Third Hour

If you were to take a quiz with 15 questions about other major U.S. religions, how many do you think you'd get right? I got 10. Okay, so obviously that's not great — but sadly, I fared a little better than other Church members. On average, we scored less than 7 out of 15. To say that the majority of us  know little about other religions is, unfortunately, totally accurate. But how can we fix it? And honestly, does it even matter if we don't know things about religions other than our own? Yes, it matters — and it can be fixed. Pretty easily, in fact. Pew Research Quiz Results Pew Research Religious Knowledge Results Last month, Pew Research published an article entitled "What Americans Know About Religion" that included results from a religious knowledge quiz/survey conducted in February. The quiz had over 10,000 participants, among whom were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The results concluded: "On average, Jews, atheists, agnostics, and evangelical Protestants score highest on the new survey of religious knowledge, outperforming...
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afterI have it on good authority that my brother was named after one of the Beatles. My great-great-great-grandmother, Sarah Jane Standley My name, Jane, on the other hand, comes from my great-great-great-grandmother, Sarah Jane. I grew up hearing stories about Sarah Jane from my mom. How she was born in a log cabin and how she cooked for a railroad gang in Idaho and Montana. Her mother, Sarah Ann, had crossed the plains in the Martin Handcart Company and had lost her toes to frostbite. Sarah Jane saw electric lights for the first time on her wedding day in April 1883. She had 11 kids, all in her home. She was friendly and always doing laundry. My grandmother, Patricia My middle name is Patrica. I knew my grandmother, Patricia. She was bright and giggly. She traveled to Africa after graduating from nursing school. Her birthday was on July 3 and, as a kid, she thought the Independence-day fireworks were for her. She wouldn't let my dad buy a rock-and-roll record until he...
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"You're welcome to try." More terrifying and exhilarating words have never been spoken. Albeit these words were spoken by my session leader during Dungeons and Dragons, these words hold a much deeper meaning when considered from an eternal perspective. My family was pretty open to the nerdage. That exposure has brought a lot of good experiences my way. For example, Legend of Zelda taught me how to land surf, as shown in this image. Another mark of my nerdom is that I play Dungeons and Dragons. It is an amazingly fun game. Saying that, I know a lot of people narrow their eyes and crinkle their noses when they hear about this game. Despite the raised eyebrows, Dungeons and Dragons really does have the power to change peoples' lives for the better! How? How does it do this? I'll tell you right now, it isn't using dark magic or anything sketchy like that. So, here are just a few ways that Dungeons and Dragons can improve your life. Dungeons and Dragons teaches...
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OK to be perfectly clear, I do not mean these photo edits to be disrespectful AT ALL. I absolutely love and sustain each member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency. That said... In recent weeks you've probably seen your friends using a popular (and slightly controversial) new app called FaceApp. People have been using the app to digitally age pictures of themselves, and the results are usually extraordinarily realistic. And then I started wondering ... what might our beloved church leaders look like with a few years added onto their portraits? What you are about to see is the result of that curiosity. And I've just gotta say, each of them looks like the loving grandpa everyone wants to have. Take a gander: The First Presidency President Russell M. Nelson President Dallin H. Oaks Full transparency: Because President Oaks' portrait portrays him as particularly young, I ran it through the generator twice in order to get a significantly older look. President Henry B. Eyring The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles President...
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afterI have it on good authority that my brother was named after one of the Beatles. My great-great-great-grandmother, Sarah Jane Standley My name, Jane, on the other hand, comes from my great-great-great-grandmother, Sarah Jane. I grew up hearing stories about Sarah Jane from my mom. How she was born in a log cabin and how she cooked for a railroad gang in Idaho and Montana. Her mother, Sarah Ann, had crossed the plains in the Martin Handcart Company and had lost her toes to frostbite. Sarah Jane saw electric lights for the first time on her wedding day in April 1883. She had 11 kids, all in her home. She was friendly and always doing laundry. My grandmother, Patricia My middle name is Patrica. I knew my grandmother, Patricia. She was bright and giggly. She traveled to Africa after graduating from nursing school. Her birthday was on July 3 and, as a kid, she thought the Independence-day fireworks were for her. She wouldn't let my dad buy a rock-and-roll record until he...
