Third Hour

Most of us know that when Joseph Smith was a young boy, he had a surgical operation on his leg. We learn about everything from his mother's devastated cries to Joseph's desire to abstain from alcohol prior to the surgery — but the one thing we don't typically hear much about is perhaps the most fascinating aspect of the whole story: the operating surgeon. Several years ago, BYU Studies published an article about this surgery entitled "Joseph Smith's Boyhood Operation: An 1813 Surgical Success" by surgeon Leroy S. Wirthlin. (Bonus: You can download the article for free!) The article's focus is to "examine Joseph Smith’s illness and operation in its historical setting and to examine the surgical contributions of Nathan Smith as they relate to this episode." The article certainly accomplishes that — it discusses in detail Dr. Smith's significant contribution to Joseph's life and to medicine as a whole — but, perhaps even more importantly, it accomplishes something deeply spiritual: the ability to see how God's hand was in... View the full article

April 10th is National Siblings Day, so what better way to celebrate than fighting with your siblings over who is the favorite? Well, actually, there are a lot of better ways. And whether you are an only child 1 of 14, there is always something to learn from siblings in the scriptures. Who have siblings who went on missions together and siblings who tried to kill each other—so basically we all have something to relate to. The following list is not exhaustive, but here are some lessons learned from siblings in the scriptures. Miriam, Aaron, and Moses There is a lot to the story of these three siblings. First, Miriam looked after Moses as he was placed in the Nile as a baby. She then convinced Pharaoh’s daughter to allow Miriam’s mother to nurse Moses until he was weaned. This way their mother could still look after Moses without raising suspicion. Second, Aaron became Moses’ mouthpiece. It is well-known that Moses had a speech impediment, so Aaron spoke for him. Aaron... View the full article

In September 2017, 16-year-old Tevan Tobler took his own life. His family members were shocked and investigators couldn’t find any reason to indicate a cause; Tobler was an honor student, the former president of the National Junior Honor Society, a champion wrestler, an active member in his local Latter-day Saint ward and a part of a loving home, healthy home. The police looked into whether drugs or mental health issues could have caused the tragedy but hit a dead end there, too. Eventually, the police would discover that Tobler was a victim of a growing epidemic: sexploitation. Tevan Tobler committed suicide in the fall of 2017 after becoming a victim of sexploitation. Police say these types of cases are on the rise. (Via the Deseret News) Just two weeks before his death, Tobler had come in contact with a woman, or someone posing to be a woman, who encouraged Tobler to send an explicit video of himself. After Tobler sent a video, the person threatened to release the video... View the full article

Fun fact: around the world, 353,000 babies are born each day. That's a lot of babies — all of whom need names. The possibilities are literally endless (just ask Barnaby Marmaduke Aloysius Benjy Cobweb Dartagnan Egbert Felix Gaspar Humbert Ignatius Jayden Kasper Leroy Maximilian Neddy Obiajulu Pepin Quilliam Rosencrantz Sexton Teddy Upwood Vivatma Wayland Xylon Yardley Zachary Usansky — yeah, that's ONE GUY'S full name), so naming your little one can feel overwhelming, to say the least. But don't worry; we've got your back. Here's a list of 36 baby names (18 girls', 18 boys') that are not only adorable, but meaningful: each of these names has a religious undertone. Some are from the scriptures (or, like "Eva," are derivatives of scripture names) while some simply have a religious meaning. Either way, get ready to find the cutest name ever for your baby... And to want to rename the kids you already have. (Just kidding. Mostly.) Baby Girl Names Amaris — "Given by God" Stats: Each of these stats (all from Nameberry) will list the popularity... View the full article

