This Week in Latter-days

Melissa Jensen & Matt Miles return for the Mormon news this week!

Links:

Preparing to speak in church? This Latter-day Saint author has 3 ‘key’ principles to help you

Azerbaijani Sheikh ul-Islam meets with First Presidency

Why the Church donated wooden houses and water systems in Mexico

‘Expect Russia to wage war again’: Romney on the danger of leaving Ukraine unsupported

Bright lights in the desert: How Latter-day Saints have shaped Las Vegas culture, community, and politics

These 16 new mission presidents and companions will serve in Argentina, România, Ghana and more countries around the world

Here’s how to watch the most recent Friend to Friend broadcast

New Joseph Smith Papers podcast focuses on revelations in Church history era of Kirtland, Ohio

Newly released Spencer W. Kimball diaries shine a light behind the scenes of modern Mormonism

Mormonism’s slow shift away from demonizing working mothers

Are UFOs real? Yes, but there might not be any aliens involved

BYU study finds missions make positive impact on women’s educational and career outcomes

‘Shadows define the light’: Photographer Me Ra Koh tells RootsTech audience to embrace their whole story

Perspective: Why even secular people should worry about Gen Z’s lack of faith

Scott Taylor: Why ‘dying testimonies’ is just one reason to avoid missionary slang

Dr. David T. Morgan: Why Latter-day Saints who seek needed mental health help shouldn’t be ashamed

Reflecting on impact of the Relief Society on International Women’s Day

Watch: Sister Kristin M. Yee shares special message for single women on International Women’s Day

70 years ago today - Mar 9, 1953

190 years ago today - Mar 9, 1833

80 years ago today - Mar 7, 1943

Jennifer Roach & Emily Wilson break down the news for this week!

Links:

Keynote Speakers at RootsTech 2023

Will Intelligent Latter-day Saints and Smart Conservatives Inherit the Earth? Differential Selection for Intelligence in the USA Based on Religiosity and Conservatism

ENSIGN PEAK: CLARIFYING THE SEC ANNOUNCEMENT

Judge severs Chad and Lori Daybell case; 2 trials will be held

20 years after Elizabeth Smart's rescue, new book explores faith, 'other side' she didn't see

Push to require clergy to report abuse stalls in Mormon Utah

2023 Churchwide Broadcast Events

Come, Follow Me with FAIR: Faithful Answers to New Testament Questions

https://youtu.be/pAMH1q9jN94

Links:

Dirty Dough becomes UVU’s official cookie, update on #UtahCookieWars

‘She knows me least’ — 5 years after ‘Educated,’ Tara Westover’s family yearns for reconciliation. Is it possible?

Cooking my way through ‘The Essential Mormon Cookbook’

‘RHOSLC’ star Jen Shah’s prison life: Schedule, work and more

‘The Jets 2.0’ go viral: Second generation family band featured on Tamron Hall Show

WATCH: We get mean (and really bizarre) comments

Pop-Culture Power

Rich Recipes

Utah social media influencer arrested, accused of domestic violence

The TWiM Sisters are taking on some Mormon news in February of 2023

Links:

Elizabeth Smart recalls her abduction 2 decades ago: 'It couldn't actually be real'

NBA All-Stars package thousands of boxes for people in need during day of service in Salt Lake City

President Spencer W. Kimball journals are now available online. Here’s how to access them

First Presidency’s directive for Easter Sunday: Sacrament meetings only, with a Christ-centered focus

More Jesus, less touching: 14 changes to the Mormon temple endowment ceremony

Church settles case with SEC over financial reporting

A 22-year-old man set a Boise LDS church on fire in August. He was just sentenced

From ‘footnote’ to ‘foreground’: Church publishes 1883 prison journal of Belle Harris

Opinion: Making sense of the settlement between the church and the SEC over a technical violation

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donates church building to Idaho Falls Community Food Basket

Read for yourself what the SEC found in the LDS Church’s stock filings

The Church, the Investment Advisor, and the SEC

Judge to issue ruling on whether to separate Chad and Lori Daybell cases

We invited one podcast over to visit our podcast. A big thanks to the guys at Bless the Refreshments podcast for stepping in.