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Delving into the Church’s history on the topic of birth control can get sticky. With just a quick internet search, it is clear that the issue leaves room for varying opinions among church members. So is using birth control a sin? Let’s talk. Be fruitful and multiply Adam and Eve Teaching Their Children by Dale Parsons As Latter-day Saints, we believe that the family is central to God’s plan, so naturally, having children to raise in righteousness has been encouraged throughout church history by apostles and prophets. In Genesis 1:28, we read that our first parents, Adam and Eve, were commanded to “Be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth.” Members of the Church today have been commanded to do the same. Brigham Young teaches that “there are multitudes of pure and holy spirits waiting to take tabernacles, now what is our duty?— to prepare tabernacles for them… it is the duty of every righteous man and woman to prepare tabernacles for all the spirits they can." Elder Christofferson teaches that “God ordained that men...
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Dear Reader, I have a confession: I wear pants to church. Sorry, I should clarify why this is a confession: I'm a woman and I wear pants to church. If we're just talking about style choices, I also like horizontal stripes, dangling earrings, and natural, wavy, hair. But this particular style choice is much more important than that. Sure, you may be thinking what you wear to church is not important. We go to church to  renew covenants. I agree! However, if what we wear is so insignificant, why does the sight of women wearing pants cause such a fuss in the first place? Believe me, it does. In December of 2012, some Latter-day Saints staged "Wear Pants to Church Day". One participant, Jamie Baydd, remarked in this article that it was designed to tell church members that "If you think you're different...or if you feel there isn't a place for you here, there is." Saints within and beyond the continental U.S. and Europe participated to raise cultural awareness. Women and men wore pants...
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Parley P. Pratt is sometimes called "the Apostle Paul of Mormonism." Oliver Cowdery baptized Parley in September 1830 and by 1835 Parley had been ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But our story takes place not long after Parley's baptism, around October 1830. The story starts with a revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, which is now known as Doctrine and Covenants Section 32. The call to serve The revelation reads as follows: And now concerning my servant Parley P. Pratt, behold, I say unto him that as I live I will that he shall declare my gospel and learn of me, and be meek and lowly of heart. And that which I have appointed unto him is that he shall go with my servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites. And Ziba Peterson also shall go with them; and I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them. And they shall give heed to that which is written, and pretend to no...
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Parley P. Pratt is sometimes called "the Apostle Paul of Mormonism." Oliver Cowdery baptized Parley in September 1830 and by 1835 Parley had been ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But our story takes place not long after Parley's baptism, around October 1830. The story starts with a revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, which is now known as Doctrine and Covenants Section 32. The call to serve The revelation reads as follows: And now concerning my servant Parley P. Pratt, behold, I say unto him that as I live I will that he shall declare my gospel and learn of me, and be meek and lowly of heart. And that which I have appointed unto him is that he shall go with my servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites. And Ziba Peterson also shall go with them; and I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them. And they shall give heed to that which is written, and pretend to no...
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Today is Tuesday and I have already taken my garbage out twice this week. In the United States, the average person generates approximately 4.6 pounds of trash daily. So it's not just me. How can we create less waste? By replacing our current over-consumption habits with sustainable practices, we can make a lasting impact for good. Heavenly Father instructs his children to care for the earth that he has given us. In Doctrine and Covenants 104:13-14 we read, "For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared for my creatures." Here is a list of 7 things you can start doing today to create less waste and become a better steward of the earth. 1. Bring your own to-go box and utensil kit Humans produce more than 14 million US tons of plastic foam yearly. It might feel odd at first, but bring your own to-go container (a Tupperware or jar) to restaurants helps to make an immediate impact....
