Third Hour

The Church of Jesus Christ announced during this last General Conference a new home-centered, church supported curriculum. Yes, starting in January our time in church will be reduced from three to two hours. But I believe we should not see this change as an hour off church each Sunday. We should instead look at this change as an opportunity to more effectively bring Christ into our homes. So, as we prepare for these changes, here are three tips in creating a more Christ-centered home. 1. Create Rituals, Not Just Routines First, let me explain the difference between routines and rituals: Routines are reoccurring tasks that need to get done. We often approach routines as checklists, as things that just need completing. For example, you probably need to wash the dishes every day to keep your home clean and organized. Completing this daily task would be a routine. Rituals, on the other hand, carry much deeper meaning. For example, you might turn dishwashing into a family ritual if you always wash dishes with... View the full article

Playing piano in public scares the living daylights out of me. Seriously. I start shaking and sweating, and it’s NOT pretty. Yet, over the years, I have been asked multiple times to play the piano in sacrament meeting. Despite my fears, I still try to say yes when asked. I remember one day reading D&C 60 verse 2: "But with some I am not well pleased, for they will not open their mouths, but they hide the talent which I have given unto them, because of the fear of man. Wo unto such, for mine anger is kindled against them." The Lord has blessed each of us with certain talents, and we can show our appreciation to Him by using those talents to bless the lives of others. Arrangements for Sacrament Meeting Here are a few of my favorite piano arrangements that would be appropriate to play in sacrament meeting. (All of the links include audio clips of the arrangements.) If You Could Hie to Kolob arr. by Chas Hathaway God Be With You Till We Meet Again arr. by Amanda W. Smith Joseph Smith... View the full article

I recently conducted an little experiment. As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we're often challenged by other Christians with the question: How do you know The Book of Mormon is true? In my head I sometimes turn the question around: How do you know the Bible is true? Of course, Latter-day Saints believe the Bible is true, but curious about what the average Christian answer might be, I Googled the question. The results (the literal results) were surprising, to say the least. Here are screenshots of the first two pages of results (the purple links are ones I clicked on): The Google results What was surprising There's obviously no shortage of websites willing to give their two cents on the issue. Most of them attempt to show the Bible is true because of the following: The Bible is true because there's lots of archaeological evidence in favor of its historicity. The Bible is true because such an ancient text wouldn't have survived this long otherwise. Before the Bible... View the full article

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently issued a statement inviting Church leaders and members to focus on strengthening the home and family. As a part of this statement, the Church mentioned that while "local celebrations of culture and history may be appropriate," pageants and larger productions are "discouraged." As a result of this statement, the Hill Cumorah Pageant will discontinue their performance after their 2020 season. Neil Pitts, the Hill Cumorah Pageant President, is supportive of the decision to bring the production to an end. “We had a wonderful run,” Pitts said in a statement. “Our church has asked us to focus more on the family, and this is certainly in line with that desire. We have had a wonderful 81 years and will focus on making the next two years an amazing experience for our cast, crew and audience...We have been blessed by exceptional relationships with our friends in Manchester and Palmyra. We thank those communities for their years of generous support, and we will continue to... View the full article

Less than a year into this thing, and no president of the Church has enjoyed more “jazz hands” moments in General Conference than Russell M. Nelson. The “no more home teaching” announcement was met with such loud acclaim that most of us missed the actual message, which was: “More home teaching, but called something else.” A temple in Russia? The gasp in the Conference Center was enough to move my hair on my couch 1200 miles away, even though the important elements of “where” and “when” were admittedly absent. Two hour church? So help me, I’m pretty sure that I saw a beach ball start bouncing around the congregation. Whoever brought that thing wasn’t about to get caught empty-handed two conferences in a row. For next April, I’m adding to my Conference bingo card spaces for “colored shirts are okay,” “girls pass the sacrament,” and “blood sacrifice.” The turtledoves better start watching their backs. A more serious question arises with respect to a couple of these changes, which is, “Why do we get... View the full article