Check them out here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bless-the-refreshments/id1565091703

Links:

Real House Wives of Salt Lake Heather Gray  in litigation with Church over book

UK poll suggests people have less favorable opinion of the Church

Can the church help save the Great Salt Lake?

Church efforts in Turkey and Syria

Andy Reid in the Super Bowl

This Week's Hosts:

Jennifer Roach

Sarah Allen

Links:

YoungBoy Never Broke Again Is Considering a Mormon Baptism

Jana Riess: For today’s Latter-day Saints, it’s food storage light

Elder Gerrit W. Gong, wife to keynote RootsTech Family Discovery Day

‘You Cannot Separate Jesus Christ From the Church,’ Teaches Elder Hamilton

BYU faculty members urged to align their teaching, research better with LDS tenets

An alleged $500 million Ponzi scheme preyed on Mormons. It ended with FBI gunfire.

The CES Letter Rebuttal

Hear Him Retreats

TWiM Sisters are on the task this week!

Links:

Jana Riess: For today’s Latter-day Saints, it’s food storage light

Ammon Bundy makes plea deal in St. Luke's Meridian trespassing case

Members and missionaries help in flood and mudslide cleanup in California

Church Volunteers Help Selma Cleanup Storm Damage

Salt Lake Temple and Temple Square renovation: Revisiting 2022 progress and projecting 2023 efforts

When can I register my youth for FSY?

Anchorage Alaska Temple will double in size with reconstruction

$5 per credit: A powerful reason for BYU-Pathway Worldwide

Judge rules on whether Daybell trial will be postponed, jury sequestration and if Chad and Lori can meet

The pioneer spirit that led to Welfare Square

Before there was ‘Napoleon Dynamite,’ there was … ‘The Phone Call’

How counseling together can increase unity and revelation in Sunday Relief Society meetings

Murdered Microsoft exec Jared Bridegan’s ex moves cross country as cop sources reveal major break in case

Geoff Openshaw and Jared are back!

Links:

A prophetic promise fulfilled: San Juan Puerto Rico Temple is dedicated

Say It Again, Sam (a Plea to Bishops)

Church growth in Latin America

How to use ‘The Chosen’ as you teach the New Testament

Sister Mary Hales, wife of the late Elder Robert D. Hales, dies at age 90

R-Rated Sound of Musics, or R-Rated Films for Latter-day Saints

News Links:

President Nelson on New Year’s Resolutions:

https://twitter.com/ChurchinCanada/status/1609547716371283968?t=YcAexLraH3fkrzIxsYW7bQ&s=03

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cm4AeqgNrjF/?igshid=MDJmNzVkMjY%3D

Melissa

Changes since President Nelson became prophet 5 years

https://www.thechurchnews.com/2020/12/30/23217862/president-nelson-announcements-changes-church-prophet

Matt

Mexico City Temples

https://twitter.com/the_churchnews/status/1609239837676027907?t=Xl_i69FvSxy-Wy6xQGf2xQ&s=03

Matt

Congo River Temple

https://www.thechurchnews.com/global/2023/1/3/23533638/congo-river-boat-trip-crossing-temple-trip-brazzaville-kinshasa?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=cn-social&utm_campaign=twitter-en&utm_content=ldsconf

Melissa

New Testament Come Follow Me

https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2022/12/31/23471766/how-to-understand-parables-new-testament-jesus-christ-byu-scholar-gaye-strathearn?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=cn-social&utm_campaign=twitter-en&utm_content=churchnews-en

https://leadingsaints.org/the-art-of-teaching-an-interview-with-hank-smith/

Matt

New Youth Theme for the Year

https://www.thechurchnews.com/living-faith/2023/1/8/23540986/what-is-a-cairn-rock-formation-2023-youth-theme-logo?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=cn-social&utm_campaign=instagramstories-en&utm_content=churchnews-en

https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/1/4/23537386/2023-youth-theme-philippians-4-13-young-men-young-women-general-presidencies?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=cn-social&utm_campaign=twitter-en&utm_content=ldsconf