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Parley P. Pratt is sometimes called "the Apostle Paul of Mormonism." Oliver Cowdery baptized Parley in September 1830 and by 1835 Parley had been ordained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. But our story takes place not long after Parley's baptism, around October 1830. The story starts with a revelation to the prophet Joseph Smith, which is now known as Doctrine and Covenants Section 32. The call to serve The revelation reads as follows: And now concerning my servant Parley P. Pratt, behold, I say unto him that as I live I will that he shall declare my gospel and learn of me, and be meek and lowly of heart. And that which I have appointed unto him is that he shall go with my servants, Oliver Cowdery and Peter Whitmer, Jun., into the wilderness among the Lamanites. And Ziba Peterson also shall go with them; and I myself will go with them and be in their midst; and I am their advocate with the Father, and nothing shall prevail against them. And they shall give heed to that which is written, and pretend to no...
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The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is unveiling abuse prevention training for all leaders of children and youth. Every adult working with children must complete the 30-minute training by September 22, 2019, and again every three years. The course is available online and deals with both prevention and responding to abuse. The audiovisual training is available at ProtectingChildren.ChurchofJesusChrist.org and consists of an illustrated slideshow that includes scenarios that require responses. The Church consulted with child protection groups, therapists and other professionals to create the training. Church policy now requires two adults to be present at all times with children and youth. The training course directs North American bishops and stake presidents to contact the Church’s abuse helpline about every situation in which a person may have been abused or neglected. The course instructs leaders of children and youth to contact legal authorities as well as the bishops of their congregations. The training is recorded and associated with the membership numbers of leaders. The requirement applies to every adult who serves in youth Sunday School and seminary...
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With such energetic, loving, well-intentioned characters, it's hard not to see parallels between Parks and Rec and every ward you've ever been in. Through crafts, close friendships, a love of nature, strong couples, and hard work, the hallmarks of Parks and Recreation share a lot of similarities with life as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1. When you get a calling you feel completely unqualified for but it goes ok: NBC The Lord doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called...especially the shoeshinists. 2. When the Young Women get an opportunity to play volleyball with the Young Men: NBC 3. When you go on Trek and realize you were definitely not meant to live in the 1850's: NBC 4. When you want your first date outfit to be equal parts modest and irresistible: NBC 5. The college couples with the cheapest, cheesiest (and most adorable) love stories: NBC 6. When your Relief Society is truly all it's cracked up to be: NBC 7. When you're three months from returning home from your mission and in complete denial: NBC Put...
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Mormons no more. It’s been almost a year since The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints put out an official statement "regarding the name of the Church."  This was followed by a talk given by President Russell M. Nelson in general conference which made waves in and outside the Church. He called for a renewed emphasis in correctly using the full name of the Church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Here are a few key quotes from his address: ...the name of the Church is not negotiable. When the Savior clearly states what the name of His Church should be and even precedes His declaration with, “Thus shall my church be called,” He is serious. And if we allow nicknames to be used or adopt or even sponsor those nicknames ourselves, He is offended... ...To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan. When we discard the Savior’s name, we are subtly disregarding all that Jesus Christ did for us—even His Atonement... ...When we omit His name from His Church,...
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If you were to take a quiz with 15 questions about other major U.S. religions, how many do you think you'd get right? I got 10. Okay, so obviously that's not great — but sadly, I fared a little better than other Church members. On average, we scored less than 7 out of 15. To say that the majority of us  know little about other religions is, unfortunately, totally accurate. But how can we fix it? And honestly, does it even matter if we don't know things about religions other than our own? Yes, it matters — and it can be fixed. Pretty easily, in fact. Pew Research Quiz Results Pew Research Religious Knowledge Results Last month, Pew Research published an article entitled "What Americans Know About Religion" that included results from a religious knowledge quiz/survey conducted in February. The quiz had over 10,000 participants, among whom were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The results concluded: "On average, Jews, atheists, agnostics, and evangelical Protestants score highest on the new survey of religious knowledge, outperforming...
