 |
 And Should We Die
It is not surprising that most people have some strong preferences for their funeral service. The problem is that most of us also have a strong preference for not talking about such things.
By Susan Law Corpany |
 |
The 13th Reality: The Journal of Curious Letters by James Dashner
What if every time you made a choice, an alternate reality was created — the life that would have been had you made the other choice?
Reviewed by Michele Ashman Bell |
 |
Negotiating the Reefs of Life
If we want to enjoy the fish in the coral reef, we must go carefully, lest we are ensnared by the coral. Our life as Saints of the latter days is much the same. There is so much that is still beautiful and desirable about our world, but it seems that the coral is growing all around us, unchecked, a trap for the unwary.
By G.G. Vandagriff |
 |
LDS
Athlete Gets 15 Minutes of Fame
A self-proclaimed
loudmouth sports fan gets his 15 minutes of fame on
the television show, "Pros vs. Joes."
By
Mike Morrow |
 |
Visiting
Teaching — A Common Ground
Even though visiting
teachers aren't sustained with an uplifted hand, the
whole nature of sustaining someone in a calling is
to do whatever you can to help that person succeed.
If our visiting teachers aren't up to snuff,
we can help them improve. And if we're
not up to snuff as visiting teachers, it's not
too late to change.
By Kathryn H. Kidd |
 |
Latter-day
Laughs
Meridian
reader Don Innes of Safford, Arizona, writes: “ As
we knelt for morning prayer, I asked our 4-year-old
daughter to pray. Helping her with the words, I prompted:
‘Bless us at school.' She innocently repeated: ‘Bless
us to be cool.'” Come laugh with us.
Edited
and Compiled by Trish Manwaring, Assistant Editor,
Meridian Magazine |
 |
| "All
About You" New From Kenneth Cope
 Popular
LDS singer-songwriter Kenneth Cope releases his first
album of contemporary music in years, and "It's
All About You."
By
Steven Kapp Perry |
|
| The
Essential Latter-day Saint Guide to Finding Your Family
on the Internet,
by
Michael Otterson
As
they begin their search for family on the “worldwide
web,” LDS families need to be careful about
the information they extract from the easily accessible
pages of the Internet. Here is a guide that can help
the researcher get started on the do’s and don’ts
of Internet genealogy research.
Reviewed
by James
W. Petty, AG, CG. |
 |
Claims
Regarding Purported Image of Joseph Smith Explained
A purported
image of Joseph Smith is circulating widely on the
Internet. Some persons have mistakenly claimed that
this image belongs to The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints and that Church officials have verified
or are verifying its authenticity. These claims are
not true. |
 |
| Honest
Lies and Shaded Truths
Honesty
is tricky business. It can be either good or bad.
Sometimes we do the bad kind of honesty and call it
good. That is very destructive. It is also very dishonest.
By
H. Wallace Goddard |
 |
Make
Easter Baskets and Bags
This week,
bunnies and chicks abound in festive decorations.
Here are simple instructions that will allow you to
make bunny bags out of paper lunch sacks, and bunny
or chick baskets from toilet paper rolls. These are
great projects for parents and kids to do together.
By
Dian Thomas |
 |
Letting
Children Make Their Own Choices
Meridian readers share
their experiences of allowing children to choose which
clothes they wear, and helping them make the correct
choices.
By Natalie J. Hale |
 |
| Journey
of Life
Destinations are just fine,
but here’s the rub: Very little of our time
is spent there. If we’re living in the present
(our only real option) we have to notice sooner or
later that in any given “present” we are
probably on our way somewhere, on a journey.
By
Marvin Payne |
 |
| Lesson
12
“Seek Ye for the
Kingdom
of God”
Jacob 1-4
By Breck England
Lesson
11
"Press Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ"
2 Nephi 31-33
By Maurine Proctor
|
 |
| Are
all Amerindians
Descendants of Lehi?
One
of the “50 Questions to Ask Mormons” concerns
our beliefs about Amerindians. What do we believe
and teach?
From
FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and
Research |
 |
| Did
They Stay Active?
Missionaries often wonder what
became of the people they baptized into the Church.
One mission president, who presides over the area
where he once served, has an opportunity to find out.
By
Heidi S. Swinton |
 |
| Looking
Good When You Feel So Bad
If you feel as though you died
yesterday but you still have to get out of bed this
morning, here are some tips on how to look like you’re
on top of the world, instead of under the weather.