HALLOWEEN IS UPON US! "THIS IS HALLOWEEN, THIS IS HALLOWEEN, EVERYBODY SCREEEAM!" https://giphy.com/gifs/halloween-feel-every-mqpYcC6Gy0o12 Sorry ... Halloween makes me a little dramatic. But it is only a few days away! As such I've compiled a list of some spine-tingling ghoulish tales from the history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Be ye warned: These stories are much more than something you might hear around the campfire. These things actually happened and may be legitimately disturbing to some readers. But before we get to the stories, consider this quote from Joseph Smith: The nearer a person approaches the Lord, a greater power will be manifested by the adversary to prevent the accomplishment of His purposes. So, yes, Satan and his companions exist, but God and His angels are also there, and God's team is infinitely more powerful than Satan's. Of course, nobody wants to have experiences like these, but if the powers of darkness seem combined against you, it just might mean you're doing something right ... Unless you're 1831 Sidney Ridgon (the... View the full article

1. That One Ward Mission Leader Be Like... 2. Literally Every Time You Go Tracting 3. When Only Carly Rae Can Get You Through Street Contacting 4. Missionaries to Every Investigator Ever 5. When You Can't Remember How to Life?? 6. When You Low-Key Lonely for Bae 7. Tryin' to Explain the Bible to Your Investigators But You Bad at Math 8. How Your Investigator Sees the BoM 9. When Your Companion Apparently Forgot About Sight and Sound 10. We Will HUNT YOU DOWN... But Like, in a Nice Way via Mormon Light 11. When Your Friends Are Giving You All the Feels 12. Uh... Can You Repeat the Question? 13. When You Shave Your Beard and Accidentally Shave Off 10 Years 14. ¿¿¿No Hablo Español??? 15. Waitin' For That Snail Mail Got Me Like... 16. That Greenie Fire is REAL 17. When You a Missionary But You Still Salty 18. Day One in the Field 19. Trynna Keep Your Cool When They Start Bible Bashing 20. *Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 21. That Area Book Life 22. Let's Be Real Tho View the full article

Check out these amazing photos of temples around the world photographed at nighttime. Do you spot your favorite temple? Make sure you scroll all the way to the bottom—we've saved the best for last! San Diego, CA Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BoSOVQ-n4vW/?tagged=ldstemple Santiago, Chile Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo4DYVHhj0J/?tagged=ldstemple Salt Lake City, UT Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/Bo0UztLndNY/?tagged=ldstemple The Hague, Netherlands Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/7A5mgRK5TJ/?tagged=haguetemple St. George, UT Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BoxToKGAxqT/?tagged=ldstemple Rexburg, ID Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BosIsyal_Ho/?tagged=ldstemple Mesa, AZ Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BoniGhCh82A/?tagged=ldstemple Payson, UT Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BoKRVOMnPqU/?tagged=ldstemple Provo City Center Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BnUQ5xEgiTr/?tagged=provocitycentertemple Mt. Timpanogos, UT Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BomTUPfhKH4/?tagged=ldstemple Portland, OR Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/Bofz2Z6nhYd/?tagged=ldstemple Twin Falls, ID Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BdieKXNls7Z/?tagged=ldstemple Colonia Juarez, Mexico Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/Bocl3GAn_EU/?tagged=ldstemple Payson, Utah Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BoSfBrggN_D/?tagged=ldstemple Fort Collins, CO Temple https://www.instagram.com/p/BoVM0HXhjS0/?tagged=ldstemple More about temples: The 11 Most Interesting Things About Temples You Might Not Have Known My Favorite Destination-All the Mormon Temples in the World Everything You Need to Know About Temple Clothes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiKfdcQtw1U https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxY3oKk9avI&feature=youtu.be View the full article

In the women's session of the October 2018 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson challenged the women of the Church to participate in a 10-day social media fast from any media that "bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind." The Challenge At first, my reaction was: https://giphy.com/gifs/gets-smart-question-vQqeT3AYg8S5O Another one?! But when a prophet of God issues a challenge, you do it. Joseph Smith once said, “a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has the power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.” As someone who participated in the 7-day social media fast for youth (no, I am not a youth anymore, I just have a persuasive younger sister) I felt like I was gonna crush this 10-day fast. Easy peasy lemon squeezy. https://giphy.com/gifs/justeat-3oEjHJGkUtFQ74aid2 The Fast It is amazing how we come to rely on social media. I think I made it to around day three before I broke down and purchased a book to fill the time. Because I had SO. MUCH. TIME. And I may or may... View the full article