View the full article

OK to be perfectly clear, I do not mean these photo edits to be disrespectful AT ALL. I absolutely love and sustain each member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the First Presidency. That said... In recent weeks you've probably seen your friends using a popular (and slightly controversial) new app called FaceApp. People have been using the app to digitally age pictures of themselves, and the results are usually extraordinarily realistic. And then I started wondering ... what might our beloved church leaders look like with a few years added onto their portraits? What you are about to see is the result of that curiosity. And I've just gotta say, each of them looks like the loving grandpa everyone wants to have. Take a gander: The First Presidency President Russell M. Nelson President Dallin H. Oaks Full transparency: Because President Oaks' portrait portrays him as particularly young, I ran it through the generator twice in order to get a significantly older look. President Henry B. Eyring The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles President...
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I'll never forget a conversation I had with one of my friends right before I got married: "Seriously, you guys haven't had sex yet?" she asked. "No, we're waiting until we're married," I told her. "But like, how far have you gotten?" "We just kiss." "No, but like, what base have you gotten to?" Growing up on the East Coast, most of my friends weren't members of the Church — so when I told them I was going to wait until marriage to have sex, they were shocked. This particular friend's questions weren't ill-intentioned and, since she and I had always been so close, she was just curious — and truthfully, it made me laugh. It was so hard for her to understand that my fiancé and I wanted to wait until marriage to have sex, let alone any kind of sexual relationship outside of kissing. While this friend was supportive and loving regarding my decision, most people weren't so understanding. I vividly remember being called a prude, being labeled as uptight, and hearing that I needed...
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I'll never forget a conversation I had with one of my friends right before I got married: "Seriously, you guys haven't had sex yet?" she asked. "No, we're waiting until we're married," I told her. "But like, how far have you gotten?" "We just kiss." "No, but like, what base have you gotten to?" Growing up on the East Coast, most of my friends weren't members of the Church — so when I told them I was going to wait until marriage to have sex, they were shocked. This particular friend's questions weren't ill-intentioned and, since she and I had always been so close, she was just curious — and truthfully, it made me laugh. It was so hard for her to understand that my fiancé and I wanted to wait until marriage to have sex, let alone any kind of sexual relationship outside of kissing. While this friend was supportive and loving regarding my decision, most people weren't so understanding. I vividly remember being called a prude, being labeled as uptight, and hearing that I needed...
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I'll never forget a conversation I had with one of my friends right before I got married: "Seriously, you guys haven't had sex yet?" she asked. "No, we're waiting until we're married," I told her. "But like, how far have you gotten?" "We just kiss." "No, but like, what base have you gotten to?" Growing up on the East Coast, most of my friends weren't members of the Church — so when I told them I was going to wait until marriage to have sex, they were shocked. This particular friend's questions weren't ill-intentioned and, since she and I had always been so close, she was just curious — and truthfully, it made me laugh. It was so hard for her to understand that my fiancé and I wanted to wait until marriage to have sex, let alone any kind of sexual relationship outside of kissing. While this friend was supportive and loving regarding my decision, most people weren't so understanding. I vividly remember being called a prude, being labeled as uptight, and hearing that I needed...
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I'll never forget a conversation I had with one of my friends right before I got married: "Seriously, you guys haven't had sex yet?" she asked. "No, we're waiting until we're married," I told her. "But like, how far have you gotten?" "We just kiss." "No, but like, what base have you gotten to?" Growing up on the East Coast, most of my friends weren't members of the Church — so when I told them I was going to wait until marriage to have sex, they were shocked. This particular friend's questions weren't ill-intentioned and, since she and I had always been so close, she was just curious — and truthfully, it made me laugh. It was so hard for her to understand that my fiancé and I wanted to wait until marriage to have sex, let alone any kind of sexual relationship outside of kissing. While this friend was supportive and loving regarding my decision, most people weren't so understanding. I vividly remember being called a prude, being labeled as uptight, and hearing that I needed...
