Uchtdorf reminds us of five things we will be wise to never forget:To be patient with ourselvesTo distinguish between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrificeTo be happy nowTo focus on the “why” of the gospelTo know that the Lord loves each of us infinitely.

    Elder Bednar discusses the importance of Christ’s character in accomplishing the Atonement, the difference between testimony and conversion, what moral agency means and why it is central to the plan of salvation, and the vital role of teachers.

    And yet, we all have times of trouble. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland writes, "One of the unfailing facts of mortal life is the recurring presence of trouble.... When these difficult days (and nights!) come—and they will—it will help us to remember that 'it must needs be,' that in the grand councils of heaven before the world was, we agreed to such a time of challenge and refinement. We were taught then that facing, resolving, and enduring troublesome times was the price we would pay for progress. And we were committed to progress eternally."A large percentage of the psalms that appear in the Bible were written for just such times of trouble. From petitions for relief to acknowledgments of God's power, from pleas to praise, these psalms provide comfort, perspective, and spiritual solace when we are going through our own trials.In this tender book, Elder Holland explores dozens of scriptural passages from the psalms, offering personal ideas and insights and sharing his testimony that "no matter what the trouble and trial of the day may be, we start and finish with the eternal truth that God is for us." Elder Holland's reflections on the psalms provide a powerful witness of that comforting truth.

    For three days each woman chose one of her normal daily activities and asked herself "How would a holy woman do this?" Their experiences are both eye-opening and encouraging as we begin to understand how gifts of the Spirit can help us become the women that the Lord needs us to be.

    We encounter appealing arguments for a Divinity that is a childish projection, for prophets as scheming or deluded imposters, and for scripture as so much fabulous fiction. But there is also compelling evidence that a glorious Divinity presides over the cosmos, that His angels are strangers we have entertained unawares, and that His word and will are made manifest through a sacred canon that is never definitively closed. What we choose to embrace, to be responsive to, is the purest reflection of who we are and what we love. That is why faith, the choice to believe, is in the final analysis, an action that is positively laden with moral significance."As humans, we are, like the poet John Keats, "straining at particles of light in the midst of a great darkness." And yet, the authors describe a version of life's meaning that is reasonable—and radically resonant. It tells of a God whose heart beats in sympathy with ours, who set His heart upon us before the world was formed, who fashioned the earth as a place of human ascent, not exile, and who has the desire and the capacity to bring the entire human family home again.

    Teachings of the prophet Lorenzo Snow, president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1898-1901

    It is used for personal study and for Melchizedek Priesthood and Relief Society instruction.

    Filled with rumors of wars and political intrigues, deadly epidemics and economic disasters, uplifting twists and inspiring miracles, the volumes in The Great and Terrible series reveal the greatest secret of all: The children of God can defeat the adversary, for we have fought him before.

    FerrellAs incredible as it may sound, much of the sadness and frustration we feel in mortality is actually created by our well-meaning efforts to find happiness. Relief from this predicament can be found through a divine gospel paradox that rescues us from failed roads and puts us on the surprising path to happiness.Through engaging stories and fresh, invigorating gospel insights, James Ferrell has written a book that challenges our unquestioned and perhaps mistaken assumptions about many of life's fundamental concerns. For example, what if happiness depends less on forgiving ourselves than on giving up that quest? What if repentance is even sweeter than forgiveness? What if neither happiness nor heaven can be reached by climbing?Falling to Heaven is an account of a gospel that's specifically designed to change our minds and transform our hearts. It is an account of the truths of Christ that really do set us free.

    Follow the Steed family on their incredible journey from New York to the Salt Lake Valley.

    

