In my experience, when we come to a crossroads in mortality---a decision that will change our whole direction and way of life, we usually don’t see it marked.
Imagine you are a bishop in a ward in Haiti following the recent earthquake that has shaken your congregation to the core. You are probably young, certainly a first-generation member. You look out at a congregation where 80% are probably unemployed and approximately 70% have just lost their homes. This displacement has made it difficult to get food and stay well. You know your members are grieving and the little children among them are suddenly idle, since all of their schools have been destroyed. But the list of challenges does not stop there.
Text by Maurine Proctor
Photography by Scot Facer Proctor
“My dad on third base is my dad in life. He was always willing to do the hard things to make the people around him better by taking one in the shin. You don’t see that much anymore…”
Getting help efficiently and effectively to the people who desperately need it is the toughest part of humanitarian work--especially when a broken country like Haiti is further shattered by a natural disaster. Come and see how a team of 125 Latter-day Saints organizes and does as much good as possible each day.
Text by Maurine Proctor
Photography by Scot Facer Proctor
When I first saw the destruction of Port-au-Prince it was nightfall and we were coming back from a very long day of traveling to remote areas on the Island of Haiti. If someone had told me at that moment that a nuclear bomb had been dropped on Haiti, I would have believed them. I've never seen anything like this.
Little did we know when we set up camp in an obscure field in Haiti that it would be the place where a baby would be born and delivered by an Latter-day Saint nurse.
Bradshaw draws on striking medieval illustrations to contrast Satan’s long-running plan of entrapment with the Savior’s boundless offer of eternal life.
For one High Priest Group Leader, Francy Saint-Preux of the Croix-des-Missions Ward, this devastating earthquake that has hurled his country into crisis has served to reinforce his testimony that we are blessed when we do what we need to be doing.
By Maurine Proctor
Photography by Scot Facer Proctor
When devastation and catastrophe strike at your home, community and entire nation, where do you turn for comfort? In many cases, in Haiti, it is to the parking lot of the ward buildings at night.
If a natural disaster struck, how would you stay warm without power? Get clean water? If you had to evacuate quickly, what would you take with you? Make a plan…it’s crucial!
In literature, there is something called a Point of View Character. What if, when we have been hurt or mistreated, we slip into a different character for a whole new view?
More family disagreements occur because of different expectations about money than about the actual money spent. Head-off contention with communication techniques that include the whole family.
When 125 Latter-day Saints arrive in earthquake-torn Haiti in the middle of the night, they are going to need some help right as they arrive. Come and follow the remarkable story.
What do you do when there is an earthquake in a place you love and you hear the promptings of the Spirit to go help? Come with a remarkable group of 125 Latter-day Saints as they fly to Haiti to offer a helping hand.
Does the New Testament really contain the words of Christ—or did later followers put words in His mouth to elevate their own teachings? Learn more in this fourth section of a seven-part series.
Ever wonder exactly where the two all-important trees stood in the Garden of Eden? A search for answers reveals plenty about our relationship with God.
British soldiers burn Washington. Dred Scott struggles for freedom. A novice sleuth is determined to find a kidnapped child. January’s book review is full of entrancing plots.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote, “Apparently it is necessary for us on occasion to be brought to a white-knuckles point of anxiety so as to be reminded, when rescued, of who our Rescuer is!”
To commemorate Black History Month, the Utah Chapter of the Afro-American Historical and Genealogical Society (AAHGS) and the Family History Library announce the Seventh Annual African American Family History Research Series.
In this chapter, Parley masterfully juxtaposes sample newspaper reports from Missouri and New York with the feelings of the people of Quincy, Illinois, to report what he had experienced for the previous eight months. He draws upon voices of citizens (including some from Missouri) to call attention to the unlawful, reprehensible, and outrageous acts of Missouri's chief executive.
Edited by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor
“Well, if His house in Heaven gets dirty, He'll have to clean that himself!’” (Uttered by 5-year-old Elizabeth Baxter of Manassas, Virginia who has HAD IT with chapel cleaning.) Come laugh with us.
