This story starts with a burger. Just as Jordan Squire took his first juicy bite, his wife Morgan dropped the bomb. We need to sell our house, move to Nauvoo, and open a restaurant, she told him. An Unexpected Path Keep in mind, the Squires were not in the restaurant industry. He was a computer…
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Joseph and Emma were never meant to be together. She was rich. He was poor. She was well-educated. He was just a farm boy. Honestly, when Emma met Joseph she probably should’ve just looked the other way. Not only that, her parents were also entirely opposed to the marriage. But yet, Emma still chose to…
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Happy New Year Everybody! January is an exciting time of year. It’s like we all take a collective deep breath, shake off the dust and wear-and-tear from the year, and agree to begin again. Hope runs rampant! I love that contagious feeling of hope and positivity—feeling like good things are coming our way. I wish…
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What is the True Spirit of Christmas? December comes just once a year. If we’re not careful it can pass us by in a frenzied whirlwind of ribbons, packages, and parties. Or, for some, it may seem like a month just like any other. Nothing special. Neither of those scenarios sound like a fun Christmas!…
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Worldwide Prayer of Gratitude It’s been exactly two years since President Russell M. Nelson offered his monumental prayer of gratitude to the world. We stood at the cusp of a global pandemic. The collective heart was full of fear, anxiety, even panic. And then, the prophet spoke. Of course! The healing power of gratitude. “Does…
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I’ve experienced some defining moments in my life—discovering my testimony of the Book of Mormon, meeting my husband for the first time, experiencing the deaths of my beloved mother and grandmother—the list goes on. Joseph Smith also had many defining moments, but it all began with what has come to be known as his “first…
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192 years ago the Church was organized with six members. Now, Church membership soars above 16 million across the globe.1 I love the description of this momentous day found in “Saints.” The day began with the meeting formally organizing the Church, which included the administration of the sacrament and the Prophet Joseph Smith receiving a…
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Even though it’s been 177 years since the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum, the place where it happened still stands. You would think Carthage Jail would be depressing to visit, but the place is eerily triumphant. I write “eerily” because there is a palpable spirit there. It’s almost unlike anywhere…
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On a foggy morning, I gazed at Nauvoo House from the banks of the Mississippi. I stared at the beautiful structure and pondered the image of Emma in her old age: sitting in her rocking chair each night and looking out the windows at the sunset with tears streaming down her face. Ever since I…
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I had hit a crossroads. I knew I had to make a decision. I was 17 years old and I wanted to know: Should I continue to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or should I take a different path? Growing up, sometimes we would go to church, and…
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