    If you haven’t yet met the Thomas family, you are in for a real delight! “Every era has its own refiner's fire, and World War II put general Church membership and Utah to a test,” Dean Hughes explains. In Children of the Promise, his first historical fiction series for adults, Dean shows through the eyes of the Thomas family how LDS families were tested to the limit. Volume 1: Rumors of War - The first volume, Rumors of War opens in 1938 with Elder Alex Thomas and his companion serving in Germany. It soon becomes obvious that he will never complete his mission. War is coming, and that will affect not only Elder Thomas but also his family back home in Salt Lake City.Volume 2: Since You Went Away - Picking up where the bestseller Rumors of War left off, Since You Went Away continues with Wally Thomas's struggle to survive as a prisoner of war on the Bataan Peninsula while his family begin to disperse due to the war. Bobbi and Alex Thomas are leaving for military duty at the infant stages of World War II — Bobbi as a naval nurse at Pearl Harbor and Alex in army basic training. A gripping novel filled with memorable characters, Since You Went Away will draw you into a past charged with danger, action, romance, and the importance of family and faith.Volume 3: Far From Home - In Far From Home, Alex Thomas is still battling the Nazi forces. He’s also worried about whether or not he can preserve the lives of the men in his company, especially Howie, a particularly young and inexperienced soldier. But his biggest concern is staying alive for his wife, Anna, in England. Far From Home is a moving, powerful novel about the effects of adversity, and about the love of family members for each other.Volume 4: When We Meet Again - Following the Battle of the Bulge, Alex Thomas is reassigned — not without reluctance — to an intelligence unit in Germany. The new assignment challenges Alex's deepest moral values and is more life threatening than combat. As a POW in Japan, Wally suffers torture that may only find relief in death, while Bobbi sorts out her true feelings when she runs into Professor David Stinson thousands of miles away from home.As Long As I Have You - The war is over, and the Thomas family is slowly coming back together at home in Salt Lake City. But that doesn't mean all is well in Zion. In As Long As I Have You, the final volume of the Children of the Promise series, author Dean Hughes presents a moving picture of what life was like for an ordinary LDS family at the end of World War II.

    

    Perfect for new and longtime temple worshipers alike, this priceless volume is guaranteed to help you use the temple experience and its rich symbolism to find healing and hope that will let you see yourself more truthfully, then seek God more trustingly.

    Quoting from Dumbledore, Hank Smith reminds us that “it is our choices that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.” Unfortunately, we don’t always make the best choices. “We are all going to be tempted and sometimes we might give in and fall,” says Brother Smith, “but we don’t have to.” Drawing on stories from the scriptures, real-life examples, and his trademark sense of humor, Brother Smith shares five powerful “temptation killers” that can help youth deal with the “opposition in all things” that is part of our earthly existence. “I want to give you some ways to overcome temptations so you can become the missionary you were meant to be, so you can become the mom you were meant to be, so you can become the example you were meant to be if you can get by these things,” says Brother Smith. Once again, Hank Smith delivers a timely message that will be a great blessing for youth and parents alike.

    Specific topics include the prophetic mantle, the nature of restoration, Mormon exclusivity, the inefficacy of institutional religion, and satisfactions of the Gospel/personal revelation. Givens argues that there is profit to be found, and advantage to be gained, even—perhaps especially—in the absence of certainty.

    As we strive to draw closer to Christ, He will draw closer to us, magnify our efforts, and fill us with joy and peace. From the gift of mercy to the gifts of experience, wholeness, nurturing, and seeing, authors Heather B. Moore and Angela Eschler help women recognize the incredible rewards Christ has given each of God’s precious daughters, no matter the hardships we face.

    She had put limits on her life that our Father in Heaven had never meant for her to experience. We all do it. But there is a way out—and that way is to have faith."Consider the possibility that God sees the potential for your life in a way that you have not seen yet—or are afraid to see," writes Laurel. "He is ready for you to choose to become the person He has always known you to be." You'll resonate to her stirring invitation to choose faith over fear.

    Smith suggests that your response depends on knowing the answer to a few other questions, like, “How high is the bridge? How deep is the water below? Is someone on the bridge trying to kill me?!” In this positive and uplifting talk, Hank Smith discusses the life-changing importance of choosing good friends and of being a good friend. Quoting from For the Strength of Youth, Bro. Smith says, “Choose your friends carefully. They will greatly influence how you think and act and even determine the person you become.” Using his trademark humor, colorful stories and examples, and quotes from the prophets and apostles, Bro. Smith illustrates just how true this statement is. He says that a true friend can help you make wise choices and can even save your life. “A real friend will stand between their friend and a horrible choice and at least say something,” emphasizes Bro. Smith. “Your friend might just say ‘forget you,’ but at least they’ll know you said something. Do you love your friends, or do you just love having friends?” Bro. Smith encourages youth to avoid risking their future on bad friends and above all to “become friends with Jesus Christ. He will greatly influence how you think and act. Let Him determine the person you will become.”

