He Lost His Leg—Then Walked 22 Miles Back to Help Build the Salt Lake Temple John Rowe Moyle had already crossed an ocean, pulled a handcart across the American plains, established a farm on the Utah frontier, and spent years helping raise one of the most ambitious buildings in the …
Read More »Yearly Archives: 2026
He Rode Into a Blizzard to Save Them: The Incredible True Story of LDS Hero Ephraim Hanks
Into the Blizzard: Ephraim Hanks, the LDS Frontiersman Who Rode Into a Frozen Wilderness to Save the Handcart Pioneers The story of Ephraim Knowlton Hanks and the 1856 handcart rescue is one of those episodes in Latter-day Saint history that hardly needs embellishment. Hundreds of men, women, and children were …
Read More »Transformed Through Christ and the Church: Kyle Merkley’s Journey From Gender Dysphoria to Marriage, Covenants, and Faith
Transformed Through Christ and the LDS Gospel: Kyle Merkley’s Journey Through Gender Dysphoria, Marriage, and Faith Kyle Merkley’s story is one of the more remarkable modern Latter-day Saint testimonies about gender, marriage, agency, and the power of Jesus Christ. His story is different from Joshua Johanson’s because Kyle’s central struggle …
Read More »Transformed Through the LDS and Christ: Joshua Johanson’s Journey From Gay to Wife, Temple, and Family
Transformed by Christ: How the Church’s Teachings Guided Joshua Johanson Toward Marriage and Family Joshua Johanson’s story is a powerful example of what can happen when someone decides that Jesus Christ and the teachings of His Church will guide his life more than labels, impulses, or expectations from the world. …
Read More »Watch These First: LDS Church Prepares Members for September Schedule Changes
Church shares new training videos ahead of September Sunday schedule changes Wards and branches will gather Aug. 30 and Sept. 6 to learn about and prepare for the updated Sunday format The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is preparing members around the world for its updated Sunday meeting …
Read More »Man Convicted of Stalking Sister Missionary Near Temple Square Expected to Be Released
A Utah man convicted in a case involving the assault and stalking of a sister missionary near Temple Square is expected to be released later this year. Nathan Yudnich, 41, is currently scheduled for release on Sept. 28, 2026, following the resolution of charges connected to the incident in Salt …
Read More »The Hawn’s Mill Massacre: Faith, Survival, and the Untold Story of Amanda Barnes Smith
The Hawn’s Mill Massacre: A Defining Tragedy The Hawn’s Mill Massacre stands as one of the most brutal and defining moments in early Latter-day Saint history, a violent eruption that left families shattered and a community forever changed. What happened in that small Missouri settlement was not just another clash …
Read More »Orrin Porter Rockwell: The Mormon Bodyguard, Gunslinger, and Legend of the Wild Frontier
Few figures in early Latter-day Saint history carry the weight, mystery, and raw intensity of Orrin Porter Rockwell. Depending on who is telling the story, he was either a fearless guardian of the Saints or a terrifying instrument of frontier justice. In truth, he was something far more complex, a …
Read More »Reflections on James E. Faust’s BYU Devotional: “Self-Esteem: A Great Human Need”
James E. Faust’s address Self-Esteem: A Great Human Need is a masterful example of how gospel doctrine can be applied to real and often deeply personal human struggles. Though delivered decades ago, the talk feels remarkably modern because it addresses questions that never fade with time: how we see ourselves, …
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