General conference weekend was a spiritual feast! The messages were fantastic, and the #GeneralConference Twitter community helped highlight some of the major themes and poignant quotes. They also provided a few laughs. Here are 15 of our favorite funny tweets about general conference: 1. The Hallmark movie ending https://twitter.com/AriWRees/status/1114948160328089600 2. After all the "big announcement" rumors... https://twitter.com/GutiNation/status/1115006594838749185 3. #Priorities https://twitter.com/hankrsmith/status/1114993966162698240 4. Marvel-ous https://twitter.com/asian_marianne/status/1114950097610006528 5. This interpretation is also great https://twitter.com/OMG_its_Janna/status/1114948091721838592 6. The perfectly applicable GIF https://twitter.com/COL_James83/status/1114991735048826880 7. This talk had some bite in it https://twitter.com/oymadelinemarie/status/1114647975626567680 8. We've all got work to do https://twitter.com/Amric_Sobczak93/status/1114702750174941184 9. No matter how hard they try to keep things simple, we'll always find a way to get distracted https://twitter.com/amandameldau/status/1114562892236353537 10. Funny, but painfully accurate https://twitter.com/BaotheHa/status/1114577357036068864 11. Follow this girl on Twitter https://twitter.com/poetickate/status/1114559705223811072 12. Do it for the stubbed toes https://twitter.com/UncleMaui/status/1114325617049133057 13. Elder Holland's talk was awesome https://twitter.com/MikeLMower/status/1114734606538797059 14. Somebody jumped the gun https://twitter.com/bfran12/status/1114577809056251904 15. This one got me... https://twitter.com/monroegracee/status/1114559267325923329 Which general conference talk was your favorite? Let us know which one you liked and why in the comments. View the full article

Picture this: you’re scrolling on your Facebook feed for the twentieth time today. Amid the cat pictures, absurd memes, and political posts, you see an ad. The ad probably says something like “Have Whiter Teeth in 3 Easy Steps” or “Get Clearer Skin in Just 2 Weeks!” We live in a society that values being the best we can be, and we want that ASAP (see, I didn’t even write out “as soon as possible” because even I want you to get to the end of this article quickly). While we should have clean teeth and skin, do we have that same attitude towards the more important things? Do we want to become the best person possible in the least amount of time possible? “Now wait a minute,” you might be thinking, “self-improvement is a lifelong endeavor. You can’t just become a better person in a matter of days!” And I agree with you. Growth is a never-ending, lifelong process. We should find ways to improve whether we’re nineteen or... View the full article

President Russell M. Nelson presided with President Henry Eyring conducting. President Dallin H. Oaks In mortality, we are subject to the laws of man and God. President Oaks has had the experience of judging according to both. This has given him an increased appreciation for the atonement. Under man's law, there is the possibility of life in prison without parole. Not so under the laws of Christ. Christ redeems. The atonement opens the door to all who repent. A message of hope for all, including those who are no longer in the Church. Repentance is not easy, but the prize is worth the price. Repentance is a privilege. Alma's inspired teachings: begin with faith; then we must repent. We must repent of all our sins, actions, inactions—no one is exempt. Confession; take the sacrament; deny ourselves of ungodliness; become holy without spot. Accountability entails both mortal and immortal judgment. Mortal judgments are made by church leaders. They don't forgive sins or judge you as perfect. Only God can absolve. An unrepentant person... View the full article

President Russell M. Nelson presiding, President Dallin H. Oaks conducting. Elder Dale G. Renlund How to access and obtain blessings. Are they completely earned? Are the chosen the only ones to receive them? Neither is right. Striking a match & lighting kindling yields a large fire. Oxygen, however, is needed. The receipt of blessings requires action based on faith. Then comes power. The action required is always tiny considering the blessings we receive. There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven—blessings are predicated on obedience. We don't earn, but we do qualify. Small acts of faith are required to bring to fruition God's promises—ongoing, faith-filled actions. Blessings come on God's timetable. Patiently wait on the Lord. "Restored truth reveals that blessings are never earned, but faith-inspired actions on our part, both initial and ongoing, are essential." Sister Sharon Eubank A fundamental need is staying close to the light of Christ. Satan works to dim our light and leave us alone in the dark. For those of us in grief, Christ heals wounds. It's not... View the full article

President Nelson presided at this session with President Oaks conducting. Elder Gary E Stevenson Eleven-year-olds can now leave Primary, surprised (as are their parents) at suddenly being able to pass the sacrament. There are now nearly 80,000 new deacons. Welcome to the priesthood. This is the largest number ever to attend a priesthood session. Brother Stevenson addressed his comments to Aaronic priesthood holders. Many are competing in sports. Participating in sports takes talent, discipline and countless hours of practice, putting aside now for what they want in the future. Elder Stevenson cited Latter-day Saint priesthood holders in various sports—Jeremy Guthrie and Bryce Harper in baseball; Jabari Parker and Jimmer Fredette in basketball; Taysom Hill and Daniel Sorensen in football, and William Hopoate and Ricardo Rojas in soccer. He interviewed these players to find out about their "spiritual playbook" as priesthood holders. Athletes have plays in their playbooks. The playbooks contain specific assignments. They study and memorize where to go and what to do. A quorum can be equated to a team. The... View the full article