    Quotations from the Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price, with brief commentary.

    

    With this book one can gain an understanding of the principles of freedom and the proper role of government, based on the gospel of Jesus Christ.

    Cook.

    Isaiah's Hebrew gospel preempts the New Testament by teaching the path through which God empowers his children to ascent to the highest heaven.

    A place where his family has lived since perhaps before the days of Christ and his apostles. Here they have practiced their religion free from outside interference for centuries.How will James and his family respond to American preachers who bring news of a restored gospel to their Alpine farm?A coming of age story, that follows ten year old James as he wrestles between the beliefs that his people have cherished for generations, and the new ideas being preached in their valleys.LDS NovelWatch The Trailer

    It is something that has been partially experienced and thoroughly documented by many individuals around the world. In this inspiring look at near-death experiences, authors Brent and Wendy Top illustrate how numerous recorded accounts of near-death experiences relate to Latter-day Saint teachings. More than just a collection of interesting near-death stories, this book is rich with scripture as well as commentary from Latter-day prophets, creating a doctrinal lens through which to view the near-death events shared by various people from differing cultural and religious backgrounds. From the amazing characteristics of our spirit bodies to the incredible love and learning that will take place, you ll find encouragement and peace regarding that next step we will all eventually take, which is, in reality, the beginning of a beautiful new phase of life. You will be fascinated with reports from those who have seen the other side of the veil: a being of light who greeted them in the spirit world; a sense of having a perfect, vitalized spirit body; the rapid, graphic review of one s mortal life; meeting with loved ones; communication by thought transference; spirits in radiant white robes; travel at phenomenal speeds; expanded comprehension and memory powers; gorgeous scenery and vegetation;and an all-encompassing, overwhelming light and love. While emphasizing how we must critically examine these accounts, the authors say, We were amazed at the similarities and consistencies between near-death accounts and the doctrines of the restored gospel. God lives and loves each and every one of us, and what is waiting for us is inexpressibly amazing and wonderful.

    But how can we accomplish that?In this thoughtful volume and with his warm, accessible style, author Robert L. Millet shares poignant stories and fresh scriptural and doctrinal insights to help us feel our Savior's love and realize that He stands ready to assist us in coming to know Him.The author's heartwarming reflections on what it means to worship Christ and to trust in Him and in His grace renew in us a desire to stay focused on our Savior through all the ups and downs of daily life. Insights into how much Christ loves us and how He can lift us up to where He is strengthen our commitments to Him.Throughout, the author conveys his deep witness of the essential truth that eternal life consists of knowing God and His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ.Coming to Know Christ invites us to experience what it means to know our Lord-not just know about Him but how to come to know Him, our Savior and our Redeemer.Robert L. Millet is Abraham O. Smoot University Professor and professor of ancient scripture at Brigham Young University. He taught with LDS Seminaries and Institutes before joining the BYU faculty in 1983.He has served in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Satins as a bishop, stake president, temple worker, and member of the Church Materials Evaluation Committee. He is a popular speaker and prolific writer who recent books include Talking with God, Men of Valor, Men of Influence, Are We There Yet? and When a Child Wanders. He is a coauthor of the landmark volume LDS Beliefs: A Doctrinal Reference.

    It also organizes and compares the Gospels; shows the changes, corrections, and additions made by Joseph Smith; and applies the teachings of Christ and his Apostles to modern-day life.

    

    All he knows is that her distaste for him seems to be as immediate and intense as his attraction to her. And as much as Ty tries to walk away from the challenge Rhea represents, deep down he knows he's met the one girl he can't let get away.

    "As he has recorded the events of history, man has often forgotten to mention the hand that rocked the cradle." These remarkable Mormon women gave their all for the gospel of Christ. With drama and emotion stronger than that found in any work of fiction, the inspirational stories in Heroic Mormon Women will bring to light the incredible strength, virtue, and faith of the heroic women of the restoration. Some women included in this book are: Rachel Ivins Grant Jane Grover Jane Elizabeth Manning James Sarah Melissa Granger Kimball Heroic Marys Elizabeth Claridge McCune Sarah Pea Rich Aurelia Spencer Rogers Amanda Barnes Smith Eliza Roxey Snow Amanda Barnes Smith Lucy Mack Smith Emma Hale Smith

    

    But when their phone won't let them return to their own time, the'll follow the prophet around the world, learning some important lessons along the way. Humorous, entertaining, and informative, this book is a wonderful introduction to church history that's bound to be a family favorite!