We are entering a new era in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—one which requires more of the Saints. Though the responsibility has always been there, there is a greater urgency placed in ministering and in teaching the gospel in our homes. President Russel M. Nelson recently said, "In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." Personal revelation is one of the ways in which the Holy Ghost can guide and direct our lives. So, here are a few do's and don'ts when it comes to receiving personal revelation. Do: Study the Scriptures, Be Prayerful, and Live the Gospel Personal revelation takes effort and spiritual preparation. Prayer is the primary way we communicate with God. A prayerful fast can also be a powerful way to strengthen your spirit and prepare you for revelation. Furthermore, scripture study can strengthen your spirit and can place the seeds of greater revelation in your life. Finally, the companionship of the... View the full article

Bloomberg News' attention has recently been attracted to the changes taking place at the Salt Lake City Airport. Missionary farewells and homecomings are big events amongst members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Most often young men and women, these missionaries leave their families for eighteen months to two years. Due to this lengthy separation, it is not uncommon for there to be a large group of family and friends sending off or welcoming home these missionaries. With this in mind, Salt Lake City Airport officials have designed a $3.6 billion renovation project to cater to these large groups of people. These designs include a new meet-and-greet reception area where missionaries can gather with their families away from the rest of the public. This reception area is also for military homecomings and other groups of people who are wanting to welcome back family and friends. Thousands of missionaries leave and return on missions each year, thus contributing to the growing crowds within the airport. These specific renovations will allow... View the full article

I am totally loving the new ministering emphasis on non-traditional visits as opposed to sit-down visiting teaching lessons. I am also a super-busy working mom and have been trying to figure out how to best minister to my sisters. In fact, the other day I was walking down the sidewalk near my neighbor's home (who happens to be one of the sisters I minister to) and saw a few weeds. I knew she had been out of town and decided to pull them for her. So I rounded up a few of my kids and we got to pulling. Just to be funny, I texted her a little picture of my son pulling the weeds and said, "And this is how I minister-FYI." She replied with, "Oh, thank you! That's the best ministering ever!" Now, had she been a young mom, I bet one or two freezer meals might have been the best ministering ever. If she were an invalid widow, a simple visit to chat about life would have been the... View the full article

This post by Aleah Ingram originally appeared at LDSDaily. It’s the little things I remember most. The screams when my mother made the wrong kind of spaghetti. The roar of the rain against the windshield as we went too fast on a winding road. The cold burn on my skin the day he punched me in the face with a ball of ice. The expansive hope that someone would come and save me followed by the utter deflation when I realized no one ever would. I asked myself so many times how peace could ever be possible in such a reality. It felt impossible to forgive. Yet, I have found peace in forgiving the man who abused my family for over a decade. It wasn’t, and still isn’t, an easy process. I needed Jesus Christ every step of the way. In the face of great injustice and atrocity, forgiveness can seem fruitless. It may not even seem worth it. I’ve experienced all of these feelings. I know what it’s like to stare... View the full article

Sacrament meeting. It's great, but you never really know what's going to happen, especially during fast and testimony meeting when anyone can speak their mind from the pulpit. Here are 15 stories from when things went wrong in sacrament meeting: 1. Kids will be kids I've got a couple: 1) A friend of mine had a really strong baby boy. He had a glass 8-ounce baby bottle full to the brim with milk. He grabbed it by the nipple and thonked the sister in front of him on the head with it. Knocked her out. An ambulance came and took her away. 2) We lived in Israel for years, and before the Jerusalem Center was built, we met in the basement of the Swedish embassy. We had a very simple potty in the nursery for our 2 year old, really just a straight-sided plastic bowl with a wide lip and a handle. She ran out of sacrament meeting and showed up a few minutes later with her panties down around her ankles... View the full article

Congratulations! You have just been called to serve in a mission that will require you to learn a foreign language! Language learning on a mission can be both an exciting and terrifying process. When I was called to serve in Japan, it took me a few days to realize that the Church was not pulling my leg. I would be expected to teach the gospel in Japanese, and I’m pretty sure the only Japanese words I knew at that point in my life were “sushi” and “konnichiwa.” But luckily, I had about three months before I was to report to the MTC, so I determined that I would study hard and become fluent in Japanese before entering the MTC. Oh boy was that dream shot down reaaaaaal quick. HOWEVER. I did learn some valuable lessons both before and during my mission on how to learn a foreign language. Apps When do you NOT have your phone on you? If you just take 5 minutes each day to use a language... View the full article