Edited & Compiled by Trisha Manwaring, Assistant Editor,
Meridian Magazine
Many scholars are puzzled by the last 24 hours of Christ’s life. Why didn’t Jesus just walk away to live another day? Learn more in the fifth of a seven-part documentary.
Parley describes seven grueling days in July, 1839 as he is making his way across Missouri escaping from prison. He becomes lost in a swamp, sleeps with a rattlesnake, crosses the Mississippi in a canoe, becomes entangled in a thicket and finally arrives at Quincy.
Edited by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor
To achieve a poverty-free world, we must first recognize that all things belong to the Lord and that, by covenant, we are stewards of his (not our) property.
At an LDS Church service in Haiti, you might think everything was normal if you didn't know that nearly all the members are sleeping in the street. Come and visit a ward in Port-au-Prince with stories and images you will never forget.
By Maurine Proctor
Photography by Scot Facer Proctor
Parley describes in detail his dangerous journey upon his escape from prison. He also describes the escape of W.W. Phelps and the deep feelings of the anxiously awaiting Mrs. Phelps.
Edited by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor
President Monson asks, “How often have you intended to be the one to help? And yet how often has day-to-day living interfered and you’ve left it for others….?”
In these challenging economic times, wouldn’t it be interesting to know what God’s money laws are? Teach your family how to achieve prosperity in the Lord’s way.
Last week, Steve Studdert launched an on-line plea to Church members to volunteer for a 21-day relief expedition to Haiti. Over 1,000 people responded. Meridian travels to Haiti today with the first wave of volunteers.
A series of conversations with outstanding Mormon women show how they do their best to live the gospel while negotiating the deep waters of modern-day life.
The first generation of my family who immigrated to America lived close to each other and were a tight community, but they are long gone, the second generation is dying, and the third generation is spread across America.
An entire chapter is devoted to the description of one day, the Fourth of July, 1839. On this day, Parley's plan to escape his captors is put in place and through faith, strength and some miracles he is able to make his escape with threats of death at every side.
Edited by Scot Facer Proctor and Maurine Jensen Proctor
The devastating earthquake in Haiti has shattered millions of lives, but the relief efforts and outpouring of support by organizations and individuals worldwide offer hope.
With this first column, we welcome M. Catherine Thomas as a new writer on Meridian. She says that with the gospel we are invited to do more than languish in the ordinary world with ordinary thoughts.
We are quickly organizing to take approximately 150 Church members to Haiti, for twenty-one days. Men and women especially with construction and medical skills, and French/Creole language skills, are needed.
Did Jesus understand, and claim, that he was the Messiah and that He possessed a special mission from His Father, or was He simply a very gifted man whose followers claimed special powers and divine authority for Him? In this third part of a seven-part documentary explores this issue.
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NEW POLL: Besides being a member-missionary, how are you most connected to the missionary program of the Church right now (answers can apply to a single person or couple)? Please feel free to add comments after you answer.
LDS Vegetable Program Helps Bolivians
Recognizing the need to incorporate fresh vegetables into the diet of LDS Altiplano families, the church introduced a culture-changing technology here in the form of family underground greenhouses. Dozens of earthen greenhouses can now be found outside Altiplano homes.
Missionaries Resuming Work in Guyana
The Mormon church is slowly rebuilding its public profile in Guyana after the government ordered dozens of its missionaries to leave last fall because of outdated documents.
Focus on the Family Got Super Bowl Buzz It Wanted
Suddenly, the focus is off the family — and on the data. One day after the evangelical group Focus on the Family aired its Super Bowl commercial — following a storm of controversy — it was clear on Monday that the group achieved its goal: a torrent of new attention for its website and its brand in social media land.
Knitting People Together
Everywhere she goes, Jan Moncur's knitting needles go along with her. For, in a flurry of brightly-colored spun yarn, Moncur is on a mission: to make 1,000 scarves for Iraqi widows and orphans in need.
Poll: Special Interests More Influential Under Obama
Contrary to President Obama's promises, voters say special interests have more influence on the political process now than they did a year ago, according to a new poll.
Ayatollah: Iran's Military Will 'Punch' West
The Iranian government on Monday stepped up military threats in advance of an anniversary celebration as major powers continued talks on a new round of sanctions.