President Nelson presided at this session, with President Eyring conducting. President Dallin H. Oaks led the sustaining of leadership. Area Seventies were released and new general authority seventies and area seventies called. The Sunday School presidency was released and a new presidency sustained. Follow this link to see the new callings. President M. Russell Ballard President Ballard reminisced about his service. He explained that Heavenly Father wants all His children to find peace, joy, and happiness in their lives. Poverty, war, ill health, poor family relationships can interfere but we can find peace, joy, and happiness in spite of the troubles that surround us. All Heavenly Father asks is that we do the best we can, and we'll come to realize that He knows and loves us. Real happiness will come. We must take upon us Christ's name. Satan's every effort is to shut out the light and truth from Christ to make us miserable—to bring to pass misery and endless woe. There have been a number of wonderful adjustments in the... View the full article

General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints began with the Saturday morning session with President Russell M. Nelson presiding and Dallin H. Oaks conducting. The following are summaries of the addresses delivered by leaders of the Church. Ulisses Soares Elder Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve focused on how we can teach the gospel. "I testify to you that when we earnestly, heartily, firmly, and sincerely teach the gospel of Jesus Christ, with real purpose, and under the influence of the Spirit, these teachings may transform hearts and inspire a desire to live according to the truths of God." Elder Soares began with the story of the Ethiopian eunuch and how he requested to be guided in learning the gospel at the hand of Phillip. "...we are sometimes like the Ethiopian, we need the help of a faithful and inspired teacher; and we are sometimes like Philip, we need to teach and strengthen others in their conversion.... Our purpose as we seek to learn and to teach... View the full article

Conference is coming up, so you know what that means? New temple announcements!! Personally, that is always one of my favorite parts of general conference. But what do you know about some of our current temples? There are 162 dedicated temples with more on the way. And if you have ever looked through the images of temples online or on lds.org (excuse me, ChurchofJesusChrist.org), then you know that there are some very unique looking temples. So here is my list of some of the most unique looking temples in the world! I have organized them into different categories, though some fall into multiple ones. But, it is up to you to decide which is the most unique! Disclaimer: I know nothing about architecture, so I will be saying nothing about that besides very obvious details. Temples with Detached Spires We are used to temples having spires. Most of our buildings have spires. But there are some temples that have a detached spire (I guess you could call it a tower or obelisk?) and... View the full article

We believe the prophet reveals God's will to the world. And he really does! But how exactly does that happen? Does God's will control every single aspect of the Church and its operation? Is every Church policy the revealed word and will of God? Does God always give the prophet details instructions? Let's dive in and learn a few things about revelation. 1. The will of God is seldom revealed to you or the prophet through dramatic, miraculous experiences We've all heard this before, but do we actually believe it when it comes to our church leaders? Do we really believe that apostles receive revelation in much the same way that you and I do? Elder David A. Bednar explained this principle expertly: We as members of the Church tend to emphasize marvelous and dramatic spiritual manifestations so much that we may fail to appreciate and may even overlook the customary pattern by which the Holy Ghost accomplishes His work. The very 'simpleness of the way' (1 Nephi 17:41) of receiving small and incremental spiritual... View the full article

This morning, April 4, 2019, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints announced changes to its LGBTQ+ policies. Note that this is not a doctrinal change. The following is from the Church's Newsroom: President Russell M. Nelson reflected that throughout this past year, the Lord has blessed us with “revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge … that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.” We are all eyewitnesses to revelations from the Lord as He guides the affairs of His Church. President Nelson taught of ministering and repenting, sharing that as we embrace the gift of repentance we will rise up and minister in a holier way and make our homes centers of gospel learning. Israel will be gathered on both sides of the veil, and we will help in preparing the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. President Dallin H. Oaks instructed that the Gospel of Jesus Christ teaches us to love and treat all people with kindness and civility — even when we disagree. God has promised... View the full article

As a legal prosecutor, AnnMarie Howard has come in contact with some of the worst the world has to offer: rape, abuse and murder. “I have to consciously make the effort to remember that there is a lot of good in this world,” said Howard. Despite the trying nature of her work, Howard’s testimony in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints remains unwavering; in fact, Howard has seen some parallels between her work and the principles and doctrines of the Church. Howard first decided she wanted to be a lawyer when she was in sixth grade. She credits one of her neighbors, who was an attorney, as the initial inspiration for her law career. “I just got to see that a lot of people in my community went to him for help,” said Howard. “And he was, quite often, a spokesperson for different people, and at one point he was my bishop, so he had a profound influence on me.” Howard would go on to... View the full article