    

    When she was 15 years old, the unthinkable happened. Her mother died. Having been raised a devout Mormon, she knew that she and her father would see her mother again-because they know that families are meant to be together forever. After a year of unspeakable loneliness, however, her father decides that living in that town without his beloved wife was more than he could bear. He takes his teen aged daughter and goes to live in Eastern Oregon, where he had a sister. And so they moved to an even smaller town than the one they left. Ann thought it was at least "a thousand miles from anywhere". After she had graduated high school, she thought briefly of going off to college, but quickly dismissed the idea of leaving her lonely father even more alone. They lived there for more than ten years. After the sudden death of her father, she moves back home. Her best friend, who was more like a sister growing up, is Kell Harris. Kell and her family still live back in Charlestown, NY. The Harris family are an African American-Caucasion family and are also LDS. They are like a second set of parents to the tall, quirky, unpretentious Ann. During the process of looking for a place to live, Ann comes across a fellow orphan. She knows immediately that taking him in is the right thing to do. His name is Henry. He is two years old. He weighs 180 pounds. He is a Great Dane. She has never had a dog. She has never had so much as a hamster in her life. But doing the right thing comes naturally to her and she knows that he needs her. A dog that big needs a lot of walking, and she spends much of her time doing just that. Thanks to these walks, she meets people she never would have met, people that become as dear and dearer than anyone she has ever had in her life. Ann buys a house, and one day while out walking, she meets, unbeknownst to her, the town hermit. He doesn't look like a hermit to her. To her, he looks like a male cover model. That's how he looks to everyone else, too, but he isn't aware of it and wouldn't care anyway. His name is Kyle Mendez and he has had enough of people. He is corrosive, off-putting, large and intimidating. He tells her, "I stay away from people. I don't know what they think. I don't care what they think. I don't ask them what they think and they don't tell me what they think." Ann is the first person in a long time who will look him straight in the eye and tell him exactly what she thinks. He knew the first time he saw her, she was different. She didn't know he was a hermit and she wasn't about to let him be one. She begins slowly drawing him out and he can't help but go with her. The story of his past peels back like the layers of an onion, and brings as many tears. Slowly she shows him how to forgive, how to love, and how to live again. She also introduces him to something he never would have predicted would interest him-the Mormon Church. She gives him the gift of something he had long forgotten-joy.

    There’s only one problem. He’s a Mormon, and nobody knows it…John Peterson tries to follow the Spirit, but it tells him to preach, and preaching only seems to get him into trouble. His strident defense of the Mormon Church has gotten him fired again, forcing his family to move for the third time in as many years. Looking for a fresh start in Mayfield, John agrees to keep his head down. But when the owner of the local mega church loses his pastor, he invites John to preach without asking the name of his church. After a spiritual prompting, John decides to preach, but as his following explodes, his new-found fame threatens to expose his religion and shatter his family’s hopes for a new life. The town of Mayfield is growing impatient with high school football coach Paul Connelly. The former pastor was hired to help save the football program after the greatest scandal in school history, but after four straight losing seasons, his time is running out. With John Peterson’s meteoric rise, the town appears to have found a new moral authority, and an excuse to find a new coach. When Paul discovers that John is a Mormon, he finds the key to restoring his moral standing—all he has to do is expose and destroy John Peterson.

    The teenagers’ leadershave raised them in the Latter-day Saint faith, teaching them to trust God, but when McKenzie and her rebellious boyfriend Jeremy decide to run away, Hannah and Derek follow, determined to bring their friends home.Once outside, the four teens soon realize they cannot return to the refuge without endangering everyone there. Captured, enslaved, and separated, Hannah, Derek, and McKenzieeach learn the unique role they must play in liberating the earth. The friends must battle with android soldiers and attack vessels, and face their own inner struggles to overcome the invaders. After all, not even an alien invasion can stop the work of God.