By
Judith Rasband |
|
Young
Australian Mormons Clean Up Sydney Park
For 150
young Latter-day Saints, cleaning up Sydney’s
Centennial Parklands was their preferred activity
for the first day of the Australian autumn, or fall.
|
|
BYU
Rugby Team Wins Games and the Respect of Opponents
At first
look, BYU is the antithesis of rugby. Clean cut, polite
and respectful versus disheveled, crude and unseemly.
There are other differences, too.
By
Mike Morrow |
|
From
the Wrestling Mat to the Rugby Field
Kimball
Kjar never could imagine that “tackling low” and “take
down” could be so much a part of his day-to-day vocabulary.
By
Mike Morrow |
|
Latter-day
Laughs
A few weeks ago I taught an FHE lesson
about family responsibility. I helped my 3-year-old
daughter pick out some chores she could do daily and
we made a chart with little pictures of each task.
Yesterday I heard her explaining this on the phone
to a friend. Her version went like this: ‘I'm like
Cinderella. I have to do chores.'” Come laugh
with us!
Edited
and Compiled by Trish Manwaring, Assistant Editor,
Meridian Magazine |
|
Eclipse
Two
members of the well-known LDS a cappella group will
talk about their new hymns release and of course
lots of cool vocal harmonies, etc.
By Steven Kapp
Perry
|
 |
Screenplay by
LDS Authors Wins First Prize
Screenwriter
Jeanne McKinney lives in California, while author
Anne Bradshaw is a thousand miles away in Utah. Together
they created a screenplay-by-email that beat competitors
from 17 countries around the world for Sci-Fi/Fantasy
entries in Hollywood's 13th Annual International
Family Film Festival.
By
Kjirstin Youngberg |
 |
Following
the "Kindly Light"
A young woman finds that
by following spiritual promptings, she is led from
darkness into light.
By G.G. Vandagriff |
 |
Magic
in the Way We Think
The mind is a powerful
tool. By choosing to exercise good inside
of us, we can come to see things manifest better
outside of us.
By Vickey Pahnke
Taylor |
|
Make
Your Own Easter Egg Tree
If you like Christmas
trees and find that they bring a special feeling into
the holiday, you will love the Easter egg tree.
By Dian Thomas |
|
Does
the Bible Say that No Man has Seen God?
 Critics
claim that the Bible teaches that God cannot be
seen by mortals, and so claims by Joseph Smith and
others to have seen God the Father or Jesus Christ
must be false.
From
FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information
and Research
|
|
Church
Releases New Official Portrait of First Presidency
The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints has released the official
portrait of the new First Presidency. |
 |
We're
Out of Water!
This week
we're going to approach family preparedness in a general
way. If you are perfectly prepared in all ways,
you might consider inviting another family over for
FHE who could use a little help (or perhaps a big
push) to get started on a home preparedness program.
By C.S.
Bezas |
 |
German
Saints are Steadfast in the Faith
Old and
new church members in the former East Germany stand
true to the faith.
By
Laurie Williams Sowby
and Robert B. Sowby |
|
| Ode
to a Four-Footed Friend
A
former human litter-box makes peace with the family's
feline companion.
By
Susan Law Corpany |
|
Lesson
11
"Press Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ"
2 Nephi 31-33
By Maurine Proctor
Lesson
10
“He
Inviteth All to Come unto
Him”
2 Nephi 26-30
By
Bruce Satterfield |
 |
| How
Nephi Became the Birthright Son
Some people
who read the Book of Mormon question how Nephi could
have killed Laban, even at the Lord's command. But
a study of the man Laban and Nephi's relationship
to him could put these questions to rest.
By
Janet Lisonbee |
 |
Moving
Tips for Relocating
Is a change
of address coming your way? Here are some tips and
tricks to make it a smooth move.
By Daryl Hoole |
 |
Ten
Ways to Kill a Sweet Tooth
When you have a craving
for sugar, here are ways to distract you from those
sugar cravings. Even more important, there are
ways you can fill yourself that have nothing to do
with food.
By Carolyn Allen |
|
| |
 |
Family
Helps: CDs, Games and FHE Ideas
Entertaining
as well as educational products aim to help LDS families
fulfill goals. They run the gamut from recorded
talks to games to books filled with ideas for Family
Home Evening.
By
Laurie Williams
Sowby |
|
How
Should We React?
There has never been a more favorable
time for church members to speak out about who
Latter-day Saints are. During the short time this
attention and interest will last, we need a way to
give our friends a simple yet comprehensive understanding
of both what we believe and why we believe
it. If we are not careful, we could be distracted
by arguments that would only make things worse.