Seats at Premium on Planes, Trains Out of D.C.
A $20 cab ride to the airport skyrocketed to the "snow rate" of $100 in the nation's capital, and those travelers who could get to the airport or train station still had to haggle or wait in long lines to escape the snowbound Mid-Atlantic.
Haitians Confront New Threat: Spring Rains
Survivors of Haiti's catastrophic earthquake have had one saving grace: There's been no significant rain since the disaster. But that won't last.
Making Solar Power Portable
There are a growing number of business travelers who, out of practicality or concern for the environment, use portable renewable energy devices — primarily portable solar panels, but also hand-cranked electricity generators known as dynamos or freeplay devices — to power up their electronics when they work in places that offer little or no access to electricity.
Newborn Blood Used in Research Angers Parents
A critical safety net for babies — that heelprick of blood taken from every newborn in the U.S. — is facing an ethics attack. After those tiny blood spots are tested for a list of devastating diseases, some states are storing them for years.
Calif. Insurer's Rate Increases Draw Attention
President Obama's secretary of health and human services fired off a sharply worded letter to a California insurer Monday, demanding to know why it is raising rates for individual policyholders by as much as 39 percent.
DIY Prom Dress Competitions Offer Thousands in Scholarships
Break out the duct tape, fire up the glue guns and get the sewing machine out of the closet, it's prom season! Crafty, college-bound prom goers can win serious scholarship dollars for designing dream dresses and tuxedos -- no fairy godmother required.
Abortion Activists Push for License Plates
Abortion-rights advocates have been unable to halt the "Choose Life" license plates in nearly two-dozen states, so now they're working to balance the bumper debate.
GOP Wants Obama to Start from Scratch on Health Care
Republicans gave a chilly reception Monday to President Barack Obama's invitation to discuss health care in a bipartisan, televised setting later this month, part of the White House effort to revive the stalled legislation.
U.S. to Commit $78.5M to Fight Asian Carp
The Obama administration says it will spend $78.5 million to halt the giant Asian carp, which officials fear could spread and possibly endanger the Great Lakes region's $7 billion fishing industry.
Depleted Uranium: Both Sides Sound Off
Utah’s plans for stricter depleted uranium controls has sparked a war of words, with EnergySolutions Inc. calling the proposal a violation of state law and the company's critics saying Utah should close the gates to the stuff forever.
World's Tallest Tower Closed a Month After Opening
The world's tallest skyscraper has unexpectedly closed to the public a month after its lavish opening, disappointing tourists headed for the observation deck and casting doubt over plans to welcome its first permanent occupants in the coming weeks.
Educators Could Soon Receive Pay Based on Student Scores
Whether teachers should earn their paychecks based on student test scores, popularity or their college degree and years of experience is drawing heated debate between lawmakers and educators.
Community Standards Upheld in Porn Conviction
The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the conviction of a pornographer, ruling in favor of local community standards in Internet cases, rather than a national standard.
San Francisco Chronicle 'Outs' Prop 8 Judge
Whatever the source of Walker's bias, the results have been clear – any chance for an impartial trial based on the actual (as opposed to the Walker-contrived) constitutional issues surrounding marriage – has been lost.
Cross-Sections of Maine Giant Elm to Be Displayed
Maine officials say two cross-sections cut from a 217-year-old giant elm named Herbie will be displayed by the town of Yarmouth and the state Forest Service.
Space Shuttle Blasts Off on Nighttime Launch
Endeavour and six astronauts rocketed into orbit Monday on what's likely the last nighttime launch for the shuttle program, hauling a new room and observation deck for the International Space Station.
Earth as Seen from Space
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have used hand-held cameras to take more than 450,000 photographs of Earth as seen from their orbiting outpost about 220 miles up in the skies since November 2000.
The solutions to life's problems are always gospel solutions. Not only are answers found in Christ, but so is the power, the gift, the bestowal, the miracle of giving and receiving those answers. In this matter of love, no doctrine could be more encouraging to us than that.
– Jeffrey R. Holland, How Do I Love Thee?, BYU Devotional, February 15th, 2000
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