Ward Halloween parties are always fun. There's usually lots of food and games, and let's not forget about trunk or treating. But one of the most fun things about ward Halloween parties is seeing the costumes of all your ward members. So, without further ado, here are the 11 types of costumes you'll probably see at this year's ward Halloween party. 1. The Synchronized Family Costume We've all seen them. This is when everyone in the family participates in a themed costume idea. EVERYONE. My wife and I are guilty of doing this for years. Last year, my kids were Lilo and Stitch, my wife was Nani, and I was Nani's boyfriend David. The year before last, my daughter was Boo, I was Sullivan, and my wife was Mike. This year we are planning on an Aladdin theme. Whether it's the Wizard of Oz, the Avengers, or something else, you're bound to see one of these synchronized families walk into your ward Halloween party. 2. The Individual Combo Costume These are they... View the full article

With the traditional ward Trunk-or-Treat just around the corner, here are some ideas (along with lists of decor items needed) to spark your imagination. Here's to a first place award this year! Hawaii Five-Oh! https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba-vFArl-tR/?tagged=trunkortreat2017 Hula skirts Hawaiian print fabric Luau decor Paper lanterns Tiki masks/decorations Blow-up palm trees (could also use cardboard cut-outs) Additions not pictured in photo: Cardboard cut out and painted to look like a surfboard, flip flops, beach towels with a Hawaiian theme The Mouse is in the House (or the car)! https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba-HU6Jgr3G/?tagged=trunkortreat2017 https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba8QCWOlnAN/?tagged=trunkortreat Black plastic tablecloth Red plastic tablecloth Black butcher paper or cardboard cut into two large circles/top of head Yellow butcher paper cut into buttons and shoes White butcher paper cut into white gloves Welcome, Great Pumpkin! https://www.instagram.com/p/Ba8aQLLDAoj/?tagged=trunkortreat2017 https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn6jPRJgSIH/?tagged=trunkortreat Black fabric or black plastic tablecloth Large paper cut outs of Snoopy characters (can be done on posterboard) Large white paper moon cutout with Snoopy silhouette Star cut outs for black background Various pumpkins of all shapes and sizes Fake foliage to create pumpkin vines (ivy garland works well) Sign that... View the full article

The internet is full of well-meaning members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that have turned their passion for the gospel into websites, Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, YouTube channels, etc. A large portion of them contain the now four-letter terms, "Mormon" and "LDS," in their names. Since President Russell M. Nelson's admonition to emphasize the correct name of the Church, these entities have fallen under attack by two groups of people. Some comments from the second group of people, described below. The first group is composed of the Church's critics. This backlash was (and is) fully expected. There will always be those who jump on any opportunity to point the finger of scorn. But the second group was more surprising. It's composed of Latter-day Saints, assuredly trying their best to be faithful. Unfortunately, in their attempts to sincerely follow the prophet, they seem to feel called to traverse the internet, handing out condemnation cards to any entity that has yet to make corrections to their names. And in... View the full article

You might not have known this, but many authors have written about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Victorian writers, who were writing just after the Church was restored, were especially fascinated by the peculiarity of the Latter-day Saints. Here are seven famous authors who wrote about Latter-day Saints. Though these authors used the word "Mormon" to describe the Church and its members, please understand that the word "Mormon" is an incorrect nickname, as stated by President Russel M. Nelson in this last General Conference. Mark Twain 1. Mark Twain Samuel Clemens—best known by his pen name, Mark Twain—was an extremely successful American writer. He was best known for his novels The Adventures of Tom Sawyer and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. In 1872, Twain published Roughing It, a semi-autobiographical novel about Twain's travels through the Wild West in the 1860's. Twain spent two days in Salt Lake City, and he was fascinated by the Latter-day Saints. He wrote several chapters about them, about Brigham Young, and about the Book of Mormon. Mark Twain's writings... View the full article

Now I can’t be the only one who doesn’t want to spend money on an outfit that I will wear only one day out of the whole year. Of course, there are the stereotypical costumes—pirate, athlete, nerd, cowboy/cowgirl, etc. But you can do better than that. So what are some creative costumes that you would be able to put together with things you already have lying around the house? Tourist All you need are some sandals, cargo/khaki shorts, a fanny pack, and a hat. Walk around taking pictures on your phone or camera, and your look is complete! Cat Burglar Just wear all black and then put any stuffed animal cats you own into a backpack. Haha, get it? Candy Rappers This one is fairly self-explanatory. A nice bonus is that you can actually EAT the candy before you tape it on your clothes. Cereal Killer Since I doubt you will actually be able to take a real knife to your ward Halloween party, I would recommend taking a fake or making one out of... View the full article

