Two wise zone leaders called us recently with a question. Our mission in Puerto Rico is using family history as a powerful lead in missionary work, so we meet together through Zoom on Tuesdays with all the zone leaders to plan our unique approach.

In one of those recent calls, a sister asked about negotiating the waters of talking about family history or talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ, since they are two separate things? Forward discussion left her comment behind, but five minutes later, Scot broke in and said, “I just have to correct one word that was said a few minutes ago. I can’t let it pass. It should be Family History and learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ not or because they are not two separate things. It is one great whole with the temple. We have to think of it as one, not two. …

To read more from Daniel, visit his blog: Sic Et Non. 

For one of the monthly reading groups to which we belong, we read Amy Tanner Thiriot, Slavery in Zion: A Documentary and Genealogical History of Black Lives and Black Servitude in Utah Territory, 1847-1862 (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2022).  Her biography on the back cover of the book identifies Sister Thiriot as “an independent historian and adjunct university instructor in the BYU-Idaho Family History Research program.”

Our discussion was on Sunday night.  The book is not a smoothly flowing historical narrative, but rather a kind of compendium of genealogical information about, and basic biographies of, the one hundred or so enslaved Black people who stayed for at least a brief time between 1847 and 1862 in what later became the State of Utah.  I was impressed by the vast amount of research that Sister Thiriot …

The month of April is Autism Awareness and Acceptance Month. Much of the following information came from the website autismspeaks.org.[i]

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication. According to the Centers for Disease Control, autism affects an estimated 1 in 36 children and 1 in 45 adults in the United States today.

Those struggling with autism may also have concurrent diagnoses for ADHD, anxiety, and/or depression and/or medical conditions like epilepsy and sleep problems.[ii]

We know that there is not one type of autism, but many.

Autism looks different for everyone, and each person with autism has a distinct set of strengths and challenges. Some autistic people can speak, while others are nonverbal or minimally verbal and communicate in other ways. Some have intellectual disabilities, while some do not. …

The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has given nearly US$1 million to UNICEF to improve the health and development of children in Peru. The donation, which was made on Friday, April 12, 2024, focuses on the regions of Huancavelica, Loreto, Ucayali and Lima.

The donation will go towards two projects. The first will focus on early detection of vision and hearing problems in newborns, helping more than 8,000 children. This project equips health centers, trains personnel and implements protocols to strengthen the healthcare system in detecting these impairments.

The second project will concentrate on improving access to water and hygiene services in 20 schools in the same regions, benefiting over 20,000 students.

To read the full article, CLICK HERE. …

Take a four-minute breather from life to be reminded of the enormous temple promises given us by apostles and prophets at conference. We are seeing the mightiest works of the Lord as he prepares a covenant people in his temples ready to meet him.

This is the first video on our new Meridian Mag Youtube channel. Please come and subscribe to our channel as there will be many more like it coming. We think it is beautiful and powerful as it talks about the mightiest works the Lord does in our day. Please watch it and then share, share, share it. You can share it on social media or text or email it to your friends. Share it with your missionaries. This video is a refreshing few moments of light and truth.

 …

The following is excerpted from the Church News. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

In the spring of 1844, a Black man only identified in legal records as “Chism” was suspected of a crime, seized and whipped by a mob of drunken men in Nauvoo, Illinois.

Following the assault, the man sought safety in the office of Joseph Smith, who then served as the city’s mayor and justice of the peace.

At a time when wrongs against Black individuals were not prosecuted, Joseph did his best in his legal capacity as justice of the peace to bring the perpetrators to justice, said Jeffrey Mahas, a historian with the Joseph Smith Papers.

“It’s a great example that shows Joseph’s commitment in his role to try and bring justice to all the citizens in Nauvoo,” he said.

The lesser-known legal case is found in the Joseph Smith Papers …

View the original post on Scripture Central.

This article first appeared in the Deseret News. It was written by Camille Williams.

Contrary to media hype and fundraising clickbait, the abortion pills case before the Supreme Court cannot result in the banning of chemical abortion. In fact, if the questions during the oral argument forecast the decision, the high court is more likely to reverse the 5th Circuit’s order which would have temporarily reinstated pre-2016 safe-use protocols for abortion pills. A reversal will leave in place the FDA’s 2016 and 2021 “safe-use” changes allowing self-managed chemical abortion with emergency room back-up.

Here’s a look at what’s really at stake in the case of Food and Drug Administration v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine, argued March 26 before the Supreme Court.

What are the facts of this case?

The facts in the case are complex enough that the 5th Circuit Court made a chart of dates and events …

Several years ago, my husband, John, and I talked three couples into joining us on an adventure trip to Costa Rica.  The trip included a 40-mile mountain bike ride, white-water rafting, zip lining, a trip to an active volcano, hiking, and sea kayaking.

One of the highlights of our trip were the three days we spent in Drake Bay.  Our book described Drake Bay: this remote place is a nature lover’s paradise, where dense jungle meets the Pacific Ocean.  Set in a thriving, biologically diverse lowland rainforest, Drake Bay offers a huge variety of pristine beaches, lush jungle, and exotic wildlife.  Considered to be ‘Costa Rica’s last frontier”, Drake Bay is literally the last vestige of civilization before the landscape turns to the wild, untouched jungle.”

Wild was a good description.  Even getting there was a challenge.  We had to take a couple of single engine planes over the Talamanca …

The following is excerpted from the Church Newsroom. To read the full article, CLICK HERE. 

The public open house for the Layton Utah Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints begins this week in Layton, Utah, on Friday, April 19, and extends through Saturday, June 1, 2024, excluding Sundays.

Media attended a news conference and toured the new house of the Lord on Monday, April 15, 2024. Those participating in the event included Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier, assistant, Utah Area Presidency; Elder Kevin R. Duncan, executive director, Temple Department; and Sister Amy A. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency.

“In the temple, we learn about our divine identity and destiny better than any other place,” Elder Giraud-Carrier said. “In the temple, we make promises to our Father in heaven, about how we will act and how we will treat one another. …