By
Walt Scott |
|
|
|
Joseph Smith and Polygamy
 Critics attack Joseph Smith for his introduction and practice of polygamy. These attacks usually focus on arguing that polygamy is unchristian or unbiblical, Joseph hid the truth about the practice, it was illegal and thus improper, and that polygamy sprang from Joseph's carnal desires.
From FAIR, the Foundation for Apologetic Information and Research |
|
Lesson 13
"The Allegory of the Olive Tree"
Jacob 5-7
By Scot Facer Proctor
Lesson 12
“Seek Ye for the Kingdom of God”
Jacob 1-4
By Breck England |
|
|
Personal Historian
Overwhelmed with the thought of writing a personal history? Personal Historian makes it easy to organize, write, and publish personal histories. It brings timelines, photos, documents, and genealogy together to write a
life story. Download your free trial today.
|
 |
Volunteers
Needed to Process Marriage Petitions in California
Protect
Marriage (www.protectmarriage.com) needs volunteers
to help process the marriage amendment petitions
as they pour in between now and the April 1, 2008
deadline. This mammoth task cannot
be accomplished without the help of volunteers! |
|
“Thou
Shalt Not Want”
Along with holidays
with too much candy and the consequential sales
afterwards to clear out the store, will there ever
be an end to the onslaught of news articles about
the obesity crisis getting worse instead of better?
For all the talk, education, programs and funding,
the statistics for improved health seem almost non-existent.
By Carolyn Allen |
|
Receiving
the Light of Easter
Darkness
is an illusion. Easter teaches us that only the
light was real, and that we are all part of the
light.
By
Darla Isackson |
 |
| Journeying
into Faith
 The
strait may be rocky and treacherous, but the scriptures
have given us a map to cross the dangerous waters
and find peace on the other side.
By
Richard Eyre |
 |
Children’s
Books that Teach
There
is so much to understand about this wonderful world,
and books become one of the most vital ingredients
in learning. Here is a list of some outstanding
nonfiction books about animals and other subjects
that are good for ages 7 through adult.
By Holly E. Newton |
|
Open
House, Dedication Dates Announced for Twin Falls
Idaho Temple
The
First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints has announced the open house and
dedication dates for the new Twin Falls Idaho Temple.
|
 |
Finding
the Perfect Pet
She was
allergic to cats, and the homeowners association
wouldn't let her have a goat. What could possibly
be left for an animal-loving mother to adopt into
the family?
By
Tiffany Lewis |
|
March
to the Bookstore for Great March Reads
If it's a good book
you're looking for as winter ends and spring begins,
“march” your way to the bookstore to pick up some
great books by LDS authors.
By Jennie Hansen |
 |
LDS
Fire Survivors Tell Their Stories
Survivors
of last fall's fire storms in California tell what
they learned from the harrowing experience.
By
Carolyn Nicolaysen |
|
| Emotions
Surface as New Museum Opens
When
Lynn Stowell, a volunteer guide at Saturday’s
opening of the new Northwest African American Museum,
helped a man find information about his grandfather,
the man wept. Such was the very personal response
among some of the guests. |
|
| Storing
Water for Your Family
What
if your children were separated from you during
a traumatic event? Would they know they need drinking
water within three to five days or they might die?
This week's FHE lesson will empower your kids and
help them to make a difference in storing life-giving
water for your family.
By C.S. Bezas |
 |
| Michael
Ballam to Perform at D.C. Temple Visitor’s Center
Michael
Ballam, a world renowned operatic star, will present
a recital and discuss how music is therapeutic and
brings hope and happiness to peoples’ lives.
The event, which is free to the public, will be
held on Sunday, March 30, 2008, at the Washington
Temple Visitor’s Center, and begins at 7 p.m.
|
|
|
The
Failure of the Hookup Mentality
Our culture’s sexual
attitudes are self-destructive. Nothing about the
casual sex thrown at us at every turn can possibly
incline and prepare people for the lifelong sexual
fidelity critical to marriage and family stability.
By
Maurine Proctor |
|
| New
Zealanders Spruce Up Neighborhoods
More
than 5,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints and their neighbors joined
together on Saturday in a nationwide day of service
to improve and beautify neighborhoods. |
|
| Overcoming
the Natural Man
Latter-day
Saints sometimes think that we do not believe in
the concept of “original sin” found in Christianity.
Actually, the Book of Mormon clearly teaches this
idea. Where we differ from some other Christians
is that we do not believe that the sin of our first
parents was sexual in nature or that infants are
born in sin.