When someone falls and cuts themselves, we all know that the first thing we should do is clean the wound and stop the bleeding. But do we know what we need to do when someone is experiencing some emotional trauma? So often we neglect or hide our emotional pain. No one can know how weak we are. We should be able to tough it out and get over it. But no one would ask you to run a marathon on a broken leg. No one would tell you to “walk it off.” The same needs to be true of our emotional health. Elder Holland said that “there should be no more shame in acknowledging [emotional health challenges] than in acknowledging a battle with high blood pressure or the sudden appearance of a malignant tumor.” Emotional First Aid Psychologist Guy Winch talks about how to practice emotional first aid and its importance. He says that anyone who has experienced emotional injuries knows that they “can be just as crippling as physical ones.”... View the full article

Some people really like to get into the spirit of April Fool's Day, and Religion News Service is no exception. Yesterday, April 1st, Religion News author Jana Riess (who is a member of the Church) posted the article "94-year-old Mormon prophet to scale Mount Everest" along with several other gag articles. Honestly, if the Deseret News came out with the same article, I would believe them. President Nelson is known for his love of the ski slopes and his amazing physical health. To be honest, he is probably in better shape than I am. Anyway, the article describes how President Nelson will still participate in General Conference via phone and will set up a branch at the Mount Everest Base Camp. It also says that President Nelson is refusing supplemental oxygen, instead relying on the inspiration of the Lord, noting that the root of the word “inspire” suggests that a person is “breathing in” the Spirit of the Lord. President Nelson is said to be seen running around the camp in a special moisture-wicking... View the full article

While rumors can be harmful (and often just straight up mean), sometimes they're so ridiculous that you can't help but laugh — i.e., that Nicolas Cage is a time-traveling vampire (although, okay, this one's probably true judging by this picture), that Elvis and Tupac are secretly still alive, and that alligators are living in the NYC sewers. In a church that's been around for almost two centuries, it's no surprise that sometimes rumors get spread around among its 16 million+ members... And while they're probably not on par with the conspiracy that the American government is actually run by evil lizard people, there are some pretty good ones. Rumor #1: Cain is Bigfoot via history.com This is one of the most well-known LDS urban legends out there. Due to a highly circulated, unvalidated story, many people believe that Cain (the son of Adam and Eve, and the world's first murderer) was condemned to wander the Earth forever as Bigfoot. The story, which was first told in Lycurgus Wilson's biography on David W.... View the full article

If you’ve read about when I ran away on my mission, then you know some of the challenges I faced and some of the bizarre circumstances I found myself in. You even know a little bit about why I ran away. Hopefully, you understand that God is always with you no matter where you are or why you’re there (physically, mentally and spiritually). But if you don’t (or you doubt that he is), I invite you to follow along (this time in a little more detail) about how Heavenly Father is with us and how he is calling out to you. When Living the Gospel isn't Enough As a short preface to the rest of the story, I’ll mention again what really set the stage for my missionary escape. From the start, I had made significant and personal sacrifices in order to be the best tool in the hands of the Lord. Along the way, I felt as though I was losing myself in service to Him, but not in... View the full article

It's no secret that missions are a time of intense spirituality — after all, you're immersed in the scriptures basically 24/7, and I do mean that literally because eventually you even dream about doing missionary work — but fun fact: missions are also really, REALLY hilarious. Seriously. Take this story from my own mission, for example: I served my mission in Denver, and my last area covered Denver and some of Original Aurora — and, like in any big city, there were some colorful characters there. One of my absolute favorite people in that area was an old man named *Clyde (name changed) who was originally from the deep South and had the thickest Cajun accent you've ever heard. He'd recently been baptized and had a fierce love for Christ. One day, during our Sunday School lesson, our teacher — a really reserved, quiet man — was teaching a lesson on the keys of the priesthood. Clyde, somewhat exasperated, shouts out, "What about the keys of life?" Totally taken aback, our... View the full article