Matt

LDS Members’ Pocatello Kidnapping is now fictionalized and streaming on Peacock

https://www.wboc.com/tv-review---a-friend-of-the-family/article_61f34b98-8bc9-11ed-92c2-2bf3987277bb.html

Melissa

Elder Holland Devotional for Young Adults

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/article/elder-sister-holland-new-year-message-hope-christ

https://www.thechurchnews.com/leaders/2023/1/6/23542415/worldwide-devotional-with-elder-and-sister-holland-for-young-adults-2023?utm_source=instagram&utm_medium=cn-social&utm_campaign=instagramstories-en&utm_content=churchnews-en

Matt

Standardized MTC online experiences

https://www.ldsliving.com/changes-coming-for-online-missionary-training-at-select-mtcs/s/11247

FAMOUS MORMONS

Matt

Amy Adams

Idina Menzel

Jeremy Renner

Melissa

Pioneer Woman

Joanna Gaines

Rachel Ray

(Big Deal, Little Deal, or No Deal?)

Matt

Slower than expected Church growth

https://twitter.com/sltrib/status/1609600059909324802?t=-7uplvxNCP13u6wB0DoxlQ&s=03

Melissa

Daybell

https://kutv.com/news/chad-and-lori-daybell/lori-daybell-accused-of-killing-children-in-idaho-says-she-has-an-alibi-jj-vallow-tylee-ryan-merder-charges-tammy-chad

https://www.ksl.com/article/50554091/lori-daybell-reveals-more-on-childrens-deaths-wants-to-meet-with-chad-daybell

Matt

Houston Transfer Center for Immigrants

https://www.thechurchnews.com/2021/6/7/23217708/latter-day-saint-charitiesopen-houston-family-transfer-center-migrants-seeking-asylum

Melissa

Go Ask Alice

https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/08/01/how-a-mormon-housewife-turned-a-fake-diary-into-an-enormous-best-seller?utm_campaign=falcon_e4bcaa8fba22b6feb7b8c2ec1e5388d1&utm_medium=social&utm_brand=tny&utm_social-type=owned&mbid=social_twitter&utm_source=twitter

Matt

Sex Abuse Suit Settled

https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/article271103342.html

Melissa

The Married Mom Advantage

https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2022/12/motherhood-marriage-pandemic-covid-children/672563/

Matt

Religious Affiliation in Congress

https://pres-outlook.org/2023/01/congress-new-class-has-much-higher-percentage-of-christians-than-american-public/

Melissa

No More Family History Libraries

https://www.ldsliving.com/why-are-the-churchs-family-history-centers-getting-a-name-change/s/11246

MORMONS DOING GOODLY

Matt

https://www.upr.org/utah-news/2022-12-23/utah-mom-receives-500-in-act-of-kindness-pays-it-forward-to-homeless-shelter

Melissa

BYU Animation students

https://www.ksl.com/article/50552098/byu-student-puts-her-own-spin-on-the-grim-reaper-in-award-winning-video-game

Matt

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2022/12/a-final-secret-santa-surprise-for-a-young-single-father-with-daughter-who-has-a-brain-tumor/

MORMON HISTORY FOCUS

This Week in Mormon History

http://www.todayinmormonhistory.com/2023/01/130-years-ago-today-jan-4-1893.html

http://www.todayinmormonhistory.com/2023/01/35-years-ago-today-jan-3-1988.html

http://www.todayinmormonhistory.com/2023/01/60-years-ago-today-jan-4-1963.html

Jennifer Roach and Liz Busby review the news.

Mormon Church condemned for photoshopping painting of Virgin Mary to cover her bust and shoulders  | Daily Mail Online

‘Come, Follow Me’: How to study the New Testament - Deseret News

Faithful Study Resources for Come, Follow Me - FAIR (fairlatterdaysaints.org)

Utah father kills wife, 5 kids, mother-in-law, police say, stunning ‘very close’ community (sltrib.com)

LDS Church growth is stuck at less than 1%. Here are suggestions for boosting that number. (sltrib.com)

MyBaby4Me program helping fight infant and maternal mortality rate in the Mid-South (msn.com)