By
John A. Tvedtnes |
|
How to be a Good Visiting Teacher
There is no slowdown
in the number of letters Meridian Magazine been
getting about visiting teachers. We've all had good
ones and bad ones, and many of us have been
good ones and bad ones. There's something
we can all learn from this topic. In fact,
even home teachers can get tips from today's letters.
By Kathryn H.
Kidd |
|
Distinguishing
Wants from Needs
Whether we're genuinely
hungry and it's time to eat, or we find ourselves
with food on our minds and in our hands and mouths
when it's not time to eat, the question,
“What do you need?” will instantly elicit life-sustaining
bread, and not rocks.
By Carolyn Allen |
 |
Mitt
Romney, Mormons, and Bigotry: Some Hypothetical
Questions
Although Evangelical
Christians can (and do) tolerate Mormons serving
on the federal appellate courts, in Cabinet positions,
and in the Senate and House, perhaps elevating a
devout Mormon to the Supreme Court is just a little
"too much." Mormons can serve in high public
office, but not in the highest of those offices.
By Lowell
Brown |
|
Three
Ingredients of Joy
 Someone
once said that the best part of travel is coming
home. Perhaps the two best parts of travel
are the things you notice by being away from the
familiar of home, and the things you notice about
home when you return.
By
Richard Eyre |
|
Books
to Take Children Round the World
Children
can learn about so many things when reading books.
Here are some outstanding picture books that reflect
various cultures or are written and illustrated
by authors from around the world. All of the books
are good for ages five through adult.
By
Holly E. Newton |
|
Network
Founder Tells NPR Parents Should Do More
In an
interview with National Public Radio recently, philanthropist
Sheila Johnson said that moral standards in the
media were declining and that parents needed to
step up. |
 |
Lessons
from the Lives of Auxiliary Leaders
Serving the One
Although
church auxiliary leaders were given the responsibility
to administer worldwide organizations, their acts
of service showed that they realized the importance
of serving individuals.
By Janet Peterson |
|
Two
Latter-day Saints Shine on “American Idol”
Six months ago nobody
had heard of David Archuleta or Brooke White, but
now, thanks to their soaring on American Idol, the
television show that seeks to find the country’s
new vocal superstars, they have become household
names with their own fans, websites, blogs and pictures
splashed across the Internet.
By
Maurine Proctor |
|
|
Abraham had several
wives and numerous children after the death of Sarah,
but he was more than a father in the biological
sense.
By E. Douglas
Clark |
 |
New
Book to Help Victims of Pornography Find Hope: A
Call for Submissions
Submission
are being sought for a book that talks about the
effects of pornography on society and how families
have battled pornography and won.
By
Cherilyn Bacon Eagar |
 |
Hallelujah!
Only
a man like George Careless could pull off a complete
performance of the Messiah in the western frontier
of Salt Lake City in 1875.
By
Davis Bitton |
|
Volunteers
Help Restore Earthquake-Damaged Town
More
than 300 Latter-day Saint volunteers endured a whiteout
snowstorm a week ago as they helped residents repair
their town following a series of earthquakes. After
an initial 6.0 quake on February 21, several aftershocks
have hit the town, damaging homes and other buildings.
|
|
2007
Whitney Award Winners To Be Announced March 22
The
winners of the 2007 Whitney Awards will be announced
during the final evening of the LDStorymakers annual
Writers Conference, March 22, 2008. Special Lifetime
Achievement Awards will also be presented that night
to three persons whose bodies of works and tireless
efforts have made a significant impact on the field
of LDS popular fiction. |
|
The
Ups and Downs of Visiting Teaching
Because women have
a succession of visiting teachers all our lives,
most of us have had some bad experiences peppered
in with the good ones. It's a wise woman who is
able to take visiting teaching lemons and make
lemon meringue pie out of them.
By
Kathryn H. Kidd
|
|
Latter-day
Laughs
A Meridian
reader writes: “My sister's children were recently
pretending to be at church. Seven-year-old Andrea
stood up and shared these feelings: ‘I'd like to
bear my testimony. I really love all of you, and
I want to bear my testimony that you can love all
of you, too. And I know that our prophet, President
Hinckley, really did die. Amen.'” Come laugh
with us.
Edited
and Compiled by Trish Manwaring, Assistant Editor,
Meridian Magazine |
 |
The
Laie Hawaii Temple One Beautiful Morning
Few places
on earth bring such peace and rest to the soul as
the temple. Few temples are set more beautifully
than the one in Laie, Hawaii. Give yourself some
peace and rest and come walk with me through these
beautiful photographs of this paradisiacal place.
A
Photographic Essay by
Scot Facer Proctor |
|