    The key beginning place for understanding the Atonement is in Alma 34. Here, Amulek is teaching about sin and repentance, and the need for a great and last atoning sacrifice. Amulek then makes this alarming comment in verse 11: "Now there is not any man that can sacrifice his own blood which will atone for the sins of another."It's a startling comment that flies in the face of traditional Christian understanding about the atonement. If no man can shed his blood to atone for the sins of another, then what exactly did Jesus do? Did he not shed his blood for all of us? How do we reconcile these two conflicting ideas?As a young missionary serving in England in 1930, W. Cleon Skousen had a lot of questions about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Every Easter, young Cleon would listen to the story of the suffering the Savior had to endure and wondered why all of that torture on a Roman cross was necessary. Some years later he arrived in the mission field at age 17 with the same questions still stirring in his heart and mind. And then one evening, Elder Skousen found himself riding the train with his mission president, Elder John A. Widtsoe, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Skousen decided to ask this Apostle for help in understanding the Atonement. From that encounter began a lifelong pursuit for knowledge that eventually resolved all conflicts and questions about the sacrifice of Jesus, and uncovered the true foundation stone for his atoning sacrifice.The Atonement relates W. Cleon Skousen’s search for understanding, and how a kind and patient Apostle of the Lord led him step by step into realms of discovery and insight that were almost lost to generations of Latter-day Saints.W. Cleon Skousen includes all of the source materials for his delightful and moving presentation, and shares them happily for those with a desire to embark on the same sacred journey. It is a wonderful, beautiful, and very personal search for the true meaning of the Atonement, by W. Cleon Skousen.

    With Christmas just around the corner, James has a new car sitting on the top of his list. An entitled young man from a privileged family, James lives in his own perfect self-centered world until he receives news that shatters his young existence. Grief-stricken, he strikes out and eventually comes to realize that there is more to life than his own drama. This rich story reminds us that Christmas is a time for healing, and miracles do still happen.

    Anderson • Milkshakes and MittensBrian C. Ricks • Third Strike ChristmasGussie Fick • Substitute SantaJanice Sperry • SlushballsJennifer Carson Shelton • With Wondering AweJennifer Ricks • Christmas StashJennifer Ricks • The Two Hundred Forty-fourth OrnamentKasey Eyre • Gifts from JesusLeeAnn Setzer • Christmas BusLisaAnn Turner • The Real MagicMichael Young • Checkin’ It TwiceRob Smales • Fishing BuddyTeresa G. Osgood • Foreign ExchangeWeston Elliott • Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh

    These papyri comprise “The Breathing Permit of Hor,” “The Book of the Dead of Ta-Sherit-Min,” “The Book of the Dead Chapter 125 of Nefer-ir-nebu,” “The Book of the Dead of Amenhotep,” and “The Hypocephalus of Sheshonq,” as well as some loose fragments and patches. The papyri were acquired by members of the LDS Church in the 1830s in Kirtland, Ohio, and rediscovered in the mid-1960s in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. They served as the basis for Joseph Smith’s “Book of Abraham,” published in Nauvoo, Illinois, in 1842 and later canonized.As Robert K. Ritner, Professor of Egyptology at the Oriental Institute, University of Chicago, explains: “The translation and publication of the Smith papyri must be accessible not merely to Egyptologists but to non-specialists within and outside of the LDS religious community for whom the Book of Abraham was produced.” Dr. Ritner provides not only his own original translations but gives variant translations by other researchers to demonstrate better the “evolving process” of decipherment. He also includes specialized transliterations and his own informed commentary on the accuracy of past readings. “These assessments,” he notes, “are neither equivocal nor muted.” At the same time, they do not have a “partisan basis originating in any religious camp.”The present volume includes insightful introductory essays by noted scholars Christopher Woods, Associate Professor of Sumerology, University of Chicago (“The Practice of Egyptian Religion at ‘Ur of the Chaldees’”), Marc Coenen, Egyptian Studies Ph. D., University of Leuven, Belgium  (“The Ownership and Dating of Certain Joseph Smith Papyri”), and H. Michael Marquardt, author of The Revelations of Joseph Smith: Text and Commentary (“Joseph Smith’s Egyptian Papers: A History”). It contains twenty-eight photographic plates, including color images of the primary papyri (with corrected alignment for Papyrus Joseph Smith 2) and other relevant items.