Last General Conference President Nelson announced a temple for India. and the city seems to be Bangalore. But Indian culture is light years away from American culture. What are Indian Mormons like? When Taunalyn Ford Rutherford was a member of the Young Ambassadors she had the opportunity to visit and perform in India. While there, the group spent a day helping at the Mother Theresa charities. Ever since then she has been fascinated with India. So when she had the chance to do oral interviews in preparation for writing her dissertation, she knew where she wanted to go. Over several years, Dr. Ford traveled to India to interview the LDS Church members of the Hyderabad Stake in India. Recently, she published her work on the Church in India. In this episode of the LDS Perspectives Podcast, Laura Harris Hales interviews Taunalyn Ford Rutherford about what a globalized LDS Church looks like in India. Although missionaries were sent to India in the 1850s, growth of the Church didn’t really take off until... View the full article

This family home evening you’re going to WIN the game. You’re going to teach your family about the Plan of Salvation for a whole evening. You’re going to set yourself up with a yummy treat for your ministering assignment. And you’re going to make your entire house smell like FALL. Your lesson, should you choose to accept, should go like this: Prepare ingredients for Pumpkin Apple Streusel Muffins and customize lesson plan. 2. Work with your family to make the muffins while discussing the plan of salvation. 3. Learn more in-depth about the Plan/do an activity while the muffins bake. 4. Conclude lesson and eat delicious, warm muffins. Preparation** (15 min): **You will need to adjust your lesson based on the age and size of your audience In separate sandwich baggies, bowls, and/or Rubbermaids assemble these ingredients with these labels on them: 2 ½ cups all-purpose flour (or whole wheat) labeled “Pre-Earth Life” 2 cups white sugar labeled “Atonement of Jesus Christ” 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice (here’s a DIY pumpkin pie spice) “Family” 1... View the full article

Tax season is around the corner, and during this time of year people donate to their favorite charities in hope of tax deductions. Furthermore, we are counseled by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to give to the poor and needy, for "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world" (James 1:27). A great way to do this is donating to one of the great organizations that do so much good around the world. So, here is a list of fantastic charities operated by Latter-day Saints to which you can easily donate. Bridges to America Website: https://bridgestoamerica.org If you like soccer, the world's most popular sport, this charity is for you. The goal of Bridges to America is to legally reunite African families to the USA and to educate young adults and youth for soccer. Operation Underground Railroad Website: https://ourrescue.org The work this charity does is great. Their goal is to eradicate sex trafficking through coordinated rescue and recovery planning. On their website they claim, "In the past four years,... View the full article

Do your trials always seem to come out of left field? Here are six easy ways to see your personal hurricane coming: You have recently said to yourself, “Everything is okay right now! This doesn’t seem so bad.” Even if you just said it quietly to yourself, or just thought it, you can bet that the feeling of contentment means a storm cloud is looming on your horizon. As Steve Clark said, “there is no growth in the comfort zone and no comfort in the growth zone,” so if you’re feeling comfortable, recognize that “the trials of this earth...are inevitable experiences” (Hold on Thy Way, October 2015). https://giphy.com/gifs/LiOfvTGjU3cnS So, prepare yourself! Build yourself a wise man’s foundation, water your seed of faith, and put some extra oil in your lamp. This means forming scripture study, prayer, and church into regular habits. Sitting in church you got the distinct feeling that you already know everything about what is going to be taught today. Did you think that? Really? You were basically just asking... View the full article

There are so many things to love about General Conference. Let’s be real: not having to get ready for Church is a perk in itself. I’ll take wearing my pajamas over a dress any day. (Remember when Elder Holland gave a talk in which he said that he could picture all of us at home listening to Conference, wearing our Sunday best? Good one, J. Holl!) But that’s not the reason I love Conference. I mean, hey, it doesn’t hurt — but even aside from the wonder that is eating cinnamon rolls from the comfort of my own home while listening to incredible speakers, there’s more to it than that. I love General Conference because I love being taught how to grow closer to the Lord. That being said, though, I’m going to let you in on a little secret: sometimes it makes me, a naturally anxious person, feel a tad overwhelmed. Yes, I love hearing the word of the Lord via modern-day prophets and apostles. I love the strength of... View the full article