silence between the heavens and the earth. Of direct revelation from God to man during this long interval,...

In the churn of crises and the sinister swirl of global events, true disciples will maintain faith in a revealing, loving God and in His plan for redeeming His children, which plan is the why of all that God does! (see Moses 1:39). Furthermore, God's character, as revealed to us, tells us that He has the cosmic capacity to ensure that He really is "able" to do His immense work (see 2 Nephi 27:20–21; Joseph Smith Translation, Isaiah 29:22–23). True disciples will also maintain faith in His atoning Son, Jesus Christ, and, by being "converted unto the Lord" (3 Nephi...

I like exclamation marks! I use them often when writing notes to myself and to others. It is a way to show enthusiasm and commitment. One of my favorite scriptures is punctuated with an exclamation mark: "Now, what do we hear in the gospel which we have received? A voice of gladness!" There are 14 more exclamation marks in the rest of the verse and the next four verses that follow. They read in part:"A voice of mercy from heaven; and a voice of truth out of the earth . . . a voice of . . . glad tidings of great joy. . . . " . . . Glorious is the voice we hear...

CHAPTER 40 THE LONG NIGHT OF APOSTASY For over seventeen hundred years on the eastern hemisphere, and for more than fourteen centuries on the western, there appears to have been silence between the heavens and the earth. Of direct revelation from God to man during this long interval, we have no authentic record. As already shown, the period of apostolic ministry on the eastern continent probably terminated before the dawn of the second century of the Christian era. The passing of the apostles was followed by the rapid development of a universal apostasy as had been foreseen and predicted. In...

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 39 MINISTRY OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE By considering the apostolic ministry in immediate sequence to our study of the Lord's ascension from the Mount of Olives, we have departed from the chronological order of the several personal manifestations of the risen Savior to...

 CHAPTER 41 PERSONAL MANIFESTATIONS OF GOD THE ETERNAL FATHER AND                   OF HIS SON JESUS CHRIST IN MODERN TIMES   A NEW DISPENSATION In the year of our Lord 1820 there lived at Manchester, Ontario County,state of New York, a worthy citizen named Joseph Smith. His householdcomprised his wife and their nine children. The third Son and fourth child ofthe family was Joseph Smith Jr., who at the time of which we speak was in hisfifteenth year. In the year Specified, New York and adjacent states were sweptby a wave of intense agitation in religious matters; and unusual zeal was putforth...

CHAPTER 39 MINISTRY OF THE RESURRECTED CHRIST ON THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE By considering the apostolic ministry in immediate sequence to our study of the Lord's ascension from the Mount of Olives, we have departed from the chronological order of the several personal manifestations of the risen Savior to mortals; for very soon after His final farewell to the apostles in Judea He visited His "other sheep," not of the eastern fold, whose existence He had affirmed in that impressive sermon concerning the Good Shepherd and His sheep. Those other sheep who were to hear the Shepherd's voice and eventually be...

The fifth article of faith states, "We believe that a man must be called of God, by prophecy, and by the laying on of hands by those who are in authority, to preach the Gospel and administer in the ordinances thereof."1One of our most important priesthood callings, one that requires our constant attention, is in our families and our homes. Brethren, as fathers and patriarchs in our families, we are "by divine design . . . to preside over [our] families in love and righteousness and are . . . to provide the necessities of life and protection for [our] families. . . . "Husband and wife have a solemn responsibility to...

My beloved brethren and sisters, we greet you again in a great worldwide conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Alma declared, "O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people!" (Alma 29:1).We have reached a point where we can almost do that. The proceedings of this conference will be carried across the world, and the speakers will be heard and seen by Latter-day Saints on every...

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 38, THE APOSTOLIC MINISTRY - MATTHIAS ORDAINED TO THE APOSTLESHIP After witnessing the Lord's ascension from Olivet, the eleven apostles returned to Jerusalem filled with joy and thoroughly suffused with the spirit of adoring worship. Both in the temple and in a certain upper room, which was...

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 37, THE RESURRECTION AND THE ASCENSION - CHRIST IS RISEN Saturday, the Jewish Sabbath, had passed, and the night preceding the dawn of the most memorable Sunday in history was well nigh spent, while the Roman guard kept watch over the sealed sepulchre wherein lay the body...

What a joy and privilege it is to be part of this worldwide Church and be taught and uplifted by prophets, seers, and revelators! This conference is being broadcast to 68 countries and translated into 55 languages. This is truly a global Church, with members spread across the nations of the earth. We are all children of a living and loving God, our Heavenly Father. I express my love to you, my dear brothers and sisters. Just three months ago we joined under the inspired leadership of President Gordon B. Hinckley in the dedication of the rebuilt Nauvoo Temple. It...

The first time she was ever called the most offensive of racial slurs, Tamu Smith was in the Salt Lake LDS temple. An elderly man spied Smith, a new bride, and asked aloud what a [racial epithet] was doing there. Instead of reprimanding him, temple workers defended him, saying he didn't know better. Smith didn't leave the LDS Church over such hurtful language then, and she remains faithful, but frustrated, nearly 15 years later. She will join other Mormons this week to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the June 8, 1978, revelation that opened the church's priesthood to "all worthy...

In the wake of falling subscriptions and advertising revenue, the Deseret News is shedding 35 staffers by mid-July. "There is no question it is a huge punch in the gut to everyone's morale," said Editor Joe Cannon on Thursday afternoon following a staff meeting. The newspaper, owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will rethink its operation from top to bottom, Cannon said. "We will become more local, more online, and more Mormon," he said. The paper's revenues declined 32 percent since January, according to the Deseret News, as advertisers sought out other media, including the Internet....

JESUS THE CHRIST, by Apostle James E. Talmage (D.Sc.D., Ph.D., F.R.S.E.) is a doctrinal study on the life and ministry of Christ, and is considered by most Mormons as the authoritative treatise on Savior’s mission and message, expounding all scriptures in one on the various aspects of the life of our Redeemer. CHAPTER 36, IN THE REALM OF DISEMBODIED SPIRITS Jesus the Christ died in the literal sense in which all men die. He underwent a physical dissolution by which His immortal spirit was separated from His body of flesh and bones, and that body was actually dead. While the...

My beloved brethren and sisters, I rejoice to be with you in another glorious general conference of the Church. How grateful I am for the love, prayers, and service of the devoted members of the Church throughout the world.May I commend you faithful Saints who are striving to flood the earth and your lives with the Book of Mormon. Not only must we move forward in a monumental manner more copies of the Book of Mormon, but we must move boldly forward into our own lives and throughout the earth more of its marvelous messages.This sacred volume was written for...