View the full article

I'll never forget a conversation I had with one of my friends right before I got married: "Seriously, you guys haven't had sex yet?" she asked. "No, we're waiting until we're married," I told her. "But like, how far have you gotten?" "We just kiss." "No, but like, what base have you gotten to?" Growing up on the East Coast, most of my friends weren't members of the Church — so when I told them I was going to wait until marriage to have sex, they were shocked. This particular friend's questions weren't ill-intentioned and, since she and I had always been so close, she was just curious — and truthfully, it made me laugh. It was so hard for her to understand that my fiancé and I wanted to wait until marriage to have sex, let alone any kind of sexual relationship outside of kissing. While this friend was supportive and loving regarding my decision, most people weren't so understanding. I vividly remember being called a prude, being labeled as uptight, and hearing that I needed...
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So you're packing up and leaving for college, huh? Or maybe you're staying in your hometown and attending school there. No matter what, lots of transitions await you. The next 8 months will be some of the most challenging, surprising, revealing, frightening, and fun of your life. Here's some advice you may listen to or you may ignore—but either way, you'll eventually find out I'm right. Cheers. 1. Get over yourself (but be confident). You may have been principal cellist or all-star quarterback or valedictorian in your high school, but no one at college will care about that. Hanging onto those kinds of accomplishments in adult life will not get you anywhere. They're just the wrong currency. People will admire you if you're smart, talented, athletic, disciplined, etc., but you have to continue to be good and prove yourself. The competition away from home is much steeper, and you will be humbled. That being said, work up the courage to try hard with academics and extracurriculars. There will be an adjustment period...
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In the movie Arrival, the main character literally learns to see the future! because she learns the language of the aliens. This movie gives a hard tip of the hat to determinism. If you don't know what determinism is, check out this Wikipedia article Linguistic Determinism. To sum up: there are some things the mind cannot fathom if there isn't a word for it in the language. Could it be that language dictates what we can think about? Admittedly, some languages can teach us new concepts and change how we interact with surroundings... But to what extent??? As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints we believe that we had a life as spirit children of our Heavenly Father before this life. So, this idea has such interesting implications! If our thoughts are limited by language, what does that mean for our time spent as spirits? Does language limit the amount of truth and light we are able to access? NO? YES? MAYBE? Language is an enabler, not an...
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Whether you are preparing for a family function with all the cousins or lunch for the church congregation, you are going to struggle to find simple, straight-forward recipes that everyone can (and will) eat. Here are some ideas that are easily adjustable to a variety of food allergies and restrictions so everybody can chow down and enjoy! (Note: All of these recipes are safe for people with peanut allergies, shellfish allergies, tree nut allergies, and egg allergies. Many are vegetarian, lactose-free, and gluten-free. Several recipes here are vegetarian “meatless” but do include meat broths! Additionally, many store-bought broths are NOT GLUTEN FREE, so be sure to carefully select gluten-free broths. Swanson, Campbell's and other brands usually offer them.) Chili (gluten-free, lactose-free,vegetarian, vegan) The basic components of Chili are (crushed) tomatoes, beans, beef, bell pepper, and spices. Keep the shredded cheese and taco chip toppings separate and this is a classic recipe that is also gluten-free and lactose-free. Plus, if you measure out a small portion without meat, it can be vegetarian...
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A panic-inducing power outage turned into something amazing at the famed Carnegie Hall in New York City. A five-hour blackout in New York caused thousands of locals and tourists to congregate on bustling streets and sidewalks. The Millenial Choirs & Orchestras, comprised of members who traveled from around the Western United States, opted to use their heavenly musical abilities to help entertain those forced onto the street by the blackout. The response has been remarkable. Thousands were moved by the beautiful music which glorified the Savior. Check out a few of the clips below. https://twitter.com/briallenhopper/status/1150198299254767616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1150198299254767616&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.calledtoshare.com%2F2019%2F07%2F14%2Fnew-york-city-power-outage-forces-choir-in-carnegie-hall-to-street-to-sing-i-believe-in-christ%2F https://www.facebook.com/TrimbleGreg/videos/351650309097355/   Even Jenny Oaks Baker—who was traveling with the choir—joined in. She played a beautiful rendition of "I Stand All Amazed." https://www.facebook.com/jennyoaksbaker/videos/2272287643031434/ What a wonderful moment. An unexpected power outage in New York turned into a faith-promoting event for thousands. That's something worth celebrating.
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