As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we’re taught that our bodies are temples and sacred creations of God. This seems like a pretty straightforward doctrine, that is until we get to the end of our journey here on Earth. In times of distress, we often turn to the Church for guidance. Below you’ll find the Church’s policies on organ donation, assisted suicide, cremation, and prolonging life. The Church and Organ Donation The Church has no policy regarding organ donation, but that hasn’t stopped rumors from popping up here and there. Cecil O. Samuelson, an emeritus general authority and former president of BYU who was also a physician, wrote an article for the Church’s website about organ donation. In the absence of an official stance from the Church, Samuelson tried to make sense of the topic of organ donation in light of gospel and medical principles. “The Church has taken no official position on organ transplants. It seems obvious, however, that organ transplantation does not... View the full article

Since President Russell M. Nelson was sustained as the Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we’ve been through a whirlwind of changes. I’ve seen reactions from members range from ecstatic to questioning to downright negative when it comes to changes in the LDS Church. Those who were less than ecstatic seemed to question how the Church can still be true when all these things are changing. How can something be true one day and then done away with the next? The Difference Between Doctrine and Policy Sometimes we think that because a policy changes, the doctrine associated with that policy must also be changing, but that’s simply not the case. Doctrine does not change because doctrine is eternal truth. It is important to note, however, that how we understand doctrine evolves as we as a church are ready to receive more understanding. Take the Word of Wisdom, for example. When the Saints were first given it, the policy was really loose. The doctrine that our bodies... View the full article

It was early in the Summer of 2015 when I awoke, by accident, 45 minutes later than the missionary schedule dictated. It was destined to happen that day. I woke up my companion who would shower first, giving me the perfect amount of time to escape. I'd thought about it for weeks now, my plan to run away. I had enough personal money, some money from my missionary card I could pull from the nearest ATM (mostly so I couldn't be tracked), and a train station close by that could get me directly to NYC in less than an hour. It was thrilling to image that I could be on a plane to Europe starting my new life before my companion had even realized I was gone! The night before this, I had written a private letter to Heavenly Father and Jesus telling them that I couldn't do it any longer: I couldn't be the messenger they wanted me to be. I wrote that I wasn't capable of helping other people... View the full article

Johanna Jones is back as one of American Idol's top competitors and we are so happy about it we could cry, or cheer, or both! Jones, a BYU student and member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, first auditioned in American Idol's 2016 Farewell Season. Jones made it to Hollywood but was eliminated after the group rounds. Post-elimination, Jones promised her Instagram followers that they wouldn't see the last of her and that although she didn't get a lot of screentime, she was hopeful about her career moving forward. Johanna's hope shined bright as she entered the audition floor again this last week to sing Sam Smith's "I'm Not the Only One" and then again last night to sing Chris Isaak's "Wicked Love." Both performances left judges Katy Perry, Luke Brian, and Lionel Richie awe-struck, "in love" and in tears. What we didn't know (Johanna included!) is that her boyfriend, Matt Zavoral, would take 6 college exams and drive 11 hours to surprise Johanna on stage with a marriage proposal! "I couldn't wait another day,"... View the full article

If you're a General Conference fan and happen to also love Simon and Garfunkel's timeless song, Bridge Over Troubled Water, you're in for a treat. Technically, this is a parody video, but it makes me want to laugh and cry at the same time. So, maybe grab some tissues.Take a look at some of our modern prophets, apostles, and other leaders give their own rendition of Bridge Over Troubled Water: https://www.facebook.com/ThirdHour.org/videos/2312852242337131/?__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARAenvxIWmAYz7ZUwmS45gpnFtCVUVI41C0yosxdvypfJjiepVFrDk7D-StqPVNAhBaLFPJJzSzGm0PmcxbQtOrAvMOy248FJd0DiHMW3v9ow1t96BIa_dGSSgGoM1GF2S0E9CFlodGCsnnPc_vuVXGzfEFslAI2IVnUjusrRteYBQrs4A6rHficPmfmpa4pySnInwGr49Kwfy8oWpNPv41lMqdwPNuJtKE4cqX1RJkaUhnzgMQsdirJmd6uiSE2kiUiMs9jchHzKKDeBiRm16gmaBTUCu56vB6WC5jnktFIxvsP15docwbk3xmwXrITQK9QUNNCAo89o9n1oEFDPCXMQxzCDA&__tn__=-R The video accumulated a whopping 45 thousand views within about 24 hours of publication. Here's a link to the Facebook post (also embedded above) and a link to the YouTube version. If you know someone who needs to watch this video, give it a share. View the full article