Tag: "Prophets"
General Conference
Something that sets The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints apart from other religions is its emphasis on living prophets. Throughout my time working at the Education in Zion Gallery, I have loved learning more from early prophets and leaders, including Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Karl G. Maeser, George H. Brimhall, Jeffrey R. Holland, Gordon B. Hinckley. What a blessing it is that the Lord communicates to his children lovingly through prayer, but also through our leaders!
I have been pondering the significance of living prophets as I get ready to listen to general conference this weekend. It is a wonderful opportunity to hear from our leaders, either in person or through technological means. In preparation for conference, the Church has come out with an infographic that explains the meeting and its significance. It goes through how people watch or listen live, what is taught and what happens afterward.
I was particularly interested in what happens after the conference. It is amazing to me how much technology has increased the ability to spread knowledge, including spiritual knowledge. The video and audio of the conference are available in 70 languages and on mobile applications including iTunes, Roku and Comcast. In fact, there were over 50,000 tweets about the October 2012 general conference , making it one of the top ten trends in the United States.
General conference is an exciting time to be spiritually educated from our leaders. We are so blessed to be able to hear from them directly in such an intimate setting. Make sure to tune in to lds.org!
Finding Strength in Our Past
Upon being accepted into BYU, I made plans to make the journey by car all the way from North Carolina, to Provo. The 2,200 mile trip would pan out to take about 35 hours and would require that I drive through the night and day to complete the trip within 3 days. Although I dreaded the drive, I accepted this fate and bore through it the best I could.
http://www.understandingmormonism.org
I recall driving through areas in Nebraska and Wyoming where the only adjustments I made in the car were not in the steering wheel, but in my seat to lay back. The flat and open road soon began to bore me, and I began to complain about my situation.
“Why couldn’t my parents just have flown me out to Utah?” In my bitterness and complaining, I remember that I stared out of the window only to see the open plains that lie ahead of me.
Sacrificing for Scriptures
Flump! I throw myself on the bed. One midterm and two essays down. Glancing at my alarm clock, I start to calculate: 5 hours till I wake up. My nose peaks over the edge of the bed. It’s sitting there staring at me from the top of a pile of books. I’ll skip-just for tonight. I turn off the lights: I’ll read tomorrow night. A minute slips by. I guess I could read it tomorrow during dinner. Ten minutes slip by. I could even read it tomorrow at lunch. Twenty minutes slip by. I could always read it at breakfast. Thirty minutes slip by. Or I could just read it now! I reach to the side of my bed to grab the Book of Mormon.
My mother always taught me to respect the scriptures: never throw them, put them on the floor, or ignore them – so many people have sacrificed so much for us to have them. Read more
Why is FHE a Big Deal?
Many LDS Church members have grown up participating in Family Home Evening (FHE). Then again, many members have not. It is not uncommon to find some disinterested about this practice, especially among BYU students who are placed in Family Home Evening “groups” – implemented by the Church since many students are in that in-between phase where they no longer live at home but have yet to start families of their own.
It’s quite easy – even expected – for us to question the need for something when we don’t fully understand the reason why it was created in the first place. In a small, unobtrusive space in Education in Zion, the history of Family Home Evening is told.
First Presidency, 1915
School of the Prophets
As the newly-formed Latter-day Saints strove to learn more about themselves as new members of the church, they sought to learn more about their God. As a young prophet still learning, Joseph Smith decided it would be beneficial to invite other brethren to join him in learning about the Gospel so they could lift and teach one another. Read more